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If you've ever spent a post–Game of Thrones Sunday night dreaming about being Khaleesi, Selena Gomez is right there with you.
The Bad Liar singer chatted with Elle about her new Coach x Selena Gomez collection during New York Fashion Week, and as most conversations go these days, this one turned to Game of Thrones. She's currently in the midst of a hardcore binge-watch of the show — she's on season 4 — and crushing hard on two of the characters.
"I for sure am. I want to be Khaleesi. Who doesn't?" she told Elle. She added, "I think Jon Snow is very attractive."
She goes on to call the dragon mother's braids "killer," then continues to gush about the show's costumes, which she loves so much, she's tried to replicate IRL. "Oh they're beautiful. I literally went online and tried to buy this beautiful dress that kind of flowed and had a neck that was all sewn together and the details are unbelievable," she said. "I think it's phenomenal — everything about the show is. I sometimes wish we could have moments where we could dress like that. That would never happen. That's not in right now, by the way, I'm just saying they're gorgeous."
And in case you've ever wondered what Selena herself wears to binge-watch Game of Thrones: "I love wearing cute satin shorts. A cute little top that's maybe a little oversized. I love big socks, chunky soft ones. Put my hair in a ponytail. Sometimes you feel prettiest in those moments. I think I do when I'm with my friends," she told Elle.
TBD on how she's had time to get through four seasons of GOT in the midst of working on an album, launching two music videos ("Bad Liar" and "Fetish"), and creating a fashion line, but nevertheless it's impressive.
No word yet on how Selena handled the shock of the Red Wedding, but perhaps Kit Harrington can offer her a cameo (à la Ed Sheeran) as solace in an upcoming music video.
Related: Selena Gomez Just Shared How She Gets Ready — And We Are Scared
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About us
Established over 30 years with a total workforce of over 400 staff, we have been one of the leading engineering consultants in Hong Kong, providing consultancy services in civil, structural and geotechnical engineering.
We have designed and supervised a large number of projects, covering a wide spectrum of engineering works. These include single block or multi-blocks high-rise building developments, estate type house developments and major addition and alteration works to existing buildings.
We are also well known for providing innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions to superstructure and foundations or deep basement excavation in difficult ground.

subset: commoncrawl


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The 2nd edition of the fair Natural & Organic Products Asia, to take place in Hall 3DE at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai August 26-28 is set to attract widespread interest. According to show organizers Diversified Communications, Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region for natural and organic products with an estimated annual growth rate of 9.7% through 2018. And China's annual consumption of organic products is expected to increase by as much as 50% over the next decade, positioning the nation as the fourth largest organic market in the world by 2020.
Stuart Bailey, General Manager of Diversified Communications Hong Kong, says: "In the year since we held our inaugural fair, the market for natural and organic products has boomed here in Asia. Natural & Organic Products Asia is again creating a platform for brands and buyers to come together, explore opportunities and achieve real business growth in the world's most exciting and explosive market."
Facts & figures
At the first edition of NOPA last year, some 135 exhibitors from 21 countries presented their products to 5,100 trade visitors from 39 countries. This year's NOPA will have a 70% expansion in both size and scope. Around 200 manufacturers, brands, suppliers and distributors are expected, many from European countries, such as Germany, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Sweden. NOPA's exhibitor list also includes companies from Russia, Turkey, India and the US as well as Peru and Bolivia. Amongst the regional participants are Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China and Hong Kong; Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Micronesia from the Pacific area and Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand from South East Asia.
While most exhibitors are non-Asian companies, the organizers say that of the anticipated 7,500 trade visitors this year around 90% will come from China, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. Diversified Communications comments: "Growing awareness of health and wellness in China and across Asia is increasing demand for organic and natural products, with particularly superfoods, natural cosmetics other beauty products sought after. At the same time, product-safety scandals continue to fuel further the market as consumers seek assurances that their food and beauty products are safe."
Structure & events
NOPA 2015 covers four major sectors: Natural Food, Natural Beauty & Spa, Natural Living and Health & Nutrition. Around 40% of the exhibitors are from the food and beverages industry, 25% each from the cosmetics/spa and the nutritional supplements sectors while 10% of the companies are from the lifestyle products sector.
A comprehensive program of workshops, presentations and lectures will complement the show. Three themed forums will highlight trends and developments in the organic foods, cosmetics and supplements markets.
At the Natural Food Kitchen forum, master chefs and culinary professionals from around the world will show their skills in live cookery demonstrations, teaching preparation techniques and innovative recipes for exotic and fusion cuisine. This year's show will also feature a Juicing Competition – juices and smoothies are currently very popular in Hong Kong – during which industry professionals will crown the Hong Kong Juicing Champion.
Why Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is the sourcing base for many global & regional retailers, specialty stores, FMCG, and even Chinese brands. Therefore, Hong Kong is a perfect platform for branding, sourcing and trading", says NOPA's project director Mei Chang.
Visitors include distributors, chain store buyers, supermarkets, department stores, owners of independent health stores, hotel chains, online retailers and more professionals from Hong Kong, China and APAC on an international level".
Regional exhibition pavilions this year include Australia, California Trade Alliance, City of Sapporo (Japan), Siberia, the US, Taiwan and Thailand. The UK's organic certifying body Soil Association also has a special pavilion at the show. To facilitate the export of organic products from the UK to buyers and distributors in Asia, Soil Association entered in April 2014 a partnership with China's main organic certification body Organic Food Development Centre (OFDC).
A Hosted Buyers Program will allow buyers and exhibitors to pre-schedule business appointments with interesting brands and companies. Also, Invest Hong Kong, the city's official trade and investment association, is organising a briefing session on the local organic market and a trend tour to natural and organic retail stores in the city.
The NOPA Best New Products awards are also returning this year. A special New Product Showcase presents recently launched and innovative products from the foods, beverages, supplements, and baby care and cosmetics categories. During the first two days of the trade show, visitors can vote for their favorite new product. On August 27th the winner in each category, the product with the largest number of votes, will be announced at the Natural & Organic Products Asia Award Ceremony.
Award categories include Best Made In Hong Kong Product, Best New Natural / Organic Food, Best New Natural / Organic Beverage, Best New Health & Nutrition Product, Best New Natural Lifestyle Product, Best New Natural / Organic Beauty & Spa Product, Best New Natural / Organic Mother & Baby Product and the Outstanding Natural / Organic Product Award. For further information, visit www.naturalproducts.com.hk


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Cheese is essential to the smooth running of Crave. Not only does it feature in three of our top ten geek recipes, but we keep an emergency can of Easy Cheese in the office at all times, in case a Craver gets intense cheddar-withdrawal symptoms and needs a pungent fromage hit. Imagine our delight this morning, then, as we found that a cookery enthusiast and self-proclaimed Apple fanboy has lovingly fashioned Steve Jobs' head out of mozzarella.
In an in-depth post, Ken, from culinary site The Cooks' Den, reveals how you too can construct your own cheesy tribute to the Jobsmeister. He also kindly provides three recipes that complement Steve's dairy-based bonce: Apple Cheese Plate, Spicy Steve Nachos Supreme (where the head is alarmingly melted), and iPad Thai. Well played, sir.
Will you be serving up a plate of Jobs on iPad launch day, as Ken suggests? Would you be disturbed if the effigy was left out for too long and developed the sweats, or would you find it added a more human feel to your creation? Let us know in the comments section below.
What do you mean, "It's a slow news day"?


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I thought I knew what a giraffe was like. I had seen pictures. I had even seen video of one attacking a lion. But, nothing compared to the time I was watching a video (with beautiful music) and a giraffe suddenly popped up and was wading through a watering hole. The muscles were rippled up his chest and the neck of the animal was huge. I have never and still haven't seen a more amazing image of a giraffe.
The giraffe has a fairly short (lengthwise) body. The distance from tail to beginning of neck is nothing compared to the average height of 16-18 feet. This height is usually contributed to the neck but there are other contributors.
An average giraffe's legs are over eight feet tall and are carefully folded when sleeping. First the giraffe will bend the front legs and stoop down in a bowing position. He then situates his back legs underneath.
Some giraffes have been recorded as sleeping while standing but it is rare.
The giraffe can run very fast (37 mph) for short distances and keep a steady speed of 31 mph. But, his legs are not used just for running.
One day I was watching a show on giraffes and they showed a video where a mother was protecting her baby calf from a lioness. As soon as the lion would attack the mother would unleash a volley of foot stamps on or by the lioness. After a while the lioness left. Unfortunately, the protective mother had killed her own baby while trying to protect it. Those powerful legs could kill many a friend and foe.
The most obvious feature of the giraffe is his neck. Stretching six to seven feet, the neck enables the giraffe to stretch well beyond the limits of other bush/tree grazers. Because of this his main diet consists of acacia leaves.
But, because the neck is long and puts the head and brain so high, the giraffe must need a gigantic heart to pump the blood up into the neck. And, of course, the giraffe has this kind of neck. At two feet wide, this heart weighs 25 pounds and has to pump blood nearly vertical for more than six feet! Quite a job.
However, when the blood that is being shot up that neck is suddenly working with gravity (other words, when the giraffe takes a drink and the neck is pointing down) it causes a problem for the giraffe. If the blood rushes to the head his brain will burst and he will die. So, how does the giraffe overcome this problem?
Well, when the giraffe was first created he was made with a special way of preventing this from happening. The giraffe has actually has little valves in his artery that close when the blood comes. The valves can't always hold it so the brain has a sort of sponge underneath his brain that will soak up extra blood. This protects the brain from getting to much blood and thus, blowing his brains out.
But, what happens when the giraffe puts his head back up? If he does it fast there will be too little oxygen in his brain and he will pass out. Does he have to go extremely slow so the blood can return? No, he has a response built-in for that too. As the head goes up the valves open up and the sponge squeezes the oxygenated blood into the brain. The valves on the downward path of the blog close so the blood doesn't leave to fast and the flow is then restored to normal. Amazing!
In the end the giraffe confuses the evolutionists with its origin, punches them in the stomach with the amazing design in the neck and pumps a good bit of reality into them with its amazing heart.
I am so glad God made such a creature as the giraffe. Of course, He made even more amazing designs in the large sauropods we have found bones of but He decided to keep one long-necked creature alive for all too see and remember.


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Howard E. Spiva practices law in Savannah Georgia (for over 32 years). He limits his practice to serious traumatic and personal injury, wrongful death and litigation with an emphasis on trucking, brain injuries and claims involving children.
Howard is married with two children. His oldest son (W. Clay Porter) is a lawyer and practices with Howard. His son Howard "Gene" Spiva is a Sgt in the Army and will be attending law School in 2014.
Mr. Spiva was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1984. A graduate of Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta Georgia, he is past president of the Savannah Trial Lawyers Association, past Regional Chairman of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation and a life member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
Howard is admitted to practice in the Superior Court of Chatham County, Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Howard is also a Real Estate Broker and a Private Pilot.
Please read more about him at: http://www.spivalaw.com/


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Plus-size fashion has gotten a bad rap. Over the past several years, activists, fatshionistas and industry leaders seeking to capitalize on the body positivity movement have advocated for inclusive sizing and for abolishing the term plus-size altogether. Plus-size as a material and discursive construct, they argue, marginalizes consumers and further entrenches fat stigma, and they aren't wrong. Long tucked away in the dark corners of department stores and ghettoized online, plus-size fashions are conventional, conformist and, above all, moralizing. As anthropologist Mary Douglas famously wrote in her famous text, Purity and Danger (1966), humans are uncomfortable with porous or ambiguous margins. Thus, the natural response to the disorderly fat, female body—a body that so exceeds Western definitions of what constitutes a beautiful body—is to bring order to it. Through body-obscuring cuts and fat-concealing flourishes, plus-size fashions contain fat flesh and hide big bodies that threaten to breach the margins of fashionable dress.
It is undeniable that the plus-size fashion industry has a long way to go in levelling the sartorial playing field, so to speak. However, what could be gained if we unpacked and problematized our kneejerk tendency to villainize plus-size? What if we considered plus-size dress as a contemporary form of armor—one which makes the fat, female body decent and socially-legible within a culture that so abhors fat? This paper will do just this—reframing plus-size dress as the raw material for fashioning "positive" forms of fat, female embodiment. With fashion and style guides targeted at women whose bodies are considered beyond or outside of normative sizing systems (today, a US size 14 or above), and which span the twentieth century, I will bring to light the empowering discourses of plus-size self-fashioning.


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Client: Tim Kasnoff
Website: www.fsboED.com
Created: 2015
Category: Real Estate Education
- I created an "Online Marketing Primer" video course for the FSBO - For Sale By Owner, home seller.
- I needed a simple marketing platform to capture the student a redirect them to the Udemy.com MOOC platform.
- Weblinks: Categorize and display descriptions and links to various resources mentioned in the class.
- Akeeba Backup: Automated system backup
- JCE Editor: Enhanced editor panel
-Joomla: 3.6.5


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We've all endured "death by PowerPoint." It's a painful experience for the audience and probably not all that fun for the presenter either. To help students deliver effective presentations—free of those deadly bullet points—SLJ columnist Richard Byrne cites his go-to applications.
The Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Creating Great Presentations
By May 20, 2013on
SLJ Reviews Information Literacy Courseware ResearchReady
By May 8, 2013on
Self-Published Ebooks not a Solution for K-12 Schools
By May 6, 2013on


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I can remember walking out of a room full of people after a shared worship experience and somehow feeling completely alone.
At that moment I asked myself, "Why do I feel so disconnected from people when I felt so connected to God during worship?"
Perhaps the idea of connecting people in worship is not our priority. But why not? Is it possible that worship is to be an embodied experience, not only for individuals, but also an opportunity for the people of God to practice embodied worship as one body?
Last year during my visit to South Africa, I learned this greeting from a new friend whom I met there. "Sawubona" in Zulu means "I see you" and it's how people regularly greet one another. I see you. I recognize your dignity and beauty. You're worth seeing and deserve my attention.
I immediately felt in love with this greeting and brought it to our Proskuneo worshiping community.
As a worship leader, I intentionally try to create space for people to see each other during worship. Sometimes this means turning all the lights up in a room and forgetting the fancy light settings and the fog machine.
Sometimes it means putting specific words into people's mouths so they have something tell each other, instead of the superficial "how are you? I'm fine" that we often use. And quite often I enjoy creating a space where people can hold hands in a big circle and see each other.
What if we create more spaces where people can see, really see each other during worship? How would this seeing shape and form us as the body of Christ?


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Ready to rumble: Adobe ups the ante in Marketing Cloud warby
6th Mar 2013
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2013 is the year of the Marketing Cloud - and on the back of a series of new announcements at its Digital Marketing Summit, has Adobe just put itself in leadership position?
Predictions that 2013 may be the year of the Marketing Cloud are coming to pass – with Adobe the latest vendor to set out its stall in this increasingly competitive marketplace. Only a week after Oracle indulged in some chest-beating when detailing how its version of the Marketing Cloud would compete with the likes of Salesforce.com and Microsoft, Adobe has used its US Digital Marketing Summit to unveil the first set of upgrades to its Marketing Cloud since its announcement last Autumn.
"This is going to move the conversation forward," Neil Morgan, director of digital marketing at Adobe, told MyCustomer.com in a pre-event briefing. "Salesforce.com has been doing some work on developing their Marketing Cloud and we all launched these Clouds last year. Now it is about who can deliver the greatest feature set and the most compelling experience and the most productive environment.
"Our announcements show that we don't intend to follow the market - our goals is to lead the innovation around Marketing Cloud. We think we had, from the outset, the most comprehensive end-to-end solution, but now we really want to innovate in these areas – social, mobile, asset management and so on."
In front of more than 4,500 digital marketers and senior leaders attending the US Summit, the vendor has unveiled extentions to the capability of a number of its solutions as well as the Marketing Cloud itself.
Elaborating on this last development, Morgan explained: "The driving issue of marketing is the need to get to market more quickly in digital. The shorter time frame of digital content and campaigns means more content and campaigns are needed more quickly. That is driving the need for tighter collaboration between the different stovepipes within marketing – between buyers and campaign managers, between digital and creative teams, and between the in-house and the agency folks. So we're building a collaboration capability into the Marketing Cloud that enables all those teams to work more closely together to get campaigns to market more quickly."
The refresh of the Marketing Cloud sees the addition of a new user interface that provides a single place for users to share their work and collaborate on content and campaigns. This is facilitated by a Pinterest-style visual dashboard that allows users to share any element of the Cloud, from a campaign report to a discussion to a piece of creative, as a card which is pinned to a board. Marketers can therefore hit a button and share that work with team members or across the business.
"The vision is to have communities of people working on different projects sharing work and managing campaigns this way, on a visual dashboard," said Morgan. "Adobe is trying to drive innovation in digital marketing – it is about putting our customers in a place where they can respond to market requirements more quickly, get campaigns completed and executed more quickly, and that is what this new user interface to the Cloud is all about."
Vision of the Marketing Cloud
In other announcements, there are also innovations for web experience management, the content management system that underlines the Marketing Cloud. Adobe's fastest growing product line, the new capabilities will help businesses replatforming their online properties to go to market quicker.
"One of the biggest issues that customers raise with us is the challenges of managing content for the explosion of devices," Morgan explained. "We will now provide build-once-deploy-anywhere capability that enables you to build an app, a site, a publication, etc. and put it into the cms and it will deploy on any device. We handle all the device management, all the rendering, on any screen, whether it's as small as your hand or as big as your TV.
In addition, there will also be social capability, so that social components can be built into a site and rendered on any device, such as a community, or a reviews app.
Elsewhere, Adobe is unveiling predictive marketing workflow in Adobe Analytics, debuting a new generation of digital asset management (a place to store all digital assets securely in the Cloud that can be delivered to any app or site around the world), and adding new mobile marketing capabilities to the Marketing Cloud, including building out greater mobile analytics capability, social aps on all mobile platforms, and mobile advertising with specific targeting ability for mobile apps.
"Mobile is a massive growth area and the mobile traffic we track for customers grew 117%, more than doubling. And often this is very high value traffic, very monetisable," noted Morgan. "With every product getting new mobile capability right across the board, this is what I think our customers are most excited about."
And Morgan is convinced that this excitement will extend to those who are yet to be Adobe customers, as the Marketing Cloud's upgrades attract a new audience.
"Our strategy is two-fold," he concluded. "Firstly, to have the Creative Cloud be the default tool to create content. Our creative tools are industry-standard and with Creative Cloud we now offer all our CS6 desktop tools, plus new apps and services to create amazing content on a membership model, like a subscription service, which is becoming extremely popular and driving a lot of Adobe's business. And secondly, we have a unique advantage over our competitors, by leveraging the Creative Cloud into the execution of that content in any digital channel; to provide a suite or a Cloud of capability that takes all of that digital content – whether that's a publication, a website, an app, a social network, or whatever – and deliver that to consumers automatically in a way which optimises the consumer experience and optimises the performance of the marketing budget concerns. That is the vision of the Marketing Cloud."
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Neil Davey is the managing editor of MyCustomer. An experienced business journalist and editor, Neil has worked on a variety of newspapers, magazines and websites over the past 20 years, including Internet Works, CXO magazine and Business Management. He joined MyCustomer in 2007.
Read more from Neil Davey


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Composing a book will take a little effort and time if you indicate to do a very good job and also market it online. The digital book can be sold on your website, and you might also note it on various other sites to create profits. There are different methods of pdf ebook directory obtaining books to offer. Because the e-book is at no cost, it's commonly wise for a guy or woman to attempt to use totally free or very affordable methods of marketing it.Ebook Directory Free Download
Therefore a websites is one single web page of details whereas a site is made up of a range of web web pages.The... Read more


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"Working with Nikki is great - she helps me develop my ideas into a final professional product, every time!"
- Lauren Onca O'Leary, Da Vinci Snow Cones
"Working with NikNak Art is very easy and enjoyable - collaboration is great and I feel like my input is combined with expertise to produce a great product. Turnaround time is also very quick!"
"Working with Nikki was great because she captured my vision, was very tentative to detail, quick to respond, and provided a variety of options."
Custom Ink - Wall Mural & Busy Season Shirt Design
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Durant sitting out for Golden State with bruised left hand
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is sitting out the Golden State Warriors' home game against Brooklyn on Saturday night with a bruised left hand.
Durant sustained an injured pinkie in the first quarter of a 123-113 win over the Clippers on Thursday night and X-rays were negative and he said after the game it was no big deal. Durant practiced Friday with his left hand heavily taped.
The NBA-best Warriors' leading scorer and rebounder, Durant is averaging 25.7, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his first season with Golden State. This is the first game the All-Star forward has missed all season, but coach Steve Kerr is being cautious with all of his players given an upcoming stretch with eight games in 13 days with a cross-country trip, return to the Bay Area for one then back-to-back games at Minnesota and San Antonio on March 10-11.
Follow every game: Live NBA Scores


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For years the Pied Piper and Cathouse Lounge have collected food for the Fint Street Pantry. This year nearly eight hundred pounds of food and well over a thousand dollars in cash was collected for Flint Street.
To say thanks to these very generous restaurants,please pay them a visit next time you are in Eureka Springs.
Most of the restaurants are in the Historic District in downtown Eureka, a short walk for the Angel at Rose Hall.


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以下、6年以上前のThe New Yorker (September 18, 2012)より。
Randy Newmanは、"I'm Dreaming"という新曲をYouTubeに発表した。
以下は、そのときのThe New Yorkerの記事。"Rednecks"など、昔の唄も紹介している。
Culture Desk
Dreaming of a White President
By Ian Crouch
September 18, 2012
In a campaign season that has recently come under the powerful sway of the Internet video, another entry—more subtle than "Innocence of Muslims" and certainly more "elegantly stated" than Mitt Romney's disdain for the "forty-seven per cent"—has joined the fray. This week, Randy Newman released "I'm Dreaming," a free song and accompanying YouTube video, that is built around the heavily ironized refrain: "I'm dreaming of a white President, just like the ones we've always had…." Newman's song is not likely to touch off riots or shift the direction of the Presidential campaign, yet it should stir up raw emotions and divergent responses, and reaffirms Newman's place as one of our most incisive and essential satirists.
Newman's power as a songwriter has always derived from the massive dissonance between his music and his lyrics. In this case, you don't expect a charming piano ditty—one that alludes to Irving Berlin's "White Christmas"—to openly espouse the normally masked feelings of American reality: fear, crass self-interest, proud ignorance, bigotry. And political songs are rarely so verbally dexterous and funny, even if you are as likely to squirm as chuckle when Newman, in his elegant and wry voice, sings: "He won't be the brightest, perhaps / but he'll be the whitest / and I'll vote for that."
Good satire is bound to upset people, and truly great satire is bound to upset everyone. Take a look at the YouTube comments on the video above to see the full range of reaction to Newman's latest: self-satisfied "I get it" boasts; derisive "It's a joke, idiots" attacks; confusion; anger. Few partisan writers (Newman is an Obama supporter) are so generous to their straw men—even here, the narrator of "I'm Dreaming" tries to sort out his feelings of white goodness and black badness. He is simple, but not clueless. One of the nervous-making elements of Newman's music is that, as he gives his blowhard narrators their due, he also seems poised to make fools out of his listeners and their pat and confident views. That is never clearer than in Newman's most forceful political song, "Rednecks," from the masterful 1974 album "Good Old Boys":
"Rednecks" is told from the perspective of a southern man who is disgusted by watching the Georgia governor Lester Maddox be ridiculed on television by "some smart-ass New York Jew" (reportedly an allusion to Dick Cavett, who is not Jewish, but still), and remarks that "he may be a fool, but he's our fool," and decides to sit down and write an ironic ode to his proud, if wayward, homeland. For the first two verses, the narrator lays out a set of familiar characters—twangy, drunken men, "no-necked oilmen from Texas," and "college men from L.S.U." who "went in dumb, come out dumb, too"—and backs it with the chorus, "We're rednecks, rednecks / We don't know our ass from a hole in the ground. / We're rednecks, we're rednecks / We're keeping the niggers down." Then the song turns, and the narrator notes that blacks in the North don't have it much better, that they are "free to be put in a cage," in Harlem, the South Side of Chicago, and Roxbury. At the end, the chorus comes in again, and suddenly all of us, North and South, are the rednecks.
Newman and the narrator both live in this song, and so we get an inseparable blend of sarcasm, defensiveness, and critique from competing voices: one that disdains the South for its backwardness, another that rips the North for its hypocrisy, and a united voice that loves and loathes the whole mess of shame, arrogance, hatred, and dogged perseverance that is our American inheritance. The song feels silly and devastating all at once.
"I'm Dreaming" is less nuanced in its politics, and doesn't give voice to as complex and rich a character, but it fits into Newman's songbook of first-person songs that make you wince while humming along. "Short People" is entirely dedicated to the mock degradation of the little: "They got grubby little fingers / and dirty little minds." "Political Science" casts America as a sad, lonely little country unfairly hated by everyone else, which would be better off just to "drop the big one." Even "I Love L.A.," which sounds as though it might have been commissioned by the city's chamber of commerce, slips in a subversive gem: "Look at that mountain. / Look at those trees. / Look at that bum over there, man. / He's down on his knees." It is a profoundly destabilizing experience to find yourself singing lines like, "We're keeping the niggers down" in the shower. But the song is dangerously catchy, and that's part of the point. Racism is insidious—it was in 1974 and it is now—and racism lives in the collective American mind a lot like a pop song does.
Ian Crouch is a contributing writer and producer for newyorker.com. He lives in Maine.


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Moments Slip Away -> Updown Side February 10, 2011Posted by nrhatch in Poetry, Word Play, Writing & Writers.
The Prompt:
Choose a poem that you've written and rewrite it in its reverse, making the last line the first, etc. Revise this version, creating a new poem.
Treasured photos fill
time-worn antique ladder shelves
with no space to spare
Ghosts from the past, so
easily resurrected,
crumble back to dust
Life's treasured moments:
bite-size morsels melting as
soon as they appear
How do we account
for the time we've spent chasing
restless empty dreams?
The Reverse ~ Revised:
Restless empty dreams?
Time lost forever to the chase
All to no account.
Ephemeral appearances
Melting in bite-size bits.
Life's treasured moments
Crumbling back to dust.
Easily resurrected ghosts from the past
Dissipate again
No space to spare.
Time-worn antiques
Laddered and layered lives
Treasured photos shelved away
Moments slip
Forever lost in time.
Related posts: Poetry Prompt (Pseu1's Blog) * It's In The Mail
- 1. Carl D'Agostino - February 10, 2011
This too hard even for the bard!
!Bard the for even hard too this.
- Carl D'Agostino - February 10, 2011
Well I suppose I must admit it. It took me 10 minutes to get the backward order correct. I am ashamed because I should do better as people have said for decades that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Going or coming would be the same, right?
- 7. Cindy - February 11, 2011
It actually works for me 🙂
Will try to find time over the weekend to do the prompt.
- 11. Poetry in Reverse « Maggie Madly Writing - July 31, 2011
[…] got this idea from one of Nancy's blogs and decided I'd try it […]


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Digital competitors have raised the bar and are forcing incumbents from virtually every industry into huge transformation programs. To win this race for digitalization, incumbents are investing vast amounts of resources into multi-year programs that require them to change the engine with the train still rolling. This requires executive teams to manage many challenges and produce multiple results that are either different than expected or diluted. We recommend that companies explore complementary paths to avoid transformation projects becoming too large and too broad or complex, while allowing transformation teams to focus on the fundamental business issues. Complementary paths accelerate returns, are more manageable, require less resources to be launched, and allow the organization to try and fail without risking too much. In this Viewpoint, we explain how complementary strategies can help company transformations succeed in an era of fast change.
Incumbents are facing the same situation
Incumbents around the world are facing the same situation, regardless of sector. Digital competitors and newborn greenfield players are raising the bar in many fields, improving customer experience, introducing new business models and accelerating the speed of innovation. Furthermore, digital-native firms are attracting the best talent beyond the technology field. On top of that, they are more efficient, which is allowing them to redefine the term scale. This pressure pushes incumbents to undertake large and difficult transformation programs based on new technologies and ways of working. Dedication of resources to technology and innovation is growing in incumbent companies across all industries, at 16 percent on average – much faster than revenues.
Worldwide, incumbents' spend on transformation programs represents circa $1.25 trillion, as shown in the below figure. This sum represents around 10 percent of their annual revenues. To compensate for transformation investments, companies seek additional efficiencies derived mainly from operations automation and removal of legacy systems. Both levers are difficult to activate and require significant efforts.
Furthermore, few incumbent companies are claiming successful transformation of core legacy operations into truly agile and efficient digital operations.
Many CxOs are at crossroads
Large transformation initiatives involve challenges that executives need to avoid and contain, as shown in below figure.
Transformation programs usually take three to five years and, very often, results are different than expected because the initial scope and focus evolve.
Transformation programs usually engage the best talent available in the company, who are then distracted from the day-to-day business. Furthermore, these programs require companies to take on the challenge of building new capabilities.
Companies that wish to transform must select and effectively adopt new technologies that evolve quickly, with technology cycles that become faster and faster. This forces them to undertake painful migration and rearchitecture projects to continuously upgrade the newborn legacies.
The business case for transformation requires the company to achieve relevant efficiencies in order to be approved. However, it is difficult to avoid overruns in large programs, due to their threeto five-year time scales and the many variables involved.
Transformation is never an easy journey; executives involved in these initiatives will never question that. Transforming a complex, multinational organization in motion is very difficult. However, it is a crucial step for the company to remain competitive. To maximize the odds of acquiring new capabilities and developing new value propositions, incumbents across several sectors are launching smaller and more focused initiatives with great ambitions.
We call these initiatives complementary paths, as they will evolve in parallel with a company's core transformation initiative without distorting it. Instead, complementary paths will derive positive externalities that will be easily transferable to the company's core business.
Complementary paths can help minimize risks and accelerate returns
Many companies have launched initiatives that rely on new technologies to explore new opportunities. Examples of these include Daimler Mobility Services, which offers applicationbased mobility services, and Orange, which recently launched a mobile-banking service. These parallel initiatives can bring high value to the company in terms of new capabilities or data. However, in the long run, this will not result in a sustainable lever for the company's core transformation, as these initiatives are geared towards the development of business extensions.
A true complementary path has to be directly linked to the company's core technology platform. Furthermore, if the complementary path develops successfully, it will support transformation of the company's technology, processes, culture and business model. The final goals of these initiatives may vary a lot; however, they will always produce new capabilities and intellectual capital that are transferable to the core business. Or they may even result in a new platform to migrate specific client segments or the entire portfolio.
We foresee two types of complementary paths. A standard complementary path is considered an internal path, in which the underlying technology platform is closed and only supports the initiative. When the opportunity is developed on top of a technology platform that is made available to third parties, we consider this an external path, as the technology is open.
Some players are launching internal paths across the telecoms and banking sectors, as shown in the below figure. Santander's SuperDigital account-less bank in Latin America, as well as its Openbank service in Spain, are based on next-generation platforms. Orange recently launched X by Orange, a cloud-native operator focused on SMEs, also in Spain.
The market has pursued external paths for decades. Airlines were pioneers in collaborating on large technology projects and opening them to third parties to join efforts and share the burden, which resulted in the creation of Sabre and Amadeus. More recently, technology companies followed a similar strategy to better leverage their IT infrastructure so they could grow to hyper-scale to support their core businesses. Amazon launched AWS by leveraging its hyper-scale data-center infrastructure to support the largest global e-commerce platform.
Companies seeking to develop complementary strategies can follow multiple paths, as described earlier. From our benchmarking exercise across the industries (reflected in the above figure) we have classified the key objectives that follow these initiatives into the following categories:
- Accelerate new technology and innovation adoption.
- Increase flexibility, scale and agility.
- Attract talent and new capabilities.
- Leverage data to improve customer experience, automation, decision-making, etc.
- Diversify geographies, products, etc.
- Develop efficient technology platforms.
How to develop a complementary path and succeed
Developing a complementary path requires the company to first identify a sustainable and feasible opportunity directly related to its core business. Second, a complementary path requires it to do things in a different way, otherwise the ambition will not be fully achieved and execution is likely to fail.
- A company must clearly identify the underlying objectives of its core transformation, e.g., reach out to new customers or drastically reduce the cost to serve existing customers. Once this goal is clear, the executive needs to identify a potential business opportunity and assess its feasibility, sustainability, and strategic fit with the core. Right after that, the project team must initiate the internal buy-in process, a difficult task that requires defending the concept and the business case to key stakeholders in the company, with the objective of obtaining the "Go! decision"
- After the "Go! decision", a few more steps are required before the first product launch:
- Initial assembly: Selection of architectural components' key partners, from technology to commercial fields. Tasks to perform include validating the concept among partners and defining the ecosystem/collaboration model.
- Technical pilot: Basic solutions testing for the initial product. A technical team needs to be built and the product portfolio defined.
- Commercial pilot: Proof of concept of the company's product with befriended customers.
- Prelaunch: The complete, end-to-end solution distributed among a selected set of customers, free of charge, to expose any gaps or improvements. Service orchestration and automation will be a top priority.
- Launch first wave: Launch of the MVP!
Lastly, certain requirements will allow the development of the complementary paths to succeed:
- Support from a relevant internal sponsor is paramount for the initiative to develop.
- There must be an autonomous supplier model in place to allow higher supplier flexibility and work with new partners.
- The whole team must acquire a collective "start-up mentality"; results will be different only through new and different processes.
- Finally, the initiative should have enough autonomy to grow fast, with minimum steering to ensure the right direction.
It is necessary to re-emphasize the relevance of the internal sponsor to guarantee the complementary project's success. The internal sponsor should be a credible stakeholder with enough power to get things done in the organization, usually a CxO position or executive committee member. The sponsor, together with the steering committee, will define the targets and the timeline to accomplish them. Furthermore, the sponsor must regularly ensure that the project gets the required resources, and that development is aligned with the defined plan and targets.
Insight for the executive
- Complementary paths should allow for positive externalities, and these should be easily transferable to the company's core business.
- It is critical to provide complementary-path opportunities for their own development space. Otherwise, delays and lack of traction and momentum can be expected.
- In addition to pursuing core-transformation projects, complementary paths offer an easy way to acquire new digital capabilities and intellectual capital, which can be spread across the organization with high impact and low risks. In other words, it allows them to learn more, faster, and risk less.
- At Arthur D. Little we are passionate about innovation and real step changes. In addition, to support our clients in their core-business strategies and transformation initiatives, we work with them to establish complementary paths that accelerate change and innovation, as well as bring highimpact returns that are almost automatically transferable to their cores.


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Dear guest, please contact us directly via e-mail or telephone if you plan a stay of six nights or longer. Discount depending on the number of nights. We have also special offers for groups of 25 people or more.Contact & Directions
Both small and larger groups appreciate not only our good food from our own in-house butchery, but also the opportunity to socialize. The Hirschenwirt has often been the starting point for exciting trips to the Altmühl valley.
Regardless of whether it is senior citizen groups, club excursionists, colleagues on company outings, family celebrations or class reunions - you are very welcome here.
For travel agencies, bus companies, clubs and tour operators we have compiled interesting offers. We can organize activities such as cycling or boat tours.
Take advantage of the many years of experience and the good relations of the Hirschenwirt for your group travels. We are happy to help you with the program planning.
We also offer full and half day trips
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Though unrelated to common anise seed, star anise has a similar flavor. It is pungent and sweet, common in Chinese, Indian and Indonesian cuisine.


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Die Entführung aus dem Serail
AS ITS 2016-17 SEASON OPENER, the Atlanta Opera dusted off and conservatively re-invented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 1782 Singspiel, The Abduction from the Seraglio, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (seen Oct. 8). It's a work that hasn't been produced in Atlanta for at least a decade and was a perplexing—if undoubtedly elegant—choice, given the momentum that the company has gained in appealing to greater audiences during the last year. For all its virtues, Mozart's Abduction is hardly a bring-down-the-house crowd pleaser; it does not boast the economy of means and dramatic poignancy of his trio of Da Ponte operas. Like a dinner party that lasts a bit too long, the conversation becomes dull after the big arias had come and gone.
The Atlanta Opera took great pains to engage its audience—even supplying the dialogue in English—but lagging tempos from conductor Arthur Fagen were an undeniable problem; with a single intermission in Act II, the evening lasted for three hours. Fagen got things moving after intermission with Blonde's aria "Welche Wonne welche Lust," sung by perky soubrette Katrina Galka, and tenor Matthew Grills's ensuing "Vivat Bacchus," in which Pedrillo succeeds in inebriating his rival Osmin (Kevin Burdette). Stage director Chris Alexander created a nice contrast between the silliness of these stock characters and their more distinguished counterparts, Konstanze and Belmonte.
Artistic director Tomer Tvulun has a knack for choosing proficient singers and his casting of Bliss –winner of the zarzuela prize at Operalia 2013– as Belmonte was spot on. Bliss's initial aria, "Hier soll ich dich denn sehen" was steady and limpid and his characterization refined. The lovely soprano Sarah Coburn sang the role of Konstanze, and paced herself well vocally. Her back-to-back arias, the sustained and fragile-sounding "Traurigkeit" and the ensuing "Martern aller Arten," were both impressively done.
Zvulun also brought back Burdette, last season's popular Pirate King, to sing Osmin. Burdette is a fine singer and an ever better actor, who has the ability to ham up every scene with riveting choreography. However, the role of Osmin, first sung by Karl Ludwig Fisher, requires hefty low notes that Burdette lacks. Osmin's comical duet with Blonde in Act II, "Ich gehe, doch rate ich dir," wasn't quite as funny without the A flat at the bottom as it's a vocal line that Blonde later mocks with her own A flat. Yet despite that shortcoming, it was Burdette's sense of comedy that carried the evening and enlivened what could have been a forgettable Abduction from the Seraglio.
Jacob Climer, scenic and costume designer, conceived the production's visually stunning smorgasbord of costumes, which included a pink-tinged powdered wig and ruffled gown for Konstanze and an eye-popping purple eighteenth-century suit for Belmonte. Climer's set then consisted of a massive 8 x 14-foot gilded frame suspended in the center of the Cobb Energy Performing Art Centre's grand proscenium stage. It was used as a silent movie screen to tell the story of Konstanze's kidnapping by pirates during the orchestral overture, as a multi-colored backdrop that transformed as needed, and as a miniature stage. The action that took place within this slighter space was most effective. It was as if the smaller scale was better-suited to the intimate quality of Mozart's Singspiel. —Stephanie Adrian
Visit Opera News Online : http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2016/12/Reviews/ATLANTA__Die_Entf%C3%BC


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Bouncebackability: Port FC vs. Ubon UMT, 11 March 2018
Port will look to bounce back from last week's disappointing defeat at Bangkok Glass with a victory against mid-table Ubon on Sunday. Ubon has become a bit of a home for abandoned lions, with The Eagles swooping in for precocious yet unwanted cub Yossawat Montha (32), preening lioness Piyachart Tamaphan (99) and the one and only Scar: Wuttichai Tathong (8).
Both Port and Ubon have started the season decisively; neither have yet to register a single draw. Whereas Port leaped out of the gates with three consecutive wins before being pegged back at Leo Stadium last week, Ubon have bounced alternately from defeat to victory, both winning and losing 1-0 and 3-1 in their opening four fixtures. Their latest game saw them overcome a lackluster Air Force 1-0 at UMT Stadium, securing the win in the 80th minute thanks to substitute Thaweekun Thong-on (28).
Whilst Port are clear favourites to take all three points at home, they can expect to face a tough test against Ubon, who have got their points the hard way: with gritty, battling performances. With former Scottish top-tier manager Mixu Paatelainen in charge, don't be surprised if Ubon set up like British underdogs, put 10 men behind the ball and try and frustrate Port. It will be interesting to see what Jadet has planned if Ubon do try and park the bus.
Ubon UMT
Players to Watch
Left footed Port loanee Yossawat, who has curiously played three of Ubon's four games on the right hand side, is ineligible, but both Piyachart and Wuttichai are in contention to start. Piyachart, who really impressed when joining The Eagles on loan in the second half of 2017, has scored already this season, but was dropped last week. With Yossawat unable to play though, he's probably favourite to start on Sunday. Wuttichai picked up a knock after a T1 Team of the Week performance in attacking midfield against Prachuap and has missed out in the last two games, but Scar is now back in training, and looking to add to his tally of two yellow cards in two games. On that front, I have absolute faith in his abilities.
Now on to some actual talent. Angolan forward Aguinaldo (9) will lead the line, and although he has just one goal to his name in his opening four games, he looks pretty useful. Although he's got the height to do damage in the air, Aguinaldo's best work is done with the ball at his feet, so Port will need to come up with a much better defensive performance than they managed next week to nullify him. He may be backed up by ASEAN quota player Mark Hartmann (20) – an English-Filipino forward with the likes of Wessex League heavy hitters Blackfield & Langley on his resume.
Ubon's big team news this week is the return, for the first time in 2018, of Japanese wing wizard Kenta Yamazaki (14). Kenta has been at Ubon since 2015, and has performed at a consistently high level for the last three seasons, with jinking forward runs being a hallmark of his game. With Kevin and Nurul coming at him down Port's left hand side though, Kenta – who lacks match-fitness – may find himself doing less jinking and an uncomfortable amount of defending.
Ubon have struggled to replace a few of last season's top players, but they haven't missed anyone as much as Victor Cardozo. The new foreign defensive player is Brinner (6), who hasn't done an awful lot wrong, but will be very hard-pushed to match Victor's excellence at the back or his incredible goal haul, let alone both. The big man netted 20 times in 72 games for Ubon. From centre back. Also in the defence is Thai national team legend – now 35 years old – Suree Sukha (25) who, whilst technically excellent on the ball, could struggle for pace against Port's free-flowing attack, assuming it turns up this week.
Port FC
It's time to see what this Port squad is really made of. After an abominable first half display against Bangkok Glass, Port came out for the second half and showed that they were capable of out-playing their opponents, but it was too little too late. Now Jadet really needs another decisive win to get Port back on track. Whether he does that by making tactical alterations or simply demanding better performances from his players we shall have to see. First things first, a fit goalkeeper would be nice!
Port have been hit by their first injury crisis of the season, which saw all three first team goalkeepers making simultaneous hospital visits. Thankfully, there has been footage of Rattanai (17) bouncing around the goal in training, although he was later pictured with what looked very much like clingfilm adorning his dodgy shoulder. With the fitness of Worawut (36) and Watchara (1) still in question, Port B stopper Anipong Kijkam (81) could make it on to the bench for the first time, after he was left out in Port B's last game, presumably as a precaution.
Assuming that Todsapol (6) has returned to full fitness (a wildly optimistic assumption by all accounts), it is safe to say (no it isn't) that he will be lining up alongside Rochela (22) in defence, with Nitipong (34) and Kevin (97) as full backs. It's set to be a big month for Kevin, who has been called up to the national team for the upcoming King's Cup, but will have to play much better than he did against Glass to usurp Theerathon in the first XI. The less said about Dolah's (4) defensive performance the better.
Kim (8) was another of Port's major under-performers, and will have to put it another authoritative display if he wants to prove that his performance against Muangthong was the rule, not the exception. Siwakorn (16) will, as always, sit alongside Kim in the heart of the midfield.
With Pakorn (7) once again getting overlooked in Thailand's King's Cup squad – while Nurul (31) and Bodin (10) were selected – it begs the question… what does Thai boss Rajevac see that we don't? It's certainly not a wildly surprising decision that he would choose Nurul ahead of Pakorn on the right, whilst Bodin is competing for a different position altogether on the left, but how is sharp-elbowed Police Tero winger Mongkol Tossakrai still getting in to the squad ahead of Pakorn? To be fair to him, he does have an impressive goal-scoring record at international record, but to compare Mongkol and Pakorn since the start of last season is to compare a player with 9 combined goals and assists to a player with 23. Maybe Rajevac watched Pakorn last week. He was truly awful, but along with Nurul will probably keep his place on Sunday, with Bodin continuing on the bench.
Boskovic (23) and Suarez (5) are dead certs in the attack, and something tells me the Montenegrin is going to be hungrier than ever for a goal this Sunday. After failing to find the net in three games and passing up a huge chance late on last week, it's time for Boskovic to remind PAT Stadium just what he can do in front of goal.
Predicted Lineup
The match will be shown live on True Sport 2 at 19:00 on Sunday 11 March, 2018. For those who can't make it to PAT Stadium, The Sportsman on Sukhumvit 13 will show the match with sound if you ask them nicely. Mention the Sandpit or wear your Port shirt for a 10% discount.


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When he arrived, he told his wife of his desert vision. "We will collect all the grain bags in town after they have been emptied, and we will fill them with sand. When the waters threaten to overflow their banks, we will shore up those banks with these 'sand bags.'"
"This can never work," his wife said. "Sand cannot hold back water. Isn't sand on the bottom of the ocean, and isn't it carried along by the current of a river?"
"These things are true," the man said. "But when the density of the sand is increased by packing, they will be as large bricks, a wall against the current."
The next time the floods started, the man protected his city and his farm with these bags. The people celebrated with a great party. They made him mayor for a day. They composed songs about his prowess, brilliance, and compassion. Shortly after, an organization was formed: the first sandbaggers association of Mesopotamia. The man wasn't happy with the organization; he believed any person could make their own sandbags, but the organization did good work, so he went to his grave content and prosperous.
Not many generations later, the first sandbaggers association of Mesopotamia came up with a list of by-laws. These included the requirements to be a member of the association. Among the requirements was the stipulation that any sandbagger must acknowledge that the first sandbagger was the greatest sandbagger. Indeed, he was god of sandbaggers. Additionally, they were made to swear that association meetings combined with the confession that the first sandbagger was superior were both required to be an official sandbagger.
Many years later, a young man who grew up in the town showed up to work along the banks of the rivers when the spring rains threatened to swell the rivers beyond their banks. The sandbagger foreman asked to see his membership tablet.
"I am no member," the man said. "I simply desire to help."
"You must first swear that the first sandbagger was greatest," the foreman said. "And then you must agree to regular meetings, at which we will all proclaim together that he was greatest."
"Can't I simply help stop the river from overwhelming the city?" The young man asked.
"No," the foreman replied. "If you don't acknowledge that the first sandbagger is greatest, then you are not truly sandbagging."
The young man was greatly saddened. He thanked the foreman for his time, walked down the river a few miles and began to make his own sandbags.


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Award presented by American Trails, a national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Cross Plains, Wisconsin – Director of Trail Operations for the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Tim Malzhan, was honored with the prestigious Outstanding Trail Leader Award by American Trails. The award was presented at the 23rd International Trails Symposium on Sunday, May 7, 2017.
American Trails honors the contributions of leaders who are working for the advancement of trails across the country and around the world. The Outstanding Trail Leader awards recognizes individuals who have made compelling and significant contributions to the trails movement in their home states— advocating, designing, building, maintaining, promoting, adapting technologies, and a myriad of activities.
Tim Malzhan fell in love with the Ice Age National Scenic Trail during a thru-hike in 1991. Upon joining the Alliance in 2000, Malzhan's passion for the Trail led him to create the successful Mobile Skills Crew (MSC) Program to support the building and maintaining of the Ice Age Trail. The first event of this model program was held in 2002. MSC harnesses the dedication of ordinary citizen volunteers, who are trained in advanced trail construction and crew leadership techniques. Malzhan also created the "trails notebook" series. These notebooks provide standards and give direction to the trailbuilding efforts of volunteers statewide.
As Pete Englund, Trail Crew Foreman for the Iowa DNR, who nominated Malzhan for the award, states, "Tim says that "trail building is people building." He believes the work the volunteers do, not only touches them in profound ways, but also carries on to people who use the trail. His gratification for the volunteers he works with shows in everything he does. [Tim's] dedication to the trails community shows through the stories and laughter around project campfires by those who have been touched by his work."
American Trails presents the National & International Trails Awards Program to recognize the tremendous contributions of volunteers, professionals, and other leaders who are working for the betterment of trails both nationally and internationally in both rural and urban settings.
The Ice Age Trail Alliance is a nonprofit volunteer-and member-based organization established in 1958 that works to create, support and protect the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. One of only 11 National Scenic Trails, the Ice Age Trail is a thousand-mile footpath that highlights Wisconsin's world-renowned Ice Age heritage and natural resources. Visit www.iceagetrail.org to learn more.
American Trails advances the development of diverse, high quality trails and greenways for the benefit of people and communities. Through collaboration, education, and communication, American Trails raises awareness of the value these trail systems offer. It is a national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, including hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, water trails, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, trail motorcycling, ATVs, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. American Trails members want to create and protect America's network of interconnected trails. Visit www.americantrails.org to learn more.


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Residential Spring HVAC Service Sevier and Cocke Counties Tennessee
Spring has been peaking it's head around the corner and that means it is time to begin scheduling Spring service for your unit. The benefits of scheduling service now may keep you cool all summer long.
Your AC unit will likely get a real workout this summer. If you start off the season with air conditioner service, you'll catch problems before they escalate and prevent others from happening. Over the winter, debris, dirt, and leaves can build up around the unit. Head outside and clear any debris off that you see and make sure nothing as built up inside the condenser area. We will take your system through a maintenance list that will keep your unit running efficiently through the seasons ahead.
We are often recognized as the Sevier and Cocke county Residential HVAC Care Experts. We specialize our care in the residential area and work to keep our customers comfortable through every season. We look for customers for life, when we begin to care for your home HVAC unit we want the very best for your home and those within. Contact Johnny Vess and Mountain Air and Heat today and begin a service contract that allows you to rest in the care of Mountain Air and Heat.
We keep our rates affordable.


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"Two wrongs don't make a right, but three left turns do." --Jim HightowerFollow @JimHightower
First, the corruption. Then, the cover-up. And now, a sham to cover-up the cover-up.
Enjoying Hightower? How about a weekly email that gives you the full scoop?
This is the ongoing saga of the sorry state of corporate morality at the highest levels of Wal-Mart. Since 2002, the global retailing goliath has brazenly violated America's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by doling out some $24 million in bribes to gain control of Mexico's retail market. For years, top executives (including the CEO and a former-CEO) conspired to cover-up Wal-Mart's butt-ugly corruption, but a New York Times exposé has now stripped them naked.
Shamelessly displaying their usual hubris, however, the executives have launched a PR campaign to convince us that Emperor Wal-Mart remains covered in robes of exquisite ethics. Even if the corruption charge is true, says a dissembling corporate spokesman, "it is not a reflection of who we are or what we stand for."
Oh? Who does he mean by "we?" Wal-Mart is defined by the top executives and board members who make corporate policy (and who conducted and covered up the flagrantly-illegal acts). Yet they want us to believe that someone else is responsible for staining "what we stand for." Perhaps those nice "greeters" at their megastores are the guilty ones.
For a measure of who and what Wal-Mart really is, look no further than its post-exposé scramble to set up a brand-spanking new, top-level legal compliance office. "Ethics R us," it now claims! After the scandal broke, Wal-Mart announced that an executive officer will henceforth make sure Wal-Mart employees obey the law.
What a sham! First, Wal-Mart's employees aren't the problem, its so-called leaders are; second, if top executives don't know (or care) that bribery is unethical, an ethics office will be as worthless as a jello doorstop; and third, who exactly do they think they're fooling?
Counter conformity.
"Wal-Mart Vows to Fix Its Controls," The New York Times, April 25, 2012.
"With Wal-Mart Claims, Greater Attention on a Law," www.nytimes.com, April 25, 2012.
"Wal-Mart Hushed Up a Vast Mexican Bribery Case," www.nytimes.com, April 21, 2012.


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The Master in Professional Studies in the Business of Art and Design (MPS BAD) provides a comprehensive, highly concentrated education in business management specifically for artists, designers, and related professions. Fundamental to the work of these creative professionals
Program Overview
This innovative Master's program meets this need with a curriculum that is designed to give you the knowledge and skills necessary to start, sustain, or grow an art or design related business, or to be a dynamic creative manager working with or within a business. Completed online in just 15 months, with three brief residencies, it allows you to study full-time while maintaining your current work-life balance.
From pitching your idea to crafting a strong marketing strategy, to developing contractual and financial documents, students are guided through every facet of
You will learn the intricacies of intellectual property, human resources, contracts and negotiations, and marketing from successful business people and industry experts. Three unique residencies enable you to work together on MICA's campus, allowing you to build a network of colleagues while learning the most current ideas and best practices.
Who Should Apply
This program appeals to arts-related professionals such as visual artists, designers, architects, illustrators, musicians, actors, writers, craft person, and performing artists, as well as creative-minded professionals who possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, a genuine curiosity about the intersection, and a willingness to commit to an intensive learning experience.


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Rangeland in the western United States is a valuable agricultural resource for livestock production and provides an important habitat for wildlife. Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets (hereafter, referred to collectively as grasshoppers) are natural components of this ecosystem. However, their populations can reach outbreak levels and cause serious economic losses to rangeland forage, especially when accompanied by a drought.
Not all grasshopper species significantly damage rangeland forage, so action to protect rangeland resources is not always required when grasshopper populations increase. However, a rapid and effective response is required when a grasshopper outbreak develops and threatens rangeland forage. During such an event, Federal land management agencies, State agriculture departments, county and local governments, private groups, and/or individuals can request assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to suppress rangeland grasshopper populations. Under the Plant Protection Act, APHIS has the authority, subject to funding availability, to treat Federal, State, or private lands that have economically significant infestations of grasshoppers.
Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Biology
Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets are closely related insects that belong to the Order Orthoptera. Nearly 400 grasshopper species inhabit the 17 western States involved in APHIS' grasshopper program, but only a small percentage are considered pest species. Anywhere from 15 to 45 species of grasshoppers can be found in a particular rangeland ecosystem, and economic damage usually occurs as a result of grasshoppers increasing in number.
Mormon crickets ( Anabrus simplex) are flightless, shield-backed katydids. Although they do not fly, Mormon crickets are highly mobile and capable of migrating great distances. They move in wide bands by walking or jumping, and may devour much of the forage in their path.
Both insects damage grasses and other vegetation by consuming plant stems and leaves. Their feeding causes direct damage to plants' growth and seed production, thus reducing valuable livestock forage. Other effects of these pests include: soil erosion and degradation, disruption of nutrient cycles, interference with water filtration, and potentially irreversible changes in the flora and fauna of the rangeland ecosystem. In addition, some populations that develop on rangelands can invade adjacent cropland where the value of crop plants is much higher than rangeland grasses.
APHIS' Grasshopper Program
APHIS conducts surveys for grasshopper populations on rangeland in the western United States, provides technical assistance on grasshopper management to landowners and managers, delivers public outreach and education programs, and may cooperatively suppress grasshopper populations when direct intervention is necessary. APHIS treats grasshoppers only upon request and after determining that treatment is warranted. In some cases, APHIS rangeland treatments protect not only the rangeland, but also reduce the likelihood that the grasshoppers will move into crops and other lands that border rangeland.
APHIS surveys grasshopper populations in the following western States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Survey information is used by APHIS and land managers and owners to assess whether treatments may be warranted. Treatment must be requested by a Federal land management agency, State agriculture department, county or local government, private group, and/or individual that has jurisdiction over the land before APHIS can begin to consider a treatment.
Upon request, APHIS would visit the site and assess various factors relevant to the infestation to determine whether action by APHIS is warranted. These factors include, but are not limited to, the pest species, biological stage of the species, timing of the treatment, treatment and chemical options, cost benefits of conducting the action, and ecological considerations. Grasshopper surveys, conducted at certain times of the year, may show the potential for large grasshopper populations. Based on survey results, county, State, and Federal officials and/or rancher groups may initiate early coordination of local programs and request APHIS assistance in a timely and effective cooperative effort.


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What is Takecash
Takecash is a legitimate lending corporation in Philippine with SEC lending license, that is launched in the Philippines and provides fast and affordable access to credit. Takecash provide fast information checking, when the user approved, the funds will be transferred to the bank account or payment branches of your choice immediately after the application within 24 hours.
Product introduction
Term : 91 days(minimum)- 120 days (maximum)
Daily interest rate : 0.067%/day
Maximum APR : 24.12%
For example : the amount of loan Php 4,000.00, loan term is 91 days. the total repayment on due day is Php 4,000.00+( Php 4,000.00 X 0.067% X 91days) = Php 4,243.88
==== Meet variety demands of cash loan =====
Speedy lending service amount up to Php 10,000.00!
Apply online- with one mobile device and we convey speedy service
Easy pick up-click one button, simple process
Low interest- ask a loan free from pressure
Speedy arrival-at fast 20 min
How to use Takecash
Download the app and register for an account using your mobile number
Securely verify your identity through the app - no paperwork needed!
Choose your desired loan amount and easy repayment schedule
Cash sent to your bank account in 30 minutes!
More convenient to borrow money!
It only takes minutes to complete the loan application, and your loan will be approved soon, but due to the bank payment system, the funds will take 1 minute to 12 hours to arrive.
Terms of loan
If you are a Filipino citizen and your age is more than 18 years old, you can apply for a cash loan here.
Private Policy
Safe and Secure: Takecash all-around protects personal data and keep them confidential
We take privacy very seriously and your personal information will never be shared without your direct and explicit permission. Takecash protects the privacy of all consumers and we do not provide any consumer information to any party without your consent.
Safely manage loans
Have complete control over your loans and payments through our easy-to-use mobile app.
Required app permissions
Location Access - To auto-verify your address.
Contacts Access - To easily nominate your contact references.
Camera Access - To photo your IDs, so the ID verification can be completed using Takecash's facial recognition technology.
ID information - To verify your authenticity
Financial information – To intimate your repayment capacity
About us
Have problem to use Takecash?
Please contact our online service for help.
Working time:9am-17pm(Mon-Fri)
Phone: +639777581129
Emaill: firstname.lastname@example.com
Address:Sen.Gil J Puyat Ave.coner Makati ave., Makati
Download Take Cash here: http://bit.ly/TakeCashApp
Bagong lending app ito sa Playstore. Wala pang feedback or review tungkol sa app na ito. Kung gusto nyong subukan, usisain nyo muna kung anong mayron sa app na ito. Basahing mabuti ang kanilang terms and condition. Huwag agad mag yes at saka na magsisi kung tapos na.
UsapangperaPH ay hindi connected sa kahit anong lending app o lending company. We only make a guide para hindi kayo ma-scam ng mga foreign scammer na nagkukunwaring nagpapautang at mayrong hinihinging advance interest or processing fees. Kaya ingat mag-ingat lagi kayong lahat.


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This legislative session, CJCJ is co-sponsoring two justice reform bills and supporting others that seek to reduce California's reliance on incarceration.
A North Dakota college student was killed after police coerced him to work as a drug deal informant by threatening him with a lengthy prison sentence for low-level marijuana sale.
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I hate surprises. Really. And in just over 24 hours I had 2 that did not make for a happy little camper.
The first was while at work. I was just sitting there, working away and minding my own business when suddenly my ADD kicked in and I went all "SQUIRREL!". But it wasn't a squirrel, just a moment like that. A shiny thought blew across the million other thoughts in my head while I was working on paperwork for one of the jobs we signed at work. While thinking insurance and mortgage companies, billed verses received money, "Hey, you just turned 50 a few weeks back, wonder if your license plates are expired on the car?". That is just how my brain works. There is zero connection between what I was hard at work processing and that one, out of context thought.
I ceased to function while I thought through things, and a sinking feeling came over me. As it is I drive way too fast and it is anyone's guess how I have never been pulled over and cited for speeding in my 34 years on the road as a licensed driver. And no, daddy never got me out of a ticket, I have honestly never even been pulled over. But a speeding ticket and expired plates violation would be very uncool. Unsure, as my menopausal brain tends to not remember anything prior to the last meal I consumed (on my better days), I wandered out to check. FOOOOOO! They expired in May. Used to be that they went until the end of the month of your birthday, here in the Buckeye state (home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, the team that will kick Michigan's sorry asses this football season, my dear beloved Knight!) and then the 2 week grace period set in. Now, you have like 7 days past your birthday. The tag still says the month, but when you go to purchase the new stickers, anything beyond the expiration date plus 7 days, will cost an additional $20. Naturally, mine are late.
Thankful that these can be renewed online, I sat down to do just that. Halfway through that process I needed my plate number. OMG REALLY? Back out I went to write it down. I have no clue what the plate number is! So, I am now armed with that printed piece of paper showing I did in fact purchase the new stickers ($78 flipping dollars later). I am hoping that will suffice if I should end my record streak of not being pulled over by the local law enforcement types.
The second surprise was this morning, in the bathroom. I was busy applying my face for the day (the older one gets the harder it is to look this amazing), when in the mirror I spotted it. Repelling downward from the ceiling, on a nearly invisible line was a rather large spider. Now, if my son were the one standing there looking in the mirror, carefully applying guy-liner, there would have been a long line across his face and he'd have ran screaming like a girl, to the furthest point in the house. This being the same child, mind you, who has been a deputy for 11 years now and carries a gun, tazes and is shot at by others. But he doesn't live in the castle so instead I was the victim of the arachnid surprise. And the Knight was no where around either, having loaded up his horse and rode off to work. Without even thinking I dropped the eyeliner on the sink, turned around and clapped both hands together, squashing the little 8-legged creeper. SMACK and it's now a smudge. The spider ninja strikes again. You can hold the applause, I know, I'm cool and you are amazed and jealous of my incredible talents.
Don't mess with us Buckeye fans!


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Hank Paul is the Leader and Guitar Player for the Park Avenue Orchestra. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He began studying music in grammar school and choose the guitar to feature his musical talents. He has been playing the guitar for thirty years and has performed over 1500 engagements in the Chicago land Area. He enjoys playing a variety of guitars for different styles of music including Rock, R&B, and Jazz.
As the leader of the Park Avenue Orchestra, He is dedicated to musical expertise, professionalism, and personal attention to detail that will be the right combination to make the performance a complete success. He strives for excellence with each and every performance to ensure your event will be a Memorable Celebration.
All the members of the Park Avenue Orchestra have impressive achievements to their credits. Our professionalism and high quality standard of music has given the orchestra a superior and established name in the live entertainment industry.
Our Rhythm Section includes guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums and percussion. Our Horn Section is composed of four musicians who play trumpet, trombone, alto, tenor and soprano saxophone, flute and clarinet. The Orchestra is fronted with Award Winning Female and Male Vocalist supported with strong background vocals. Our dynamic stage presence and musical talents will ensure your audience with a professional performance with a variety of musical styles.


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The shooting experience
Modelling is empowering! We'll always treat you with courtesy, professionalism, respect and honesty. We'll address any questions or concerns you have before, during or after the shoot, concisely and directly.
Modelling with us can be a huge confidence boost as our shoots always show models who are healthy, happy and having a good time. We expose the provocative side of 'the girl next door' and we always aim to highlight our model's personality and sexuality, and work closely with models to ensure they have input and feel control of the shoot.
With so many creative, passionate individuals involved in the shooting process, the product we create is breathtaking. Our Shoot Producers take pride and personal satisfaction in what the company creates.
No Pressure
There's no pressure to do anything more than you are comfortable with. While more revealing posing levels do pay more, they are absolutely not required.
You control the shoot.


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Meizu E3 announcement pushed back to March 21
Meizu has been keeping a surprisingly low profile lately. The M6s was the first to interrupt a rather worrying announcement dry spell for the Chinese manufacturer. That being said, at lot seems to be brewing in Meizu's labs, like the 15 Plus, the X2, as well as the the E3, which was expected to debut today.
Sadly, that didn't come to pass and today's event merely contained a few new teasers for the upcoming phablet. While we can only speculate as to why the company is postponing the launch we can confidently say that the Meizu E3 will be unveiled on March 21. Thanks to a few earlier leaks, as well as a TENAA filing, we are pretty familiar with the device already. Even more so, now that a some new press renders have surfaced as well.
The handset will sport a large 5.99-inch, 18:9, FullHD+ display, encased in a pretty classic rounded shell, with a fair amount of bezels on all sides, measuring 156.8 × 75 × 7.6mm and tipping the scales at 163g. That includes a 3,300 mAh, sealed battery.
We expect a 12MP main camera, aided by a 20MP secondary unit on the back and a single LED flash. On the front we'll get an 8MP selfie snapper.
The RAM will be either 4 GB or 6 GB, while the internal storage varies from 32 to 128 GB. On top of that, the Meizu E3 will have a microSD slot for up to 128 GB extra. Unfortunately, TENAA was less descriptive regarding the chipset. We know it will be clocked at 1.8GHz, so we suspect the upcoming Helio P70.
Looking at renders, the Meizu E3 appears to be using the company's new side-mounted fingerprint reader, as introduced in the M6s. The phone is expected to come in Champagne Gold, Obsidian Black and Dark blue colors.
Reader comments
- Anonymous
- 12 Mar 2018
- 6rT
It depend of the soc...you've got mt6750 or Helio P10 that use old 28nm process. And you've got Helio X30 that use 10nm or P20/23/25 that use 16nm. These one could be ok. It depends of brands too, the screen they choose, the rom. Meizu pr...
- TheWanderer
- 12 Mar 2018
What about efficiency? Mediatek processors are known for their high power consumption
- AnonD-472515
- 07 Mar 2018
I love meizu design.if they can just put stock android or android one will be owesome


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U.S. Intelligence: Trump is Lying, Obama DID NOT Pay Iran A Ransom
Donald Trump's inability to keep classified information secret or even to tell the truth at all was highlighted in an amusing incident on Wednesday, when he told a crowd that he had seen a "top secret Iranian-military produced video" of the Iranian government rushing to collect hundreds of millions in dollars in cash.
The cash transfer that Trump is referring to is transfer of some $400 million dollars that the United States returned to the Islamic Republic Iran around the time that an American cruiser accidentally drifted into Iranian waters and was seized in January. Right-wing media is having a field day in their shameless attempts to paint this as evidence that President Obama gave a $400 million ransom for the return of our servicemen, but as usual, they refuse to do their homework and acknowledge the facts.
Yes, the State Department did return $400 million to the Iranian government, but it was money that we owed them. In the 1970s, the United States made a deal to sell $400 million of fighter jets to the Shah of Iran. The Shah paid upfront but was then deposed in the Iranian revolution, so the United States never delivered the jets. As part of the nuclear disarmament deal, the Iranian government simple wanted their money back if we weren't going to cough up the jets .
In contrary to what the lying Wall Street Journal believes, this is not a secret. Obama announced he was going to do this when the nuclear disarmament deal was signed in the first place. But right-wing liars like Trump would rather paint the United States as a weak nation easily bullied by others than give the President credit for turning an enemy into a potential ally and sending a message to the world that the United States is a trustworthy nation who follows through on their ends of a bargain.
Whether or not the White House agreed to hasten the speed of the transfer is still up for debate. But that cash was going to be given back to Iran no matter what, and in any case why is the right-wing complaining that the President brought home five Americans held prisoner without firing a shot? Would they rather see our brave servicemen sit in a cell in Tehran?
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This is in stark contrast to Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has already promised the world that he will not honor our nation's international treaties. He's been working overtime to propagate a false narrative about the money transfer, claiming it's a ransom and that he's seen "top-secret" footage of the transfer.
"I'll never forget the scene this morning. Iran—I don't think you've heard this anywhere but here—Iran provided all of that footage, the tape, of taking that money off that airplane. "Over there, where that plane landed, top secret, they don't have a lot of paparazzi, you know. The paparazzi doesn't do so well over there. But they have a perfect tape, obviously done by a government camera, and the tape is of the people taking the money off the plane. It's a military tape. It's a tape that was a perfect angle, nice and steady" said Trump.
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This is an outright fabrication, of course. When the State Department was pressed for comment, one official said "It didn't happen. That was not part of any briefing" and another literally began to laugh at Trump.
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Whatever you may feel about Iran, the most basic law of business is the exchange of currency for goods. If goods are not delivered, the currency should be returned, or else it is stealing. End of story. There's no scandal here – but Republicans are jumping at the change to call our President weak and to demean our nation in the eyes of the world.
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Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America.


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From The Producers of the Howard Stern Tv Show
Season 2 of "Show In The Hallway†is full of celebrity cameos. You'll see appearances by Richard Lewis, Jim Breuer, Robert Schimmel, Jerry O'Connell, and Colin Quinn among others. Surprisingly, filming with a scene with someone like Colin Quinn is a bit different than doing a scene with JD or Scott the Engineer. Here's how shooting "Show In The Hallway†works with a celebrity works like Colin Quinn as an example.
Co-director Jason Katz and I saw Colin's name on the schedule of upcoming guests on the Stern Show and we both immediately knew that we wanted a comic of his stature to be a part of the show. The procedure for shooting with celebrities has been to ask them to do the scene the day they come into the studio to do the show. Luckily Colin was a down to earth guy and agreed to do the scene with Sal and Doug Goodstein. Out of respect to the celebrities we shoot one take or sometimes two takes max. We do this for a few reasons.
Usually the celebrity has limited time because they are doing other shows that day. Also, we don't want to take advantage of them because they do the scene for free. The celebrity by this point has also done a pre-interview with HTV, Howard's interview, a post-interview with HTV, an interview with Lisa G, and maybe even audio drops for the Wrap Up Show or another show. We don't want to stretch them too thin so five minutes seems appropriate. Since, we have only about five minutes with them so we need to be on top of our game.
Colin didn't receive a script but was briefed by us on what the scene was about. Like a consummate professional he knew exactly what we wanted and executed the scene perfectly. Colin Quinn's scene is in episode 2 entitled "Mr. Lottoâ€. Check it out. I promise you want be disappointed.


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Fruitloop antis are criticising US president Obama for swatting a fly on TV.
"We support compassion for the even the smallest animals," says Bruce Friedrich, VP for Policy at PETA.The organisation has sent Obama a 'humane' fly trap, and sounds slightly miffed that they haven't had a thank-you note yet!
BBC website: 10 ways to swat a fly >


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Room for success
The success of others provides encouragement and motivation and helps pave the way. Many success stories have already been written in Deutsche Wohnen's commercial spaces. And often in spaces which have found a brand-new purpose. A supermarket becomes a large dental practice, or a wash house becomes a nursery. Here, we would like to present three of our commercial tenants of whom we are particularly proud.


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Here you can dine with Hildigarð at her cozy home in Sandur. Hildigarð cooks everything from dinner, to a packed lunch, brunch or coffe and cake and she will make you feel right at home!
If you book a Faroese dinner at Hildigarð's, it's most often freshly caught fish that her husband caught for the ocasion.
A good Faroese dinner, almost always fish fillet, potatoes etc.: DKK 300 per person
A good packed lunch, 4 halves of bread with Faroese toppings: DKK 155 per person
A good tea, home-baked buns or cake, coffe and tea included: DKK 80 per person
A good lunch, bread with toppings, often Faroese: DKK 180 per person
A traditional Faroese table, Faroese bread with as Faroese toppings based on the season and availability, e.g. dried fish, fermented meat, whale, dried meat: DKK 400 per person.
Coffee, tea and water is included in all meals that take place at Hildigarð's place.
Please remember to book as early as possible, though at the latest on the morning of your visit.
Contact us for bookings and questions: firstname.lastname@example.com and phone no. +298 222 078.


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Hokie Spirit defines Virginia Tech a year later
April 16, 2008 is a day of remembrance — a number of events at the Virginia Tech campus. Streamed live will be the University Commemoration (10:30am Eastern) + Candlelight Vigil (8:15pm Eastern).
The following is an email newsletter sent out by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association::
Last April, the world's attention focused on a campus community ripped to its very core with the grief and pain of a tragedy unparalleled in the history of American higher education. And what they observed was more powerful than they ever expected… they saw a campus filled with energetic students and talented faculty that displayed grace, poise and fortitude beyond all imagination — a community fueled by something we know as Hokie spirit. That spirit reaches deep and spreads beyond the campus throughout our 200,000 alumni, and indeed across the entire globe.
Yes, Hokie spirit emerged from tragedy and impressed a world that was brought closer by the media to witness the strength and resilience of the entire Hokie Nation. On this anniversary our attention turns respectfully to the families who lost their loved ones last April 16th and to the students injured that day who are successfully putting their lives back together. It is a day of remembrance. The victims will be honored at a ceremony that will take place Wednesday on the Drillfield at 10:30 A.M. EDT. It will be televised by various media and streamed through the university's website www.vt.edu. President Steger and Virginia's Governor Kaine will make remarks. Other participatory events are being held throughout the day, and a candlelight vigil at dusk will signal the end of the day's observances.
The university is grateful for the expressions of support that have flowed from loyal alumni and friends around the world since last April. These expressions have come in the form of almost every artifact imaginable. To date, 87,000 different items (some displayed in our Alumni Center Museum on April 16th only). In excess of $9.5 million in memorial gifts. Special appearances by the Dave Matthews Band and the NY Yankees. Plus thousands upon thousands of well-wishing letters, e-mails and phone calls. And perhaps the most recent signal of prevailing Hokie spirit is the acceptance rate by students who have been offered admission to the university this coming fall – already hundreds ahead of last fall, which was itself a record-breaking year.
We see such optimism and spirit in the faces of our students, often represented by the countless hours they have poured into VT-ENGAGE service activities. Similarly, our alumni are honoring the university's year of renewal with a range of service activities, including participation in our "Virginia Tech for life" blood drives staged by alumni chapters.
At the dedication of our permanent April 16th Memorial last August, SGA President Adeel Khan summed it up exceptionally well…
Take time to remember the legacies, remember the dreams and remember the talent that our community has lost. I hope you are inspired to work harder to honor the 32. Share you talents with the world for the 32. Achieve your dreams for the 32. Be more compassionate, friendly and thoughtful for the 32. Be better, for the 32.
In 2008, we remember the 32; we are thankful for the survivors; and we are proud we share together that incredible Hokie spirit.
Tom Tillar
Vice President for Alumni Relations


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This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that CALPERS, the $315B retirement system for California Public Workers, is studying dramatic changes to how it invests in private equity.
As a quick primer, private equity funds largely take money from pension funds and endowments and use that money to buy private businesses. The objective is to buy companies for a discount, then give them advice and resources, with the goal of eventually re-selling them to someone else for a handsome profit. Although Mitt Romney's firm (Bain Capital) was heavily criticized for this behavior in the 2012 Presidential Campaign, private equity funds can deliver a lot of value to their investors. It seems fair that they want to be compensated for that value.
Investment fees aren't chump change -- in the case of CALPERS alone, private equity funds earn about $2,000,000,000 per year in fees for investing the retirement savings of public employees.
Now the question CALPERS is asking is: are we getting our money's worth? Last year, CALPERS asked the same question about hedge funds, and decided no, the fees were not worth it -- coming to the same conclusion as the New York Retirement System.
But private equity is a little more complicated because private equity funds have traditionally outperformed other investments. Not to mention it would be fairly hard for pension funds to ignore all companies that haven't yet been listed on a public stock exchange.
CALPERS investment performance by asset class for the previous 20yrs
As a result, unlike its approach with hedge funds, it doesn't look like CALPERS is looking to cut off private equity investments altogether. Instead, CALPERS is considering whether it should build and/or buy its own private equity firm so it can control costs more effectively. An added bonus: as a subsidiary, it wouldn't have to disclose the salaries of its investment managers. The thought is that this would give CALPERS more leeway to competitively compensate investment professionals without public backlash. This way CALPERS could earn similar returns, but pay less than the 7% in fees.
This is a great step in the right direction. We want to thank CALPERS for continuing to push for fee transparency and accountability in the finance industry.
At Landed, we believe that with lower performance expectations for investments across the board, the fees you need to pay to earn those returns become increasingly important. That's why we've designed all of our investment products with fees in mind -- our investors pay only a nominal management fee on their investments.