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The latest fund manager statistics show KiwiSaver investors are sending an increasing percentage of their savings overseas.
This is because of the small size of domestic capital markets and negative decisions regarding our largest companies.
The Fonterra IPO allocation and the Commerce Commission decision on Chorus are the most recent examples of this.
Why do we urge individuals to increase their savings and then make decisions that encourage them to invest overseas?
The managed funds statistics, compiled by the Reserve Bank, show that New Zealanders have 49.8 per cent of their KiwiSaver money invested overseas, compared with 46.4 per cent at the end of 2009 .
These managed fund figures include capital contributions, capital gains and losses and dividends and interest received.
Comparisons are made with December 2009 because that is the first date on which the Reserve Bank subdivided overseas investments into fixed interest securities, equities and other.
Overseas investments have increased by $4.614 billion over the past 33 months compared with a rise in domestic investments of $4.297 billion.
Thus, 51.8 per cent of the increase in KiwiSaver funds since December 2009 has been in the form of foreign assets.
The largest KiwiSaver asset class is overseas equities at $4.327 billion, or 30.7 per cent of total assets, whereas New Zealand equities are just $1.355 billion, or 9.6 per cent of KiwiSaver assets.
Australian superannuation funds have nearly 40 per cent of their total assets invested in domestic equities.
Compulsory superannuation has given a huge boost to the Australian economy while more and more of our KiwiSaver funds are going overseas and making only a limited contribution to the domestic economy.
New Zealanders are not averse to growth assets because overseas equities are KiwiSaver's largest class.
But we continue to make decisions that discourage New Zealanders from investing in the NZX and the domestic economy.
This is why the Fonterra IPO allocation and the Commerce Commission's decision on Chorus are important issues as far as KiwiSaver investment options and the performance of the domestic economy are concerned.
The Fonterra Shareholders Fund issued 95.45 million units at $5.50 each, raising $525 million.
These units were allocated to New Zealand resident clients of NZX firms, supplier shareholders of Bonlac Supply Company in Australia, New Zealand and foreign institutions and current Fonterra shareholders, employees and sharemilkers.
The only specific allocation announcement said: "A total 58 per cent of units has been allocated to New Zealand retail and institutional investors as well as Friends of Fonterra (including Bonlac). The remainder has been allocated to institutions based offshore."
Thus 42 per cent, or 40 million units, were allocated to foreign investors although this figure is probably understated because the allocation to Bonlac's supplier shareholders is included in the 58 per cent allocation to New Zealand interests.
It appears that overseas institutions received the biggest allocation. Unconfirmed market reports indicate that 50 to 60 such institutions received allocations but most were small.
Thus the heavy trading over the first week, with a phenomenal 33.4 million units traded on the NZX and ASX on the opening day, suggests a large number of overseas institutions sold out because their allocations were undersized while other foreign institutions increased their holdings.
This suggests that the number of overseas institutional unit holders may have fallen from around 50 to 60, to 10 to 20.
The main beneficiaries of the frenzied trading - 56.1 million of the 95.45 million units were traded in the first week - have been stockbrokers who must have generated more than $3 million in brokerage from Fonterra's first week of trading.
It is difficult to understand why Fonterra has gone down the same route as Telecom, TranzRail, Contact Energy and Auckland International Airport by giving large IPO allocations to foreign shareholders when there was substantial unsatisfied domestic demand.
Why are we so generous to overseas buyers when domestic investors are clamouring to be involved?
Is it because the investment bankers convince New Zealand issuers to allocate a large percentage overseas because they know it will generate substantial post-listing brokerage for financial institutions?
Whatever the reason Fonterra got it wrong.
The country's largest company gave away huge value to foreign interests when domestic investors, including KiwiSaver funds, should have been given priority.
Chorus' share price was hammered once again by the Commerce Commission through its draft determination on the price the company can charge for unbundled bitstream access used to provide broadband.
In May Chorus' share price plunged 13.6 per cent, from $3.52 to $3.04, when the commission issued a draft review of the company's unbundled copper local loop.
This time it dived 18.2 per cent, from $3.40 to $2.78.
The commission has crushed Chorus' share price by 21 per cent, from $3.52 in early May to $2.78, while the NZX50 Gross Index has risen 12.5 per cent over the same period.
Chorus' poor share price performance has been softened by the payment of a fully imputed 14.6c a share dividend in October.
The commission plays an extremely important role because many of our largest listed companies have monopolistic characteristics and are subject to its oversight.
These include Fonterra and Mighty River Power, which is expected to be the next major IPO.
Domestic investors, including KiwiSaver members, should have a strong incentive to invest in New Zealand enterprises yet the Fonterra IPO allocations and Chorus regulatory issues will probably have a far greater negative effect than the Ross Asset Management debacle on our capital markets.
In simple terms New Zealand investors have three main choices - they can invest in residential property, overseas financial assets or domestic financial assets.
The Fonterra and Chorus issues encourage them to avoid investing at home.
This is a wasted opportunity for New Zealand because KiwiSaver should give the economy a major boost, just as compulsory superannuation has done across the Tasman.
Compulsory superannuation was introduced for a limited number of employees in 1986, and coverage was expanded to most of the Australian workforce in 1992.
As a result total superannuation assets have risen from A$142 billion in mid-1992 to A$1.41 trillion today, with A$1.193 trillion, or 84.6 per cent is invested in Australian assets.
This has been a huge boost to the Australian economy in terms of investment, company formations, job creation and the ability of the country to take advantage of the booming Chinese economy.
It can also be argued that the investment of a huge proportion of compulsory superannuation in the domestic economy was the main reason Australia was the only OECD country to avoid recession during the global financial crisis.
KiwiSaver funds, which are expected to increase from $14 billion to $60 billion by 2020, should give the New Zealand economy a major boost.
But the full benefits will be achieved only if KiwiSaver members are attracted by domestic investment opportunities.
The trend is going in the opposite direction as 57.8 per cent of the increase in total KiwiSaver assets over the past twelve months are in the form of foreign assets.
If our major companies allocate a large proportion of their IPOs overseas and the Commerce Commission continues to hammer our large listed companies, we can expect an ever-increasing percentage of KiwiSaver money will go to other countries to benefit their economies.
Brian Gaynor is an executive director of Milford Asset Management which holds Fonterra units and Chorus shares on behalf of clients.


text:
|The following is based on Van Buren and has not been confirmed by canon sources.
Carnivorous bushes are creatures found in the American Southwest.
An earthquake damaged a hub in the garden which then sent out scrambled commands that were interpreted by the greenhouse as instructions for altering the plant life and environment. As a result, a variety of carnivorous plant life was created.[1]
- Destroy the carnivorous plants that are taking over the gardens - Infiltrate the gardens and destroy all the carnivorous bushes, vines, sprayers and tangle weeds.
Carnivorous bushes have not appeared nor are they mentioned in any published game. They were to appear only in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios. It is not certain if they will appear in any future Fallout game.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We saw them take over the Levi's FADER Fort back in 2009 and they did it again. Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music invaded the VEVO Power Station and closed out South by Southwest with a bang. Common, John Legend, Mos Def, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Big Sean, CyHi Da Prynce and Mr. Hudson all took to the stage last night including special guest Jay-Z who joined Mr. West for the two's very first live performance of "H•A•M." Here's a photo recap of last night's biggest show.
Also Watch


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This time around we've decided to institute a ratings system for our reviews. We're hoping it'll be slightly easier to digest than our long-winded diatribes that only occasionally touch upon the actual music. Here it is:
BUY IT: Like that music something a whole lot
LISTEN TO IT: If we like the album okay, but aren't overwhelmed.
FUCK IT: I think this is self explanatory.
|The 1900s
Cold & Kind
[Parasol Records]
Rating: Buy It
Remember a few years back, when the Y2K bug was going to wreak worldwide havoc and our over-reliance on computers was going to send us hurtling into some kind of stone age? I sort of think that it would have been cool to wake up on January 1st, 2000 in a world where all technology had malfunctioned and computer machines were nothing but really elaborate paperweights. How would we have reacted? Of course some people were prepared for the worst, in full survivalist mode-stores of drinking water and canned food stacked neatly in their subterranean shelters, shotguns already loaded and awaiting the inevitable arrival of roving hordes bent only on looting from those good families who had thought to prepare for the techno-apocalypse...
Feral dogs with prominent ribs would skulk and prowl through the deserted, ashen streets; tumbleweeds would, of course, blow across the scorched land; desperate, wild-eyed men would fight to the death for a gallon of gasoline and a drink of uncontaminated water, gnashing their teeth. Then, out of the fray, a stranger would appear. Clad in leather and bandoleers, a pistol in one hand and a machete in the other; his woman standing off to the side, wearing that outfit that Princess Leia had on in Return of the Jedi. Fuuck, just imagine how awesome the world would have been if only Y2K had actually happened instead of just a bunch of whining and pants-shitting.
I want to listen to the 1900s and have it be all barbershop quartets and shirtsleeves and waxed moustaches. Instead what we've got here is mellow and melodic pop, tinged with strings and piano; melancholy lyrics and boy/girl vocals that harmonize incredibly well at times; and a penchant for hooks perhaps slightly less adept than Belle and Sebastian. Overall, I like this. Actually, I like this a lot. Please forgive the above apocalyptic fantasizing. I was reading some Cormac McCarthy earlier.
-Andreas Trolf
|We Are Standard
[Minty Fresh]
Rating: Listen To It
I always feel as though it's a copout when you describe a band in terms of other, more familiar bands. It just seems unimaginative. Think about it; if you tell someone that, say, the band Jet (probably a better example than most in terms of being wholly derivative) sounds exactly like a cross between Iggy Pop and The Rolling Stones with a couple of Bowie-ish moments thrown haphazardly about, most likely that person (if it were me) would say to you, "Well, why don't I just go listen to those bands that I already know that I like?" This was pretty much my major gripe a few years ago when we were first inundated with Bands That Sound Like Joy Division.
But then I thought about this method of describing a band's sound some more and I realized that writing about music is sometimes a lot like defining a word or phrase, mainly in that when defining something you have to put it into terms of something else that's familiar. Pretty much, the dictionary wouldn't define the word, um, I don't know, blue by writing "It's a color that's, you know, blue-ish." Maybe that's a bad example, but it's the first word that came to mind.
So here goes, re: We Are Standard. Pretty standard dancey, New Wave-y keyboard and electronic-centered rock that sounds in places like The Clash if they'd only ever made Sandinista and no other albums. Some songs are straight Brit-Pop in the vein of Blur before that one woo-hoo song came out, and the drumming (drum machine?) is really cymbal-heavy just like Joy Division. People are probably going to love this in Eastern Europe and parts of Spain, where most bars are like underground rave dungeons. But I'm pretty much m'eh about it. Lyrics about gaying off in the supermarket and dancing forever just don't have much resonance. But that's just me.
-Andreas Trolf
Dog Magic
[Terminal Doom Records]
Rating: Listen To It
I'll level with you guys: I wanted to hate this album immediately based solely on the cover art, which features a cruddy watercolor of four vicious pitbulls leaping out of the collar of a tuxedo with blood spraying everywhere because the dogs ate the gentleman who had been wearing it. Either that, or it's the four dogs who are wearing the tuxedo. I prefer to think that the dogs are wearing the tuxedo and that they had come up with a brilliant scheme for attending a black tie dinner. Wouldn't that be adorable? Kind of like two little kids, where one is on top of the other's shoulders, and they're wearing a trench coat. Remember that old chestnut (Did that ever work?)?
I can just imagine the four pitbulls in their rented tuxedo standing by the punchbowl whispering to themselves about how they can't believe that they're actually getting away with it! How can no one notice that instead of a man's head, there are four pitbull heads sticking out of the shirt collar? And how did four pitbulls tie a perfect bowtie anyways? Is it a clip-on? Maybe the dogs are even chatting up a wealthy heiress and they're totally pulling it off and secretly giving each other high fives inside the tuxedo (because there's only enough room for four limbs in the sleeves and pant legs of the suit, and so the rest of the dog legs are just bunched up inside the torso), but then someone notices that something isn't quite right. Perhaps a sly old Southern Colonel becomes suspicious and nonchalantly asks the dog heads what line of work they're in. Then the dogs panic and one says, "Um, well, I'm in the import/export business " and at the same time another say, "Racecar driver!" and their clever rouse falls apart. The dogs panic and start goring everyone in sight. They burst free from the tuxedo (even though they'll lose the $200 deposit) and maul and gore their way out of the country club's grand ballroom.
Actually, now that I think about it some more, the cover art makes me want to immediately like Zoroaster. It's too bad the album doesn't really do much to live up to my expectations. It's just your standard doom-ish, chug-y metal, which I actually like a bunch. But it can never be as cool as four pitbulls in a tuxedo. Nothing can ever be as cool as that.
-Andreas Trolf
|Rogue Wave
Asleep at Heaven's Gate
[Brushfire Records ]
Rating: Buy It
I watch a lot of documentaries at my day job. I review internet videos to pay my bills, and I break up my day of sorting gay porn, animal attacks, and extreme sports by watching movies on the Illuminati, 9/11, and WWII. I highly recommend anything that a man by the name of Alex Jones puts out. Google his name and have a listen. He's the red-faced guy that's screaming into the megaphone as he drives in the Richard Linklater film, Waking Life. There's a wealth of information on his websites regarding some of the most important events in the world's recent history.
Some of his work and that of his compatriots include tracing the Bush family lineage. Prescott Bush, George Bush Sr.'s father, who, according to US national archives, was the head of the financial firm, the Union Banking Corporation, which was shut down for supplying fiscal aide to the architects of the Nazi war machine. Also, his business partner had on his staff one Howard Hunt; a man seriously suspected of involvement in the killing of JFK. This man was involved as a CIA operative in the Bay of Pigs and was a central character in the Watergate scandal.
Bush Sr. owned an oil business off the island where Cuban exiles were supplied and trained by the CIA to be the first force to propagate The Bay of Pigs. Bush denies any CIA involvement at this time, but a 1963 FBI memorandum, which J. Edgar Hoover signed, names Bush as a CIA employee. Bush denies working for the Central Intelligence Agency until 1975, when he became head of it, and said that it must have been another George Bush. The rigs of his oil company, Zapata Offshore, were located thirty miles off Cuba. Bush took over in 1959, the same time Castro seized power. The record of Zapata Offshore's business transactions, from its inception in 1959 until 1966, were destroyed, by "accident" when Bush took office as vice president. The company also bore the same name as a documented CIA codename for an operation which occurred just prior to the Cuban missile crisis.
I could go on for a while about how Kennedy intervened, how Bush Sr. can't really remember where he was on November 22, 1963, etc
I'll quit polishing my rifles, fixing my ham radio, and adjusting my tinfoil hat long enough to say that I didn't want to talk about the new Rogue Wave album, because I didn't want to spoil it with words. Quit with the downloadin' and buy this at a record shop, it's far more than worth it. It's your right as a free American.
-Tim Nargis
|Richard Youngs
Asleep at Heaven's Gate
Rating: Listen To It
This album is a sort of heralding from a new, mystic folk era. It's a message that's ridden a beam of light from the galaxy where Cat Stevens, while he was Yusuf Islam, was teleported to in the hopes of connecting more of the web of the universe with a folky spirit beam. Young's voice sounds a lot like Richard Thompson and Tim Buckley if they had prayed to that cosmic ray.
It's a calm, comforting, exploratory work, which sometimes journeys along the path of preciousness, but never steps over into it for more than a track. The sound consists of two wavering, finger picked guitar tracks and a dizzying volley of vocals. The voices, sometimes obliquely arranged, sometimes nearing accordance, always keep enough distance apart to create a certain suspension of mind; a short meditation with an 'Oooooooooooohhhhhhmmmmmm' serenely underpinned to each mirrored reverberation.
It can make you fall asleep, sell all of your possessions, try and repair that abusive relationship you have with Jeff, or make a vow of stillness and buy a sitar. The music is full of a radiating, questioning energy, but at a wavelength which you have to slow down a bit for. It is worth listening to if you're a fan of ambient psychedelic folk, though it may be a bit Harvard granola for some.
-Tim Nargis
Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Rating: Listen To It
This is the Maritime's Third album, and a follow up to their first release on Flameshovel Records. The band consists of members whose most recent works have been with The Promise Ring and Dismemberment Plan.
This album both makes and misses some marks. Heresy and the Hotel Choir, for some songs, is a polished record that firmly falls in the vein of indie pop. For the others, it has a type of meticulously structured abandon and honesty, the one which made me like Cap'n Jazz (frontman Davey von Bohlen's former group). The feel goes back and forth between these two points almost song for song. They seem to strive towards two goals: The kind of atmosphere that early Built to Spill records created. Next: Well-produced, solid pop hooks. Though they exist fairly harmoniously, they don't really seem to mix together on this release.
Overall, I'd recommend listening to this album. The second track, "With Holes for Thumb Sized Birds" and the duet, "First Night on Earth" at the end of the record sum up the things I honestly enjoyed. Although I found myself wishing that the rest of the record would sound like them.
-Tim Nargis
|A Life Once Lost
Iron Gag
[Ferret Music]
Idea: They should really start making football helmets standard-issue at hardcore shows. Not to sound like a pussy or anything, but windmill blows to the jaw can fucking sting. They sting especially when you're completely sober, thanks to some stupid straight edge mandate.
I don't really understand why hardcore kids are always so pissed anyway-they have nice cars and live in big houses with yards, and they always have the fanciest music gear. "You are worthless and especially ignorant to human life/Everything I feel towards your existence/Coexists with the hatred I have for mankind/Common consideration cannot coincide with you and me," is what A Life Once Lost brings to the table with their new record, Iron Gag. These East Coast guys are actually kinda rocking, but I gotta say that 41 minutes of palm muting, growling and excessive hammer-ons (yeah, one of those bands) has left me with kind of a headache. But I'm no pussy. According to their bio, these guys have toured with the Ozzfest, which is something that I wouldn't personally brag about, but then again, I get headaches listening to hardcore/nu metal CDs alone in my room. This one's for when there are no women for blocks, you're lifting weights and you're so goddamned mad you forgot why. Definitely not a party pick.
- David McClymonds
|Illa Ghee
Bullet & a Bracelet
[Depth Charge Studios]
Look at that chubby motherfucker! Now that's what I'm talking about. He doesn't give a fuck about staying in shape or being positive in his rhymes, this is just some straight gun talk from Brooklyn. Typical of New York thug raps, hip hop's favorite white boy Alchemist pops up to produce a couple of tracks as well as Lord Digga and Havoc. (Speaking of which, is an 'Original Queens Bridge murderer' allowed to make an album about BK gun talk? Or sign to G-Unit for that matter?) These aren't normal thug raps though. Illa comes on at one point in the record and explains that he is all done with that thug life and that his style is past all that and on some "next level shit." I don't know about next level, but sure why not?
Beats are pretty tight and he has that fat-ass Biggie tongue where it sounds like it would be impossible for him to swallow anything let alone breathe. That was always the best part of Biggie's voice and to this day I instantly like anyone who has that voice. Shyne (remember him?) had the voice but not the tongue, which I always thought was his real downfall - I mean besides getting fucked over by Puffy. I'm not going to overboard here though, the record is not amazing. Nevertheless, I would play it more than once and/or let it be in my car on repeat so it passes the test.
-Jesse Pollock
The Great Communication
[Get 'Em Productions]
Damn, Vegas hip hop? Maybe I've been sleeping lately, but I don't even know if I can think of anyone else from Las Vegas so I guess they get points for that. Anyways, this is sort of a middle of the road album and continues the way I hear most hip hop these days. The beats are "okay" which is to say that they are just short being throwaways. They're built okay, but don't really go anywhere. Also, it sounds like he is sampling smooth jazz bass. Or even worse, he got a real musician to play smooth jazz in the studio. I may be a tough beat critic, but go ahead and listen to a crazy Hi-Tek beat like "Respiration" or some Diamond shit and then tell me I'm being too harsh.
I heard through the grapevine that Somobe are about bringing hip hop back home, so that usually means that the raps will be about something thoughtful. True to form, he talks about topics that revolve around culture and street politics. All the economy talk and conscious raps come off sounding like a Vegas version of the Bay Area's Zion-I (which could be good or bad depending on your point of view). His voice is decent but still something sounds flat. It's not bad, but it ain't good either.
There were some comments last time about hating and being negative, but that's missing the point. In my eyes, mediocrity is the same thing as being bad for the sole reason of contributing to the other oceans of music that aren't worth more than one listen. If people liked everything and didn't call out mediocre or boring albums, then how would people be pushed to make better music? If people think it's okay to be half-assed, it creates complacency and then you get albums like this where you can't tell why you don't like it.
-Jesse Pollock
|Buck 65
For a schizophrenic, Buck 65 (aka: Sixtoo, DJ Critical, Jesus Murphy, Stinkin' Rich, Johnny Rockwell, Uncle Climax and Dirk Thornton) really seems to hold his career down well. There have been countless imitators, but no one ever comes close. Maybe it's something in the Nova Scotia water (did I mention that he is from Halifax?) or his brain chemistry but honestly, pick out a record of his and I would recommend it blindly. Album after album, he comes out with amazing beats (remember those KISS samples?) and crazy talk that is incredibly relatable. I know I ripped Rhymesayers and Aesop Rock last time for being overly deep and not making sense, but this is the exception. He could be talking about "riding a horse over an ocean of white wine" and you're all "yeah, totally". I don't know, he just ties it all together in a way that makes sense. Also, for some reason his voice never seems thin or annoying either. I think it's mostly about the way he "talk-raps" his way through the albums or that white kids from Halifax don't necessarily need to sound like they're from New York
Actually, this review is totally hypocritical and contradictory now that I think about it. I have no excuse to enjoy this after everything I have said in other reviews, but guess what
I like it anyway. Who ever said being a hypocrite was bad anyways? Who can explain why I hate tall people but like Basketball? I just do. Life isn't that simple and neither are music reviews...
P.S.- The Robocop theme in this album is fucking awesome and hilarious.
-Jesse Pollock {moscomment}
|Next >


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Thursday, 19 June 2008
Introducing my beautiful baby niece Maya! ~ Apple and Blueberry Cake
I feel like I haven't baked anything in weeks but I did bake my favourite Chocolate-Lime cheesecake by Nigella Lawson on Sunday for Father's day but naughty me didn't take pics! My parents are over from Spain and have been staying with my sister and helping out with the baby but this weekend they are coming to stay with us, as it's my son's 16th birthday (still can't believe my son is going to be 16). So I decided to bake this Apple and Blueberry Cake, a simple but yummy cake to have for when they arrive, plus my dad adores apple cakes so I can't let down mi papa! ! I am sure this cake will go down a treat.
20 comments:
- Finla said...
Give a big kiss to yourniece from me, she is so adorable.
Love the cake too
- 19 June 2008 at 17:23
- Rhyleysgranny said...
Congratulations Auntie maria. How wonderful to welcome a new life into the world. Bless her she is beautiful
- 19 June 2008 at 18:02
- Nickki said...
Congratulations!!! She is absolutely beautiful. So lovely to see you blogging again :) xx
- 19 June 2008 at 18:26
- Beth (jamandcream) said...
She's got so much hair - just like my daughter did (did your sister get indigestion - I did and apparently its a sign of a baby with lots of hair - don't ask me why though!?)! So cute , congratulations!
- 19 June 2008 at 20:22
- Maria♥ said...
Thank you so much for the wonderful kind comments!
Beth my sister did have bad indigestion and her mid-wife also said that was a sign of a baby with lots of hair!! So it must be true ;o)
- 19 June 2008 at 20:30
- Rhyleysgranny said...
Isn't that strange? So did I with my son and nobody has ever seen his scalp. Hair like a rug.:D
- 19 June 2008 at 21:50
- Oh my! Apple pie! said...
Isn't she gorgeous!
Loving the new picture of you too. Very glam.
- 19 June 2008 at 23:45
- Rosie said...
Awe isn't Maya such a beautiful baby!! Huge congragulations Maria to all the family and please pass my very best wishes on to everyone :)
Rosie x
- 20 June 2008 at 17:15
- Maggie said...
The baby is adorable! I just love new born babies. She will soon be going for her first hair cut!
Now onto that wonderful cake, I love the blueberry and apple combo, and am sure it was a huge hit.
- 20 June 2008 at 19:06
- giz said...
What an absolute little cutie and looks so content just to be.
- 21 June 2008 at 05:49
- Emily said...
Congrats to your sister! Baby Maya is beautiful. I understand about being busy. Enjoy your time with your new niece.
The cake looks good too. I love blueberries.
- 21 June 2008 at 11:07
- Nic said...
Gorgeous baby, how exciting! Congrats to your sister.
- 21 June 2008 at 13:42
- Ruth Strong said...
What a beautiful baby! She's got a great head of hair! The whole family must be delighted!
The apple blueberry cake looks great, I'm sure everyone has it devoured now!
- 21 June 2008 at 17:49
- Ms O said...
Maya is very beautiful! I love all that dark hair. How fun to have a new baby about. Congratulations!
Lea x
- 21 June 2008 at 22:53
- Jersey Girl Cooks said...
Delicious looking cake and beautiful baby! Congrats!
- 22 June 2008 at 14:26
- Abitofafoodie said...
Oh your niece is just gorgeous! How beautiful. (the baby and the cake!!)
- 22 June 2008 at 21:50
- hungryandfrozen said...
What an absolutely gorgeous child, congratulations! (and how good is that cheesecake!?)
- 23 June 2008 at 02:03
Congrats Aunti Maria!
Your wee niece is beautiful.
George xx
- 27 June 2008 at 11:09
- Kelly-Jane said...
Lovely cake too :)
- 30 June 2008 at 10:46
- Maria♥ said...
Many thanks everyone!
- 30 June 2008 at 12:29


text:
Algot Runeman wrote:oscular
Algot Runeman wrote:donate
... I will be very happy to donate some of this snow to you.
Algot Runeman wrote:ebullient
Algot Runeman wrote:incipit
... That is the incipit of my manuscript. But it will remain buried in the crypt. There is no more ...
Algot Runeman wrote:speechless
Algot Runeman wrote:perseverate
Algot Runeman wrote:thrasonical
Algot Runeman wrote:schist
I've made a list of kinds of schist.
Algot Runeman wrote:E Pericoloso Sporgersi wrote:Algot Runeman wrote:schist
I've made a list of kinds of schist.
If I were to ask you to delete two characters in the word schist and still have a meaningful word remaining, which two letters would you drop?
Oh, you mean like "hits" by taking out one S and the C. I'm SURE you had that in mind.
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


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Yost unconcerned with offensive rough patch
BALTIMORE -- Although the Royals arrived in Baltimore ranked 14th in scoring and last in home runs, manager Ned Yost was confident that his offense would eventually hit its stride.
After all, one of the club's primary preseason goals was hiking the run production, which was 11th among the 15 American League teams last year.
"It'll get going. Even when it's going good, you're going to be complaining about the offense," Yost said. "That's just the way it is. If you score five and win, 5-2, you think you should have scored 10. The whole thing is, just score enough runs to win and, if that's the case, then your offense is doing good."
The good news was that the pitching staff ranked second in the AL with a 3.31 ERA.
Entering Friday, the Royals were last in the AL Central standings, but they were hanging in there with just two games separating the five teams.
"Everybody's going through the same thing," Yost said, and he glanced back at Thursday's 5-1 loss at Cleveland. "We looked dead yesterday -- they looked dead yesterday, except for the fifth inning. You just keep grinding it out."
After Cleveland, the Royals were just 21 games into a 162-game season.
"Look, as long as you're leading on the last lap, you're fine. You don't want to get 20 laps down. The goal is being in first place at the end of the year. That's the ultimate goal," Yost said. "We'd love to be there a lot quicker than that. Just keep working hard until it all comes together and we get a run going."
Or, in another context, get a lot more runs.
"And I believe we will," Yost said firmly.


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Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was among the protesters who marched towards Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, to pay their respects to the 23 year-old woman who died last week due to injuries sustained in the attack.
Six men have been arrested on suspicion of her murder following the December 16 incident on a Delhi bus.
A bone test is being conducted to confirm the age of one young suspect - those under 18 years of age cannot be prosecuted for murder in India - while prosecutors will seek the death penalty for five other men arrested with him, police said.
Media reports say some 30 witnesses have been gathered, and the charges have been detailed in a document running to more than a thousand pages.
Outraged Indians have been demanding the death penalty for the six men, holding demonstrations almost every day since the rape. Murder is punishable by death and rape by life imprisonment.
The brutality of the case has made Indians confront the reality that sexual violence is deeply entrenched in the society.
Activists hope the savage assault on the woman, a physiotherapy student, will shake off the taboo and make authorities take such cases more seriously.


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Download Hamlet Study Guide
Brevity is the soul of wit (2.2.90)
This phrase is from Polonius's speech to Gertrude and Claudius concerning why he thinks young Hamlet is mad. But he seems to be having a hard time getting to the point. It must be remembered that, although Polonius is a minister in the Danish court, he is still talking to the King and Queen of Denmark as well as the uncle/step-father and mother of a man who could be the next King. He just cannot blurt out that he has a corny love letter from Hamlet to Ophelia that suggests he is lovesick, which in the Renaissance, was considered a medical condition that could result in death. A man affected by this disease was known as an enamorato. Polonius therefore skirts the issue until Gertrude gives him a way in: ''More matter, with less art'' (95), or in other words, get to the point.
Cruel to be kind (3.4.178)
Polonius, with Gertrude and Claudius's approval, intends to cure Hamlet of his lovesickness by getting Gertrude to tell him to snap out of it. Hamlet, who has just been given an opportunity to kill Claudius in the chapel, goes to see his mother to beg her to give up Claudius. Their exchange is fiery and angry. Hamlet murders Polonius, who is hiding behind the arras and sees his father's Ghost again. Hamlet spends a good deal of time trying to rationalize his action against Polonius, but then his thoughts turn again to his mother. He begs her not to sleep with Polonius and she agrees. Realizing that so much violence has passed during their meeting, he tells her that he ''must be cruel only to be kind.'' But Hamlet is also speaking to the audience, letting them know that his treatment of Ophelia, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fits into his plan for revenge of his father's murder. In order to be kind to those who have been tainted by Claudius, Hamlet must be cruel and mad.
A hit, a very palpable hit (5.2.281)
During the duel between Laertes and Hamlet, Hamlet scores a point which Laertes contests. Hamlet looks to Osric for a judgment of whether he scored. Osric replies with ''A hit, a very palpable hit.'' For the Elizabethans, ''palpable,'' which had originally meant ''sensitive to the touch,'' had come to mean ''perceivable by any of the senses.'' Here Shakespeare also intends an ironic meaning. When Hamlet has been hit by the poisoned tip of Laertes' sword, he will feel it physically.
The lady doth protest too much (3.2.230)
During the play-within-a-play, The Murder of Gonzago, Hamlet asks his mother how she likes the play. His question is pointed. The Queen has been watching the Player Queen swear undying devotion to her husband and that she will never take another husband after he is dead. Her life will simply end. This, in Hamlet's opinion, is how Gertrude should have behaved when King Hamlet died. For Shakespeare's audience, ''protest'' meant to make a vow or a solemn promise. What Gertrude is actually saying is that the Player Queen's vows and promises are ''too much,'' too pretty, too unbelievable. Unfortunately, we do not know what kind of marriage Gertrude and King Hamlet had, only Hamlet's perception of how they behaved toward each other in his presence, so that by her response, Gertrude may be implying that such vows as these are typical of a silly first love, and that such silliness is not part of her own second marriage.
Method in the madness (2.2.205-206)
Polonius, trying to discover what ails Hamlet, comes upon him reading, and engages him in conversation. Though Hamlet's responses do not make much sense, Polonius can see that they could not be the ravings of a madman (such as will be seen with Ophelia), but that they seem to be carefully crafted responses. Hamlet is using Polonius's own techniques to make fun of the old man by enumerating the many characteristics of feeble, old men. The phrase really reads: ''Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.'' Like many of the phrases from Hamlet, we often...
(The entire section is 1,859 words.)


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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 25, 2017—Are you looking for stability, security and great returns on your Certificate investments? Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) has answered the call with its latest Certificate rate promotion. This limited-time, special offer features some of best rates in the market today, and is available to PenFed members when they open a 3-, 4-, 5-, or 7-Year PenFed Certificate.
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Disclosures: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is current as of 10/01/2013 and is subject to change. *Early Redemption Penalties: A penalty will be imposed for early withdrawal. This will reduce earnings on the account. **Courtesy Bankrate.com as of 10/10/2013.


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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Stevenson men's lacrosse team will be making its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship as the fourth-ranked Mustangs will host Christopher Newport at Mustang Stadium in the first round on
Wednesday, May 8. Game time is at 7:00 p.m.
Stevenson (17-2) finished the regular season with at least 15 wins for the fifth-straight year and is 8-4 in the NCAA tournament. The team has advanced to the national semifinals in three of its four previous appearances and is 1-0 in first round contests.
Meanwhile, Christopher Newport (8-8) is making the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse
Championship. The Captains, who will be joining the Capital Athletic Conference next year, have only been in existence since 2007.
Wednesday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Mustangs and Captains.
The winner between Stevenson and Christopher Newport will advance to the second round on Saturday, May 11 to face the winner between Washington (Md.) and Colorado College.
The quarterfinals will be on Wednesday, May 15 with the semifinals on Sunday, May 19. The Division III national championship game will be played on Sunday, May 26 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Seven of Stevenson's 2013 opponents were selected to the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship, including Western New England, Nazareth, Tufts, RIT, Salisbury, Lynchburg and Roanoke. The Mustangs went 5-2 against those teams with their only losses to Tufts and Roanoke, both by just one goal.
(Continued on Page 2…)


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About Us
Our Wines
In earlier times, a touchstone was used to determine the purity of gold, and other precious metals exchanged for goods as currency.
By rubbing a metal coin against a black siliceous stone like jasper, a colorful residue also apparent to the touch would be indicative of the metal's purity.
And, hence, a standard was born by a quality-validating touchstone.
Welcome to Touchstone Wines. Our wines go through an extensive validation process. As regional expressions of local winemaking, they are carefully selected not only for uncompromising quality and a traditional style indicative of the region, but also for a taste perceived to be desirable for the American palate. To achieve our aim, we partner mainly with family wine producers passionate about expressing local taste. These are often winemaker viticulturalists employing modern grape farming and winemaking practices but still respect the value of tradition. This way quality and taste go hand in hand, and our hallmark wines can each be considered a touchstone of local winemaking.
Testimony to our philosophy – Ricossa Moscato d'Asti:
The moscato family of grapes is planted all over the world, producing wines of different types and styles; from dry table to sweet fortified wine. In the Piedmont, Italy, moscato bianco is the oldest grape known and widely planted throughout the province. Also known as Moscato di Canelli, for centuries it has been vinified to produce a semi-sweet, fizzy moscato wine. Our Ricossa Moscato d'Asti embraces the traditional style long employed in the Asti region for making Moscato d'Asti. But it now also benefits from contemporary viticulture expertise and modern winemaking equipment. Careful monitorization of the development of the moscato bianco grape on the vine ensures that the aromatics are at their peak before the Moscato grape clusters are hand-harvested. Winemaking technique is also carefully employed not to intrude in the evolution of the wine as it goes through the fermentation process. The end result, is a Moscato d'Asti wine that is bottled fresh and clean, wonderfully well-balanced, and quite expressive; exhibiting fully the aromatic characters of the moscato grape. Ricossa Moscato d'Asti is a touchstone for local Piedmont moscato winemaking.
The same validation process applies to our other Piedmont wines, to wines from other regions of Italy, and to wines from regions of ther countries like the Douro in Portugal. Our commitment is to continue seeking new wines that can set the standard of excellence in quality and regional distinction, and endeavor in welcoming them into our portfolio.
Thank you for browsing through our website where you can learn more about our wines.


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A homeless woman in Connecticut has been arrested for one of the most unthinkable reasons imaginable -- she sent her son to school. Tonya McDowell, 33, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree larceny for stealing $15,686 -- the cost of the public school education for her 6-year-old son.
To make matters worse, the child's babysitter, who provided documentation that said the boy lived at her Norwalk address, was evicted from her public housing unit for her role in his education. McDowell and her son had been bouncing between an acquaintance's home in Bridgeport and a homeless shelter in Norwalk with the boy spending afternoons with the babysitter. The school he attended was in Norwalk School District, which had recently decided to crack down on infiltrators.
Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia told the Stamford Advocate, "This now sends a message to other parents that may have been living in other towns and registering their kids with phony addresses."
Wow, what a harsh way to send it. And how exactly is putting this woman in jail going to help remedy the situation? It's not like she's going to be able to pay the money back, and what of her child? Will additional taxpayer dollars be necessary to care for him?
Sure there are rules, and school dollars need to be used carefully, but is there really a taxpayer alive who doesn't think this boy would be better off in school -- any school -- than out on the streets with his mother?
Of course we can't just let anyone show up at any school they like, or chaos would ensue, and yes, there are services and help available that may have worked for them. But there's got to be some bend in the bureaucracy when it comes to cases like this.
This mother was doing the best thing she possibly could do for her son, and now she faces criminal charges. That just seems criminal.
Do you think this woman should be prosecuted just for sending her son to school?
Image via davco9200/Flickr


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Maybe it's because they began on Halloween, but for some reason the 2012 MLS playoffs have been a strange and, for a few teams, scary affair so far.
Let's take a look.
WATCH: Bernardez wins it for SJ late
Fright Nights
After the once-surging Chicago Fire were eliminated, 2-1, in a scrappy, sloppy match against Houston at Toyota Park last Wednesday, the defending champion Galaxy went down 1-0 in the third minute of their playoff opener against sub-.500 Vancouver on Thursday. They rallied for a 2-1 win, but the first 69 minutes certainly put a scare into Los Angeles and their fans.
The next night, the Real Salt Lake faithful were treated to a scary display of goalkeeping from Nick Rimando, whose heroics earned his side a 0-0 draw with Seattle at CenturyLink Field. Rimando took a beating for his troubles, suffering a cut face and a broken nose, but he still finished the game with what his coach Jason Kreis called "one of the single best performances by any player that's ever worn an RSL jersey."
All of that set the stage for things to get weird, which they did in D.C., where the Red Bulls and United traded own-goals — an odd MLS playoffs first — in a 1-1 draw, and D.C. defender Andy Najar lost his mind for a split second after his yellow-card offense on Joel Lindpere.
The talented 19-year-old chucked the ball at referee Jair Marrufo and hit him with it — a bit of black magic that turned his yellow card into a red, and will make him disappear for the second leg on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.
WATCH: Moffat rocket half-volley
Mojo Mayhem
The following night in Houston, the Eastern Conference champions Sporting Kansas City misplaced their mojo — or maybe the Dynamo swiped it — and went down early to their hosts on a lightning-bolt strike from Adam Moffat.
Houston kept disrupting SKC's rhythm, and they added a second through Will Bruin — his third goal in two playoff games — to put the conference favorites down 2-0 on aggregate heading into Wednesday's second leg at Livestrong Sporting Park.
But the capper of the week was both strange and, for LA fans, horrifying: Tied 0-0 in the 94th minute of their semifinal first leg against archrivals San Jose, the Galaxy gave up a slightly fluky, very soft goal to lose 1-0. Earthquakes center back Victor Bernardez drove a free kick from about 30 yards under the Galaxy wall. It then squirted under a diving Josh Saunders and trickled over the goal line (it never hit the back of the net). Cue the horror-movie screams from the LA faithful.
The shocking winner was San Jose's 10th stoppage-time goal this season. Talk about black magic.
In the Cards?
So even though "it's only halftime," as nearly every coach said this weekend, which side looks like the team of destiny at this point?
Is it RSL, with the sensational Rimando backstopping them? How about San Jose, who scored yet another in a season-long line of improbable late goals?
What about D.C., who survived with 10 men against a lackluster New York and feel confident they can get the win at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday?
Or could it be Houston, who are clearly peaking at the right time? In fact, that's the team I'm going with. Everyone is on the same page defensively, forward Will Bruin is in goal-scoring form, and perhaps most important, his strike partner Calen Carr is setting him up with slashing runs and crosses. Right now, it sure looks like the team of destiny is wearing orange — Halloween orange.


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DALLAS — The airports dominated by American Airlines and US Airways say they'll be hurt if the carriers can't merge.
The airports want to file a friend-of-the-court statement supporting the merger, which is the subject of a trial scheduled to start Nov. 25 in U.S. district court in Washington.
The request was filed today by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International and Philadelphia, which operates of Philadelphia International Airport.
The U.S. Justice Department sued in August to block the merger, saying that the deal would limit competition and drive up consumer prices.
The airports said if they're allowed to file a brief, they'll show that blocking the merger would hurt domestic and international competition "to the detriment of the traveling public and labor, as well as to airports and their local communities."
To sign up for free CityBusiness Daily Updates, click here.


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"Truth and love must prevail over lies and hate." – Václav Havel
1936 – 2011
When Václav Havel was still a playwright and dissident in Communist Czechoslovakia — before the Velvet Revolution and his ascendance to the presidency of the post-Communist Czech Republic — he would urge his fellow anti-Communist revolutionaries to "live within the truth." The Communist regime, he argued, perpetuated itself on the basis of lies. By forcing its subjects to go through small daily rituals of deceit, the Communist Party could make everyone culpable in their crimes. They could strangle resistance by turning everyone into a collaborator by default.
But when a regime derives its legitimacy from lies, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. The regime, Havel wrote, "only works as long as people are willing to live within the lie." If enough Czechoslovakians were willing to live within the truth, the truth would eventually prevail.
Neoliberal America is not Communist Czechoslovakia, but much of the American state's power also rests on a foundation of lies. In this country — ostensibly a beacon of freedom and democracy for the rest of the world — 2.5 million people rot in prison. Eleven million undocumented immigrants are denied basic freedoms on a daily basis. The Obama administration has deported record numbers of the undocumented, and reserves the right to assassinate its own citizens abroad.
In what is supposed to be the land of opportunity, the Census now classifies nearly half of all Americans as "low-income earners." Those who can still find employment are spending longer and longer hours in the workplace — which, as union density declines, remains the least democratic space in public life.
If you want to honor Václav Havel's memory, tell the truth.


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Just when it looked like Madison's school enrollment was leveling off, along comes a kindergarten class numbering 152.
Only Adrian and Tecumseh have a larger kindergarten enrollment in Lenawee County, and Madison's other classes average only 110.
Or maybe there's just something attractive about the school's kindergarten program. A year ago, once-tiny Madison had 147 new kindergarten students, but that number dropped to 116 in this year's first grade class. Thirty-one kids apparently didn't hang around long.
Madison's enrollment increased by only six students from a year ago—way down from the average of 52 for the previous seven years—but the district still advanced higher in the rankings as other districts continue to lose students.
In this year's enrollment data from the Lenawee Intermediate School District, every public school district in the county lost students except Madison and Adrian. No surprise there for Madison administrators, but Adrian's gain of 27 students marked the first enrollment gain in a long time.
After years of decline, Adrian's enrollment stands at 444 students more than Tecumseh. Last year there was a difference of only 333.
One more thing to note about Madison: This year's senior class is the last one below 100 students, barring any significant changes. The average class size, not including the big kindergarten class, stands at 110. This year's senior class numbers only 80.
Seven other districts—from Adrian down to Sand Creek—have larger graduating classes than that, yet Madison still stands as the fourth largest district. Onsted still has 319 more students than Madison and Blissfield has 154 fewer.
In September 2006, Morenci showed a decline of 22 students from the previous year. By September 2007, enrollment dropped another 22.
There was an unusually small graduating class last May with only 49 members, but there's more of that coming along. This year's freshman class numbers only 50 and the third grade class stands at just 53.
Morenci's average class size is 67 and the kindergarten started off with 71.
It doesn't look too promising for the county's two smallest districts. Deerfield, the smallest, lost 26 students from a year ago—seven percent of its total enrollment. Deerfield's average class size is 27. The average K-2 is only 17.
There's a similar situation at Britton, the next smallest district. The average class size is 40, but only 23 are enrolled in kindergarten. Only one K-6 class reaches 40.
The other districts losing the biggest percentage of the student body are Hudson with a 7 percent loss and Addison with a 6 percent loss. Hudson is likely to dip below the 1,000 mark next September.
Across the border in Fayette, enrollment dropped by 19 students to put the total at 438. The district has an unusually small senior class with only 23 students, but there are two other classes in the 20s. The average class size is 34.


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Other sermons in the series
Ready Set Go
Pressing On...Together
Love or Capitulation
Jesus said, "I Am the True Vine"
Tale of Two Mothers
Coming Together for Better or for Worse
No Longer a Slave to Sin
These Things
Prepare the Way of the Lord
Faith Without Works
What? Me Worry?
Who Do You Aim to Please?
The Presence of God
Feeling Inadequate?
It's Your Turn Now
You Gotta Be Different, To Make A Difference
Connected and Growing
Loyalty to the Cross
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 1
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 2
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 3
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 4
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 5
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 6
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 7
Keys to a Blessed Life Pt. 8
Salt & Light
Walk By Faith, Not By Sight
Living The New Life
The Power of Prayer
The Father's Great Love
Extraordinary God, Ordinary People
"You can count the apples on a tree, but only God knows how many apples...
What's Your Perspective
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
Genesis 18:20-25 Revelation 1:6 1 Peter 2:4-5 1 Timothy 2:1-4
What Are We Doing Here? Pt. 1
I don't go to church...I am the church.
What Are We Doing Here? Pt. 2: Truth AND Love
What Are We Doing Here Pt. 3: Growing and Working Together
Ephesians 4:15-16 2 Peter 1:8-9 2 Peter 3:17-18 Philipians...
What Are We Doing Here Pt. 4: Fighting for our Families
What Are We Doing Here? Pt. 5
What Are We Doing Here? Pt. 6 - Antioch, MN
Ephesians 4:15-16 2 Peter1:8-9 2 Peter 3:18 Ephesians...
Perfect Love Cast Out Fear
Controlling God
_____ Grows in the Soil of ______
Colossians 3:14-16 Colossians 3:17 Ephesians 2:1-3 Ephesians...
The Two Ditches
Knowing Our Enemy
2 Corinthians 4:18 Matthew 12:26-28 Ephesians 6:12 2 Corinthians...
Palm Sunday
What's Most Important
40 Days with Jesus
Acts 1:1-3 1 Corinthians 15:3-9 John 21:3-19 Luke 22:31-35 Acts...
The People Who Know Their God
Matthew 16:1-3 1 Chronicles 12:32 Daniel 12:4 Daniel 12:3 Daniel...
Dinner With God
Philippians 3:3 Genesis 18:1-5 Romans 12:1 Genesis 18:6-15 Matthew...
Living In a Broken World
Luke 4:14-21 John 20:21 Matthew 14:15-19 2 Kings 7:3-9
The Whole Counsel of God
Nothing that man has done, or can do, will earn salvation. It is only...
Called To Lead
Happy Clay
We know God is our creator, we know He is our redeemer, and we know Him...
The Glory of the Gospel
Isaiah 6:1-4 John 12:37-41 Isaiah 6:5-7 Romans 1:16 Isaiah 6:8
New Beginnings
Revelation 3:20 Psalm 23 Lamentations 3:22-23 Hebrews 6:11 1 Peter...
Wisdom For Living a Successful Life Pt. 1
Proverbs 1:1-7 Proverbs 15:5 Proverbs 15:10 Proverbs 15:12 Proverbs...
Speak Life Not Death (Wisdom Pt. 2)
Who Wants to be Wicked? (Wisdom Pt. 3)
Don't Be Lazy (Wisdom Pt. 4)
Proverbs 6:6-11 Proverbs 10:4 Proverbs 13:4 Proverbs 10:26 Proverbs...
Biblical Principles Regarding Money (Wisdom Part 5)
Discerning The Time We Live In
1 Chronicles 12:32 Matthew 24:3-14 Matthew 24:23-25 Matthew...
Discerning The Time We Live In (Pt. 2)
Cardiac Exam Day
1 Samuel 16:7 Matthew 15:7-17 Proverbs 4:23 Psalm 139:23-24 Romans...
Are you Hungry
Matthew 5:6Matthew 6:31-34Galatians 5:16-18Phillipians 3:81 Peter...
Redemption Story
Worthy Devotion, Abundant Life
John 10:10 Acts 2:42-47
Don't Look Back
Knowing God as Father
Doctrine: Growing Strong In The Truth
Doctrine: The Word
Doctrine: The Trinity
Doctrine: The Attributes of God
Doctrine: What's In a Name?
Doctrine: The Doctrine of Man
Doctrine: The Deity of Christ
Doctrine: Why The Cross?
1Cor.2:2 (NKJV) - "For I determined not to know anything...
Doctrine: Redemption, Salvation, Justification
Religion or Regeneration
What Now?: The Doctrine of Sanctification
What Happens When You Die?: The Doctrine of Resurrection and Eternal Judgement
The Judgement Seat of Christ
Missions: Paul Straubel
Why Did He Come This Way
Being Resolved
Be Joyful
We Are Able
Last Words To A Church
Live in Harmony and Peace
John 17:18-23 Psalm 133:1-3 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Galatians...
Preparing for the Prophetic Gathering: Laying the Foundation
Ephesians 4:10-15 1 Timothy 4:14 2 Timothy 1:6-7 1 Corinthians...
Receiving, Judging, & Applying Prophetic Words
The Holy Spirit: Thirsty, Filled, & Overflowing
John 16:5-7 John 14:15-18 Hebrews 9:11-13 Hebrews 9:15 1 Peter...


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If Wash U wins out, a playoff bid could be in the offing.
Hendrix athletics photo by Cody Usher
Subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes.
Redlands ends Cal Lutheran's 28-game SCIAC streak, while you've probably read about Morrisville State beating Rowan and W&J also made easy work of Thomas More. The MAC got complicated. More so than usual. Keith McMillan and Pat Coleman take a look at those conference races and others in this week's Around the Nation podcast.
They also take a close look at Pool B, the way teams get into the playoffs when they don't have an automatic bid to play for. We're expecting three bids for those teams this year, so in addition to Wesley, there are a lot of contenders out there. We'll run those down for you. Plus a lot more, of course.
Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your phone or portable device.
You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in iTunes. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast
The tags below include the schools we talked about. Also, here's your first look at the Postgame Show, with your D3reports and team interviews and highlight packages:


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It is 2013 and chefs continue to take that giant step out of the kitchen and onto a much bigger stage. Chefs have become the rock stars of this generation and I'm not sure if it would even be a coin flip as to who is more popular right now, Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsay or freshly minted Grammy Award winning Mumford and Sons. Regardless, odds are that the intimacy level you can reach with a chef is far more attainable than that which you could find with any rock star and you are sure to find that out if you attend the seventh annual Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appétit coming up in May.
Other than love, children, family, et all, there is nothing that can quite hit the emotional chord in all of us like food and music. My first concert or my first foie gras, both are very vivid memories, and don't be jealous of the mention of foie gras Southern Californians, Vegas is only a 30 minute flight away. Taking ones love of food and creating an intimate experience that you will always treasure is exactly what Vegas Uncork'd is all about.
Combine the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip and well known chefs such as Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Joël Robuchon, Michael Mina, Michel Richard and Nobu Matsuhisa, and let the memories begin to form. The four day extravaganza will feature 28 different events from May 9 to 12 and you will find nearly every type of foodie experience that you could possibly imagine over those four days.
This is one event you don't want to wait for the weekend to make your way to Las Vegas for: opening day very well could be the most memorable. The evening is filled with the Master Series Dinners, which give you the opportunity to dine alongside some of the world's most acclaimed chefs with this one-of-a-kind series at Caesars Palace. Returning Masters Guy Savoy, François Payard and the Pellegrino family from Rao's return this year. If those were not enough, dinners featuring Caesars Palace premier chefs Bobby Flay, Nobu Matsuhisa and Gordon Ramsay were recently added to the menu. That same evening is the can't-miss Vegas Uncork'd Kick-Off Party at Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub at MGM Grand. Las Vegas' newest and hottest fine dining and nightclub venue at the official Vegas Uncork'd kick-off party, complete with mouthwatering bites and signature libations from Michelin-starred Chef Ho and his talented team.
The rest of the weekend is no slouch; your only problem is choosing what to attend. One of the highlights of the weekend will be the poolside preview of Chef Michael Mina's highly anticipated PUB 1842 at MGM Grand. Throughout the weekend you will also find such unique dining experiences as an after-hours vodka and caviar event at the Red Square at Mandalay Bay; a traditional English Sunday Roast at the all-new Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace will be putting on a beer brunch.
Food and wine festivals have become the rage in recent years, but don't be fooled into thinking this is another one of those. Vegas Uncork'd is in a class all by itself. If you want a bite size sampling of a chef's dish to go along with a similar size serving of wine as you wander around a huge venue aimlessly, then head to one of the many food and wine festivals throughout the world. If you want to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience and to actually be part of an event that you and these amazing chefs can share in a simpatico state, then Uncork'd is the place for you.
For a complete schedule of Vegas Uncork'd events, please visit www.VegasUncorked.com. To book Vegas Uncork'd air packages and hotels, visit www.LasVegas.com
Food is culture, and Bon Appétit is where food and culture intersect in your life. Bon Appétit, in all its formats (print, digital, products, events), delivers not just recipes, tips, and techniques, but a world of lush travel, high-gloss entertaining, and up-to-the-minute restaurant coverage. It's a visually arresting publication, driven by excellent photography, clean graphics, and headlines that pop. And notable faces, too: Each issue features of-the-moment tastemakers, from chefs and restaurateurs to fashion designers and celebrities. All of these elements combine to make Bon Appétit the largest epicurean magazine in America with the most affluent readership.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With 151,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.6 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to LVCVA.com or LasVegas.com.


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Location: Washington DC Area
My coaching philosophy is based on the premise that I believe everyone has something to offer. There are no throw away people, but that given the right circumstances everyone can be a superstar but first in their own eyes. My job as their coach is to help illuminate that light first on themselves and then on their path.


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When Sarah Dougall does her accounting, inventory costs never put her in the red. She's the owner of Made You Look, a unique consignment retail concept in west end Toronto that brings together a community of up-and-coming jewelry designers in a studio/storefront setting.
Ten years ago Dougall studied jewelry arts at George Brown College, where she discovered a need for a professional creation facility for students once they graduate. "So I dreamt up the idea of a large jewelry manufacturing studio and retail gallery."
Independent designers (the current total is 20) pay a flat monthly fee to produce jewelry in the studio space, and their creations are sold on consignment through the shop.
For Dougall getting into consignment retailing was all about selling things that are made with love, created locally and original. She has had such success with her approach, she opened a second location across the road from the original store in 2007.
Consignment was an ideal choice for Dougall given her tight budget and lack of retail experience when she started out. "I was able to run a store and have no money invested in products. It?s a great way to go."
While she doesn't design products herself, she believes the job satisfies her creative talents in other ways. "There's still creative work involved, like window displays and merchandising. And a lot of designing goes on in my conversations with artists and customers."
For Marcy Katz, owner of Galerie M, a furniture and decorative accessories consignment store in Montreal, the decision to get into the business follows a long and successful retail career. "Retail has been my passion since I was 16 and punching a cash register in a European market," she says. When she graduated from McGill, she had a series of purchasing roles with several high-end retail operations.
With Galerie M she applied that experience to creating a new type of consignment shop that carries upscale furnishings. "I wanted to do something unique that combined many of the things I've experienced in my career. The whole idea was to give customers affordable luxury."
What Katz likes most about consignment work is the pace of change. "Inventory turns over very quickly and we're showcasing new products every single week. Many of the pieces have interesting histories behind them. And buyers get lovely products they can enjoy in their homes."
She also attributes success to the fact that people are more focused on reusing and recycling their valuables. "Attitudes have changed. People don't like to throw things out. It doesn't matter whether you have money or not or your background. We've had everyone in here from CEOs to newlyweds starting out."
Consignment retailing was very much a family matter for Rhonda Davis. She followed her mother's footsteps when she opened her Changes consignment clothing shop in Vancouver in 1997. "I named it after the store my mom established in Calgary years ago," she says.
Davis admits to having a lifelong passion for business of any kind. "I started lots of businesses when I was young, from coordinating babysitting services to dog walking and account collections."
After working at the Swimco retail chain, she decided to break out on her own. "That management experience allowed me to explore what it's like to run a small business."
Consignment made perfect sense since banks weren't interested in lending money to a young single woman, and inventory costs put a traditional store out of range. "I started with a $20,000 loan that was co-signed by my mother and worked tirelessly," she says.
Despite ups and downs, Davis believes she made the right choice. "For me it's the autonomy and the vision. It"s having a speck of an idea and turning it into reality. And I really do enjoy managing people and teaching young women especially about being strong in business."
An added bonus for Davis is that she has been able to connect with the community. "I have clients whose kids I've watched grow up. I also work with local artists to design jewellery to sell in the store."
When asked about her future plans, she says, "I've managed to weather some big storms. That just proves my heart's in this. This job was designed for the long haul."


text: There are 2 main brands in the world of cycling components, SRAM is one of them. Continuously pushing forward with new ideas and technology, SRAM is now a widely respected brand for any category of riding, at any level. From basic children's twist grips, up to tour standard drivetrains, the SRAM range has it all.


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February 23rd, 2011
Reduced reflection to 0.25% achievable with optional and custom solutions
Eindhoven, The Netherlands, February 23, 2011. Adimec (http://www.adimec.com/), a world leader in application-specific, leading-edge industrial camera solutions, today announced the availability of enhanced Anti-Reflection Coating (ARC) options for its QUARTZ camera series. The new offerings can significantly improve the quality and accuracy of its cameras by reducing reflection to as little as 0.25% of the light beams processed by the sensor. While standard ARC's delivered with off-the-shelf sensors typically provides protection levels of 2% of light at bandwidth ranges of 400 - 700nm, the Adimec solutions can consistently achieve sub- 0.5% protection at bandwidths of 400nm up to 900nm.
The Adimec ARC options are available in single and multilayer configurations, with protection levels ranging from 2% to 0.25% depending on bandwidth required. The company also offers custom ARC solutions to provide a specific level of protection that meet individual product requirements. The custom solutions allow further optimization that takes into account the spectral characteristics of the intended application, determined by factors such as illumination, lenses and mirrors.
Adimec has seen a strong demand for after-market ARC enhancement from customers requiring the highest quality and accuracy results in areas such as metrology and electronics inspection. The combination of the unique Adimec True Accurate Imaging® technology and the company's optical engineering expertise, allow it to deliver superior solutions than standard off-the-shelf components enable.
Adimec has a proven expertise in applying custom ARC to high-performance cameras. It utilizes its state-of-the art facility to ensure unmatched levels of cleanliness in the application process, as well as using the highest grade premium quality glass in its cameras. The result is the industry's highest level of ARC protection available.
The Adimec ARC options enhance the sensitivity of the sensor in many applications. In machine vision applications, for example, too much reflection on the sensor (i.e. more than 2%) interferes with the light reflected by the device under test. This causes measurement errors. By offering protection levels that result in as little as 0.25% reflection, the Adimec solutions greatly improve the accuracy that can be achieved with their cameras.
About Adimec
Adimec specializes in the development and manufacturing of high-performance cameras that meet the application-specific requirements of key market segments, including machine vision, medical imaging, and outdoor imaging. Founded in 1992, the company partners with major OEMs around the world to facilitate the creation of industry-leading cameras. Its products meet a wide range of performance, size, cost, interface and application requirements and its Adimec True Accurate Imaging® technology provides new levels of precision and accuracy to vision systems. Adimec has offices around the world focused on creating customer value and satisfaction through local, personalized support. For more information, go to www.adimec.com.
Contact Information
Adimec Advanced Image Systems bv
Tel: +31-40-2353900
Fax: +31-40-2353905
Press Contact: M. Raaijmakers ()


text:
Brown Pelican (scapula)
Grab the object above with your mouse, using the combinations below.
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PowerPointDownload PowerPoint slide for this 3D model (PC only) It is necessary to install the free 3DCT Viewer before this slide works in PowerPoint.
Image from Wikimedia (Mike Baird/Creative Commons 2.0)
This is a scapula of an adult Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). Brown Pelicans capture fish by plunging into the ocean from the air. A special gland housed in the skull allows Pelicans to get rid salt ingested during feeding.
Height: 5.8 mm
Width: 17.9 mm
Length: 85.5 mm
Time: Recent
Locality: N/A
Specimen: WFB-7596, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, UC Davis
Vertebrata Tetrapoda Aminota Diapsida Aviale Aves Pelicaniformes Pelecanidae Pelecanus occidentalis
3D model : Ryosuke Motani Text: Ryosuke Motani, Neil Kelley


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I Like Big Books and I Cannot LieFebruary 4, 2009 at 6:56 pm | Posted in Rude Poetry | 37 Comments
With apologies to Sir Mix-a-Lot:
Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her book.
It is so big. She looks like,
One of those writers' girlfriends.
But, you know, who understands those writers?
They only talk to her, because,
She looks like a dang librarian, 'kay?
I mean, that book, is just so big.
I can't believe it's just so thick, it's like,
A tome, I mean – whoa. Look!
She's got a stack!
I like big books and I cannot lie
You other bloggers can't deny
I've got my books stacked up in an itty bitty space
And one in front of my face
I read Proust, I don't think it's so tough
You might notice I can't get enough
At the fat books I'm staring
I'm hooked on the book comparing
O Author, I want your signature –
Autographed picture
My dilemma is thorny
A big book has just got to adorn me
Ooh, readin' women
You say you want to impress my friends?
Well, bring grub, don't flub
'Cause we ain't the average book club
I've seen them chit-chat
To hell with groups like that
We read, feed
We've got all the discussion you need
I'm tired of magazines
I say fat books are the thing
Take the average reader and ask him that
I got a full backpack
So, fellas! (Yeah!) Fellas! (Yeah!)
Has your girlfriend got a book? (Hell yeah!)
Tell her to share it! (Share it!) Share it! (Share it!)
Share that heavy book!
Baby got book!
(Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker also)
Baby got book!
I like 'em thick, and big
And complicated like Trig
I just can't help myself, I'm actin' like a recluse
Now here's my excuse
I wanna get it home
And ugh, read all night, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Netflix
'Cause some books are gonna be my picks
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy novel
I might even grovel
Lookin' for a book in my hovel
I don't waste time watchin' videos
At the mall shoppin' for clothes
I am not a bimbo
I've got the book readin' mojo
A word to the lit crit sisters, I wanna get with ya
And discuss literature
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna read
Till the break of dawn
Books got it goin' on
Novice readers won't like this song
'Cause when they just don't get it, they quit it
But I've got the need to read
If it's long, can't go wrong
When I'm down to get some fiction on
So, Larry! (Yeah!) Mary! (Yeah!)
If you wanna check out my library (Yeah!)
Then come around! Check it out!
Even frat boys got to shout
Baby got book!
Baby got book!
Yeah, baby… when it comes to reading, Cosmo ain't got nothing
To do with my selection. Say you're only on page 36? Ha ha, 'm already in chapter three.
So your reading tastes are shoddy, rather work on your Pilates
Everybody's more impressed if you are good at karate
The literati don't care none
Unless you read books, hun
On the bus, in the bathtub
But please don't lose that book
Some people don't have the attention
For literary invention
They see a book and leave it
I see it but I don't believe it
Cosmo's about fashion
Not the bookish passion
When you're at the mall and you're contemplatin'
Some readin' meditation
The pointless features in the magazines:
They just ain't the thing!
Give me a classic, or I'll go spastic
Ring it up on the plastic
Some knucklehead might have missed
All the classics on my list
He'd rather sit around, watch TV
Won't be able to compete with me
So ladies who have books around
And who might want a Scrabble throw down,
Is the blog for your thoughts
Baby got book!
Bookmark in the middle of a paperback [4x]
…Writing a spoof of "Baby Got Back" was much harder than it looks!
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[…] Mid-week pick-me-up Posted on February 4, 2009 by Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog Just when I thought the afternoon would never stop dragging, I came across this remarkable and hilarious post by Jessica of Both Eyes Book Blog, in which she re-writes "Baby Got Back" with a book theme. […]
Pingback by Mid-week pick-me-up « The Book Lady's Blog— February 4, 2009 #
Wow. That's pretty brilliant. It's been a while since I've laughed that hard. "Complicated like trig"? Genius. "Fellas! (Yeah!)" Okay, this brought back some good long past times. Nostalgia, hilarity, and literature all together is almost too much. Almost, but not quite. It's just great…
Comment by Biblibio— February 4, 2009 #
Omg, that was funny!
Comment by Chris@bookarama— February 4, 2009 #
Thanks for making my day! So, so funny!
Comment by Ashley— February 5, 2009 #
I love it! (And I love/am obsessed with reading too)
Comment by somebody— February 5, 2009 #
[…] Both Eyes Boook Blog posts "I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie", an audaciously funny parody of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back." Someone please […]
Pingback by The Path of the Bookseller : Bookselling Links from Germany, Mumbai, England, and other realms— February 11, 2009 #
[…] Well, Jessica's re-writing "Can't Touch This," and trust me, you don't want to miss it. Remember her take on "Baby Got Back"? […]
Pingback by What do sex, MC Hammer, feminism, and reading have in common? « The Book Lady's Blog— March 20, 2009 #
This is so great–I'm going to link to this when I write about Poetry Month. A great one to print and carry for Carry Poetry in Your Pocket Day! Book Lovers Everwhere Rejoice!
The Book Club Cheerleader
Comment by Marsha Toy Engstrom— April 14, 2009 #
nice job 🙂
Comment by Jenn— August 8, 2009 #
[…] Her Book by thiszine For all the book nerds out there and with apologies to Sir Mix-a-Lot, this is freaking awesome. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Goodreads is a GoodthingPenguinGroupUSA's […]
Pingback by Oh my Gawd Becky, Look at Her Book | this – a webzine— May 9, 2010 #
[…] about the idea of that song being transformed for book lovers and then I found this – Both Eyes has reworked the lyrics to fit in with books! I am impressed and highly recommend the read, especially if you know the song as well as I […]
Pingback by Fun Fridays: Baby Got Book « Bookish Ardour— April 16, 2011 #
[…] Thanks to our friend, @Antof9, for sharing where we could find the whole book-themed song. […]
Pingback by Smarties heart this Book Bag | Smarties Blog— June 16, 2011 #
That was great!
Comment by Gabriela Esslinger— January 24, 2012 #
[…] for "Baby Got Book" … Pretty awesome. Share this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this […]
Pingback by Baby Got Book « This is not the title of my blog.— January 24, 2012 #
[…] Baby Got Book (I promise this will make your day.) […]
Pingback by I made this for you! | these are the thoughts that fall out of my head— January 27, 2012 #
[…] And just because I love the song so – here's a little remix I found for you over at Both Eyes Book Blog. […]
Pingback by I Like Big Books & I Cannot Lie— March 6, 2013 #
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text:
By Brooke Nevils
Rock Center
LLANGYNWD, Wales - About two hundred miles away from the Greenwich, England, arena where her purebred horse Rafalca competed in the London Olympics, Ann Romney stroked the nose of Magic, a Welsh pony.
"You're so pretty, Magic," said Mrs. Romney.
In the rugged coal country of southern Wales, you see a different side to Ann Romney: she is at one point teary-eyed, another laughing, but always a tough defender of her husband. She talked at length about her life with multiple sclerosis, her conversion to the Mormon faith and her decision to stay home to raise her five boys.
As Rock Center Correspondent Natalie Morales found in her exclusive interview with the wife of presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, scheduled to air Thursday at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center, this coal miner's granddaughter is much more than an owner of an Olympic dressage horse.
Mrs. Romney is a first-generation American. Her father, Edward Davies, emigrated to the United States from this part of Wales in 1929, at age 15.
"It's very emotional for me to come back and to know what kind of life my grandfather lived, and my father," said Mrs. Romney, touring a coal mine much like the one in which her grandfather began working at age six.
The Davies family settled in Detroit, where a nearly 16-year-old Ann met 18-year-old Mitt at a party, and the high school sophomore's "heart went aflutter." Four years to the day after their first date, they were married.
"We are partners, true partners in every sense of the way," she told Morales. "I don't think he could do it without me. I don't believe he could. I couldn't obviously be here without him either."
Despite her steadfast support on the campaign trail, Mrs. Romney -- much like her sons -- was not so keen on her husband's role in public life after his failed bid for the Republican nomination in 2008.
"After the election was over and [John] McCain was the nominee, I made a decision that I would never do it again," she said. "You know who your husband is. You know-- I know what a good person he is. And oh - the negative - it's so hard as a wife to sit there and listen to that."
But when Morales asked why she changed her mind, Mrs. Romney said, "We have a reason why we're running and it's because I believe in my heart that Mitt is going to save America, that economically we are in such difficult times and that he is the person that's going to pull us through this."
The criticism that plagued the Romneys during the 2008 campaign has continued, particularly in regards to their reported $250 million fortune and the issue of their tax returns.
When pressed by Morales, Mrs. Romney stood her ground. "We have been very transparent to what's legally required of us," she said. "There's going to be no more tax releases given."
Mrs. Romney said if they release any more information, "it will only give them more ammunition."
In regards to their finances, she said "there's nothing we're hiding."
"It's been managed by a blind trust since before Mitt was governor, you know, 2002 forward," she told Morales. "And so, you know, I'll be curious to see what's in there too."
Editor's Note: Natalie Morales' full interview with Ann Romney aired Thursday, August 16 on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.


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Australia Chapter STC
Wikis > Australia Chapter STC
Sydney, Australia
The Australia Chapter was formed in 2001, with the goal of providing Australian STC members with an opportunity to initiate and become involved in local activities and to discuss local issues.
The purposes for which the Chapter was formed are:
- to provide a forum where Australian technical communicators can discuss their work;
- to adopt strategies that support active participation by members, irrespective of their location throughout Australia
- to promote industry and public awareness about technical communications and technical communicators within Australia;
- to provide services for Australian technical communicators in the form of meetings, publications, seminars and conferences;
- to assist in establishing and maintaining high standards of technical communication;
- to engage in research, education, and publishing activities designed to advance the theory and practice of technical communication;
- to guide and inform students and to aid educational institutions in the establishment of curricula for training in technical communication;
- to operate within the rules and guidelines established by the Society of Technical Communicators (Inc).
- to establish and maintain liaison with other organizations in all matters affecting technical communicators as a group;
- to do everything necessary and proper in connection with or incidental to the above purposes.
(Taken from the Chapter's Constitution)
Name: Steve Salter
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Category: Professional and Student Chapters Tags:


text:
Liebherr Refrigerator Water Filters
With a Liebherr Refrigerator Water Filter, you can achieve a new level of purity with your water and ice. These filters are designed to perform at the highest level and will produce refreshing, clean water and ice for up to six months.
With the correct filter in your refrigerator, you can significantly reduce or even eliminate water contaminants and harmful particulates like chlorine. Over time, cumulative exposure to water contaminants can weaken your immune system, cause cellular damage or even cell mutation (cancer).
Discount Filter Store is a proud distributor of Liebherr Refrigerator Water Filters and currently carries the 7440002 Liebherr Refrigerator Water Filter, a genuine OEM filter. Why choose Discount Filter Store? Our products ship fast, install quickly and stand the test of time. If you're not sure which filter you need, contact us or call 1-800-277-3458 for assistance. In addition to refrigerator filters, we also carry undersink filters, faucet filters, coffee filters and more.


text:
7 Common Mistakes That Can Lower Your Credit Score
- Paying bills late
- Not paying the minimum amount required
- Keeping debt levels too high
- Owning too many credit cards
- Not alerting creditors if you've moved or changed names
- Not periodically checking your credit report
- Not using your full legal name in financial documents
One of the biggest factors in determining your credit score is your past payment history. While one or two late payments on your credit cards, loans, or other important obligations over a long period of time may not significantly damage your credit record, making a habit (or mistake) of it can count against you.
I f you don't pay at least the minimum amount due, your creditors will eventually report your account as past due, which can damage your score. Additionally, paying less than the minimum can result in late fees and additional interest charges which can add up quickly.
If you "max out" or already owe a lot of money on your credit cards, potential creditors may question your ability to repay. Creditors also use this information to evaluate loan approval or interest rate charges (higher interest rates are used to compensate for higher risk).
While offers to sign up for credit and department store cards with free gifts or extra savings may be tempting, having access to all of that credit may be detrimental to your credit score because, even if you don't use the cards, potential creditors may worry that you won't be able to repay a new obligation if you decide to use all that credit. Plus, all those "inquires" into your credit report may indicate to lenders that you are having financial troubles or are on the verge of getting too deeply into debt.
If you move between apartments frequently and don't change your address on bills, you run the risk of not receiving bills on time and suffering late payments as a result. Not notifying creditors of a name change could result in your credit report not accurately reflecting the credit you've worked to build.
Many people never look into their credit report until they've been denied for a loan or credit. Inaccurate or missing information in your credit report could raise your borrowing costs or cause delays when you're in a rush to make a major purchase, like a car.
Bank accounts, credit applications, and other documents that become part of your credit history come to be on your report through a variety of ways, many of which do not have many other identifying factors like your social security number. Using your full legal name helps to make sure that your information ends up on your report. According to a FDIC senior Consumer Affairs Specialist, it's not uncommon for a child and parent with similar names to show up on each other's credit report.


text: We're very used to Apple prototypes showing up on eBay. It's not often that we see unreleased iPads get the auction treatment, however, which makes a new listing that much more interesting. A 16GB WiFi version of the original iPad has popped up sporting a second dock connector on its side, a feature that we'd previously only spotted in Apple design patents. The advantage, of course, would be to keep the iPad powered and synced while it's playing a favorite movie in landscape mode. While we don't know how one aaps69 managed to get hands on the tablet, there's some clear signs that the seller didn't just carve an extra hole in the aluminum for kicks: the slate is running the familiar SwitchBoard tool that Apple uses for in-house diagnostics, and there's a raft of old and incomplete part details that suggest this particular iPad was never meant for store shelves. We'll likely never know why Apple left us in a land of solo dock connectors, but we'd take a peek at the source link before it's gone, as more recent Apple prototypes at auction tend to return to the source quickly.


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The MASCA-2 project was an extension of the MASCA Project. It was based on experiments that were mainly carried out at the Kurchatov Institute and that make use of a variety of facilities in which the corium compositions prototypical of power reactors could be tested. The tests aimed to provide experimental information on the phase equilibrium for different corium mixture compositions that can occur in water reactors. In order to enhance the application of MASCA results for reactor cases, the influence of an oxidizing atmosphere and the impact of non-uniform temperatures (presence of crusts or solid debris) was addressed. The programme was also intended to generate data on relevant physical properties of mixtures and alloys that are important for the development of qualified mechanistic models.
The first meeting of the MASCA-2 project was held in October 2003 in Madrid, Spain. The refurbishment of several facilities was started in order to accommodate the specific requirements of the new test conditions. A MASCA seminar was held in June 2004 to review the project results to date. The project integration report is now available to participants and a MASCA-2 seminar was held on 11-12 October 2007 in Cadarache, France.
Complete project data is available to NEA member countries and the Russian Federation, the data abstract is public.
July 2003 to June 2007
~ USD 1 million/year
Last updated: 14 October 2013


text:
2 syllables
- boozing, bruising, choosing, cruising, fusing, losing, musing, oozing, schmoozing, snoozing, using
3 syllables
- abusing, accusing, amusing, confusing, defusing, diffusing, excusing, infusing, misusing, perusing, recusing, refusing, reusing
4 syllables
- overusing
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Unscramble.net is the free tool to unscramble letters and words for games like Text Twist, Words with Friends, Scrabble, Word Scraper, and of course the ever popular Jumble newspaper puzzle. It is also great for homework problems that frustrate many parents and students. Unscramble.net provides one and two word unscramble solutions from its extensive 280,000 word list that includes technical, medical and slang words. There is no limit to the number of letters entered for one word unscrambles and the site also provides for rhyming words and dictionary definitions for many of the unscrambled words. Two word unscramble results are provided in two formats for easy comprehension by the user. There is no limit to the number of word combinations provided whether for one or two word unscramble solution sets.
The site is mobile friendly and fully https/tls security compliant. Fast and easy, unscramble.net provides the most accurate and complete word, letter and anagram solutions available. Trust the oldest and most reliable unscramble tool on the net. Word lists are constantly being updated from reliable sources. Android and iOS apps are coming soon.