text:
Obama "modestly optimistic" about a "cliff" deal
After a late-hour meeting with four top congressional leaders at the White House on the "fiscal cliff" that seems to have led to progress, President Obama said he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal can be reached before Tuesday's so-called "fiscal cliff" deadline.}
In a news conference after the meeting, the president said it was a "good and constructive discussion about how to prevent the tax hike on the middle class." He cautioned however, that he's seen this play before and will "wait and see [if a deal] actually happens."
Sending a warning shot to Congress that they need to act, the president warned, "The American people are not going to have any patience for a politically self inflicted wound to our economy."
The meeting is the first between the four leaders in weeks and took place after the president and Congress cut short their Christmas vacations to work on a last-minute plan to avert the federal spending cuts and the tax increases that economists warn could harm the economy.
The congressional leaders left the 65-minute meeting sounding more optimistic than they have in weeks. The Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate have been tasked with coming up with a deal that can get through Congress.
"I'm hopeful and optimistic," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor today shortly after returning from the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev, called the meeting "constructive" and "positive" and indicated that a deal can be reached between he and McConnell by the time the Senate returns to work Sunday afternoon.
CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett reports that the main sticking point between Republicans and Democrats continues to be the income threshold that will see taxes increase. President Obama opened the meeting insisting that taxes increase for households making more than $250,000, but Republicans have long rejected that proposal and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, failed to pass a proposal through the Republican-led House last week that would raise taxes on those making more than $1 million.
Another area of contention is the extension of unemployment benefits, which expire tomorrow and in 2012 cost $94 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
As for the $110 billion in automatic spending cuts set to go into effect at the beginning of the year, a Republican aide told CBS News the cuts will go into effect unless Congress addresses it at a later date. The aide also said that the debt limit, which is expected to be reached soon, is also not likely to be part of the last-minute agreement.
The president said that if the Senate leaders are unable to reach a deal, he has asked Senator Reid to introduce a "bare bones" piece of legislation that prevents taxes from rising on most Americans in the new year and extends unemployment benefits.


text:
Top Items:
Marty / Martin Eisenstadt's Blog:
Paris Hilton's family fuming at McCain campaign — I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that the new McCain ad criticizing Obama for being a celebrity has ruffled some unintended feathers. I, for one, quite liked the ad, but I hear whispers from the inner campaign staff …
Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Gun Toting Liberal Blog, MSNBC, Blue Girl, Red State, The Anonymous Liberal and Wonkette
Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC: OBAMA CAMP LAUNCHES FACT CHECK SITE
Ross Douthat:
Barack Hitler Obama — It's remarkable what those fiendish GOP operatives can squeeze into thirty seconds: Not only does McCain's "celeb" ad have "Barack Obama will rape yo daughters overtones," says Rick Perlstein (who's apparently under the impression that most Americans think of Paris Hilton …
Discussion: Blog entry, Sister Toldjah and BAGnewsNotes
Michael Shaw / BAGnewsNotes: Celeb #1: Obama As Sexual Predator
Carrie Budoff Brown / The Politico:
GOP's celeb-Obama message gains traction — Barack Obama's critics laid down the foundations of the strategy months ago: The Republican National Committee started the "Audacity Watch" back in April, and Karl Rove later fueled the attack by describing the first-term Illinois senator as "coolly arrogant."
Mark Silva / The Swamp: McCain camp on celebrity and race card
John Riley / Spin Cycle: Sex celebs: Why Britney and Paris?
Matthew Sheffield / NewsBusters.org: Acceptance of Arrogant Obama Critique Says a Lot About the Media
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs: Davis and Weaver spar
Donald Douglas / American Power: The Building Backlash to Obama's Marxism?
Michael J.W. Stickings / The Reaction: Yet another example of the media's abominable coverage of the …
Athenae / First Draft: Happy Obama Photo: Confidence Edition
Jonathan Singer / MyDD: The Wrong Target — Watching John McCain's increasingly flailing …
Kevin Hayden / American Street: Obama defenders: let's get real
Blake Dvorak / Real Clear Politics: The Morning Report
Robert Stacy McCain / American Spectator: Inside the Progressive Mind
Mark Murray / MSNBC:
GRAHAM AND LIEBERMAN DEFEND AD — From NBC's Ken Strickland and Andrea Mitchell — Responding to criticism of McCain's recent TV ad depicting Obama as celebrity without substance, two of McCain's key Senate allies fired back in an unrelated news conference.
Discussion: PoliticalBase.com Blog, Wake up America, The Carpetbagger Report and TPM Election Central
PoliticalBase.com Blog: Brownstein: McCain Ad "Reminiscent of the Ad That The RNC Ran Against Harold Ford"
Susan Duclos / Wake up America: Report: Hilton Family Fuming Over McCain Ad Spoofing Paris and Obama
Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report: Obama on Spears/Hilton attack: 'Is that really what this election's about?'
Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
The McCain Ad in South Florida — Contemplating Eve's (and Rick Perlstein's) analogy between the McCain "Celeb" ad and Leni Riefenstahl's greatest hits, it occurs to me that the similarities won't be lost on many elderly Jews in South Florida. My late grandfather, a member of this species …
Todd Purdum / Vanity Fair:
The McCain Behind the Curtain
The McCain Behind the Curtain
Discussion: TIME.com
Jbmckinney / TIME.com: Aide: McCain Pained by Lack of "Straight Talk"
Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Where did Barack Obama's mojo go?
Where did Barack Obama's mojo go?
Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain: 'This big honking zephyr of lies'
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary: Buyers' Remorse — The Los Angeles Times' Andrew Malcolm …
Rick Moran / Right Wing Nut House: McCAIN CAMPAIGN STILL FOUNDERING
Justin Gardner / Donklephant: CNN: Obama Leads By 7
Alexander Mooney / CNN: Poll shows Obama's trip didn't change race
Frank James / The Swamp:
McCain camp: Obama plays race card
McCain camp: Obama plays race card
Discussion: The Crypt's Blogs, Jonathan Martin's Blogs and Taylor Marsh
Dean Barnett / Weekly Standard Blog: About that Ad — As you know, I haven't exactly established myself …
Matthew Yglesias:
Management By McCain — Kevin Drum's not the only liberal upset …
Management By McCain — Kevin Drum's not the only liberal upset …
Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly and pandagon.net
Jesse Taylor / pandagon.net: Poor Managers
Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:
McCain: 'We're Proud of That Commercial'
McCain: 'We're Proud of That Commercial'
Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Jonathan Martin's Blogs and Whiskey Fire
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs: McCain 'proud' of ad
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs: McCain defends Celeb ad
Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
JOHN McCAIN'S "PALPABLE PAIN"....From Todd Purdum's profile …
JOHN McCAIN'S "PALPABLE PAIN"....From Todd Purdum's profile …
Discussion: Matthew Yglesias
The Huffington Post:
Bill Press: John McCain Plays the Race Card
Bill Press: John McCain Plays the Race Card
Discussion: Right Wing News and Political Machine
Tommy Christopher / Political Machine: McCain Camp: Obama Played Race Card
Glenn Reynolds / Pajamas Media:
GAFFE-O-MATIC: … Isn't there just one President on the dollar bill?
GAFFE-O-MATIC: … Isn't there just one President on the dollar bill?
Discussion: JustOneMinute, Ben Smith's Blogs, www.redstate.com, Hot Air, The Carpetbagger Report and Political Radar
Dan McLaughlin / www.redstate.com: John McCain Does Not Think That Campaigning Against Barack Obama Makes Him A Racist
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Jake Tapper: Obama smeared McCain
Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report: McCain campaign aims even lower, accuses Obama of playing 'race card'
John Santucci / Political Radar: The Note: Will McCain's Attacks Backfire?
David Stout / New York Times:
White House Aides Can Be Subpoenaed — WASHINGTON — President Bush's top advisers cannot ignore subpoenas issued by Congress, a federal judge ruled on Thursday in a case that involves the firings of several United States attorneys but has much wider constitutional implications for all three branches of government.
Discussion: The New Republic, Talking Points Memo, The RBC, Scholars and Rogues and The BRAD BLOG
Josh Patashnik / The New Republic: Bad News for Bolten and Miers
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo: COURT RULES ON MIERS/BOLTEN SUBPOENAS
Mark Kleiman / The RBC: "Without any support in the case law"
Brian Angliss / Scholars and Rogues: Bush Judge rules for Congress
Marty Lederman / Balkinization:
This is Really Pretty Amazing — In a 93-page opinion in the Miers/Bolten contempt case, Judge Bates not only rejects all of the various Administration arguments against justiciability, but goes so far as to reach the merits and hold that there is no basis for the DOJ argument …
Discussion: The Daily Dish, TPMMuckraker and Think Progress
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish: Bolten And Miers — Marty Lederman parses today's decision:
Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
US Judge: White House Aides Can Be Subpoenaed — US judge sides with Congress, says Bush aides can be subpoenaed. — President Bush's top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in an unprecedented dispute between the two political branches.
Discussion: The Swamp, Daily Kos, D-Day and On Deadline
Jim Oliphant / The Swamp: Judge: No full immunity for advisers
Jared Allen / The Hill:
Pelosi says Rove contempt citation is possible — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that a federal judge's ruling that former White House counsel Harriet Miers has to appear before a congressional committee could pave the way for Congress approving a contempt citation against Karl Rove.
Discussion: Think Progress
Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
Federal judge rules Bush's aides can be subpoenaed — WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Thursday rejected President Bush's contention that senior White House advisers are immune from subpoenas, siding with Congress' power to investigate the executive branch and handing a victory to Democrats probing …
Jesse Lee / The Gavel: Judge Bates Rules On Miers/Bolton Case
Ben / Think Progress: Rove calls contempt vote 'ludicrous,' admits to exerting no 'personal privilege.'
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Judge: Congress can subpoena White House officials
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
McCain says 'race card' charges are fair — (CNN) — John McCain told CNN Thursday it is fair for his campaign manager to claim Barack Obama is playing 'the race card.' — "I'm sorry to say that it is. It's legitimate," McCain told CNN's John King. "And there's no place in this campaign for that.
Discussion: International Herald Tribune, MSNBC, TPM Election Central, TIME.com and Balloon Juice
Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC: MCCAIN DEFENDS AD, AGREES WITH DAVIS
Randyj / TIME.com: McCain Defends "Race Card" Charge
John Cole / Balloon Juice: I Got Nothing But Admiration
Deacon / Power Line:
OBAMA REMOVES HIS MASK — It's not even quite August yet and he's still ahead in the polls, but Barack Obama has played the race card, claiming that he expects Republicans to inject race into the campaign. In Missouri, he told a crowd: … The Obama campaign denied that the comment about …
Discussion: www.redstate.com
Marc Ambinder:
Bluffing 'Bout Bias?
Bluffing 'Bout Bias?
Discussion: Associated Press, Hullabaloo, MyDD, D-Day, Commentary, American Spectator and Swampland
Mike Glover / Associated Press: Obama says Republicans trying to scare voters
Digby / Hullabaloo: Innoculation
Todd Beeton / MyDD: Is Going Negative Ever Going To Backfire On McCain?
Jennifer Rubin / Commentary: Playing The Race Card
Philip Klein / American Spectator: Race Card Politics
Michael Scherer / Swampland: The Race and Race — One of the big tests for our nation …
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Suggesting the race card and then denying it
Suggesting the race card and then denying it
Discussion: Hot Air, michellemalkin.com, Sister Toldjah and Media Blog
Greg Pollowitz / Media Blog: Denying the Race Card After You've Played It
The Trail:
McCain Camp: 'Obama Has Played the Race Card'
McCain Camp: 'Obama Has Played the Race Card'
Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Seminal, NY Daily News and Spin Cycle
Ian M Fried / The Seminal: Anatomy of a Smear Campaign a la McCain
David Saltonstall / NY Daily News: McCain says Obama played 'shameful' race card
Dan Janison / Spin Cycle: 'Race card' in the race: What does the cliche mean?
Gallup Daily: Obama 45%, McCain 44% — PRINCETON, NJ — The race for the presidency has moved back into a statistical tie in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update of national registered voters, with Barack Obama now ahead of John McCain by just one percentage point, 45% to 44%.
Discussion: Hot Air, Open Left, The Carpetbagger Report and www.redstate.com
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Hope and change: Obama loses eight points in four days
Chris Bowers / Open Left: Presidential Forecast, 7/31: Numbers and Gut Disconnect
Mark Kilmer / www.redstate.com: The ditzy, celebrity candidate.
Raleigh News & Observer:
Facing questions, Edwards evades reporters — It was only three weeks ago that John Edwards was fielding media questions on his chances of filling the Democratic Party's vice presidential slot on Barack Obama's ticket or a potential Cabinet position in an Obama administration.
Discussion: JammieWearingFool, Gateway Pundit and National Enquirer
Marty Kaplan / The Huffington Post: On Having Your (Political) Heart Broken
Michael Scherer / Swampland:
Inside the New Battleground Poll — In the grand cosmos of political polling organizations, Quinnipiac is one of the better ones. So it's worth taking a look at its new summer snapshot of three battleground states—Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The poll was conducted over a full week …
Discussion: The Nation, MyDD and TIME.com
Ari Berman / The Nation: Today in The Nation: McCain's Low Road
Josh Orton / MyDD: Iraq Strategy: Don't Trust The Polls
Krooney / TIME.com: New Battleground Numbers
Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:
FL, OH, PA Polls
FL, OH, PA Polls
Discussion: The New Republic, Liberal Values and American Spectator
Ron Chusid / Liberal Values: Swing States and the VP Choice
Robert Stacy McCain / American Spectator: OMG! Forget Those Polls, People! - Thursday, July 31, 2008 @ 11:54:50 AM
Jane Kay / San Francisco Chronicle:
51% of Californians back offshore drilling — (07-30) 22:28 PDT San Francisco — A majority of Californians favor more oil drilling off the coast, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday, for the first time since oil prices spiked nearly three decades ago.
Discussion: The Huffington Post, michellemalkin.com, CNNMoney.com and The Foundry
Ben Rooney / CNNMoney.com: Americans favor offshore drilling
Conn Carroll / The Foundry: Liberals on Fantasy Island When it Comes to Energy
LA Times Environment Blog:
Offshore oil drilling more palatable to Californians
Offshore oil drilling more palatable to Californians
Discussion: The New Republic
Julia Werdigier / New York Times:
Rising Oil Prices Swell Profits at Exxon and Shell — Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, reported on Thursday that second-quarter income rose 14 percent, to $11.68 billion, the highest-ever for an American company. — Net income of $2.22 a share compared with $10.26 billion …
—Blue Girl / Blue Girl, Red State: Thursday morning quick hits
Tom Elia / The New Editor: Something about ExxonMobil's Profits You Probably Won't Read in Media Reports
John Cole / Balloon Juice: At Least Someone Is Doing Well
Steve Hargreaves / CNNMoney.com:
Exxon posts record $11.68 billion profit
Exxon posts record $11.68 billion profit
Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Associated Press and Raising Kaine
Jeannine Aversa / Associated Press: Growth weaker than hoped; economy shrinks in Q4
Faiz / Think Progress:
EXCLUSIVE: To Provoke War, Cheney Considered Proposal To Dress Up Navy Seals As Iranians And Shoot At Them — Speaking at the Campus Progress journalism conference earlier this month, Seymour Hersh — a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker — revealed that Bush administration officials held …
Logan Murphy / Crooks and Liars:
PFC LaVena Johnson Was Raped, Beaten, Set On Fire And Worse - Army Calls It Suicide — Nicole and I have both written posts about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of PFC LaVena Johnson, and Democracy Now! had a heartbreaking interview with her family last week.
Discussion: The Gavel, Committee on Oversight …, skippy the bush kangaroo and Pam's House Blend
Pam Spaulding / Pam's House Blend: Reopen the case of LaVena Johnson
Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:
Clinton Supporter Angered By 'Other Women' Obama VP Talk — ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: A longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton said it's "incomprehensible" that Sen. Barack Obama would choose another woman to be his vice-presidential candidate over Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Discussion: PSoTD and Balloon Juice
John Cole / Balloon Juice: Please Just Shut Up and Go Away

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Link Home
Teacher TalkSIGN UP NOW!
Teacher-TalkMissingLink is the email discussion list for Missing Link. Participants of the workshop series, content guides, and Channel staff will participate in this discussion list throughout the initial broadcast of the workshop series.
Use this space as an area to share and pose questions about the workshop series, get to know your colleagues, as well as ask questions about technical and access issues.
To sign up for this list, please enter your email address here. You will receive a confirmation email shortly after submitting your address.
To post a question, you can send an email to [email protected]. Be sure to sign up before posting a question.
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
Get Your Free Audiobook
The Doll
Non-member price: $43.89
Publisher's Summary
Haunted by a life of violence and as proficient with languages as she is with knives, Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and hunter, has built her life on a reputation for getting things done - dangerous and often not-quite-legal things. Born to missionary parents in lawless Africa, taken under the tutelage of gunrunners, and tortured by one of the jungle's most brutal men, Munroe was forced to do whatever it took to stay alive.
The ability to survive, fight, adapt, and blend has since taken her across the globe on behalf of corporations, heads of state, and the few private clients who can afford her unique brand of expertise, and these abilities have made her enemies.
On a busy Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to unravel where she is and why she was taken, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else.
Driven by the violence that has made her what she is, cut off from help, and with attempts to escape predicted and prevented, Munroe will hunt for openings, for solutions, and a way to strike back at a man who holds all the cards. Because only one thing is certain: She cannot save everyone.
In this high-octane thriller for fans of Lee Child, Stieg Larsson, and Robert Ludlum's Bourne trilogy, Vanessa Michael Munroe will have to fight fast, smart, and furiously to overcome a dangerous nemesis and deliver her trademark brand of justice.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
5 Stars6
4 Stars1
3 Stars0
2 Stars0
1 Stars0
5 Stars3
4 Stars2
3 Stars0
2 Stars0
1 Stars0
5 Stars3
4 Stars2
3 Stars0
2 Stars0
1 Stars0
- Janie
- 04-07-2013
Michael's Intriguing heroine.
Vanessa Michael Munro is not just a superb physical specimen who can fight better, run better and handle weapons better than any man, she also has brains and can speak almost every language on the planet. Of course she uses all her superb talents in this latest book on her life and deeds. It somewhat helps, but it's not necessary, to have read all Steven's books in the series to get and understanding of how all the characters in the book relate to her and neatly fit into all the layers of the story. I found this an excellent and exciting read and I'm looking forward to see what Michael gets up to in the future.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
- Author Ronda Del Boccio
- 06-08-2013
Fabulous, riveting!
Would you listen to The Doll again? Why?
The only hesitation regarding would I read it again is that there are SO many books I want to read. I'm voracious. But this whole series is among books I might read again if I had another life which let me double my reading!
What other book might you compare The Doll to and why?
If you liked The Informationist, Stevens' first book, you will like this one a lot.
Have you listened to any of Hillary Huber's other performances before? How does this one compare?
Huber does a great job with this series. If I were writing a suspense book, I'd want her reading it.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I appreciate the anguish and decisions the main character, Vanessa, goes through in trying to master her darker nature and overcome her deep wounds.
Any additional comments?
This book is as good as The Informationist. I felt the second one slipped just a bit, but now we're back up to a thrilling read.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
- Harry
- 25-11-2013
Fabulous again
Another excellent story. Wished it would have been longer with more time spent on Michael's revenge.
Only complaint I have was not understanding her female companions rationale for some of her actions near the end of the book.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
- PlantCrone
- 26-10-2013
An excellent follow up to "The Informationist"
First-I think Hillary Huber is a fantastic narrator for this series. She has an earthy voice and each of her male voices, who outnumber the women about 10 to 1, is distinctive and the listener is able to tell who is talking from the sound of the voice. Her tone and attitude for Michael Vanessa Munroe is perfect in pitch and the attitude she gives Michael is ideal.
I enjoyed this novel more than I did "The Innocent".and almost as much as "The Informationist" . The plot was tight, the story arc breathtaking and the character development of primary characters continues - builds nicely on what was learned in the first two novels.
If the reader hasn't read the story of Taylor Stevens life, I suggest you go to her website and read a couple of the interviews. This woman writes from her life. She knows what it is like to be an innocent young girl held captive by male nut cases. Michael Vanessa isn't Taylor Stevens, but Stevens history is used to build much of her story and the tenseness of her writing comes out with the difficult life she had as a young girl and woman.
This is a "Worth Your Credit" - I don't award a lot of 5 star ratings-it takes a pretty spectacular book to get 5 stars in my opinion. My 4 star rating is well deserved for his book. The Narrator gets 5 stars for her ability!
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
- Thomas Levin
- 20-09-2013
Fast paced thrillers
What made the experience of listening to The Doll the most enjoyable?
Action packed throughout
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Doll?
The ending
What about Hillary Huber's performance did you like?
Liked her read very much
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Any additional comments?
Pacing and action similar to her first novel
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
- Lauren
- 31-07-2013
This series has gone from good to horrible. I really didn't like this book and almost stopped listening with only about an hour left which is not like me. I don't know...this was just a bad story. It was so boring and I'm really sick of Michael Munroe and Taylor Stevens' writing.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
- Linda
- 13-05-2019
Great Audiobook
Absolutely love this series. Hillary Huber is a great storyteller. I listen to audiobooks all the time and narration is extremely important to a good book. I have purchased books that are suppose to be excellent only to find the narration dull and boring and end not completing the audiobook and not purchasing others with the same narrator. Keep up the good work in this series. Keeps you wanting more.
- K Knox
- 24-06-2017
Another wild and entertaining with badass Munroe.
If you could sum up The Doll in three words, what would they be?
Wild Entertaining Thriller
What other book might you compare The Doll to and why?
Hard to compare this to other books because Munroe is so unique. But perhaps the closest are the Beatrix Rose books.
What does Hillary Huber bring to the story that you wouldn't experience if you just read the book?
She brings emotion and depth to a character that is so different that it might be difficult to form a good picture of.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, all the Vanessa Michael Munroe books are great!
Any additional comments?
Another wild and entertaining ride from Taylor Stevens. Her Munroe character is fascinating and complex: the product of a horrific childhood. Hillary Huber does a masterful job as the narrator of the Audiobook version. If you like complex, messy thrillers, I highly recommend "The Doll" and the other Munroe books and audiobooks.
- Ed
- 14-07-2016
Got tedious
Usually enjoy the intricate plot lines of the series. But this one just seemed flat a tedious. Narration was the only thing that saved it.
- S. Kohl
- 13-03-2016
Stunning storytelling
What made the experience of listening to The Doll the most enjoyable?
I love all Taylor Stevens books. Vanessa Michael Monroe is the most interesting character in a series, bar none. I don't like reading reviews that ruin the story, so will try to not do that here.
Overall the story is so well integrated with several stories on different fronts, but very easy to follow. This story includes everything that makes Michael so interesting- her amazing abilities with language, combat, strategy, etc. It also shows, that although she often has a questioning opinion of herself, she is without doubt an incredible person and outstanding example of humanity and character.
The story also shows the amount of love that she not only has for others, but more so, how much she is loved.
The additional characters- the "villains" are suitably heinous, and the "Doll", is much more than she seems at first glance.
I am a fanatical fan of Taylor Stevens and Vanessa Michael Monroe. It still is disappointing that both on Amazon and Audible, putting in a search with her titles, many other books come up before hers do. I have even complained to Audible about including her new titles in their "Best of the Month" titles. Hopefully, more people will rise up and get this series the attention it deserves.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Michael, of course
Which scene was your favorite?
The final scene with The Doll Maker
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This is actually my second reading/listening and it still had my heart pounding at times
Any additional comments?
Please, please, please... make Taylor Stevens a Best of the Month author.


text:
March 20, 2016, 1:25 pm
Wesley Matthews headed to the locker room early in the first quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury Sunday against the Blazers.
He went down and was clutching his ankle after getting blocked early on by C.J. McCollum. He was noticeably limping and did not look healthy. But he got his ankle re-taped and is available to return.
Fantasy News
September 20, 2019, 1:10 pmTahjere McCallF, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks signed Tahjere McCall from their Summer League team.
This is just a depth signing for the Hawks. He shouldn't see much court time on the NBA floor if he makes the main roster out of camp
Source: Kevin Chouinard on Twitter
September 20, 2019, 11:58 amThabo SefoloshaSF, Houston Rockets
Marc Stein is reporting that the Rockets will sign Thabo Sefolosha.
Sefolosha was among the names at a recent mini camp, and he should make for a nice fit as a defensive stopper off the bench. The Rockets have a pretty thin group of reserves so we'd expect Sefolosha to be a regular rotation player, which puts him on the board as a steals specialist in deep leagues.
Source: Marc Stein on Twitter
September 19, 2019, 3:22 pmTyler ZellerC, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have signed C Tyler Zeller to the training camp roster on Thursday.
Zeller played all of six games last season with the Hawks and Grizzlies. Zeller will try to latch on as a third-string C for the Nuggets' deep frontcourt. Zeller is off the fantasy radar.
Source: Chris Dempsey on Twitter
September 19, 2019, 3:03 pmLuke KennardSG, Detroit Pistons
Coach Dwane Casey said that he is not sure if he will start Luke Kennard or have him run a lot of the second-team offense.
In addition, Casey mentioned that Kennard dealt with some knee tendinitis earlier this summer. Kennard is likely competing with Bruce Brown Jr. for the starting two-guard spot. We'll see how the rotation starts to shape in the preseason, but both players will get minutes either way.
Source: NBA
September 19, 2019, 2:53 pmBlake GriffinPF, Detroit Pistons
Coach Dwane Casey revealed that although the team's training staff is easing him into things, Blake Griffin (knee) is back on the court and playing.
Coach Casey added that the team expects Griffin to be at 100% with "no lingering effects." It looks like Griffin is progressing nicely in his return and should be all systems go for the start of the season. With Griffin's extensive injury history, the team may manage him more this year. Coming off a career year, he's expected to be an early middle-round selection.
Source: NBA
September 19, 2019, 2:44 pmVictor OladipoSG, Indiana Pacers
Coach Nate McMillan said that Victor Oladipo (knee) probably wouldn't play on opening night.
Videos have surfaced this summer of Oladipo doing on-court work, and by all accounts, he is progressing well. Coach McMillan said that Oladipo isn't playing live yet and it would seem he still has hurdles to climb. Even when Oladipo does return, he will likely be facing minute restrictions and frequent days off, at least initially. Jeremy Lamb figures to be the biggest beneficiary of Oladipo's absence.
Source: NBA
September 18, 2019, 10:18 pmNikola VucevicC, Orlando Magic
In an interview Wednesday, Magic head coach Steve Clifford said he could see Nikola Vucevic improving across all areas of his game, and echoing his player's belief that he is in his prime.
One of the areas Clifford thought Vucevic could improve upon was his 3-point shooting percentage, and also seemed to indicate that he could contonue to up his play on defense. He's unquestionably solidified himself as the anchor of this team, and the Magic as a whole are likely eyeing to improve upon their momentum as a rising young playoff team in an Eastern Conference that looks pretty weak after the top four to five teams. Expect Vucevic to produce safe second-round value this season.
Source: NBA.com
September 18, 2019, 9:18 pmDeandre AytonC, Phoenix Suns
Suns General Manager James Jones said in a recent interview that Deandre Ayton is capable of playing PF if needed.
One could chalk this up to either Ayton continuing his development in becoming a more dynamic offensive player, or the Suns covering up for the lack of depth on their roster at PF. In reality it's likley a mix of both, and is a positive for Ayton's value heading into this season. If he does end up spending meaningful time at the four, it would not bode well for the value of Dario Saric, who is already barely going at the end of drafts in 9-cat leagues.
Source: NBA.com
September 18, 2019, 8:15 pmDeMarcus CousinsC, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have been granted a $1.75 million Disabled Player Exception for DeMarcus Cousins (torn left ACL).
This now officially rules DeMarcus Cousins out for the season. The Lakers will now have the ability to go out and acquire a player that will in all likelihood occupy the end of their bench. Because they signed Dwight Howard, using this cap space on a center isn't necessarily as big a priority as it once was when Cousins initially went down.
Source: Shams Charania on Twitter
September 18, 2019, 6:28 pmMohamed BambaC, Orlando Magic
Mo Bamba will enter training camp second on the depth chart behind Nikola Vučević.
Head coach of the Magic, Steve Clifford, told a reporter that he plans on having Bamba as his primary backup center while Khem Birch will be third on the depth chart. The Magic also have Vučević, who was re-signed in the offseason to a four-year, $100M contract. As long as Bamba is backing up Vučević, his fantasy ceiling is capped outside of standard redraft leagues.
Source: NBA


text:
Wilton factory is slice of Silicon Valley
Standing before a tightly sealed door to the highest-tech wing of ASML's Wilton plant, the senior production manager offered his guest a clipboard and plastic bag.
"You can't bring this in there," said Victor Crudo, 47, taking back several sheets of special clean paper he'd only 20 minutes earlier given to this reporter.
Crudo, who was already covered head-to-toe in white scrubs, snapped on a second pair of gloves. He wrapped the plastic bag around the clipboard and pretended to draw on it with a red Sharpie.
"You can write with this marker on this bag," he said.
It was a small but telling reminder that this isn't your grandfather's factory. In fact, the first 20 minutes of the tour through ASML's sprawling facility had already taken place inside the so-called "clean room," which is so spotless that anything that can potentially drop a speck of dust on the millions of dollars' worth of equipment is prohibited -- including your everyday pen and notepad. To enter the space, you have to suit up in so much protective clothing you start wondering if there's nuclear waste lurking.
The next stop of the tour, however, has to stay impeccably clean for good reason. Inside, it's got part of a machine that could unlock the future of computers.
"You don't necessarily think of Wilton as high-tech," Bill Amalfitano, general manager of the Wilton facility, said after meeting his guest in the foyer of the rather unassuming factory. He'd gazed out the window at passing cars -- presumably tricked out with computerized features and guided by GPS devices -- heading up and down Route 7.
"How many people drive by and have no clue how we touch their lives?" he'd said.
Pushing Moore's Law
The Wilton facility is one of about 70 global offices for ASML Holdings, a corporation based in the Netherlands that had about $6.4 billion in sales in 2012 and has an 80 percent market share of photolithography machines. The machines are used by tech titans such as Intel and Samsung to build microchips that allow for everything from smartphones to 747 airplanes. The Wilton office employs about 900 people, who range from craftsmen with two-year technical degrees to a large number of engineers with doctorates.
The company's goal is to drive forward "Moore's Law," the notion that the amount of transistors that can be squeezed onto a computer chip of a given size -- at an acceptable price -- roughly doubles every two years. The observation, first made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in the 1960s, has largely driven the semiconductor industry for decades. Progress has brought about a seemingly endless supply of smaller and faster devices.
ASML's lithography machines are one thing that allow chip makers to produce the ever smaller transistors. The machines may be the size of small bus, but their whole intent is to focus beams of energy through templates of tiny circuits -- like a negative for producing photographs on paper -- that will resolve, tinier still, on silicon wafers that eventually get cut up into the microchips themselves. In short, the machines are like using ever smaller paintbrushes to produce better detail on a canvass.
Until now, the best machines used ultraviolet lights with a wavelength of 193 nanometers. But the "extreme ultraviolet lithography" machine, or EUV -- the machine being partly assembled behind the tightly-sealed door of the Wilton factory -- can unleash energy with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers (a sheet of paper, for comparison, is 100,000 nanometers thick).
ASML hopes companies like Intel will stock up on the EUV devices and create the fastest, most-efficient processors ever. But it's no foregone conclusion.
Mahesh Sanganeria, an analyst for Royal Bank Canada, is skeptical. He notes that ASML in recent years has repeatedly over-promised how soon it would have its EUV devices ready for market. He believes, further, that Moore's Law as a general thing is approaching a physical limit. Finally, he says that even if the EUV machines do get more rapidly produced, they are prohibitively expensive at the moment.
Ryan Young, an Arizona-based spokesman for ASML, concedes the point. In February, the machines proved that, using a certain amount of electricity, they can scan circuitry onto about 40 silicon wafers per hour, he said. But customers are saying the machines are only cost-effective if they can handle 70 wafers an hour, Young said.
ASML is scrambling to make the machines more efficient.
"If I'm buying a $100 million dollar machine," Young says, "it better be cranking out chips."
Touring the facility
That all said, the EUV machines are just the leading edge of the lithography market. Even if widely adopted, they would only be used for making the tiniest portions of a given microchip. The rest of the chip would be made using the current machines for which ASML has an 80 percent market share.
A recent tour of the facility began at a template of one such device, which stands about eight feet tall in the foyer of the Wilton facility. On a bright screen, it shows a laser beam getting passed through a template of a desired circuit -- the photo negative -- and scaled down to the silicon wafer. From a door behind the receptionist's desk emerged Amalfitano and two of his senior managers. They looked like normal workers. They were dressed in slacks and button-ups.
"There's not a more exciting industry right now that has such an impact on the world," Amalfitano declared of his trade. "Chips are everywhere."
With that, he lead the group down a long, sparse hallway, whose white-washed walls were occasionally lined with posters that had inspiring slogans like: "Think Outside Your Inbox." The Wilton facility may appear small from Route 7, but it actually extends far to the rear. It's got some 280,000 total square feet of space, Amalfitano said. And this weekend, construction begins on a 4,500-square foot expansion for EUV production.
Before entering the factory floor, you have to suit up in what's called a "bunny suit." The gear is to protect the machines from locks of hair or flecks of skin that might drift about, potentially compromising chip-production. Suiting up is a multi-step process: First, you put on plastic gloves, a hair cover and surgical mask. Then you step into a full-body smock, which has a hood that reaches up over your head. Then, straddling a bench, you pull on special boots, making sure to only let your normal shoes touch the floor on one side of the bench and the special boots on the other. Finally, you put on safety goggles.
"If you're not feeling warm, then you forgot something," noted John Neary, a 43-year-old senior production engineering manager, as we entered the "clean rooms."
The factory floor itself is bright and immaculately kept. The process is painstakingly compartmentalized, so that each screwdriver and stapler and trash can and other gear belongs to a specified station -- often demarcated with tape on the floor. Workers, looking something like astronauts, head this way and that, piecing together lithographer parts that eventually get packaged and shipped off to the Netherlands for final assembly.
At one point, our group stopped in small room to inspect a piece of equipment about the size of a billiards table, nearly ready to be shipped off. Someone cut out the lights. Out came a black light. Suddenly, a scattering of tiny flecks glowed on the device. These will be removed before the machine gets sealed, Amalfitano said.
Finally, it was time to head into the EUV room itself. Extra gloves were put on. Clipboard was covered in plastic bag. Specially clean paper was left on a table. We headed inside. The degree of meticulousness here was greater still. Gone was the tape on the floor, demarcating stations. Workers were assembling the top of the EUV machine, which looked ready to cover something more the size of an 18-wheeler.
Amalfitano smiled.
"The machines keep getting bigger and bigger so we can make things that are smaller and smaller," he said.
firstname.lastname@example.com; twitter.com/timloh


text:
Heeeey Sexah LAY-DAY
Don't worry, this isn't going to be another Gangnam Style parody. Promise. It's just that every time I see one of those "baby bump" limbless torso cakes trying so desperately to be sexy, that's all I hear in my head:
Plus now I can't stop picturing Psy screaming at all the fondant boobies:
I feel ya, man.
But enough about me. Let's talk about why so many women enjoy displaying edible effigies of their nearly naked torsos for a bunch of other women while celebrating the imminent expulsion of a human being from their bodies.
(When you put it like that, it's kind of messed up, right?)
And while I'll never think pregnant torso cakes are a good idea, at least the ones wearing clothing are a little LESS tacky. The "sexy" ones just make me wonder: who gets all hot and bothered looking at a dismembered pregnant torso?
Before you get too turned on, you should know that the fetus with the unnaturally long spaghetti leg is watching you. Aaaalwaaaays waaaaatching.
That one's not really showing enough skin, though, is it? And don't you think it needs a nice heavy spray tan, too?
Muuuuch better. We'll all be revisiting breakfast in NO time.
(If you look at that just right, you'll see a jowly guy in an aviator cap whistling Dixie around a mouth full of feet. Just sayin'.)
Hey ladies, you know how sometimes we get that little bead of sweat betwixt our womanly bazooms? And you know how the sight of it on other women make you, like, totally hungry?
Mmmm. Sweaty bazoom valley.
If I still haven't convinced you that "sexy" torso cakes are a bad idea, though, then let me leave you with this little window into the future:
Peek-a-boo! SEE YOU REAL SOON.
Thanks to Cyndi P., Matt R., Anony M., Kate C., Jason S., & Vicki K. for the sexy, sexy nightmare fuel.


text: Tantalize yourself. Indulge your erotic fantasies with help from "a little friend." The panties themselves are exquisite, sexy, see-through lace, but the main attraction is the single or double strand of pearls that travels over sensitive real estate down under. Get ready for fireworks as the pearls gently caress you. The pearls are man-made in the famous Majorica pearl factory and are ultra-smooth for your comfort.


text:
Pirate's Cove, "the Original Adventure Golf," offers an unequaled miniature golf experience! The adventures and legends of infamous pirates come to life in our award-winning theme park settings. Putt your way through caves, over footbridges, and under cascading waterfalls, all amidst a fun-filled atmosphere of flowing water, extraordinary landscaping, and enchanting pirate lore.
Employment Opportunities
Please click here for a printable employment application. Fill it out and mail it to the Pirate's Cove location you are seeking employment with.
Send Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf Party Invitations Online!


text:
The most comprehensive Quit Smoking App in the AppStore will support you to give up smoking and become free. If you are serious about staying quit then this app could make all the difference!
QUIT SMOKING in 5 DAYS WORKS
The Five-Day Plan is one of the oldest and most effective smoking cessation programs to date. First published by J. Wayne McFarland, M.D. and Elman J. Folkenberg in 1964, the Five-Day Plan has gone on to be conducted in countries around the world with over 20 million participants. The plan has also received recognition from the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association.
Complete Five Days Plan
Statistics are updated in real time, every second!
Nicotine level readout
Expected cravings readout
Carbon Monoxide level of your blood
Recommended Food, Benefits
Time you have been a non smoker readout
Support for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4 Retina Display
This app takes participants through a Five-Day Step-by-Step program to change daily habits and achieve their goal to quit smoking. Through psychological motivations (such as affirmation statements) and physical changes (such as dietary modifications), the Five-Day Plan works to break the participant's smoking routine and eliminate cigarette cravings. You can breathe better, have fewer digestive problems, feel more energy, prevent heart problems, lung cancer and other cancers, eliminate bad breath, have fewer wrinkles, remove the yellow teeth and fingers, etc.
Updated Information.
Design improvements.
Performance improvements.


text:
Monica Romyn has a strong resolution about life � play the hand you are dealt.
Monica Romyn has a strong resolution about life � play the hand you are dealt.
From birth, she received some ominous cards, diagnosed with a potentially debilitating genetic disorder � neurofibromatosis. She will be on hand Sunday afternoon for an NF fundraiser at the North Carolina History Center to benefit the Children�s Tumor Foundation.
There are several types of NF, and it can include enlargement and deformation of bones, curvature of the spine, tumors and learning disabilities.
Now 31, Romyn describes her lifelong bout with NF as �mild.�
She works with special needs children as a service coordinator for Child Development Service Agency in New Bern, for children to age 3.
�We go into the homes,� she said. �I work with the families and get them any services they need.�
The can range from physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech.
She realized that special needs were her calling after working with autistic children at Camp Royall, near Pittsboro in 2003.
�I want to be there as a role model in the special needs community,� she said.
Romyn learned about special needs early in life.
She was diagnosed at six-weeks-old when her father Anton noticed unusual freckling.
�If my daddy hadn�t been a doctor, I probably would have been a late diagnosis,� she said.
Her motor skills were slow to develop and she had numerous headaches as she grew up in Fayetteville. Other effects include learning disabilities, with tumors at any nerve ending.
She still goes for bi-yearly checks at Duke University Hospital. She still has severe migraines.
The splotches, which look like bruising, developed on her stomach, back, arms and legs.
There have been 70 to 80 tumors. The tumors can be removed and they can return.
�I have pain, bone pain a lot,� she said. �But, I deal with it. I have a very high pain tolerance.�
Because she was adopted, there are no records as to any family history of the disease.
�It is genetic. If I have kids, my children have a 50 percent chance of having NF,� she said. �If I marry a man with the trait, there is a 75 percent chance.�
She said the disease comes along in one in 3,000 people.
Having NF did not keep her from being active as a child, including dancing, despite a lot of pain. When she was 10, her tibia broke.
�I was going down a slide and it just snapped,� she said. �We think it was because of it (NF).�
Because there is no cure, she knew from childhood that it would follow her through life. She pondered how to handle that possibility, aided by what she called a sound, caring and responsible upbringing by her parents.
�You have a choice. You can lie down and die if you get diagnosed or you can go out and fight,� she said. �Neurofibromatosis has made me who I am today. If I wouldn�t have had it, I wouldn�t have the passion I have for working with special needs children.�
She passes her approach on to parents of children she works with.
�Just because you have a diagnosis doesn�t mean you can�t go to college. It doesn�t mean you can�t fulfill your dreams,� she said. �That is so important that you can.�
In her case, Romyn is now working on a masters� degree in counseling at Liberty University in Virginia. Her undergraduate degree in human ecology is from ECU.
�I didn�t let it stop me,� she said. �You deal with this. You have your bad days, but then you have your good days.�
She relates this to parents of children she works with as well as to other NF victims.
�I can tell parents this is what happened in my life. I have learned it first hand and it has made me compassionate and it has made me thankful. I am very lucky,� she said. �There are lots of patients that are covered in tumors, have scoliosis, are in wheelchairs or have seizures. I don�t have that. I have a mild case and I have had to fight for some things in my life. But, it has made me who I am and I would never change having NF.�
According to the Child Tumor Foundation web site, there is also NF2, also known as Bilateral Acoustic, which occurs in every 25,000 births.
It is �characterized by multiple tumors on the cranial and spinal nerves, and by other lesions of the brain and spinal cord. Tumors affecting both of the auditory nerves are the hallmark. Hearing loss beginning in the teens or early twenties is generally the first symptom.�
Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or email@example.com.
�New Bern Cares to Cure NF�
Fundraiser for neurofibromatosis. Benefits Children�s Tumor Foundation
4:30 p.m.: Book signing with author Kathy Reichs, Christ Church Ministry Center, Middle Street. $22 in advance, $25 at door. Advance tickets: Next Chapter Book Store, 320 S. Front Street
7 p.m.: The Mystery Dinner, Captain Ratty�s, Middle Street. Meal is $39 with $19 wine pairings available. Call 633-2088.
5 p.m.: Fundraiser, sponsored by CarolinaEast Health System. Bate Commons at North Carolina History Center. Concert, silent auction, food, drinks, book-signing by Reichs. Limited advance tickets, $25; CarolinaEast Foundation in the O. Marks Building at 233 Middle St., the UPS Store at 1822 S. Glenburnie Road and Mitchell Hardware at 215 Craven St.
Call 636-0408.


text:
Fresh Coverage
Devon Consulting is a boutique agency specializing in media relations, marketing planning, and communications plans for beauty and lifestyle brands. Through effective strategies and user-friendly communications tools, we strive to showcase your brand, products and services in key national and regional media. Our approach is proactive. Devon will become an effective part of your team, providing custom communications services designed to help you enjoy prestige media visibility. We partner with you in achieving your goals and growth targets.
Devon Consulting - Toronto Location | 148 Briar Hill Ave., Toronto, ON, M4R 1H9 , Canada


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
September is Celebration of Service month at The Home Depot, and this year's theme is "30 Days of Green."
On Sept. 16, seven associates from the Lancaster Home Depot met at White Oak Manor in Lancaster to plant flowers and vegetables for the residents of the assisted-living facility. Store manager Eric Tweddle, Lynette Waid (a Home Depot team captain), Tiffany Bunton, Mandy Cauthen, Joshua Glenn, Daisy Prosser and Patrick Williams arrived eager to complete the beautification work.
Lancaster attorney Elizabeth Robinson came from a family of teachers.
She majored in special education and later attended law school at the University of South Carolina with the hopes of becoming an advocate for children with special needs.
But when she finished law school, Robinson couldn't find a job in the specialty she wanted.
She began researching and found that only two law firms represent parents of children with disabilities in due-process actions.
Bo Thai Cuisine had its regular, devoted customers.
But the exotic eatery, known for its fresh stir fry dishes and flavorful curries, recently closed its doors on S.C. 9 Bypass after almost three years of business.
A "Sorry, we're closed" sign hangs in one window, a "For sale" sign in another.
Those may be signs of the times.
Another restaurant on the S.C. 9 Bypass with a more familiar name, Dairy Queen, announced its closing with a sign, too.
For the second time in a year, the administration at the Lancaster County Airport is changing.
Sandy Laubscher, a county employee who took over as airport supervisor in December, is stepping down from the post today to accept a management position at a Rock Hill company.
Laubscher took over at the airport after Lancaster Aviation, a private business that oversaw the day-to-day operations at the airport for more than six years, shut down its operations there at the end of 2009.
KERSHAW – Tattoo enthusiasts may soon be able to get their ink in Kershaw.
Kershaw Town Council passed first reading of an ordinance Aug. 16 to allow tattoo facilities in its general commercial zoning district.
C.J. Brower, 23, wants to open a tattoo shop and rented a store next to Town Hall before council passed the ordinance to allow tattoo facilities. However, the zoning district where that building is situated in a more restrictive zoning district.
Mayor Wayne Rhodes expressed concern about the shop being right next to Town Hall last month.
INDIAN LAND – Margaret Barfield carefully scanned the shelves for deals as she pushed her cart through the new ALDI food market in Indian Land.
Barfield, who lives just miles from the store, was one of many shoppers swarming the aisles of the store during its grand opening Thursday morning.
She has been traveling to the Rock Hill ALDI for years to take advantage of the chain's unique discounts and brands, and couldn't wait for her favorite store to open near her home. The new store is at the intersection of Marvin Road and U.S. 521.
Customers of Verizon Wireless will soon have much spacier confines to browse products and take care of other cell phone-related business.
Verizon Wireless in Lancaster is having a new office built on S.C. 9 Bypass near the Founders Federal Credit Union headquarters. It will replace the space it's been using across from Walmart since it took the place of Alltel last year.
Louis Streater, code enforcer for the city of Lancaster, said a building permit was granted May 4 to WT DuBois Construction Inc. of Tennessee, the contractor for the project.
Retirement Strategy is the roadmap that shows us where to go, provides signposts along the way and gets us back on track if we make a wrong turn. With a Retirement Strategy in hand, you have a better chance of getting where you want to be. Without it, you may flounder or even remain stuck in the same place you are today.
Today most of us expect to live longer, healthier and more active lives. How are you going to spend your time in retirement? Will you visit family? Travel? Volunteer?
Selena Catoe wanted a change.
Despite the poor economy and the fact that she already had a stable nursing job at Springs Memorial Hospital, the lifelong Lancaster resident was looking for a new profession. Catoe, 38, said she loves nursing but wanted to express herself in a "happier setting."
"Event planning has always been something I wanted to do, but going into nursing was a career I could depend on," she said.
VAN WYCK – It's taken him more than 20 years, but Steven Muratore is ready to make his and several aspiring truck drivers' dreams come true.
Muratore opened the KDS Commercial Driver Training Institute in Van Wyck on June 25 with the hope that he could help reduce the county's high unemployment numbers.
Through extensive classroom and on-the-road training, Muratore said students will be able to earn their Commercial Drivers License, Class A, allowing them to drive tractor-trailer trucks.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


text:
|Home > International Humanitarian Law > Protection of Cultural Property
|The primary documents in this section outline protections given to cultural property during armed conflicts. The formulation of the relevant convention and protocols in this section are a legacy of the unprecedented destruction of cultural property during the Second World War.
Primary Documents
Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
More Information
Research Resources


text:
- Tous > Medicine Information and Evidence for Policy > Medicines Policy
- Tous > Medicine Information and Evidence for Policy > Monitoring and Evaluation
- Tous > Medicine Access and Rational Use > Supply Management
- Tous > Medicine Programme Coordination > Programme Coordination
- Mots-clés > Action Programme on Essential Drugs
- Mots-clés > country case studies
- Mots-clés > drug action programme
- Mots-clés > essential medicines history
- Mots-clés > evaluation
- Mots-clés > national essential drug programmes
- Mots-clés > national medicines policy - development
- Mots-clés > performance assessment
- Mots-clés > policy implementation
- Mots-clés > situation analysis
- Mots-clés > évaluation
(1989; 144 pages)
After 10 years of existence of the Essential Drugs Programme several countries felt the need to evaluate donor supported national essential drugs programmes. The Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK were contracted to undertake the evaluation which included a policy study; an analysis of 13 country case studies, reviews of regional co-operation activities in Asia and Latin America, drugs policies in Franco-phone Africa and WHO's regional offices support for the Action Programme on Essential Drugs; and a synthesis into the final report of an evaluation of UNICEF's supply and procurement division which was done by Societe Generale de Surveillance, The 13 country studies and regional studies were carried out by separate consultants contracted by some of the donors.
This evaluation provides a comprehensive analysis of the development of the WHO Action Programme on Essential Drugs over the period 1978-1989. It shows that WHO has been successful in its advocacy and communications role, and has provided important technical support in a number of countries. The evidence shows that the strategies employed by the Drug Action Programme have had a positive impact on the understanding, on the acceptance and on the implementation of the essential drugs concept.
The report concludes that although the essential drugs concept is widely recognized, and many countries are developing national drugs policies, the role of WHO as promoter and advocate of the concept as well as provider of technical support is still crucial. WHO should in the 1990's maintain the momentum established in the 1980's and continue to use its prestige and position as an international specialist agency to promote the essential drugs concept globally and to endorse and support the efforts of member countries to develop policies and implement strategies ensuring the availability, accessibility and rational use of essential drugs in the context of Primary Health care.


text:
In connection with the Galois theoretic results surrounding the irreducibility of $f(x)= x^{N}-x-1$ over $\mathbb{Q}$, I've been trying to prove for a while that the discriminant of $f$ is actually squarefree as it sounded plausible. After failed attemps I started believing that this might not be actually true so I did a computer verification which showed that for $N=257$ this is actually wrong (however not too wrong; there was just a square of a prime that appeared). So now I was wondering whether the discriminat of the truncanted exponential, i.e. $$g(x) = \frac{x^{n}}{n!} + \ldots + \frac{x^{2}}{2!} + x+1,$$ is squarefree or if in general the discriminants of polynomials of type $$\pm \frac{x^{n}}{n!} + a_{n-1} \frac{x^{n-1}}{(n-1)!} + \ldots + a_{2} \frac{x^{2}}{2!} + 1,$$ where the $a_{i}$'s are integers, are squarefree (question motivated of course by the fact that they are irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$ with Galois group $S_{n}$ - Schur).
//Of course this is harder to verify since we no longer have a "nice" formula for polynomials of this form.


text:
West Coast Both Barrels May 2016
Big turnout in 'perfect' conditions
Large numbers of hunters turned out in the West Coast Region for Opening Weekend this year, both local hunters and many from other regions.
Conditions were ideal for waterfowling with fog and low cloud all through the lower river valleys keeping birds low and helping keep hunters concealed.
Hunters reported mixed bags, with some getting close to their bag limit early on, while others were not as successful. Rain in the week before the start of the season meant that there were plenty of places for the birds to go across the district.
With so much water available, the ducks are not confined to a few main wetland areas as in some of the drier regions.
While ranging, lots of birds could be seen on the wing and shots being fired indicated a large number of hunters out for the morning.
Compliance was positive over the weekend; those hunters checked appeared to be keen duck hunters who understood the rules.
It was pleasing to see a number of families, often father and son, out enjoying some time duck hunting.
The pursuit is very much a tradition on the Coast and it's great to see different generations sharing the sport, often returning to spots they've hunted for many years.
Father and son, Gary and Samuel Glasson were out early on opening weekend.
Where to after Opening Weekend?
Well the first week after Opening Weekend saw a big change in weather patterns.
Further heavy falls of rain and stormy weather hit the Coast, flooding rivers, paddocks and farm drains around the region.
The new food sources this provides for waterfowl will open up some great hunting opportunities as birds move around to take advantage of this new food going into winter.
During the daytime after Opening Weekend, many birds will be either well out in open areas where they feel safe, or piled up in overgrown little creeks where they can hide out of the way.
Both types of habitat have the potential for great hunting opportunities during the season.
Finding birds' loafing spots requires some effort but can provide good shooting. Often birds can be found grouped up on expansive river beds, or open estuaries.
If you can locate them and set up decoys and hides before they arrive, good shooting can be had well into the morning.
Walking small creeks with a dog provides great hunting as birds flush from within willows, etc. The West Coast has an abundance of these small creeks and this style of hunting can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Ideal for a walk after work.
Waterfowl galore to hunt
The West Coast Region holds a range of waterfowl species to hunt.
Pukeko are found in large numbers over rougher farm habitat, particularly where swampy areas run through farmland.
Rather like pheasant shooting, they offer something different to those who enjoy walk-up style rough shooting.
They cook up well if done properly and if you tie your own fishing flies the feathers make great night flies, such as Craig's Night Time or Scotch Poachers.
Paddock shooting of paradise shelduck is also becoming more and more popular, especially for junior hunters.
So keep an eye on any crop paddocks or young pastures as dropping in to see a farmer might just provide a good introduction to hunting for a young hunter friend.
In certain areas geese may also be seen passing by, so a few goose decoys and call may add some extra excitement to a hunt during the season.
Right: Canada goose silhouette decoys, simple but effective.
Subscribe via RSS
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- June 2014
- December 2013
- March 2013
- September 2012
- July 2012


text:
This chapter is where the meat of the book begins, in my opinion, this chapter and the ten that follow it make up the heart of the book. So let's dig right in.
The Key Idea of the Whole Book
Allen defines two key elements that are central in building a successful life: control and perspective. Control refers to the ability of a person to stay on top of all of the things going on in their life, while perspective refers to the ability of a person to discern what things in life are actually important.
Allen defines five different elements that make up "control" and six different levels of "perspective." In essence, he plays these off of each other in these eleven chapters – in five of the chapters, he looks at an element of control through the lens of each level of perspective; in the other six, he looks at a level of perspective through each element of control.
The five elements of control are:
Capturing (identifying the things you need to know in your life)
Clarifying (deciding what to do with the things you've captured)
Organizing (putting the things you've clarified in appropriate places)
Reflecting (keeping up with the products of your organization)
Engaging (in essence, doing stuff)
The six levels of perspective are:
Actions (the things you need to do today)
Projects (the things you're actively pushing towards completion shortly)
Areas of Focus (the areas of your life you're dealing with regularly)
Goals (the specific things in life you want to accomplish in a few years)
Vision (the general things you want to accomplish in the next decade)
Purpose/Principles (why are you here? what is your life purpose?)
Thus, the focus of this chapter is looking at capturing at the six levels of perspective.
What Is Capturing?
Allen explains it on page 78:
The first thing to do, when you are feeling in any way out of sorts, is to clear the air by grabbing hold of whatever is pulling on your focus. If there is a lack of clarity, it is necessary to identify anything that might be the source of that discord.
In other words, if it's on your mind, write it down or record it somehow in a concrete way. You can jot it on paper, type it, write it on a whiteboard, or even talk into an audio recorder. [...] You can add it to a list, or write each item on a separate sheet of paper and collect them in your in-tray. It doesn't matter how you capture these thoughts, as long as you get them out of your head and have them all in some way easily accessible for review.
I think the phrase "if it's on your mind, write it down or record it somehow in a concrete way" is really the key part of this. If you're thinking about it, write it down somewhere (we'll worry about dealing with it later).
Why? If you do that, then that idea doesn't need to be in your head, distracting you from whatever task you have at hand. You can focus much more deeply on whatever it is you're working on and push yourself into a "zone" state much more easily.
Great! How do you get started? On page 79:
[Y]ou identify anything in life or work that you think might need to be different or considered for whatever reason and create at least a crude placeholder for it in one delimited location.
In other words, take out a fat pocket notebook and a pen. Sit down at a table and just start thinking about all of the stuff that's on your mind that you need to accomplish or think about. Write down each item on a page of that notebook and flip to the next one. When you feel like you've run out of things, you've made a good start. Now, go through your entire house or place of work and collect things that need looked at – mail, papers, and other such things.
Allen spends a lot of this chapter evaluating how to capture things at various levels of perspective. For example, if you're capturing projects, you might want to think about Christmas or about how to care for your elderly parents or getting that will written or getting your kids involved in winter basketball. If you're capturing areas of focus, think about some of the larger things you're trying to accomplish at work (getting promoted, maybe) or as a parent or as a volunteer worker. You also might want to think about your larger goals in life – where do you want to be in five years? In ten? Just write those goals down. The same is true for your overall mission in life, whatever that might be.
You're not going to do this all at once, of course. Capturing is something you can get a big jump on in one sitting, but ideas and thoughts are going to come to you gradually over time.
One powerful way to keep this going is to start journaling. Allen describes it on page 87:
A wonderful way to begin to experience an increase in control during this first phase of capturing is to journal. Often the incomplete energies and loose edges of our lives are manifested only when we are willing to drop back into a more reflective mode and take note of what seems to want to express itself only through a more stream-of-consciousness modality.
Over the years I have gravitated toward two types of journal writing for myself. One is a kind of ad hoc running diary of events to record various aspects of my current situation in my workaday world; the other is more inner and spiritually focused.
I have journaled almost constantly since 1991 (yes, 19 years' worth). I've found that time and time again, my ideas for where I'm headed and what I need to do pop up when I'm journaling and simply reflecting on my past day, past week, etc. (Here's an example of what I mean, from a 2005 entry.)
Almost every day, something comes to the forefront when I'm journaling. It might be an immediate task I need to do tomorrow (or even that evening). It might be a revelation about an ongoing project in my life. It might be a realization that I'm no longer interested in a particular life goal. Every day, almost without fail, something valuable like this happens because of the journaling.
You Don't Have to Do Everything
A final note from this chapter: you don't have to actually do everything that you capture. The goal is to simply get it out of your head so you can reflect on it externally. From page 93:
A TV sitcom writer told me that reading Getting Things Done had been a transformative experience for him, solely because it gave him the idea and motivation to do a total mind sweep. In only one sitting he captured every single thing ye could possibly churn up from his psyche that he thought he would, could, should, or might do. He swor that once he'd accomplished that, it was the first time in his life that he realized he didn't have to do them all at once, that he could only do one thing at a time, and that he could actually permit himself to not do anything on that list if, in the moment, it wasn't appropriate.
When you actually dump all of this out, you can begin to make some real comparative choices about what's actually important in your life. It's very hard within your own head to compare the importance of the fifty things going on in your head. Getting them down on paper and spending the time to think about each one and ask yourself it it really matters makes all the difference.
In fact, it was really this very process that made me realize how out of whack my life used to be. Most of the things I listed that I wanted to do involved my family and rarely cost money. Most of the things I listed that I had to do involved work and were so dominant that they gave the boot to the things involving my family. After enough repetitions, I began to wonder what I was working for – I was earning money for frivolous stuff that didn't really matter to me, and to earn that money I had to abandon the things (parenting, being a good husband, community volunteer work, etc.) that really did matter to me.
In short, I realized I didn't need all of that extra money and that more time with my family was well worth a pay cut. It was through capturing all of the ideas in my head and evaluating them that I came to this realization.
This chapter is loaded with many, many great ideas related to capturing all of the loose ends in your life – this post really does just scratch the surface.
Add/view comments on this post.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.


text:
Oh, I like this one. There's no garish colour schemes, no pulsating lights that would look more at home in a Fast & the Furious movie than in some dude's computer. Just a concept, and the smarts to keep the canvas blank so the concept can carry the show.
Its German builder, Jogibaer, makes just about everything white except the cables, giving it that "bleeding on a hospital floor" look that's kinda stylish but also kinda creepy. Especially since he's got an IV bag full of fake blood stashed inside the case.
The system is a few years old, so I won't bore you with the specs.
Renovatio - White Silence [Hardware Luxx, via technabob]


text:
Hot Rod With A History
When you grow up in a hot rod family like Butch Harness did, hot rodding is in your blood. Around the Wichita area, the name Harness is well known when it comes to rods and customs. Butch's dad, Arthol, has built a '32 roadster, '34 Fordor, and a chopped and channeled '32 pickup. Butch's uncle, Hub, has a '32 three-window plus numerous customs. Even an uncle on his mom's side by the name of Larry Farber owned a famous '32 sedan called The Lil Coffin in the early '60s.
About seven years ago, Butch built a nice 'glass '32 highboy roadster. As with most young men, Butch got married and started a family. These days, with three sons and a wife, going to rod runs in a roadster has its drawbacks. Butch needed a sedan with room for the family. Luckily, friend Mike Martin had this '32 sedan with a lot of history sitting in his garage. A deal was made, the roadster was sold, and the sedan was in Butch's garage.
Any car that has survived more than 70 years has to have some history, but this '32 sedan has more than your usual forgotten past. In the late '60s, Dave Stuckey, the builder of The Lil Coffin, was asked to build a car for C. Ray Hall, who owned the 81 Speedway in Wichita. When Dave built the sedan, he bobbed the rear fenders, filled the cowl, removed the windshield wipers, and filled the holes. All this work was done in lead. Then Dave painted it candy orange with white pearl-laced fenders, which was radical for its time. The sedan had a small-block Chevy and real magnesium Americans and went on the show circuits, becoming well known in this area.
When Butch bought the car, it was in primer and on its way to being restored to stock condition with a Flathead replacing the small-block. Butch completely disassembled the car down to every nut and bolt and found every part to be in perfect condition with no Bondo. All the bodywork was in lead and still intact. It still had the stock insert in the top and rubber on the running boards.
Butch wanted to keep the car nostalgic with a wild hot rod motor, and ended up doing all the work on the Tudor in his home garage with the exception of the upholstery updates and the pinstriping of the firewall and dash. Following in the Harness tradition and being only 30 years old, we think he nailed it.
Butch Harness
Wichita, Kansas
1932 Ford Tudor
Butch wanted a hot rod motor and could've run a Chevy small-block, but he chose instead to follow his dad's and uncle's lead (Dad runs a 348 Chevy and Uncle Hub runs a 331 Caddie) and went with a real nostalgic 303 Olds. The Olds was dressed up with an Edelbrock 6×2 intake with two extra 94s added and chrome valve covers. Otherwise the motor is stock. A Petronix ignition kit was added with a set of Mallory wires for fire. The owner-built lakes-style headers dump into 2 1/4 straight pipes.Although he wanted an early Olds motor, he also wanted a more dependable transmission, so he decided to adapt a Turbo 350. If you're familiar with the early Olds motor, you know the bellhousing is built into the rear of the motor, so Butch had to mate the Olds flywheel to the 350 torque converter, and then build an adaptor to mate the 350 to the Olds bellhousing. After careful measuring, the front of the 350 was cut down then welded to an adaptor plate.
ChassisThe stock Ford frame was completely boxed with a Model A front crossmember added to get the front down. A Chassis Engineering X-Member keeps the framerails in place. For that nostalgic look, Butch drilled a Magnum front axle and the '40 wishbones before he installed a pair of '40 spindles. F-100 brakes, along with a '59 Ranchero master cylinder, help stop the sedan, while a Vega steering box keeps it in line. In the rear, Butch used a '72 Int'l Scout Dana 44 with a 3:73 posi mounted to a pair of drilled '40 wishbones. A set of stock '32 springs and tube shocks keep the sedan riding smooth.
Wheels & TiresA classic combo of chrome reversed Ford wheels with painted centers mounted to bias-ply wide whites fill the fenders.
Body & PaintAs stated earlier, the stock body was in perfect condition, so Butch took it down to bare metal and applied PPG Sunburst orange with a flatter added. While the body was under construction, the dash and firewall were sent to Blaine Scott at Pinstriping by Blaine. As you can see, Blaine spent many hours applying his skills to give the firewall a period-perfect look that brings it all together. Although the body, the headlights, and taillights are all stock '32 items, the way they were put together along with the nostalgic motor and the right stance shows you don't have to get radical to make a statement about how cool this style of hot rod can look.
InteriorBelieve it or not, the interior, with the exception of the carpet, is the original installed in the '60s by Paul Matz, a well-known upholsterer who did a lot of Starbird's customs. Even the glass is the same installed back then. Butch had Rick Fisher Upholstery (Augusta, Kansas) install a white roll 'n' pleat top insert and running boards. There is also a Vintage Air unit and a Pioneer CD player for comfort on those long drives. A Painless wire kit handles all the electronics.


text:
Larry O'Connor reports for Breitbart.com, Feb. 2, 2013, that the White House has released a picture purporting to show the POS "skeet shooting" at Camp David. An activity he claims he does "all the time."
Skeet shooting is a recreational and competitive activity where participants, using shotguns, attempt to break clay disks automatically flung into the air from two fixed stations at high speed from a variety of angles.
WH releasing this photo, of course, is a propaganda ploy to show that, while he's hell bent on gun control, the POS really is a gun sportsman at heart who has nothing against using guns for recreational sports and hunting. Just don't you ever use guns to — GASP! — defend yourself from punks, criminals, and a tyrannical government.
This is the WH's caption for the picture above: "President Barack Obama shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)"
Underneath the caption, the White House sternly warns:
"This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House."
The command "The photograph may not be manipulated in any way" is, of course, equivalent to waving a red flag in front of a charging bull.
You're forbidding the American people from photoshopping that pic? — the same American people who make fun of every President in late night talk shows, newspaper political cartoons, YouTube videos, blogs (like FOTM), and over the office water cooler?
FOTM now invites our readers to send us EVERY photoshop image you can find of the photo of the POS skeet-shooting, by giving us the photoshop's URL via:
- Putting it in a comment on this thread; or
- Emailing the URL to us: email@example.com
I'll add photoshopped pix to this post as I receive them.
Eventually, we'll have a Best Photoshop-of-the-Shooting-POS Contest! The winning photoshopped image will be the pic for FOTM's next (40th) Caption Contest! 😀
Here's one photoshopped image our DCG found:
Three photoshops emailed to FOTM by Beowulf:
Beowulf also sent us the links to two sites with loads of great photoshops of POS, the Skeet Shooter:
- Maser Media: https://masermedia.org/contest-best-shop-of-obama-shooting-skeet/
- Twitter: https://twitchy.com/2013/02/02/hilarity-ensues-as-twitter-users-caption-and-photoshop-obamas-shooting-photo/
- BuzzFeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/this-is-what-the-internet-does-to-a-photo-of-obama


text:
Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize
Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize Previous Broadcasts
KQED Life: Mon, Jul 1, 2013 -- 2:00 AM
Whether it be through concert appearances or recordings, television or films, commercials or education, Bill Cosby has the ability to touch people's lives. His humor often centers on the basic cornerstones of our existence, seeking to provide an insight into our roles as parents, children, family members and men and women. Without resorting to gimmickry or lowbrow humor, Cosby's comedy has a point of reference and respect for the trappings and traditions of the great American humorists such as Mark Twain. Stay tuned for an announcement about talent set to appear on stage - it will once again be a star-studded event.


text:
Wideo.co | Anyone can make cool videos! - 5 views
shared by Michele Brown on 19 Mar 13 - No Cached
Michele Brown on 19 Mar 13An online animation platform that allows you to create, edit, and share videos for free. The platform allows you to choose (or upload) the images, fonts, animations, and videos you want to use in order to create your own online video and then share.


text:
Renowned Violinst Itzhak Perlman Returns to Houston at Jones Hall Tonight
Violinist Itzhak Perlman returns to Houston for a recital concert tonight, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. in Jones Hall, presented by Society for the Performing Arts.
Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Perlman and pianist Rohan De Silva have teamed up once again for a recital performance that will include Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12, No.1; César Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major; Giuseppe Tartini's Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Continuo The Devil's Trill; and other selections that will be announced from the stage.
Beloved for his charm and humanity, as well as his talent, Perlman is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to the irrepressible joy of making music, which he communicates when playing. Though he has performed for American Presidents and Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, and led such orchestras as the Chicago Symphony and Israeli Philharmonic, among others, Perlman's proudest achievement is his collaboration with film score composer John Williams in Steven Spielberg's Academy Award winning Schindler's List, for which he performed all of the violin solos.
De Silva, a native of Sri Lanka, began his piano studies with his mother, the late Primrose De Silva, at the age of 6. His partnerships with violin virtuosos in addition to Itzhak Perlman have included Cho-Liang Lin, Midori, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Julian Rachlin, and have led to highly acclaimed performances at recital venues all over the world.
Itzhak Perlman's presence on stage, on camera and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of his life.
Tickets range from $35-$90 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. For groups of 15 or more call 713-632-8113.
Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting organization in the Southwest. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world's finest music, dance and theater events, in adherence to the belief that the arts are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within the community. In addition to presenting artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes, lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.


text:
Tours are available for the following dates:
August 31, September 1, 14, and 15. October 5 and 6.
Cost is $10 per person, Under 12 $5.00, Under 5 free.
Tours start at 2pm sharp. Gate opens 1pm.
Book online http://tours.friendsofoakisland.com or pay at gate (day of tour, no advance tickets)
* Refund will be issued if tour is cancelled due to current treasure hunting operations.


text:
Nike Striped Division III SS Jersey - University Gold/Royal Blue
Nike Striped Division III SS Jersey - University Gold/Royal Blue
from 12.75
A classic never dies, this is the Nike Striped Division III Short Sleeved Jersey.
Yarn-dyed stripes throughout create a vibrant, pitch-ready look that won't impede the sweat management properties of the Dri-FIT technology in the fabric. A mesh panel in the upper back provides additional breathability to help keep you comfortable all match long.
Also available in Long Sleeve.
Dri-FIT technology helps you stay dry and comfortable.
V-neck collar is taped for a smooth feel against the skin.
Mesh back panel provides additional breathability.
Raglan sleeves eliminate the shoulder seam to allow a natural range of motion.
Swoosh design trademark is embroidered on the right chest.
Fabric: 100% polyester.
- Life Cycle: 1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020


text:
Arnhem1618Paper PadsbySpeedball
BlickPencil Case
10% Off Orders of $45 or More + Free Shipping
Available Offers
Today's Deal
Free Shipping
On Orders of $35 or More**
10% Off
Orders of $45 or More*
Use Code: CEWY *Exclusions apply**After discounts taken
On Orders of $45 or More**
**After discounts taken
Browse more:
Williamsburg Oil Paints source the best raw materials in the world. Each is carefully ground to enhance the beauty and luminosity specific to each pigment. These paints are uniquely hand-crafted and of the highest quality available.
Color Swatches created using heavy application/medium application/50% tint and were applied on acrylic primed canvas (7 oz) material.
iron oxides with manganese silicates or dioxide
Fe2O3,MnO2 or Fe2O3 + MnO2 + nH2O + Si + Al2O3
Burnt Umber is a more intense reddish brown pigment that results from heating the clay pigment Raw Umber. It has medium to excellent tinting strength and high opacity, and it is quick drying in oil form. Burnt Umber is somewhat more transparent than Raw Umber. It has excellent color properties and can create a variety of subtle, clear tints when mixed with white. It can tend towards chalkiness in dark mixes in oil form, but overall it mixes well with other colors. To create a black color in oil form, mix Burnt Umber with Phthalo Blue or Ultramarine. To achieve a similar color in watercolor form, mix it with Ultramarine or Payne's Gray.
Burnt Umber has good permanence.
Burnt Umber itself is considered non-toxic. If contaminated by manganese compounds, it may be highly toxic if inhaled and moderately toxic if ingested.
This pigment gets its name from the Latin word umbra, meaning shadow or shade. Its full name is listed as terra di ombra, meaning earth of shadow/shade, due to its original extraction from the area of Umbria, Italy. It has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times. Currently, the finest umber comes from Cyprus.
Chestnut Brown, Euchrome, Jacaranda Brown, Mars Brown, Mineral Brown, Raw Brown, Spanish Brown, Van Dyke Umber. Cyprus Umber, Turkey Brown, and Turkey Umber are the best quality umbers.
polychlorinated copper(II) phthalocyanine
C32H3Cl13CuN8 to C32HCl15CuN8 or C32H16CuN8Cl15 (PG7) or C32Br6Cl10CuN8 (PG36)
Phthalo Green is a transparent, cool, bright, high intensity color used in oil and acrylics. It comes from a Phthalocyanine Blue pigment where most of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced with chlorine, forming highly stable molecules. It has similar pigment properties and permanence to Phthalo Blue. It is slow drying and an excellent base color for mixing a range of bright greens. Phthalo Green is considered a very good alternative to Viridian because it is intense and mixes well and can be used to emphasize mineral colors in various tints. However, its tinting strength is very high, so it can overpower other colors. This pigment most closely resembles the discontinued and toxic Verdigris.
Phthalo Greens are completely lightfast and resistant to alkali, acids, solvents, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. They are currently used in inks, coatings, and many plastics due to their stability and are considered a standard pigment in printing ink and the packaging industry.
Phthalo Green has no significant hazards, but it contained PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) until 1982.
This bright blue-green was developed in 1935 and has been in use since 1938.
Bocour Green, Cyan Green, Intense Green, Monastral Green, Phthalocyanine Green, Rembrandt Green, Thalo Green, Winsor Green.
Your cart is currently empty.
Your cart currently contains N item.
® Williamsburg is a registered trademark.


text:
Well, the universe proved me wrong. Yet again.
Big fat swollen ankles do in fact. Stop me. Believe it or not, although I've injured about every other part of my body in some form or fashion. I've never actually rolled an ankle. But now I feel I am well versed in sprained ankle-ese.
Look they get even bigger and fatter and scary looking after a few days
So I've been sidelined. First it was crutches, then a spectacular boot that while not pictured here I'm sure you can imagine the depths of it's stylish awesomeness.
Now it's this beauty (note the pink sneaks. I'm kinda in love with these) and Physical Therapy for Godonlyknowshowlong...
So yes, lesson learned Universe. I must choose my words wisely.
... Um, either that or remember that I am almost 40 years old thereby making me too old to play X games with my son and ride on the pegs of his bike *ahem*.


text:
Can You Really Afford a New Child?
Many Parents Fail to Plan Fully for the Financial Impact of a Newborn
Expecting a child this summer? Most births in the U.S. occur in August, with July a close second. If recent patterns hold, the country will welcome more than 700,000 new babies over the summer months.
How much is a child likely to cost you? Estimates range from more than $240,000 (in today's dollars and excluding the cost of college) for a typical child. Add $1.4 million to $2.4 million (including government expenditures such as Medicaid) for a child with a disability such as autism....


text:
Let's look at two people, Bob and Charlotte. Each of them has only one outstanding debt, a $100,000 mortgage with a 3.75% interest rate that has 28 years to go.
Bob is single and doesn't enjoy dating, so he plans on remaining single for the rest of his life. He wants to retire early so he can get involved with managing the local food pantry, where he works part time right now. He is fully funding a Roth IRA and contributing 20% a year to his 401(k), but he still has extra money each month because he lives simply. He doesn't really enjoy taking risks and he strongly desires having debt freedom as a personal goal as soon as possible.
Charlotte is married with four children. She and her husband love to go on family trips and plan to keep on traveling as long as they are both healthy. She contributes some to retirement – enough to get her employer's match – but she intends to stick with her wonderful career until she can't do the work any more. Charlotte was thrilled to get a mortgage with such a low rate because it meant she has a bit of extra money free to help her children enjoy extracurricular activities and help her parents out as they struggle with retirement. Charlotte's biggest focus in life is bringing up her children well.
Bob and Charlotte are facing the same debt situation, but are living very different lives. If I were giving these two people advice, I'd tell Bob to pay down his mortgage quickly and tell Charlotte to make minimum payments for now.
Personal finance is rarely black and white. Every person out there has different income levels, different debt levels, different retirement accounts at work, different stress levels, different risk tolerances, different personal and professional goals, different levels of family support, and so on.
All of those issues matter. That's why it's personal finance.
Right now, in my life, I am closer to Charlotte's situation. We have similar goals in that we want to raise our children well, and we both have multiple children and a spouse. However, I don't really enjoy travel all that much and feel more like Bob when it comes to retirement in that I'd rather be careful with my money now and retire a bit earlier.
My closest friends are either single or married without kids. They have different income levels, different goals, and different risk tolerances. Some of them are like Bob. Others are like Charlotte. Most of them really aren't like either one of them. Every time I talk with my friends about money, I'm fascinated to find how everyone is doing something different, but everyone has sensible reasons for doing what they're doing.
To me, that's the key.
Why are you doing what you're doing when it comes to your money? Does the answer to that question make sense to you? Can you explain it clearly?
That's the litmus test of money success: you're making financial choices for a reason.
Does that reason have to apply to the lives of others? Certainly not. Everyone has a different life, and that's why it's hard to say that there are established rules of personal finance.
However, you can (and should) learn things from the choices others make. The decisions and tactics others use might not match your life at all, but it's likely that you will find something useful in what they're doing.
You might not agree with why they're doing it. You might not agree with most of their tactics. But whenever you find someone that has achieved some of the things you want to achieve, they probably have something to teach you.
Whenever you read about or hear about a tactic that doesn't seem to work for you, just move on without skipping a beat. That tactic isn't for you, but it might certainly work for someone else.
For example, Bob will probably find a tactic related to inexpensive diapering to be completely useless, while Charlotte probably wouldn't find a lot of value in minimizing all of one's possessions. Bob and Charlotte are in different places in their life with different values, so they'll find different tactics useful. However, there is a lot of overlap in what they will find useful, such as tactics for making an inexpensive and tasty dinner or holding a frugal dinner party.
Invest your time and energy on tactics that do work for you. If you see a tactic that you don't find useful because it doesn't match who you are or where your life is right now, don't waste even a second of your precious energy or time on it. Share it with someone that it would work for (if you know anyone), then move on.
Life's too short to spend it trying to jam your life into advice that doesn't fit.


text:
Wednesdays 5PM
Rob Maaddi Show
Play Latest (18 hours ago)
16 episodes
Show description: The High Hopes Phillies Minor League Rundown covers the Philadelphia Phillies and the triumphs, struggles and overall journey of the players chasing their dreams in the Phillies farm system. The show includes interviews with players, managers, scouts and baseball officials in Lehigh Valley with the Iron Pigs, with the Reading Fightins, the Lakewood […]
Play Latest (September 12th)
22 episodes
27 episodes
One of the most important radio shows you'll ever listen to. Prominent physician, Dr. Joseph J. Fallon, Jr. and well-known philanthropist, Kal Rudman team up to bring you "Inside Medicine". You'll hear interviews with eminent medical experts and receive vital information about your health.
Play Latest (9 hours ago)
39 episodes
Gary Hendler hosts an insightful and informative hour to inform, share and discuss, across multiple media platforms, the story of addiction and the road to recovery. Clean and Sober Radio, with real people with real stories about their addiction and their road to recovery is dedicated to promoting a lifetime free of alcohol and drugs. […]
0 episodes