text:
Last fall, Autosavant's Kevin Gordon and I were . His was equipped with the sweet-shifting six-speed manual, which offers the driver complete control in extracting the goodness out of what is arguably Toyota's sportiest offering in some time. My fate? Spending a week with the automatic-equipped FR-S. Was it as good?
Unequivocally: yes. What follow are test notes, raw and only slightly edited. In the spirit of David E. Davis discovering the BMW 2002 and putting out the clarion call to enthusiasts to "turn your hymnals to 2002," I invite you to flip back to "86," in deference to the FR-S's name in the rest of the world.
It's that good.
The first thing you notice about the FR-S is a consistently heavy theme. Everything feels heavy. The steering. The door thud. The gated automatic transmission. Clunk. Thud. For a car that exists to prove that lightness is essential to making a great sports car, heaviness translates to a feeling of quality and solidity.
As soon as I turned the key, I was reminded of the experience of starting up a Miata. With your eyes closed, you'd be hard-presed to discern the differences in the way the seats cocoon both driver and passenger. And there's that low, low driving position; the way you need to duck your head makes economy cars and hatchbacks practically monolithic by comparison. There are some ergonomic quirks — an incomprehensible radio interface, for one — but none that impede the driving experience. (And if you want a classier interior, check out the Subaru BRZ.)
You turn the steering wheel, and the car magically knows in which direction you want to go. A quick flick results in laughably fun fishtailing. It's enough to get your license revoked. Proceed at your own risk. The beautifully weighted steering made me second-guess that of the Volkswagen GTI sitting at the other end of the driveway. For the most fun, engage three buttons: Sport, VSC Sport, and TRAC OFF. I'm having fun imagining what the "snow" setting does for this rear-wheel-drive pip. You will easily forget that the steering is electric and that you yell at your friends for driving cars with electric power steering.
The engine is punchy, and sings with the howl of a refined hunting dog, until you hit something like 7000 RPM. There is a clever "UP! UP! UP!" light that will come on if you're about to overrev. I loved seeing that light; the transmission did not automatically upshift at redline, unlike some of the FR-S's competition. All this while returning about 27 mpg over 600 miles or so.
To test the livability of the FR-S, I kept it in a rotation with the aforementioned GTI over the week of real-world testing, which included stints in Brooklyn and a 500-mile road trip up the Connecticut coast. Having done the same trip a year earlier in a Mazda Miata, I was prepared for a stiffish ride, a lot of shifting, and the discomfort of a cramped two-seater whose sole purpose is corner-carving. But that's not the case here. Sure, the FR-S may have a totally unusable backseat, and the trunk may only be large enough to accommodate a gym bag, yet I didn't feel as if I sacrificed anything to take the FR-S on a journey.
I was humbled and slightly envious of the man who picked up the FR-S at the conclusion of a week's travels with it. As far as I could tell, the automatic transmission did not cause any compromises to the driving experience. Given the opportunity to live with one for the long term, I might hesitate before selecting a transmission – a testament to the FR-S's inherent goodness.
You can see the video of Kevin Gordon wringing all the fun out of its six-speed manual .
Scion provided the vehicle tested, as well as insurance and a full tank of gas. I went ahead and refilled the FR-S's tiny bladder several times, thanks to a fortuitously-timed road trip.


text:
At long last, The Final Advent has been published! This brings the No Angels trilogy to a close, which is a bittersweet moment for me. (There'll be an entire blog post on this later.) This is a huge accomplishment for me, and is a promising way to start off the new year!
I've finally started drafting The Immortal! I plan for the first draft to clock in around 70k, and have already knocked out 6k. To be honest, while first drafts famously suck, I am having a LOT of fun writing it! I hope you guys will like reading it just as much. ;)
The Stolen Sun
Still subbing away on this one! It's at Tor right now, a place that can take months to respond, but hey, we've all gotta play the game at one time or another, am I right?
Where Gold is Born
Yep, this piece has already been published. I know. But! Since the previous place didn't have exclusive rights over it (the window for their rights have since expired), I'm trying to squeeze another credit out of this one by subbing it as a reprint.
Heartless (WIP title)
My current sci-fi/horror piece! To be honest, drafting this one is . . . laborious. I feel like the story is quite literally dying under my fingers with each sentence, but that's also how I used to feel about TSS, and look where that is now! I'm holding out hope for this one. I'm aiming for 6k for the first draft, and am at about 2k as it stands.
Stay tuned, everyone! What progress have you been making on your goals?

subset: commoncrawl


text: Youssef Omar (L) and two family elders live with 77 other relatives in three houses in the Bethan settlement [Evan Hill] Bethan, LIBYA -- Bethan is a dusty, lonely settlement that lies several kilometres down an undulating desert highway southeast of Ajdabiya, the final outpost on the rebel front lines in eastern Libya. The main part of the village – around 100 unfinished, single-floor houses made of poured concrete – rises out of the sand without fanfare a few feet from the highway. No paved road leads into Bethan, and none runs through the orderly grid of half-built residences. Each building opens onto an unpaved alley of sand and rocks. Fluttering blankets block off entry to those few houses that boast empty courtyards. Most open directly onto the streets through door-less portals. During spring and summer months, Bethan is beset by sandstorms that sweep north through Libya's vast deserts and into the Mediterranean Sea, reducing visibility to less than a hundred metres and blowing dust through the tiniest crevices. There is no plumbing, and since the uprising began in late February, only intermittent electricity. Surrounding the central settlement are others like it, some with slightly more developed housing. Recently, hundreds of refugee tents have sprouted in the vicinity of Bethan, some erected in the scrub desert across the road from the village, others as far as 50 kilometres down the highway. Set back from the front line and its machine gun-mounted pickups and NATO air strikes, Bethan is where thousands of east Libyans – from Ras Lanuf, Brega, Ajdabiya and elsewhere – have fled the destruction wrought by the unconventional war between longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and his opponents. It's a waypoint for families escaping farther east and overcrowded, uncomfortable homes for those with no other place to go. 'I will die here' On the edge of Bethan, through a metal door marked with a red crescent in a sand-coloured wall, sits a small medical clinic. The clinic is bare, but it has the rare blessing of constant electricity: Fluorescent lights illuminate the dirt-smudged linoleum floor, and a dentist's chair reclines with power from a gas generator sitting on the floor nearby. Men, women and children come and go from the first aid room, where a standard kitchen refrigerator stores a horde of medicine. The clinic is manned by two Libyan doctors and an Egyptian who, after 30 years, calls Libya home. Mohamed Dia el-Din was born in the vast desert of the New Valley governorate in southwest Egypt in 1951. He moved to Libya when he was 30. Like tens of thousands of Egyptians who made a similar journey, he migrated west expecting better pay and a good life, courtesy of Gaddafi's vast oil economy. But within a few years, el-Din discovered that life in the Brother Leader's socialist "state of the masses" wasn't what he expected. Libya was in the process of ostracising the West through its radical foreign policy and support for violent extremist groups. Housing was limited and of poor quality, and the country's dysfunctional, corrupt government made salaries far lower than those in the booming Gulf countries. Egyptian doctors weren't interested in coming to Libya anymore. But el-Din and his family settled in the east. In 2006, the skinny, bespectacled, slightly stooped and half-toothless doctor joined a polyclinic in Ajdabiya, behind a bank between Brega and Tripoli streets. El-Din, an Egyptian who has lived in Libya for 30 years, works and sleeps at the Bethan clinic [Evan Hill] "I've lived here for so long, I don't know how to live anywhere else," el-Din said. "I will die here, and I will live here." On March 15, el-Din and his family escaped from Ajdabiya in the face of the regime's advance. Four days later, loyalist soldiers entered the outskirts of Benghazi, the opposition capital 160 kilometres to the north, where Gaddafi had promised to hunt down opposition fighters house by house. That night, before bloody street battles between the two sides could begin in earnest, foreign air strikes devastated Gaddafi's advancing columns and opened the main coastal road for pro-democracy forces, who retook Ajdabiya days later. El-Din returned on March 28 to find his ground-floor flat ransacked. The doorknob on his broken front door had been sprayed with gunfire. The overpowering smell of rotten food made el-Din frightened that he would find dead bodies inside. He suspected Gaddafi troops had come looking for gold, cash and weapons. Mattresses were torn from beds, and the wooden bed frames shattered. Two television sets, an air conditioner, a cable receiver and an ice maker had been stolen. Upstairs, where a Syrian-Egyptian family lived across from their Libyan neighbours, the flats lay untouched, but there was no sign of the occupants. El-Din set off to join the refugees in Bethan, where he had once worked in 2004. The village, usually home to around 2,000 people, had swelled to twice that size. Chest infections, a common problem due to the bad weather and allergic reactions to the dust, spread quickly in the overcrowded community, where as many as five or six families now shared a single house. The refugees encountered other typical Bethan ailments: scabies, spread from local camel and sheep herds; hearing problems, from swirling sand clogging up ear canals; and stomach disorders, due to poor sanitation and the local diet. 'War crimes' Though the initial rush of those fleeing the war has subsided, nearly 500 refugees officially remain, and many more may live in Bethan off the registers. According to one aid supply manifest, 187 people live in refugee tents in Bethan, and 102 people live in a school that has been converted into a shelter. The remainder are squeezed into shared houses. At least six people in the village have died of natural causes since the uprising began, el-Din said. There are also signs of war. Two young men suffering from shrapnel or gunshot wounds died in the clinic. Two weeks ago, a third man arrived with his hands cuffed behind his back and his neck slit. His body had been found with three others, each killed in a similar fashion, after a skirmish in Ajdabiya. It was thought he had been kidnapped earlier and killed by loyalist troops during the fighting. "It's war crimes," el-Din said. "Really." Government troops have not been spotted around Bethan since the start of the fighting, and opposition fighters are rarely seen, save for an occasional armed pick-up truck passing down the desert road. But the village is unguarded, its only protection a metal gate that swings across the dirt path leading from the highway to the clinic. Rebels have set up checkpoints up the road, near Ajdabiya, but the other direction lies open. Families have moved to the other tent settlement, dozens of kilometres farther into the desert, because they feel more safe the farther they move from the fighting, el-Din said, and also to escape the overcrowding. The Bethan clinic is struggling but stable. Doctors need more anti-scabies and anti-rheumatic medicine, as well as cough syrup and multivitamins, but the pharmacy storage building and first aid rooms both burst with drugs and saline drips. Volunteers have managed to keep the clinic well supplied with regular shipments from major hospitals in Benghazi and deliveries across the border from Egypt to Tobruk. The clinic's biggest problem is not a lack of medicine but of expertise. El-Din is a general practitioner. His colleague, Mustafa al-Wafidi, specialises in gastrointestinal medicine. Both men are capable of performing simple surgeries – el-Din has removed abscesses and stitched superficial cuts – but neither could handle a serious wound. The clinic has no dentists and no gynaecologists. Two women have gone into labour while living in Bethan; both were sent to Ajdabiya to deliver. El-Din, Wafidi, and their colleagues – another Libyan doctor, two residents and three nurses – are working under the hopeful assumption that they will be paid. El-Din last received his monthly salary of 1,600 dinars in January, but since the east fell into open warfare, the checks have stopped. A banker friend has told him that the opposition Transitional National Council in Benghazi has taken over salary payments in the east, relying on a large cash reserve in the Jamahiriya Bank, and will pay wages if he can present his most recent check stub as proof. But el-Din hasn't't tried to withdraw any money since January. In truth, he and the other doctors are volunteers, relying on charity. El-Din's days begin at 8:00 with a queue of patients to examine. Six hours later, he takes a two-hour break to rest and eat lunch, then returns to work until midnight. During his midday break, he can be seen sitting on the floor of his darkened laboratory room, leaning back against the blanketed cot where he sleeps at night, watching television on a small set that sits facing him on a chair, eating lunch from a small array of metal plates on the ground. Deciding to stay Sitting inside the clinic one recent afternoon was one of el-Din's beneficiaries, 44-year-old Mikael al-Fakhri, a petroleum engineer who worked for the government-owned Sirte Oil Company in Brega before fleeing east to Bethan. Fakhri and his wife, Mariam, correctly believed that Brega's strategic importance would make it a target for both sides.They and their five children left Brega on March 13. By the time they escaped, as Gaddafi's troops rolled eastward toward Benghazi with ease, Brega had already endured bombardments and sporadic raids from loyalist soldiers who fired randomly, but with deadly effect. One attack on the western edge of the key oil port earlier in March killed a boy shepherding a flock of sheep and injured his two brothers. Mikael al-Fakhri, his son Ayman and his wife Mariam fled Ajdabiya to Bethan, where Mariam decided to stay to volunteer as a nurse [Evan Hill] When the family first arrived at Bethan, they sought out the clinic to find someone with a syringe. Ayman, Fakhri's five-year-old son, nearly suffocated at birth when his umbilical cord became wrapped around his neck. The lack of oxygen caused permanent brain damage. Ayman can't walk, and his speech is slurred. He takes an injection of the drug Cerebrolysin every Tuesday to help support his cognitive functioning. The family found a syringe, but Mariam, who was trained as a nurse in Ajdabiya eight years ago, discovered that nobody in the community knew how to deliver vaccinations. She gave Ayman the injection herself. "The next thing you know, there was a huge line of people needing it," Fakhri said. "So she said, 'You know what, let's stay here'." Fakhri's family now lives in a house owned by his cousin, who moved his family to Abyar, a small town 60 kilometres east of Benghazi. Fakhri and Mariam could leave Bethan as well, and nobody would blame them. Fakhri's father and brothers came to live with the family recently but left after two weeks, unable to bear more of the subsistence desert living. Most of Fakhri's family lives in Benghazi, and Ayman would receive better physical therapy there. But the family has chosen to stay. "I'm volunteering here now. I have to. If I don't help now, when will I?" Mariam said. "When the situation gets better here, I'll go back to Benghazi, [but] I come every morning and I find the women and children waiting for me." Conditions in Bethan are hard, and Ayman and his brothers and sister are not't used to the rough life. They whine, complain, and beg for candies, chocolates, and hamburgers. They ask to be taken to Benghazi. There is no gas in the village to fuel anyone's stove, so the Fakhris cook over fires built with wood and coal. Electricity returned to the village on Sunday, but it was off for the previous five days. The family is forced to do without most of their possessions and necessities, which they left in Brega, thinking the uprising against Gaddafi would play out in a few weeks, like the protests in Tunisia and Egypt. "Even our clothes, we didn't bring that many clothes. We brought things for about two or three days," Mariam said. Relative comfort The Fakhris usually wake up at around 8:00 to a breakfast of tea, bread, and cheese. At 10:00, they go to the clinic. Mariam works, and the children play with their friends. In the afternoon, they get together again for lunch, usually some kind of stew, and then Mariam joins another nurse to tend to infants in the village. "At night, we sleep, but we're not getting anything from the sleep, we're just closing our eyes," Fakhri said. But with a house of their own and the knowledge that their relatives are safe, the Fakhris live a comparatively comfortable life. Down a dirt road from the clinic, a tired-looking man with a short beard and closely cropped salt-and-pepper hair leaned on the door of a car as he explained to a reporter that his family had fled from Ras Lanuf, around 200 kilometres away, and was now sharing two houses with 70 other people from five other families – women in one house, men in the other. He declined to give his name, saying he feared repercussions for missing family members. Farther down the road, on the edge of Bethan, lies house 67, a typically bare, door-less, concrete shelter. Inside, around a dozen men sat and squatted on mattresses and blankets laid out in a living room that measured perhaps 25 square metres. They ranged from teen-aged youth to octogenarian elders. On one side, a television cable snaked through a boarded-up window across to a similarly blocked window on the adjacent wall, and down into a small television set broadcasting Al Jazeera Arabic. Outside the living room, the wind blew in through the open doorway. This is where they sleep. The men declined to identify their family name for fear of retribution against their tribe, but they said 80 relatives were living in three houses divided between the younger men, the older men, and the women. The family has lived in Ajdabiya for generations but fled more than a month ago, after Grad rockets and mortars began raining down on the town. Internalising combat The young men's house in Bethan has no bathroom or plumbing, and like the Fakhris, the men living there cook over coal and wood fires. Their water supply, kept in ground wells, is often low, but not dangerously so, and they can buy more from the tanker trucks that visit Bethan regularly. Their electricity is intermittent, and they share their television cable with the two other houses, at times disconnecting it and threading it back out through the window for someone else's use. Bethan, with no paved roads, no plumbing and intermittent electricity, resembles nothing so much as a construction site [Evan Hill] "At first it was OK, but now people are getting sick of it," said 59-year-old Habib Hussein. "We'd rather live in tents than this. It's not sanitary. The only reason we're here now is the wind and the dust." When the rockets landed in Ajdabiya, Hussein said, they hit civilian areas indiscriminately. Many of the family homes were damaged in the bombardments and the street-to-street fight for the town in March. The children now flinch whenever they hear loud bangs, and they have internalised the combat in other ways as well. "Before, they had their tanks and toys, they wanted to be a policeman or a fireman or a doctor, now they want to be revolutionaries," Hussein said. "They'll re-enact battles they hear about on the news." Seven young men in the family have died or been kidnapped in the fighting. Other relatives who were separated during the bombing have been unable to reach one another. "They may be in Benghazi, they may be in Ajdabiya, they may be dead," said Youssef Omar, 55. The children, he said, shouldn't be exposed to "death and warfare and all these kind of things they've seen. But we're leaving it in God's hands." History full of war Despite their circumstances, the family still managed to present a visitor with an ornate plate of small, china cups filled with hot, strong coffee. They were stoic about their tribulations. God would decide how long they must stay in the camp, they said. In the meantime, their fellow Libyans – opening their homes and sharing their food and medicine – had treated the family with more honour in one month than Gaddafi had in 41 years. Gaddafi's cruelty had also united the tribes, they said. Whereas "trivial" disputes dating back years may have long divided them, debts and dishonours, car accidents and killings apparently had been forgiven, at least for the moment, in the effort to confront Gaddafi. "He's always talking about democracy and human rights for other people," Omar said. "But he doesn't't even have an ounce of that for his own people." One of the elders sitting nearby spoke up: "Libyan history is full of war. We fought the Italians, the British, even the Americans in Tripoli. This is nothing new to us. But someone from our own country attacking us, this is new." In front of house 67, on the edge of the empty desert, the family had parked a beat-up sedan, their only car. The men said they had never benefited from any of Libya's oil money, most of which was sucked into the coffers of the Gaddafi family and spread around to loyal members of the regime. The very existence of Bethan and its surrounding villages is the product of that corrupt system, said Faraj Younis, a manager at the clinic. Local members of Gaddafi's powerful and pseudo-governmental revolutionary committees, the lijan thawriya, built the settlements with money budgeted for community housing. But rather than finish the job adequately, they shortchanged the project, leaving unfinished, decrepit homes and pocketing the remainder of the cash. Nevertheless, Hussein and said his family was recording each piece of donated medicine, food and clothing they received from the Transitional National Council and private citizens, hoping to pay them back when the fighting ended. Nobody knows when that will be, but for the displaced denizens of Bethan, the moment can't come soon enough. On Friday, el-Din will travel back to Egypt again to visit his family, deliver some of his salary to them, and rest. But Libya, his adopted home, won't be far from his mind. "When I was in Egypt, I was crying. I was- It's a bad feeling, bad feeling," he said. "I looked into the eyes of the small babies and small children and said why, for what? Your people say get out, you must get out. Why are you staying … how can you rule a people who said go?" Follow Evan Hill on Twitter: @evanchill SOURCE: Al Jazeera China Egypt Libya Tunisia


text:
For Class Members
If you are a Class Member and wish to receive information from time to time about the status of the lawsuit, you may request such information by filling in the form below.
You are not obliged to fill in this form. If you choose to do so, you are not retaining Roy O'Connor LLP, Sotos LLP and Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP (now Goldblatt Partners LLP) or any other member of the national legal team to act on your behalf. All information submitted will be treated as confidential, and will only be released as required by law or as you may consent.
Thank you for completing the form.
If you are not a Class Member but you still have questions about the lawsuit, Click here.
* Required Field


text:
Dyeing Eggs
Mar 23, 2008
It's been years since we dyed eggs so we decided to color Easter eggs this year since our daughter is now four. I wasn't sure how well our free-range brown eggs would dye so I was pleasantly surprised when they took the dye so nicely. We did put quite a few drops of color in the vinegar water! Even though the eggs didn't dye in the typical pastel colors I love how they turned out. They have an earthy feel that I find refreshing and different!
Posted In: My Life • Comments (2)
We're Having a Baby!
Mar 17, 2008
I'm pleased to announce we're having another baby! After wanting another child for quite awhile we are so thankful to be pregnant again! My four-year-old daughter has been praying for a baby and finally her prayers (and ours) were answered with a "yes!"
By my calculations I will be due in early November. We're excited to meet our new midwife this week! Hooray! I'm so excited and thankful for this new little life.
Posted In: Pregnancy | My Life • Comments (1)
Reflections on 2007
Jan 09, 2008
Looking back over this past year I'm pleased at the changes we've been able to make for our health. Each step we take towards better health is a step in the right direction, no matter how small. If there's one thing I've learned though it's that there are no guarantees. Sometimes I think if I just eliminate all toxins from our lives, eat well, get enough sleep and do what I'm supposed to then everything will be fine. But the truth is we aren't in control even though we'd like to think we are. All we can do is to try our best with what we have and what we know.
There is one vital element to good health that I have neglected to mention so far. At times this past year I've tried to live healthily without it and it just isn't possible. We are holistic creatures who are intricately designed. Each part of our lives affects the other parts. When I neglect my spiritual life the rest of my life suffers. All of life is spiritual. I've learned that I need God each and every day. I had lost my joy and my peace trying to control my life and thought I knew what was best for me and my family. I finally came to the point where I let go of the control I thought I had and let my Heavenly Father take the wheel. I guess I didn't realize that God's commands aren't something we have to do to appease Him but are the way to true, whole living. Jesus himself is life! The life He calls us to is the best kind of life. The life He calls us to isn't free of pain however. The trick is to learn from pain and grow through it. Just like pain protects our bodies from further injury, pain in life helps us know we're alive! It was through experiencing pain that I cried out to God and he came to my rescue! Since then he's given me such JOY! Joy is the theme of my life now. The joy He's given me has done more for my health than any supplement or food can do. Pursuing good health is still a strong passion of mine and spending time with my heavenly father is the beginning of it.
May each of you experience every facet of good health this next year!
Posted In: Nutrition/Health | My Life • Comments (0)
Give a Friend a Pumpkin
Sep 25, 2007
My dear friend Valerie brought me a pumpkin today. In addition, she brought 4 jars of home-made salsa and a mini-bouquet of zinnias. It made my day!
What a great idea this is! Try taking your friend something special today. It can be as simple as a pumpkin. Or, as Joe Fox in "You've Got Mail" suggests, "a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils!"
Posted In: My Life • Comments (2)
Potato Harvesting Day
Sep 17, 2007
This past weekend my little family and I went potato digging at our local CSA farm. It turned out to be a beautiful day! It was cool but sunny! The farm provided old work gloves that all of us, including Emma wore. When we first started, Emma wanted to dig too. After awhile though she got tired and was put in charge putting the harvested potatoes into the bucket. Here's Emma & Aaron working together.
In all there were about 5 different varieties of potatoes harvested. They were anywhere from white to dark purple and ranged from large to very small. We were really surprised when the first type we harvested were about the size of my thumb! I guess that's why they call them, 'fingerling' potatoes. I'm assuming you just leave them whole and don't bother to peel them.
Emma held her first caterpillar! I was really surprised she let it crawl on her as I thought she'd be scared. It was such a cute moment!
Posted In: My Life • Comments (0)


text:
Linda G.
Can I Help You?
We usually respond within a few minutes. Submit the information below. Call 903-877-3991 for immediate service.
Linda G.
Janie G.
Linda L.
Robert B.
James T.
Matt S.
Kristen C
Machael A.
Sam D.
Susan E.
Cindy B.
Call Now! For GREAT Service.
At A-Solution Plumbing, we work with you the homeowner to provide repair options which give you choices for your budget. Additionally, regular maintenance and inspections are key to improving the efficiency and quality of your sanitary plumbing systems.
Our main goal is to reduce any disruptions to your daily life with quick and efficient plumbing repair service in Mabank, Texas. We use the most trusted brands in the business, so our customers can rest assured their plumbing system will last without any problems.
In addition to honest service and quality workmanship, we give our customers options that will let them invest in their houses. Whether recommending a new high efficiency toilet or explaining why a water filtration system would be financially beneficial, our customers can always count on us for honest, professional advice. Contact our Mabank plumbers today!


text:
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday Muddy Sunday
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Bead Soup Party!!
1. Lori, Pretty Things
2. Lorelei, Lorelei1141
3. Norma, Moonlit Fantaseas
4. Beth, EB Bead and Metalworks
5. Katie, KatieBead
6. Kimberly, Bahama Dawn
7. Debbie, Prairie Emporium
8. Lisa, Joolz by Lisa
9. Kate, Tropical Blonde
10. Janet, Singing Woods
11. Julianna, Juls Beads
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Back from Bead and Button
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday Muddy Sunday
I am home sick. i have been squirreled away at the convention center in Milwaukee for the Bead and Button Show. I have meet so many great people here and reconnected with so many friends that I should feel surrounded by good vibes and happiness, but the truth is no matter how wonderful the experience has been, I miss my home, I miss my dirt.
When I get home late tonight I will go to sleep in my own bed and in the morning I will walk through my garden and assess the changes that have occurred worry about the plants that look neglected and moan over the work that needs to be done.
I could never be a gypsy. I need my roots and they need to touching my small piece of earth.


text:
Tips & Pointers for LARP DMS users
- Object names
- Brief descriptions of common objects are:
- Document
- A document is a text based object such as HTML or a plain text file etc.
- File
- A file object is a non plain-text file, usually proprietary, that can contain text but also contains formatting data such as a PDF file or an MS Office document
- Folder
- An object that looks and behaves like a folder
- Link
- A link to an internal or external object such as file or a website
- Image
- A web viewable image such as .jpg, .png, .gif etc.
- Logbook
- An online journal. It can be be private, accessed by members or published. A logbook can contain text , URLs, references and images.
- Event
- A calendar based object such as a meeting. It can contain references to URLs and if published, appears in the calendar on the main page.
- News Item
- An information item that displays on the first page and can be used for announcements to all visitors. It can be calendar based and can have a start date and an expiration date.
- Topic
- A saved set of search criteria
- Object states
- Object states include:
- Visible (default) = Viewable and searchable by any logged in member.
- Published = Web accessible searchable by the world (anonymous users).
- Private = Viewable and searchable only by the owner and any allowed groups or users.
- Search considerations
After creating an object, selecting the Properties tab allows you to add many attributes which will make searches more effective. Here are a few tips about makeing a document more searchable.
- Include ample information in the 'Description' field, this can be a synopsis of the object contents.
- Include all Authors in the 'Contributors' field.
- Select all applicable 'Keywords'
Created by konc
Last modified 2005-11-07 09:47
Last modified 2005-11-07 09:47


text:
Location & Date
Distinct Views: 35,214
Photo Added: December 03, 2006
Photo Added: December 03, 2006
Comments (10)
Wonderful capture! 5*
Darkness and brightness altogether and a perfect motive gives a great night shot.
Nice Capture!
Simply art, capturing both becons in the same time, well done
Lol New colours on old plane. Old colours on new plane. Nice
Astonishingly detailed picture. Well done. The whole scene is alive. The star filter is a bit excessive though, I my opinion. Great just the same.
Amazing effect! the strobe light of the classic JAL aircraft shows like the ray of the sun and also the taxi lights of the new JAL aircraft.
Whats a great night shot. Really good capture!
What a great lighting effect!
The night lighting effects are perfect. Definitely a 5 star shot! Well done.
Explore Other Great Photos
Photo Albums Containing This Photo
Views 3.3M
Likes 4
Photos 196K
Updated 20 minutes ago
Views 1.3M
Likes 0
Photos 139.9K
Updated 1 hour ago
Some of the most attractive shots for you... Enjoy... (Live - To be updated)
Views 882.9K
Likes 2
Photos 7.8K
Updated 2 hours ago
Views 636.7K
Likes 0
Photos 42K
Updated 6 hours ago
Photo Copyright © David James Clelford [Airplane-Pictures]. All rights reserved. Airliners.net is not affiliated with any entity mentioned or pictured herein.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Today only 2/20 you can get free shipping on ANY order (excludes furniture)at PotteryBarn.com, PotteryBarnKids.com, PBteen.com and williams-sonoma.com, no Minimum purchase. This is great because they only do free shipping a few times a year!
potterybarn.com & potterybarnkids.com use code FREESHIP at check out
pbteen.com use code SPRINGFS at check out
williams-sonoma.com use code PRESIDENTS at check out
Free Shipping:Pottery Barn Websites & Williams Sonoma
By Saving Moms Money - Melissa on 2/20/2012 08:32:00 AM stores
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Car Sweepstakes
Saving Moms Money is here to help you find the latest deals, coupons, free samples and more every day!


text:
Learn NodeJS: Free IntroductionBring your own laptop and learn how to get NodeJS up and running, and learn to build a small example that demonstrates NodeJS features and capabilities. This free 3 Hour course is designed for the experienced developer who is familiar with JavaScript and has a basic familiarity with event driven programming modules.
Course Date: April 23, 2013
Course Hours: 8:30 AM to Noon Eastern Time
Course Location: 1400 16th Street, Washington, DC 20036
Course Objectives
- Install Node.js and run server-side JavaScript by REPL or file execution
- Understand the opportunities Node.js is intended to address
- Understand the Node.js non-blocking IO architectural approach
- Implement built-in Node.js modules including net and http
- Organize code using custom modules
- Find and install modules using the npm package manager tool
- Implement applications using the Node.js Express framework
- Know where to find more information about Node.js
Course Outline
- Introducing Node.js
- Understanding the architecture
- Surveying potential use cases
- Installing Node.js
- Exercise: Installing Node.js
- Introducing the syntax
- Exercise: Creating a socket-based chat room
- Creating a purpose-built HTTP server
- Organizing code as modules
- Using the HTTP and URL modules
- Exercise: Creating a static HTTP server
- Understanding blocking and callbacks
- Demo: Understanding blocking and callbacks
- Surveying available modules
- Using NPM (Node.js Package Manager)
- Accessing GET and POST parameters
- Exercise: Creating a JSON based chat server
- Introducing the Express framework for Node.js
- Understanding the role of the Express and Connect frameworks
- Surveying the Express API
- Exercise: Refactoring an HTTP page server for Express
Questions? Call our Training Coordinator: Jabari Bruce 202-797-7711 x107


text:
Fermentation Fest 2016 is looking for performers – very broadly defined– dancers, musicians, actors, farmers, acrobats, contortionists and anyone in between – to enliven the Farm/Art DTour, a 50-mile, self-guided drive through the scenic farmland of Sauk County, Wisconsin.
We are assembling a series of short performances (we call them 'Pasture Performances') that use the unglaciated hills and valleys as both backdrop and stage. Performances may also address key themes of the Fest, such as abundance and transformation, the timeless connection between land and people, and, of course, A Live Culture Convergence!
The DTour has one dedicated stage (a hayfield), but interventions can appear at any point along the route. Pasture Performances are a great opportunity to test out ideas, perform an excerpt from a longer piece, or provoke spectator interaction.
These short performances – up to 20 minutes in length, are designed to move people along the DTour and could potentially be repeated, either in the same or different locations. They will take place during the weekends of the Fest, October 1 & 2 and 8 & 9, between 10 am and 4 pm.
Interested performers should submit a written proposal (500 words max) with up to four images and relevant website links. The proposal should include:
- a brief description of the performance
- the type of setting(s) preferred (i.e. open hay field, woods, pasture with cows etc..)
- the people and equipment involved
- your preferred date(s)
- an itemized list of expenses
Please note we have a very limited budget for these short performances and can pay performers, including their expenses, no more than $250. Consideration should also be given to the limitations and challenges of performing in a rural setting, where facilities are limited and weather is unpredictable.
Proposals should be submitted to email@example.com no later than August 22, 2016, at 9 am.


text:
Board Members
Cathy Calfo, Board Chair
Calfo has served as CCOF's Executive Director/CEO since April 2011 and brings with her years of proven, high-profile leadership in a variety of nonprofit settings. She served as Deputy State Treasurer between 1999 and 2004, leading strategic initiatives and overseeing the department's legislative and communications programs. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the national Apollo Alliance, based in San Francisco, working to promote clean energy and good jobs. Calfo is a founding member of the City of Santa Cruz Commission for the Prevention of Violence against Women, and has served on the city planning commission and the board of directors of a local homeless shelter for teens. She graduated from University of California Santa Cruz with a Bachelors of Arts degree in American Studies. Calfo has lived in Santa Cruz since 1975. She has three sons – Kris, Kaj, and Elijah.
Mark Lipson, Board Vice Chair
Mark Lipson is a 30-year pioneer and influential leader in the organic farming and food community in California and nationally. Mark recently completed a 4 ½ -year term of service as the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Mark graduated with honors from U.C. Santa Cruz in 1981 with a B.A. in environmental studies. Since 1983 he has been a member of the Molino Creek Farming Collective, a cooperative multi-family organic farming community near Davenport, California and the original home of the famed, dry-farmed tomatoes. Since completing his service at USDA, Mark has been appointed as a Research Associate for Organic Agriculture Policy Studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz, affiliated with the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.
Patrick Dexter, Board Secretary
Elizabeth Gummere, Board Treasurer
Lorraine Bayer, Board Member
Lorraine Bayer has worked in public, governmental and non-profit accounting and auditing in Santa Cruz County for 20 years. Working and volunteering with local non-profit organizations has given her an appreciation for helping people and creating a strong sense of community. She has been connected to the Homeless Garden Project through family who served early in the project's inception and is honored to be serving on the Board, especially during this exciting time as the farm builds a new home in Pogonip.
Matt Guerrieri, Board Member
Matt and his wife Peg have lived in the Seabright neighborhood of Santa Cruz since 1980. Matt first volunteered for the Homeless Garden Project in 1995 at the Holiday Workshop and learned to dip beeswax candles. Over the years since, he and Peg have been CSA members and active supporters and Matt continues to volunteer for the Project in a variety of capacities. He and Peg consider themselves members of the Garden's "family". He stands by the claims that the HGP grows the finest organic strawberries on the central coast and makes the finest candles in the world, bar none. And, that the HGP enjoys the deep affection of the community because it works.
Howard Heevner, Board Member
Howard Heevner has been the Assistant Vice Chancellor of University Relations at UC Santa Cruz since 2011. In his current role, he oversees annual giving, alumni engagement, special events, and advancement services. He also serves as the Foundation Treasurer on the UC Santa Cruz Board of Trustees. Howard earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Iowa and his Masters Degree in Higher Education Administration from Penn State.
Howard and his wife reside in and are active community members in Santa Cruz. They are passionate about improving their community and the lives of others. Howard is a strong advocate for issues of hunger and food insecurity.
Members of Howard's own family experienced homelessness in their life and he feels a strong commitment to supporting members of our community who live on the fringe and who are most at risk. He is excited to support the Homeless Garden Project with his time, energy and resources.
Phil Kramer, Board Member
After 25 years working in media sales I joined the Peace Corps. I had a great experience and returned to Santa Cruz not sure of what I wanted to do. I knew I wasn't going back to media sales, and I found myself pulling weeds and making compost with Trainees and fellow volunteers at HGP. I fell in love with the Project, the people, and the Holiday store. It's from volunteering at HGP that I discovered how much I wanted to parlay my experience into similar work, and thus helped launch the 180/180 campaign, which is focused on supportive housing for people who are chronically homeless and medically vulnerable. I'm honored to be an HGP board member and excited to be part of it's bright future.
Paul Lee, Board Member
I came to Santa Cruz in l966 to teach at UCSC where I started the Chadwick Garden in l967. I entered the homeless effort with Page Smith in 1985 when we opened the first shelter in Santa Cruz, I started the Homeless Garden Project in l989 with the donation of a large number of plants. I am retired and mostly tired. I get up late. I enjoy my life now that my backyard is park like. I intend to put up a sign in front of my house: Park Here.
Michael Laffoon, Board Member
Info coming soon.
Suzanne Maclean, Board Member
Mark Primack, Board Member
Sally Shepherd, Board Member
I have been on the fringe, observing and financially supporting the Homeless Garden Project for over 10 years. Now is the time for me to live by the statement: "Deeds, not words." HGP embodies many of my core values. Combining social justice and sustainable farming, as HGP does, is a perfect fit. My day job, for the past seven years, has been helping to ensure that the business systems at Intuit are running smoothly. We work to ensure that customer orders and all financial transactions move through our systems without a hitch, not a small task during tax season! And, I am blessed to work for a company where one of the core values is "We Care, We Give Back." The Homeless Garden Project is where I want to 'give back'.


text:
GMCD 7277 – Piano Music by Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen
Kirsten Johnson – Piano
To the CD in our Shop
MusicWeb Monday May 16 2005
For admirers of romantic era piano music especially those partial to Schumann and floral romance. If you like one of these two CDs you will want the other as well. …
The last time my path crossed with the music of Schulz-Beuthen it was for a review of Sterling CDS-1049-2 reviving a handful of his orchestral works. That disc is now joined by these two from Guild.
Schulz-Beuthen was Silesian. Like Borodin his main profession was as a chemist in his Schulz-Beuthen's case in Breslau. His teachers were Reinecke and Moscheles. Grieg and Svendsen were among his fellow students. He moved to Switzerland where he found company in the circle of Mathilde Wesendonck, Wagner and Gottfried Keller (the novelist on whose book Delius based his opera, A Village Romeo and Juliet).
He was a prolific writer. There are ten symphonies – eight complete and the last two of which were left unfinished. There are ten oratorios and much else. On the showing of that Sterling disc his orchestral music bears out various influences: obstreperous Beethoven, romantic Schumann. There is Brucknerian exclamation as well as serene Elgarian string writing. Most of his manuscripts were destroyed in the fire-bombing of Dresden in 1945.
The piano music on the all Schulz-Beuthen disc was written between 1873 and 1880, predominantly 1873-4.
The Three Pieces Op. 16 are mostly Brahmsian in type although No. 1 is much closer to the dreamily musing Schumann. The Op. 17 Stimmungsbilder are free-ranging mood-pictures in which a Chopin-like elegance brushes the romance of Schumann. From a year later come the Five Piano Pieces Op. 19. The playful Baroque pointing of the Allegro giocoso from this set is very nicely done (tr. 10) as is the glittering and supercharged music-box jollity of the Allegro fantastico (tr. 13). The Op. 22 set starts most unheroically despite the title which seems to have been picked up rather casually from the last piece: allegro eroico. There is an ineffable Brahmsian contentment about the lovely poco moderato (tr. 16) and this is superbly put across by Kirsten Johnson.
The Drei Clavierstucke – Cyklus in Sonatenform Op. 23, start off with a rather stiff and dispiriting Allegro followed by a delicate and fragrant allegretto moderato. The final movement with its Mozartian trilling and oddly Brahmsian effusion brings to an end a not entirely successful sequence.
In 1880 there came the four movement Abshchieds – Klange – Gedenk-Blätter Op. 28. The bell-like music-box moto perpetuo chimes away: Brahms-lite. There is a playful winking allegretto moderato which looks back to Mozart. However the andantino con espressione reconnects with the idioms of Brahms and Schumann.
Pleasing music-making here. Op. 16 No. 1 as well as Op. 22 No. 3 make this something that admirers of the romantic piano school must hear.
The second CD mixes Herman Goetz (feted on CPO and Genesis) with a single epic sonata by Schulz-Beuthen. The Lose Blätter are all quite short and each bears a descriptive title. The comforting warmth of Heimatklang (tr. 7) runs to 5:09 and sings like a benediction. The Liebescherze is halting and playful. Bei Dir! (tr. 5) is an unmissably dreamy piece in a Schumann-related idiom: all gentle zephyrs and wavering reeds. Fruhlingsgruss has the power of a Chopin scherzo and begins with something that sounds very like a rumba though the impression soon fades only to return at 00.50. The sequence is dedicated to Clara Schumann and there is an affectingly and affectionately feminine domestic quality to them.
The Genre-Bilder are from Goetz's years in Zurich from 1870 to 1876 the year of his death. Here the dedicatee is Marie Goetz. Malcolm Macdonald, who provides his usual communicative notes for both releases, appositely links both Goetz sets with Schumann's Waldszenen and Bunte Blatter. Each of the six Goetz pictures carries a superscription in the form of a poem whose mood is captured by the music. The poets are Robert Prutz, Theodor Sturm (North Germany's Thomas Hardy – if Hardy is not Dorset's Sturm), Nikolaus Lenau, Wilhelm Muller. and Albert Trager. Johnson injects some welcome hardness into the allegro impetuoso entirely appropriate to the Lenau poem. However Goetz is not quite equal in darkness-envocation to the challenge of the poetry. He is much more at ease with the halting drowsy romance of the lovely Trager lullaby that ends the sequence.
Going by the far from successful Drei Clavierstucke Cyklus in Sonatenform Op. 23 on the first CD, Schulz-Beuthen was not at ease with sonata form. His six movement Alhambra Sonata is from 1878-82. It is fascinating and parallels Tarrega's Recuerdos (a study in tremolo) in Auf Dem Wege Zur Alhambra. These are big movements and the mood is grand in proportion to the mission. All the evidence points to Schulz-Beuthen being profoundly inspired by his subject although the contemporary claims for Arabian flavouring go for nothing or very little now. Unsurprisingly the sonata was inspired by the composer's visit to the Alhambra. In the Eintritt In Der Alhambra the composer returns to his vertiginous music-box style we know from the first CD but here with more sombre asides. Die Abenceragen is march-like and carries the superscription 'Kampfspiel'. It is more about panoply and grandeur than about battle. Im garten Xeneralife evokes a moonlit stroll through the magical gardens still warm with the decaying heat of the day. Do not be misled by the titles: this is very much Schumann with a faintly exotic twist. This is however the same Alhambra that would later inspire de Falla to write his Nights In The Gardens Of Spain. Each of the six movements is a big piece and they range from 4:43 to 9:48. In total the Sonata plays for circa 40 minutes. Sonata? I think not; perhaps 'symphonic suite' is a better description. Whatever you call it there is much here to enjoy and Schulz-Beuthen is often freshly inventive. There is very little that is routine, tired, careworn or shabby.
Definitely for the admirers of romantic era piano music especially for those partial to Schumann and floral romance. Johnson, Guild and Macdonald have done a superb job – if you like one of these two CDs you will want the other as well.
Rob Barnett


text:
Of late, the Western media has expressed its concerns on Pakistan's security situation and possibility of nuclear weapons been stolen.
Moreover, reports also criticised the tactical nuclear-weapons programme on the plea that it has the capability of escalating conventional war to the nuclear level. Well the rhetoric is old, outdated and a figment of delusional thinking. Pakistan's nuclear programme has always been subject to criticism and censure predominantly from the West and India for obvious reasons and sometimes even from anti-state elements within the country who are overwhelmed by their masters abroad for fulfilling their vested interests.
Knowingly, India and the US have worked ceaselessly to reverse Pakistan's nuclear and missile programmes notwithstanding the latter's role as the closest ally in the global war against terror. The endeavours to roll back Pakistan's nuclear programme have intensified since the emergence of Indo-US alliance in the region. Apart from the discriminatory technological and political restrictionsit has long imposed against Pakistan's strategic programmes, the US now demands that Pakistan unilaterally halts fissile material production, development and deployment of short and long-range nuclear-capable missiles. On the other hand, it is actively assisting India in enlarging and modernising its nuclear arsenal, its missile and anti-ballistic missile capabilities, its air and naval forces, as well as satellite and space capabilities. Not only this, the arms deal with the US, including nuclear submarine and drone sales to New Delhi, will increase the Indian hostility in the region and insecurity of neighbouring countries while completely upsetting the regional strategic balance.
There are credible and unclassified reports about the US having formulated plans to seize or destroy Pakistan's nuclear weapons in a crisis. American think tanks have concocted scenarios of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or, even more absurdly, of the Pakistan Army turning into an 'extremist' or 'jihadi' force. Indeed, such scary scenarios could be engineered as an excuse to execute the 'seize or destroy' plans.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, its nuclear safety and security is the cornerstone of its nuclear programme. There has not been a single incident to date where the IS, Daesh, al-Qaeda or any other terrorist organisation could have an access to the nuclear assets. As a matter of fact, the credible security standards do not allow a room at all for such an eventuality. Pakistan's security measures to protect its nuclear assets against internal and external threats are among the best in the world. Contrary to this, the diversity of freedom movements currently in progress in India is not only an open display of India's compromised internal security but also speak volumes of its unstable nuclear security protocols. Incident of Indian nuclear submarine (INS Chakra) with six other incidents concerning nuclear safety, violating IAEA standards, raise serious questions about its security protocols as well. Most importantly, if the danger of a terrorist takeover exists due to breach of 'normal nuclear status' in South Asia, questions should be raised about India's nuclear arsenal which are held under loose civilian control.
Pakistan has adopted potent measures as part of the Nuclear Security Action Plan (NSAP), Mobile Expert Support Teams (MEST) and Nuclear Emergency Management System (NEMS) to respond and manage nuclear emergencies and securities. Also Pakistan is part of the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and is playing a leading role in global nuclear safety and security and export control regime according to the standards of NSG and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). It is due to potent security measure that despite the political turmoil in Pakistan, the international consensus on Pakistan's nuclear programme is obvious as neither terrorist networks nor any external power is capable of seizing its nuclear weapons. The negative voices against the programme are results of hostile efforts to undermine Pakistan's nuclear security in the garb of terrorism and Western and Zionist fear of a Muslim country holding a nuclear weapons.
Amid this scenario, it is India whose political and military leaders continue to speak of 'surgical strikes' and a 'limited' war against Pakistan, which needs to be tamed. It is the US that needs to be checked and made to realise that its support of India's unilateral membership of the NSG pose a serious threat to regional stability. Global powers must understand that chasing Pakistan's nuclear programme on the pretext of nuclear terrorism will pay no dividends to world peace. Fear of escalation of a conventional war to nuclear war in view of Pakistan's tactical nuclear weapon programme is also a delusion and a myth being proliferated by various quarters. This programme is purely meant to counter the Indian "Cold Start" strategy.
Pakistan being a responsible nuclear state has reiterated at number of forums that it holds a "No First Use" policy. Moreover, if the issue is seen in a positive perspective, these weapons actually provide credible deterrence against any possible Indian aggression and hence escalation to full scale nuclear war. Pakistan is convinced, rightly so, that its nuclear capability has been able to deter India from escalating hostilities in the last three decades.


text:
Advanced Search
Hot Webinar: Top 5 Hybrid AD Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Intel immediately said its conduct had been lawful and said it welcomed the chance to finally respond to allegations made by its main competitor.
The European Commission claimed that Intel gave "substantial rebates" to computer makers for buying most of their x86 computer processing units, or CPUs, from Intel; that it made payments to manufacturers to get them to delay or cancel product lines using AMD chips; and that it sold its own chips below cost on average to strategic server customers on bids against AMD products to try to muscle into that business.
It said each of these alone broke EU law by shutting out AMD from the market. Together they amounted to a strategy that damaged the rules of fair play in an effort to keep AMD from eroding Intel's market leadership, it said.
"The Commission also considers at this stage of its analysis that the three types of conduct reinforce each other and are part of a single overall anticompetitive strategy," it said.
Intel has a chance to defend itself before the EU's executive arm takes a final decision that could order the company to stop abusive behavior or charge it fines that can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., is the world's biggest chipmaker.
The company's general counsel, Bruce Sewell, said Intel was confident that the microprocessor market was functioning normally and that Intel's behavior had been lawful, pro-competitive and beneficial to customers.
"The case is based on complaints from a direct competitor rather than customers or consumers," he said. "The evidence that this industry is fiercely competitive and working is compelling. When competitors perform and execute the market rewards them. When they falter and underperform the market responds accordingly."
Intel has 10 weeks to reply to the preliminary charges and can seek an oral hearing to put its side.
The EU's executive arm has been investigating Intel's business behavior since 2001, looking into complaints from AMD and computer manufacturers that it used its power as a market leader to shut out rivals for chips that run on Microsoft software.
The case has run hot and cold over the last six years. EU regulators had to shut down one line of inquiry when Taiwan's Via Technologies withdrew its complaint about computer circuits -- or chipsets -- in 2002. At the time, they also said they did not have enough evidence to pursue an AMD complaint on microprocessors.
AMD filed another complaint in 2004 that EU officials said they had no choice but to investigate -- or risk AMD taking court action for negligence.
In 2005, EU regulators raided Intel offices in Britain, German, Spain and Italy two weeks after AMD filed another set of lawsuits in Japan and the United States.
The EU investigation widened last year to include AMD's allegations that Intel had pressured Europe's largest consumer electronics retailer Media Markt not to offer computers that carried AMD chips.
Microprocessors from Intel dominate the global market in desktop computers that run Microsoft's Windows operating system.
A recently published industry report suggested that use of public cloud services by organizations may nearly double in the next two years.
Microsoft announced a few OneDrive enhancements, including storage-option additions, plus a new "Personal Vault" feature for added security assurance.
Database management system (DBMS) growth is happening more on the cloud services side than on the traditional "on-premises" side, according to a report by Gartner Inc.
If the hardware behind your domain controllers has become outdated, here's a step-by-step guide to performing a hardware refresh.
More Tech Library
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.
More Webcasts


text:
At first, this was just going to be a haul, but we've had the products for a few days, and two out of the three products, my boyfriend and I have used before, so it seemed to make more sense to turn it into a haul and review.
It's a pretty small haul for me, just three products! When I was in college, a trip to LUSH was a very regular thing for me, almost too regular so three products is very small to me.
American Cream Conditioner (100ml) £4.95
Since I don't have a photograph of this on its own, I'll talk about it first. American Cream conditioner is one of my favourite conditioners of all time but it seems to be the only conditioner from LUSH that I get on with. Veganese was too liquidy and light for me and I could never get Jungle to condition my hair. I haven't tried all the conditioners yet, but I think I will always compare them to American Cream.
I love the smell of this conditioner, and it actually lasts in your hair too, which I love! You don't need a lot of it and a small bottle seems to last a reasonable amount of time too. I can't fault it at all; surprisingly I don't panic when I run out of it, it just seems to be when I have zero conditioner then decide to go back to LUSH and buy it, I think "Okay, I know I love this, why did I wait so long to buy it again?"
Kalamazoo Facial and Beard Wash (240g) £12.75
My boyfriend uses this face wash so I can't give much of an opinion on it but this is his second big tub of it and he's went through two small tubs as well so I think he really likes it. I don't think a lot of guys really think about washing their face with more than just water and it was only when I introduced him to LUSH face washes, that he seemed interested. It smells of pineapple which is an added bonus and he says his beard is always really soft afterwards so it's not drying but not greasy either.
Smugglers Soul Facial Scrub (100g) £8.95
A new product for both of us! From what I have been reading, this is a limited edition product (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) but I really hope they keep this one around because I really like it. It's the type of scrub that feels like sand paper but trust me, I mean that in the nicest way possible. I love a good scrub, I want one that actually feels like a scrub and not some fluffy duffy one. This isn't the strongest scrub in the world, and it doesn't have the strongest smell either, but I don't mind that. It feels like it's doing being a great exfoliator, something simple, and if I can, I'd really like to buy this again. I also find that I don't need to use as much of this compared to Ocean Salt. I can never find the right amount with that, whereas with Smuggler's Soul, I don't need that much at all.
That's all for this haul but if you've tried out any of the same products, or if you have any product recommendations, please let me know!


text:
Briefly in english
Buzzers – the recommendation media
Buzzers (Hopottajat) is a media that uses thousands of registered buzzers and their social networks to create buzz around products and services. Our service provides a systematic and efficient way to get consumers talking about your products in Facebook and Twitter, blogs, forums and face-to-face – and you can see the results in real time!
All recommendations are told in buzzers own words, based on their own experiences – they just use our service to get them out efficiently. The free products they receive and their own score system rewarding active buzzing motivates them.
The benefits of the Buzz-campaign
- Lots of reviews and recommendations in social media
- More traffic to website
- New customers
- More sales
- Higher foundability in search engines for good
- Valuable feedback and answers to the specific questions
- Many times more efficient than a normal promotion
- Easy to measure
Contact us and ask for the latest campaign info to see major results!
Sales and planning:
Minttu Murtomäki
+358 40 77800 20
Established 2005. First in Europe.
Buzzers are at least 18 years old and are not paid for Buzzing. They will tell that they are part of the campaign and do not pressure anyone to buy products they are campaigning for.
Terms of Service


text:
Tattoo Shops & Parlors in Arizona (AZ)
Your search returned 115 records.
Phoenix, AZ 85017
Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phoenix, AZ 85017
Phoenix, AZ 85017
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phoenix, AZ 85051
Phoenix, AZ 85021
Phoenix, AZ 85022
Want to make a statement as grand as the Canyon? Why not try a tattoo? There are dozens of tattoo shops in Arizona to choose from and tattooshoplistings.com just made finding them a little easier. Arizona tattoo shops offer services as vast as the desert sky and provide just about every design under the sun. From intricate Tribal Bands to simple Desert Flowers, tattoo shops in AZ can help you express yourself any way you choose.
Many tattoo parlors in AZ offer custom designs, including portraiture, so if you don't see something you like - create your own!
Become inspired today by perusing the many websites hosted by tattoo parlors in Arizona and join in the fun. You can rate and review AZ tattoo shops and even add your own by clicking on "add a tattoo shop." It's simple and it's free.


text:
Kellie wrote:My suggestion is when we plan a 'flat ride' we make sure we head somewhere we can incorporate a paceline for several kms (like Victoria Rd at O/hrb) and we all know beforehand the designated start and finish place of the paceline. Once finished, we wait for anyone who has been dropped along the way.
It would be best to ensure the finish is somewhere near a car park or side street that can be used to rolldown whilst waiting for stragglers
Kellie fantastic Idea!! I like! That way we all get best of both worlds


text:
Strawbale building has seen widespread growth as it progresses into the building world. This is largely due to the standardization that is possible with the use of a fairly consistent building material: the straw bale. Because a bale of straw is a bale of straw most anywhere (well, close enough anyway), this building method has made its way into code!
Strawbale houses are built by stagger-stacking bales of straw and then "pinning" them together. These pins may be either internal or external and vary from rebar rods to wood or bamboo. Personally I stay away from rebar, but engineers may sometimes call for metal to be used in various phases of the building. Work with your engineer kindly and you may find that bamboo, or other materials, may be approved instead.
There are a number of ways you can stack your bales of straw. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps is that this can have an effect on the levels of insulation. Stacking the bales on their sides, with the straws running up and down, provides for a higher insulation value even though the walls are thinner. For me this is win-win. However, this requires very solid pinning, as the bales can be a little less stable stacked on their skinny sides. Alternatively, are also often stacked on their flatter and wider bottoms, with the straws running horizontally. This requires less intensity to be placed on the pinning, but also lowers the insulative values and adds thickness to your walls. I have also seen bales staked on their ends, but this didn't seem like a great design in my personal opinion. However, this does come in handy when fitting a bale into a smaller space once in a while.
Strawbale is also load-bearing, though many people find it goes well with a stout timber frame.
There is also the option of pre-dipping your bales in a clay slip, or putting them up dry and covering them in slip later. Personally I prefer the pre-dip and this saves time later and gets everyone involved good and dirty!


text:
There's a tendency, I was going to write 'in science' but I think it's more general than that, to take a flawed assumption and build an entire edifice on it with tentacles stretching into whole new areas. If this goes on long enough you can easily forget the weakness of the starting point of an argument. But, equally, we've become so used to hearing that something has been plucked out of the air (5 a day, 45 minutes, etc.) that we may assume something is flawed when, at its heart, it is not.
This week's report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists is about the whole topic of substance misuse in the older population but almost all of the media coverage has centred on its call for a reduction in the recommended 'safe' levels of alcohol consumption for the over 65s.
I'll come back to the question of alcohol, but the areas of the report that are being ignored by the media are the more important. First of all, it's about all substance misuse, so things like misuse of prescribed medication and, even, over the counter remedies is included because they can all contribute to health problems. The report's thrust seems to be to alert doctors and other healthcare professionals to think about substance misuse when diagnosing older people because, for example, signs of mild cognitive impairment may not just be due to 'a senior moment'.
But, even more important than this is the forward looking aspect of the report. People born in 1946 are, during 2011, passing the 65 years old change, as far as scientific research is concerned, from 'adult' to 'older'. This means that in the near future the older population will begin to comprise those whose teenage years were spent in the late 60s onwards when substance use began to take off. These people may not bring with them any health legacy of their youthful indiscretions but they will bring a more relaxed attitude towards the use of psychoactive substances that could see the presently very small prevalence in the older 65s grow.
In terms of medical knowledge, now is the time to begin thinking about what to do with a problem that may be no more than ten or so years away. That is the main argument of the RCS's report but, sadly, it is one that is being generally ignored. Not that it is surprising that it is being passed over. There is quite a bit of writing in the scientific literature about older people and substance misuse going back up to 20 years ago but this report is being treated as though older people giving themselves health problems through drink is a new phenomenon.
So, having tried to stress that the report is about much more than booze, I'll turn to what it does say on that subject.
There's a lot of misunderstanding about the recommended 'safe' levels of alcohol consumption. There are still reports, occasionally, that the limits were 'plucked out of the air' and have no scientific basis. The idea that these are 'safe' limits is, by the way, a media invention. They were first put forward as 'sensible' limits, a subtle but important difference. It is true that the first limits came about because of something called 'a consensus statement' issued by a working group of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners in 1992. In other words, the scientific evidence was not unequivocal, at the time, but the recommendations were a best guess based on the state of knowledge rather than the stab in the dark the limits are often said to be.
But, those who attack the recommended limits as being without foundation ignore the body of scientific work that has been undertaken since 1992 as researchers have sought to determine if the 'consensus statement' was a lucky guess or just a number plucked from the air. In fact, the overwhelming view of later research is that, as a 'sensible' limit, the 1992 figure, 21 units for men and 14 for women per week, was a useful measure.
Of course, people will always misunderstand advice and a perception arose that drinking nothing for six days followed up by a night out involving 21 units of alcohol was 'safe'. So, in 1995, the Department of Health revised its advice to say that, within the weekly total, there should be a daily limit of 4 units per day for men and 3 units a day for women. Now, of course, all that does is complicate matters because people don't see how it can be OK to drink 4 units a day but not to OK to drink over 21 units per week.
Because the media doesn't think people can understand complexity and doesn't want to waste time on education, you will almost always see the weekly limits specified, sometimes, in pieces that ridicule the idea that having your whole week's 'allowance' in one night is within the limits.
The coverage of this new report implies that the idea of reduced 'sensible' limits for older people is new. In fact, the authors make it quite clear that they are echoing evidence based advice, from the USA in 2005, that older people (both men and women) should have no more than 1.5 units per day within a weekly total of 11 units. They also quote research, in 2009, suggesting that for older men over 4.5 units in one session should be considered to be binge drinking with 3 units as the equivalent for women.
So, the report is saying nothing new about alcohol limits for older people and, in fact, suggests that the lower figures should be 'best practice' for healthcare providers rather than coming out and calling for official guidance to be changed. All in all, another example of the difference between what a report says and what the media decides it would like it to have said.
But, it is wrong to suggest that this is a simple matter of conflict between science and the media. This report and the reporting of it give an interesting insight into the role of the press office in spreading less than correct information. Though, as above, the report cites the same weekly limit for older men and women, the press release from the RCS introduces the idea that, for women, the daily intake should be 1 unit with a weekly maximum of 7 units. So, though there is research that can be cited to justify the 11 units a week recommendation for men, the 7 units per week for women seems to have been plucked out of the air, possibly, because the press office didn't want to have to deal with questions about why there was a lower daily recommendation based on gender but no difference in the weekly figure.
The misreporting by the media and the collusion of press offices in pointing out the 'sexy' parts of new work matter, not least because they allow people and, in particular, the alcohol industry to use the 'Scientists, what do they know?' argument to dismantle any attempt to get the problem of alcohol taken seriously.
Because, the unarguable fact is that alcohol is the second most harmful poison (plant-derived or otherwise) known to mankind with tobacco as the only substance producing more illness, suffering, early death and family and society problems.


text:
Phone number: 075538....
Fax number: 075538....
Business Info
Recommend This Business
The review system is a way for customers of this business to easily share their opinion. By sharing your experience with this business, you help other consumers find the right business for them! By leaving a review, you also earn STARPOINTS. Starpoints can be redeemed for cash or prizes like iTunes giftcards. Find out more about Starpoints here.
Some tips when posting a review: When writing a review, see if you can be as balanced as possible. What did you like, what didn't you like? Here are some things to think about - How was the customer service? How was the product or service quality? How was the price/value? Please also check and adhere to the editorial guidelines when posting a review.
Add your own review
Full Category Tree
Nearby Businesses within 5 km
- A 0.1 km Evoke Photographic Studios
- B 0.3 km Nobbys Beach Slsc Supporters Club Inc
- C 0.4 km Derek Symonds Health Centre
- D 0.4 km Broadwater Outboard Repairs
- E 0.4 km Tax Fast
Nearby Suburbs
- Pacific Fair (3) - 0.91 km
- Mermaid Beach (17) - 1.87 km
- Isle Of Capri (2) - 2.24 kms
- Broadbeach Waters (8) - 2.26 kms
- Mermaid Waters (7) - 2.98 kms


text:
We chose the name of our business - Structural Engineers Reports – for a very good reason. We wanted to make a positive first impression with our customers in clearly describing the service that we provide.
Structural Engineers Reports is a trading name of Howard Ward Associates Ltd (HWA) and was formed to provide a focused, customer-friendly reporting service. HWA was established in 1977 as a full service engineering consultancy and Structural Engineers Reports applies the same high level of professional knowledge and experience to serve the private residential market.
We recognise that we are providing a professional and technical service which often needs to be delivered within a very short timescale, particularly when linked to a property transaction. We also understand the importance of communicating clearly with our customers from the very first contact we make with them right up until we deliver their report and beyond.
We know that many of our customers have never read a Structural Engineers Report before and therefore don't know what issues it addresses and what a good report should contain. Our aim is to clearly explain what we do (and importantly what we don't do) and to deliver a report which meets and hopefully exceeds their expectations.


text:
Project FeederWatch
Tricky Bird IDs
Black TernChlidonias niger
- ORDER: Charadriiformes
- FAMILY: Laridae
Basic Description
A small dark, graceful tern of freshwater marshes, the Black Tern eats insects as well as fish.More ID Info
Range map provided by Birds of North AmericaExplore Maps
Other Names
- Fumarel Común (Spanish)
- Guifette noire (French)
- Cool Facts
- The Black Tern is very social. It breeds in loose colonies and usually forages, roosts,and migrates in flocks of a few to more than 100 birds, occasionally up to tens of thousands.
- The oldest recorded Black Tern was at least 11 years, 3 months old. It had been banded in Wisconsin and was found in Louisiana.


text:
In its ongoing commitment to its kaolin business, BASF is investing nearly US$200M over the next 10 years to realise further growth potential through sustainable supply, service and innovative solutions for its customers.
The company's long-term investment strategy includes infrastructure and process improvements projects in BASF's Middle Georgia sites, which will further enhance asset reliability while helping to increase operational sustainability and efficiency.
BASF's kaolin business is one of the largest calcined kaolin producers and a global leader in segments such as paints and coatings, plastics and rubber, as well as thermal paper and catalytic substrates.
These segments are integral to growing industries such as automotive and construction.
"The attractive long-term growth outlook of these industries supports BASF's increased investment, which will enhance our supply, service and innovative solutions to support our customers' business goals and further strengthen our market leadership," said Dr Shane Porzio, Vice President of BASF's kaolin business.


text:
Bill Gates doing his song and dance routine at CES. I have to admit that this does sound interesting. Though I doubt any time soon that we will see any Mac compatibility.
While initial presentations on SPOT have stayed on the theoretical side, Gates on Wednesday demonstrated the first devices that will use the technology. Watchmakers Fossil, Citizen and Suunto all plan to have SPOT-enabled models available by the end of the year.
The watches will connect to PCs to calibrate themselves, download software and connect wirelessly to streaming data beamed over FM radio signals to grab the latest sports scores or stock prices.
Gates hailed the watches as the first fruition of Microsoft's effort to seamlessly blend digital data into everyday life. "This is something we've been working on for a number of years, and it's really exciting to see it coming to reality," he said. "We see these devices continuing to get smarter and get better at knowing what messages you might be interested in at a particular time."
He also noted that the forthcoming watches have faster processors and four times as much memory as the first IBM PCs.
More theoretical SPOT items included refrigerator magnets that wirelessly retrieve information on local traffic or specials at area restaurants.


text:
Having a birthday is always something which everybody among us loves and not only the person but the people who live in our life also love this day as they love us and want to be a part of everything which we go through. However, there are always some friends who love to have fun out of everything which we do and if you are also one of them and want to make your friend's birthday a bit more exciting, then why not to wish him with some of the most funny birthday wishes?
Funny Birthday wishes for male
Well, the thing here is that people love wishes which are honest and which are fun. Nobody like a copied long paragraphed meme or wish which carries no meaning and is not on the point. So, if you are planning to hunch your wishes this time and make the birthday of your friend a special one, then all you have to do is just mend such a wish which you will love and you believe your friend will love too.
And out of all the things, if you are not able to find these wishes, then we have the perfect funny birthday wishes for friends and if you are having trouble in sharing, copy it or keep these in your mind and wish it to your friend by either sending a text, saying it on face or even writing on his birthday cake. So, let us begin and share such funny wishes on birthday with you:
Best Funny Happy Birthday Wishes
For your birthday, I wanted to give you something which is both funny as well as charming, but then I realized that I already have you in my life, so I don't need anything else. Hope you would be always there for me.
So it's your birthday. I hope I didn't miss a single part of it because you see, I am never going it let it go smoothly, so if goes on smoothly, trust me, I am not there. xD I am kidding. I wish you all the success in life and all the happiness which you deserve friend.
You know what's the happiest part in my life when your birthday comes? Apparently, it is the cake which even though I buy for you, still I am the one who ends up eating the most part of it. So, anyway if you are expecting a full cake from me, you better have two birthdays a single time.
You know why it is the perfect day when it is your birthday? It's because I get to come there and see some cute girls which I would really love going on a date with. So, you my friend, are helping me a lot there. May you have dozens of these birthdays every year so that I could catch up with those girls.
I know I was bad at history and all those boring history classes were a big headache for me. You know how bad I am at remembering things and if you expect me to remember everything, then you might be wrong and same might have been the case with your birthday, but since you already are quite good and have invited me on your birthday, that was the only way for me to know and remember. I am not a bad friend, it's just that I suck at remembering.
funny birthday wishes for family
I am jealous of you. You know why? Because I posted a pic with you on my Facebook timeline on your birthday but all my girl friends started to like your pic more and ended up having a crush on you. I believe we are even and now; you don't need a gift. At least I will be there now eating free food now on your birthday.
You know that there is no better chef than you and if it wasn't for your birthday, I would have forced you to cook today because I remember the last time you cooked that barbeque and I would really love to enjoy it again. What about tomorrow? Let's do it tomorrow, till then, enjoy your birthday cake.
Dear friend I have always wondered why we have been friends for so long, did you ever wonder it? Well, I think the main reason is that you and I, we both know a lot of secrets about each other, and I guess that is something which will never let us fight with each other. And just in case, I would be writing a secret on your birthday cake, the next time you fight with me.
You know what is the irony? Well, I have prepared your birthday cake and soon after that, I have called the fire department just for you so that they can blow off the candles which are there on the cake. Trust me, it is nothing, I would love to do even more for you like these things.
funny birthday wishes for friend
I love your presence so much that I can kidnap you forever and right after that, ask for money from your parents and with that money, I want to buy us a lot of food and enjoy a lot. I love your attitude and I love your style and personality. I wish you all the happiness and love in the world and wish you success on your birthday.
Actually I couldn't buy a worthy gift for you today on your birthday and apparently, you might be wondering why, right? Well, I was finding something quite beautiful, elegant, charming, wonderful and fit in every kind of quality which you would wish, but apparently you see, I won't fit into the envelope. So my friend, give me free food and thank the creator that he has bestowed you with a person like me in your life.
You know how lazy I am and so, I won't be doing crazy things like spreading and throwing cake on your face in the party. I have rather planted a bomb in the cake so that it bursts and all the cake sticks to your face. Oh boy, am I kidding? No! Happy birthday to you anyway.
funny birthday wishes for best friend female
They say have such friends which have brains to give you good solutions and help you in difficult times. Well, with you the case is opposite. You have always put me in difficult situations, but still I love you because you are the one with whom I love to do these things. Happy birthday my dear friend.
I thought of singing "Happy Birthday to you" song on your birthday but then I realized that it is a birthday party, not a funeral. Apparently, I don't want people to hear my voice and die at that very time. I love you and wish you a very happy birthday brother.
Trust me, I spent a hell of my time on the internet, on eBay and everywhere, even in the markets where I was looking for the best birthday present for you. I actually wanted something charming and funny for you on your birthday, but then I actually realized that you have me in your life, so you don't need anything as such. So my friend, give me free food and thank the creator that he has bestowed you with a person like me in your life.
I Hope our article on funny birthday wishes for friend and family would put up smile birthday.If you like out post of funny birthday wishes for male female then don't forget to share it your friends and family.


text:
Select View – Application Log on the menu to view the application log. An Application Log consists of the list of entries with the following fields:
To view entries for a certain period, select it in Date Filter.
To view the entire log, enable the All period option.
Use the Content Filter to filter entries by their contents.


text:
NorCal State Premier Spring Division Qualification Procedure
The qualification procedure for spring division placement in the 2016-17 NorCal State Premier division has been finalized. Teams will earn spots in statewide spring divisions based on performance in their regionally based State Premier League fall divisions. The highest division, the State Premier Championship will crown the State Premier champion in each age group. The Championship winner in the U14-U17 age groups will earn automatic promotion into the 2017-18 NorCal NPL, while the runner-up will earn a playoff spot against an NPL 3 qualifier. The winner of the NPL/State Premier playoff will earn the final spot in the 2017-18 NorCal NPL division. Teams that don't qualify for the Championship division will form the remaining State Premier League (SPL 1, 2 and 3) divisions based on where they finished in the fall standings.
State Premier League Fall Qualification Procedure – Boys


text:
This is a question which is fundamental to any ORM design. And really from a philosophical standpoint, how should ORMs deal with SQL? Isn't the whole point of the ORM to sit between the developer and the database as an all-encompassing, object oriented layer?
A long time ago in an office far, far away, a very [...]


text:
The chilly start to the week will continue into March as temperatures dip below normal in Toronto.
A high of -5C greeted Toronto Tuesday afternoon with light winds, a contrast from the blustery morning, which felt like -19C. There is a 30 per cent chance of flurries for the afternoon. Temperatures are predicted to fall precipitously to -16C, with flurries expected to begin this evening and ending near midnight.
Daytime temperatures as low as -11 C are expected for the rest of the week, with overnight lows reaching -22 C, according to Environment Canada.
Normal temperatures for this time of year fall between 2 C and -7 C. The record low is -23.9 C in 1950.
An extreme cold weather alert, issued the City of Toronto on Monday, remains in effect. As a result, it marks 28 days that the city has been under such an alert this winter, the most days under an extreme cold weather alert in one winter since 2004. The alert results in additional services for people who are homeless.
Additionally, a wind chill warning has been issued for northern Durham Region and northern York region, as wind chills will make temperatures feel as low as -30C Tuesday night going into Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, both the TTC and GO Transit reported no major delays on train and bus routes.
Around 48 flights, or about three per cent of all flights, were cancelled in and out of Toronto Pearson International Airport as of Tuesday afternoon while none were reported at Billy Bishop Airport.
No weather alerts were in effect for Southern Ontario.


text:
Thought I would share some photos of the Easter break with you...
At the Lake on Monday
Our baby - Sookie :)
We decided to get out of the house on Monday and go to a lake not far from home. Sookie our pug had lots of fun and I managed to capture some beautiful photos.
From our trip up the coast (Sunday)
We went for a little walk along the beach (our footprints in photo three) and climbed the rocks and watched the tide come in. Simply beautiful.
At the Mangroves on Friday
Lastly, on Friday we went snorkeling in the Mangroves, saw lots of fish, crabs and sting rays and the weather was perfect.


text:
Latest News
Doral council member tries to report City Manager Joe Carollo to city police
A Doral councilwoman tried to file a harassment report with police on Friday after a disagreement with the city manager over guests she brought to City Hall.
Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz had brought two young men into a conference room at City Hall to discuss a summer volunteer program when she was called to a meeting in her office. The two men remained in the conference room for about 10 minutes, according to Ruiz.
City Manager Joe Carollo saw the unattended men and walked into the conference room with Assistant City Manager Al Childress and City Attorney Joe Jimenez.
The men were asked to leave because they were unsupervised. As Ruiz came back from her meeting, she took issue and eventually drove to the police department to file a harassment report.
Ruiz spoke with a Doral police detective, according to Chief Richard Blom, and no report was filed after the meeting.
"I am confident that nothing criminal occurred, otherwise we would have a police report," Blom said.
After leaving the police station, Ruiz said she plans on sending a memo to city officials regarding the incident. She said she did not think it would cause a problem to leave the men unsupervised for her 10-minute meeting.
"We're not obligated to be tied at the hip to be with everybody who comes to see us," she said.
Jimenez said that Carollo has the authority to control access to the city's third-floor offices, which are restricted areas accessible only with key cards.
"These kids that were there with the councilwoman were told they were not allowed to be here unsupervised," Jimenez said.
Ruiz has taken on one of the men, 21-year-old Florida International University student Alex Castro, to help her with scheduling and reviewing meeting materials. Castro said they met through a mutual friend.
She had him apply for an internship with the city, which Carollo denied earlier this week. Carollo said he rejected Castro because Castro had started a political action committee in January.
"What I'm not going to let her do is bring in political operatives, like she did before, so she can create problems within our city building," Carollo said, referencing previous interns Ruiz has had that had worked on her campaigns.
Ruiz and Carollo have been feuding for months.
Ruiz said Castro still works with her in an unofficial capacity.
Castro "is working with me regardless of whether he has an internship," Ruiz said.
Castro, a political science and international relations major, said he didn't think he was getting in the way by waiting for Ruiz in the conference room.
"I'm not causing any inconvenience to anyone," he said. "I'm not a political operative to anyone."
Carollo said he would provide an intern for Ruiz if she wants one.
"If she wants an intern, I will find her one through the university system," he said.
Interns are not paid in Doral and can only receive college credit, according to Carollo.


text:
By Rick Leventhal, ,
Published March 10, 2017
"She wanted to live. She tried so hard…"
With tears flowing down her cheeks, Lisa Appenzeller clutched a photo of her daughter Jessica, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 22. Lisa found her on the bathroom floor, another victim of the opioid crisis that claims tens of thousands of lives every year. Jessica tried to get clean, her mother says, going to rehab twice, but the drug's pull was too strong. Her dealer lived two blocks away and fronted her two pills of Fentanyl, an opiate up to 50 times stronger than heroin. Jessica left behind a 3-year-old daughter, and a mother who still searches for answers, eight months after her death.
"I miss her every minute… but she's in my heart," Lisa said, choking up.
Lisa was comforted by Carol Coolbaugh, who lost her son Eric to a heroin overdose eight years ago. To help deal with the pain, Carol started a support group. They meet once a month in a hospital conference room in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but the session could take place almost anywhere in America.
The opioid crisis affects people from every socio-economic background in every state, afflicting every race, creed and color, from teenagers to senior citizens who often get hooked on pain pills prescribed for an injury or after surgery and then move on to heroin when they can't get their prescriptions refilled or can't afford the pills on the street. Heroin offers a powerful alternative at a much cheaper price, as little as $5 a bag, but it's often cut with Fentanyl, with deadly results.
The coroner of Luzerne County, where Eric and Jessica both died, calls the epidemic "shocking, surprising, out of control and frustrating."
"This has absolutely become routine" Coroner William Lisman told Fox News, about the OD calls his office responds to. "Just another day in the office, just another phone call on the weekend that we say put the body in the morgue and we will get to the blood work on Monday morning."
Lisman, who started working for the county in the 70s, said back then they might have seen one drug overdose death a month. There were at least nine suspected OD's in the first 19 days of this year.
Back in the hospital conference room, Maureen Kacillas remembers her 21-year-old son, Justin, and talks about the importance of sharing the pain with others.
"If you haven't lost a child, you don't get it…" she said. "There is no judging, no shame… we are trying to erase the stigma."
Across the table, Judy Rosengrant holds a framed photo of her son David, who was 35 and went to rehab seven times trying to kick his heroin habit.
"I found a letter David wrote me in 2013 in one of my purses" Judy told the group. "He said 'I am so sorry, like I do so well and I keep hurting you and your family and I don't want to be a scumbag drug addict, I don't want to be that, I love everyone.' And he always said to me 'If I overdose again I'd rather die, I can't put everyone through this another minute.'"
More than a dozen heads nod in understanding and sympathy.
Jennifer Coolbaugh, Carol's daughter, was also at the meeting. A recovering addict herself, she said people cannot understand the drug's tremendous pull unless they've experienced it themselves. She said she wishes so badly she could have saved her brother from the demons. But she found out firsthand why it was so hard for him.
"I knew exactly what I was doing but I couldn't figure out how to stop," she said. "It was terrifying."
Jennifer said the focus needs to shift from victims to survivors. She said mourning is important, but hopes the world will pay more attention to helping those in the Opioid's spell. She believes treatment works, that it saves lives, but that it must be longer than 28 days.
She said she knows staying sober requires great strength, hard work and true perseverance, and she's determined to stay clean.
"I have more feelings of happiness now... and pure joy," she said. "I've never felt that kind of happiness before. I'm not losing that."
Fox News producer Shira Bush contributed to this report.