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A New Year
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.
Dress: BAIASTICE Sarah (new in store - eight colors)
22769 ~ [bauwerk] Vintage Fairground Street Organ for The Challenge : Circus
Hair by Vanity Hair
Pose by: PRETENSE
Coming Soon and Here
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, events, hair, iheartslFeed, new releases on Tuesday, December 30, 2014
A bright and shining morning on the brink of a the next year, new things await you!
*Dress: 20.FIVE - Rich Dress with color hud and tons of built in details; an easy way to get dressed in a hurry and look great.
*Hair: Coming soon to FaMESHed from MINA, Elisa (exclusive), an extremely natural looking long hair; get over there on the first and try a demo!
And just out for The Challenge : Circus this extremely cute dresser and mirror set (with poses) from Essay. See other Challenge releases here.
Boots BAIASTICE (December Arcade)
Poses by: aDORKable
A Very Good Year
Posted by Chic Aeon in comment, iheartslFeed on Monday, December 29, 2014
Iheartsl posted some clever stats from Wordpress today. I am still a Blogger gal and have been long before Blogger even HAD stats. Man I feel old.
The 31st is my rez day. I will be SEVEN. Now I know plenty of folks who are older than I am, but still -- no longer the new kid on the block for sure.
I think my highest traffic day (Blogger doesn't keep track buy my memory is still pretty sharp for an old gal working her way toward a decade) was 870ish. Not the norm and amazingly I don't remember what that post was (see, I really AM getting old).
Now we all know that statistics are iffy to inaccurate but mine seem to be pretty stable so I am going to assume that some folks out there are reading. Actually since those using readers or seeing via feeds don't often get counted (well if I am particularly chatty as some feeds don't show the complete posts) who knows?
I am pretty sure my audience was less than 10,000 a month average when I started, or perhaps not as there were few blogs then and a good sized SL population. So for MY frame of reference I am going to go with 10,000 a month and be happy with that.
In that corporeal world I had a website once that was triple that 1 and four zero number, but it was much more global in nature and not so niche. I am particularly happy that my even nichier blogs are also doing well with now and then a day that almost reaches 200 (a big deal as some days it is in the 20s).
Still it is good to know that I am not typing into the ether.
Thanks for reading!
Golden Glow
With many colors to choose from in both necklace and dress, I picked gold -- a fitting color for the festive season.
From Eclectica for Genre the Scarab Neckpiece-pale gold & white.
From BAIASTICE one of the new holiday releases, the Emeli dress in Gold.
Perfect pairings for your next formal event -- like New Year's Eve?
Hair by Vanity Hair: Valentina
Poses by: the Atelier Visconti fountain
Holiday Style
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Saturday, December 27, 2014
Did you play "dress up" as a girl? I did. Wearing my mother's finery I felt so grown up. We have the ability in our virtual lives to be anyone we want to be, and sometimes it is just plain fun.
We can live in decades that were long gone before our birth, imagine what the future might hold, experience different cultures.
There is a new year on the horizon and I encourage you to welcome it with style.
From NSP Florals, the Madame de Floria hat newly available at Gothmas by Gaslight.
It pairs perfectly with the "OMG I just have to have it" new release from BAIASTICE, just one of several styles for the holidays. This is one gorgeous dress! Look for Kalia in many lovely colors.
Necklace by Stars!
Shoes by Essenz
Poses by: BehaviorBody and Everglow
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Friday, December 26, 2014
From Cheeky Pea for N°21 a colorful yoga set. There are plenty of pieces in this release including an inspirational plaque, candle and hanging lamp.
It is easy to get stressed during the holidays and yoga is a perfect way to unwind.
Pieces are very low land impact weighing in at one or two. Use them at home or in a gym or spa setting. Mesh body folks will particularly love the animations *wink*. Show off those smooth curves!
Easily tintable to make many colors!
Cheeky Pea has a new (and fantastic as usual) "box". So many fun ways to decorate with this.
Top newish by 20.FIVE (color hud)
Hair by Lelutka
Poses by: the mat silly
Isadora GxG
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Thursday, December 25, 2014
This beautiful dress is available with a choice of three color huds (five colors in each hud) at Gothmas by Gaslight. This is the red version in Color Hud 1. The fit is very natural and realistic and the long skirt is as intricately detailed as the top area.
The dress comes in more sizes than the norm with some more "ample" versions for the well endowed gals. I am wearing an XS which is slightly smaller than my normal size. It fits perfectly.
Grab a demo and choose your hud at the Senzafine booth.
My hair is a new release from Vanity Hair called "Senses" and has a lovely shape in back as well as front. Plenty of color huds of course.
Pose by: flowey
Feeling Nostalgic
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, freebies, iheartslFeed on Wednesday, December 24, 2014
This gorgeous showgirl bodice is one choice in a big set of holiday goodness from !dM deviousMind. The "Noelle d'Etoile" **XMAS2014** set filled with many versions and optional additions not shown here is a group gift.
My photo took on a retro feel as I remembered how Chandra and I met long ago (December 2009) when some friends and I stalked the lucky present boxes and came away with much goodness. I can't find that post to reference; when you get close to 4000 entries search is a fickle thing. But in my mind it seems much more recent.
I took a lot of photos this eve.
Amazingly so!
Poses by: Diesel Works and elle
Winter Harvest
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, iheartslFeed, new releases on Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Keep warm in style this winter with a new outdoor firepit set from {what next}. Winter harvest chairs come in three versions (pillows, pillow and throw, plain) with an extensive texture change menu for both fabric and woods. The firepit comes in two versions, with or without animations.
With plenty of animations for guys, gals and couples as well as activities, this is a great set for you holiday and winter stylings. This cooridnates with the wonderfully detailed Winter Harvest Picnic Set. Also available on the Marketplace.
It looks great in the snow outside the new release Scarlet Creative Princess Jezibell Snug available at COLLABOR88.
Pose by: the fire pit
Pretty Pictures POE7
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, hunts, iheartslFeed, POE7 on Monday, December 22, 2014
If you want to wrap yourself up for someone this season, the Ribbon Dress from --Snowpaws-- is a winner. As you might imagine it does not "walk well" :D, but oh what a lovely picture it takes.
The pretty diamond Peace Penandant can be found at Zuri Jewelry.
If you love to venture back in time a few decades, be sure and check out this pairing.
Earrings and necklace by Dellybeams Gem Gallery.
Hat and long satin and sequined formal gown (includes prim puffy sleeves) from Sascha's Designs.
All items are on the Peace On Earth Hunt 7.
Poses by: HelaMiyo and aDORKable
Advent - Day 22
Not to be missed, these great hiking boots out for day 22 of Advent at Loordes of London. Remember the whole (free group) board will be open on Christmas. Look for the stall in the center of the store.
Pose by: LAP (nla)
Cocoa Please?
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Sunday, December 21, 2014
It's COLD outside.
But never fear, this new exclusive coat and leggings set from SOILE will keep you warm and toasty. Find it at Gothmas by Gaslight.
Pose by: Vista Animations
Advent Stars - Day 21
Day 21 at Loordes of London brings you this warm dressy coat WITH coordinating prim tank built in. Love that. SLink high heels from Day 20 are still out for a bit. And remember the whole board will be open on Dec 25. This is a GROUP calendar.
Now I have shown you a few of the gifts over the last days.
If you have been good little gathers you can see a pattern.
See it?
Lots of furniture. Matching furniture. Themed furniture.
And Day Twelve?
The "minimalistic house" to put it in.
This is 11 land impact, open and roomy with two rooms and modern fireplace. Perfect for 512 folks as a living space or as an office or studio, there is even a door so that you could use it on the ground.
While the styles are different (and the prim count much lower) it reminds me of my very first home, and hence MY assumption that it was for the air - LOL, which it likely is not. It COULD be however. Just watch that first step if you are up at a few thousand meters *wink*.
Hair by MINA
Pose by: oOo Studio
Gothic Schoolgirl
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Saturday, December 20, 2014
As you might imagine, this was fun to put together.
From Gothmas by Gaslight - Greymoon's Miss Prim Dress in plain black with white collar and cuffs and one of many baubles available from the ~*Souzou Eien*~ gacha. Many pretty color combos are available.
My Opulent Bow Tie is from ISON at The Arcade. Matching (rare) earrings are also available. A hud lets you resize and change stone colors (8 choices).
Hair: Ruler by ISON
Nails: *~*HopScotch*~* (wired)
Pose by: Vista Animations and the bauble
Night Music
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Friday, December 19, 2014
Drama -- don'tcha love it?
This striking tattoo in many forms including tintable and layered is from Fallen Gods Inc. -- the BRIER tattoo. This is the complete version but many other options are available.
And from [ SAKIDE ], the Dark Christmas Outfit all in one catsuit with boots.
The venue? Gothmas by Gaslight, of course.
Hair, a new release by eXxEsS, Prija
Poses by: aDORKable
Advent Stars - Day 19
OMG! And outfit. With shoes. Lotsa red.
Cute sweater and shirt combo and holly earrings from Tres Beau at KittyCats. Lots of other goodness in KC's Day 19 too.
Bracelets (left and right) at Loordes of London.
Shorts with lace up sides from {NaYu}.
Hair (Day 18) from The Alice Project.
Chair with fur throw from 22769.
Slink medium sandals from Baboom at the WEIB Sales Room.
Sway's has a cute little potted green fir tree.
Got forth. Gather!
Advent SLURLs here.
Poses by: Diesel Works and the chair
Advent Stars - Day 18
Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, iheartslFeed on Thursday, December 18, 2014
Some noteworthy releases for Day 18 and 17.
Stylish hair from Day 17 (usually around until 4ish SL time the next day) at the Alice Project.
Very cute dress (double straps under that hair) from {NaYu}.
Lovely necklace FOR THE MEN (sizes down for gals) from Chop Zuey. These stay on the board and are available at a later date.
Advent list is here!
Pose by: (must be LAP - LOL)
Gothmas By Gaslight II
Whatever your tastes, there is something for almost everyone at Gothmas by Gaslight. Here an extensive set from [MUSE] let's you move back in time -- at least a few decades. It comes with SLink high heels, some very pretty jewelry and mesh gloves. There are ruffled add-ons for both gloves and dress but you know I am a minimalist kinda gal. This simpler style works for me.
This really lovely Gothic gazebo from ~*Souzou Eien*~is a great "prim" value for your dark garden -- only 13 land impact.
Now most of you by now have plenty of poses. Happily they don't go out of style *wink*. But, that being said, I think you should definitely look at the two new sets from {NanTra} -- Merry Deathmas and Eternal Beauty. These fill some holes in my own pose collection and they might do the same in yours. The Deathmas set comes with props which may come in handy or use them on their own. That works too.
Poses by: {NanTra}
Can You Keep a Secret?
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, events, freebies, iheartslFeed, new releases on Wednesday, December 17, 2014
No so secret really, but definitely noteworthy.
Out from COCO as a holiday gift this very pretty red bustier dress.
Two stylish trees in sacks (the other is a white bag) are gifts from Trompe Loeil throughout the remainder of 2014.
The terrifically quirky snowy abode in the background is from Scarlet Creative at COLLABOR88. There is no demo (or wasn't when I was there) so if you want to see the building up close and personal, here's a locale.
Wondering what to wear with your holiday attire? Both tasteful and festive, these DaneMarkZ Peep heels (SLink Mid) are perfect. Silver, gold, snow, green and red hues are available.
Pose by: HelaMiyo and Torrid Midnight (nla)
Vintage Goth
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, hair, iheartslFeed
|Full Size Photo HERE.
New from Pale Empress, Skadi at Gothmas by Gaslight . Two exclusive colors are available; this is red with black. A coordinating color adds extra drama!
Moving back in time never looked so good.
From Eclectica for GXG, Gothic Pearls which are available in a fatpack version with a large variety of textures including hues and muted neutral stones.
A perfect pairing is this Frozen hair from Vanity Hair which spans many decades and genres. Very elegant; find it at F R O S T.
Poses by: aDORKable and POSSESSION
Night Blooms
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, events, iheartslFeed, new releases on Tuesday, December 16, 2014
A lovely collaboration brings about the Gothmas-Swagger release for Gothmas by Gaslight. From The White Armory, the elegant gown; from NSP Florals the gorgeous flowers. Put them together and it is quite magical.
There are also hair flowers.
Flowers bloom by gaslight; did you know that? Well these do. The Victorian outdoor lamps (single, triple, quad and wall versions) are from ~*Souzou Eien*~ at the same event.
Hair by Vanity Hair for F R O S T. (You will see it again in upcoming posts :D) Look for Frozen.
Poses by: BehaviorBody
Advent Stars - Day 16
Courtesy of Sami's early morning advent run, here a two fun additions to your holiday wardrobe.
From Barerose Tokyo for KittyCats, the Xmass Tree Dress. One size it may be fitmesh or it may just fit medium folks.
This is the Day 15 hair from The Alice Project and should be around until late afternoon when the boxes change.
And if all those holiday reds, golds and greens are getting to you, Loordes of London has Day 16 out early. Find some very nice high waisted pants to add to your 2016 clothing folder. These have a very nice body shape to them but run a bit small. XL is in the pack but think L.
Sway's has a very nice ONE land impact white chair with holiday cushion in Day 16's box.
The full Advent List with SLURLS is here.
Poses by: Vain (very old)
Gothmas By Gaslight
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, iheartslFeed, new releases, poses, props on Monday, December 15, 2014
|Full Sized Photo HERE.
Northern lights, gas lamps, sparkling trees -- Gothmas by Gaslight is open!
An eclectic mix of dark desires are yours to discover.
From Eclectica, 'Nightblooms'. Earrings, ring and collar form the beautifully made set. Colors can be changed by hud.
Poses (some sets with props) can be found at {NanTra}. Poses are not easy to make well; I suggest you check these out.
This nicely made lona (my great grandmother's name) long coat hales from Fission. Color choices of this vintage attire are blue, purple and red. I am wearing the fitmesh version but traditional mesh is also available in the pack.
Last but ohsonotleast in my book are these superb boots from {Venomous Rage Designs} . These are high heels which are typically not my favorite. That being said, I just can't seem to take them off!
Beautifully textured, the legwarmers also come separately. Look for Frost Bite Boots.
My hair is a new release from eXxExS, PRIJA The color huds are extensive. Hairbases are included.
Poses by: {NanTra} Dieselworks
Snow Days
Posted by Chic Aeon in design, events, hunts, iheartslFeed, POE7
Virtual snow time. All the beauty without the melting mess that follows. Works for me. You'll want to keep warm if you venture into wintery climes in December and this cozy sweater dress with built in belt is perfect. Find it at Shoenique Designs on the POE7 hunt. This comes with thigh high white boots if you are an adventurous gal.
Find this low prim set at *DENCH DESIGNS* on the POE7 hunt
Hair by MINA
Pose by: the bench
Advent Stars - Day 14
Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, iheartslFeed on Sunday, December 14, 2014
It is a great day for Advent with another ten days to go!
From 22769 in package number 3 this darling book tree. SO CUTE!
From [LeeZu!] @ KittyCats Day 14 Mia Miu Boots. Fun!
This is Day 13's hair from The Alice Project ---
and a very cute retro jacket with tiny waist from Loordes of London.
Today's gift from Chop Zuey Gift is this set of Sultaness Earrings; very fancy!
This really lovely hand-hammered silver bracelet is from Earthstones @ KittyCats also for Day 14.
There are some nice mesh shorts at {NaYu} Design ...
and a pretty blue rug at Sway's
All SLURLS are on the Advent List here.
Pose by: Olive Juice - LAP (nla)
Shadow Dancing
Posted by Chic Aeon in events, freebies, hair, hunts, iheartslFeed on Saturday, December 13, 2014
Music, laughter, a little sweating - all good.
A new release, an older release, a REALLY old item, a holiday gift and a hunt prize make up this outfit. Lots of fun to put together? Of course it was.
Here's the rundown.
20.FIVE Mesh - Bepp Jumpsuit (five colors of top available via hud)
Sky - Waist Sweater 20 colors (not rigged - demo available)
eXxEsS : X-MAS 2014 (yes, that's the hair name *wink* - with extensive huds (so many colors there are two)) a super fun gift - headphones are a part of the hair
MP4 player from NCparis (old)
Wicca's Wardrobe on the POE7 hunt. Unisex, they come sized for guys also.
Poses by: aDORKable and Juxtapose


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This is one of the best ideas I've seen in a long while. And I'm sorry that this is basically just a cut/paste post, but I figured I'd let the artist speak for himself:
I am pleased to preview 'Dead Drops' a new project which I started off as part of my ongoing EYEBEAM residency in NYC the last couple weeks. 'Dead Drops' is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space. I am 'injecting' USB flash drives into walls, buildings and curbs accessable to anybody in public space. You are invited to go to these places (so far 5 in NYC) to drop or find files on a dead drop. Plug your laptop to a wall, house or pole to share your favorite files and data. Each dead drop contains a readme.txt file explaining the project. 'Dead Drops' is still in progress, to be continued here and in more cities. Full documentation, movie, map and 'How to make your own dead drop' manual coming soon! Stay tuned.
Dead drop (Wikipedia)
Visit Aram's blog and the official 'Dead Drops' page for more information and locations!

subset: commoncrawl


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Armenia presidential hopeful shot and wounded
A fringe candidate for the Armenian presidency was recovering from surgery Friday after being shot in the chest by an unidentified gunman, officials said. Paruir Airikian was reported in stable condition as police searched for the shooter, while the speaker of Parliament suggested the election could be delayed.
Airikian, an also-ran in three previous presidential elections, was shot outside his house in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, just before midnight. A neighbor who heard gunshots and cries for help called the police.
Another presidential candidate who visited Airikian in hospital told Armenian TV that that the assailant first shot him in the back. Airikian then started struggling with the attacker, who fled.
Airikian, a former dissident who spent 17 years in Soviet prisons, is one of eight candidates in the Feb. 18 presidential vote, which incumbent Serge Sarkisian is expected to easily win despite the nation's economic problems. Recent opinion surveys show Airikian getting just over 1 percent of the vote.
Yerevan Clinical Hospital's chief doctor, Ara Minasian, said that the 63-year-old Airikian was being treated for a single gunshot wound and remained in stable condition. Doctors later performed a surgery to remove a bullet that got stuck in his shoulder.
Eduard Sharmazanov, a deputy speaker of Parliament, said the attack on Airikian was a "provocation against democratic, free and transparent elections." Education Minister Armen Ashotian, who is deputy chief of the ruling Republican Party, described it as an "attempt to destabilize the situation in the country and compromise the vote."
Armenian parliament speaker Ovik Abramian, who visited Airikian at the hospital, said the assault could be an attempt to thwart the election. He said the vote could be postponed if Airikian's condition prevents him from taking part, but the nation's election chief refused to comment on the possibility.
Armenia's constitution requires the vote to be postponed for two weeks if one of the candidates is unable to take part due to circumstances beyond his control. It envisages a further 40-day delay if the problem isn't solved.
The Armenian president has broad executive powers, and the campaign for the job has been marked by much tension. Airikian, a Soviet-era dissident, briefly joined a hunger strike by another candidate over procedural issues related to the vote.
This landlocked, overwhelmingly Christian nation of 3 million has faced severe economic challenges caused by the closing of its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan because of a territorial conflict.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and some adjacent territory has been under the control of Armenian troops and local ethnic Armenian forces since a six-year war ended with a truce in 1994. But international efforts to mediate a settlement have brought no result.
Armenia's politics have been tense and often mired in violence. In 1999, six gunmen burst into Parliament and killed the prime minister, speaker and six other officials and lawmakers. Nine people were wounded. The attackers said they were driven by a desire to save the country from economic collapse and official corruption. They were sentenced to life in prison and one later committed suicide.
Airikian was a dissident during Soviet times. He was first arrested when he was 20, and spent 17 years in prison, according to his party. In 1987 after Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev launched his liberal reforms, Airikian created the National Self-Determination Party. When the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted next year, he accused the Soviet authorities of stirring up violence and was evicted from the country.
Airikian soon returned to his homeland and took senior positions in Armenia's parliament and government in the 1990s.


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AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The Maine Principals' Association has taken away the regional and state championship titles held by Cheverus High School for the 2009-2010 season.
The MPA is pulling the titles because Cheverus reportedly used an ineligible player, Indiana Faithfull. Monday's vote by the MPA's Interscholoastic Management Committee was 11-0 to vacate the titles.
The MPA says the playing of the student violated the Four Seasons of Competition Rule for the entire 2009-2010 boys basketball season as well as the Eight Consecutive Semester Rule for the postseason.


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Gum has a whole variety of interesting uses- many of them more important than providing us with something to chew. There are different kinds of gums.
Gum Arabic:
This gum is used in making candy, medicines, and mucilage, and in the manufacture of silks. It is extracted from the plant as a thick, sticky liquid, which hardens when exposed to air and dissolves in water. Gum Arabic is produced by several varieties of acacia trees, which is found in Africa, Australia, and Asia. They are sold in the form of yellow or reddish lumps. Some gums, instead of dissolving in water, absord it and make a soft, gluey, gelatine-like mass. One such gum is called gum dragon, which is used in making cough medicines.
This gum is produced by the naseberry and other trees and is used in making ordinary chewing gum.
The other common gums are plum, peach and spruce. All these gums are used in the manufacture of ink, cloth, paper, and medicines. Some of the fine gums are used in themedical and research laboratories for work with cultures.
The gums are ususally collected in the dry season, and are sold in the market in the form of nodules or tears. Chemically gums consist of an acid nucleus combined with sugar molecules.
Gum Resins:
The gum resins are produced by plants, but they differ from true gums because they contain resin, and therefore does not dissolve in water. Two popular gum resins are Frankincense and Myrrh. They are very fragrant and are used in making perfume and incense.


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Frequently Asked Questions/Police
How do I get a copy of a police/accident report?
All reports may be picked up at the Villa Rica Police Department, 101 Main ST., Villa Rica, GA 30180. Please allow at least three days from the date of the accident or incident to allow time for processing. There is a $5.00 charge for accidents reports. You may also order accident reports on-line at www.buycrash.com
How do I obtain a criminal background check?
A formal request must be made in person at the Villa Rica Police Department and official photo ID must be provided. There is a $15 fee for all background checks.
How do I get a server's ID?
Server's ID can be requested Monday thru Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You must provide a seven year driver's history and official photo ID. There is a $25 fee for a first time server's ID and renewals are $10. For more information please contact Shelly Frost at 678-840-1332 or by email firstname.lastname@example.com
What forms of payments do you accept?
We accept cash, personal check, money order and all major credit/debit cards. Please be advised there will be a 5% surcharge on all credit/debit cards.


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Friday, December 14, 2012
7E3 - Paradise Towers 3
Doctor Who likes to pat itself on the back sometimes for predicting, or at least hypothesizing, that the Prime Minister of Great Britain would, in the near future, be a woman when the Brigadier addressed the female PM on the phone in Terror of the Zygons, a story that aired four years before Margaret Thatcher became the first woman PM. Amazingly, Doctor Who has a similar bout of prescience in Paradise Towers when The Doctor innocently watches a Paradise Towers sales video on what appears to be a DVD, almost ten years before such things went on sale to the general public. It might not quite be the iPads and mobile phones that various incarnations of the Star Trek franchise predicted, but as Doctor Who fans, we'll take what we can get.
This is, at times, a grim episode. Watching the cannibalistic Rezzies prepare to carve up Mel should be downright terrifying, but then such scenes are instantly juxtaposed with frivolous scenes with caretakers quoting rule books and Richard Briers beginning his rehearsals for his part as the villain in a 1987 Christmas pantomime production. The overall tone of things is exemplified my Mel's actions this episode. She's actually pretty good at asserting herself, instigating a plan to get to floor 304 where she previously arranged to meet The Doctor. She and Pex have issues with the elevators and with the cleaners, and they seem genuinely frightened by their ordeal. Yet when they finally do reach the top floor, all Mel can think about is going for a swim.
Keff McCulloch's score doesn't help matters much. I'm not here to dump on McCulloch's much-maligned musical machinations. His output was a product of the times, even though Keff's stuff is more akin to pop music than it is incidental music. He also had to write this score in the course of a week after the original score by David Snell was rejected, so I find it easier to excuse the fact that McCulloch's eventual score is little more than many variations of the Doctor Who theme (and quoting a programme's main theme was another thing in vogue in the mid-to-late-80s). However, McCulloch's predilection for orchestral hits and digital hand claps deflates any dramatic intent that he might have had. Thanks to the DVD release of this story, we can hear the original score that David Snell was fired for, and you know what? It is terrible. Monophonic and monotonous. Given the options, we got off easy with Keff. Count your blessings.
Posted by Steven at 2:34 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, December 10, 2012
7E2 - Paradise Towers 2
Well, that was a nice nap. Everyone doing well?
The scene where The Doctor tricks the two guards watching him has always been one of the more notable scenes in Sylvester McCoy's era in Doctor Who. Most fans think it's just silly, but in watching it again for the umpteenth time, I find that it's actually one of the first scenes that exemplifies McCoy's Doctor. The Seventh Doctor has always had an iconoclastic streak, but here he sits between his watchers and proceeds to go off on the rule book which all the Caretakers devote their lives to adhering to. The Doctor isn't just taking a frustrated swipe at a silly rule book, he's attacking a way of life.
When he sees that he can get away with pouring considerable scorn on the rule book, he realizes that he can use the book, along with his cunning, to get out of his current situation by making the guards release him as opposed to engineering an escape himself. (The guards must have remarkable faith in the book to accept the word of a prisoner about what's written in it, mind you...).
McCoy's Doctor could be summed up with two main characteristics: rebellious and manipulative. These sound like bad aspects of his personality, but The Doctor uses these qualities for good. Interestingly, and not to sully any potential things I might say about The Happiness Patrol, but compare this scene in Paradise Towers to the one in Happiness where The Doctor convinces two members of the hit squad to throw away their guns. While they are very different in tone, The Doctor uses similar techniques to his advantage. He doesn't stand up to authority in either case, he stands out from it. Standing up to authority would get him smacked down. Standing out gives him the advantage.
The dark, manipulative Doctor that more overtly took root in Season 25 and blossomed in Season 26 has his genesis much earlier on his tenure than commonly thought.
Posted by Steven at 3:42 PM 2 comments Links to this post
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After a decade serving as a United Nations goodwill ambassador, Angelina Jolie says she's talking with the agency about doing more.
Jolie spoke while making an appearance at the U.N.'s Geneva headquarters, where she she was highlighting refugee issues around the world.
Jolie, who started working in 2001 with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said on Tuesday that her time with the UNHCR has been "moving, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding, and unforgettable."
U.S. & World
"They are the most vulnerable people in the world, and they are also the most resilient people in the world," said Jolie. "Refugees are survivors, they are mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, they are all extraordinary people who have a remarkable story that tells of strength in the face of great loss... They need our help more than ever."
Jolie also talked about her concern that recent financial trouble would put the breaks on donations to U.N. missions in the neediest parts of the world. With Democrats and Republicans seemingly in agreement about enacting the State Department's first cuts in foreign aid in 20 years, Jolie's worry is well founded.
It was while working in Cambodia, shooting "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," that Jolie first became aware of the plight of refugees around the world, and reached out to the U.N. for more information, and was soon off on her first mission, visiting Sierra Leone and Tanzania.
What exactly her new duties might be are unclear, as she and the U.N. are still working out the details.


text:
About Us
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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
Martin Aylward's Dharma Talks
Martin Aylward
Donate to Martin Aylward
Martin Aylward's Website
-- Select from Martin Aylward's 179 talks --
2013-10-27 Open and Free: A Life of Liberation
2018-04-01 A Path of Free-ness
2015-10-10 Afternoon Teachings - Countering Self-Centredness
2015-10-07 Afternoon Teachings - Freedom and Stimulus
2015-10-08 Afternoon Teachings - Practice as Purification (Part 1)
2015-10-09 Afternoon Teachings - Practice as Purification (Part 2)
2017-03-10 Afternoon Teachings: A Generous Spirit
2017-03-08 Afternoon Teachings: No Wrong Experience
2017-03-09 Afternoon Teachings: Time, Space, and Becoming
2014-06-24 Against the Stream - Teachings of Revolution in the Heart and in the World
2019-09-08 AM01-intro & dharma talk
2019-03-09 am01-intro-contrast of vast view and fine awareness
2019-09-08 AM02- Guided Meditation
2019-03-09 am02-guided practice on theme
2019-09-08 AM03- Guided Meditation
2019-03-09 am03-further reflections-the Manhattan experience.
2019-09-08 am04-concluding-remarks-morning-session+qa
2019-03-09 am04-QA
2017-09-13 An Embodied Look at Consciousness
2014-06-21 Beneath the Trees - The Body of Life
2003-10-01 Beyond Optimism and Pessimism
2011-05-05 Beyond the Shaping of the Mind
2004-10-09 Connection, Curiousity, Care
2007-03-10 Creativity, Love, Generosity
2015-10-10 Day Four - Morning Instructions
2015-10-07 Day One - Morning Instructions
2015-10-08 Day Two - Morning Instructions
2013-03-09 Defenses Against Spaciousness
2010-05-18 Demands, Defenses and Distractions: Exploring Obstacles to Presence
2019-10-07 Dharma Talk - Depths of Connection
2019-10-05 Dharma Talk - Gender Blending Buddha Bodies
2019-10-08 Dharma Talk - On Meaningfulness
2019-10-06 Dharma Talk - The Hallmarks of Insight
2004-03-27 Endless, Immediate, Ultimate View
2010-03-24 Fear and Freedom
2007-10-13 Four Liberating Truths
2017-02-25 Free to be Human - Saturday - chanting bodhisattva vows
2017-02-25 Free to be Human - Saturday AM
2017-02-25 Free to be Human - Saturday AM Guided Meditation
2017-02-25 Free to be Human - Saturday PM
2017-02-25 Free to be Human - Saturday PM Guided Meditation
2017-02-26 Free to be Human - Sunday AM
2017-02-26 Free to be Human - Sunday AM Guided Meditation
2017-02-26 Free to be Human - Sunday PM
2017-02-26 Free to be Human - Sunday PM Guided Meditation
2017-02-26 Free to be Human - Sunday PM Guided Standing Meditation
2012-05-29 Freedom From Clinging: The Experience of the Unlimited Heart
2011-05-06 Freedom From Obsessinig and Rejecting
2013-05-21 Freedom From Opposites
2019-03-16 Freely Abiding
2019-03-18 Freely Allowing
2019-03-19 Freely Engaging
2019-03-17 Freely Knowing
2017-09-12 Giving it Back to Nature - Opening Talk
2017-05-30 Going Against the Stream: Cultivating Wisdom, Compassion and Peace from the Ins…
2017-05-30 Going Against the Stream: Guided Meditation
2012-02-25 Happiness - Beyond Differentiation
2017-09-14 Healing Layers of Dukkha
2016-06-18 Human Experience Under the Microscope of Awareness
2016-03-13 Inclining Towards Freedom - Clarity, Skilfulness and Love
2017-03-07 Independent in This World - Introductory Talk
2013-05-18 Inhabiting the Body of Life
2018-10-09 Inhabiting the Fields of Experience
2009-08-08 Inhabiting the Truth of the Moment
2007-03-09 Insight
2014-06-23 Intimacy and Infinity - Born of Love
2018-03-31 Journey to Inner Space - Understanding Functions of the Mind
2004-03-26 Karma Yoga, Bakhti Yoga
2012-05-25 Letting Go - Three Practices for Heart, Body and Mind
2006-06-03 Liberation Through Non-Clinging
2018-03-30 Life is Out of Control !
2016-03-14 Life is Your Teacher
2018-03-29 Livestreaming Through Awareness
2010-05-22 Longing for Freedom
2008-04-17 Love Itself
2013-05-20 Love, Death and Indivisibility
2011-02-12 Making Space for Fear
2017-09-15 Meditating in the Chitta Field
2019-10-05 Meditation Instructions (Day 1)
2019-10-06 Meditation Instructions (Day 2)
2019-10-07 Meditation Instructions (Day 3)
2019-10-08 Meditation Instructions (Day 4)
2014-06-22 Meeting Anger and Hatred
2018-10-10 Meeting it All - Contact, Curiosity, Care
2007-10-14 Meeting the World - The Eightfold Path
2015-10-09 Morning Instructions
2017-03-08 Morning Instructions and Guided Meditation
2017-03-09 Morning Instructions and Guided Meditation
2017-03-10 Morning Instructions and Guided Meditation
2017-03-11 Morning Instructions and Guided Meditation
2016-03-15 Morning Reflections on Awareness and the Tone of Experience
2016-03-13 Morning Reflections on Awareness of Body Breathing
2016-03-16 Morning Reflections on Inclusive Awareness
2016-03-14 Morning Reflections on Sustaining & Returning to Presence
2017-09-14 Morning Teachings - Meditating with Physical Discomfort
2017-09-16 Morning Teachings - Meditation and the Nature of Experience
2017-09-13 Morning Teachings - Meditation is Right Here
2003-10-04 No Duality, No Separation, No Problem
2009-04-03 Non-Clinging Is Not Detachment
2012-05-28 On Clinging to Existence and Non Existence: Freedom From Self and Not-Self
2012-05-27 On Clinging to Thoughts: About the World, About Others, About Self
2014-03-02 On Fluidity, Uncertainty and Inconceivability
2008-03-01 On Happiness
2017-09-15 On Happiness, Joy, Fulfillment and Freeness
2014-03-01 On Immediacy and Here and Now-ness
2014-03-04 On Non-Difference and Bringing Our Practice into the World
2014-03-03 On Non-Duality, the World and the Void
2014-02-28 On Presence
2012-05-26 On Wanting: Demands, Defences and Distractions
2013-03-08 Opening Talk for Full Life Spacious Mind Retreat
2010-03-23 Opening Talk for Live and Let Go Retreat
2011-02-11 Opening Talk for Loving What Is (whether we like it or not)
2012-02-24 Opening Talk for Retreat Entitled Loving What Is
2008-04-15 Opening Talk for Revolution In The Heart
2009-03-31 Opening Talk for Training the Mind, Freeing the Heart
2007-10-12 Opening Talk for Tranquility, Insight and Awakening - Connection, Curiousity, C…
2009-08-07 Opening Talk From Inhabiting the Truth of the Moment
2003-07-14 Our Response-ability to Life
2019-03-09 pm01-post-lunch-face-stretching-and talk-leading-to-guided-practice
2019-09-08 pm01-standing meditation & movement
2019-09-08 pm02-guided-meditation-heart-center+sound (ooow)
2019-03-09 pm02-guided-meditation-open-eyes-big-skies
2019-03-09 pm03-dharma-talk
2019-09-08 pm03-movement-interaction-exercise+sharing
2019-09-08 pm04-mind-Vijñāna-Sampajañña-Sati
2019-03-09 pm04-q&a
2019-09-08 pm05-mind-guided-meditation-short
2019-09-08 pm06-qa+closing rmearks
2017-09-16 Question and Answer Session
2018-09-15 Sat-AM-01-Introduction-friction and free-ness
2018-09-15 Sat-AM-02-guided-meditation
2018-09-15 Sat-AM-03-bodyfullness and walking instructions
2018-09-15 Sat-AM-04-Q&A
2018-09-15 Sat-AM-05-brief-guided-meditation
2018-09-15 Sat-PM-01 guided sitting meditation
2018-09-15 Sat-PM-02 dharma talk-the assertive (sense of) self, From somebody To anybody
2018-09-15 Sat-PM-03 Q&A
2010-03-25 Self, Soul, Psyche, Space
2008-04-15 Sila, Samadhi, Panna as Limitless Practice
2003-02-21 Sometimes It's Hard To Be A Yogi
2016-06-19 Spaciously & Graciously
2016-06-19 Spaciously and Graciously
2003-08-29 Starting From Where We Are
2003-10-03 Suffering and Love
2018-09-16 Sun-AM-01 dharma talk - relaxation into alignment, enabled embodied, cellular w…
2018-09-16 Sun-AM-02 guided meditation
2018-09-16 Sun-PM-01 guided meditation - presence & experience
2018-09-16 Sun-PM-02 talk - kinds of drama, roles in and towards drama
2018-09-16 Sund-PM-03 q&a
2009-04-02 Taking Care of Oneself
2011-09-11 Talk Five - The Heart Free of Clinging: Four Expressions of Love
2011-09-10 Talk Four - To Be Or Not To Be : Is There a Self or Isn't There?
2011-09-07 Talk One: Opening Talk for Live and Let Go - Freedom From Clinging Retreat: In…
2011-09-09 Talk Three - Beyond Belief
2011-09-08 Talk Two - Freedom and Desire
2016-06-20 The Ambiguity of Self and World
2012-06-15 The Art of Inquiry
2016-06-17 The Art of Non Doing
2015-01-23 The Body is the Universe - Introduction
2015-01-27 The Collective Body - Solidarity, Community and Love
2018-10-07 The Dharma and the Drama
2015-01-26 The Existential Body - From Thing-ness to Process, Knowing to Loving, Subjectiv…
2008-04-16 The Illusion of Doing
2016-03-15 The Inner and Outer Practice of Dharma - Meeting Experiences Generously
2015-01-24 The Instinctual Body - Sex, Survival and Social Drives
2015-01-25 The Psychological Body - Self Image, Self Reinforcement and Self Judgement
2010-03-27 The State of the World
2016-06-21 The The 3 Facets of Practice, in Meditation and in Life
2015-04-04 The Way Things Are: Uncovering The Deep Truth of Experience - Sat. AM
2015-04-04 The Way Things Are: Uncovering The Deep Truth of Experience - Sat. PM
2015-04-03 The Way Things Are: Uncovering the Deep Truths of Experience - Friday evening
2003-02-23 There's No Such Place As Somewhere Else
2011-05-08 Top Ten Retreatants Questions
2010-03-26 Unravelling Layers of Experience
2009-04-01 Vulnerability and Fulfilment
2013-05-19 What Do I Really Want?
2011-05-04 Whole Life, Whole Practice, Nothing Left Out - Opening Talk
2003-08-30 Why Not Let Go?
2007-03-08 Wisdom and Love
Afternoon Teachings - Countering Self-Centredness
Our practice offers the opportunity to move beyond a self-centred relationship to life, yet much of our practice is centered on the self! This talk explores dharma practices and skilful means by which to counter our self-centredness and points us towards the ultimate transparency of our sense of self.
Gaia House
Awake in Our Bones
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Dharma Seed is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization. email:


text:
SMS-Service to farmers
SMS Service to oilseed farmers
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play an important role in their endeavor of reaching the unreached farmers. The increasing penetration of mobile phone networks and handsets in India presents an opportunity to make useful information more widely available. The typical ICT tool viz., mobile telephone with a subscriber base of more than 920 million and overall tele-density of 61.38 may play significant role in technology transfer. In order to utilize this mobile technology for technology transer, SMS service has been initiated in collaboration with National Informatics Centre. Farmer from Andhra Pradesh were enrolled into the system and SMSs on sunflower and castor production technologies are being disseminated in local language (telugu).


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Gaffer Gamgee
|Hamfast Gamgee
|"Gaffer Gamgee and the Black Rider" by Stephen Hickman
|Biographical Information
|Other names
|Gaffer, Old Gamgee, Ranugad Galbasi
|S.R. 1428[note 1] (aged 102)
|Hobson Gamgee
|Andwise Roper, May and Halfred of Overhill
|Hamson, Halfred, Daisy, May, Samwise and Marigold
|Physical Description
|Hair color
|In later life, grey
|Images of Hamfast Gamgee
- "Elves and Dragons! Cabbages and potatoes are better for me and you."
- ― The Gaffer[1]
Hamfast Gamgee, better known as the Gaffer, was a Hobbit of the Shire, and the father of Samwise Gamgee.
[edit] History
Hamfast was born in T.A. 2926, the third son of Hobson Gamgee, who was a roper by trade.He had siblings Andwise Roper, May and Halfred of Overhill. (yet his mother is unknown)ref name="Gamgee">J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix C, "The Longfather-tree of Master Samwise"</ref>
He entered the service of his relative, Holman Greenhand, and became a gardener. One of his first jobs was tending the garden of Bag End. On 22 June, T.A. 2942, he and Holman tried frantically to keep the garden in order during the auction of the presumed-dead Bilbo Baggins. It is likely that at this time he already lived at Number 3, Bagshot Row.
Hamfast became a gardener in his own right in about T.A. 2960[2], and a local expert on potatoes. He married Bell Goodchild, and they had six children: Hamson, Halfred, Daisy, May, Samwise and Marigold.[3] Sam became Hamfast's apprentice.
Sam took over most of his father's work, who had become too old for the laborous work. He became known as the "Gaffer", a name Sam uses more often than "Hamfast".
Prior to the Farewell Party, the Gaffer entertained a crowd at the Ivy Bush. Always a man of loquacity and knowledge, he argued with Sandyman, Old Noakes and Ham's neighbor Daddy Twofoot about the Bagginses and the Sackville-Bagginses.
On 23 September, T.A. 3018, the night of the departure of Frodo and Sam from the Shire, Khamûl, one of the Nazgûl rode up the lane, and asked the elderly hobbit about "Baggins". A week later, he was visited by Gandalf who also informed about Frodo's whereabouts.[4][5]
When Lotho and eventually Sharkey took over the Shire, the Gaffer was evicted from Bagshot Row.[6] After the Battle of Bywater, in which he only had a marginal role, he moved back into the newly restored New Row, while Sam moved into Bag End. He was looked after by the Widow Rumble, and died in Fourth Age 7.[7]
His son, Sam, named his seventh child Hamfast after his father.[3]
[edit] Etymology
The name Hamfast means "Stay-at-home", or literally, "Home-fast". It is a translation of his Westron name, Ranugad Galbasi.[8] In the King's Letter, the name (referring to Hamfast Gardner, not the Gaffer) is translated into Sindarin as Baravorn.[9]
"Gaffer" is a colloquial word for "old man".
[edit] In other stories
In the illustrated short story Mr. Bliss, there is a resident in the village named Gaffer Gamgee who struggles to listen to the discussion between Mr Binks and Sergeant Boffin about whether Mr Bliss should be locked up for failure to pay for his car. Sergeant Boffin also has a son named Sam.[10]
[edit] Inspiration
In Letter 257, J.R.R. Tolkien recounts a holiday to Lamorna Cave in the early 1930's. To amuse his sons, he named a local Gaffer Gamgee. This "curious local character" was "an old man who used to go about swapping gossip and weather-fashion and such like". The surname was chosen because it alliterated with Gaffer.
Tolkien had several encounters with actual Gamgees, however. Gamgee Tissue, a word young Ronald considered comical, was named after J. Sampson Gamgee (1828-1886), a famous Birmingham surgeon,[11] whilst in the Black Country dialect cotton wool was referred to as "gamgee".[12] The Gamgees were notorious surgeons - years later, Dr. Leonard Gamgee tended those war-wounded, including Lieutenant Tolkien.[13]
[edit] Portrayal in adaptations
1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series):
- John Church plays Gaffer Gamgee. He used a thick peasant accent for the role. He is included in early episodes including a full dramatisation of his encounter with the Nazgul. He also features towards the end of the adaptation when he admonishes the returning Hobbits for wearing "ironmongery."
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:
- Gaffer appears in the film's Extended Edition, where he is played by Norman Forsey. The conversation in the Ivy Bush is moved to the Green Dragon Inn, though the dialogue remains much the same. He does not appear at Sam's marriage in The Return of the King.
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):
- Gaffer appears twice; at first, he drinks at the Green Dragon, but during the night, he informs Frodo of the Ringwraith that stalks the Shire. He was voiced by an uncredited Jim Piddock.
[edit] Notes
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Long-expected Party"
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, p. 187
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Many Meetings"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Scouring of the Shire"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Grey Havens"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "On Translation"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: XI. The Epilogue"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Mr. Bliss (2011 edition), p. 63
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 72, (dated 31 May 1944)
- ↑ "Black Country Dialect", The Ancient Manor of Sedgley (accessed 9 September 2014)
- ↑ John Garth, Tolkien and the Great War, "Part Three: Castles in the air", p. 206


text:
LOFTwall Wave Partition LWW6, 76" Wide
Though this item is long gone, we've curated a few other products that you might also be interested in. Check them out!
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Wave Room Partition, 76" Wide
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The Wave Room Partition from LOFTwall uses unique curved panels that allow light to pass while still offering plenty of privacy as you work. The LOFTwall Wave Room Partition is perfect for partitioning off a conference area, hiding unsightly office supplies or just adding an artistic touch to your living room. A lightweight aluminum frame makes the Wave Room Partition easy to move as your needs change.
This LOFTwall Room Partition features:
- 76" w x 78" h x 12" d
- Aluminum frame is lightweight and strong
- 12" deep feet provide stability
- Curved panels provide privacy while allowing light flow
- Ideal for creating privacy, even in open offices
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Materials & Measurements
- Frame and Base: Anodized/mill finish aluminum
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- Translucent Infills: plastic
- Self-adhesive Infills: expanded foam core with adhesive surface on both sides, covered by protective film
- Frosted Infills: plexiglass
- Fabric Infills: MDF panel covered by nylon polyester loop blend fabric
- Overall: 78" h x 76" w x 12" d
Environmental Information
From evaluating and minimizing sources of waste to using 30 percent recycled packaging materials and 50 percent recycled aluminum components, LOFTwall strives to be environmentally conscious and use sustainable practices whenever possible. All recyclable byproducts of the internal manufacturing process are recycled, and care is taken to conserve energy.
LOFTwall has eliminated harmful liquid paint and spray adhesive VOC byproducts by using water based adhesives and powder-coat finishes. In addition, LOFTwall uses energy-efficient lighting, plumbing, and HVAC systems in their facilities.
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|LOFTwall began as a dream of its designer and founder, Steven Kinder. His design background served him well in his pursuit of a customizable space-defining solution. He wanted to create a divider solution that was more than just unique; it also needed to be easily updated and use multiple materials. Located in Dallas, Texas, LOFTwall is a groundbreaking divider partition for home or workspace use.
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A Limited Lifetime Warranty applies to all LOFTwall products. Warranty is given to the initial purchaser and is valid for as long as the product is owned by the initial purchaser. The warranty, which runs from the date of manufacture, covers defects in materials and craftsmanship found during normal usage of the product during the initial warranty period. If a product is defective, and if written notice of the defect is provided to manufacturer within the Warranty Period, LOFTwall at its option will either repair or replace the defective product with a comparable component or product. Defective product shall be returned at the discretion of LOFTwall, and all returns must be authorized in writing in advance including a Return Materials Authorization Number.
LOFTwall assumes no responsibility for labor charges. Freight charges for defective products and parts will be covered by LOFTwall within the 48 continental United States with the method of shipping at Loftwall's discretion. The limited Lifetime- Warranty applies to all products except as listed below: This warranty does not apply to damage caused by a carrier's alterations to the product expressly authorized by LOFTwall. It also does not apply to "Customer's Own Material" (i.e. material supplied by the customer that is not a standard LOFTwall product offering) used in the manufacture of LOFTwall products. LOFTwall does not warranty the matching of color, grain or texture except to within commercially acceptable standards. A product will not be considered defective and LOFTwall will not be obligated to replace it, if the product is not installed or used as recommended by LOFTwall.


text:
"Risk" (リスク, Risuku) is chapter 591 of the original Naruto manga.
After imparting his final words to Sasuke, Itachi's soul is released from the Impure World Reincarnation. On different battlefields, all the other reincarnated shinobi's souls are being released, as the five Kage realise what was happening, they wonder who had released the technique with Ōnoki noting that whomever it was, was a hero to the shinobi world. Regaining dominion over his movements, Dan asks Chōza to have them remove the barrier which sealed him. When the barrier is released, Chōza notes the hand seals Dan used, realises his intentions and tells him to hurry and go to Tsunade. Using his Spirit Transformation Technique to take control of his then-ascending soul, Dan flies to Tsunade's location in time to take over her body and save her from Madara — who though was being released from the Impure World Reincarnation, was still making a desperate attempt to kill the Kage. Speaking with Tsunade in her subconscious, before disappearing Dan tells Tsunade that he would wait for her in the afterlife but not to follow after him just yet and leaves her with the remainder of his chakra, thus restoring her Strength of a Hundred Seal. After returning to the real world, Tsunade and the other Kage watch in some confusion, wondering why Madara hadn't stopped moving as yet. He then explains that if the reincarnated know the seals to end the summoning contract of the Impure World Reincarnation, they could sever ties from the summoner. With this, Madara performs the seals to sever the contract and tells them to tell his summoner that he shouldn't use kinjutsu so arbitrarily.


text: Home / Colours & Pigments / Acrylic Colours / Lascaux Artist Acrylic Colours / NEW! Lascaux Artist Acrylic Colours 390ml Bottles / Lascaux Artist 113 Cadmium Yellow Medium s.4 390ml bottle Lascaux Artist 113 Cadmium Yellow Medium s.4 390ml bottle £43.65 £52.38 (inc. VAT) High quality acrylic paint with maximum pigmentation, thick and buttery, suitable for all painting techniques - Opaque Add to your Wish List Information Lascaux Artist is a premium artists' acrylic paint with a heavy body suitable for any painting technique. A high concentration of pure pigments combined with special binders give the paint exceptional brilliance, intensity and depth of colour. Lascaux Artist acrylic dries to a satin matt, waterproof finish, which will not yellow or crack with age. All 54 shades in the range have excellent lightfastness. Transparency varies across the range depending on the colour. Specifications Brand: Lascaux Weight: 0.74kg


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Managers (Updated)
I've mentioned elsewhere that annually, Terry Francona lets me sit with him, on the bench, during a spring training game. This is half out of friendship and half, I think, to remind me how little I actually understand about managing – or baseball itself – compared to the pros.
9 Comments
One of my very first baseball memories is of the Chicago Cubs' Lee Elia going absolutely bonkers at a press conference. Ya' know the one where he talked about all the out – of – work bums (he used way more "colorful" language) being at Wrigley Field among other things? Back in the good 'ol days when WLS was still a music station, I remember their morning radio silly guys having a good time with all the bleeps. Then, I, of course being the inquisitive child I was, had to ask my Dad what all the bleeps were about. I don't recall getting an answer. 😀
The Brandon Wood situation is baffling.
It reminds me of Pop Fisher sitting Roy Hobbs for no reason other than stubbornness in "The Natural". Of course, I'm not saying that Brandon Wood is Roy Hobbs. But sometimes reality is so much more ridiculous than fiction.
Veeck, during the old Sportsman's Park days, had the fans call the plays while the manager sat in a rocking chair and read the newspaper. The Browns won! Hey, try that in New York, maybe it would fill the empty stadium!
You have got to wonder what is going through the minds of Major League managers once in a while. But I keep it in perspective like this – Managers have forgotten more about the game than I'll ever know about it. Ashhttp://ashleymarshall.mlblogs.com
Lou Pinella made a puzzling decision yesterday. Facing reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Pinella opted to sit most of his starters, feeding a bunch of benchers to perhaps the best arm in the league.
I can understand resting a few starters, but it seems like Sweet Lou was almost conceding the game. Since the Giants are the lowest scoring team in the majors, that seems odd to me.
But I'll take the win.
Keith, you are a stand-up guy for updating your post regarding Melvin and Clark. I just saw the news and was headed over here to set you straight. Should have known your ear was on the rail. Thanks.
I still can't wrap my head around the whole Brandon Wood thing. I'm thinking it's better to not try to put logic behind it.
Putting Posada in the lineup makes a little more sense – Jorge's had a hot bat, but it's a double-edged sword when you know he's fighting that hamstring problem.
Going to be an interesting few weeks, it is.
I have doubts on Melvin being a good manager. The team has been horrible for a few years. Not awful, just not good. Notice how often they swing & miss? How many errors they commit? Isn't this coaching? I think they made a huge mistake letting Brenly go….
This blog is great. Thanks for taking the time to do it.


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Why Nearly Half of Asiana Passengers Were Chinese
Seoul has become an important transit gateway for many Chinese travelers connecting to cities in the U.S. and Canada. The reason? Passengers are lured by attractive prices and a dearth of transpacific nonstop flights from China.
This helps explain why nearly half, or 141, of the 291 passengers aboard an Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul that crashed at the San Francisco airport were Chinese nationals. Both passengers killed on Saturday's flight were female Chinese nationals, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
For decades, the South Korean capital has played a key role for passenger travel between Asia and North America Korean Air Lines Co. , the nation's biggest carrier, has for years offered flights to more cities in North America than any other Asian airline, and that remains the case, while Northwest Airlines, which in 2010 merged with Delta Air Lines Inc., operated a major hub out of Seoul until the early 1990s.
But competition for passengers has intensified as many of the region's airlines expanded their own flights across the Pacific. In China, however, despite surging demand for flights to North America, the nation's mainly state-owned airlines have been slow to add capacity, thus keeping fares higher. U.S.-China flights are also governed by a highly regulated bilateral treaty, making it less flexible for airlines to increase services as needed.
Transpacific nonstop flights from China mainly originate from Beijing or Shanghai. There is also limited service from the southern city of Guangzhou. This means passengers elsewhere must travel through one of these cities to get to North America.
Airlines in South Korea and Japan significantly boosted their Chinese services in the last few years, in part to cater to the rising demand of transit passenger traffic. Korean Air now flies to some 22 mainland Chinese cities from its Seoul hub, while Asiana operates to 21 Chinese cities, being two of the biggest foreign airlines operating in the country. Meanwhile Japan Airlines flies to 15 mainland Chinese cities.
The territorial spat between Japan and China has helped divert more China-originating transpacific traffic through South Korea, according to analysts. Passengers are also attracted by cheap prices offered by many of these airlines.
To illustrate, roundtrip economy fares between Shanghai and San Francisco sell for as low as 4,800 yuan on Asiana Airlines' website, while a nonstop flight on state-owned China Eastern Airlines Corp. could cost around 7,600 yuan, according to the China Eastern website.
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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3 indicted in Pa. gun thefts, Md. police chase
Two-dozen guns stolen from Pa. store, federal officials say
Three Pennsylvanians face a six-count indictment in connection with several gun violations that stem from a pursuit and recovery of more than two-dozen stolen guns in Baltimore.
Garrett G. Sherlock, 26; Joshua M. Faircloth, 26; and Kelley L. Foster, 23, all of Saxton, Pa., are named in a federal indictment.
According to the indictment, Sherlock stole 31 guns on Jan. 28 from Saxton Outdoor Supply Inc., which he and Faircloth took to Maryland. Faircloth and Foster are charged with being accessories after the fact for assisting Sherlock in avoiding police.
Sherlock was prohibited from possessing ammunition or guns because he had been convicted in 2010 of criminal trespass and in 2009 of burglary.
Sherlock could face a maximum prison sentence of 30 years and/or a $750,000 fine. Faircloth could face 25 years in prison and/or a fine of $625,000. Foster could face five years in prison and/or a fine of $125,000.


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South Dakota Rejects Teacher Merit-pay Plan
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota voters have rejected Gov. Dennis Daugaard's plan to give bonuses to top teachers, phase out tenure and recruit candidates for critical teaching jobs.
The Legislature approved the Republican governor's proposal earlier this year, but the state's main teachers union, the South Dakota Education Association, collected enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot for a public vote.
Daugaard argues the measure will improve student achievement. But opponents contend it could hurt the quality of education because teachers might stop collaborating to help students as they compete for bonus money.
The plan would have given annual $5,000 bonuses to the top 20 percent of teachers in each school district and provided scholarships and bonuses to recruit teachers in critical fields.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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Once, asteroids were dismissed as 'vermin of the skies' by astronomers, whose deep sky studies were often ruined by the unexpected appearance of one of these minor planets on a photographic plate. Today, the asteroids attract keen interest from a large section of the space science community - including mission planners.
Most of the asteroids orbit between Jupiter and Mars, where the giant planet's gravity prevents them from ever coalescing into a larger body. Even if they did it would be a small body as lumped together all the asteroid mass in the solar system amounts to less than the Earth's Moon. There are a few asteroids in the outer solar system between Saturn and Uranus and several asteroid groups with orbits that swing into the inner system.
So far, astronomers have found several hundred thousand asteroids and thousands more are plotted every year. A few of them truly merit the designation 'minor planet': Ceres, the biggest, is 933 km in diameter, and there are another 26 more than 200 km across. It is unlikely that there are any unknown asteroids in this size range; in fact, astronomers are confident that they have found 99% of those larger than 100 km.
For smaller bodies our information is much less complete. We have probably discovered no more than half of those between 10 and 100 km, and we have found very few of those that are smaller still. Astronomers estimate that their could be a million or more asteroids with a diameter of a kilometre or less.
Asteroids appear to come in three distinct 'flavours'. Most are very dark - as dark as charcoal - and carbon-rich. Very probably these carbonaceous asteroids are leftovers from the raw material that formed the solar system 4.7 billion years ago, and scientists would love to get their hands on a sample. Then there are the somewhat brighter stony asteroids, composed of nickel-iron and magnesium silicates. Finally there are asteroids made of almost pure nickel-iron, the rarest but brightest of all.
We really know very little about asteroids. They are too small and too distant for Earth-based telescopes to reveal any detail, and so far only three - Ida, Gaspra and Mathilde - have been encountered by passing space probes. In January 1999 NASA's NEAR spacecraft entered an orbit around asteroid 433 Eros. In February 2001 the NEAR probe actually touched down on Eros at the end of its mission.
ESA's Rosetta probe, en route to a rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, will add more to our slender asteroid database. The probe will encounter fly-by one or more asteroids. These encounters will be fleeting. But in the course of the 21st century, our knowledge could advance by huge strides: the asteroids are likely to feature in the Aurora Programme's long-term plans for the manned exploration of the solar system.
The scientific benefits alone would be immense. Our understanding of the early solar system would advance by leaps and bounds, while exobiologists and other life scientists are excited by the likely chemical storehouses to be found on carbonaceous asteroids. Advanced technology might even be able to process asteroid material into fuel, oxygen and water that would make long-duration missions partly self-sustaining. Nickel-iron asteroids could offer mineral resources of staggering richness - although before they can be exploited we may have to learn how to move these asteroids into more convenient orbits.
We may well have to learn how to move asteroids for more pressing reasons. There are probably between 500 and 1000 asteroids larger than one kilometre in Earth-crossing orbits; sooner or later, one of these will find itself on a collision course with our planet. Asteroid impacts have happened countless times since the Earth was formed and most scientists now agree that they have had a dramatic effect on the biosphere.
There is now a good deal of evidence for the theory that an asteroid impact was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and other catastrophic collisions have almost certainly punctuated evolution. An asteroid around a kilometre across would not only ravage the impact site itself; the debris thrown into the atmosphere by the collision would dramatically disturb the climate. An 'impact winter' could last for many years, wiping out species wholesale.
Fortunately, the odds against such an impact are high, perhaps a million to one in any century. But the consequences are so devastating - civilization destroyed, nine-tenths of the human race killed - that some kind of insurance policy is highly desirable.
ESA is sponsoring Spaceguard, a worldwide asteroid tracking project that aims to plot the orbits of all asteroids on possible collision courses with the Earth; more than 300 have been logged so far. But the best defence against 'asteroid attack' is simply to learn more about asteroids. The knowledge will protect the Earth; it will also reveal much about the early solar system and offer rich opportunities for mineral exploitation. It seems like a good idea.


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Rand Paul 1 Gramnesty McPain 0.
Good move by Dr. Rand Paul to filibuster the CIA appointment. Rand's parents, Carol and Dr. Ron, raised him well.
"By keeping the filibuster going through prime time, Rand Paul forced ABC, CBS and NBC - chief sources of news for low information voters - to cover the issue."
Erick Erickson on RedState.com 3-7-13
Good move Dr. Rand Paul
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt preview: monster game
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is meant to finish off the story of Geralt of Riva, and developer CD Projekt Red is hoping to end the series in a big way....
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is meant to finish off the story of Geralt of Riva, and developer CD Projekt Red is hoping to end the series in a big way. To do that, the team is trading the petty politics the hero dealt with in the first two games for a more personal journey. In so doing, they are breathing fresh air into an already critically acclaimed series.
The story revolves around the Wild Hunt, a group of spectral warriors on a flying longship that have always been considered mere legend. But after a village is ransacked and slain by these creatures, Geralt must seek out a lone survivor to tell him more of the tragedy and where the slayers were headed. During the conversation, the witcher hints that his previous run-ins with the Hunt has left him with a score to settle.
Geralt has fully regained his memory, meaning the in-game Bestiary now catalogs every creature he has run into in his travels since he was a boy. Using a new ability called Witcher Sense, he can track beasts and creatures through clues uncovered in the game world. In the demo, the Sense was shown off when Geralt needed to identify a beast that had been terrorizing a village so he could determine the payment he'd deserve. As he travelled the woods, activating the sense gave him clues--highlighted in red--as to the beast's strength, habits and traits. Once these were known, the bestiary could be used to identify the creature, as well as its special abilities and ways to defeat it.
The idea behind the bestiary is to capitalize on the monster hunting aspect of a witcher. It gives the player another area of expertise, as well as a way to earn experience through completing monster kill quests. There will be about 80 new monsters in the game, two of which were shown off the the demo. These beasts required more dodging and special attacks to take them down than just whacking them with a sword. The goal was to give each of these monsters the feel of an epic fight, without being a boss battle.
The demo showed off some of the moral grey choices that the player will need to make, similar to the previous games. In the village quest, discovering the beast forced Geralt to choose between siding with village elders to preserve this "spirit," or listening to the younger villagers who wanted the beast killed. Choosing one side led to the an unforeseen massacre. But another choice led to a different, but equally dark and unfortunate result.
"The world is about making hard choices, sometimes choosing the lesser evil," said gameplay producer Marek Ziemak. "We want players to makes hard decisions. You aren't good or bad, just morally unknown. And you must face the consequences of your decisions."
The combat is very similar to that of the previous game, where the learning curve for swordplay was a bit steep and unrewarding. Ziemak said the combat is being redesigned with those shortcomings in mind, and said there will be attacks that can be unlocked and new, improved magical signs will be available. Unfortunately, he said he couldn't be more specific now as nothing has been finalized.
Players will now have plenty of extra room to explore, as CDPR has crafted an open world that is 35 times larger than The Witcher 2. Even the single island that was the focal point of the demo we saw was larger than the previous game. Whether larger equates to better remains to be seen, but at least players won't need to ride the whole distance as a new fast travel system will allow players to jump quickly to areas they have already visited. Ziemak said players will be encouraged to explore the huge world by offering plenty of new achievements and quests.
The Witcher 3 appears to be building on the successful formula of its predecessor while trying to add in new features to better flesh out Geralt's character in his journey. We can only hope that the demo is indicative of what the final game will be.
John Keefer posted a new article, The Witcher 3 preview.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is meant to finish off the story of Geralt of Riva, and developer CD Projekt Red is hoping to end the series in a big way....


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| 12845 STATE ROUTE 664 S Logan OH 43138-9533
American Legion Auxiliary Unit of the Lawrence Neal Helber Post 78 is headquartered in Logan, OH, has an EIN of 31-6039658, and is a 501(c)(9) organization. Deductibility of donations depends on various factors. It is classified by the IRS as a Post or Organization of War Veterans, with a ruling year of 2018.
(Source: IRS Business Master File and Form 990)
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In my quest to make healthy, almost authentic, homemade Mexican food, I've thought about a few things I wanted to try. Mostly, I'm hoping to make dishes that will satisfy and satiate my partner's cravings for Mexican food. If you haven't read my two previous posts, my partner's one vice in life is Mexican food. I originally thought (or hoping) it was Chinese food, but have learned over the last several years that it's Mexican food. She is a glutton for anything Mexican, but mostly nachos, burritos, tacos, beans and rice. She can eat Mexican food for several days in a row when she gets on her Mexican food kick. And she'll try to satisfy these cravings from Mexican restaurants to Taco Bell. I know. I know. Taco Bell. Sigh. She eats very healthy majority of the time, but it's the Taco Bell that drives me crazy. No. Actually, it kills me. Like a slow painful death. So we struck a deal as of yesterday, and that was if she stops eating Taco Bell, I'd cook her healthy Mexican food more regularly.
So I found a really tasty recipe for homemade chile verdes sauce, and had lots of leftover shredded chicken, and thought chicken enchiladas verdes would be the perfect first Mexican food dish to start off with.
Don't let the title fool you. I know that "healthy foods" can sometimes mean lacking flavor; however, this is anything but lacking of flavor. This recipe beats out the chicken enchiladas verdes that I get at Mexican restaurants.
Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
24 Mission Foods' Extra Thin Corn Tortillas (taco size)
3 chicken breasts, shredded
1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
6 cups homemade chili verdes sauce
2 cups shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend
Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), optional
Guacamole, optional
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of chili verde sauce, and 1/3 cup of the Mexican cheese blend.
Spoon a thin layer of the tomatillo sauce on the bottom of the 11×7-inch baking dish. Place 4 corn tortillas, overlapping as necessary, in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with one-third of the meat mixture; top with 2 cups of chili verde sauce; sprinkle with 1/3 of the cotija and shredded cheese. Repeat layers twice, then top with remaining tortillas. Pour chili verde sauce over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cotija and remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Makes 3 servings of 2 casserole squares each.
Calories per serving: 400 calories


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Khuza'a is one of the villages that was hit the hardest during Israel's 50-day military campaign this summer. Photo by Lazar Simeonov.
Meeting at a conference in Cairo on Sunday, global donors pledged a sum of $5.4 billion in aid to rebuild the Gaza Strip after Israel's 50-day military campaign this summer.
The final sum surpassed the $4 billion in aid the Palestinian Authority initially set as a target figure for reconstruction purposes. Only $2.7 billion of the total sum, however, will be "dedicated" to reconstruction purposes, according to Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende, who co-chaired the one-day conference with Egypt. It is thus far unclear where the other half of the funds will be spent.
The gulf state of Qatar pledged $1 billion in aid, while European Union member states contributed a total of $570 million and the US pledged $212 million.
In his address to the conference, US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the "enormous" challenges Gaza currently faces in rebuilding, adding that both Palestinians and Israelis need to make "tough choices" for lasting stability.
"The people of Gaza do need our help, desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, they need it now," said Kerry.
Many in the international community fear that, after three destructive wars throughout the past six years, any aid given to Gaza will eventually be lost in the seemingly never-ending cycle of violence.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, also in attendance at Sunday's conference, addressed Gaza's current instability and potential volatility.
"Gaza remains a tinderbox," he said. "The people desperately need to see results in their daily lives."
Efforts toward peace
Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi opened the one-day conference by urging the foreign envoys gathered in Cairo that successful reconstruction of Gaza is contingent on a "permanent calm" between Hamas and Israel.
El-Sissi went on to urge Israel to end its occupation and consider launching new peace efforts based on the Arab initiative of 2002. "I call on the Israeli people and the government: now is the time to end the conflict…so that prosperity prevails, so that we all can have peace and security."
"We should turn this moment into a real starting point to achieve a peace that secures stability and flourishing and renders the dream of coexistence a reality, and this is the vision of the Arab peace initiative," Sissi said.
Everything else will be a band aid fix, not a long-term solution…Everything else will be the prisoner of impatience and that has brought us to this unacceptable and unstable status quo.
Everything else will be a band aid fix, not a long-term solution…Everything else will be the prisoner of impatience and that has brought us to this unacceptable and unstable status quo.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas similarly urged Israel to accept the Arab peace initiative. "The international community should undertake its responsibilities by preventing the aggression, destruction, displacement and suffering of our Palestinian people and supporting our demand in ending Israel's occupation of our land and in realizing the vision of the two-state solution and the Arab peace initiative," he said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, for his part, called for a renewed commitment to peace on both sides, arguing the conference was not just about money, "but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians, for all people of this region."
"Everything else will be a band aid fix, not a long-term solution…Everything else will be the prisoner of impatience and that has brought us to this unacceptable and unstable status quo."
PA control of borders
The PA announced on Friday that it planned to take control of the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel on Sunday. As of Monday, however, no noticeable changes have taken place on the ground.
Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa—who is also set to head the reconstruction committee for Gaza—said on Friday the PA would take responsibility for building materials entering Gaza as well as the movement of Palestinians between the coastal strip and the West Bank.
Israeli authorities have said they will only allow the transport of construction materials into Gaza if the PA takes control of the crossings.
Mustafa's words were reinforced Saturday, when PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Shiekh promised that the border crossings would see "drastic changes" on Sunday.
These promises come amidst the PA's attempt to negotiate with Israel to permit Palestinians from Gaza to enter the West Bank through a "safe passage" under PA oversight.
In response to the PA's calls for impending change, head of Gaza's border crossings Mahar Abu Sabha said that no such arrangement had been agreed upon.
"All that is being published through mass media about new arrangements and new staff members for Gaza crossings is inaccurate," he told reporters late on Saturday, explaining that thus far now deal has been reached to bring back the PA staff members who used to control Gaza's crossings up until 2007.
Control of the Gaza's Rafah crossing to Egypt—its proverbial window to the world—remains deeply contentious and could prove to be a point of contention within the newly formed Palestinian unity government as well as between the Palestinians and the Israeli authorities.
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New premiere 22 April 2010.
Opera. After great public success last season we would now like to let even more people make the acquaintance of one of the world's best-loved operas.
Opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
This work about four young artists' struggle for their daily bread in Paris at the turn of the century, as well as the love story between the seamstress Mimì who suffers from a lung disease and the poet Rodolfo, will never cease to captivate its audience. As well as containing absolute charms of operatic literature such as "What a cold little hand" and "They call me Mimì" and Musetta's waltz aria, it also poses important questions about what it means to be a grown-up, to take one's responsibility and to accept the conditions of reality in order to survive.
"Sensitive and beautiful." Borås Tidning
"GöteborgsOperan is in top form." GP
"Yet more proof of greatness is presented in Gothenburg." Radio Sjuhärad
"Once again GöteborgsOperan shows their flair and ability to recruit new rising singers of great talent." GT
"These characters and their passions are convincing." Aftonbladet
"A performance that moves you with its sensitivity, music and fantastic soloists." Radio Sjuhärad
"An absolutely splendid performance." Aftonbladet
"Both moving and pleasant." DN
Watch pictures from the performance.
A number of the young production team that produced La Bohème did their first production at GöteborgsOperan: director Elisabeth Linton, scenographer Astrid Lynge Ottosen and costume designer Magdalena Stenbeck. In their version they brought out the characters and put the drama centre stage.
Bülent Bezdüz and Fredrik Zetterström return as the bohemians Rodolfo and Marcello, while Marika Schönberg plays Mimì. She is Swedish but has spent the majority of her career at the opera in Leipzig. Marcello's temperamental fiancée Musetta is portrayed by The Göteborg Opera's own Carolina Sandgren.
Watch a clip from the performance 2008/2009.
From the story description in the programme.
It is Christmas Eve and cold in Marcello's attic flat. Rodolfo is sulky because his manuscript has been rejected once again and Marcello is not making any progress with his painting. Colline arrives, also sulky but in his case because the pawnshop is closed. None of them have any money and the prospects for Christmas are dismal. When Schaunard appears the atmosphere improves. He has managed to earn a bit of money and brings wine, delicacies, firewood and cigars with him.
Benoit, the landlord, can sense the smell of money and turns up to collect the rent. With the help of wine, flattery and shrewdness they manage to get rid of him and go off to celebrate Christmas in the Latin Quarter. Rodolfo, however, has to finish writing an article and stays behind. The neighbor, Mimì knocks on the door; her candle has gone out and she asks for a light. Rodolfo is reluctant to let her go again. When Mimì happens to drop the key to her flat and Rodolfo finds it, he lends fate a helping hand and hides the key even better. Hands and hearts meet in the dark and time comes to a halt…They are interrupted by calls from their impatient friends in the street below and after a while Rodolfo and Mimì decide to join them and go to Café Momus.
Down in the street everybody is in high spirits and the Christmas rush is at a peak. Shops and cafes are teeming with revellers celebrating the festive season, the last items are being bought and the feast has begun. The rest of Schaunard's money is there for the spending and their favourite café Momus is there for the taking. Rodolfo buys Mimì a special token of his love and introduces her to his friends, who tease him. Marcello's loved one, Musetta, arrives with her new protector and lover Alcindoro and Marcello is consumed with jealousy. However, Musetta has already tired of Alcindoro and starts flirting with Marcello, who tries to resist but fails. The friends move on to mingle with the Christmas crowds, intoxicated with champagne, love and friendship.
Elisabeth Linton
The remainder of the story can be read in the programme which is for sale in the ticket office and foyer.
Bohème on CD – A Personal Selection
Anyone who wants to browse among recordings of Bohème has an almost limitless selection to choose from. The one that is perhaps most frequently mentioned among connoisseurs and that remains an unsurpassable classic is that of Thomas Beecham from 1956 on EMI. In this recording we hear an absolutely magnificent harmony with Jussi Björling at his very best together with a young Victoria de Los Angeles. Robert Merrill, Jussi's long-standing singing colleague, complements the two as a gorgeously gravelly Marcello.
A few years later Tullio Serafin in Rome conducts an all-Italian ensemble for Decca. Renata Tebaldi does a moving Mimì, Carlo Bergonzi has an almost unlimited amount of feeling for style as Rodolfo, and Gianna d'Angelo is a wonderfully saucy Musetta. This is perhaps the recording that sounds the most Italian of all.
On Decca there is also Herbert von Karajan's recording from the seventies with the Berliner Philharmoniker. Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti are at their absolute peak, and as an extra luxury you get the bass voice of Nicolai Ghiaurov as Colline. This is probably the recording I would recommend if you want to have stereo sound.
At about the same time Georg Soltis came out on RCA, a fine recording that tends to be forgotten nowadays. Montserrat Caballé's flowing singing as Mimì literally takes one's breath away, with her wonderful pianissimo nuances. Her Rodolfo is a harmonious Plácido Domingo.
At the beginning of the eighties Katia Ricciarelli and José Carreras recorded these roles at Philips under the direction of Colin Davis. They both sound very young and fresh, and on the whole this is a very youthful and vital recording. Also, there are not less than two Swedes in the cast: Ingvar Wixell as Marcello and Håkan Hagegård as Schaunard, and they both do an excellent job of defending the Swedish colours.
The latest in the number of Bohème recordings, of which only a fraction have been mentioned here, is Bertrand de Billy's, performed in Munich for Deutsche Grammophon. It was released this year and presents the superstars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón.
Finally: if one would like to make the acquaintance of Leoncavallo's Bohème, there is a splendid recording by Orfeo. Heinz Wallberg conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with Lucia Popp and Franco Bonisolli in the leading roles.
Göran Gademan


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Happy sunny Sunday, everyone! I am about to go out the door for some breakfast at Marcy's, but in the meantime let's ogle over some goodies from Ashley Tyler: A New Heirloom.
Ashley Tyler is a recent Maine transplant whose work in the fashion industry is bringing muchas cosas to the Portland, ME apparel opportunities available to fashionable women in these region. At Picnic last December my booth partner, Kate, and I were set up across from A New Heirloom and I think we were slobbering and drooling at the prints, shirts, scarves, necklaces, ponchos for the entire two days. Tyler's work is inspired by Native American prints, customs and animals/nature — she says "it lights my brain up" which is just about the best way to describe inspiration I've heard in a long time. This influence is clear in her design, but a deeper level reveals her love for space, stars and technology as well. Her prints are modern reflections of ancient designs.
When you swing around the floor at Mayo Street next week you will find A New Heirloom stocked with her signature scarves, shirts, bags and necklaces with some sweet summer additions. How's about some Aviva t-shirts, tops and skirts, dresses and (drumroll, please…) braided bikinis! I can't even believe how awesome these are, and A New Heirloom will be selling them at a steep pre-season discount for all you Maine ladies who just can't wait to get in to an ocean-state-of-mind.
And if you're worried about missing Ashley's booth at The THAW, never fear: you can pick A New Heirloom out of a crowd quite easily: in addition to executing beautiful, luscious silk creations and soft and tactile leather work Ashley also happens to be a whiz out of making something out of nothing: her craft fair booth set up is one of the most creative we've seen at the Maine fairs. Flashback December 2010 and Kate and I are setting up our Picnic table — Ashley shows up (in wool plaid and jodphurs!) and starts setting up apple crates, towered high, on her table. A rickety wooden ladder goes on top and garments are hung from the rungs to weight the apple crates which hold folded items. Oh my gosh! We asked her how on earth she came up with such a creative way of displaying her work that still did justice to her inspirations and materials. Here's what she said:
"I'm so glad you liked my improvised booth set up. I knew I wanted to do something tactile and unique and needed to figure out a way to utilize a small space w/ only a table without a rolling rack. sooo I decided to use whatever I had around me: Our barn in Limerick is full of apple crates and old ladders so…I literally awoke one morning with the idea to stack the apple crates on the table and then put the ladder across the top of the crates to create a place to hang the garments and stabilize the crates. The end effect was a sort of 'stage.'"
We can't get enough of Ashley's goodies. See below for some more pictures! Or better yet, see her next Saturday at The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage sale at 10 Mayo St (Mayo Street Arts Center) in East Bayside, 10am-4pm. One block down from the big Catholic church off Cumberland Ave/Franklin Arterial in Portland!


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Diode LED DI-0908 150W 12v Non Dimmable Hard Wired DriverSKU: DI-0908
Sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock, please check Related Products below, or use the email for stock updates
Diode LED DI-0908 150W 12v Non Dimmable Hard Wired Driver
Our Hard-Wired Indoor Non-Dimmable Drivers provide steady 12 Volt current along with high efficiency, so you will get the most from your LED lights and see savings on your power bill. All our 12V LED drivers are energy-efficient, eco-friendly, safe, and produce very little heat. If you're working with a permanent home installation, it's vital to use a Diode LED solid state driver as it provides an even, stable current. It is a hard-wired power source and it's typically placed in a wall or ceiling, in the attic or under the house, but is also compact enough for areas with limited space.
This 12V Driver is compatible with 120V AC electrical systems, with a frequency of 60 Hz (North and Central America). Hard-Wired Non-Dimmable Drivers should be hard-wired to household AC power by a licensed electrician. Any of our dimmable light fixtures, powered by a hard-wired driver, can be dimmed using the REIGN 12V Dimmer Switch.
Note: All our power supplies are UL Listed or UL-Recognized Component. The manufacturer rates each power supply for maximum power output at optimum thermal and voltage conditions. As with any power supply, true actual maximum continuous current output depends upon various environmental factors such as ambient temperature, line voltage fluctuations, and orientation that may affect heat dissipation. For optimum performance, do not load the power supply to more than 80% of its labeled rating.
*Drivers that are compatible with the Meanwell Junction Box.
- Input Voltage: 100V - 240V AC
- Output Voltage: 12V DC
- Frequency Range: 50-60 Hz
- IP Rating: indoor
- Safety: UL1310 Class 2, TUV EN60950, CB Report
- Dimensions: W: 3.9 in, L: 8.25 in, H: 1.9 in
Note: 200W, 300W, and 600W drivers have a built-in fan that makes audible noise.
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