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May 27
Let There Be Peace
By Marsh Chapel
Pentecost Sunday
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.
After four years of war and five years of fierce debate about war, these solemn dominical words sound like sentences from a foreign land, in a foreign tongue. Originally Greek, now English, they sound Greek, in American English. For half a decade our pulpits across the remaining outposts of responsible Christian liberalism have struggled to interpret John 14: 26. Peace. Let there be peace.
Today we are grateful for and mindful of those who have offered themselves in the service of others, and the protection of freedom. From our Marsh Chapel fellowship, three are currently serving in Iraq. Last Saturday, one of our graduating seniors, a young man present almost every Sunday this past year here in worship, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in historic Faneuil Hall. He gave the senior address. In the winter Jan and I revisited the desert southwest, and particularly Nellis Air Force Base, where I grew up, nearly fifty years ago. We recognize the courage and the sacrifice of many in our time, and across time.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.
Today's sermon is the first of two, the second to be delivered next Sunday, which bear witness to a portion of the church's attempt, 2001 through 2007, to speak a word of truth about peace in a time of war. Pentecost is a moment of spirit, of truth, of peace. Yet we are a people caught up in the tides and undertows of war. Since 2001 the pulpits of Christendom, including mainline Methodism, here and there, strained to speak a word of truth. One simply cannot convey the extreme difficulty of leading a congregations, growing churches, bringing pastoral care to communities, raising budgets, building buildings, and yet struggling to say what had to be said, across difficult years. To the preachers and laity in the churches of the church, these sermons are offered, in honor of your own, their own, witness, service and sacrifice, year by year.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.
2001: To Begin
On September 16, 2001, our pulpits recognized the terror and loss of nineleven, and counseled faith. Some were criticized for not using 'God Bless America' as the final hymn. One preacher said (Robert Allan Hill, Asbury First UMC, Rochester, NY),
Have faith, people of faith.
Terror may topple the World Trade Center, but no terror can topple the World Truth Center, Jesus the Christ.
The World Trade Center, hub of global economies may fall, the economy of grace still stands in the World Truth Center, Jesus the Christ.
The World Trade Center, communications nexus for many may fall, but the communication of the gospel stands, the World Truth Center, Jesus Christ.
The World Trade Center, legal library for the country may fall, but grace and truth which stand, through the World Truth Center, Jesus the Christ.
The World Trade Center, symbol of national pride may fall, but divine humility stands, through the World Truth Center, Jesus the Christ.
The World Trade Center, material bulwark against loss may fall, but the possibility in your life of developing a spiritual discipline against resentment (Niehbuhr) still stands, through the World Truth Center, Jesus the Christ.
A year later, the drums were beating, and with a steady, recognizable, intent. An argument was advanced, tragic and reckless, to countenance for the first time in American history a project of pre-emptive warfare. Yet, from our pulpits, with some freedom, some grace, and some courage, there came careful, responsive rejoinders. We were reminded of the history of Christian teaching, regarding war. We rehearsed the arguments for pacifism. We remembered, as we do this Memorial Weekend, the long centuries of teaching about just war. From one pulpit, many heard, (though a few walked out midway) (RAHAFUMC, 9/29/02):
People of faith have usually assumed one of two traditional positions in the face of armed conflict, or as is often the case, a kind of wisened situational combination of the two: pacifism or just war. Often, too, the chief job of the pastor in such a time is to help the congregation think theologically, and think clearly, and to maintain space for a variety of views within one body. The pacifist position depends upon Matthew, in verses like chapter 5: 38 "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also". The activist position does too, in verses like Matthew 10: 34, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword…he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me". How shall we think about this?
I know, given the stature and venerability of this pulpit, that many of you have heard these points rehearsed many times, and engaged wisely and sensitively in the past. Perhaps there is little that I can add. You remember that there have been five basic criteria, from Augustine to Aquinas to us, in the so-called just war theory: just cause in response to serious evil; just intention for restoration of peace with justice, not self-enrichment or devastation of another; last resort; have legitimate authority; have a reasonable hope of success, given the necessary constraints of discrimination and proportion
ality. Shakespeare: "Who the sword of heaven would rear must be as holy as severe".
Response…Restoration…Last…Authority…What has caught us unprepared this fall, is that it seems that our current course as a country moves in a third way, apart from both the pacifist and activist positions in the history of Christian thought. It seems, at least, that some our moral debate has now taken leave of the history of Christian ethics altogether, leaving behind both the pacifist and the activist, both the non-retaliatory and the just war positions. What congress now debates, and is apparently ready to approve, is not a response but a preemption; not a restoration but a dislocation; not a last but an initial resort; not an act based on a communal authority, but a nearly unilateral act. We are told that this is a new age, that patience must be balanced with realism about the threat at large, that in due time we shall be shown the proof for the need of this new doctrine. But let us be clear: preemption, destruction, initiation, usurpation—these have little basis or foothold in the history of Christian thought, to this point. None, in fact. We are left, as disciples of Jesus Christ, either to redefine the expanse of Christian ethics developed over 2000 years, or to reconsider our current debate.
On the eve of disaster, across the land, here and there, some sentient consideration, some reflection, some attention to response rather than reaction, was uttered. One congregation, on March 2, 2003, heard this, even as one parishioner said the preacher sounded nervous and anxious (RAHAFUMC):
Christ is not at home in a world of collateral damage. I never will take for granted the regard of this congregation for the freedom of the pulpit. Most of you disagree, I know, with what I have said about the impending conflict with Iraq. Yet, you have graciously accepted what you cannot recommend, and you have graciously heard what you would not have said, and you have graciously protected what you would not have preferred. In my own ways, I will strive to measure up to your spiritual maturity in the years to come.
Once more: the opposition here voiced, over many months, to preemptory, unilateral, imperialistic, unpredictable military action continues. I have tried to show that such is outside the bounds of inherited Christian just war ethics. I have tried to argue that such is unreasonable when compared to the alternative of ongoing containment and potential retaliation. I have tried to calculate the consequences of first strike, non-multilateral, imperial invasion by one country of another. I have quoted Robert Kennedy, from another setting, that such would be "Pearl Harbor in reverse".
What then do I say to the day that one of these terrorists further harms our people? They will. Our president has rightly said, "We shall meet violence with patient justice". W here we can bring justice, in response to attack, justice, in concert with the united nations, justice that is a republic in defense not an empire in expanse, justice that makes for peace, even when this justice, to be temporarily achieved, may tragically involve the utter horror of war, then, let us say, we may have to act. That is 1991 and that is Afghanistan. But this new war is something else. Terror will continue. Students died in Lockerbie, and that did not end it. The towers came down on 9/11 and that did not end it. Until a global tide of liberty and justice reaches the poorest Moslem hamlet in the most hateful Islamic nation, there will still be terror: to be met with patient justice.
Not all of our voices were silenced, through shock and awe, and the report of a mission accomplished. Even in the brightest, that is the darkest, days of summer, 2003, here and there, for those with ears to hear, there was a homiletically resistance movement afoot. On Independence Sunday, July 6, 2003, the Christian community, at least in some settings, counseled together. Some were beginning to listen. After singing 'Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory', preacher addressed a congregation in the following manner (RAHAFUMC):
Now that the dust of the desert has partly settled, though, we may want to consider what we have done. To any fair minded consideration, this war, in direct contrast to virtually ever other American conflict, was unabashedly prosecuted outside of inherited Christian ethical teaching. Of course, pacifism was discounted, but so too were the caveats of the just war theory. Our action was preemptive not responsive, unilateral not commonly authorized, a deliberate but not a last resort, and, for all the technological wizardry available, still brought death to thousands of unarmed civilians. Iraq 2003 is America's first self-consciously post-Christian war.
Now it may be, and some will argue strongly that it must be, that future Christian thought, in contrast to the past, must make space for unilateral preemption, given the dangers now abroad. Not for one minute do I discount the momentum of this emerging position, even though it is not, just now, one I can support. Let us reason together. Let the discussion evolve. But let us also be clear: just war theory does not currently make space for unilateral preemption.
What is darkly fascinating about the winter's action is that the dilemma of leadership in which we Americans found ourselves was precisely rendered five hundred years ago. In the Italian Renaissance, the Florentine philosopher Nicollo Machiavelli, quietly composed a frightful, but perhaps unconquerable, understanding of leadership and power, and thus of war and peace. He argued that the leader could be either effective or Christian, but not both at the same time. He would have to choose between effective, powerful and sustainable leadership, on the one hand, and Christian virtue, on the other. He could be successful or right, but not both at the same time. I am indebted to Isaiah Berlin's rehearsal and summary of Machiavelli's frightful argument:
"It is in fact impossible to combine Christian virtues, for example meekness or the search for spiritual salvation, with a satisfactory, stable, vigorous, strong society on earth. Consequently a man must choose. To choose to lead a Christian life is to condemn oneself to political impotence: to be used and crushed by powerful, ambitious, clever, unscrupulous men."
What Machiavelli most clearly stated has been the thorn in the flesh of Christian political ethics for the whole modern era. As Machiavelli predicted, none have been able or willing to f
ully face and finally solve his dilemma: As a leader, and particularly a military leader, you can be victorious or you can be Christian, you can be successful or you can be virtuous, you can survive or you can be good. But not both, argued Machiavelli.
Is this the best we can hope for? Are the horns of Machiavelli's dilemma unbreakable?
For the country to survive are we forced to give up the application of our faith to matters of war and peace? Is this what our strategic future must now entail, unilateral preemption?
To this question, and to the years 2004 and following, we shall return Come Sunday, come next Sunday.
In the rear of our sanctuary here at Marsh Chapel, there is an unusual stained glass window, of an unusual person, Abraham Lincoln. We await both his insight and his eloquence, applied to our time: With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.


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BEIJING, January 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AnyMP4 Studio is dedicated to developing the most powerful multimedia processing software in order to provide the best and world-class solutions for converting DVD&BD and video/audio files for users all over the world. After the New Year holiday, AnyMP4 released Mac Video Converter Platinum to help users convert almost all videos to 2D and 3D videos with wonderful converting speed and video quality.
AnyMP4's Mac Video Converter Platinum, the powerful and all-in-one Video Converter software for Macs, has perfect function to convert any video to 2D and 3D video formats on a Mac. Mac users can convert TS, MTS, M2TS, MXF, TRP, MP4, M4V, QT, MOV, MPEG, AVI, 3GP, FLV, RMVB, WMV, MKV, VOB, DAT, OGM, WTV, DVR-MS, Bink video, and WebM to any 2D video format, and even 3D video like MP4 3D, MKV 3D, TS 3D, AVI 3D and more. Video Converter Mac Platinum is capable of extracting audio files from videos and then converting them to FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC, ALAC, AC3, AIFF, AMR, AU, MP3, MP2, M4A, MKA, and OGG without any audio loss.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Officer resigns after allegedly exposing self to deputy
Editor's note: The name of the sergeant allegedly involved was corrected from Wednesday's print edition.
A former sergeant with the Carson City Sheriff's Office allegedly exposed himself to a female deputy in February before resigning on April 13.
Kenneth G. Steel allegedly exposed himself to a female deputy on Feb. 15 and was immediately placed on administrative leave, Sheriff Ken Furlong said.
"An internal affairs and criminal investigations were immediately requested," Furlong said. The city also was immediately informed of the situation.
"We did everything in accordance with policy," Furlong said.
The criminal investigation was handled by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and has been handed over to the Douglas County District Attorney's Office.
"From a criminal side, it had to be investigated so we farmed it out. We cannot, however, comment on personnel matters," Furlong said.
Before the internal affairs investigation was complete, Steel resigned, Furlong said.
Steel had been with the sheriff's office for 18 years.


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Update June 26th 2015
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Ravitch Blasts 'So-Called Reforms'
photo by Rick Runion for RA Today
copyright © 2010 NEA
Researcher calls on educators to fight for 'the backbone of this democracy'
June 6, 2010
By Alain Jehlen
NEA Friend of Education award winner Diane Ravitch electrified the Representative Assembly Tuesday with an impassioned call for the defense of public education and the teaching profession.
"The current 'education reform' movement is pushing bad ideas," she said. "It wants to end tenure and seniority, to silence teachers' unions, to privatize large sectors of public education. Don't let it happen!"
Ravitch, an eminent historian of education who served as Assistant Secretary of Education under the President George H. W. Bush, supported some of those "bad ideas" for years but changed her mind when she saw the damage they caused put into practice in No Child Left Behind.
Ravitch blasted high-stakes testing, saying it might lead to higher test scores but not to real learning. She attacked merit pay because it undermines team work and has no support in education research. She warned that public school choice and more charter schools could split the public school system into one system for haves and one for have-nots, because many charter schools skim the best students. And she noted that national studies have repeatedly failed to find charter schools do a better job.
Introducing her to the RA, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel noted that her book, The Death and Life Of the Great American School System, has caused a sensation. He said the reason may be that it is so rare for someone to change their mind based on evidence.
Ravitch said NCLB set an impossible standard when it declared that 100 percent of children will be proficient. "Thousands of schools have been stigmatized as failing schools because they could not reach a goal that no state, no nation, and no district has ever reached," she said, so NCLB has "created a rhetoric of failure and paved the way for privatization."
"Public education," Ravitch declared, "is the backbone of this democracy, and we cannot turn it over to privateers."
Ravitch told the delegates that the nations whose students perform best in international comparisons "recognize that the best way to improve schools is to improve the education profession."
"We need expert teachers [and] experienced principals who are themselves master teachers, not a wave of newcomers who took a course called 'how to be a principal.'"
The NEA's Friend of Education award is given each year to someone who has significantly contributed to the improvement of public education. Last year's winner was education policy writer and researcher Linda Darling-Hammond. Previous winners include U.S. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and William Jefferson Clinton; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley; and the late Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy (D-Mass.).
Diane Ravitch, 2010 NEA Friend of Education, Defends Public Education
Researcher and former Assistant Education Secretary Diane Ravitch blasts 'so-called reforms' in No Child Left Behind in a speech to NEA members at the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly. She says the current education reform movement is pushing bad ideas.
- Speech Transcript
- Ravitch Blasts 'So-Called Reforms'
- An interview with Diane Ravitch
(Presented by the Columbus Education Association)
RA Media Headlines
View All RA Speeches


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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Monday, February 11, 2013) – The Colorado Rapids today announced details of the launch events for the club's new primary and alternate uniforms that will be worn during the 2013 season. As part of Major League Soccer's "Jersey Week," the new Rapids jerseys will caravan to Colorado landmarks on Feb. 25-26, visiting locations such as Breckenridge Ski Resort, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Elk Meadow/Bergen Peak, The Brown Palace, Confluence Park, and culminating in a public party at Lodo's Bar & Grill in downtown Denver where the players will don the new jerseys for the first time.
The "Jersey Week" concept was launched by Major League Soccer as an annual platform in which MLS teams will celebrate the art and nuance behind their club's jersey and the passion that supporters have for their club, focusing on the details that went into the collaborative process with adidas, MLS' exclusive uniform supplier. Jersey Week 2013 will take place Feb. 25-28 with a national launch event in New York on Feb. 25. The Rapids are one of 12 MLS clubs that will unveil at least one new jersey for 2013. Starting in 2014, all 19 MLS clubs will unveil at least one new jersey (home, away or third kit) every single year.
The Colorado Rapids had previously announced that the primary uniform for 2013 would be burgundy in color and feature the names of the club's season tickets holders (as of March 2012) embedded in the fabric of the jersey. Season Ticket Holders received a sneak peak at the uniform last fall. Fans that placed presale orders for the primary jersey will receive them prior to the official public unveiling. The alternate jersey will be unveiled on Feb. 26 at the public party at Lodo.
Leading into the jersey unveiling and 2013 season, fans can stay informed on the club's grassroots events by visiting www.ColoradoRapids.com/MarchToSoccer.
To join and follow the conversation on the Colorado Rapids new jerseys, including the unveiling, fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RapidsJersey on social media. To stay connected to the full slate of jersey unveilings around MLS, use and follow #JerseyWeek.
#RapidsJersey Caravan:
Feb. 25 – Exclusive VIP Event at The Brown Palace (private)
Feb. 26 – (open to the public)
- 8:00 a.m.: Breckenridge Ski Resort
- 10:30 a.m.: Evergreen (Elk Meadow / Bergen Peak)
- 2:00 p.m.: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- 4:00 p.m.: Confluence Park (downtown Denver)
- 6:00 p.m.: Lodo's Bar & Grill Public Party (downtown Denver)
The Rapids continue their preseason schedule with the Las Vegas ProSoccer Challenge against Chivas USA on February 15, and open the regular season on March 2 in Dallas before hosting their home opener on March 9 against the Philadelphia Union.


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Okay, so there's a group of kids walking along the sidewalk--young ones, with ages in the single digits. They're with an adult, let's say a teacher, and suddenly a passer-by starts screaming at the teacher like a character out of a Mel Gibson movie:
Would you say that at this point it would be reasonable for an officer of the law to fire a tranquilizer dart into the passer-by's ass and drag him to a mental institution? Because I would. Yet strangely pretty much this same thing happens every day and nobody seems to give a shit.
Indulge me, if you would, in briefly pondering the following actual situation I witnessed yesterday.
It was a lovely, springy day and I was approaching an intersection with a four-way stop near a school. In the crosswalk ahead of me were a bunch of little kids, crossing the streets with some adults. A driver was inside the intersection, waiting them to finish crossing so he could complete his turn. Behind him, a second driver was waiting also, except "waiting" is not the right work, because he's LEANING ON HIS GODDAMN FUCKING HORN THE ENTIRE TIME!!!
This is a perfectly normal sight in New York City, but as I was watching it yesterday all I could think was "This guy is a fucking psychotic!" The most charitable explanation for his behavior is that he wants the little kids to hurry the fuck up, which is only moderately psychotic, and the most disturbing (and likely) one is that he simply wants the driver in front of him to plow through the kids on the crosswalk, which is fully psychotic. Either way, people like this need to have fucking darts fired into them, then they need to be placed in padded rooms for psychological evaluation, and the results of that evaluation notwithstanding they need to have their fucking licenses revoked for all of eternity.
Really, the only difference between my hypoallergenic scenario and the real scenario is that the nutjob is in a car, and of course when you're in a car you're allowed to be as crazy if you want. This is America, and the rule is that if you buy (or lease) something you get to be as batshit insane as you want while you're inside of it. It's sort of a commercial force field. The passer-by is recognized for the lunatic that he is, but the driver just has a little innocent "road rage," and when it finally gets the better of him and somebody dies all he has to do is say he mistook the pedal for the brake and he'll live to drive another day.
Anyway, my ride yesterday took me through pretty much the entire length of Manhattan, and all I could think the whole time was, "You have to be a fucking idiot not to realize that drivers are deranged." Do pedestrians wander into traffic while staring at their smartphones? Sure. Do cyclists on brakeless fixies salmon through red lights at busy intersections? Of course, brakes and stopping are for "woosies." But only a driver will watch a light turn red in the busiest city in America and then stomp on the gas and launch a three-ton vehicle through it as hundreds of people have already begun to cross the street.
All I'm saying is, give me a bike, a tranquilizer gun, and a straight jacket and I'll have the streets safe in no time. "Vision Zero" sounds cute and all, but people are dying for fuck's sake, so how about a new motto?
Then on the way home that night I was overcome by motorcycle salmon on whiny crotch rockets who decided they didn't want to ride around the block in order to visit the gas station. I almost said something, too, but fortunately I remembered that they were probably off-duty police officers who would be all too happy for an excuse to beat me with their helments and instead adopted a dignified countenance as I slowly wet my pants.
Meanwhile, in Columbus (that's in Ohio, right?), a local news channel right out of the movie "Anchorman" reports bicycle infrastructure is BLEEDING THE CITY AND THE TAXPAYERS DRY!!!
Or, as far as I can tell, the city put in some bike racks, then a bunch of NIMBYs stopped the bike lane that was supposed to go with them, so now nobody's using them:
Evidently, at a cost of over $500, or one pair of Assos bib shorts, these three racks are now bringing Columbus to its knees.
Wow. Journalistically speaking, this news report is basically the equivalent of honking at the driver in front of you to drive through a bunch of babies.
Then again, I know nothing of the bicycle infrastructure in Columbus, so maybe the whole thing is a poorly-conceived shit show, what do I know? If you have any insight, please share it in the comments, but make sure to pepper those insights with the word "scranus."
The big revelation to me though was that in Columbus people apparently lock their bikes to garbage cans:
"I'll lock 'em up to a garbage can, or a tree, or a fence..."
That doesn't sound like a great idea, and if Hal "Jorts" Ruzal of Bicycle Habitat were to come across something like that in his latest bike-locking video he would have totally plotzed:
Hal Grades Your Bike Locking 2014 (Part IV) from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.
Basically, if you don't want Hal to strangle you with his dreadlocks, you need lock your frame, your wheels, and your saddle:
I like to think my own locking technique would pass muster with this revered mechanic who bears an uncanny resemblance to Tom Hanks about 75 minutes into "Castaway," and my own saddle-securing trick is a piece of old bicycle chain wrapped in inner tube:
Though you should also keep a novelty turd in your bag at all times:
That way, if you don't have a chain (or you want to enhance your existing security security) you can simply place the novelty turd on top of your saddle as a theft-deterrent.
For maximum effect, I also like to plant a little toothpick flag in it warning would-be saddle thieves that I carry a fecal-borne disease:
Though this has been known to backfire, like that time when I returned to find my saddle gone and my flag modified:
I'll never eat in that Dunkin' Donuts again, I can assure you.
Plus, I've got to watch my figure just in case I decide to come back from retirement, which is why I've also been studying up on racing technique. In fact, I was just reading Chris Horner's instructions on how to shed a wheelsucker:
If attacking or yelling doesn't work, try this: As you drop to the rear of the paceline, Mr. Deadwood will likely open up a little gap in front of him and allow you the privilege of slipping in front of him, thus preventing him from ever rotating to the front (Figure 6.2). When you get in front of him, slow down. A lot. Allow a huge gap to open in front of you. Let it grow as large as you can. Wait for Mr. Deadwood to jump around you to close the gap. If he wants to stay with the breakaway, he'll eventually decide to go around you. When he goes past you, jump on his wheel and let him tow you back up to the group. This is a complex tactic that requires a unified effort by everyone in the breakaway to help out. If you're the only one who's concerned about the freeloader,
this tactic will not work.
All riders in the breakaway must do the same thing to Mr. Deadwood every time they rotate to the back. That is, take him off the back and make him chase to regain contact. This requires him to work very hard to stay in the break, or die trying. Not literally, of course. We don't want anyone to die in pursuit of a pair of socks and a TGI Fridays gift card.
Of course, to fully enjoy Chris Horner's book you really need to be up on pro racing lingo. For example, "Mr. Deadwood" is peloton slang for "guy who's been cooperating with USADA."
For the rest of us, the best way to shed a wheelsucker remains a well-timed burst of flatulence.


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Common Era
(Redirected from CE)
For more information, see the Wikipedia article:
The Common Era (CE), sometimes known as the Current Era or as the Christian Era, is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 (the traditional birthdate of Jesus) to the present. The time before this is correspondingly known as Before the Common Era or Before the Christian Era (BCE).
The notations CE and BCE are alternatives for the previously popular AD ("Anno Domini", Latin for "in the year of the Lord") and BC ("Before Christ"), respectively. They may also be written C.E. and B.C.E.


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Just hours after the first official poster began making the rounds, a trailer for "Gulliver's Travels" has arrived. The film stars Jack Black in all his mugging glory as a regular guy who winds up in a land where's he's a giant.
"Gulliver's Travels" is directed by Rob Letterman ("Monsters vs. Aliens," "Shark tale") making his live-action debut, and features an impressive supporting cast that includes Jason Segel, Emily Blunt and Amanda Peet.
Some thoughts on the clip:
- The line, "You're never gonna get any bigger than this," that's dropped on Gulliver is beyond grating. Let's hope there aren't too many more like it.
- Would someone please, please, please start giving Romany Malco bigger, better parts? He's one of the most inherently funny actors working today, why can't someone cast him appropriately?
- Kudos to Jack Black for rocking a Rucker Park T-shirt, it'll be lost on 99.9999 % of the audience, but still a nice touch.
- The clip finishes strong with what is probably the funniest Foosball bit in movie history -- if that means anything.
The film comes out Dec. 22.


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Heavy marijuana use by teenagers is up 80 percent since 2008, according to a national survey released by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation.
Nearly 10 percent of U.S. teens -- about 1.5 million youth -- smoked marijuana heavily, some 20 times in the past month, according to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, sponsored by MetLife Foundation.
Other findings:
Local news from across Southern California
-Past-month use of marijuana is up 42 percent
-Past-year use of marijuana is up 26 percent
-Lifetime use of marijuana is up 21 percent, which translates to 8 million teens
The upward trend in marijuana use follows a ten year period (1998-2008) where marijuana use declined, said Steve Pasierb, president of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
Marijuana use creates a "gateway attitude" that leads teens to try other drugs and change social behavior and circumstances, Pasierb said. "Ninety percent of all adult addicts started drug use in their teen years," he said.
According to the survey 26 percent of teens agree with the statement, "in my school , most teens don't smoke marijuana" and 71 percent of teens say they have friends who use marijuana regularly.
Pasierb said marijuana use among teens is often tolerated by parents who consider it a relatively benign alternative to the "harder stuff," like cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin. That mentality needs to change, he said.
"Kids who learn at home (of the dangers of drug use) are half as likely to use," he said.
In California the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries may be a factor in the increase, Pasierb said. Medical dispensaries "need to make certain there is a medical reason" for marjiuana use before selling it to anyone, he said.
Parents should speak with their children and explain marijuana use as a "health issue," he said. Federal budget cuts to the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools have limited the exposure of anti-drug campaigns and drug and alcohol education resources in schools, he said.
The 23rd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) surveyed 3,322 teens in grades 9-12 and 821 parents. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent for the teen sample and plus or minus 3.4 percent for the parent sample, according to the organization's press release.
Additional results include:
-Teen boys show an overall increase in marijuana use. Past-year use among teen boys is up 24 percent and past-month use among teen boys is up 38 percent.
-Half of Hispanic teens report they have used marijuana in the past year versus 40 percent for African Americans and 35 percent for Caucasians.
-Teen abuse of over-the-counter and prescription drugs has not increased. Among teens, past-year abuse of prescription pain relievers such as Vicodin and OxyContin has plateaued at about percent.
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Business phone system sales are something that we believe should be a process which is explained step-by-step by your telecommunications provider and because we understand this we make a point of letting our customers know as much detail as possible.
We give a demonstration which shows exactly what the OfficeServ can do – including Voice Mail, CMS and Music on Hold however large or small the PBX required is.
We'll order the lines and obtain the best tariffs to minimise your unique calls profile. Our service includes finding your new telephone numbers or porting your old. Business phone system sales don't stop there: our team of fully accredited telecoms engineers can cable, install and programme the system to your specification.
If you would like your staff to be trained we have in-house qualified trainers able to visit you on site enabling you to get the most from your PABX. It is this attention-to-detail which has earned us Platinum status, leaving you with the peace of mind that we will maintain your phone-system in a professional manner. (We've also been recipients of the SME Resller of the Year trophy recently)
With 25% OFF RRP on Samsung phones & systems we really do offer you a great business deal on your sales.
Please dial 0800 652 8052 to speak to our business phone system sales experts.


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Domestic violence cases involving spouses and other intimate partners often entail complex processes that require careful consideration by the criminal justice system. In the 1990s, many jurisdictions began to create specialized domestic violence courts for judges to ensure follow-through on cases, aid domestic violence victims, and hold offenders accountable, with the assistance of justice and social service agencies.
By specializing in domestic violence offenses, these courts aim to process cases more efficiently and deliver more consistent rulings about domestic violence statutes. Some domestic violence courts also incorporate a stronger focus on rehabilitation of offenders and deterrence of repeat offenses.
Learn more about:
- Victim services and safety, including:
- Offender accountability procedures.
- Judicial oversight and pretrial safety.


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Welcome to BOOKMARK
It looks like you've just set up your website. Now would be a good time to submit your article and then publish it to the Home or the New page
What is Plikli?
Plikli is an open source content management system that lets you easily create your own user-powered website.
Latest Comments


text:
Poke poke poke
Poke the dude with the anger issues
Poke poke poke
Poke the dude with the anger issues
so this is Another Damn Brian, from Sunny's old band.
When was he first mentioned?
from the bit with Moze and Tuesday and the old metal record with Sunny and Nicky on it when they were teenagers, there is on the case A.D.B.'s initials on a scroll.
which is to say, I heard it talked about in a u-stream.
Sunny should be thankful he has a cousin like Moze to (sort of) keep him in check.
Is Sunny's last sentence declarative or imperative? :)
Ooh. Good question.
Guessing the dude's paraplegic, since he's in a wheelchair.
With those wheels and flames, I wonder if that's a regulation chair for murderball?
Didn't/doesn't Tracie play a full contact sport, diesel or whatchmacallit?
It wouldn't surprise me if Another Damn Brian got paralyzed playing it, or started out paralyed and took up murderball if he hangs out with diesel players.
Imperative, maybe. Along the same lines as "go **** yourself" or "va fa Napoli", etc.
(Did I spell that right? I'm really not very good at Italian.) :D
I'm guessing decorative, but it could be just descriptive…
Obviously, he was the brians of the outfit.
ADB reminds me of Aaron Lazar, a bit.
These days, of course, Tracie's just gotten cuter. Look out, Shirley Temple — no, wait, not quite. (Ahem.) Sorry.
When Moze is frowns when saying something, you better listen!
If Moze frowns while saying something, it becomes law. And not a law you can ignore like jaywalking, but a law you can't, like gravity.
I can totally see Moze throwing Sunny over one shoulder and carrying him out of there, to the amusement of the crowd and dismay of Sunny. That, or just grab him by the arm an walking back out – the more bits of Sunny that are still attached when outside, the better, but I doubt nothing short of a bulldozer can stop Moze on the move.
Of course, him knowing Sunny so well, he just might be able to talk him out of there. Might be.
Yeah I'm betting fireman's carry out the door.
Sunny and Tracy were pretty much made for each other weren't they?
A.D.B. seems to have the same voice as Johnny Vincent from Bully. At least that's how I imagine it.
They used to poke my brother with anger issues.
Can't poke with broken fingers!
I'm pretty sure the Black Knight would disagree with you on that ("Come back here and take what's coming to ya! I'll bite your legs off!"), but yeah, I get the point… :)
Is that "poke poke poke" sung to the tune of (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty?
It is NOW.
Funny, I thought the same thing.
I keep seeing Sunny as being ready to do an angry wheelchair flip
This doesn't paaticularly relate to the comic, but WHAT is up with the wiki? you click on, you the a cast page, fine. You hit "random Page" and you get a screed/ad for weight-loss drugs or pay-day cash loans. Wierd.
Your question intrigued me, so I did a little research.
Apparently, the TAZ wiki has been OVERWHELMINGLY invaded by ad spyders.
Like, 3 cans of Raid isn't good enough invaded.
And, well, I made a profile to go through and clean up the mess… or, at least, to put a dent in it before my ADHD kicked in.
However, little did I realize that the only person who can actually do so would be Spike. And given how busy Spike is…


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We are a small business located in the picturesque Tamar Valley area of Tasmania. Our goal is to provide quality products at the best possible price to you. We have been in the soap and lotion making business for 6 years and are well aware of the high costs charged by some suppliers. So we have made it our goal to continually hunt out the best quality products from all over the world at the lowest prices so we can pass these savings onto you.
We have made many batches of soaps and lotions and know what works well and what some of the pitfalls to avoid are (some of the early disasters were great learning episodes!). So please, ask us your questions and we will do our best to answer them.


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Concentration - Kids Attention Trainer HD
- Publisher: Tivola Publishing GmbH
- Genre: Education
- Released: 7 Jun, 2012
- Size: 110.7 MB
- Price: $2.99
- App Store Info
DescriptionNow preschool and elementary school children can train and develop their concentration in a playful way on the iPad. Puzzles are pieced together in exciting and diverse games that are enticing, helpful for spotting learning issues and much more.
Those who are already good at concentrating will be able to learn more quickly. With "Concentration – The Attention Trainer" your child will improve his or her concentration capabilities in a playful manner. The content of the app was developed with input from the Society for Brain Training in Hamburg. In this game your child can practice without performance pressure or test oneself in a 3-minute training.
Similar to the award-winning game series "Successfully Learning" from Tivola, having fun playing the game is always the top priority: with this app your child can train his or her concentration capabilities in a targeted manner using 20 different task types. Many tasks are available to choose from in which something must be carefully observed such as "Watch carefully" or "Which are alike?", memory exercises in which steadily lengthening sequences are repeated or number puzzles such as "Find the numbers" or "Listen to the numbers". The level of difficulty (in total 10 levels) adjusts according to performance.
In training, achieved goals are saved after the fact so that progress can be viewed. Your child is additionally motivated by stickers, which can be collected as rewards and included in a small album.
- Increase concentration capability while having fun playing
- For preschool and elementary school children
- Developed under supervision from the Society for Brain Training in Hamburg
- Practice without the pressure of being timed or test concentration in 3-minute training sessions
- Real long-term fun with levels of difficulty that adjust automatically
- No reading skills necessary thanks to continuous audio commands
- Playable in German and English
- Also available for iPhone/iPod
"The app is easy to use and challenging for kids. It helps children to improve their skills with different levels of difficulty." (appsforkidsreviews.com)
If you have questions or problems related to the app, please contact [email protected] per email.


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Cumberland County Halloween Attractions
Here's a list of a few Halloween happenings in Cumberland County, as well as information on how to let us know about an event.
7 Deadly Sins Exhibit
- Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, 22 N. High St.
- Friday, October 18th 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
- $10 general admission
Adult and Family Halloween Party
- Laurel Lake Community Center, corner of Lakeshore Drive and Narcissus Road
- 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Friday, October 25 for Family Halloween Party, 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26 for Adult Halloween Party, BYOB
- $10 general admission for Adult Halloween Party
- WheatonArts, 1501 Glasstown Rd.
- Sunday, October 27th 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
- Free trick or treat and interactive family activities
If we missed any Halloween Happenings in Cumberland County, let us know. Click here to send us an email and we'll get it up on this page.


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Calendars, Planners & Personal Organizers
Featured categories
More Categories in Calendars, Planners & Personal Organizers
Calendars, Planners & Personal Organizers
At Sam's Club®, you'll find a range of calendars, planners and personal organizers to help keep your busy life better organized. Whether you need to keep track of the day or your appointments, you are likely to find what you need among the selection of office supplies.
Benefits of Planners & Organizers
The selection of calendars at Sam's Club is meant to suit any taste or need. If you prefer a wall pad that shows a whole year by month, a single month or a single day, they are sure to have the style you prefer. Desk pads lie flat on any hard surface, show one month at a time and tend to have a sturdy chipboard back.
Personal planners and organizers are the handy books you can carry with you anywhere. They come in single-year and multi-year increments and help you keep track of what you have planned each day. These appointment books and planners have protective covers and are either wire bound or stitched to keep each sheet intact. Simply jot down future meetings, social gatherings and appointments on the day they will take place, and you can avoid troublesome scheduling mistakes.
Choosing Personal Organizers
Sam's Club carries many types of calendars and organizational tools, so there are certain things to keep in mind to help you find the right one for you. Keep in mind the specifications in each of these types of products to know what suits your lifestyle. If you are looking to keep track of the day at work or at home, the selection of wall or desk calendars can help you do just that.
Remembering your various appointments, as well as jotting down daily memos, are made much easier with the use of a planner and personal organizer. These books are sturdy and small enough to easily carry with you. Focusing on your needs can help make your personal organizer, planner or calendar shopping at Sam's Club easy and productive.


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European-Spec Subaru XV to Debut at Frankfurt
Fuji Heavy Industries confirmed today in a press release that the European production version of the Subaru XV will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The new crossover will be unveiled at a press conference the morning of September 13.
The concept version was show at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Subaru claims the European "production version of the XV remains true to the Concept" and "that it will bring something fresh, as well as a new level of engineering excellence, to the segment."
Subaru says the XV "defines a whole new generation of Subaru crossover vehicles." The Japanese automaker hopes to lure a new type of customer with the XV. It expects the new customers to be "confident in the knowledge of company's AWD and engineering expertise" and "looking for the flexibility and lifestyle statement that owning a crossover brings."
The XV is expected to launch in the United Kingdom in early 2012. Representatives from Subaru's Europe offices would not officially confirm if the XV is coming to the U.S. market. An email from U.S. Subaru representatives reaffirmed that sentiment saying the XV will initially launch in Europe followed by other markets, and have not yet confirmed the car for the U.S., only that it was under review.
The Outback Sport doesn't appear on Subaru's website in its 2012 model year lineup. Speculation is that the XV could come to the U.S. as the possible successor to the Impreza-based Outback Sport, but it's unclear what name it will be given here.
Source: Subaru


text:
RYE — Sanctuary Care at Rye is a new memory care assisted living community opening in spring 2013.
This 56-suite community has been designed to offer the best in specialized memory care in a state of the art, familiar, safe and comforting environment in which each resident will be cared for with love, respect, and understanding.
Sanctuary Care at Rye is currently accepting reservations. Several suites have already been reserved and interest continues to be high.
All interested persons are encouraged to stop by their marketing office at 295 Lafayette Road in Rye, Monday- Friday from 9 am-7 pm, Saturday 10 am-2 pm or Sunday noon- 4pm. Families can be accommodated after hours by calling Denise at (603) 379-1898.
The temporary office is located in a mobile home in the parking lot to the left of the building site. More information can be accessed on their website at www.sanctuarycarerye.com.
New Rye memory care community accepting reservations
RYE — Sanctuary Care at Rye is a new memory care assisted living community opening in spring 2013.


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- New Products
- Laptop Docking Stations
- Display and Video Adapters
- Audio-Video Products
- Cables
- Server Management
- Hard Drive Accessories
- Add-on Cards & Peripherals
- Networking IO Products
- SFPs
- Display Mounts and Ergonomics
- Laptop Locks
- Computer Parts
Browse By
2 Port Black USB KVM Switch Kit with Audio and Cables
Control 2 USB enabled computers with this complete KVM kit including cables
Product ID: SV211KUSB
- Cables (4 ft.) included
- Maximum resolution: 2048 x 1536
- Switching type: Hotkey, push-button
- Includes audio support for a complete switching solution
- Small footprint design
- USB Powered - No external adapter required
Volume Order?
Request a quote
Reseller Pricing:
Create an Account
The SV211KUSB 2 Port USB KVM Switch Kit with Audio and Cables lets you control two USB-enabled computers using a single keyboard, mouse and VGA monitor and offers both hotkey and top panel push-button operation for simple switching between connected computers.
Designed to integrate seamlessly into any environment, the USB KVM switch offers a small footprint design (roughly the size of a deck of playing cards) and draws power from the connected computers, so it doesn't require an external power supply.
A suitable solution for virtually any application, the USB KVM switch supports video resolutions of up to 2048 x 1536 as well as audio switching. The USB KVM switch includes two 4ft 2-in-1 VGA and USB Host Cables, providing everything needed for quick installation to provide a complete, out-of-the-box KVM solution.
Delivering dependable and convenient control of multiple computers from a single peripheral station, the KVM switch is backed by a StarTech.com 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.
- Control 2 USB-enabled computers using a single keyboard, mouse, and VGA monitor
- Applicable for call centers, help desks, education environments, home gamers, video editing, and PC enthusiasts
- Great for PC test/burn-in computer control saving the desk space required for two monitors, keyboards and mice
- Dual system control for single user workstations, increasing user productivity in the office
The StarTech.com Advantage
- Power-free operation – KVM draws power from attached computers and requires no power adapters
- Compact, small footprint design fits easily into almost any environment saving desk space and reducing clutter
- Included all-in-one KVM plus audio cables provide a complete out of the box KVM solution
Product Numbers
Tech Data
Ingram Micro USA
UPC Code
Technical Specifications
|Warranty Information
|2 Years
|Cables Included
|KVM Ports
|Number of Monitors Supported
|PC Interface
|PC Video Type
|Hot-Key Selection
|IP Control
|Maximum Analog Resolutions
|2048x1536 @60Hz
|Maximum Number of Users
|On-Screen Display
|Port Selection Support
|Push Button and Hotkeys
|Console Interface(s)
|1 - VGA (15 pin, High Density D-Sub) Female
|2 - 3.5 mm Mini-Jack (3 Position) Female
|2 - USB Type-A (4 pin) USB 2.0 Female
|Host Connectors
|2 - USB Mini-B (5 pin) Female
|2 - VGA (15 pin, High Density D-Sub) Female
|OS Compatibility
|OS independent; No software or drivers required
|Power Source
|Physical Characteristics
|Cable Length
|4 ft [1.2 m]
|Product Depth
|2.4 in [60 mm]
|Product Height
|0.8 in [2 cm]
|Product Length
|3.8 in [9.7 cm]
|Product Width
|3.8 in [96 mm]
|Weight of Product
|3.3 oz [94 g]
|Packaging Information
|Package Height
|3.4 in [87 mm]
|Package Length
|8.5 in [21.7 cm]
|Package Width
|3.5 in [89 mm]
|Shipping (Package) Weight
|22.7 oz [642 g]
|What's in the Box
|Included in Package
|1 - 2 Port KVM Switch
|2 - 4ft. Audio Cable (3.5mm speaker/mic)
|2 - 4ft. VGA USB KVM Cable
|1 - Driver CD
|1 - Instruction Manual
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Product Support
Data Sheets
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Buy
KVM stands for Keyboard Video Mouse and KVM switches allow you to switch the use of a keyboard, display and mouse between multiple computers. KVM switches also commonly let you switch audio and USB devices between computers.
There are different types of KVM switches as well.
- Standard box KVM switches. (e.g. SV231USB)
- Cable KVM switches. (e.g. SV211USB)
- Multi-Monitor KVM switches. (e.g. SV231DDUSB)
- IP KVM switches. (e.g. SV841HDIE)
Standard box and cable KVM switches are a simple way to switch the use of a keyboard, display, and mouse between multiple computers. Multi-monitor KVM switches allow you to switch multiple displays between computers, and IP KVM switches allow you to remotely control the KVM switch and connected computers over a network.
Here are some important things to consider before purchasing a KVM switch.
- How many computers do you need to control? Purchase a KVM switch that supports the number of computers in your setup.
- Which video connections do your computers and display(s) support? It is best practice to use the same video connections wherever possible.
- Will you be using a PS/2 or USB mouse and keyboard?
- Do you need multiple monitor support? Ensure every computer can support the number of monitors you are looking to use in your setup.
- Do you need audio support?
- What resolution(s) do you want your display(s) running at? The KVM switch must support the resolution(s) you want to use.
- Would you like hotkey support? Some KVM switches support the use of hotkey combinations to complete tasks such as switching between computers.
There are a couple of other important things you may want to take note of:
- Some KVM switches require proprietary cables to function. These KVM cables may vary by each KVM switch. For StarTech.com KVM switches that require proprietary cables, the KVM switches will either come with these cables, or they will be listed in the Accessories tab on the individual product pages. For more information, see our video dedicated to KVM switch cables.
- Basic mice and keyboards are recommended for use with KVM switches. Wireless, gaming or combo mice and keyboards (mice and keyboards that use a single USB connection / receiver for both units) can cause performance issues, and in general, are not supported for use with KVM switches.
It can be difficult to tell which ones are right for the KVM switch you are interested in. How can you tell which KVM cables you require? How can you tell if a KVM switch requires proprietary cables? How do these cables work?
Standard KVM Switches and Cables
Note: You will need one bundle of KVM cables per computer you want to connect to the KVM switch.
Standard KVM switches have no special cable requirements. If you have spare video and PS/2 or USB cables, you can use them to hook up the KVM switch to your computers. StarTech.com still sells KVM cable packages, but they are just for the convenience of buying them in bundles and usually involve some savings. Keep in mind that even if you have some of the cables you need, it still might be advantageous to buy the bundle.
KVM Switches with Opposite Gender Video Connections
Some KVM switches use male video connections for the computers and female video connections for the console ports. In this case you simply need a video extension cable, or a KVM cable package appropriate to the KVM switch. This is so you cannot accidentally plug cables from your computer into the console ports.
KVM Switches Requiring Proprietary Cables
KVM switches can also use proprietary KVM cables to connect to the individual computers. This is often done with larger KVM switches and KVM switches intended for a server environment. These cables use a proprietary pinout which does not conform to the video standard in use, as the cable carries both the video and PS/2 or USB data along a single cable.
If you are unsure whether or not you need special cables, complete the following:
- Check the Technical Specifications tab on the individual product pages for What's in the Box. This section lists everything that comes with your purchase, and your KVM switch might come with the cables.
- Check the Accessories tab. This section lists potential accessories for the product you are looking at. StarTech.com will list the appropriate KVM cables for the KVM switch here.
- Check the Gallery and look at a picture of the back of the KVM switch.
Note: If there are no PS/2 or USB ports on the back of the KVM switch other than for the console, you will require proprietary cables.
If at this point you require further assistance in deciding which cables to purchase with your StarTech.com KVM switch, contact our technical support team.
Whether a specific mouse or keyboard will work with StarTech.com KVM switches can depend on the type of mouse or keyboard you use. Any mice with additional functionality or keyboards that are not standard 104 key keyboards could cause issues. This includes wireless, gaming, combination (one USB receiver for both the mouse and keyboard), and Apple keyboards. We recommend that you use a standard wired mouse and keyboard with our KVM switches, especially when you troubleshoot issues.
If you cannot get a specific mouse or keyboard to work with your KVM switch, connect the mouse or keyboard into the USB hub ports, if available (they are marked on the back of the KVM switch). If the KVM switch has hotkey functionality, you will lose the functionality when using these hub ports.
- Turn off all of the computers and monitors that will be connected to the KVM switch.
- Connect the power adapter to the KVM switch.
- Connect the video cables from your monitors to the console video port on the KVM switch.
- Turn on the monitors.
- Connect your keyboard and mouse to the console PS/2 or USB ports on the KVM switch.
- If you have not done so already, change the KVM switch to focus on port 1.
- Connect the video cables from PC1 to the KVM switch.
- Connect the PS/2 or USB cables from PC1 to the PC1 PS/2 or USB ports on the KVM switch.
- Turn on PC1. You should see the computer load the operating system that you are using on PC1.
- Make sure that the mouse and keyboard can control PC1.
- Repeat steps 4 to 8 for each additional computer that you want to connect to the KVM switch. Leave the computer in focus until you make sure that the mouse and keyboard can control the computer in step 8.
Monitors may begin flickering when they receive a signal of insufficient quality. There are a few potential fixes available that will help to improve the signal quality in order to eliminate flickering:
- Replace Video Cables with high-quality Video Cables (e.g. upgrade DisplayPort 1.2 Cables to DisplayPort 1.4 Cables).
- Use shorter Video Cables to reduce signal attenuation.
- When possible, remove Video Adapters to use native Video Connection Types (e.g. go from VGA to VGA, or DisplayPort to DisplayPort)
- For DisplayPort Monitors, try changing the DisplayPort Version on the Monitor. For information on how to change your Monitor Settings refer to the Manual from the Monitor Manufacturer.
- Update the Drivers for the Computer's GPU to the latest available from the Monitor Manufacturer.
- Ensure the video & USB cables are connected between each computer and the KVM switch
- Safely power off all computers. Unplug everything from the KVM switch and connect one computer at a time, swapping the inputs previously used (e.g., the computer connected to PC2 now connects to PC1). Power on each computer and confirm functionality before connecting the next one to the KVM switch.
- If using a KVM switch that supports multiple displays, ensure all video connections from the computer are from either the video card or motherboard, both cannot be used simultaneously on most systems.
Check that you are using the recommended 2 in 1 (or 4 in 1) cables from StarTech.com. Some KVM switches only work with combo cables pinned out specifically for them. The correct cables will be shown in the Accessories tab on the product page for your KVM switch.
There are some quick tests that you can perform to rule out potential issues. Start by turning off all of the connected computers and peripherals, unplugging everything from the KVM, including power, and leaving it for 10 seconds. Then connect everything to the KVM following the procedure in the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/faq/kvm-switches-setup.
You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:
Video cables
KVM switch
Video source (such as a DVR or computer)
Video destination (such as a monitor or projector)
Note: When you are testing your setup components, it is recommended that you avoid using any video adapters. For example, if you are converting a VGA source to HDMI to be used with an HDMI extender, you should test with an HDMI source.
To test your setup components, try the following:
Use the video cable, KVM switch, video source, and video destination in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.
Use a different video cable, KVM switch, video source, and video destination in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.
When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following:
Test each cable individually.
Use short cables when you are testing.
When you test the video source and video destination, it is recommended that you do the following:
Remove the KVM switch from your setup and test to make sure that the video source and video destination work together without the KVM switch.
Test to make sure that the video source and video destination work together at the resolution that you want to use.
Note: In order for your setup to work properly, the video source, KVM switch, and video destination all need to support the resolution that you are using.
There are four troubleshooting actions that you can try if some but not all of the ports and your computer are working with the KVM switch.
- To determine if a specific cable is the source of the problem, switch the cables that connect the KVM switch to the computers to one working port and computer, and one port and computer that is not working. Keep the computer plugged into the same ports and only switch the cables. If the issue persists when you switch cables, the issue may be with the cable itself.
- To determine if the problem is between the computer and the KVM switch, using the same cables, connect the KVM switch to one computer that is working and one computer that is not working. If the issue persists when you switch computers, follows the issue may be with the computer and the KVM switch.
- Try reinitializing the KVM. This is done by following the setup instructions on the website.
- To determine if the KVM switch is the source of the problem, if you have another KVM switch, disconnect the current KVM switch and connect the second KVM switch.
If the keys on your keyboard are repeating, complete the following:
- If the KVM you are using has USB ports, you can move your keyboard to the USB hub port on the back of the KVM (the USB hubs are marked).
Note: When you move the keyboard out of the keyboard port, you will not be able to access the hotkeys.
- You can adjust the typematic rate in your operating system's settings. Depending on the version of Windows you are running, you can adjust the typematic rate by doing one of the following:
- Click Control Panel > Keyboard > Speed. Adjust the repeat delay and repeat rate until the keys no longer repeat.
- Click Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Right-click Keyboard Settings. Adjust the repeat delay and repeat rate until the keys no longer repeat.
Compliance and Safety
Compliance Letters
Safety Measures
- If product has an exposed circuit board, do not touch the product under power.
- If Class 1 Laser Product. Laser radiation is present when the system is open.
- Wiring terminations should not be made with the product and/or electric lines under power.
- Product installation and/or mounting should be completed by a certified professional as per the local safety and building code guidelines.
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French Polynesia
Compare cheap flights from Cairns to French Polynesia
Compare and book cheap flights from Cairns (CNS) to French Polynesia with Skiddoo. Use the Skiddoo flight explorer to find the cheapest time to fly to French Polynesia from Cairns on a range of leading airlines. Save with our exclusive Cairns to French Polynesia flight deals online today.
Summer in Tahiti is from November until April. During this period the climate is warmer and more humid. Come May to October, it is winter in Tahiti where the climate is cooler and drier.
Places to see in Tahiti
First stop when in Tahiti could be the Les Trois Cascades where you would appreciate the beauty of three waterfalls. For a bit of history you can visit the Tomb of King Pomare the Fifth. This is the tomb of the only king of Tahiti. If you want to see black sand beach and clear blue water by a fishing reef, Poite Venus Lighthouse is the place you should go to. There are a lot more places to see in Tahiti. You might want to go and have a relaxing vacation with minimal cost on air fare to Tahiti.
Skiddoo can book a low priced flight to Tahiti for you. Now you can enjoy all the nautical activities in Tahiti.
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Other destinations in French Polynesia


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Wednesday Wisdom #11: Exaggerated expectations
It's always wise to hold back a bit and talk down big expectations. "Under-promise and over-deliver" as someone much wiser than me put it… 🙂
You can purchase an inexpensive copy of The Art of Worldly Wisdom book from Amazon or read it online for free via Google Books. The whole set of Wednesday Wisdom images can be found in my Creative Commons-licensed Flickr set.


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Where to Drink Coffee in Vancouver, BC
Vancouver. It's like the Canadian Seattle, only with better mountain views and more new, tacky high-rise architecture. These damp, mellow climes call for coffee at all hours, be it velvety espresso drinks or delicate drip. We sought out the finest of this coffee-drenched landscape and selected a few of our favo(u)rites.
Elysian Coffee
What's New On Serious Eats
Esteemed Elysian Coffee has always been the place to find the newest toys, and their newest toy is a coffee roaster—now turning fresh batches of carefully selected coffee brown for Elysian's two cafes.
Filter coffees are still prepared on the intriguing, but falling-from-fashion Clover machine, but rumor has it these will be eschewed soon for something sexier. House-baked goods are served as well in the clean, taking-themselves-seriously environments of each cafe, and roasting should be getting better and better as time goes on. A must stop (along with Revolver) for the super-coffee-enthusiastic passing through town.
Elysian Coffee
590 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V5Z 1E9 (map) 604-874-5909; elysiancoffee.com (and one other location)
What started as an enthusiastic family business in Ambleside has taken root in Gastown. The Giannakos family—which includes at least three coffee-obsessed brothers—brought their second cafe to Vancouver with a splash. The industrial-rustic space is just right for the neighborhood, with a view to showing off new and inventive coffees and techniques (they're the guys behind brewmethods.com after all).
Enjoy cups of Chemex drip (via highly-stirred Kone filter) or fierce shots of espresso from roasters like Phil & Sebastian, Ritual, Verve, and more before you head back to Hastings Street to pass out on the sidewalk.
325 Cambie Street, Vancouver BC V6B 1H7 Canada (map) 604-558-4444; revolvercoffee.ca
Caffe Artigiano
The most high-volume network of locally run cafes in Vancouver is without question Caffé Artigiano, whose nearly a dozen locations crank out arty, sturdy lattes in Italian-inspired cafe settings that serve the city with comfort. With a seasonal array of internationally flown in beans from Intelligentsia, Artigiano offer a quality experience—if a slightly more traditional one. The best news is if you need a coffee, there is always one nearby.
Caffe Artigiano
763 Hornby Street, Vancouver BC V6Z 2P4 (map) 604-694-7737; caffeartigiano.com (and 10 other locations)
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
Vancouver's preeminent roaster is the long-reigning 49th Parallel, a family affair whose flagship Kitslano cafe is as tightly run a ship as the company's state-of-the-art Burnaby roasting facility. The company's directly sourced, intriguing, high quality green coffees are presented well at this slightly 90s time-warp styled café (it used to be a retail clothing store... possibly for a teenage girl). Service is cheerful and drinks are prepared to the highest quality, however. Try their Epic espresso blend macchiato—it's always served as a breve, with cream.
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
2152 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver BC V6K 4S2 (map) 604-420-4901; 49thparallelroasters.com
Commercial Drive's long-running Prado underwent an ownership change last year—to Vancouver coffee celeb Sammy Piccolo, multiple-time second place winner of the World Barista Champion. Not stuck in bridesmaid mode, however, Piccolo's rejuvenated cafe brings service and talent to this airy, sunny space. Beans are from local roaster 49th Parallel, of course—where roasting and operations are the purview of Sammy's brothers Mike and Vince.
1938 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC V5N 1J9 (map) 604-255-5537; pradocafe.com
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Immigration Law Attorneys in Florida and Latin America
High-quality assistance from Miami and Orlando lawyers with nearly 100 years of collective experience
The success of an immigration petition can be entirely dependent on the quality of the lawyer a business or individual has by their side. Established more than 30 years ago, Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A. has handled thousands of immigration cases for clients from Miami to California, and throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia. Our attorneys and staff take great pride in consistently producing high-quality results in a timely fashion.
Our focus
Our focus is on making the immigration process as painless and straightforward as possible. We explain the steps of immigrating to the United States in everyday laymen's terms and establish lasting relationships with our clients to continually serve their needs. You can feel comfortable coming to our lawyers with questions about the status of your case or the newest changes to federal immigration laws.
At Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A. we provide skilled assistance with:
We have worked with everyone from individuals looking to bring family members into the country to Fortune 500 companies seeking certification for promising new employees.
Contact Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A. today
With offices in Miami, Orlando and Lima Peru, the team members of Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A. are ideally positioned to assist temporary workers applying for nonimmigrant visas. Our law firm has the skill, attentive nature and dedication needed to successfully see your case through from the moment your consultation begins until its ultimate resolution. Reach out to our offices online, or call us at (305) 371-2777 in Miami or at (407) 425-8472 in Orlando or in Lima, Peru at 011-51-987727855.


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Michael L. Iaccarino is Chairman and CEO of Infogroup, a leading provider of high-value data and multichannel marketing solutions delivered in real-time and used by small businesses and enterprise brands. Mr. Iaccarino has served as a Director of Infogroup since 2010. In 2011, he assumed the role of Chairman and CEO.
Mr. Iaccarino served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Messenger from 2009 to 2011, establishing the company as one of the dominant mobile technology players in North America. Prior to joining Mobile Messenger, he was Chief Executive Officer of Epsilon from 2001 to 2009, transforming Epsilon into one of the United States' leading database marketing companies. Epsilon achieved a more than threefold growth in revenue and a sixfold increase in EBITDA under his leadership.
Mr. Iaccarino also served as Epsilon's Chief Financial Officer from 1998 to 2001, playing a crucial role in the spin-out of Epsilon from American Express and where he led a nearly 400% increase in revenues during his tenure. Before Epsilon, Mr. Iaccarino was a Senior Manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Corporate Controller at Summit Technology after having started his career at KPMG's High Technology practice. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions activity and in turnaround situations. Mr. Iaccarino holds a B.S. in Accounting and English from Boston College where he graduated magna cum laude and is a former Certified Public Accountant.
Mr. Iaccarino currently serves as Chairman of cxLoyalty (formerly Affinion Group), an Elliot Capital controlled loyalty solutions company, and also serves on the Audit Committee.


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The AMC drama series The Killing, returning for its second season on April 1st, ties together three distinct stories around a single murder – the detectives assigned to the case, the victim's grieving family, and the suspects. While Season 1 was all about questions and red herrings, Season 2 promises to start uncovering the answers while delving into and exploring the notion that everyone has past secrets that are now coming back to haunt them. And, the resolution of who killed Rosie Larson (Katie Findlay) will be answered at the conclusion of this season.
At a press day for the show, actor Billy Campbell (who plays Mayoral candidate Darren Richmond) talked about being surprised by the fan outcry after the Season 1 finale, that he finds out what's going on with the show on a script by script basis, how not knowing informs his performance, that he sees this series as one continuous movie, and how much he enjoys being surrounded by such great actors. Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.
Question: Were you surprised by the way the first season ended?
BILLY CAMPBELL: No, no I wasn't.
Were you surprised by the fan outcry?
CAMPBELL: I think I was surprised by the fan outcry. I watched the Danish version, before I did this series, and they do the same thing. You don't find out until the end of the second season, and there was no outcry over there. So, I'm thinking that the big difference must've been that the log line and slogan, "Who killed Rosie Larsen?," must've built a certain expectation. Otherwise, the story's being unfolded exactly as it was conceived to be unfolded. There's not a real difference in the length of the season or in much of anything, except our story is slightly different because we can't have the same killer. When you think about it, you shouldn't have the same killer. So, yeah, I was a bit surprised, but I would be surprised, if those people who had difficulty with the ending don't turn in again. That would be the really surprising thing. To me, if I'm reading a fantastic story or I go on a nice first date and I have a wonderful time, I'm not gonna complain because it didn't work out. I'm gonna go on a second date.
How far ahead do they tell you what's going on with your character? Do you literally just find out script by script?
CAMPBELL: I find out script by script. On the one hand, I don't want to know, really. Some of the cast are more pro-active in wanting to know. They go to Veena [Sud] and say, "I need to know because I need to be able to play the character," or "I need to be able to look for work after the second season." But, I'm more zen about it. I don't want to know. For me, the experience of making the show is very much like being in a novel. I enjoy getting the new script. I make a cup of tea and I read it the same way I would read a book, with the same amount of joy. And then after I read it a couple times I've had that enjoyment, then I don't read it anymore. I read only my scenes, every morning, just to be familiar with the words, so by the time the show airs, I've forgotten everything that happened, so I get to enjoy it again for a second time.
CAMPBELL: I like what I think I know of him.
How does that inform your performance, as an actor, to not necessarily know the character?
CAMPBELL: That's the single most interesting thing about working on the show. I don't know if he might be an outright, absolute, horrible, heinous killer. He's either this great guy who is a force for good in the world, or he sees himself that way. I don't know. I have to play it as if I could be either thing. I can't say that I haven't done some bad acting in my time. I have. Usually that involves what we actors call indicating, when you twirl your mustache. But, in this, you can't indicate anything because you don't know, one way of the other. It's a very interesting acting exercise to play right in the middle. That's basically how I approach it.
Having been shot in last season's finale and now stuck in a hospital bed, were there challenges specific to acting in such a confined space?
CAMPBELL: Everything about acting is a challenge. I'm self-conscious. You couldn't do anything to cause me to be more self-conscious than to stick a camera in my face and have 60 people standing behind it, waiting for me to perform. It's just naturally self-conscious to begin with. A great deal of my battle, as an actor, is to widdle away the things that make me self-conscious and try to trick myself into not being self-conscious. So, it's always a challenge, whether I'm lying in a hospital bed or flying around with a rocket pack on my back, or what have you. On the best of days, it's a challenge for me. So, lying in a hospital bed actually was kind of nice because we'd be working and it'd become lunch time and I would just say, "Okay, go away," and they would all go off to lunch. I would go to sleep and then, 40 minutes later, I'd wake up because they were lighting the scene around me. They'd say, "You wanna wake up now? We're getting ready to shoot." I can't tell you how many days I spent, just sleeping right through lunch.
Do you see this as one continuous movie, in a sense?
CAMPBELL: It is. This is going to be a show that will be a complete joy to watch on the DVD or Blu-ray, or whatever you happen to watch it on. It's made that way. It's like a long movie. It's really exciting stuff. It's the stuff that I always dreamed that television could be. I've spent most of my career in television and, honestly, a lot of times, it's not all that satisfying 'cause it's so episodic. The network wants you to make a thing that's just a stand-alone episode, so you never get any character or continuity. This is one of the ways in which television can actually be good, and even better than the movies, because it gives you a chance to tell a long story.
Are there not better opportunities in TV now, then there ever were before?
CAMPBELL: Yes. When I first came to Hollywood, I used to dream of doing films and escaping television. I've been very, very lucky. I've done some things that have been quite interesting, but as grateful as I am for having been on Dynasty, it was just so cheesy. That's half the reason it was so much fun for people to watch, but it's not so fun to have to say those lines. A series is potentially a novel. So many movies are so formulaic because you've got to get it done in an hour and a half. On a TV series, that's where the really interesting stuff can happen. I think this show is phenomenal. I really, genuinely do.
When did you see the original series?
CAMPBELL: Before we started filming.
What did you think of it?
CAMPBELL: It blew off the top of my skull. I was traveling east to Nova Scotia and I got stuck in Newark airport for 24 hours, between my flights. I didn't have a hotel or anything, so I was just hanging around and I had all these DVDs, so I started watching them. I watched 10 episodes in a row and, for the last three of them, I had to pee so badly. I couldn't even get up and ask somebody to watch my bags. I just put in the next disc. It was amazing, to me. It's what I always dreamt television could be. More and more, we're seeing great long-form storytelling on television.
What has your experience with AMC been like?
CAMPBELL: It's phenomenal. I think AMC is the best little cable channel on television, and maybe the best any kind of outlet on television. I spent some time, during the first season, talking to the guys that were there from AMC. Some folks came to be on the set and just hang around. I was really curious about the network's M.O., and they said, "The deal is that we just make stuff that we want to see." I think they've had such phenomenal success because they're excited about it. Look at who they were to begin with. They show film. They love cinema, and it's obvious. This feels like being in an amazing movie, except it's just ongoing. It's fantastic.
Did you hear from the fans, personally, when it came to their reaction to the finale?
CAMPBELL: Yeah, some people were like, "The finale just pissed me off!" And I would be like, "Oh, that's too bad. You're not gonna watch the second season?" They'd be like, "No, I'm gonna watch the second season!" I remember reading one thing from somebody online and they were like, "This was infuriating! I vow that I will never watch it again. I won't touch it with a 10-foot stick!" I'm like, "You know you're gonna watch! That's bullshit!"
You're surrounded by such a terrific cast on this show, but your character is isolated a lot from the rest of the cast. Do you ever regret not having scenes with too many of the other actors?
CAMPBELL: Yes, I do. Brent [Sexton] and I had a scene this season, and we were both so excited to work with each other. But, I have two fine actors (Kristin Lehman and Eric Ladin) that I work with regularly, and we have a great time, so I'm not complaining. Sure, I would love to have more to do with the rest of the cast. It's a particularly brilliant cast, so I've been trying to keep my head above water and up my game.
The Killing airs on Sunday nights on AMC, starting with a two-hour premiere on April 1st.


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Seagull Starts House Fire in Berkeley
A seagull is being blamed for causing a high-voltage power line to fall in a Berkeley neighborhood this morning, sparking a fire that spread to a home, a Berkeley fire official said.
The fire was reported at 8:14 a.m. in the 1100 block of Delaware Street, and was controlled around 9 a.m., Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong said.
The blaze was sparked when a seagull somehow caused the 12,000-volt electrical line to fall onto a grassy area in front of the home, Dong said.
The grass caught fire, and flames spread to the residence.
The street was shut down, and nearby buildings were evacuated until PG&E secured the downed line in the street, Dong said.
Residents have since been allowed to return home, Dong said.
PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said around 10 a.m. that the 1100 block of Delaware Street was still closed as repair crews worked to restore service to two customers who lost power.
The street, however, is secure and considered safe, Sarkissian said.
She said that when the line fell, lights may have flickered for about 4,000 customers, but there was no major outage.
The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in property damage, Dong said.
The sole occupant of the home that burned may be able to return to the residence later today, depending on whether the home's electrical system is deemed safe, Dong said.
No injuries to humans were reported, but the seagull died, Dong said.
As of 9:45 a.m., fire crews remained at the scene mopping up.


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A reel from cinematographer Vanja Cernjul surfaced over the weekend, one that includes what is presumably the first peek of something from "Precious" writer Geoffrey Fletcher's directorial debut.
"Violet & Daisy" stars Alexis Bledel, aka Rory Gilmore, and Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement") as a pair of teen assassins in New York City. The film also stars James Gandolfini, the always good Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Danny "Machete" Trejo.
The video, which contains some brief nudity is slowly getting pulled down across the web (although you can probably still find it at Shadow & Act or The Playlist), includes footage Cerjul has shot for "Bored to Death," "Nurse Jackie" and "City Island."
U.S. & World
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Gandolfini is of course no stranger to killers, and Ronan is fantastic playing one in her next film, "Hanna," but Bledel's involvement is a puzzle. She was great in "Gilmore Girls," but hasn't really shined in anything since.
The closest Bledel's come to this sort of material was in "Sin City," and even then, she was the prostitute not cut out for violence. That said, judging from the look in her eyes above, when she's pointing a gun, that may be what drew Fletcher to her.
The film is done shooting, but there's no word yet on a release date, look for it on the festival circuit.


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Cakespy: Homemade Thin Mints Recipe
Quirky, cute, sometimes controversial, always delicious recipes from Jessie Oleson.
Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe. —The Mgmt.
Smug, smug little Girl Scouts. Those sweet-looking sugar-pushers can be found all over around this time of year, lurking outside of drugstores and markets with their addictive little missives of sweet cookies.
Oh, they seem so friendly and accommodating now. But what happens in a month or so, when they're gone and you've got a serious jonesing for some Samoas or Thin Mints?You make your own, that's what you do.
Armed with a recipe from the baking blog Baking Bites, I tested out a batch of my favorite: Thin Mints. While I wouldn't call them a clone of the boxed kind (the texture is a little different, and they taste a little, well, fancier), they'll indeed give you that much needed fix. Now if only I could figure out how to make a little plastic sleeve for them to fit in.
Homemade Thin Mints
What's New On Serious Eats
- Yield:about 36 cookies
- Rated:
- For the cookies:
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup milk (any kind)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
- For the dark chocolate coating:
- 10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look slightly curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours (I did mine overnight), until dough is very firm.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
For the most authentic texture, slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick (they will not be as crisp if they are thicker, but they're still delicious) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you don't have to leave too much space around each one.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
Prepare the coating. While the original recipe suggested preparing it in the microwave, I did mine on the stovetop by combining the chocolate on butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until the mixture was melty and fully combined. The texture will be thicker than a chocolate syrup, but not so thick that cookies can't easily be dipped and removed. You can put the chocolate mixture back on heat as needed to keep the coating smooth and easy to dip your cookies into.
Note: Per the recipe I adapted, this can also be done in the microwave: in a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45 to 60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (Note: Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.)
Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Bones have very specific shapes and functions. There is no substitute for drawing from a real skeleton. It is very useful to evolve a visual shorthand of this underlying architecture, as a tool for visualizing movement.
Gesture is the foundation upon which the drawing is built. If the gesture lacks life the drawing will suffer in kind. Learning to spontaneously draw simplified skeletal figures interacting with each other, and the environment, will help you to see "through" the figure, and get a more accurate gesture.
When you get to the point where you can quickly fill a page with these figures, you may find drawing them to be addictive. Play with proportion. Exaggerate, elongate, broaden and flatten. Draw skeletal gestures of basket ball players, trolls and rotund giants. Improvise interactions – maybe add props and an environment. Drawing is about having some control over the marks you make. The more you do it, the better you get.


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Sriracha Popcorn Recipe
Helloooo POPsters!!
Today I spent time testing out a Sriracha popcorn recipe while wearing my Halloween costume #2…a Sriracha bottle! It was pretty fun making the cap…check out this arts n crafts skillz!
This is what the final product turned out like! What do you think?! Do you like this one or the Sailor Moon outfit better?
By the way…I am dying to wear those boots more. It is still hot in CA! And nearly November! I'm not complaining though… :)
So anyway, here's what my healthy Sriracha popcorn looked like:
It was so tangy and hot and good! Here's the recipe:
1/2 lemon juice squeezed, 1 tsp sriracha (or more if you want it spicy), and about 1 TBSP of crushed garlic seasoning or powder.
Just pop your popcorn in the microwave. I got 94% fat free popcorn from Trader Joes since it was more convenient, but, what you can do if you wanna go fat free is buy the kernels, throw them in a brown paper bag, close it up, and microwave just like that! That's true air-popped no butter.
After you get your popcorn, simply spray the lemon-sriracha concoction all over it and sprinkle with garlic. In the video, I just poured it and some of the corn got soggy, so make sure you lightly spray! And eat right away. REALLY GOOD!
Or if you wanna try the original Sriracha Popcorn from theoatmeal.com, you can get it here. It's $5.99 a bag though! That's kinda nuts.
So I found a recipe that you can try at home at bakeyourday.net:
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. Sriracha sauce
1 tsp. sesame seeds + more for garnish
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 cups popped popcorn (see note below)
Salt to taste
Check their website above for full directions!
Popcorn is a great, light, healthy snack if you ever get the munchies. Just be careful of the butter and sodium content!
Have a fab Monday! I will be working hard on your #NutsInNovember calendar the next couple days. Anything new you want on there?
<3 you so much!


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Melbourne: Li Na's Melbourne Park nemesis Kim Clijsters no longer stalks the Australian Open draw but her absence is no cause for celebration, according to the Chinese sixth seed.
If anyone should be popping champagne corks in the non attendance of the retired Belgian, it should be 30-year-old Li, Asia's first grand slam singles champion. Teak-tough Clijsters denied Li her maiden major title in 2011's tense final at Rod Laver Arena, overhauling the Chinese in three sets to win her fourth and final grand slam.
Clijsters returned the following year to inflict further pain on Li, and despite suffering an ankle injury in their fourth-round clash, saved four match points and left her stunned opponent crying at her post-match media conference.
Li, however, said she had hoped to have a chance to exact revenge at her eighth appearance in the Australian Open singles draw. "Why should I (be) happy? I (was) really looking forward to playing her again," Li told reporters.
"I never have (another) chance to come back, so I'm not happy. Every time I play against her, (it's) always (a) tough match. It's a really good challenge for myself."
Without Clijsters in the draw, a majority of pundits would say the hard-hitting Li's chances of a second major title following her 2011 French Open triumph have improved. Li loves Melbourne Park, where she and compatriot Zheng Jie became their country's first grand slam singles semi-finalists in 2010. "I always feel the Australian Open is more familiar," she told reporters in Mandarin.
"The staff and officials are the same every year. It's like seeing old friends again."
Li also has a flag-waving flock of Chinese supporters that can be relied upon to provide vocal support at the tournament, but has enjoyed a testy relationship with her fans.
She famously demanded the chair umpire tell them to stop 'coaching' her in Chinese as she crumbled in the deciding set of the 2011 final against Clijsters.
A plea from a Chinese reporter for a message to Melbourne's Chinese community was simply ignored by Li, who preferred to focus on the benefits of another new coach in Justine Henin's former mentor Carlos Rodriguez.
Li has employed a merry-go-round of coaches in recent years, with her husband Jiang Shan taking on the role a couple of times after being shunted aside for higher-profile figures.
Jiang, whose coaching responsibilities included being the target of his wife's occasional tantrums and acerbic wit, remains part of 'team Li', but has been kept at arm's length in the lead-up To this year's tournament.
Rodriguez had made things simpler, said Li, who will play Kazakhstan's Sesil Karantcheva in the first round on Monday. "I am feeling more relaxed working with him," she said. "He never gives me pressure. For him, he says, 'You never know what happens on the tennis court so just try to win the first round'."