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Some of you may remember that I found the perfect affordable eye cream from By Nature from New Zealand, which I picked up in TK Maxx. Click here if you missed it! On my quest to try more products from the brand, I also found the Hydrating Day Creme and the Replenishing Night Cream, which I picked up for around £6 each.
By Nature from New Zealand focus on simple products that work, their products are free from parabens and preservatives! They also don't test on animals, so it's a great cruelty free option.
Hydrating Day Creme with Coconut Oil (find here)
The hydrating day creme is infused with Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Vera to deliver intense hydration that lasts all day. On paper, this sounds perfect for someone with dry skin like me, however I'm not completely sold on this one as I'll explain.
First of all, it has quite a thick formula, and hence why I think it's more for normal-dry skin. I think those with oily skin might be a bit overwhelmed with it. When you massage it in it does go on well, and whilst it doesn't sit on the skin, my skin still feels a bit tacky from it. Some people might prefer that for a makeup base, but I'm not a huge fan. However, after a bit the tackiness does go away.
Secondly, the main reason I'm not sold on this is because it's labelled as a hydrating creme, but I feel like the replenishing range is actually more hydrating! The replenishing range is lighter, but I feel like it absorbs instantly and my skin sort of drinks it up! This isn't to say the day creme is rubbish, it still gives a really smooth and soft base, but I don't find myself reaching for it very much. Those with very dry skin might still like to give it a go as it can be quite smoothing.
I should also point out it does have quite a strong coconut scent when you first apply it, and again this does put me off a bit.
Replenishing Night Creme with Rosehip Oil (find here)
The replenishing night creme is infused with Argan Oil, Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Vera to help restore lost hydration. So the only difference between the two ranges is the give and take of Argan Oil and Vitamin E.
However, I find the replenishing night cream has a lighter formula. It's not runny, but my skin just absorbs it in instantly, and I love how hydrated my skin looks and feels! There's no noticeable scent to this one, and I would say it's quite versatile. I can layer it over a serum or facial oil, or I can just put a good amount of it on, and it keeps my skin well hydrated throughout the night. Infact, if I'm at home, I sometimes prefer just going in with this one.
I don't use it every night as some nights I just go in with an exfoliator and oil, so I can't say I've seen any long term results from either of the creams. However, I would say this one is suitable for all skin types, as it's not heavy, and also all skin types can be dehydrated!
In terms of packaging, they both come in squeezy tubes, which I guess is best for hygiene reasons. They also both have a generous 75g which is good value. You can buy them directly online from the By Nature website, however since it is Australian based I think shipping would be significant.
Overall, I did prefer the Replenishing Night Creme from this duo, and it is one that I would probably repurchase if I found it again. However, I'm not too sure I would repurchase the Hydrating Day Creme, also because there's so much choice in the market for moisturisers, so there's always that itching to try another. I also wear a good amount of serum underneath my moisturiser every day, so I don't need a really heavy moisturiser too.


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TWO major fires threatening homes in Victoria have been contained.
Fire investigators will probe the cause of the two blazes in Blampied and Kangaroo Ground which hundreds of fire fighters were battling this afternoon.
Blampied residents along Kangaroo Hills Rd, just west of Daylesford, were put on high alert as firefighters battled to halt the blaze.
Up to 26 CFA units are tackling the fire.
The blaze, which has consumed 500ha, was travelling in a southeasterly direction and expected to impact on Kangaroo Hills, Kingston, Leonards Hill, Mount Prospect, Sailors Falls and Muskvale.
Check the CFA website for latest information
Firefighters are battled a bushfire in the Kangaroo Ground area, northeast of Melbourne.
A water-bombing helicopter and 21CFA trucks are being used to fight the fire, which is heading along Yeomans Rd, towards Menzies Rd.
CFA spokesman Jason Leigh said the fire was rated "Watch and Act", which was "pretty serious".
"There has been no damage but the heli-attack is there working on it. As a 'Watch and Act' the next step would be to issue an emergency warning," he said.
He said residents in the area should not just rely on the CFA website for further advice, but to also use radio and social media outlets to keep up to date with fire warnings.
The CFA is sending more crews to the scene.
The fresh fires come as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade revealed it would ramp up its presence in Melbourne's northwestern suburb of Keilor following a spate of arson attacks. It will also run an education campaign.
The MFB has identified 23 suspicious fires - five since Tuesday night - in Brimbank Park and the adjoining streets in the past two weeks.
MFB Deputy Chief Fire Officer David Youssef said the fires were "totally irresponsible, malicious and had the potential to destroy houses and cost lives".
"Grass fires are extremely dangerous and can take lives and destroy homes in a very short time," he said.
"This area is like many places on the urban fringe of Melbourne, where there is a real risk of damaging grass and scrub fires."
Mr Youssef said deliberately lit fires were a major burden on the emergency services and the whole of the Victorian community, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
"Arson can destroy homes and kill people," he said.
Authorities have enforced a total fire ban across Victoria today, with temperatures racing up to 42C in some areas.
Humid wind gusts of up to 50km/h threatened to provide further headaches for firefighters at the forefront of the severe fire conditions, with two districts - the Wimmera and North Central – threatened with extreme fire danger.
But Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said a short burst of rainfall - which sprinkled 0.2mm across Melbourne this morning - had proved enough to dampen conditions and set the forecast scorcher off to a sluggish start.
"Puffy clouds brought about just enough to wet the roads and an increase in wind gusts meant the metropolitan area was off to a slow start," he said.
"But having said that, the temperatures are on the way up now that's passed. They're (temperatures) starting to shoot up."
By 10am, the mercury had already climbed into the 30s in some areas, with Geelong (30C), Swan Hill (31C), Mildura (32C) and Bairnsdale (30C) all feeling the heat.
Melbourne was slightly cooler, hovering around 29C ahead of a peak of 37C scheduled to sweep across the city early this afternoon.
By noon, Hopetoun Airport was the state's sweatiest spot, with the mercury rising to 36.5C, while thermometers in Mildura (35.5C) and Swan Hill (34.7C) were also returning readings that were on the rise.
Just after noon Melbourne was at 32C, but Mr Ryan said by 4pm Melburnians would receive a welcome reprieve as temperatures were forecast to plummet up to 10C in the first half an hour of the afternoon cool change.
"Melbourne and particularly the south-east suburbs will go from 37C to about 27C with the change," he said.
The cool change will pave the way for temperatures to ease across the weekend, with Melburnians in for a cooler day tomorrow as isolated showers prompt a maximum of 24C .
Meanwhile, CFA spokesman Nick Talbot said the state's largest bushfire in Kentbruck remains controlled, having now engulfed more than 11,890 hectares of pine forest.
"At the moment's there low-level fire activity there. CFA members will be hosting community information displays across the weekend from 11am to 1pm," he said.
He said a fire sparked in Dropmore at 4.30pm yesterday afternoon had ravaged 150 hectares of grassland and required 20 fire trucks to bring the flames under control earlier this morning.
Firefighters finally contained the Kentbruck blaze last night, managing to backburn 4500ha of land in inaccessible and difficult terrain.
Country Fire Authority spokesman Chris Clugston said "excellent work" was done by the firefighters, but the backburning brought the size of the fire to almost 12,000ha.
A statewide total fire ban is in force since midnight (AEDT) across Victoria, with severe fire conditions expected across the state today.
A total fire ban throughout Victoria applies for 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a senior Victorian fire services commander says arson attacks were "getting out of control" amid calls for more resources to help tackle the scourge.
Authorities are probing several suspicious fires that broke out in Melbourne's northwest this week, and police say a dozen blazes may have been lit deliberately in Victoria during the past fortnight.
Emergency services workers are on high alert for firebugs today.
Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board Commander Bob Undy said arsonists had wreaked havoc in the past few days.
"This is just getting out of control all across Australia," he said. "It's putting life and property at risk, all for the sake of so-called fun."
Four fires raged through an industrial area in Sunshine North early yesterday morning, near where another suspicious fire was discovered the previous night.
MFB deputy chief officer David Youssef said the CFA was also concerned about suspicious fires near Wallan, and said arson was a "significant drain on our resources".
"It means there's equipment unavailable for other calls, which is a big problem," he said.
The Baillieu Government has set up a special police unit to focus on potential arsonists this summer, and Operation Firesetter was launched late last year.
It has also pledged to roll out GPS technology to track convicted arsonists.
Acting Premier Peter Ryan said on radio that arsonists were "absolute idiots" and urged people to call police if they saw suspicious activity.
"It's time we take action against this, we all have a part to play," he said.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that loud warning sirens will alert Dandenong Ranges residents to potentially life-threatening fires and other emergencies this summer.
Community alert sirens will operate in 23 areas east of Melbourne as part of a statewide pilot program.
The alerts trial was a recommendation in the Bushfire's Royal Commission Interim Report and will be adopted throughout Victoria if successful.
Two types of sirens will alert residents. A 90-second signal will indicate a CFA brigade has responded to an emergency. A five-minute signal will indicate a local emergency, warning residents to act immediately.
Mr Ryan said the alerts were not intended to trigger evacuations, but would warn residents to seek more information.
"Our emergency services now have another way to alert the local community to impending danger, whether it's a fire, significant flood or a chemical spill," he said.
Mr Ryan said the sirens could be activated remotely from the State Control Centre or the Incident Control Centre, or manually at local CFA stations.
As part of the pilot program, another 18 sirens will also be ready to use in towns including Lorne, Mt Martha, Boolarra, Kinglake, Euroa, and Myrtleford.
The Herald Sun can reveal the State Government today will step in to provide emergency grants for some of those affected by fires.
Five applications for emergency relief assistance have been accepted, for $1200 each. Mr Ryan has authorised two more grants, worth up to $30,000 each, for rebuilding homes.
A grass fire in the state's north-east was contained yesterday after local residents were warned to activate their bushfire survival plans and leave the area.
State Control Centre spokeswoman Sonia Maclean said the 10ha grass fire at Dropmore, east of Seymour, had been brought under control by firefighters working on two flanks on the blaze.
The fire started about 4.30pm as a number of small grass and scrub fires.
The CFA has dropped an earlier "watch and act" warning and is now advising local residents to monitor conditions and consider what they will do in case the situation changes.
Two large blazes near Goroke and Dartmoor, both in the state's west, were among those to spread further yesterday before crews contained them.
- with Matt Johnston, Tom Minear, Michelle Ainsworth and Annika Smethurst and AAP
The Herald Sun has joined with fire authorities to keep Victorians informed. Check out the Bushfire Ready page for the latest advice, warnings and videos from the CFA. This page is updated with the latest warnings from across the state. Save it to your bookmarks. You can access it from our homepage (click on Bushfire Ready) from any computer. This service is not available on smart phones.
Check live weather information - including fire warnings - on your computer AND smart phone at our Weather page. Just add m.heraldsun.com.au to your smart phone bookmarks and follow the View weather forecast link.
The CFA has a live fire map. Check it out here and add to your bookmarks.
The Herald Sun will keep you informed throughout the heatwave. Check back regularly for weather information, reader photos and fire warnings on your PC and mobile. Reports and alerts will also be posted to our Facebook page and from our official Twitter account.
For general bushfire information
- Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on freecall 1800 240 667 or www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Stay informed
- ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations or watching Sky News TV
- Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication impairment can contact VBIL via the National Relay Service on 1800 555 677
- Road closures: Check www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
- Tourists: Stay away from listed areas
- For life or property threatening emergencies: Phone 000
Originally published asFirefighters have blazes under control

subset: commoncrawl


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sarahsean on Family Tree Circles
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help dead end in familly tree
Hi everyone,
My sister and I are searching for information on my great grandmother`s family. Her name was Elizabeth Rose Nethaway and she was born in 1875-1878. We know that her father was called Henry Nethaway from her marriage certificate. She married my great grandfather in 1903 in Romsey, Surrey, England. However we can find no record of her in that area before 1903, can find no record of her birth and no trace of her in the 1901 uk census. We plan on going round the cemeteries in Romsey this summer as my sister remembers visiting her grave there with my father who is since deceased as are any other family members who could have been of help. It may be a long search as we don`t know exactly where the grave is! We have looked at all the family tree sites we can think of on the internet.
Has anyone else had this problem and been as stumped as we are and what did they do to solve the problem.
Thanks for any help
looking for Dowdings of Cookham, Berkshire
Looking for Dowdings of Cookham Berkshire circa 1813
Thanks to everyone who has given me information on my great-grandmothers family. I have just received some surprising information that she along with my grandmother and her siblings emmigrated to the USA in the 1920's. I had no idea! My grandmother did go to live in Canada with her husband,my father and his brother but I had no idea that she had lived in the USA, i thought it was only her brother.
Now I have to investigate my fathers fathers family not so easy as all we know is that they came from Boston,Lincs,UK and their name is Hall. Oh for an unusual name!
- Displaying 1-3 of 3 Journals
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What to Expect When You're Expecting, Fourth Edition
Murkoff is back with yet another edition of the indispensable What to Expect When You're Expecting —this time with a largely rewritten and revised edition of the comprehensive guide she introduced 24 years ago. The book has undergone an extensive overhaul, beginning with the cover, which depicts a stylish expectant mom dressed in jeans and a form-fitting shirt—a far cry from the original text's comfy, frumpy mom seated in a rocking chair. Inside, the author has added a number of new features, including a chapter that draws upon current research to steer parents-to-be to a healthier lifestyle even before conception begins, chapters on healthy eating and giving birth to multiples (a growing trend) and expanded sections on working during pregnancy. While the general layout and appearance of the book will be familiar to readers, Murkoff has successfully broadened and sharpened the material while keeping the overall style and presentation intact. (Apr.)
Release date: 04/01/2008
Genre: Nonfiction


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Job Summary This position performs prescribed radiographic procedures in accordance with department/facility policies, procedures and protocols. This position ensures optimal care/treatment to patient population. This position is responsible for assisting clinicians and nursing staff in providing medical care, as well as, implementing and evaluating direct patient care. This position utilizes specialized knowledge, judgment and skills to provide an excellent patient experience.
Essential Functions
Minimum Qualifications High school diploma/GED or equivalent working knowledge. Requires certificate or diploma from an approved/accredited school of Radiology program. Requires national certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and licensure by the state regulatory agency if applicable. BLS certification required. Requires successful completion of the Banner Health MA competency assessment. All direct patient care personnel are required to demonstrate competent performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BLS) techniques for adults, children and infants according to the standards of a nationally recognized, standardized, credentialed healthcare provider course every other year. Requires exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Requires the ability to manage multiple changing priorities in an effective and organized fashion. Requires strong computer skills, including the ability to work with medical software Preferred Qualifications Knowledge as normally obtained through graduation from an Accredited Medical Assisting Program. Experience with office medical procedures and treatments and knowledge of insurance, managed care operations, EMR and scheduling software preferred. Additional related education and/or experience preferred.


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Failover Test Transaction
|1. The noted and often recorded exchange, movement or conveyance of Failover Test related data, information, money or objects between at least two parties, where there is at least one transmitting party and at least one receiving party and where the transmitting and receiving parties do not necessarily need to be unique.
Read More
|1) The Semantic Root Noun for this term is: Failover Test
2) Semantically Related Terms: The "Failover Test Management Glossary"
3) The Failover Test Management Home Page covers much more about other related terms and concepts associated with this term or phrase.


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Measuring nectar from eucalypts
The effect of logging on canopy nectar production in tall forest trees has for the first time been investigated by NSW DPI researchers, with funding from the Honeybee Program of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and Forests NSW.
State forests provide the major honey resource for the beekeeping industry in NSW.
While Forests NSW has a number of management practices in place to retain nectar-producing trees during logging operations, there has been no information on how much nectar is produced by retained trees or young trees regrowing after logging.
Indeed, beekeepers have expressed concern about the effects of logging on nectar production, especially the perception that young trees do not produce as much nectar as mature trees.
The two eucalypt species chosen for research, Spotted Gum Corymbia maculata and Grey Ironbark Eucalyptus paniculata, are of prime importance to nectarfeeding wildlife, the timber industry and beekeepers.
Using cranes and cherry-pickers, flowers in forest canopies over 30 metres high on the NSW south coast were accessed. Nectar in flowers bagged overnight was measured to determine how much nectar they produce.
Both large and small trees were measured in forest with different logging histories: recently logged, regrowth and mature (more than 50 years since logging).
After measuring thousands of flowers, the study concluded that nectar production in Spotted Gum on a per flower basis was not affected by logging history nor tree size.
When the amount of nectar produced by whole forest stands is estimated on the basis of individual flower measurements and counts of flowers and trees, the study found that mature forest produced almost 10 times as much sugar per hectare as recently logged forest.
However, because current logging practices result in a mosaic landscape, where some areas are logged and others are left untouched, the impact is far less.
An estimate of nectar production at a 'compartment' scale found a recently logged compartment produced half the amount of nectar as a compartment of mature forest.
Most importantly, nectar was not a limited resource in 2005, when the research was undertaken, as extensive flowering was recorded across the south coast.
The study surveyed local beekeepers with questionnaires and found that honey yields in 2005 were extremely high: a typical 1000 hectares of spotted gum forest flowering from April-August yielded five tonnes of honey.
Honey productivity was found to be comparable across the three different logging histories: recently logged, regrowth and mature. But not every year is as good as 2005, with flowers measured in 2003 providing a strong contrast.
Few trees were in flower and nectarivores, especially birds and honeybees, left virtually no nectar behind by mid-morning.
Beekeepers reported that hive bees were not producing honey under these conditions.
Results for grey ironbark showed similarities to spotted gum with regard to the impact of logging, but the species differed markedly in other aspects of nectar production.
The results of this study will help promote sustainability by raising the awareness of forestry organisations about the importance of the nectar resource for native fauna and honeybees and that of beekeepers about current forest management.
Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
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Earth 2150 - Lost Souls
It is the 7th of December, 2150, and the Earth is quickly coming to an end.
An ongoing feud between the Eurasian Dynasty and the United Civilized States has left the planet in disarray -- people are hungry, resources are scarce and agricultural production has stopped. But the situation is getting even worse. A series of nuclear explosions near Antarctica have altered the Earth??A?s orbit around the sun, making glaciers melt and the seas rise to threatening levels, and the catastrophe has been worsened by meteorite showers that have buried whole parts of the planet. Thanks to a group of scientists from the Lunar Corporation, a long forgotten colony on the Moon, many people have managed to escape the terror and make their way to the nearby safety of Mars, but an unlucky few -??A? the Lost Souls -??A? have been left behind. And now they are seeking revenge.
The demo includes two missions playable on the Lunar Corporation side, as well as a Skirmish mode.
No local download file is associated with this listing. Clicking the Download link will redirect your browser to a page from which the application can be obtained.


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With many new BlackBerry devices launching on carriers worldwide, you wanna make sure you're picking the right device. Inside BlackBerry posted ealier five (5) things you should know about the 9900/9930. I've personally had my 9900 for almost a week now & i keep learning new/cool things about it daily.
The BlackBerry® Bold 9900 and BlackBerry® Bold 9930 smartphones have gotten great buzz since we first announced the two BlackBerry® 7 smartphones with a BlackBerry Bold touch at the BlackBerry World conference in May. Members of the media and #TeamBlackBerry certainly enjoyed test-driving them at our #BB7FanNight event in Toronto. (FYI: Weve gathered many BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 reviews from across the web for your quick reference.) Now that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are making their way to your local carriers and retail locations, we thought it would be a good time for the BlackBerry Bold Product Managers Michael and Jason to share five things you need to know about the new BlackBerry Bold touch smartphones.
1. The new touch BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones combine design style with substance
Our design goal for the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones was to deliver a stunning design that integrates the BlackBerry Bold familys iconic QWERTY keypad with a brilliant, high resolution capacitive touch screen. Great care, time and precision went into designing and creating the keypad on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones; it was meticulously refined, sculpted and positioned to deliver the utmost in precision functionality to make typing accurate, simple and fast. In fact, even though the keypad on these two smartphones may look similar to that of the BlackBerry® Bold 9000 smartphone, it actually has 5% more surface area. Achieving such an improved typing experience on the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones yet is something we know BlackBerry customers will appreciate (and is a testament to our design teams commitment to delivering continuous improvements to what matters most to our customers).
In terms of the overall design, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones were built in the tradition of the BlackBerry Bold line of smartphones, with purposeful detailing plus premium materials and finish. When you first hold the device in your hand, we think you will quickly realize how great it feels. Weve highlighted some of our favorite design elements below:
- Brushed stainless steel frame: the elegantly brushed stainless steel frame extending around the exterior adds to the visual appeal of both Blackberry Bold smartphones, giving them what we feel is a timeless and classic look. Beyond aesthetics, the stainless steel frame adds reliable durability while seamlessly integrating important functions like the convenience and volume keys.
- Aerospace composite battery door: distinct to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones, the aerospace composite battery door is incredibly lightweight and durable. Its made of the same composite material thats used to construct next-generation airplanes, racecars, and high-tech sports equipment. The cool factor is high to be sure, but more importantly, this composite construction actually helps optimize antennas, radios, and other device technology for highly reliable connectivity.
- Ultra-thin design: When we looked at the amount of time people have a device in hand, it became a priority for us to make the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones ever at 10.5mm. For BlackBerry smartphone users, this means a lightweight, sleek & slim device that fits comfortably in the palm of their hand, while maintaining uncompromised performance.
2. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930: The most powerful guts ever in a BlackBerry smartphone
We wanted to match the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones distinctive design with powerful hardware to deliver a best-in-class BlackBerry Bold smartphone experience. With a 1.2 GHz processor, 8GB of onboard memory with the option to expand (using up to a 32GB media card), and high-speed CDMA or HSPA+ world phone connectivity, these models have the most powerful guts ever in a BlackBerry smartphone, helping you get more things done even faster. Here are a few features wed like to speak to in more detail.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are the first BlackBerry smartphones to feature brilliant 2.8 640×480 high-resolution touch screens, which deliver crisp, clear images and text at 287 pixels per inch, in full 24-bit color. Powered by the BlackBerry 7 OS and Liquid Graphics technology, these screens provide a truly responsive and versatile touch experience, so you can browse the web, interact on social sites, read and respond to emails, and view high resolution videos and photos. If youd like to learn more about the evolution of the touch experience in BlackBerry 7, check out Sangita and Troys post, which tackles the subject in more detail.
In addition to hi-speed CDMA or HSPA+ cellular connectivity, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones also feature dual-band Wi-Fi® connectivity (2.4GHz and 5GHz). Reliable Wi-Fi connectivity is important for pulling down large amounts of data quickly without a hit to your data plan, and Dual band Wi-Fi connectivity means better connectivity and faster performance at the office, coffee shop, airport, or at home.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are the first BlackBerry smartphones to feature Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. NFC is a technology that allows BlackBerry smartphone users to just tap to connect, get information, and link up with other supported NFC devices or authentic BlackBerry accessories. For more information about what NFC means for BlackBerry smartphone users, please watch this interview with Andrew Bocking, VP of Handheld Software Product Management.
3. The new BlackBerry 7 OS delivers better performance, usability and voice-activated Universal search
The powerful hardware in the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones have been paired with the new and powerful BlackBerry 7 OS, which offers a variety of performance and usability enhancements, such as Liquid Graphics and the next generation BlackBerry web browser. While BlackBerry 7 Product Manager Annu is planning on providing a detailed blog post on BlackBerry 7, we thought wed share one of our favorite features: voice-activated Universal Search.
With voice-activated Universal Search, the powerful on-device search functionality that premiered in the BlackBerry 6® OS has gone hands free. Using advanced speech-to-text translation, you can now search for files, emails, contacts, music, and moreall without typing a thing. Voice-activated Universal Search also combs the web and BlackBerry applications for the information you need. For example, I often use Universal Search to find an address, which automatically brings up the BlackBerry® Maps location information. Very cool!
4. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones improve social collaboration
As we said before, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones full QWERTY keypad offer an efficient and speedy typing experience, but its not just for emails. The new BlackBerry Bold smartphones feature the latest versions of our social media applications, including Social Feeds, Twitter® for BlackBerry smartphones, Facebook® for BlackBerry smartphones, and the new BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) 6. This suite of apps makes it easy for BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphone owners to quickly connect with friends, family, and co-workers.
Were most excited about the potential of BBM 6 for BlackBerry Bold smartphone users, because of BBM-connected apps. BBM 6 allows for 3rd-party applications to incorporate your favorite aspects of BBM into their apps, from status updates and sharing to BBM chats. The video below shows how popular social application Foursquare takes advantage of BBM 6, but that doesnt mean that social on the new BlackBerry Bold smartphones is only about fun and games. Dont believe me? Check out this post on how to use BlackBerry Messenger 6 for business.
5. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones Balance the needs of enterprise and end users
In addition a full QWERTY keypad, dual-band Wi-Fi and BBM 6, the new BlackBerry Bold smartphones offer a variety of features that reinforce the BlackBerry Bold familys heritage as the ultimate enterprise device for business people on the go. Two of our favorites are BlackBerry® Balance technology and the Documents To Go® Premium app.
BlackBerry Balance is a new technology in BlackBerry 7 that ensures your work life and private life never mixso you can enjoy the fullest mobile experience on just one device. When youre at work, BlackBerry Balance technology allows you to focus on getting tasks done while securely accessing business information, but it also makes it possible to stay connected via apps like Facebook, Twitter or personal email accounts. This is because BlackBerry Balance technology is designed to works behind the scenes to safeguard against accidentally compromising the security of company content while simultaneously protecting the privacy of your personal content. To learn more about this new technology, check out the BlackBerry Balance product page.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones also come with the full premium version of the Documents To Go app, which is a vital tool for mobile productivity. Documents To Go is a mobile document suite that is designed to allow you to create and edit Microsoft® Word®, Microsoft® Excel®, and Microsoft® PowerPoint® docs, and view PDF docs anywhere, anytime. As someone that travels regularly for work, I can attest that the ability to easily review or edit important work documents has been a lifesaver many times over.
Were incredibly excited that the next generation of BlackBerry Bold smartphones is now available for BlackBerry smartphone users. For more information on pricing and availability, please contact your local carrier or visit our BlackBerry Bold where to buy page. Make sure to post a comment below and let us know what you think!


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STAND UP FOR PITS wants to
Ending BSL and abuse (dog fighting) means safe and humane communities for humans and pets.
Taking this pledge publicly states your support of making communities safe for humans and pets and that you will be attending the rally at the US Capital in an attempt to end BSL (breed specific legislation) and abuse/dog fighting. The time is now, for us, as a society to be the voice of the millions of voiceless victims and offer solutions to help end this national epidemic. PLEASE join me now…
Research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.
PLEASE take this pledge and reach out to Maryland governor Martin O'Malley via emails, phone calls and/or hard copy letters. We must act NOW. THE GOAL-to get Mr. O'Malley to sit down with Rebecca Corry face to face to discuss BSL (breed specific legislation) which is plain and simply put-DISCRIMINATION. The goal of this petition is to protect people and pets. To provide safe and humane…
We are marching on Washington DC in an effort create a safe and humane environment for humans and…Read More
This is my little boy Buddy. We rescued him about a year and a half ago and he's just changed our lives and filled us with so much love. He…Read More
I live in P.G. County MD which is one of Washington DC's surrounding suburbs. I lost 3 of my own wonderful pitbulls to stupid and inhumane BSL! My Shane was 3 years old and my Rain was 1 1/2 years old when they were ripped from my home just because the neighborhood kids wanted to play with them and…Read More
This is Remi. I rescued her October 2012. When i came across this sweet pup she was scheduled for lethal injection. Her crime? Shes a pit…Read More
The sweet girl on the left, Candy was my first pibble saved off the streets. Sadly, she was a victim of who knows what and we were unable…Read More


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The Importance of Sleep
Not only does the quantity of your sleep matter, but the quality is important as well. How well rested you are and how well you function the next day depend on your total sleep time and how much of the various stages of sleep you get each night.
We need to sleep to think clearly, react quickly, and create memories. In fact, the pathways in the brain that help us learn and remember are very active when we sleep. Skimping on sleep has a price. Cutting back by even 1 hour can make it tough to focus the next day and slow your response time. Studies have shown that when you lack sleep, you are more likely to make bad decisions and take more risks. This can result in poor performance on the job or at school and a greater risk for an accident or car crash.
Sleep also affects mood. Insufficient sleep can make you irritable and is linked to poor behavior and trouble with relationships, especially among children and teens. People who chronically lack sleep are also more likely to become depressed.
Sleep also is important for good health. Studies show that not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions. In addition, during sleep, your body produces valuable hormones. These hormones help children grow and help adults and children build muscle mass, fight infections, and repair cells. Hormones released during sleep also affect how the body uses energy. Studies find that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese, develop diabetes, and prefer eating foods high in calories and carbohydrates.
Above information is directly from the NIH.
Sleep Tips
- Create a sleeping environment that is cool, dark, simple and comfortable with minimal electronic devices.
- Be intentional about your sleep and consistent with your sleep schedule; keep a sleep journal, fitbit, or sleep cycle app.
- Avoid caffeine 6 - 8 hours and alcohol 3 hours before bed.
- Make sure your brain knows when it's day (lights & physical activity) and when it's night (darkness & calm).
- Unplug 30 minutes before sleep, even your phone.
- Use ear plugs and sleep masks.
- Exercise regularly, but not right before going to bed.
- Read for leisure, listen to calming music, write for a few minutes in a journal, or try some other relaxing ritual to get body ready for sleep.
Sleep Assessment
Getting enough sleep helps prevent chronic diseases and promotes overall health. Take a few minutes to assess your sleeping habits with the checklist below. Make any necessary changes to ensure you are getting the best quantity and quality of sleep that you can.
- Are you going to bed at the same time each night and rising at the same time each morning?
- Are you sleeping in a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot nor too cold?
- Have you made your bed comfortable?
- Do you use the bedroom only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or using the computer?
- Do you avoid physical activity within a few hours of bedtime?
- Do you avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol within a few hours of bedtime?
- Do you avoid large meals and liquids before bedtime?
- Do you allow enough time for sleep each night so that you wake up feeling refreshed?


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Baptiste Debombourg, Zijah Gafić, Boris Hodak, Adela Jušić, Andy Kania, Milomir Kovačević, Miodrag Manojlović, Radenko Milak, Renata Papista, Damir Radović
Exhibition: January 15th - February 16th 2013
Duplex100m2 is open Tuesday to Saturday from 2pm to 7pm and anytime by appointment.
Exhibited artworks:
|Would You Really Like to rEVEal All the Secrets?, acrylic & oil on canvas, 150x100 cm
|SILLYcon Valley – Tomorrow? (In black and white), photo collage on paper, 34x47 cm
Duplex10m2 has been situated on a new address in the city-center of Sarajevo since July 2012 and has since then emerged into Duplex100m2. The gallery's new address is Obala Kulina Bana 22. The new space is an apartment of 100m2 built in the Austrian-Hungarian style with a view on the Miljacka River, devoted to contemporary art. It is separated into two parts. The first part, the "living room", kept its domestic character, while at the same time serving as an office, a space for meetings and discussions, and a show room for the presentation of artistic works. The second part of the apartment is dedicated to exhibitions: two standard white cube exhibition spaces.
From 2004, Duplex100m2 supports the art scene of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans. It hosts numerous artists, enables them production, exhibition and presentation of their works; plans and organizes exhibitions on the local, regional and international level; it enhances the visibility of art in Bosnia and Herzegovina out of its boarders, especially on international contemporary art fairs; it makes connections between numerous contemporary art actors – artists, curators, institutional representatives and private partners; everything with the aim to foster new projects and establish an unusual platform of artistic encounters.
Duplex100m2, with its strong network and on-the-ground experience, also develops its service and advisory activities for international project leaders in Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina: agencies, institutions, companies, and individuals who are active in the field of art and culture. Duplex's team ensures total or partial planning, implementation, communication, logistical support and monitoring of projects.
Duplex100m2 is expanding its activities in a space which at the same time serves as an exhibition space, manufacturing shop, agency for project design and development, show room for hosting art lovers and art collectors, as well as a space of encounters and actions.
Duplex100m2 is supported by agnès b. Endowment Fund and the Agency of Paris.


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This is a big day for WikiProject Oregon.
While we are a truly collaborative effort among a diverse group, it's no doubt that this project owes a great deal to the hard work of Pete Forsyth. Pete has been instrumental in the organization of WikiProject Oregon, especially in public outreach work. This very blog was his idea to begin with.
So it's with great joy that we get to wish him luck as he heads on to a new opportunity in San Francisco as the Public Outreach Officer for the Wikimedia Foundation. For those not familiar with it, the Foundation is the non-profit that helps run Wikipedia and countless other free culture projects.
As his work with WikiProject Oregon clearly shows, Pete has a gift for reaching out to the public on behalf of Wikipedia. While all of us devote our free time to editing the free encyclopedia, Pete is one of the slightly rarer individuals who work outside the wiki to educate the public about the Wikimedia movement.
Now he gets to do that not just for Oregon and Wikipedia, but for the whole of the Wikimedia Foundation. Congratulations Pete!


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I'm happy to say that I survived and have returned from the cigar event to end all cigar events. Of course, I'm talking about none other than the annual IPCPR (formerly RTDA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada. And what better way to get back into the swing of things but with a review of a brand new cigar?
This cigar is a particular treat to review. Not only is it absolutely new (which makes it especially attractive to me), but I happen to know that very, very few people have ever smoked it. There were very few samples available at the show, and I was lucky enough to get one only because I met the man behind the cigar, Andres "Andy" Madera on the CigarLive forum earlier this year.
There isn't yet a whole lot of information yet available online about the cigar, so here's what I know. The cigar is produced in Esteli, Nicaragua by GDW Cigars. Andres Madera, the owner, has set up his U.S. base of operations in the rainy city of Portland, Oregon. Andy has big plans, but is starting out with a single line of Reserva Miraflor cigars. It's available in the standard vitolas (robusto, churchill, toro, belicoso) as well as the increasingly popular lancero size.
And that pretty much covers what I know. Let's light it up!
Cigar Stats:
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: ~$4.00
The Pre-Smoke
As you would expect from a cigar with "oscuro" in the name, this cigar comes wrapped in a nice, dark brown, oily leaf. But not quite as dark as some other oscuros out there on the market, more of a slightly reddish maduro. In my inspection of the cigar, I found it to be free of any obvious flaws and nicely firm.
The cigar had a faint compost scent on the wrapper that was a little bit more pungent at the foot. I clipped this cigar with my trusty Xikar scissors and found the cold taste to be a slightly sweet cocoa.
The Burn
The burn of this cigar was very respectable. The ash was solid, light and hung tough on the cigar for around an inch before dropping. The draw was also prefect. The only flaws I noted while smoking the cigar was a little bit of unevenness in the burn in the first and last thirds. And I did have to relight the cigar once right around the halfway point.
The Flavor
The cigar started off with a rich, creamy, nutty cedar flavor and quickly developed some caramel and coffee flavors early on in the first third. Creamy and occasionally spicy coffee dominated this portion of the cigar, and was rejoined by cedar just before second third began.
By the second third, the coffee flavor faded and was replaced by cocoa and dark chocolate that combined nicely with the cedar. As the second third burned, the cedar flavor became more and more prominent. Just before the final third, the cigar was all aromatic, almost floral, cedar.
The final third saw the return of the cocoa and chocolate, but cedar remained dominant.
The Price
I have no complains about this price. I'm not sure what the final MSRP will be once these cigars become more widely available in retail shops, but I know it will be pretty close to the price quoted by Andy to interested buyers on the CigarLive forum. (You can see the details here.) Since it falls in the $3 to $5 range, I think most cigar smokers will find it affordable.
The Verdict
My verdict for this cigar is simple. It's a great tasting cigar that burns well and won't break the bank. I really enjoyed the combination of cocoa and chocolate flavors with cedar and can see myself smoking this more often in the future. And I'm really glad that I enjoyed this cigar. I didn't know what to expect from this cigar, and I wanted to be able to help support the new guy to the market! Andy made that easy by producing a fine cigar! If you have the opportunity to smoke one, I say go for it.
Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes
Recommend It: Yes
Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.
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Help me out by submitting this to Digg (or vote for it if its already there)!


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It is really amazing to see the level of energy and enthusiasm around Web technology and how the envelop get constantly pushed by developers. This becomes really visible in the conferences that happen around the world on the topic. In our teams, we attend and participate to a lot of events as a way to present new advances on the Web but also as a way to learn and be aware of developer pain points.
In the last week alone, for example, we have been involved in various events.
First, Adobe hosted W3Conf in San Francisco.
This is a conference organized by the W3C and which addresses Web developers. The agenda was packed with great talks such as Eric Meyer's presentation on "The Era of Intentional Layout", Adobe's CJ Gammon's inspiring talk about the future of reading (see "Do androids read electric books?" or Adobe's Alexandru Chiculita's stories from the mobile web trenches in "The making of CSSFilterLab". And of course, Joshua Davis' talk on "Beyond Play: the Art of Creative Coding" showed how web technologies (SVG) can be used in the creative process, even though not necessarily inside a browser.
Read more about the W3Conf, the Doc Sprint that was held after, and the Processing Workshop by Joshua Davis.
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend W3Conf myself, but that was for a good reason: I was speaking at another great conference in Bangalore, India. The conference was called Meta Refresh and gathered a lot of developers and designers. I enjoyed giving a talk about "The Quest for the Graphical Web" and listening to speakers who thought beyond simple responsive layouts to get into content prioritization and interleaving (see Arpan Chinta's talk "Getting serious about Responsive Web Design") and questioned our approach to design altogether (with Tulsi Dharmarajan's talk "High on design").
Another example of a great conference is Web Visions NewYork where Mihnea-Vlad Ovidenie from our team talked about "Using CSS Regions to Create Magazine-like Layouts for Any Screen" and Kevin Hoyt gave a presentation on "Building Mobile Applications with Web Standards".
All those events are a testimony of the activity around the Web platform (if proof was needed!) and how creative it is becoming. It is also nice to be in a day and age when, if you miss a conference, or cannot travel to it, you can alway catch up online with videos. See the W3Conf videos and the Meta Refresh videos for example.
We are actively involved in organizing or sponsoring events to make the web better, please join us at html.adobe.com/events!


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What the world needs now is more spicy hot-takes, amiright? Well, here's one anyway.
What is The Consulting Pipeline Podcast?
How do coders become consultants? They specialize, develop a point of view, and market based on their ability to move the needle for clients.
This podcast explores the transition from coder to consultant through interviews with those making and enjoying the results of this transition, and occasional audio essays from your host Philip Morgan.
This journey takes time, so why don't you join us now?


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I found this artcle: "Tech's toxic political culture: The stealth libertarianism of Silicon Valley bigwigs" about Marc Andreessen's recent Tweet-storm of a utopian future - when he himself ReTweeted it. I really don't think the ::gotcha:: that the author sees in Marc's tweets is valid - but instead a false dichotomy from a traditionalist position with blinders on.
Essentially, the argument is that techno-libertarians want their liberating technologies that (as Marc claims & I tend to agree with as well) improve the lot of the poor, but these same Tech-Libs don't want to pay for the safety nets that would help the poor.
To me - it seems like there's a definite short-term tension that needs to be addressed, but that we will be able to:
- 1.) Retrain most of the displaced
- 2.) Increase our purchasing power to provide a standard of living for those in poverty a la basic income - as tech enables living at a cheaper and cheaper cost to the whole of society.
1.) The big reference the author gives for a gloomy future due to tech is actually totally the opposite of reality:
"The Industrial Revolution created job opportunities for the unskilled, but the current revolution in automation is having the opposite effect"
That really isn't true. The Industrial Revolution actually led to the development of the public school / university / trade-school systems for broader training of white/blue collar workers alike. It also wiped out agricultural work - for the better: it sucked. This is totally glossed over.
I'd contend that these past events will rhyme with the future events that will lead to humanity's further training and empowerment - beyond the current schools system's love of industrialized education.
2.) We've already seen that the Industrial Revolution allowed us to use new tech and organizational methods to better take care of the poor - not worse. Is that deniable? The surplus of food, clothing, shelter, etc. was caused by these new systems. The poor were worse off, less mobile, and a higher percent of society that they are today by any reasonable measure I can think of.
While I see a short-term tension in paying for the poor and having the technology to help them - I don't think it's necessarily a trade-off in the long-term, but that is just short-term / old framing.
I'd love to hear what you guys think.


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3-4 Learning Results
This section has been updated to include the new Maine Learning Results, "Parameters for Essential Instruction," which were adopted by the state legislature in 2007. They are presented at the level of Development Standards. The 1997 Performance Indicators have been condensed slightly to conserve space.
The Common Core State Standards were added in November 2012.
Note that the 2007 Learning Results are divided into Grades 3-5 and 6-8.
Career Preparation 1997
B-1: Learn about a personally interesting career topic.
C-3: Academic knowledge and skills required in specific careers.
Career and Education Development 2007
A4. Career and Life Roles
B2. Skills for Individual/Personal Success in the 21st Century
B3. Education and Career Information
Common Core State Standards-English Language Arts
The CCSI College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies/, Science, and Technical Subjects for Grades K – 5 cover Speaking and Listening, Reading Literature and Informational Texts, Language, Writing, and Foundational Skills (Foundational Skills are for grades K – 2 only.) All of the standards within the ELA categories may be addressed using the content provided in History of Navigation, depending on the activities implemented by the teacher. Some suggested activities are provided online, but many more are possible, especially using the books listed in the Resource Section. Therefore, it is not possible to closely align CCSI ELA standards with the Web chapters, as any or all of the standards may well apply.
Where to Find More Detailed Maritime History/CCSI ELA Alignment
In contrast to Penobscot Bay History Online, Penobscot Marine Museum's Maritime History and Literacy Curriculum uses the online maritime history content as the jumping-off point for an actual curriculum. The Curriculum is available as museum-taught units or in the form of "History Kits" that may be rented by classrooms. Each Curriculum unit offers six weeks' worth of lesson plans including literacy activities, games, and projects designed to help students learn about a topic and practice literacy skills at the same time. In contrast to the chapters of Penobscot Bay History Online, which are intended to provide an overview of a topic, the Curriculum is sequential, detailed, and activity-based, and includes essential questions and suggested assessments. It is directed at elementary age students. Each unit of the Curriculum includes a listing of specific CCSI ELA and Math objectives that correspond with the activities within that unit. Each unit also includes the relevant Maine Learning Results for other content areas. The online chapters, on the other hand, constitute a resource for teachers, students, and anyone interested in history.
The History of Navigation chapter on the website does not directly correspond to a History Kit; however, the Kit called "The Explorers Come to Maine" includes some material on navigation.
Mathematics 1997
F-2: Appropriate measuring tools and units of measurement.
H-1: Simple formulas in problem-solving contexts.
Mathematics 2007
Grade 3
A4. Fractions
B1. Measurement of time and temperature
C1. Two-dimensional shapes
C2. Find distance around a figure
Grade 4
A4. Fractions
A5. Decimals
B1. Measurement of time, capacity, and temperature
C1. Identify and name angles, lines, relationships between lines, quadrilaterals, and triangles
C2. Area of a figure
C3. Congruent figures and line symmetry in figures
D3. Relationships between quantities and extension of sequences
Grade 5
A4. Fractions
A5. Decimals
B1. Measurement of elapsed time, temperature, capacity, mass, and weight
C1. Solid figures
C2. Area of triangles and quadrilaterals
C3. Volume and surface area of rectangular prisms
C4. Describe position and direction in two dimensions
D3. Analyze relationships between quantities
Common Core State Standards-Mathematics 2012
Grade 3:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic
Number and Operations—Fractions
- Develop understanding of fractions as numbers
Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time
- Represent and interpret data
- Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition
- Geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
Grade 4:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic
Number and Operations—Fractions
- Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions
Measurement and Data
- Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit
- Represent and interpret data
- Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles
- Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles
Grade 5:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
- Write and interpret numerical expressions
Number and Operations in Base Ten
- Perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths
Number and Operations—Fractions
- Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
Measurement and Data
- Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system
- Represent and interpret data
Science and Technology 1997
G-1: Relative positions of the sun, moon, and planets.
G-3: Earth's rotation on its axis and its revolution around the sun.
G-4: Relationship between the earth and its moon.
J-1: Observations using appropriate tools and units of measure.
J-6: How different conclusions can be derived from the same data.
K-1: Alternative explanations for observed phenomena.
M-1: How cultures have found different technological solutions to deal with similar needs or problems.
M-2: Role of scientists and inventors.
M-3: How technology has altered human settlement.
Science and Technology 2007
A2. Models
A3. Constancy and change
A4. Scale
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry
B2. Skills and Traits of Technological Design
C2. Understandings about Science and Technology
C3. Science, Technology, and Society
D1. Universe and Solar System
D4. Force and Motion
Social Studies 1997
A-1: Similarities and differences in characteristics of individuals who have made significant contributions to society in different eras.
A-1: Construct and compare maps of Maine, the U. S., and regions of the world; interpret geographical features and draw conclusions about physical patterns.
Visual and Performing Arts 1997
B-1: Recognize selected major periods of the visual and performing arts; identify major artists and their work.
Visual and Performing Arts 2007
E1. The Arts and History and World Cultures
E2. The Arts and Other Disciplines


text:
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Our cloud experts post news and new ideas on how organizations can transform and optimize their IT infrastructures through cloud.VISIT BLOG


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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Lindberg Babe and Other Headlines
Overwork and a serious health scare related to a dear friend (I'm relieved to say that his surgery appears to have been a success) have taken the wind out of me, and consequently my blogging sails, of late. I've just finished the bulk of my work on VIDEO WATCHDOG #140, so this is my week between issues to concentrate on viewing and reviewing for the next issue or two. I'm currently working on a lengthy review of the long-awaited DVD premiere of the Peter Cushing-Christopher Lee classic THE SKULL (finally on DVD in its original Techniscope screen ratio) and making my way through Flicker Alley's extraordinary box set GEORGES MELIES - FIRST WIZARD OF THE CINEMA, as well as attending to some shorter reviews. One of these will be devoted to the first volume of cartoons from the PINK PANTHER spin-off series THE INSPECTOR, for which I have discovered a heretofore unsuspected love. Cartoons with titles like "Cirrhosis of the Louvre" and "Napoleon Blown-Apart" -- what's not to love?
For those who are wondering, copies of VIDEO WATCHDOG #139 -- our exciting DOCTOR WHO issue -- were shipped out last Thursday and Saturday to our subscribers and retailers. First class subscribers will either have them now, or very soon.
Finally, in case you (like me) had to miss the first public screening of Joe Dante's THE MOVIE ORGY last week at the New Beverly Cinema, there is primo vicarious info to be had from Glenn Erickson's DVD Savant, the blogs Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule and Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur, and also from this Variety report by Peter Debruge. Everyone is describing it as a tremendous and privileged cinephilic experience, and talking up the "Dante's Inferno" retrospective screenings in general as one of the great cultural events of the year. Atta boy, Joe!
Friday, April 25, 2008
The Best Cartoon Show Ever
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
More Bond Where This Came From
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Bond Theme You Never Heard
The legendary Phyllis Hyman was my first choice to sing the song and working with her is one of the highlights of my musical career. I personally auditioned and sang the song to her while she was having breakfast in her manager's office. After agreeing to sing the song, she arrived at the studio and, without any rehearsal and only having heard the song sung once at the breakfast audition, sang the song in one perfect take.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Klein / Marker / Borowczyk
Earlier this week, I revisited Chris Marker's classic LA JETÉE as preparation for my next SIGHT & SOUND column, which is about a series of new Chris Marker titles from First Run Icarus Films, and noticed a "Bill Klein" in the cast list -- if it's indeed the same fellow, as seems likely, it's quite appropriate casting for a film so dependent on exquisite photography. (I just checked the IMDb and they report he played one of the men from the future.) Furthermore, GreenCine Daily reveals that today is M. Klein's 80th birthday, and I certainly wish him Many Happy Returns.
Incidentally, also in the cast of LA JETÉE is Ligia Borowczyk, the wife of Walerian Borowczyk, playing one of the women from the future. Her presence reminds us that Chris Marker and Walerian Borowczyk had previously collaborated on a short sf-themed film titled LES ASTRONAUTES in 1959, in which Ligia and at least one other cast member of LA JETÉE were featured. You can actually see this remarkable 14m film on YouTube (click to see Part One and Part Two), but let us hope that a proper release of this collaboration will be among the other Marker and Marker-related shorts forthcoming from First Run Icarus Films...
Update 4/20: Someone signing himself "Bill" reports that LES ASTRONAUTES is included as an extra in the Cult Epics DVD release of Borowczyk's GOTO, ISLAND OF LOVE. It has also subsequently been learned over at GreenCine Daily that William Klein was indeed the Bill Klein of LA JETÉE, and that his wife Janine also appeared in the film as one of the people from the future. Even more interesting to me, Klein was the American narrator of the English version of Marker's classic short -- his track is included on the Criterion DVD. It only remains to be discovered how much, if any, input he had into the film's still photography.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Got a Pendulum and Feel Like Swingin'?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Bewitching Hazel
Monday, April 14, 2008
First Look: VIDEO WATCHDOG #139
Something Extra with Your Morning Coffee
I was still a struggling young writer and could not afford the special blend that Irma had especially made, but I found Chock Full o' Nuts to be a pretty reasonable substitute -- at least it was then -- and stayed a faithful customer for many years. ("Better coffee a millionaire's money can't buy!," right?) But when special coffees began to infiltrate our local supermarkets in the 1980s, Donna and I went after them like sharks after chum. We're partial to chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut, also to robust flavors like Columbian and Kona; I like an occasional espresso, while Donna favors some desserty variants that don't do much for me, like caramel nut and chocolate raspberry. At the moment we find ourselves favoring Starbuck's Kenya and Breakfast Blends, and a new brand of coffee called Zavida that started showing up in our local stores last year; it comes in resealable silver foil bags -- very sensible, and the coffee in those bags tastes impressively rich and full-bodied from the first bean to the last. (I'm not too keen on their French Roast, though -- nor anyone's French Roast, for that matter.) And I do mean "bean" -- I prefer to grind my own, whenever possible.
Some recent sales on eBay have made me aware that America's coffee makers are missing out on just the sort of idea that inspires consumer loyalty. A few weeks ago, I discovered an eBay seller who was auctioning a series of celebrity figurines that were originally obtained as free giveaways in cans of an Italian brand of coffee called Mokalux. (I would have thought Mokalux was a French brand, considering the celebrities to whom they gave the premium treatment, but this website indicates they were an Italian company -- and have been since 1920.) Imagine the pleasure of opening a can of coffee and finding this little fellow swimming around inside the beans or flakes...
Sacha Guitry. Actor, writer, producer, playwright, a true creature of the theatre.
Yves Montand. The handsome star of THE WAGES OF FEAR and Z caught either at the height of song or in the headlights of an oncoming car.
and last but not least (you knew this was coming)...
Eddie Constantine!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Toast to Dieter Eppler (1927-2008)
A stage actor from the time of his graduation, Eppler made his screen debut in the early 1950s under his birth name of Heinz Dieter Eppler. Though the Edgar Wallace krimis didn't really come into vogue until Rialto Film began producing them in 1959, Eppler was already an old hand at Wallace by then, having played the role of Sgt. Carter in an earlier TV movie for SDR: Franz Peter Wirth's Der Hexer (1956), based on Wallace's novel THE GAUNT STRANGER. After attracting further attention as the lover of a decapitated and re-capitated stripper (!) in Viktor Trivas' Die Nackte und der Satan (US: THE HEAD, 1959), Eppler made a proud addition to the repertory cast of Rialto's Wallace series, first appearing as Joshua Broad in Der Frosch mit der maske (US: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE FROG, 1959).
The Wallace-krimis demanded memorable faces, and Eppler had a great one. His burly build, combined with his virile features, wavy hair and piercing eyes, made him the ideal henchman, maniac, tradesman or nobleman. During the 1960s, he appeared in a variety of sizeable roles in such well-remembered German productions as (let's stick to the American titles) THE HEAD, THE TERRIBLE PEOPLE, THE STRANGLER OF BLACKMOOR CASTLE, THE WHITE SPIDER, THE SINISTER MONK, THE DEATH RAY MIRROR OF DR. MABUSE, and Jess Franco's LUCKY THE INSCRUTABLE. He was a particular favorite of director Harald Reinl, who cast him several times in later projects, including a 1966 remake of Fritz Lang's Die Niebelungen and also in Die Schlangengrube und das pendel (1967), the Christopher Lee vehicle variously known as CASTLE OF THE WALKING DEAD and THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM.
One of the stranger turns of Eppler's career was his star turn as the chief bloodsucker of Roberto Mauri's La strage dei vampiri (SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES aka CURSE OF THE BLOOD GHOULS, 1963). His characterization was a throwback to the tuxedoed Bela Lugosi model of the 1930s, while also charged with the violence and eroticism that Christopher Lee had brought to Count Dracula in HORROR OF DRACULA (1957); in some ways, this blending of influences, combined with Eppler's well-fed physique and the general romanticism of the piece, anticipates Paul Naschy's stylish 1973 stab at the Un-dead: COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE.
Eppler, married since the age of 20 to the same woman -- Magdalene Schnaitmann -- and the father of five children, remained active in films and television series until 2001, when he retired from acting. This Das Neue Blatt news story from January 7th appears to paint a bittersweet portrait of his later years, which found him and his wife still together after 61 years but increasingly dependent upon their children, as a couple of bad falls consigned him to a wheelchair, and his wife began suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It's a humbling, sobering, yet heart-warming glimpse into the private life of an actor who contributed a great deal to post-war German cinema, and to international popular cinema, as a skilled actor and an unforgettable face.
In other words, as a movie star.
Friday, April 11, 2008
For Doug Holm
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Fred Lightner: Another Rondo Hatton?
The eighth episode of that fourth season, "Get Out of Town," I found especially interesting because it features a henchman character named Stanley, clearly modelled on the persona made popular by the late Rondo Hatton in various Universal horror and mystery programmers, including THE PEARL OF DEATH and HOUSE OF HORRORS. Hatton died with his last picture, 1946's THE BRUTE MAN, still awaiting release -- the victim of a bone-distorting pituitary disease called acromegaly, which had also been responsible for his distorted features.
"Get Out of Town" begins with Mike Barnett entering his apartment, only to be quickly overcome by a gigantic hand that chloroforms him.
No information about the later life of Fred Lightner is yet available, but it seems likely from these photos that he would not have had much longer to live. The point is not whether Rondo Hatton and Fred Lightner really were exposed to mustard gas, or if they -- like many others -- became acromegalic through some other internal process. The real point is that, until now, Rondo Hatton has always been a singular case study among actors, but this sighting of Fred Lightner proves that at least one other, authentically disfigured actor followed in his footsteps to play the sort of character he made infamous.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Heston on Making Movies
"Making movies is very hard work, and it's not fun... I eat my work, I drink it, and breathe it -- even dream it at night. But it's supposed to be fun for you, not us. Or scary, or inspiring, or even, once in a hundred times, profound.
"There are shining times, surely -- sitting [on] a good horse at five in the morning, waiting for the first shooting light in Montana, or Mexico, or the Spanish Guadarramas. Struggling with a scene all morning, and arguing through lunch about it, and then suddenly finding the way in, like opening a locked door. Exploring Shakespeare with a camera. Yes, there are wonderful things in it, my whole life, for instance. But it counts too much to be 'fun,' and if you can't understand that, I can't explain it to you."
-- Charlton Heston, IN THE ARENA (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster), pp. 141-142. Copyright (c) 1995 by Agamemnon Films, all rights reserved.
Charlton Heston: Larger Than Life
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will honor the life and career of legendary actor Charlton Heston, who died Sunday at the age of 84. This Friday, April 11, the network will present a 15-hour marathon of memorable Heston performances, including his Oscar®-winning role in Ben-Hur (1959). Also featured will be two opportunities to watch an in-depth conversation between Heston and TCM host Robert Osborne in the TCM original special Private Screenings: Charlton Heston.
"Charlton Heston was a towering man both in person and on screen," said Osborne. "He was also one of the nicest, most courteous gentlemen I ever met. He will forever stand tall among those rare few we know as genuine Movie Stars."
3:30 p.m. THE BUCCANEER (1958) – co-starring Yul Brynner and Claire Bloom.
5:30 p.m. THE HAWAIIANS (1970) – co-starring Geraldine Chaplin and John Philip Law.
8 p.m. Private Screenings: Charlton Heston (hour-long career interview)
9 p.m. BEN-HUR (1959) – co-starring Jack Hawkins and Stephen Boyd.
1 a.m. KHARTOUM (1966) – co-starring Lawrence Olivier and Richard Johnson.
3:30 a.m. MAJOR DUNDEE (1965, pictured) – co-starring Richard Harris, Jim Hutton and James Coburn.
I still have my copy of IN THE ARENA -- signed with a flourish that looks downright presidential. Like many, I was opposed to most of Mr. Heston's politics (it shouldn't be overlooked that he was an important civil rights crusader in the 1950s and '60s), but I was greatly disappointed by the way he was treated over the years by people, like Michael Moore, who share views closer to my own. I liked him -- as an actor, as an activist (for speaking out on behalf of what he believed in), for the way he used his clout to get TOUCH OF EVIL made and MAJOR DUNDEE finished; he was also a very good writer. I also liked him for the way he handled my mother.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
2001: It Is What It Is
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Michael Reeves' First Film
Thanks to David for alerting me and for sharing with the rest of us.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Joe Dante's DANTE'S INFERNO
This just in from Joe Dante, who is finally claiming the above title (impressed upon him by movie reviewers for so many years) for an upcoming series of retrospective screenings.** Prepare yourself for at least one "Holy $%#@!" booking:
April 9 + 10 MONDO CANE and ZULU
It's hard to imagine today the impact this tawdry but fascinating Italian "shockumentary" had on the world in 1962, when the bizarre customs of people in other lands seemed both exotic and horrifying to Western eyes. Its smash success spawned a whole genre of mostly phony Mondo movies, each outdoing the other for pure sleaze, which lasted into the 80s and paved the way for something much more upsetting: Reality TV.
Cy Enfield's ZULU is simply one of the great historical epics ever--100 stuff-upper-lip British soldiers battle 4000 Zulu warriors in a beautifully staged reenactment of the 1879 Battle of Roarke's Drift. John Barry should have won (but didn't) an Oscar for his brilliant score. The cast, led by producer Stanley Baker, is terrific, but the great Nigel Green steals the show as the consummate side-whiskered, mustached Victorian Sergeant-Major. With Jack Hawkins, James Booth, Patrick Magee and a very young Michael Caine, whose work here got him THE IPCRESS FILE.
April 11 + 12 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and TRUCK TURNER
We called it "Day For Nothing" when we made it (shot in ten days around footage from 12 other movies on a bet with Roger Corman). One of the last of New World Pictures' popular "three girl" drive-in movies where pretty girls doff their duds and chase around non-permitted LA locations. The late great Candice Rialson plays a version of herself as a naive Indiana girl trying to make it in scuzzy 70s Hollywood. Pulled from 42nd Street after two days, it seems to have survived as a cult movie. It's certainly an accurate record of what it was like to make a New World Picture. Producer Jon Davison, co-director Allan Arkush and co-star Dick Miller are scheduled to appear.
TRUCK TURNER, which came out late in the blaxploitation game, got lost in the Hollywood shuffle but it's as dazzling a piece of action filmmaking as the 70s had to offer. Isaac Hayes is a bounty hunter on the trail of a big-time pimp whose vengeful, bitch-slapping squeeze is played by Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols! Along for the violent ride are Yaphet Kotto, Alan Weeks, Scatman Crothers, Sam Laws and Dick Miller. One of the overlooked gems of the decade.
April 13, 14, 15 THE SADIST and THE PRIVATE FILES OF J EDGAR HOOVER
Fairway-International was a tiny company specializing in grade-C drive-in movies like WILD GUITAR and EEGAH! But from such unlikely soil springs a chilling surprise! James Landis' intense 1963 drive-in classic is based on the same true crime story as BADLANDS-- the serial killing exploits of Charles Starkweather and his underage girlfriend. Brutally unfolding in Real Time over 94 taut minutes, mad killer Arch Hall Jr. terrorizes our small cast in a junkyard -- maybe the best-photographed junkyard ever, courtesy of the great Vilmos Zsigmond, who will appear in person on the 15th.
THE PRIVATE FILES OF J EDGAR HOOVER - Tabloid genius Larry Cohen brings his guerilla style Sam Fuller-lite approach to this 1977 ripped-from-the-headlines pop-culture AIP comic book about the near fifty-year reign of America's "top cop", who dug up the dirt on famous personalities through six turbulent administrations. It's gutsy and disreputable and Broderick Crawford 's finest hour. Eat your heart out, Oliver Stone!
April 16 + 17 THE SECRET INVASION and TOMB OF LIGEIA
This scenic WWII epic, shot in Yugoslavia in 1964, is one of Roger Corman's least-seen yet most accomplished films, with essentially the same plot as THE DIRTY DOZEN -- which wasn't made until three years later! Stewart Granger, Mickey Rooney, Edd Byrnes, Henry Silva and Raf Vallone are felons recruited for a mission to rescue an Italian general from behind enemy lines. Roger used this story idea in his first movie, FIVE GUNS WEST. I haven't seen this since it came out!
TOMB OF LIGEIA was the last of Corman's popular series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, but unlike the others it has many beautiful English countryside exteriors and mostly departs from the stylized stage-bound unreality of its forebears. Robert Towne (CHINATOWN) wrote the script in a more romantic vein, thinking Richard Chamberlain would play the lead--but AIP intervened and sure enough, Vincent Price took over.
April 18 + 19 WRONG IS RIGHT and Mystery Movie
When Richard Brooks' star-studded adaptation of Charles McCarry's spy novel The Better Angels came out in 1982 it was roundly dismissed as a confused jumble. From the hindsight of 2008, it looks like the STRANGELOVE of its era. So many aspects of this film have come true, it's up there with NETWORK as a predictor of the future, our sorry present. Sean Connery stars as a globe-trotting tv reporter who's tracking a terrorist dealing nuclear weapons in the mideast. Along the way we meet a President who goes to war to boost his ratings, a (Condi-like) Vice President, CIA and FBI figures who are so broadly caricatured they seemed divorced from reality in 1982-- but who closely resemble figures we now see on the news every day! Suffice it to say the climax involves the World Trade Center. One of the all-star ensemble will join us--John Saxon!
Plus another movie in the same vein TBA with guest.
April 20 + 21 BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW and HORROR EXPRESS
Piers Haggard's atmospheric and beautifully photographed (Dick Bush) entry in the burn-the-witches genre benefits from a prolonged sense of dread, literate dialog and an unusually convincing period flavor -- sort of a Masterpiece Theater horror film. When hairy patches of "satan's skin" start cropping up on the bodies of nubile 17th century teenagers, local judge Patrick Wymark gets to the bottom of things, starting with voluptuous teen temptress Linda Hayden's. Less well known than the same studio's earlier WITCHFINDER GENERAL, but equally effective, with more emphasis on the supernatural. Great score by Marc Wilkinson.
I love train movies. HORROR EXPRESS was made because the producers had access to the train models from NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA. One of my very favorite vehicles (get it?) for Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, this Spanish-made extravaganza (also known as Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express) has it all -- good characters, lots of wry humor, a mad monk, a mysterious countess, a prehistoric fossilized monster alien, eyeballs in a jar, Telly Savalas as a bellicose Cossack (it's 1906) and a surprisingly complex science fiction plot. And I left out the zombies! Seriously, this one of my top favorites of all time.
This the first, one nite only public showing in many years of my first project. In 1968 when "camp" was king, Jon Davison and I put together a counterculture compendium of 16mm bits and pieces (tv show openings, commercials, parts of features, old serials etc.), physically spliced them in ironic juxtapositions and ran the result at the Philadelphia College of Art interspersed with parts of a Bela Lugosi serial. The reaction was phenomenal. This led to THE MOVIE ORGY, a 7-hour marathon of old movie clips and stuff with a crowd-pleasing anti-war, anti-military, anti-establishment slant that played the Fillmore East and on college campuses all over the country for years -- always the one print, viewed through a haze of beer and controlled substances. We called it a 2001-splice odyssey. We kept adding and subtracting material over time so this, alas, is not the original version-- it's the later cutdown, running a mere 4 hours and 19 minutes! But it's still a pop time capsule that will bring many a nostalgic chuckle from baby boomers and dazed expressions of WTF?! from anyone else.
Admission to THE MOVIE ORGY is FREE, so buy plenty of concession stand items!


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Spring 2008 Physics Poetry Contest post and replies
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|And the winners are... - April 18, 2008 at 12:49
San Marcos, Texas
431 Posts
The Nucleus staff have chosen the winners in the Poetry Contest. They are Brendan Diamond and Ava Pope. Congratulations to all who submitted entries. The winners will be contacted shortly about their prizes. Look for a new contest soon!
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value -- Albert Einstein


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297: today is a new day
About stephemeraI drink too much unsweetened iced tea, sleep too little and laugh too loud, all while creating something new every day and trying to remember there is beauty in everything.
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Today's cars are the safest in history thanks to the development of advanced safety technologies and owners reporting problems. If you think you have a problem with your vehicle, tires, equipment or car seats, tell us about it. Your complaints will help determine if a safety problem exists.
NHTSA releases 'Understanding Vehicle Recalls' video
Owners may not always know their recalled vehicle still needs to be repaired. NHTSA's new search tool lets you:


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Just look at the list of ingredients:
Bacon. Butter. Mushrooms. Wine. Brandy. Chicken.
Coq au vin basically sells itself. Sure, I could rhapsodize about the melt-in-your-mouth chicken and seared mushrooms bathed in rich, tangy wine sauce. But I trust you to recognize a good thing. No hard sell needed.
Coq au vin is a classic for a reason. Ever since Julia Child ignited the craze for French food in the 1960s, Americans have greedily slurped up this heady stew and asked for seconds. Yes, it is a bit labor-intensive, but the end result is completely worth it. The next time you need an impressive dish for a dinner party or special occasion, think retro. No, think classic. Think coq au vin.
(Adapted from Nigel Slater)
-1 large chicken, cut into 6 or 8 pieces, or 1 small chicken plus two leg quarters (save back and innards if you intend to make your own broth)
-8 strips of thick-cut bacon, sliced into thick matchsticks, or 150 g. pre-cut lardons
-2 med. yellow onions, roughly chopped
-2 med. carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
-2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-3 Tbsp. flour, divided
-4 Tbsp. brandy or Cognac, divided
-leaves from 4-5 sprigs thyme
-3 bay leaves
-3/4 bottle red wine (approx. 2 1/4 c.)
-1 1/2 c. chicken broth, preferably homemade
-1-2 Tbsp. butter, if needed
-1 c. small "boiler" or "pearl" onions or small shallots, peeled
-1/2 lb. mushrooms (I used crimini), cleaned and halved if large
-salt and pepper, to taste
-chopped parsley, for garnish
1. Rinse the chicken and trim of excess skin and fat. Dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Now is a good time to make your chicken broth or bring some prepared broth to a bare simmer in a saucepan.
2. In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon pieces on medium heat until lightly golden. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings behind.
3. Put the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, and let cook undisturbed until golden. Flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate, leaving the drippings behind.
4. Lower the heat and add the carrots, celery, and onions, cooking until the onions soften. Stir in the garlic. Then sprinkle the veggies with 2 tablespoons flour and stir, cooking 90 seconds more.
5. Return the chicken pieces and their juices to the pot. Add the bacon, then pour over 2 tablespoons of brandy.
6. Add the wine, bay leaves, thyme, and enough broth to barely cover the chicken.
7. Bring just to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a bowl.
8. Raise the heat to high and begin reducing the sauce. Use a spoon to (carefully) skim off the grease that accumulates around the edges of the sauce, discarding all but 2-3 tablespoons. Put the reserved grease in a metal skillet or medium pot (do not use non-stick) and set aside.
9. If desired, thicken the reduced sauce with a slurry of 1 tablespoon of flour whisked with 2 tablespoons of water. Return the chicken pieces to the sauce, first removing the skin (if you like). Correct the seasoning and keep warm.
10. Heat skimmed fat in the pot/skillet on high. If there is not enough fat to cover the bottom, add the butter. Add the mushrooms and let brown undisturbed for 2 or 3 minutes. Now add the small onions and sauté 2 min. more. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Have matches or a lighter handy. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of brandy into a cup. Very carefully, pour the brandy over the mushrooms and onions. Immediately set the mushrooms and onions on fire, averting your head for safety. Shake the pan until the alcohol burns off and the flames die out. Continue cooking until the onions are just tender, adding a little water if needed.


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Reading volunteer opportunities available | Reading
SACRAMENTO -- Hands on Sacramento is a program of Community Link (formerly Community Services Planning Council) and offers countless opportunities for residents to lend a hand and volunteer. Through their online matching system, Hands On Sacramento strives to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and groups for meaningful volunteer experiences that change our community!
As the regions full-service volunteer action center, Hands on Sacramento welcomes new community partners looking for volunteers. Whether your agency has one time or ongoing needs for volunteers, you can post opportunities on the Hands on Sacramento website. Over 16,000 Sacramento residents are registered and looking to help!
Partner Benefits
· Post opportunities and connect with volunteers online
· Track your organization's volunteer history
· Easily communicate with volunteers to share opportunities, last minute reminders, and special requirements prior to projects
· Become eligible for special 'Hands On Sacramento' Days of Service and/or assistance from trained project leaders who can help manage volunteers
· And best of all...the service is free!
To get started, simply visit Hands On Sacramento at http://www.handsonsacto.org/nonprofits .
The Hands On Sacramento staff is always happy to help and can be reached by email at email@example.com or phone at 916.447.7063 x304.


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What's the scoop on Novus University School of Law? Any opinions, facts, or experiences, willing to share?
I have been a student since december 2005. Recently I tried to send my assignment via e-mail and I got an e-mail response that the address is no longer valid. I have left phone messages with the answering service for a week and still no response. Has the law school closed or can somebody tell me just what is going on. The school is still taking my finance. Does any one know where the school is located? or just what is happening?
Quote from: blessed1 on November 29, 2006, 11:15:57 AMWhat's the scoop on Novus University School of Law? Any opinions, facts, or experiences, willing to share? Dear Discussion Members:Novus isn't a "sham" school. Many DL (distance learning) schools do not have a campus - University of Phoenix for example (until recently) the Open and Distance Learning University in the UK and so on. Here's the thing...distance education has notoriously been considered sub-standard - yes and no. Having taken many, many course online, I can tell you all that the level of interaction, course development and delivery methods should be a primarly consideration for those of you who have never taken a distance course.Of paramount importance when chosing any institution - traditional or DL - is that you must make sure that it is accredited. There are two types of accreditation, Regional and National. Accreditation allows you to take the credits you earn at one instituion and transfer them to another. For example, if you recieve a lesser degree from a non-accredited institution, then attempt to use that degree to obtain a higher degree (sometimes a necessary requirement) your credits will not be acknowledged. The U.S. Board of Higher Education can help you find and/or confirm whoch schools have accreditation. Generally, Regional accreditation is the one most accepted. Although Novus' information states that having accreditation does not necessarily guarantee transfer of credits - NOT having accreditation most assuredly guarantees a 99% chance another school will not allow the transfer.Faculty interaction, student support services (including online tutoring) and accessible course design are worth their weight in gold - trust me on this. I recently graduated from the Masters in Distance Education program at University of Maryland University College. I have also been a distance education program coordinator and advisor for a Criminal Justice and Criminology program..and, as I stated, a long time distance learner. I know the difference between a well designed program and one that is not. Although Novus is a wonderful financial "deal", you must research their qualifications, take into account what you might need in the future ("I want to teach when I grow up"), how it is you learn, time considerations and committments. Novus is, essentially, a map to help you get where you want to go - a law degree - sort of like a blue print. If you aren't an architect you may find yourself having a heck of a time building that house. Of course, this doesn't mean that you cannot get what you want from Novus, it means that you must chose what is right for you. This is what will guarantee your success.If you have questions about a program, please feel free to contact me or view my website: www.oncoursedistanceeducation.com...I'm always happy to help. We're in the same boat!Jeannie
So are you California and trying to avoid the baby bar? If so, I hope you're aware that California doesn't have reciprocity with any other state; in order to practice there, you still have to take the CA bar, but first you have to pass the bar in another state AND practice in that state for 4 years in order to qualify for the attorney's exam.Also...from what I hear, Novus isn't exactly cheap, and 26 credits at an ABA approved school is about 1 year of courses. Why not just do all 3 years at an approved school? Also, what if you can't find an ABA approved school that will let you take 26 credits worth of classes??
You can obtain the JD Degree From Novus, and get 26 ABA Credits and sit for the DC bar. NOW, they do have online ABA programs I read in an online law schools book, so, you can sit for a bar w/o going the CAlifornia baby bar route and have more options. Obviously you can get the ABA credits in person DC Bar admissions says they accept novus with the ABA so they are legit. I am starting with them soon and get my 26 credits and am not taking the baby bar and 4 year study plus the 26 credits, Novus can be done in less than 3 years


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Disney-Pixar premiered the new Toy Story short, Partysaurus Rex, when they released Finding Nemo 3D last month. The short features Rex (Wallace Shawn) getting a chance to cut loose and be a party hero to bath toys. A couple nights ago, the short debuted on the Disney Channel, and now it has gone online. I didn't get a chance to see the short in theaters, but after watching it online, I wish I had. It's bright, loud, and colorful. It's also pretty funny.
Hit the jump to check out Partysaurus Rex.