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Demarus Dye| BKD TV Insiders
Standings After Week 8
Demarus Dye– 9-4 ; Overall: 75-44
Byron K. Dixon– 10-3 ; Overall: 74-45
Roger Herring– 10-3 ; Overall: 69-48
Bye: Bears, Browns, Chargers, Vikings, Patriots, Steelers
November 2(Thursday)
Buffalo Bills vs. NY Jets 8:25pm NFL Network. Analysts- Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson & Jay Feely
Also: WIVB-Buffalo, WCBS-New York
Key Matchup: Bills WR's & TE's vs. Jets Secondary
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Bills; Demarus Dye– Bills; Roger Herring– Bills
November 5(Sunday)
Denver Broncos vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1pm CBS. Analysts- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn
Key Matchup: Broncos QB vs. Eagles DE's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Eagles; Demarus Dye– Eagles; Roger Herring– Eagles
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans 1pm CBS. Analysts- Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl
Key Matchup: Colts QB vs. Texans DE's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Texans; Demarus Dye– Texans; Roger Herring– Texans
Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans 1pm CBS. Analysts- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon, Melanie Collins
Key Matchup: Ravens DL vs. Titans OL
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Titans; Demarus Dye– Ravens; Roger Herring– Titans
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 1pm CBS. Analysts- Andrew Catalon, James Lofton
Key Matchup: Bengals OL vs. Jaguars DL
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Jaguars; Demarus Dye– Jaguars; Roger Herring– Jaguars
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers 1pm FOX. Analysts- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews
Key Matchup: Falcons LB's vs. Panthers RB's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Falcons; Demarus Dye– Falcons; Roger Herring– Falcons
Los Angeles Rams vs. NY Giants 1pm FOX. Analysts- Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber, Kristina Pink
Key Matchup: Rams LB's vs. Giants RB's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Rams; Demarus Dye– Rams; Roger Herring– Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints 1pm FOX. Analysts- Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman, Peter Schrager
Key Matchup: Bucs OL vs. Saints DL
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Saints; Demarus Dye– Saints; Roger Herring– Saints
Washington Redskins vs. Seattle Seahawks 4:05pm FOX. Analysts- Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis, Pam Oliver
Key Matchup: Redskins WR's & TE's vs. Seahawks Secondary
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Seahawks; Demarus Dye– Seahawks; Roger Herring– Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers 4:05pm FOX. Analysts- Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin
Key Matchup: Cardinals QB's vs. 49ers DE's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Cardinals; Demarus Dye– Cardinals; Roger Herring– Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys 4:25pm CBS. Analysts- Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson
Key Matchup: Chiefs LB's vs. Cowboys RB's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Chiefs; Demarus Dye– Chiefs; Roger Herring– Chiefs
Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins 8:30 pm NBC. Analysts- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michelle Tafoya
Key Matchup: Raiders RB's vs. Dolphins LB's
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Raiders; Demarus Dye– Raiders; Roger Herring– Raiders
November 6(Monday)
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers 8:30 pm ESPN. Analysts- Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters
Also: WXYZ-Detroit, WLUK-Green Bay
Key Matchup: Lions DE's vs. Packers QB
Picks: Byron K. Dixon– Lions; Demarus Dye– Packers; Roger Herring– Lions


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The Licking Heights High School boys basketball team is hoping to begin the season better than it has in recent years.
The Licking Heights High School boys basketball team is hoping to begin the season better than it has in recent years.
The Hornets opened 0-4 last year after starting 1-3 in 2009-10. They were able to recover both seasons, finishing 11-10 in 2009-10 for their first winning season since 2006-07.
Last year, they rode a 12-game winning streak to a 14-7 finish.
"We try to schedule some good teams or some bigger Division II teams early to prepare us for our league season, so we love the early challenges," said fifth-year coach Nathan Clark, who enters the season with a 42-33 record at Licking Heights.
"On the other hand, we definitely want to start stronger and it's something we've talked about as a team."
The Hornets open Friday, Dec. 2, at home against Bexley and play host to Granville on Dec. 6 before their first road test Dec. 10 at Harvest Prep in the MSL-Cardinal Division opener.
The Hornets were seeded eighth in the Division II district tournament last year and lost to Granville 65-57 in the first round after building a 42-20 lead early in the third quarter.
Licking Heights finished second (11-3) in the MSL-Cardinal behind Harvest Prep (14-0) and ahead of West Jefferson (10-4), Grandview (8-6), Fisher Catholic (5-9), Liberty Union and Millersport (both 3-11) and Berne Union (2-12).
However, the OHSAA penalized Harvest Prep for non-compliance, causing the Warriors to forfeit the 2010-11 season, which included Division IV district and regional titles, as well as a state runner-up trophy. They are banned from postseason play in all sports this school year, and the boys basketball, girls basketball and football teams also are banned from the postseason in 2012-13.
That means the Hornets officially finished 16-5 overall last season and 13-1 in the MSL-Cardinal, which was the league's top record. But the Mid-State League decided to vacate the championship and not name a champion.
"We don't get a trophy or a banner to put on the wall," Clark said. "We're using that as motivation this year. It showed the guys how close we were, that the league title was within reach. So we want to got out and win that championship this year. The top four teams in the league should be Grandview Heights, West Jefferson, Harvest Prep and (us). We expect to be in the mix for a shot at (the league championship)."
The Hornets lost three players to graduation. In addition, junior forward Ronnie Dawson and junior guard Dewey Rice did not return. Dawson, who was the team's leading rebounder last season and was second-team all-league, is coming off knee surgery. Rice is now at Briggs.
Junior Darius Strickland (6-foot-4, forward) returns to lead the team after being honorable mention all-league a year ago. He will be joined in the post by sophomore Babe Murphy (6-3, forward).
Junior Tyron Pack (5-10) will be the point guard, with senior Cameron Tennyson (5-10) and junior John Righter (6-1) on the wings.
"We expect Babe Murphy and Darius Strickland to have excellent seasons in the post," Clark said. "We will look to John Righter to be our outside jump shooter when teams help in the middle. Tyron Pack is a tremendous penetrator and will run the point. Cameron Tennyson will be asked to defend our opponents' best player each game."
Rounding out the nine-player roster are juniors Willie Carter (6-1, forward), Tyshad Green (5-10, guard) and Sherard Pollard (6-3, forward) and sophomore DeAnthony Hosley (5-10, guard).
Licking Heights plans to be an up-tempo team that will use mostly man-to-man defense.
"We force a lot of turnovers, which we use to score baskets in transition," Clark said. "We outrebounded our opponents in every win last year and look to control the boards, especially on the offensive end.
"We are continuing to solidify our half-court defense, making sure our off-the-ball defense is in the right positions. We also need to keep improving our half-court offense and see options two and three if the defense takes away our first option."

subset: commoncrawl


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For Businesses
Business needs are unique because most decisions go through a detailed approval process before being accepted. Marketing materials must meet strict requirements and anything published in the company's name must follow specific guidelines and company criteria.
Unscripted has been polishing materials for the corporate world for over 12 years. Policies, procedures and guidelines light a fire under this keyboard. Below are a few of the items that are most often requested by corporate customers:
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- Transcription
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A company's annual report serves as a detailed snapshot of its operations. This is often presented to prospective clients to prove the sustainability of your business. Your annual report should show off the unique skills and attention to detail that your company can provide. Unscripted can assist with anything from writing specific content to formatting … Continue reading Annual Reports
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A company newsletter is a reflection of the organization. Every photo, font and phrase must comply with company procedures. Even more important, is the corporate image that comes across in each article. Whether you need someone to write the content or just a top-notch editor, Unscripted is here to help. Newsletters require as much preparation … Continue reading Company Newsletters
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Website Content
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Q1: Can you arrange with the taking of biopsies?
A1: This should be arranged in collaboration with the attending physician. We can take care of the taken biopsy.
Q2: How long will it take for me to get my iPS clones?
A2: If from biopsy, about 4-5 months. And if from already established fibroblasts, about 4 months. This will vary on the number of services included.
Q3: Is the culturing defined and Xeno-free?
A3: The iPS cell derivation is defined and Xeno-free from the moment that the iPS cells have been transduced and plated onto human laminin521.
Q4: What passage of fibroblast should i provide?
A4: Any passage below 10 should work fine.
Q5: What happens to my samples after derivation , is any stored?
A5: Frozen vials of the fibroblasts will be delivered with the iPS clones. All samples that are not deliver to customers are destroyed if baking service is not included in the project.
Q6: Can I add services once the project is ongoing?
A6: Yes. A fee for thawing and expansion might be added if the samples are already frozen.
Q7: What coatings do you derive the iPS cells on?
A7: Preferably on human laminin521, but human feeders are also an option.
Q8: Do you share my cells or data with anyone?
Q8: No!
Q9: I have iPS lines on feeder and would like to have them transfered to another coating, can you do that?
A9: No, It is in may cases easier to rederive the line on the new coating. This we can do.
Q10: What is INDI (that is added to the price according to the Price list)?
A10: That is the over-head costs that the lab pays on material and services. The INDI is department dependent and the INDI at the Neuroscience department where we are located is 22,3% for 2015. This is reviewed annually. This will be added independently f you are located at KI or at any other university.
Q11: Can I culture the iPS cells that I get from the facility on other coatings that the once that they are derived on?
Q12: Yeas in theory. In practice cells thens to adjust to the coating that they are growing on and there transfer might not be straight forward.


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A Victoria Ballet Academy production
Artistic Director: Victoria Mironova
June 15th, 2011 at 7:00pm
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
10268 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Box office: 905-787-8811
Featuring the Graduating Students of the Professional Ballet Program
as well as the day-school and after-school students of the Academy.
This year's concert features variations from Le Corsair, Don Quixote, Chopiniana and other famous classical ballet performances.
Act I
A. Glazunov, Polonaise. Graduation ceremony
P. Tchaikovsky, Sleeping Beauty, Waltz
T. Werner, Chicken Dance , The Bunnies
L. Debiles, Coppelia, Musique Automates
J. Schubert, Musical Joke
C. Saint-Saëns, The Carnival of the Animals, Gallop
P. Tchaikovsky, Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb
S. Prokofiev, Cinderella, the Dance with Oranges
A. Rybenov, Celebration, Russian folk dance
10. M. C. Hammer, Can't Touch This, Contemporary dance
Act II
C. Saint-Saëns, The Swan (Anastasia Loskutov, graduating student, professional program)
A. Adan, Gyselle, Variation
F. Herold, La Fille Mal Guarde, Variation of Lisa (Anna Pogulyaeva, international Student, professional program)
J. Schubert, Children's Dance
G. Bizet, Carmen, Variation of Carmen (Anna Rybalko, graduating student, professional program)
L. Minkus, Don Quixote, Variation of Kitri, act 4 (Desanka Djonin, graduating student, professional program)
L. Minkus, Don Quixote, Variation of Kitri, act 1 (Anastasia Loskutov, graduating student, professional program)
J. Bayer, Pas de Trois, The Fairy Doll
A. Adam, Le Corsair, Le jardin animé, Waltz
A. Adam, Le Corsair, Le jardin animé, Adagio
C. Pugni, The Pharaoh's Daughter, Variation of Aspicia
Keren Barak (graduating student, professional program)
A. Adam, Le Corsair, Le jardin animé, Pas de trois des odalisques
A. Adam, Le Corsair, Pas de Deux (Lisa Mironova, graduating student, professional program), Ricky Resijan (guest dancer)
A. Adam, Le Corsair, Le jardin animé, Apotheosis
Act III
Les Sylphides, Choreography: M. Fokine, adopted by Victoria Mironova, Elena Dmitrieva
Les Sylphides is a short, non-narrative ballet, originally choreographed by Michel Fokine in 1909, with music by Frédéric Chopin orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. This is often described as a "romantic reverie". It was the very first ballet not to have any plot: The Poet dances with sylphs.
The Poet: Ricky Resijan (guest dancer)
The Sylphs: Anastasia Loskutov, Anna Rybalko, Desanka Djonin, Keren Barak, Lisa Mironova (graduating students, professional program), Anna Pogulyaeva, Seo Yae Won (international students, professional program), students of Victoria Ballet Academy
Act IV
A. Borodin, opera Prince Igor, Persian Maids
L. Jacobson, Gossipers, Choreography adopted by Elena Dmitrieva
M. Glinka, Jota Aragonesa, Spanish folk dance
F. Liszt, Czárdás, Hungarian folk dance
Usher, Yeh, Contemporary dance
C. Cassya, Polka, Chech folk dance
G. Rossini, Tarantella, Italian folk dance
J. Didyulya, Flamenco, Spanish folk dance


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18 year old Nigeria forward David Okereke made his competitive debut for Serie B side Spezia playing the last five minutes of their 1-0 win over Novarra.
Plucked from Spezia nursery team in Nigeria, Football Academy Abuja, he was the star of the youth team of the Serie B side during the prestigious Viareggio Youth Cup scoring four times aside picking up man of the match awards.
Okereke was suppose to travel to Italy with Nigeria U-17 world cup winner Orji Okonkwo but the 17 year old skipped the trip while he made the journey and he is slowly making inroads into the first team set up.
His fine form has already lead to talks of him leading the frontline of Spezia next season but it appears he might even achieve that before the end of the season.
Spezia will be hoping he grows at same pace if not better than Sadiq Umar and Nura Abdullahi who are presently on loan to Serie A side Roma in a deal that could see the Serie B side make more than 4 million pounds if as expected Roma take up the option of buying the duo permanently in the summer.


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Sofa.com has been handcrafting and delivering sumptuous sofas and brilliant beds (and the odd dodgy joke or two) for over a decade.
Since the very beginning (of sofa.com, not of time!) we've believed that everyone deserves great sofas and excellent service from people who are passionate about interiors, so that is exactly what we aim to provide.
However, we thought, why stop at sofas? People love a beautiful place to live, so our beds, dining range and accessories have been introduced to help people achieve their dream home (and the excellent service has continued, of course). Ten years after the sale of our first sofa, we continue to create beautifully handcrafted items with you in mind.
Experts in our craft
We're proud to shout about our dedicated sofa.com teams at every stage of the process. That's from the very beginning to the very end; no middle men here trying to get comfy on our sofas!
Our knowledgeable showroom staff are always on hand to provide genuine, outstanding service to anybody who comes into store; everyone is welcome including little feet and paws.


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Thursday, September 17, 2009
Fun Bugs in Our Garden
As our harvest is coming to an end, I no longer worry so much about what is eating at the remains. We have found several very cool bugs lately in the garden. The kids are trying out different camera angles and setting to capture these critters in pictures. As the next few weeks pass we will be putting the veggie garden to bed for the winter, and we will be keeping our eyes open for more fun garden dwellers.
Posted by smoothiejuice's hectichousehold at 8:59 PM
2 comments:
- electricdunce said...
I like bugs. When they are outside. Your garden looks like a great success....
- September 18, 2009 at 5:20 AM
- Beverly said...
Gotta love those piggy back grasshoppers!!!!! :)
- September 21, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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© 2016 All rights reserved.
Florida's long-running effort to lure Wall Street hotshots is gaining traction thanks to a provision in the federal tax law that hits residents of high-tax states.
The Sunshine State's most recent conquests are two of the founders of I Squared Capital, Sadek Wahba and Adil Rahmathulla, who are among executives relocating to Miami from New York, according to a person familiar with the moves. The private equity firm plans to open an office in Miami later this year, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A company representative declined to comment on the relocation and the reason for it.
The former Morgan Stanley dealmakers, whose infrastructure firm will manage more than $12 billion in assets after its second fund closes later this year, stand to benefit taxwise--as would any other executives from the financial industry who make the move from New York or Connecticut, that's because Florida doesn't have a state income tax and its property taxes are relatively low, whereas the tri-state area has among the highest property taxes in the country.
Complete Article by
By Lynnley Browning and Gillian Tan


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Tag Archives: DIY painting
Home Reno: Painting with Mike
Do you want to build a custom home? Do you want to renovate your existing home? My husband Mike and I have done both. Are you planning a home renovation project? Our third-floor renovation project is just about finished! The next step is painting. And I … Continue reading
Posted in Adventures of a Middle Age Mom, Do It Yourself, Home Reno, Home Renovation, NJ Blogger Tagged DIY painting, hiring a painter, interior painting, painting, third floor reno Comments Off on Home Reno: Painting with Mike
DIY Landscaping Projects: Make Drain Pipes "Disappear"
Recently I helped my friend Karen prune an enormous yew in her front yard. The "shrub" is an epic 20 feet tall and was scruffy looking, to put it politely. We used a chain saw, a pole saw, large loppers and … Continue reading


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Premium Content
Photos: Mad Hatter Park Opening, Covington Business Council Annual Dinner
Thursday evening was a busy one in downtown Covington.
The Covington Business Council hosted its annual dinner at the Madison Event Center, Renaissance Covington opened Mad Hatter Park (a pop-up park on Scott Boulevard between the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky and Lee's Chicken), and the monthly Pike Street Stroll.
At the CBC event, Corporex managing director Tom Banta was given the Founders Award for his work in the city. A panel made up of Tony Kreutzjans (Orleans Development), Eric Summe (Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau), Katie Meyer (Renaissance Covington), and Tim Schroeder (CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services) discussed the improvements in and attraction of Covington. The River City News publisher Michael Monks served as master of ceremonies.
Some interesting items from the discussion include word that a new wine bar - The Wedge - is coming to Pike Street in the old Bronko's Chili space, and that new data gathered from the newly launched public WiFi in the central business district show that Monday is the third busiest day of the week for foot traffic, which may suggest that retailers who tend to be closed on Monday may want to reconsider at some point.
RCN's Brian Frey produced these photos.


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During the off-hours on Sunday, when few people were willing to ruin whatever remained of their weekend and when even astute observers weren't supposed to pay attention, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners approved new rules that would allow life insurance companies to lower their reserves for future claims.
Executives claimed that they could put that capital to "more productive uses," such as blowing it on stock buybacks and acquisitions or plowing it into subprime-based derivatives or Greek sovereign debt, or whatever, to goose their paper returns—having already forgotten all about the financial crisis.
"The insurance industry weathered the financial crisis well precisely because of the careful reserving state regulators have historically required," said Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services. "To ignore the lessons of the financial crisis and deregulate the industry, allowing them to keep less in reserves, is unwise."
Others were less sanguine. Joseph Belth, Insurance Forum editor and professor emeritus of insurance at Indiana University, worried that "future generations of executives, regulators, and consumers will have to deal with the financial carnage."
There are salient precedents. The Glass-Steagall Act, after decades of being reinterpreted and watered down—and finally gutted by Citibank's foray into investment banking and insurance—was repealed in 1999. The business of finance boomed, banks ballooned, Wall Street printed paper profits, and bonuses skyrocketed. Less than a decade later, the financial crisis laid waste to the world economy.
Before it, there was the S&L crisis, brought on by a series of challenges that culminated in the deeply troubled industry's deregulation in the early 1980s. With disastrous consequences.
The Insurance industry had lobbied for the change for almost a decade. The existing rules used formulas that were "far too conservative," life insurers maintained, according to the Wall Street Journal. Instead, the industry would implement a "principles-based" system that would use computer models—algos and "fat fingers" come to mind—to figure out how large the reserves would have to be; or rather, just how small they could be. Because rationalizing "lower reserves in the aggregate"—as Lawsky's deputy Robert Easton called it—had after all been the goal of the lobbying campaign.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones fretted about the "very complicated black-box models"—that their mathematics might be impenetrable for state regulators who then would not be capable of overseeing that "principles-based" system. Whether or not that was one of the underlying motivations for the industry remains to be seen.
Granted, it's been tough for life insurers. Their investment returns have gotten hammered by the evil twins of a lumpy economy and the Fed's Zero Interest Rate Policy. Initially classified as "exceptional," ZIRP has now been in effect for four years, and its expiration date keeps getting kicked further into the future. It has brought down bond yields across the spectrum to where returns on all but junk are negligible, a process that has been draining the reserves of life insurers—just like it has been fleecing the Social Security trust fund and savers. So the thinking went, with lower reserve requirements, insurers could divert some capital to speculate in riskier assets that might offer a greater return. It would dope their paper profits and make Wall Street smile. For a while. We've seen this movie before.
But it's not yet a done deal. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is composed of state regulators, sets solvency standards that states may then adopt in regulating insurers. The idea is to come up with a common set of standards for all 50 states. However, states don't have to follow the decision. And it's unlikely that all of them will. Of the 56 members, 43 voted to approve this change. Regulators in California and New York voted against it. And in states where lawmakers refuse to adopt the new reserving requirements, life insurers would establish subsidiaries whose reserves would conform to the rules of that state.
While some life insurers might continue to be conservative under the new rules, others will venture out towards the thin end of the limb to chase paper profits from quarter to quarter. And they're doing it just when the industry is staring at an unprecedented and brutal demographic reality: insured baby boomers aren't going to live forever, and life-insurance payouts are going to jump to historic records.
The temptation is huge to tweak the math of the "black-box models"—as California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones called it—to bury that reality until the bitter end. It took Wall Street less than a decade to explode, counting from the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act. Home many years will it take the life-insurance industry after the new rules go into effect? One thing we know already: when it explodes, no one will be held responsible. Because everyone followed the rules.
Every country in the Eurozone has its own collection of big fat lies that politicians and eurocrats have served up in order to make the euro and subsequent bailouts or austerity measures less unappetizing. Like in 1999: "Can Germany be held liable for the debts of other countries? A very clear No!" said the CDU, the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Read.... Ten Big Fat Lies To Keep The Euro Dream Alive.


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A new priest was so nervous at his first mass he could hardly speak.
After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done.
The monsignor replied, "When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip."
So next Sunday he took the monsignor's advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink.
He proceeded to talk up a storm.
Upon his return to his office after the mass, he found the following note on the door:
1) Sip the vodka, don't gulp.
2) There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3) There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4) Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5) Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6) We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.
7) The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy Junior and the spook.
8. David slew Goliath, he did not kick the shit out of him.
9) When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey, don't say he was stoned off his ass.
10) We do not refer to the cross as the "Big T."
11) When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper he said, "take this and eat it, for it is my body." He did not say "Eat me".
12) The Virgin Mary is not called "Mary with the Cherry".
13) The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, Yeah God.
To all those very religious people in the forum sorry if its a bit blasphemous but I thought it was funny.


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Dubai Employment Visa Procedures for person who is having 6 months Ban
Based on the Ministry of Labor's new decision if the employee resigns before the conclusion of two years, a six-month ban shall be imposed. But the same may be lifted without any charges or NOC from the employer if the employee managed to get a new job opportunity, taking into account that the salary of such worker with the new company shall be in accordance with the skill level specified by the Ministry of Labour:
1- First skill level: which means that if the employee is having university degree and above, his salary with the new company shall not be less than Dh12,000.
2- Second skill level: if the employee is having diploma, his salary with the new company shall not be less than Dh7,000.
3- Third skill level: if the employee is having high school degree, his salary with the new company shall not be less than Dh5,000.
If these three skills have not been met by the employee, he may not lift the ban and he shall wait until the completion of the ban period and then he may work with a new sponsor, moreover, the NOC from the earlier sponsor has no effect based on the Ministry of Labour's new decisions.
Above mentioned salary can be in total. It is not necessary to put as basic salary. New profession must be compatible with educational certificate. For secondary certificate holder, the new profession code shall end with 0000003.
Employment Visa Expense
DESCRIPTION AMOUNT in AED NOTE
INITIAL APPROVAL 200 Typing charge extra
LABOUR CARD FEE 600 Second Category 2-A
1500 Second Category 2-B
2000 Second Category 2-C
5000 Third Category
300 First Category
BANK GUARANTEE 3000 Commission varies depends on Bank
IMMIGRATION FEE 220 720 If the person is inside UAE
570 For visa position amendment. Typing charge extra
MEDICAL CERTIFICATE 300 Amount varies depends on Hospital
VISA STAMPING 270 100 extra for Urgent submission. Typing charge extra
LABOUR CONTRACT 50 To be submitted through Tas'heel Centre
EmiratesID 270 Two years
TOTAL 4960 Typing charge extra
For E-quota Application Copy of Trade License, Labour Establishment Card, Immigration Establishment Card, Sponsor's Passport copy, Sponsor's E-signature Card copy, Tenancy Contract, Electricity Bill and Location Map.
For Work Permit Application Passport Copy, one photo with white background,
Attested Certificate Copy for certain professions,
Trade Licence Copy, Labour Computer Card Copy,
Profession + Salary with allowance (if any)
GCC Driving License copy for Driver Visa application (Vehicle list from RTA also to be attached for Driver Visa).
After Entry One Photograph for Medical Test
One Photograph (white background) for Visa Stamping
One Photograph (white background) for Labour Card/Contract
Steps to follow
Type e-quota application.
• Documents required for e-quota: Copy of Trade License, Labour Establishment Card, Immigration Establishment Card, Sponsor's Passport copy, Sponsor's E-signature Card copy, Tenancy Contract, Electricity Bill and Location Map.
• Project Agreements to be scanned for Contracting Companies.
• Number of required workers, Gender and profession to be mentioned. Dh15 to be paid for Quota request application.
• Quota approval will come online soon.
• Wait for payment request which will come online within 24hours. Dh200 to be paid for each worker (Service charge extra). Approval will come after 24 hours.
• Again Work Permit application to be typed. Passport copy of worker, Photo and Certificate (for certain professions) are required. Approval will come soon.
• Then, bank guarantee (Dh3000 for each) and Labour Card Fee to be paid as per the company category).
• Pay Dh220 immigration fee for each visa and collect visa from Immigration.
• Original e-signature card of the authorized signatory is must to complete employment visa process.
Application status can be tracked through www.mol.gov.ae by entering MB number which is printed on the application.
After approval, Bank guarantee to be paid in the Bank, if required.
All government Fees to be paid at Typing Centre.
If the applicant is inside the country, type Visa Position Amendment application and pay Dh530 at Typing Centre (Typing charge extra).
There are 60 days time from the date of Visa Position Amendment to complete Medical and visa stamping. If the visa holder is out of country 60 days will be calculated from the date of entry.
Type Medical and Emirates ID application and first go for Medical Test and then for Emirates ID fingerprint
After receiving Medical Certificate type Labour Contract and Visa Stampingapplication
Get seal and signature of the sponsor and employee on the Labour Contract and submit through Tas'heel Centre
Get seal and signature of the sponsor on Visa stamping application, Attach Tas'heel receipt and submit at Immigration Department along with Original Passport
Pay Dh20 for Courier if the Application is Normal and Passport will be delivered after Two days
Visa stamped Passport can be received by hand if the Application is Urgent.
Labour Contract will come through Post Box after one week. Application status can be tracked through www.mol.gov.ae by entering IN number which is printed on the application.
Frequently Asked Question
Six month ban
Q: I work as a mechanical engineer in Abu Dhabi. I have completed nine months in service. I am planning to change my job. I received a better job offer from a Jebel Ali Free Zone Company. I have not completed two years in service. Will a six-month labour ban be enforced even if the new job is in a free zone company? Is there a way to lift the ban?
A: Since you have not completed two years with your current employer, a ban for the period of six months will be automatically imposed on you by the Ministry of Labour.
Furthermore, avoiding a ban does not depend upon the designation of employment; rather it depends upon the qualification and the new salary offered.
If your qualification and new salary offered falls under any of the below categories as mentioned in the Cabinet Resolution No 25 of 2010 regarding internal work permit at the Ministry of Labour, then, you may join your new job without any ban. The cabinet Resolutions states:
In order to remove the ban, an employee must prove qualifications by presenting a duly attested educational certificate as mentioned herein:
i) If an employee holds a university degree (master), and earns a minimum of Dh12,000 per month;
ii) If an employee holds a Diploma (post secondary) and earns a minimum of Dh7,000 per month; and
(iii) If an employee has passed high school and earns a minimum of Dh5,000 per month. (KT)


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Analytical Chemistry, Volume 1
Wiley, 1994 - 812 pagine
Extensively revised and updated, this edition is concerned primarily with quantitative analysis techniques. Describes how to design an analytical method, how to obtain a laboratory sample that is representative of the whole and to prepare it for analysis, what measurement tools are available, automated analyses and the statistical significance of the analysis. New and expanded topics include heterogeneous equilibria, diode array spectrometers, fiber-optic sensors and solid-phase extraction.
Cosa dicono le persone - Scrivi una recensione
Nessuna recensione trovata nei soliti posti.


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Who would think that Pink would be the fashion trend in for luggage? After purchasing my own Set of Pink luggage to go with the colors of my company (TTT Events Planning, LLC)…. I thought I was on to my own special something with my pink luggage… Well little did I know that pink luggage is the new fashion trend!
So we went out and interviewed several Baggage Handlers and passengers at 5 of our Nation's busiest traveled airports, (JFK, LGA, LAX, Chicago O'Hare, and Miami International) and 2 International Tropical Destinations (Owen Roberts Grand Cayman International, and Cancun International) and we find that most travelers are opting for the PINK LUGGAGE! 90% of all the Baggage handlers interviewed agreed that Pink is the new color trend in Travel Luggage.
Move over Black, Brown, and Red suitcases! Make room for the New Fashion Trendy Pink Luggage!
Yes Pink is now the New Traveler's choice for luggage… it stands out and is easy to find among a sea of luggage on a baggage carousel!
Men too are proudly lugging their significant other's Hot Pink suitcases through the airports. And when we asked them how it feels to be carrying a pink suitcase? They reply… "It makes her happy so it makes me happy! And I don't have to worry about all the black luggage in baggage claim, the pink luggage is so easy to find." One Male Traveler in First Class on his way to Cancun said, "it makes for a quick retrieve at baggage claim! And we zip right out of the airport…"
Hey all you fashion trendy traveler, run out and Nob your "Pink Luggage". Remember it is easy to find in the sea of luggage at baggage claim.
An average 3 piece Pink hard-side luggage set runs you around $150 to $500 online.


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The Vice Chancellor Prof. Boniface Egboka on behalf the university senate has approved the academic calendar as follows:
MON 6TH JAN 2014 – Lectures commences and outstanding exams
MON 13TH – TUES 14TH JAN 2014 – Orientation for new students.
FRI 24TH JAN 2014. – Matriculation
WED. 29TH JAN 2014- SUG Elections
MON. 31ST MARCH – 4TH APRIL 2014 – Revision
MON 7TH APRIL 2014 – First Semester Exam starts
FRI 18TH APRIL 2014- Easter Break
TUE. 22ND APRIL 2014 – First semester exam continues
FRI. 25th APRIL 2014 – First semester exam Ends
MON 5th MAY 2014 – Lecture commences for 2nd semester.
TUE 17TH JUNE 2014- University wide quiz
FRI 25TH JULY 2014- Lecture Ends
4TH – 8TH AUGUST 2014 – Revision
MON 11TH AUGUST 2014- Second semester exam starts.
FRI. 29TH AUGUST 2014- Second semseter exams end.
MON 1ST SEPT 2014- Thesis defence.
MON 8TH SEPT 2014- Submission of Degree results.
FRI 12TH SEPT 2014- End of session
Stay updated with all Nigeria University news, Polytechnic news, Post-Utme and more; Join/Like Us now on Facebook and twitter
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Released in 1975, this Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention album featured Don on harmonica, under the pseudonym Bloodshot Rollin' Red. Don appears on "San Ber'dino" (also available on the Zappa compilation Strickly Commercial). Released on CD in 1988.
Note from sleeve: "This album was produced between December 1974 & April 1975 simultaneously with our next album (coming soon)"
If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.


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Men`s Rectangular Satinwood Soft White Bristle Hairbrush - MS23D
Item # 30077
$94.00This item ships for free In-Stock In stock, ready to ship.
Rectangular in shape, this brush is hewn of satin and beech wood and filled with the highest quality, pure, soft white bristle. This grooming brush of dual timber, sports a beautiful satin wood back shines against the rich beech base. A gloss spray enhances the natural shine of satin wood. Designed for men with fine or thinning hair.


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Calvin Harris has waited ten years for a Brit Awards and two came along at once tonight.
The Scottish producer and chart-topper won his first and second award tonight as he took home the producer of the year award and the British Single of the Year gong.
Calvin first won producer of the year, his first Brits win after several nominations over the years.
He said: "I've been coming here for a few years and I've never got the opportunity to say anything on this stage before.
"I want to thank the people at home, I want to thank these people here, I want to thank anyone that has bought a tune, streamed a tune, come to a show, listened to a song by accident on the radio and gone, 'What's this?'"
He added that the win "means a lot".
Fans of his were delighted that his talent was finally recognised by Brit voters after years of success across the world.
Mark Ronson on Total Access
Anne-Marie on Total Access
Ellie Goulding on Total Access
To celebrate his debut solo single 'Is This Still Love', we brought Danny Jones back home to Bolton for a training session at Bolton Wanderer
Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm BoredDownload
One TouchDownload
Think About Us (Feat. Ty Dollar $Ign)Download


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Painting & Decorating Level 1 at Craven College
Course description
Gain a valuable introduction to painting and decorating with this Level 1 Diploma. Perfect if you love working in a practical environment and learning new skills.
Bricklaying, joinery, painting and plastering are all taught in our new purpose built, industry standard Ribblehead Construction Building on our Aireville Campus, Skipton. Painting and decorating students have access to purpose made booths for training and assessment with specialist industry standard equipment.
Our tutors are specialist craftspeople and have many year's experience in the construction industry in both large and small businesses with specialisms in heritage and conservation work. You will have the opportunity to enter the prestigious CITB Skill Build competition. All tools, equipment and materials are provided.
Course content
- Apply paint materials
- Hang basic wallpapers
- Painting ceilings, walls, woodwork & metalwork using appropriate brushes & rollers
- Prepare surfaces for decoration
- Prepare the work area for decorative operations
- Storing materials & equipment
- Working efficiently
Entry requirements
Multi Skills Level 1 Certificate
Written and practical assessment
Financial information
For information about Financial Support that Craven College can offer visit: http://www.craven-college.ac.uk/support/fees-and-funding
Future opportunities
Your choices may include:
- Painting & Decorating Level 2
- Painting & Decorating Apprenticeship
- Property Maintenance Apprenticeship
Your choices may include:
- Painter & Decorator Assistant
Further information
At Craven College we want you to be successful both during your time here at College and anything you decide to do after College.
The support services within College exist to help support you to get the most out of your course:Craven College Support
How to apply
If you want to apply for this course, you will need to contact Craven College directly.


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There's always a real buzz in Abu Dhabi around the time of the Grand Prix and whether you're a fan of Formula One, or not, there's plenty to see and do.
We have rounded up some of the best ways to get involved in the hype without hotting the grandstands.
F1 FanZone
If you're not in the stands at Yas Marina Circuit, the next best place to be is at the F1 FanZone at the West Plaza on the Abu Dhabi Corniche. As well as live broadcasts of the action on the circuit, there is a range of activities that will appeal to F1 fans.
The Dubizzle stand, for example, is offering "F1 Car Wheel Change" as well as simulators that put fans in the driver's seat of an F1 race car. In the Motion Simulator, visitors will experience the G-forces that drivers experience as they take corners, accelerate and brake. Head to the Batak stands where there's an interactive performance game that tests reaction time, fitness and flexibility in 60 seconds.
The F1 FanZone is open Friday and Saturday from 4pm to midnight and on Sunday from 5pm to 11pm.
The music
For those more into racy tunes than racing, the Formula One weekend never disappoints. Usually it's not possible to buy tickets separately to the After-Race Concerts on Yas Island, so head to the Corniche for Beats on the Beach and be spoilt with a line-up of locally based, regional and international stars. The best part is that it's free.
Hitting the stage tonight are Grammy award-winner Sean Paul, former X Factor Middle East contestant Adham Nabulsi, Arab boy band The 5 and UAE teen sensation Esther Eden. Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, funk-rock troupe Bull Funk Zoo, hip-hop artist Travis Scott and the winner of the Emerging Talent Competition will perform on Saturday.
Gates open at 6.30pm, but it's wise to get to the Corniche early to secure a comfortable position and take public transport as the traffic is always a mess. The National's Arts&Life editor, Saeed Saeed, who is a Beats on the Beach veteran, also recommends making sure your phone is fully charged before you go, in case you get separated from your family and friends (and so you can post pics to social media). "Take a coat too as there can be a cool breeze on the Corniche at night-time," Saeed advises.
For an adults-only music experience, Mad on Yas Island nightclub has an all-star line-up over the weekend, with Sean Paul and Rita Ora on Friday, Travis Scott on Saturday and Future on Sunday. For information and table reservations, visit www.madonyasisland.com.
Restaurants and bars
If you don't have grandstand tickets for race weekend, you may still be able to watch some of the racing from one of the restaurants at Yas Viceroy. The most coveted tables will be those outside, so don't be surprised if they're already booked by this late stage. You'll still be able to stand on the terraces, though, between bites. Consider what part of the race you want to see (practice, qualifying, race), as that will determine whether you'll need a lunch or dinner sitting and the day (see race time box below). It will also reflect in the prices – Sunday will be most expensive. Don't forget that there's also other racing, such as GP2 and GP3, throughout the weekend so there'll barely be a quiet moment. Meal packages start from Dh444 (including taxes and charges). Call the hotel on 02 656 0600 for availability and reservations.
There are more options on the other side of the marina where Stars 'n' Bars has live entertainment and no reservations or tickets are necessary. Diablitos is also accepting walk-ins, however rooftop tables will be subject to a minimum spend and maximum allocation of two hours. Iris is offering a buffet brunch each afternoon, along with daily entertainment and a live band.
An F1 Grand Prix, anywhere in the world, is a great opportunity for celebrity-spotting and Abu Dhabi is no exception. The best places are the after-parties and there's no shortage of them. You won't catch any of the racing action, but you may be lucky enough to spot one of the drivers.
The biggest and best established of the after-parties is Amber Lounge, which sets up at Yas Links golf club, and, in previous years, has hosted guests such as Lewis Hamilton, Prince Harry, Kylie Minogue and Hugh Grant. Tickets cost from Dh3,030, which includes entry and unlimited drinks. Visit amber-lounge.com for tickets.
The VIP Room has a pop-up club again this year on the third floor of Yas Marina Building 1 (Cipriani), where it will host techno music heavyweight DJ Luciano and socialite Paris Hilton on Friday, Canadian rapper Drake on Saturday and unnamed "celebrity" guests on Sunday night. Reservations can be made by calling 052 881 8888 or by emailing [email protected]viproom-dubai.com.
The Podium Lounge will be held at Rush, the bar that spans the racetrack at Yas Viceroy. It also promises celebrities, drivers and music all night long. General admission is free for women and Dh200 for men, and VIP packages are available. Contact [email protected] or 056 113 4626.
Elsewhere on Yas
If you can't get trackside, then securing yourself a position on the island, where you can hear the cars and feel the buzz, could be the next best thing. Many Yas Island attractions, such as Yas Beach, Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld have something special organised.
Yas Beach has a pool party with DJs on Friday and Saturday, starting from 1pm, but there's also a kids' area for families with inflatables and activities. Call 050 952 2283 for more information.
Ferrari World will be busy as it opens its doors for free this weekend to Grand Prix ticket holders, but F1 drivers have also been known to stop by and try out the rides and test their skills on the simulators. Entry this weekend costs from Dh275 for adults and Dh230 for children under 1.3m tall. Spend Dh20 more and get access to Yas Waterworld as well (valid for the same day). The waterpark will have DJs and special offers on food and drinks during the weekend. Tickets can be bought at the venue or online from ferrariworldabudhabi.com or yaswaterworld.com.
Get Driver Fit
This is the last weekend of the Get Driver Fit free fitness programme, so if you haven't been making the most of the sessions, now is your last chance to do so. There's boot camp, yoga, Zumba and boxing classes on the beach.
Alternatively, head to Muscle Beach, an outdoor gym on the Corniche, where a variety of fitness equipment has been assembled, and work out under the supervision of GDF trainers.
Race times
Friday, November 25
Practice 1, 1pm to 2pm
Practice 2, 5pm to 6.30pm
Practice 3, 2pm to 3pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Race, 5pm


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Sponsorship Program
The church in Uganda is relatively young (only about 100 years old), yet rapidly growing. It is known to be a mile wide but only an inch deep. There is a great need and deep hunger of pastors and ministry leaders to be effectively trained to keep the church strong and free from false teaching.
Africa Bible University
With a goal to raise-up servant-leaders for Christ who can think creatively and biblically in response to the challenges facing a rapidly emerging African church and country, Africa Bible University provides a four-year, broad-based bachelor of arts degree with a focus on developing the ability of the student to think creatively and innovatively with a distinctly theocentric, Christocentric, and biblical perspective.
How to Contribute
Through the Beyond Sponsorship Program, the following students from Soroti have been selected to attend Africa Bible University. However, funds are still needed for their sponsorship. Tuition, books, room & board, and upkeep for each student comes to $1,500 USD per semester. You can contribute in part or whole to the sponsorship of a student – simply send in your contribution as directed here and include a note indicating what it's for and if it is a one-time or reoccurring gift.
To read more about a student, click his photo.


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Following his freak injury in his rematch against UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman (11-0) at UFC 168, Anderson Silva (33-6) expressed gratitude to his fans via Instagram and assured them he was doing well.
The original post was in Portuguese, so here's the translation from Bloody Elbow:
I want to thank all my fans and friends for their support and caring messages, I'm fine now and I need to be with my family, a good rest with my children andwife will help me in recovery. Thanks Brazil.
"The Spider" also posted a past photo of him and his family laughing together:
Silva's rematch against the "All-American" got off to a rough start. Weidman hurt him badly with some dirty boxing from the clinch and sent him to the canvas with a hard right hook to the head. The rest of the round consisted of Silva in survival mode while Weidman effectively ground-and-pounded the former champ with short punches and elbows.
When the second round started, Silva seemed tentative to strike, but began finding his rhythm as the round continued. Then it happened. A little over one minute into the second round, Weidman checked an inside leg kick thrown by silva and the former champ's left shin turned into rubber. As he backed away, he stepped on it and it just flopped inwards. It was undoubtedly one of the most grotesque sights ever to be witnessed in mixed martial arts history.
At thirty-eight years old, it's very possible that this was Silva's final fight. He was immediately operated on by a UFC doctor and his estimated recovery time is three to six months.


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All Gold Cup eligibility rules apply. Unlike the traditional Gold Cup Age Group Scoring, here EVERY runner, competes against each other for an age graded title based of comparison of performance to world age group records. The Gold Cup Age Graded Competition is scored on a cumulative point system based on the age graded per cent achieved based on gender, age (on July 1), finish time and distance.
The objective of the Gold Cup AGE GRADED Competition is to identify the top man and the top woman Gold Cup racers based on a determination of performance compared to world age group records (See Howard Grubb's Web Site). This will be determined by awarding points (see HOW IS THE SERIES SCORED below) to the first ten men and first ten women in each Gold Cup race. This competition is ONLY for Gold Cup members. You must be a Gold Cup member at the time you run any Gold Cup race to qualify for points in that race.
You must first have an active Strider membership. A family membership is $15.00. The Gold Cup Series is an additional $25.00 per person fee. For a race to calculate in scoring, you must join the series no later than race day of your first race.
Each Gold Cup race offers 67 points for runners in the age graded scoring as follows:
|Scoring - Per Race - By Sex
Disputed results must be resolved by the Statistician within 15 days of the completion of an individual race. Age Graded points will be displayed in the individual Gold Cup Race Results.
At the end of the year, the Age Graded man and the Age Graded woman with the most combined total points from every race in the Gold Cup Series wins.
The beauty of this scoring system is that it gives an incentive not only for speed, but for consistency and tenacity. A runner who shows up at the Gold Cup minimum of 10 races, but wins them all, will score 150 points. A runner who may not be quite as fast, averaging a 5th place finish, but who runs 25 Gold Cup races, will score 175 points.
Unlike the Gold Cup Age Group series, the Chicago Marathon will count as only one race for these standings.
The top Age Graded man and the top Age Graded woman will be recognized at the annual Gold Cup banquet with unique awards to reflect the tremendous accomplishment achieved and will be removed from the Gold Cup Age Group and Weight-based competitions.
Let the competition begin!


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And I'm not only beautiful, I'm extra, extra tough...
I like the quizzy things. Sorry everyone, but thanks Faye.
|You Are a Mermaid
You are a total daydreamer, and people tend to think you're flakier than you actually are.
While your head is often in the clouds, you'll always come back to earth to help someone in need.
Beyond being a caring person, you are also very intelligent and rational.
You understand the connections of the universe better than almost anyone else.
And if you recognize the post title you clearly have a pre-schooler. It's from a Backyardigan's Viking Adventure--what can I say, it's my guilty pleasure.
I'm also really amused that Faye and I received the same result. I originally was classified as a Chimera, but that was so completely wrong (I'm not outgoing or rarely found alone) I retook the quiz using my first impression (rather than overthinking a five question quiz the way I did the first time).


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Conference Report
CPBI Forum 2013
The inaugural inductees into the CPBI Hall of Fame, dealing with the rising cost of healthcare, leakage in investment returns, and the advantages of investing in stocks were among the highlights as the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (CPBI) took its annual Forum south of the border to Chicago, IL.
Larry Baldwin and Laurence Coward are the first inductees into the CPBI Hall of Fame. The two were industry pioneers and founding members of the Canadian Pension Conference which later became the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute. Baldwin was a member of the CPBI from 1960 to 1966. Coward was a member from 1960 and was awarded a lifetime membership after serving as president from 1963 to 1965.
Steve B. Miller, senior vice-president and chief medical officer of Express Scripts, told 'The Future of Canadian Drug Spend' session that those who are not prepared will not be successful dealing with the rising cost of healthcare. The pharmaceutical spend in Canada is growing faster than the U.S. In fact, if it continues growing at its current pace, it could catch up to the U.S. in the next 10 years. However, Canada is wasting an enormous amount of healthcare dollars in this area. Patients getting their drugs through retail instead of less expensive channels waste $1.2 billion each year. And the use of more expensive drugs when less expensive generics are available wastes another $3.9 billion.
One approach to mitigating drug costs is measuring health risks to make the business case for preventative programs, said Wendy Poirier, division leader, health and group benefits, at Towers Watson. In the 'New Perspectives in Linking Health Risk Status to Future Healthcare Costs' session, she said that employers have more wellness techniques to use today than five years ago and more are migrating into wellness. However, employers still want to see where their money is being spent. To do so, they are using health risk assessments, aggregating data from drug providers, and getting scorecards to measure the health of their employees. She said reducing health risks can reduce health costs immediately and over time. However, there is an even greater financial impact from preventing health risks and by helping those with chronic conditions.
Investment Stream
In the investment stream, Jane Ambachtsheer, a partner at Mercer, said while leakage in investment returns is not a big concern when returns are high, today's low return environment is prompting asset managers to look for ways to fix it. In the session 'Sustainable Capitalism 2.0,' she said manager fees, turnover of managers, M&A fees, and short-termism can all cause leakage and reduce returns. And the impatience now being seen in the industry with average holding periods for institutions relatively short makes this one area the industry is starting to pay attention to. It is looking at measures such as rewarding long-term investors with extra voting rights or dividends. De-emphasizing the short-term can also be done by doing away with quarterly financial reports and reporting with one annual report which sets out the company's financial, long-term, and sustainability initiative objectives. This forces analysts to take a longer term view of a company's prospects instead of recent financial history.
Leo De Bever, CEO of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCO), said the notion that being invested in bonds reduces risk is just nonsense. In the session the 'State of Capital Markets' he said there are two scenarios for bonds going forward – "terrible and really terrible." This means investors may be better off in stocks over the next 10 years.
Pension Stream
Keith Ambachstcheer, director of the Rotman International Centre for Pension Management; David P. Richardson, senior economist, TIAA-CREF Institute; and Sue Reibel, senior vice-president, business development, at Manulife Financial; all tackled pension issues.
Ambachtsheer said Canada needs to increase pillar two coverage, employment based arrangements and registered pension plans, if it wants to reach the top spot in the 'Mercer Melbourne Pension Index' of 18 countries. In the session 'How To Improve Canada's Pension System,' he said, however, with about five million private sector workers without pension plans, solutions are needed to improve the pension coverage issue if it wants to move into the top spot. Solutions currently being proposed include expanding the CPP/QPP and pooled registered pension plans (PRPPs). However, he called the latter watered down group retirement savings plans.
Low coverage in certain sectors, inadequate contribution rates in both defined benefit and defined contribution plans, and the focus on wealth accumulation, not retirement income, are just some of the challenges facing the U.S. retirement system, said Richardson. In a session 'The U.S. Retirement System: Challenges and Opportunities,' he said one of the issues is that the country has a large, heterogeneous mobile workforce. The fact they change jobs often is one of the reasons, along with funding issues, for the decline of DB plans in the U.S. However, even though there is a complex system, there is a growing understanding that the best way to improve social security is to strengthen the other pillars – individual savings and employer sponsored pension plans. For example, one proposal to solve the lack of employer sponsored pension coverage especially at small companies is to create auto individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Employers who do not offer workplace plans would be required to make IRAs available to employees.
A similar approach is being considered with pooled registered pension plans (PRPPs), said Reibel. However, when we look at pension coverage issues in Canada, there is no silver bullet, she said. In the 'PRPPs Across Canada' session, she said increasing Canada Pension Plan benefits is not the answer. Even doubling it is not enough to help Canadians who do not have access to an employer pension plan. "People are not saving so how do we get them saving," she said. "We know that employer plans work better," so something is needed for small to medium sized employers. Since pensions are not their core business, PRPPs (pooled registered pension plans) address the concerns of small business which need something that doesn't have a lot of "bells and whistles."
Interest Rates
Even if interest rates rise to their natural level of three to four per cent, this will not be good for pension funds, said Don Drummond, former senior vice-president and chief economist at TD Bank Financial Group. He told the session 'Industry in Transition: Sustainability of Health and Pension Systems' that he expects the normal premium on long-term bonds to slip from two to one per cent meaning that when inflation and fees are factored in the return for pension funds will be close to zero. This will force more funds into equities and even if they return five per cent it could see more people forced to work longer to receive the same retirement benefit. This explains in part why the labour force participation rate for 55-year-old males is rising. And while many older workers would prefer to transition into retirement using, for example, phased retirement programs, Canadian businesses have been slow to accommodate this. This has an impact on younger Canadians. Many are finding that their first few years in the labour force sees them taking contract positions, which is delaying their ability to save for retirement and start families. For example, the average age of Canadian women having their first child has risen to 30, he said.
It might be time for defined benefit pension plans to transfer bond portfolios to annuities, said Brent Simmons, senior managing director, defined benefit solutions, at Sun Life. In the session 'Deep-fried Beaver Tails: Canadian Longevity Risk and Solutions,' he said its research surprisingly shows Canadian annuities give higher yields than bonds. Sponsors can look at them as some kind of fixed income which also has the benefits of a risk transfer, plus they are a better match to plan liabilities. However, with any consideration of using annuities to transfer away plan risk, sponsors need to work with their consultant and insurance provider as every plan is different. For example, the cost of an annuity for a plan with white collar, older workers is likely to be more expensive than other plans.
Talent Competition
The competition for talent will have an impact on benefits, said Peter Sheahan, founder and CEO, ChangeLabs. In the opening keynote 'Work 3.0: A global perspective on the future of work, applied to a Canadian context,' he said going forward work will be very customized in terms of where people work and how they work. As a result, benefits plans will have to be changed to accommodate this. This could see a proliferation of a la carte, pick and choose pension and benefits programs. There will also be a need for portability of pensions and benefits, allowing employees to take them with them as they change jobs. Sponsors may also face questions over who is an employee and can be a member of a plan and who isn't.


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Category Archives: qi
Pluto Flyby
July 14, 2015
The Shock Doctrine
March 9, 2015
aerial view of donegal airport
February 11, 2015
Bitter lake
January 26, 2015
January 9, 2015
The new yorker–weather man
December 12, 2014
Stunning photography and lovely story from New Yorker…
George Boole Bicentenary in 2015
December 6, 2014
Jeffry's House by Emily Mannion and Thomas O'Brien's
December 6, 2014
Jeffry's House was Emily Mannion and Thomas O'Brien's winning entry to a competition brief set by the Irish Architecture Foundation, which called for proposals that demonstrate how architects can create structures that enhance their natural surroundings.
Bringing art to life…
January 20, 2014
B E A U T Y – dir. Rino Stefano Tagliafierro from Rino Stefano Tagliafierro on Vimeo.


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Technical Reports
Collaborative Dual-PLSA: Mining Distinction and Commonality across Multiple Domains for Text Classification
Zhuang, Fuzhen; Luo, Ping; Shen, Zhiyong; He, Qing; Xiong, Yuhong; Shi, Zhongzhi; Xiong, Hui
HP Laboratories
Keyword(s): Statistical GenerativeModels, Cross-domain Learning, Classification
Abstract: The distribution difference among multiple data domains has been considered for the cross-domain text classification problem. In this study, we show two new observations along this line. First, the data distribution difference may come from the fact that different domains use different key words to express the same concept. Second, the association between this conceptual feature and the document class may be stable across domains. These two issues are actually the distinction and commonality across data domains. Inspired by the above observations, we propose a generative statistical model, named Collaborative Dual-PLSA (CD-PLSA), to simultaneously capture both the domain distinction and commonality among multiple domains. Different from Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA) with only one latent variable, the proposed model has two latent factors y and z, corresponding to word concept and document class respectively. The shared commonality intertwines with the distinctions over multiple domains, and is also used as the bridge for knowledge transformation. We exploit an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm to learn this model, and also propose its distributed version to handle the situation where the data domains are geographically separated from each other. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments over hundreds of classification tasks with multiple source domains and multiple target domains to validate the superiority of the proposed CD-PLSA model over existing state-of-the- art methods of supervised and transfer learning. In particular, we show that CD-PLSA is more tolerant of distribution differences.
10 Pages
Additional Publication Information: Published in the 19th ACM Conference on Information and Knowledge Management, Toronto, Canada, October 26-30, 2009
External Posting Date: October 21, 2010 [Fulltext]. Approved for External Publication
Internal Posting Date: October 21, 2010 [Fulltext]


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On a trip to Poland in the fall of 1998,
my first stop was Warszawa, the Polish name for the city that
Americans called Warsaw. Warsaw is, by far, the largest city
in Poland with a population of 1.5 million. It was not, however,
the city with the largest population of Polish people in 1998,
since Chicago had 1.8 million Polish-Americans at that time.
Since the fall of Communism in 1989,
Warsaw has become so Westernized that you would think that you
were in a city in America. The names at the top of the skyscrapers
are IBM, Firestone, Goodyear, Marriott, Coca Cola, and other
American brand names. On every corner, it seems, there is either
a Pizza Hut or a McDonald's. In all the restaurants where I ate,
the menus were in both Polish and English. Everyone that a tourist
is likely to communicate with in Warsaw speaks fluent English.
A tourist is likely to have more trouble communicating with the
people in Scotland than in Poland, since the Poles speak English
without an accent. The people of Poland are extremely friendly
and respectful with Old World manners. Having heard that Poland
is a backward country, I was amazed to see so many people conducting
business on cellular phones.
For most travelers, their first view
of Poland is the airport on the outskirts of Warsaw. I traveled
on Lott, the Polish airline and almost all of the passengers
were Polish. When the plane landed, everyone applauded. The airport
is quite small, more like the Shannon airport in Ireland than
like some of the other international airports in Europe. All
airport signs are in both English and Polish, so one needn't
worry about getting lost or confused here.
The route from the airport to the city
of Warsaw has a two-mile stretch of road lined with beautiful
linden trees which is quite an impressive sight, especially in
the Fall when the leaves have changed color. Along this road
is a very formal entrance to a graveyard where Russian soldiers,
who died on the battlefields to liberate Poland from the Nazis,
are buried. Immediately, you are aware of history the minute
you enter Poland.
I stayed at the Hotel Europejski, which
is the oldest hotel in Warsaw, opened on Jan. 1, 1857, and is
exactly what you would expect for a hotel built in 1857. There
is a Polish military building across from the front entrance
and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, behind a very large plaza
called the plac Pilsudskiego, is on one side of the hotel. Soldiers
guard the tomb around the clock and every hour there is a changing
of the guard with a special ceremony at 12 noon every Sunday.
I got there just in time for the noon ceremony and saw Polish
veterans from World War II dressed in their uniforms.
Inside the building where the tomb of
the unknown soldier rests, there are inscriptions on the walls
commemorating battles fought by the Poles from 972 to 1945. A
couple of German tourists standing next to me pointed out the
inscription for the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. This was the
decisive battle in which the Poles and the Lithuanians teamed
up to defeat the German Teutonic Knights, a religious military
order. The Christian Poles needed the protection of the Teutonic
Knights in their fight against the pagan Prussians, who were
then Slavic people, and the Lithuanians, who were also pagans.
The old photograph below shows the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier, erected in 1925, as it looked in 1945
after it was damaged during World War II. The photo above is
a postcard which shows it as it looks today, after being rebuilt.
Behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
is Warsaw's first park which was designed by English gardener
James Savage in 1727 with formal landscaping. The park is quite
extensive, being almost as large as Old Town. Called Saxon Park,
it was originally the grounds of the palace for King Augustus
II, who was German and was also the Elector of Saxony, a province
in Germany. He was nicknamed Augustus the Strong because of his
physical strength and his legendary sexual prowess. There were
actually two Saxon kings, as his son Augustus III succeeded him.
Right away, you begin to understand why the Nazis thought of
Poland as the "German East".