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It may be that, because I was already thinking about my friend Frank, the Reverend Smith is gripping my heart in ways fictional characters rarely do.
Vicki and I have been spending part of most recent evenings in the special pleasure of watching the entire run of a brilliant TV series, as many episodes as we want each night, on DVD. When it first aired, somehow Deadwood got by us.
Based on the true story and real people of Deadwood, an illegal settlement that grew like a poisonous mushroom on Indian land in the Dakota Territories during the Black Hills Gold Rush after the Civil War, the series is a wonder of authenticity and master storytelling. Every other character is your favorite, and nearly all of them get some time in the spotlight.
Reverend Smith, usually just Reverend, is the only Deadwood resident without a lick of self-interest. For the most part he's ignored by the placer-miners, grifters, opium dealers and addicts, gamblers, whores, murderers, thieves, drunks, sociopaths, psychopaths, pederasts, and others who slog through the blood-, mud-, and shit-filled streets, though none seems willing to risk doing physical harm to a holy man. Reverend is called upon to preside over the shallow burial of those whose bodies aren't more commonly disposed of as feed for Mr. Wu's ravenous pigs.
Reverend preaches in the streets with the intensity and joy of the true believer, but mostly as suggestions to the sinners, not force-fed fire and brimstone. He lives the credo of kindness and love in the thick of true hell on earth, and asks not a thing in return except, late in the game, the chance to rest beside a whorehouse piano player to better hear and enjoy his music. He's denied this simple pleasure and told to leave. He's bad for business.
Now Reverend has begun to suffer physical torment, which he bears not as a martyr, but as a simple child of God. One eye turns down while the other shows a heart wrenching combination of joy, fear, confusion, intensity, and awe. He still approaches everyone as friend, but asks to be forgiven when he cannot always remember whom they might be, and if in fact they are friends he can no longer recognize. He holds one arm tucked to his side and stoops against his will, dragging one leg that offers increasingly little support. Worst, he confesses in shame, he has spells when he can no longer feel the Divine within him. Deadwood's equally good but inwardly raging doctor suspects that Reverend is being felled by a brain tumor.
Reverend's face haunts me, tribute to an actor named Ray McKinnon, who portrays him on Deadwood. It reflects pain I have suffered, but without the grace of this man. In his decline, the Reverend's face is a study in the beatitude of the doomed believer. It's all I can do not to weep for him, a character in a TV movie.
It may have something to do with a kind, good man I once knew, my friend Frank. He showed up when I needed him, though he saw it in reverse. I was working in a vipers' nest, where well-meaning efforts were greeted with treachery and deceit, and not yet recovered from some serious health issues. My father was declining physically, mentally, and with increasing speed following the wholly untelegraphed death of my mother a couple of years before. She simply pitched face forward onto the breakfast table, fell from her chair onto the floor, mumbled something about a terrible headache, and never spoke another word, "the healthiest one in the family" dead three days later.
I had since built, populated, and started tending a honeybee hive in my dad's backyard, pleasantly distracted and absorbed by these ancient, helpful, and wondrous little creatures. They demonstrated order in a time of chaos, trust as long as I behaved in ways that suggested no threat, and provided me with honey, respite, and peace.
I wrote about the experience several times, getting no response from my urban readers, except Frank. He sent a letter, thanking me for these tales with an urgency that seemed far out of proportion to what they told. He had once been a beekeeper, had quit long before for reasons he didn't explain, but felt the old feelings and was thinking of starting in again after reading of my own enthusiasm for this gentle husbandry. I emailed him privately, asked for his phone number, gave him mine, and we arranged to meet at his place.
|Bucky Fuller's "Dome Home."
Frank's was grander.
He was elderly and a bit frail for reasons he seemed unwilling to share. We talked bees, and writing, and kismet, and gradually he opened up just a little. He was a former priest, and was married to a former nun, who cheerfully moved throughout the large geodesic dome that was their home in a thickly wooded area of a Detroit suburb. Now and then she crabbed a little about Frank's renewed hobby, but they were loving pokes at the man whose secrets she shared and for whom she subtly feared – something.
Frank had long counseled drunks and addicts, and told me only that some unspecified "doubts" had led him to leave the church. Even when his face was split with a grin, his eyes betrayed a torment he would say nothing else about.
We discussed books, some politics, the human comedy – with for-instances – my parents, our children, his grandchildren, the addictive personality and the relatively infrequent times when it is remediated, plants, birds, the damned insecticide merchants who were contributing to the threatened erasure of wild and domestic honeybee populations, woodworking, the peculiar and undeniable benefits of geodesic dome construction and habitation, life in the woods even at a minimal remove from paved streets and overbuilt lots, comparative religion, and comparative hive design.
|Tending a top bar hive in Kenya
We thoroughly discussed the so-called top bar hive, which is more common in developing countries than here in the U.S., where the boxy, carefully configured Langstroth hive predominates. It was invented and patented a decade before the Civil War by a Philadelphia-born Congregational clergyman who started keeping bees to cope with depression.
The top bar hive begins as a simple wooden trough with sloped sides, surmounted under its cover by a series of parallel wooden bars, each smeared or otherwise fitted with some "starter" beeswax. The honeybees construct, or "draw," their freeform combs from the underside of the bars and working down, much as they do in the wild. Frank and I decided to experiment.
I built two top bar hives, one for each of us, and we placed them in separate clearings on his wooded land. We watched them progress for a time through the glass panes I had fitted on one side of each hive, and were encouraged by how quickly the curvaceous, golden comb began to fill the empty space inside, back to front. The bee populations were thick, in constant motion, and gentle.
Then it stopped. Workers were stumbling around on the landing board at each hive's front entrance. Even as we watched, distressed, they fell singly and in haphazard groups from the landing onto the ground below, where their corpses piled up. The hives showed no sign of insect or animal invaders, they were visibly clean and watertight, and there seemed to be no problem that we – the beekeepers – could alleviate or eliminate.
Well before the season was over, our hives were dead. We puzzled over the disaster and settled on the beautifully flowered and landscaped condo development nearby as the cause. Several times, Frank had seen the grounds misted with chemical fertilizers and insecticides and it seemed obvious that our honeybees collected nectar and pollen from these toxic blossoms, brought it home, and suffered the consequences of a weedless, pest-free landscape.
We didn't say the words, but Frank and I seemed to conclude that trying again would be pointless under the circumstances. We corresponded. He was angry at the state of his health. We were both grieving the failure of our mutual beekeeping. We worked by day at our respective jobs and tended to our lives outside of them. He had a new grandchild. My sisters and I took over our father's life and care. I fell in love the first time I met and spent a couple of mealtime hours with Vicki, and decided we would marry.
|Our wedding
When the time approached, we decided – having each been married before – to make it a private occasion. I had a favorite Italian restaurant, upscale and owned by the namesake daughter of the couple who had run the best pizzeria in my childhood stomping grounds. She created a menu for our wedding dinner, including a dessert of zabaglione, with a wink to the fact that I had once written of the airy dish as an aphrodisiac of strong reputation. As kismet provided, Frank and his wife lived just a few miles down the road. We asked him to preside.
Without fail, during every visit during our summer of bees, Frank thanked me with everything in him for reawakening the joy he had once felt in beekeeping. Almost embarrassed, each time I changed direction to my gratitude for finding a kindred soul, and a wise and gentle friend. But when I asked him to perform our marriage, he reacted with something even more profound. It caught his breath as though he wanted to say, "Are you sure?"
We showed up at the restaurant before the Friday evening rush, were shown to a romantic corner in the fireplace pit, and began. Vicki and I had written our vows – some autobiography, solemn promise, and simple words – and sent them to Frank shortly before, asking if he'd read them for us. The restaurant owner and Frank's wife stood as our witnesses. We all dressed for the occasion, Frank and I in black suits, our ties matching Vicki's red wedding sheath, which we'd had handmade and custom fitted by Hong Kong seamstresses. My hair was trimmed, gray and thinning. Hers was a golden, glowing whirl. A waiter stood to one side snapping pictures. He did his best.
Frank faced us and recited a brief proem, as personal and warm as anything I've heard in any church, on any occasion. When he turned to our vows, first Vicki's and then mine, he smiled and paused here and there, his breath again catching. We loved him. Then, by the power of the state, we were pronounced two made as one.
Not long after, Frank died. The cause was a vicious cancerous brain tumor that he'd never quite disclosed to me. For a while before he succumbed, it attacked when he tried to speak, and otherwise hectored that good man's body.
On the day he died, his wife said while informing us of the event, several young deer stepped from the trees and, unprotected and in full daylight, gathered calmly and quietly beside the geodesic dome. They too, I guessed, had lost an important friend.
It's a loss I continue to feel as sorely as for anyone I knew much longer, before they went wherever we go when our bodies are finished. Hopefully, there is another place where the big questions and the tormenting doubts are answered.
So it's hard to watch what is, after all, only a television drama, as Reverend stumbles cruelly to his own end, his face, like Frank's, a study in the beatitude of the doomed believer. Requiescat in pace, both of you good men. One may as well have been the other.


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This is the final post on Pundit Kitchen. Thank you all for reading, commenting and creating great memes over the years. For more politics on Cheezburger, keep an eye on The Daily What's politics tag.
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" The Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton. It's a fascinating look at design and what it's saying to us, whether we are willing to listen or not. I think reading books you may not consider is critical for a fresh perspective."
George C. Schellenger, author of Not Because It's Easy, about one man's attempt to rebuild Project Apollo


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« All Blogs
Brilliant ad agency's hilarious proof of the power of photoshop. Turns out it works two ways...by Bildo
Happy Holidays!Read More »
Job Applicant at McDonald's Goes About it "Differently"by Kelly Meyer
By the way, don't try this - you won't get the job and, what's worse, you'll wind up in jail. Get the story here.Read More »
Reason Number 77 Jay Cutler is a D-Bagby Katie Schurk
I have nothing more to say except he showed up to his press conference this past Sunday wearing this. Seriously? A scarf? Indoors...Read More »
House for sale.... slightly hauntedby Laura Bradshaw
You know- great hardwood floors, crown moulding, beautiful Victorian.... slightly haunted. No serious injuries, just a creepy feeli...Read More »
In Memory Of Chris Farleyby Span
Stupid man attempts to break stupid world record: Jump through 10 panes of safety glass...by Bildo
How did you really expect this to end?Read More »
OH! Christmas Tree!by Chris Carter
Do you put up a real tree or fake tree at your house? If I could do this, I might switch over to real:Read More »
Think You're Having a Bad Morning?by Kody Mac
If you think you're having a bad morning, at least you're not this guy.... Well at least it's a Random Act of Kindness.... Statoil...Read More »


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Home > Post > Post 4 > Post 4 News Release > 2013 News Releases > News Release
News Release
Trooper Jeffrey Gregory
Public Affairs Officer
Kentucky State Police
Post 4, Elizabethtown
(270) 766-5078
Click here to e-mail Trooper Jeffrey Gregory
Post 4 Detectives Arrest Louisville Man For Child Pornography
Date of News Release: 01/03/2013
(BARDSTOWN, KY)-- A Jefferson County man was arrested on charges related to child pornography Friday after Kentucky State Police served a search warrant at his home.
Dennis Ray Benningfield, 48, of Louisville, is charged with 1 count of Distribution of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performace by a Minor and 7 counts of Possession of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performace by a Minor. He was lodged at Louisville Metro Corrections.
Benningfield was arrested by the Kentucky State Police as a result of an undercover online investigation into the possession and distribution of images of child sexual exploitation. The investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant at Mr. Benningfields residence in Louisville, KY on December 28, 2012, by Kentucky State Police Post 4 units. Equipment used to distribute child pornography were seized and taken to the Kentucky State Police forensic laboratory for examination. Additional charges are pending.
Kentucky State Police Post 4 and the KSP Electronic Crime Branch are members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigation is ongoing by Det. John Vaughn.


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Case of Sandra Milena Vélez Caro against the Directorate of Refugees and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador.
Source: Wikicommons
We filed an amicus curiae brief in this case pending before the "Primera Sala de lo Civil, Mercantil, Inquilinato y Materias Residuales de la Corte Provincial de Pichincha" of Ecuador.
The brief can be found here: International Human Rights Clinic Case 4 Brief 1
Our brief, in support of plaintiff (represented by Asylum Access Ecuador), aimed to show how Colombia repeatedly and systematically fails to provide access to justice for victims of sexual violence. It also showed how failure to provide access to justice for victims of sexual violence is unfortunately a very common phenomenon, beyond Colombia. To prepare our brief, we relied on a wide range of reputable international sources, producing one of the most detailed and comprehensive studies on the matter to date.
The same brief was filed, mutatis mutandis, in support of a second case, by another Colombian refugee - Mariela Cabrera - before another court in Ecuador. The brief can be found here: International Human Rights Clinic Case 4 Brief 2
Loyola Law School
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Chequered Flag International inc is pleased to offer this 1978 porsche 911 SC Targa in Grand Prix White with Dark Brown leather. 84,450 miles.... More
Porsche 911SC Guards Red Targa : Black Leather interior. 6-Cylinder, 3.0 liter, 5-speed Transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, Power windows, electrically heated rear windshield, quartz chronometer,... More


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Mes Aïeux (French for "My Ancestors") is the Québécois group famous for its double platinum album En Famille with the hit song "Dégénération" (English subtitles). Though I can't understand a word, "Toune En On" has a great sound – another French treasure largely unknown by the English-speaking world.
The music video appears critical of television viewing and perhaps mass society in general. I'm dying to see an English translation.
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text: West End Poetry Festival www.westendpoetryfestival.org We're sorry, this event has ended.OnlineWebsite - www.westendpoetryfestival.orgContactKim AndrewsAddress100 N. Greensboro Street Carrboro NC 27510PhonePrimary - (919) 918-7364Friday, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill. An opening reception and readings by five poets. Saturday, noon to 8:30 pm at the Century Center in Carrboro. Panel sessions on poetry and music and poetry and nature, an open workshop, an open mic, a light dinner and reception, and a final reading celebrating Carrboro's own poet laureate and the renowned Nathaniel Mackey. Sponsored by the Town of Carrboro. Free. Schedule on website.Admission: Free


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(Coigitica) Beating the Competition - Part IV: Driving Innovation
This is my fourth post in this series looking at the misuse of competitive pressure as a driver of innovation. I am not suggesting competition never drives innovation, but that it is only weakly related, often produces counter-productive results, and really describes a market dynamic that comes from decisions, not a driver of them.
In Part I of this series I looked at the Prisoner's Dilemma and how the incentives (rewards and punishments) affect the effectiveness of competition. Part II looked at comparative advantage. Part III looked at various analyses of government support for innovation and productivity in Canada. Canada has dropped relative to other countries. Some organizations suggest greater competitive pressure despite their own data showing symptoms of the very same counter-productive competitive outcomes we saw in Part I.
Parts I and II focused on principles, Part III on analysis. Part IV is about action. I want to apply the prior discussions towards policies. Appropriate policies help facilitate and reward activities that support more a more productive innovation process and/or avoid or punish processes that lead to unproductive outcomes. To do so, I think it is first necessary to re-frame innovation.
I'll start by presenting what appears to be a more common view of competition-driven innovation. The story goes something like this:
- Companies attempt to take customers from competitors while trying to keep competitors from taking their own customers. If they do not, they will perform worse as a business or fail to improve by acquiring opportunities.
- In order to accomplish #1, companies must make their products more efficiently or attractive, with some combination of (a) reduced costs and (b) improved quality.
- In order to accomplish #2(a), companies must improve their business processes such as manufacturing, distribution, or overhead. To accomplish #2(b), companies must design a better product. Both of these are considered innovations, the first being about productivity and the second about functionality and/or quality, and both improve standard of living.
- In order to accomplish #3, companies must invest in such innovations.
Based on this competitive version of innovation, increased competition drives increased efficiency, innovation, and productivity as a form of "survival of the fittest". Appropriate policies would seem to be those that increase competitive pressure, provide incentives for companies developing new capabilities (aka, R&D), and assist in connecting companies with researchers who can provide them with new products and efficient capabilities to beat competitors. Improvements in supply chains, manufacturing, distribution, and overhead methods would also be beneficial, although such technological improvements tend to help all competitors equally. Still, if one company were to take advantage of these improvements then others would have to follow to simply to maintain their position within this competition.
If you have read the previous parts of this series, you should begin to see the problem with the above reasoning. Increased competition, innovation, and output does not necessarily translate into the ultimate goal of improved useful productivity and standard of living. Part I explicitly examined this faulty thinking. The Naval squadrons described in that post all increased their metrics in these areas yet ended up in much worse flight readiness. Part III showed that the metrics for Canada's own productivity and competitiveness show a similar pattern. We are among the most competitive and labour intensive regions of the world and yet our productivity is below the global median.
The fundamental problem of this approach is the very logical falsehood I started with in Part I: affirming the consequence. Just because competition can improve standard of living does not mean that all competition does increase standard of living, nor does it mean that the only thing competition creates is improved standard of living.
As with the Naval Air base, many bad outcomes are possible. Competitive pressure also provides incentive for all sorts of counter-productive activities (in terms of standard of living) including, but not limited to, branding, misleading advertising, bribery, fraud, self-interested legislative lobbying, industrial espionage, attacking the competition, unwarranted litigation, protectionism, monopolistic behaviour, and predatory pricing. Essentially, anything that makes a company look better and their competitors look worse become relevant activities. Even illegal activities become relevant if their associated risks are lower than the benefits they generate. Yet none of these activities improve standard of living.
Survival of the fittest is not a very good means towards improvement. You do not make people better swimmers by dumping them into the water and seeing who survives. You do not make a flourishing garden by throwing more seeds to fight for scant resources. The principle of survival of the fittest doesn't even describe how natural selection works, being only an indirect contributor to facilitating reproductive success and secondary driver to the primary means of selection via filling empty ecological niches.
Re-framing Innovation
Our ultimate goal is to improve standard of living. Innovation and productivity only have value in this context. To re-frame innovation, let us turn the thought process around. This version of the innovation story goes something like the following:
- Through heavy networking and collaborative discussions, an innovator sees an opportunity to make an improvement or create a new capability (aka, a productive innovation, filling an empty niche).
- Risk analysis shows that the opportunity saves more money than it costs, or generates a market that people would be willing to pay more than it costs. This analysis includes calculation of risks that include technical risks and commercialization risks, including competitors and commitment of those who would benefit from it.
- This innovator seeks investment to (a) generate the improvement and (b) demonstrate it to those who would benefit from it.
- The improvement is developed and the savings or new profits are recognized, a portion of which go to the investors and creator of the improvement.
Note that in this version of innovation there is no mention of competition. The driver here is efficient value. Of course, the improvement could very well make the beneficiary more competitive. It may give them a competitive advantage. But these are outcomes of the process, not drivers of it. Part III discussed this definition of competitive advantage at length, that of being an result of chasing efficient value rather than chasing the competition.
Ah, but this efficient value version of innovation still has the same problems as the competitive version; if there are opportunities for "bad" behaviour that have net value, they are still sought after. If misleading your customers pays more than it costs, there is net value. Of course this is to be expected. Re-framing innovation as driven by efficient value rather than competitive pressure doesn't change the cost-benefit analysis; it changes the policies. It re-writes the innovation equation in terms of direct cost-benefit inputs explicitly, and these can be evaluated, rewarded, or penalized based on whether they are aligned with the ultimate goals or not, i.e., in the left or right circle above. When viewed from the competitive perspective, there is no means for evaluating alignment with ultimate goals, only proximate ones of competition.
Efficient value based policies look different. Instead of focusing on making companies more competitive, they focus on making them more collaborative. They aim to bring ideas from different groups together more often. (Matt Ridley describes this process as ideas having sex.) Rather than making the Naval Air squadrons (Part I) waste effort fighting each other for top spot, they create incentives to help each other improve. All individuals gain net value and all effort goes towards the ultimate goal. Rather than pressure all companies to get better at making both bows and arrows (Part II), they help companies maximize their comparative advantage and acquire multiplicative effects of such improvements.
There are many policies that work in this direction. Here are some such examples:
- Support collaborative networks. Create, support, and promote collaborative networking infrastructure whereby companies can more easily identify potential opportunities for improvements. These might include conferences, meetings, website, or any place that ideas can get together.
- Improve protections for openness. The more open a company is about their processes, the more able others are to see opportunities for improvement and to calculate the net value they can generate. If kept secret, the company is less likely to find out about potential improvements and the less likely other companies are able to propose them. This forces companies to become experts at both their products and at production technologies for their products. Facilitating openness means reforming the way patents and trade secrets are handled. Inexpensive protection and enforcement is a must. Template agreements might help, as well as agencies to police agreements and remove the risk and cost from the companies.
- Provide standardized collaborative templates for funded programs that benefit all. Most programs now leave up to partners to develop agreements from scratch, often well after much effort has been spent on setting up the collaboration. Some are a mess now. Some universities seek to own all IP outright and license it out to make money, even though private companies contribute to the collaboration. Government organizations, universities, and private industries often have conflicting requirements. Some agreements I've been involved in have taken over 2 years to write and others have required threats of withdrawal. This can be far better organized.
- Mitigate risk where the risk is. Efficient value is only generated if the risks are sufficiently low. In the efficient value formulation of innovation, the highest risks are around the development of demonstrable prototypes and acquiring commitments from potential customer companies. Yet funding usually focuses on front-end proof-of-concept research at universities. This is not an efficient use of funding to drive innovations and conflates training students with investing in innovation.
- Facilitate international collaboration. International relationships should focus on, or include a significant component of collaborations between organizations in each country. Exploit the comparative advantage effect and combine the functions best performed in each country. Trade is not just between products or supply chains, it is also between ideas.
- Subsidize overhead structures for start-ups. There is no inherent value in getting, say, engineers to struggle through learning law, accounting, business administration, and so on. Comparative advantage actually suggests that is highly inefficient. Instead, they should spend all of their time on the technical work. Organizations that provide generic business services cheaply, for free, or awarded by review boards based on technical merits, even for limited times, help innovative start-ups succeed. (For example, Invest Ottawa provides some of these services.)
- Directly fund start-ups. This is, of course, what venture funding and angel investment does. However, that kind of funding aims to earn a profit for investors and allows them to control the company. When taxpayers are the investors, the profit comes from jobs, income tax, and corporate tax on successful businesses and therefore the funding can aim to be fiscally neutral, essentially acting as a low-risk loan program.
This focus on building a strong collaborative model is particularly key to Canadian success as it is strongly dominated by SMEs. The Conference Board of Canada's 2008 report, Canadian SMEs and Globalization: Success Factors and Challenges, notes that 97% of goods-producing establishments and 98% of service-producing establishments in Canada have fewer than 100 employees. It also provides a list of factors affecting SME exports, derived from surveys:
- The product or service offered is not exportable.
- The firm perceives foreign markets as too risky.
- The firm does not feel it has the skill set or resource capability to internationalize.
- The firm is not interested in expanding its customer base because of a desire to stay small and keep its operations manageable.
It further goes on to conclude that "Larger companies have more resources than smaller companies and can therefore spread the [management of foreign opportunities] burden over more individuals", and that Canadian research suggests that "owners of SME export firms in Canada are more than twice as likely to indicate a desire to grow their firms as owners of non-exporting enterprises". Distribution of risk and manageability appear to be key limiting factors. With respect to innovative ventures, a collaborative innovation model addresses both of these factors by creating larger pseudo-organizations that spread both risk and manageability across partnering businesses.
It is for these reasons that I firmly believe the proximate goal of improvements to innovation policy should focus on collaborative means and let competitive pressure fall where it may. What is needed is more hand-holding, not less. To mix metaphors, innovation comes from a diverse meme pool of ideas combined with fertile conditions to grow from seeds. Providing better support while weeding out the bad actors and letting the memetically poor ideas fail despite the support are all means to improve the innovation picture. This means teaching, helping, funding, and leading are means towards flourishing by aligning proximate and ultimate goals. Throwing the seeds to the wind to fight for survival via increased competitive pressure just results in poor growth, weeds, and parasites.
More competitive pressure is not the answer.


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Tackling poverty in Bangladesh
Currently, an estimated 8 million Bangladeshi workers are on short-term migration abroad, writes Zahid Hussain.
Why the global economic order is working
Are our global governance systems broken and in need of repair? Professor of International Politics Daniel W. Drezner argues the global economic order has worked well since 2008.
Is space innovation entering a new era?
Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the one factor that could make low-cost space travel possible.
How can the G20 remain relevant?
The G20's upcoming meeting in Australia comes at a time when a precarious global economy requires big decisions, says Australia's former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan.
The World Economic Forum is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation.
Meet the network of Global Agenda Councils
A new term begins this week for the Forum's network of Global Agenda Councils, which mobilizes a community of experts to address global challenges.
Moving towards smarter cities
More than half of the world's population lives in cities, and the number is growing. What can governments do to make cities smarter and greener?
How businesses can improve humanitarian aid
The number and scale of humanitarian disasters are growing rapidly. More resources and expertise – including from the private sector – are needed.
An Insight, An Idea with Yao Chen
A conversation with actress and "Weibo queen" Yao Chen on the growing power of social media.
An Insight, An Idea with Yao Ming
What role does sport play in building healthy societies? A conversation with China's basketball legend Yao Ming.
The New Climate Context
At a key time for climate negotiations, how can we best work together to tackle the common threat of climate change?
10 - 12 Sep 14


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Let's deal with the question on everyone's mind right off the top: Would the sequel to 2010's well-regarded horror comedy "Piranha 3D" be able to match the disembodied male sex organ quotient of the original? Happily -- or perhaps unhappily, depending on your feelings -- the answer is yes, sweet lord yes!
Some new artwork and an adorable featurette have popped up online for the A&E adaptation of Stephen King's "Bag Of Bones". The mini series tells the story of a grief stricken father dealing with the loss of his wife while dealing with a bitter custody battle. As you might expect the show takes place in Maine, which if you haven't visited before I suggest you drop what you're doing and head there now. The foliage... I can't even to begin to describe the foliage.
Ron Jeremy and Linnea Quigley star in a new film "Girls Gone Dead" which just so happens to have a new poster available for viewing. I'm not sure there's any other information you really need to know about the movie. Alright fine... I'm a giver. The flick tells the story of a group of college students going wild on spring break while a serial killer roams the area surrounding their vacation home. See, you're still focusing on the porn stars aren't you.
I think it would be a hoot to see Vince McMahon at the Oscars but I'm not going to hold my breath. But maybe, just maybe, the WWE funded "No One Lives" which revolves around a group of criminals who find themselves hunted by a killer will get some Oscar buzz. There's little to no chance of that ever happening but a gal can dream can't she.
I love me a Zombie comedy. Alright I really liked "Shaun of the Dead", the others I've seen have been kind of crap. But here's some new stills from "Dead Before Dawn 3D", which has none other than piranha expert Christopher Lloyd on it's cast list. I'm willing to be open minded here. But that's just the kind of guy I am.
The Utah Chainsaw Massacre? Doesn't have the same ring to it but a man was assaulted on Halloween night by a masked man tossing around a chainsaw. The man is still on the loose so I look forward to a sequel sometime in the near future. I wonder who they'll get to replace Dennis Hopper.
Don't mess with a kid and his candy. A 10 year South Carolina boy is in custody after he pulled a gun on a 28 year old woman who was trying to steal his candy. I don't even know what else to say about this. He's like a little tiny Chuck Norris or something.
Christopher Lloyd has signed on to play an occult shop owner in the upcoming 3D Canadian indie horror flick "Dead Before Dawn". April Mullen, who looks like she smells like sunshine, is the director behind the project that currently filming in Niagara Fall, Ontario. Because no one does anyone on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls. It's the one and only thing Canada has on us.
Sue Rock, who according to IMDB I have seen in a few movies before, is the latest name to be added to the ever growing "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D" cast list. She'll play someone I'm guessing gets killed within the first 20 minutes so I'm not really going to bother explaining the role. In short the only reason I'm mentioning this is when I first read about this I thought the headline said "The Rock" was joining the cast. Which got me really excited and I was already typing the post up.
Yesterday the internet was all ablaze with the exciting news that "Evil Dead 4" was slowly rolling into production. And now to stoke the fire in your loins just a little more the mighty Bruce Campbell has commented on the status. According the him that project is very much real, very much scary and very much a remake. Oh boy... remake. I want to believe every word Bruce Campbell says so I'm keeping the faith here. Please don't hurt me, Bruce. I'm not sure my tender heart could take that.
I'm not 100% convinced that Bill Moseley didn't fight in the civil war and for that reason I am not convinced that the new horror flick "Exit Humanity" isn't a documentary. Of course I don't believe I remember anything about zombies being a large problem in the post civil war era but to be honestl I wasn't very good in social studies. In any case there's a new trailer for the flick so you can make your own conclusions.
Well this is a creative 'eff you to the former love of your life now isn't it. A Washington man is under arrested after breaking into his ex-girlfriends house and shaving her head. Of course he reportedly tried to shove her into a dryer the week before this so a shaved head sounds alright in comparison.
And you might want to sit down for this one fellas. It's a story about a women who drugged her soon to be ex-husband, tied him to the bed, cut off his junk and then tossed it into the garbage disposal. But in all fairness she did call 911 for him after. Evens out I think.
If you saw "Catfish" and were as disappointed as I was then get ready because the duo behind the film have officially signed up to disappoint you with "Paranormal Activity 3". Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are on board to direct that magic that will be "PA3: Back in Da Hood" which is currently plotting an October 21st release. And no that's not actually the title of the movie. It would be pretty awesome if it was though.
Well this should be interesting. Along with Paul Scheer and Christopher Lloyd none other than Mr. Ving Rhames has signed on to return in "Piranha 3DD". This of course is very exciting because Rhames' character had one of the best deaths in the original flick and now we're all moist to see how he's going to return for the sequel. I apologize if you haven't seen the first film yet and I just ruined it. I also apologize for using the word "moist"
Andy Garcia, William Fichtner, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone have all been added to the cast of the upcoming supernatural thriller "Phantom". The movie focuses on a Soviet submarine captain who discovers there's something about his vessel that could end the lives of him and his entire crew. I'm also happy to announce that this is the most amount of legitimate actors I've ever mentioned in one news post. I think I might cry.
What's better than a found footage flick? How about a low budget one! Ladies and gentlemen I present to you "051: Confidential", a new movie that was supposedly found outside of Area 51 and is now being used as a training video by the military. Who found it? Now one knows! Let's go with me. I found it! You're welcome, America. Now kiss my grits!
What would Jesus do? Apparently stab her boyfriend like crazy so he can get to hell. I know it's insane, a woman! Anyway a Minnesota woman is currently under arrest after going bonkers and claiming to be big J and then attacking her boyfriend. Hell hath no fury like our Lord and savior while she's on the rag.
It's got to be upsetting to find out your kids are downtown with the cops being booked for shoplifting. So much so that you might want to knock a few back to take the edge off. Of course when you go to pick up your kids you might want to not be wasted, much like this mother of the year in Louisiana did. Are you crying from the beauty of it all? I hope so.
Were you eagerly awaiting a sequel to Tobe Hooper's "Toolbox Murders" remake? Me neither, but they're trying to placate me by throwing Jeffrey Combs, Tony Todd and Lance Henriksen into the mix. Did it work? You can check out the teaser trailer at the site and tell me.
Jaume Balaguero to direct "Flatmate". Balaguero is one half of the duo behind the original Spanish film "[REC]", but little else is known about the project at this time.
Sweet Jesus, a sequel to "The Messengers"? ME NO WANT. If you want, there's a trailer at the link.
Simon Baker to star in "The Killer Inside Me, as a really handsome murderer who kills other handsome people, like Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson. It's just so realistic!
Christopher Lloyd has joined the cast of "Piranha 3D". I'm officially going to start having wet dreams about this movie. Stay tuned for details.
The adaptation of Steve Niles "Wake the Dead" is delayed because the WETA workshop has to work on "The Hobbit" for Guillermo Del Toro. Jesus, the guy's so freaking busy that now he's delaying other people's projects? Will his reign of pudgy Mexican tyranny ever end? (I kid, I kid)
Prostitute bites man's penis off after he tells her he can't pay. I'm no expert at this, but wouldn't you wait until afterwards to tell her you can't pay?
Hawaii, a great place for vacations, honeymoons, and apparently, flesh-eating bacteria. I'm guessing that won't be in the brochure, though.
1913: The latest brainchild of Russian aircraft design genius Igor Sikorsky embarks on its maiden flight. The Grand, easily the world's most luxurious passenger plane, includes such innovations as upholstered seats, a balcony, and even a lavatory.
CC's back, Joe's confused, and we hope you enjoy the new sound!
A movie that has the crew conflicted.


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FRANKFURT — The economic stagnation in Europe has taken a significant toll on Germany, with government figures released Tuesday showing that the Continent's flagship economy contracted in last year's fourth quarter.
The Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden estimated that the German economy shrank about 0.5 percent in the final three months of 2012, compared with the previous three months. The decline was largely the result of sagging investment by German managers worried about the future of the eurozone.


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Rock Music
Beck's 3rd Single of the Year "Gimme"by Lucy Black
Beck has released his 3rd single of the year "Gimme" which is available now at Beck.com and is streaming on YouTube. It starts of...Read More »
Corey Taylor's "Uncovered" London Calling Coverby Lucy Black
Slipnot and Stone Sour frontman, Corey Taylor has covered the Clash's "London Calling" for an online documentary. It's all part o...Read More »
Here's What's New w/ Deep Purple [VIDEO]by Amber Lee
You have to respect a band who has been together since the late 60's and still makes new music. Far too often, bands just milk their...Read More »
Bach Defends His Claim with Old Crue Interview [VIDEO]by Amber Lee
Nikki Sixx & Sebastian Bach are having a disagreement over whether or not Bach was ever asking to front Motley Crue. Bach says...Read More »
Video of Sebastian Bach doing a Crue cover this weekend. Stickin' it to Sixx!by Burnzy
Metallica take "Through the Never" to Europe and ready a streaming Q&Aby Otto Man
Nanotech Entertainment has announced the first of several live streaming events from the Mill Valley Film Festival. In a special p...Read More »
Black Sabbath release details on new live DVDby Otto Man
Black Sabbath have announced a live DVD titled, Gathered in Their Masses. The footage comes from two shows in Melbourne durin...Read More »
CLIP: Scorpions MTV Unplugged Show in Athens [VIDEO]by Amber Lee
"MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens" will be released at the end of this year on CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc. MTV will be airing ...Read More »


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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A computer specialist had a stroke in his office but wasn't discovered until five days later, then died at a hospital, relatives and authorities said Wednesday.
David Norton, 45, of Portland, was barely alive when police found him Oct. 10 inside his University of Southern Maine office. He died Oct. 15 at Maine Medical Center.
Norton had a stroke the Friday before Columbus Day and was found in his locked office by USM police the following Wednesday after a co-worker reported he'd missed a meeting and couldn't be reached, said Norton's mother, Linda Norton, of Kingfield.
She's asked USM to develop a policy for police to check every university office every day.
"Would you want your son laying there for five days? He laid there for five days after having a massive stroke," she said. "The way you treat a massive stroke is the sooner the better. You have those magic few hours, and it's not five days."
Norton was employed by the University of Maine System as a senior communications specialist, working on computer networks across different campuses.
Norton was single, so he didn't have a wife who would have reported him missing, his mother said. He also was known to sometimes take off on hiking trips and leave his car in a university parking lot while he was gone, USM spokesman Bob Caswell said.
USM police put three parking tickets on Norton's car over the Columbus Day weekend for illegal overnight parking in a school parking lot, he said.
In the wake of the tragedy, university officials are reviewing the school's policies and procedures to determine if changes are warranted, Caswell said.
"I can't speculate on what those changes might be, but this situation certainly warrants a review to make sure we're doing all we can to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff," he said.
USM has 75 buildings and nearly 1,300 offices on its campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston, Caswell said. The USM Police Department has a chief and nine officers.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The other day we received an email from a small CrossFit Gym in Akron, Ohio. The email went something like this:
Hey guys! we're a big fan of your blog. We were wondering if we could be signed up as guest contributors. See, we own a gym in Akron, Ohio that offers CrossFit services to client. The CrossFit space is extremely tough but we found a way to market our services using YouTube and White Hat SEO. If we could partake in your blog to share with your readers, we'd love you forever!
This post comes from Brain P at CrossFit Copley.
We're trainers and CrossFitters – not marketers. However, we found a way to rank YouTube videos within the parameters of Google's guidelines and we wanted to share it with the world.
We decided to put together a great piece of content and share it on YouTube:
(View full URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_3xa1DMWk)
The video was more or less just an intro to the website we were launching. However, we really wanted to rank it high for Akron crossfit and crossfit Akron Google searches, not just YouTube searches.
We knew that took a little bit different type of optimization, as we saw on a number of the top digital marketing blogs like Search Engine Land and Moz.
We did out due diligence, the research and the elbow work. After a long process, we got the video to rank! Here are the exact steps we took:
- Naming the raw file with Akron CrossFit in the file name
- Uploading the video to YouTube and naming the file Akron CrossFit – CrossFit Akron – Top CrossFit in Akron
- Buying likes, views and follows on a number of internet marketing forums
- Interlinking the video on other YouTube channels
- Building links from external sources
- Building embed videos from other websites
This is a long and arduous process, but it works!
Think about it this way. CrossFit Akron gets searched for over 800 times in Google each month – that means if we could rank a video on the first page and capture even 1/3 of that traffic, we'd be driving a positive ROI.
We shouldn't have to justify the ROI of ranking high in search engines, but if you aren't familiar with this, you should be.
Since ranking on the first page of these searches our video has drawn over 200 clicks a month to our websites. Using heat maps and click tracks to follow the path of the clicks, we have deduced that we get 10 clients a month from this video.
One client is worth $200 a month to our business – so 10 x $200 = $2,000 new dollars each month just from being on the first page!
Ranking YouTube videos is a lot of work if you want to do it the right way. However, as our case study shows, the ROI is well worth the effort!


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Closer To Truth
Pantheism: Is The World God?Series Website »
Episode Guide »
Is our search for God too narrow? Why do some philosophers espouse Pantheism? Pantheism's claim is not shy-God is Everything and Everything is God.
Vermont transplant and Guster frontman Ryan Miller seeks out far-fetched friends across the state! Available exclusively online.
Check out winning Vermont entries to the 2014 PBS Kids Writers Contest!
Tons of videos and games for children from PBS!
PBS Kids - Tons of videos and games for children from PBS!
Educator Resources - Lesson plans, online courses, and videos for teachers and parents.


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Webinars are scheduled on various topics related to HIE, including: Information Technology, ILHIE Direct, Behavioral Health, Privacy & Security, and more.
To receive notice of all planned webinars, as well as other ILHIE news and updates, join the ILHIE email listserv.
March 2013 Webinars
April 2013 Webinars
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Willow Smith Gets a Much Needed Makeover
20 Celebs You Didn't Realize Have a Twin Sibling
Beyonce and Jay Z Pal Around with David Beckham
Behind the Scenes of Amal Alamuddin's Wedding Dress Fitting
Inside Kim and Kanye's $20 Million Mega Mansion
13 Stars Who Were Turned Down By Playboy
Mismatched Celebrity Couples That Weirded Us Out
You Won't Belive What Mekhi Phifer Looks Like Now
Angry Doctors Call For "Skinny Pill" Ban
57 and 18! The Creepiest Celebrity Couple Ever
20 Super Awkward Celebrities
30 Child Stars Who Died Young
25 Celebrity Republicans - Some May Shock You
What the Devil? Drake Flashes Rihanna's Picture Along With Satan?
The Worst Celebrity Feet EVER
7 Celebrities Who Look Better After Having Babies
Emma Watson's Intentional "Side Boob"
Diddy Hosts Brunch for All of His Baby Mamas
Lupita Nyong'o Is Finally Sharing Her Beauty Tips
20 Celebrities Who Were Born Rich
Celebrities Who Owe Their Fame to Their Parents
54 Photoshopped Celebrity Before and After Photos
10 Celebs Born to Teen Moms
22 Celebrities Who Need SPANX Badly
Selena's Scandalous Selfie Sparks Drama
The 8 Richest Celebrity Families
12 Celebrities Who Have Fake Teeth
24 Celebs Who Couldn't Stop Eating and Got Fat
Super Stars With Secret Talents
They're Just Like Us: 13 Humiliating Celeb Photos


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Forms of Service-Learning
The type of work our students do can include direct service such as preparing meals and cleaning up litter, but frequently goes beyond. By developing relevant and sustainable partnerships, Duquesne helps to build stronger communities and enrich the lives of Pittsburgh residents in the following measurable ways:
- Community Capacity Building - such as working with non-profit organizations to develop strategic plans, diversity audits, marketing campaigns, and to construct community asset inventories.
- Advocacy Through Education - such as interviewing stakeholders on all sides of a public issue debate and creating a public log of their experiences; designing a training program for emergency medical responders on the rights and needs of homeless individuals; spreading awareness of free income tax preparation and financial education services.
- Policy and Community Research - such as identifying land use and invasive species patterns throughout the region's green spaces; analyzing health service correlated with what healthcare legislation is governing available health services; and developing a survey instrument to determine recidivism rates among previously homeless women who participated in a peer mentoring program.
- Training, Education, and Workforce Development - such as assisting with English language instruction with recently resettled refugee families; developing life skills training programs for homeless military veterans; teaching basic computer skill classes; sharing classes with incarcerating men and women; and holding seminars for senior citizens on navigating Medicare and Medicaid.
- Access to Arts and Strengthened Community Identity - such as musical performances in community venues; oral histories of residents' experiences in Hazelwood, the Hill District, and South Pittsburgh; and creating an outreach network of youth who are interested in African American Arts and Culture.
For a full listing of service-learning course offerings, click here.


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Ms. Trina aka The Queen of The South aka The Baddest Bitch aka Diamond Princess. The hottest female MC in the game.
"Bitch you ain't got it like me, oh you his wifey? I think ya man likes me. He had in the car wit his hands on my bra, breathin' in my face sayin 'Trina!'"
by Gangsta_Bitch December 07, 2006
She is a goofy person to be around . She laughs at anything and everything . She's very beautiful and you are a lucky person to claim her . A lot of boys get attracted to Trina's and for her is hard to say no . They tend to be very polite and nonjudgmental . Having one of them will make your life complete .
"Trina is such a sweetheart ".
by LxrdLOLA January 12, 2014


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A Toledo native turned Hollywood filmmaker is scouting out areas in the Glass City to shoot a new film for the big screen.
Director Brett Leonard, who now resides in Los Angeles, hopes to tell the story of the "Toledo Troopers," in his upcoming film Perfect Season.
The Troopers were Toledo's first women's professional football team in the 1970s. The Troopers went on to be the winningest team in professional football history, but their story is not as well known as other football greats.
Leonard describes the upcoming film as a cross between A League of their Own and Remember the Titans, with a feminist theme tied into it.
Specific actors have not yet been chosen, but actress Zoe Saldana is up for the lead role in the film, expected to hit theaters in 2014.
You can read more about the Toledo Troopers by clicking here.
Mobile users, click on the "Video" button in the app to watch this story. Download our app here.
Copyright 2013 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.
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Securing construction sites and reviewing known problem areas have kept the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) busy in the past few days as Hurricane Earl progresses north toward Southern New England.
RIDOT officials have been conferring with other State agencies all week, including the R.I. Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), to prepare for heavy rains and high winds associated with tropical storms or hurricanes. RIDOT has allocated the resources and personnel necessary to address problems associated with this storm and with post-storm clean up.
Although Rhode Island has not experienced a significant hurricane event in some time, our experience with major snow storms and this springs historic flooding have us well prepared for Earl, RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. We are ready.
RIDOT has been working with its contractors to secure its construction sites. The Department has identified a number of known drainage hot spots from the historic flooding in March and has visited these sites to ensure all storm drains, grates and discharge lines are clear of debris that could exacerbate flooding.
Just as in a winter storm, motorists should conclude travel as conditions worsen. Heavy rains can cause locally flooding and ponding of water on highways. As winds intensify, the likelihood increases for road closures due to debris such as tree limbs. Traffic signals may be out as well due to power outages.
Over this Labor Day holiday weekend, motorists can report blocked roads, flooding or other storm-related problems to RIDOTs Transportation Management Center at any time at 222-2378. Information may also be posted on RIDOTs website (www.dot.ri.gov) and its social media sites on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Blogger.
RIEMA has extensive information on its website (www.riema.ri.gov) regarding preparation plans and tips for tropical storms.
Dana Alexander Nolfe 401-222-1362 x 4450 - Desk 401-265-5197 Cell
Joint Information Center 401-275-4038 firstname.lastname@example.com


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BOSTON (WTAQ) - Larry Sanders scored 17 points and owned the boards as Milwaukee edged the Boston Celtics in overtime, 99-94.
Sanders took down 20 rebounds while dominating NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett. He also came up with a critical blocked shot in the extra frame.
Monta Ellis was the scoring star, shredding the Celtics defenders for 27 points. The Bucks claimed the final game between the two teams despite blowing a seven-point lead in the closing minutes.
Milwaukee has won 6 of its last 8 starts and Boston lost a home game for the first time in the last six games.
Paul Pierce led the Celts with 35 points. Luc Mbah a Moute scored 20 for the Bucks.
The next game for the Bucks is Saturday night at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.


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Grizzlies are #1
The Memphis Grizzlies NBA basketball franchise has been named No. 1 in professional sports. ESPN the Magazine named the Tennessee team tops among all MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL teams in their Ultimate Standings list. The team has never won a championship but they have a new coach, new life and strong fan support. Last year, the Grizzlies went 56-26 advancing to the Western Conference finals. Factors in the magazine's survey include ticket price (second lowest in the NBA), concession prices and parking, fan-friendliness of arenas, game day promotions and player accessibility.
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Haven't attached it on the rifle yet , but I have checked appearance and optic clarity and am satisfied.
AIM Sports® 3-9x40mm Infrared Mil Dot Scope, Matte Black
Item # WX2-216104
- Google+
This item cannot ship via any of our Next Day or Second Day Express delivery methods.
This item cannot ship to Canada.
This item cannot ship internationally.
- Details & Specs
AIM Sports® 3-9x40mm Infrared Mil Dot Scope.
Waterproof. Fogproof. Shockproof! Get on target fast with precision. Get this illuminated Mil Dot Scope now!
- Multi-coated optics ensure distortion-free clarity
- 1/4" MOA for precise windage / elevation
- 3" eye relief for top peripheral vision
- Switchable Blue or Green illuminated reticle for precise targeting in low light
- F.O.V. @ 100 yds. is 37 1/2' at 3X, 12' at 9X
- Includes rings, sunshade and protective lens cover for eye piece. 1" tube. 13 1/2"l., 20 1/2 ozs.
- Reviews
Customer Reviews
Zeroed at 200 yards on my .300 Blackout/AR platform with 10 rounds.
Its nice.
very nice scope can't wait to use it
Scope is great value for cost. This is the second one I've ordered. The only downside is that the current rings included are for "piccatiny" mounts as the mounting screws are too large in diameter for weaver style mounts. If you must mount rings any further than 4 3/8 inches apart, from outside to outside, you will not be able to mount this scope as the tube body is not much longer than this measurement. Optical clarity is very good & "crosshair light" is excellent.
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Bushnell® Laser BoresighterBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
HQ ISSUE® Brass Laser BoresighterBuyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99
BSA® Boresighter KitBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
You May Also Like
AimSports® 3-9x40mm Scope, Matte BlackBuyer's Club $26.99 Non-Members $29.99
Firefield® 3-12x40mm Illuminated Reticle Mil-dot ScopeBuyer's Club $62.99 Non-Members $69.99
3-9x40mm Varmint Hunter Scope with Laser / Light Combo, BlackBuyer's Club $53.99 Non-Members $59.99


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In addition to printing and viewing your local deals vouchers, you can now easily
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Secure access to My Account requires a password. If you have not yet created a Travelzoo password, we will ask you to go ahead and set one up.
World Travellers has released a sale on Disneyland Paris breaks, with up to 40% off a range of hotel stays with Eurostar travel. The prices start at £219 per person, and include a stay at an on-site hotel, daily breakfast, day park passes for the duration of your stay and upgraded Standard Premier Eurostar travel.
Most prices are based on two adults and two children under 12 sharing**, so the 2-night Newport Bay break would be £874 in total. Additonal adults, older and/or additional children can also be included, call World Travellers for full details.
All hotels are on site and provide a free shuttle bus to the parks, except the Disneyland Hotel, which is located directly opposite the park gate.
Benefits of Eurostar Standard Premier Class include large, reclining seats, power sockets, a light meal and drinks and complimentary magazines.
Click here for more information.


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Everyone we talked to, from veterans like Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, to the young guys like Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks, can contribute this season. The Jazz literally can go 9 or 10 deep without missing a beat.
I realize this is a good problem to have, but it still is a problem.
Corbin's first priority has to be to get Favors on the floor. This kid is the most talented player on the roster and although he is about to enter just his third season, he is ready to make his mark in the NBA.
So whose playing time is sacrificed for Favors? Millsap? Jefferson? These are tough choices Corbin must make. I think Millsap should be in the Jazz long-term plans. He has meant too much and been too valuable to this team over the years to be cast away now. While Jefferson is solid offensively, he is still a liability on defense. Jefferson also makes over 15 million dollars, so his expiring contract will be a valuable commodity at the trade deadline.
But as of now, Jefferson is still on the team and he does make the Jazz front court one of the best in the Western Conference.
I love Mo Williams at point guard. He brings toughness and leadership the team hasn't seen since the glory days of Deron Williams. Gordon Hayward needs to become a more consistent player, both offensively and defensively. He has displayed incredible skill at times, but has disappeared at other times, like in the playoffs. This is a crucial year for him.
The guy I'm really excited to see is Burks. He has bulked up and is much more prepared for the rigors of the NBA season. He showed signs of brilliance last year, and his confidence level seems to be sky high.
Marvin Williams brings size and athleticism to the small forward position. If he can shoot anywhere hear 39 percent from 3-point range like he did last year, that will only help open things up for the big guys down low.
Then there is Kanter. He has come into camp in the best shape of his life and is ready to show he has learned some offensive moves. I think he is a big reason why Jefferson will not be a member of the Jazz next season. But again, he needs playing time to develop.
Throw in veterans like Randy Foye, Earl Watson and Jamaal Tinsley and the Jazz have a great mix of both youth and experience.
So how is Corbin going to fit all these guys into the lineup this season? The good news is there are very few egos on this team. But Corbin has to find a balance to keep everybody happy.
Like I said, it's a good problem to have, but it is still a problem.


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The food in the Posh was OK, the sirloin steak was not good quality seafood was OK. The service was exceptional. The food at the American buffet was just so-so, but next to no service. The food at the Wok was very good.
The layout of the ship was inconvenient with the Posh & Chic dining rooms closing off 1/2 the ship - often you had to go up/down floors to get forward or aft.
We went to the Beatles review - it was very good as far as the costumes, dancing and animation. The singing was okay, but the music was so loud that my wife had to take out her hearing aids because the high notes, and a friends ears were bleeding at the end of the show. So we didn't go back to another show.
We also enjoyed three nights in the comedy club for the comics.
But when they had karaoke the DJ Peter would turn the music up so loud that you could not hear some of the singers. Even after being asked to turn it down so we could hear the singers he wouldn't leave it that way for more than one song. I don't know if it was his first time being a DJ but he was the most unprofessional and unprepared DJ we have ever seen. He could not stand any silence as soon as a singer was finished he would put on what he called intermission music and leave it on until the next singers lead in was on. He could have had at least half as many songs if he had, had the next disk ready when the current singer was singing.
We were please with the service through the ship and loved the Serenity Deck. We were disappointed that no pools had steps, on ladders, so we were not able to enjoy them. The solarium had no snacks, food or coffee.
We have cruised on Carnival for the last six years, and other than the old Holiday we were always pleased.
We normaly cruise with 12 to 24 in our group, but we will not take another cruise on the Carnival Freedom.
Cruising Santa


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Public health director reports first case of West Nile virus in Niagara Countyby jmaloni
Daniel J. Stapleton, director of the Niagara County Department of Health, reported today the first laboratory-confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Niagara County for 2013. The affected individual, a young adult male, is recovering at home after being hospitalized for illness clinically consistent with West Nile virus infection. The individual resides in Gasport, where it is believed he contracted the virus. To date, Niagara County has reported no West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools, infected birds or positive horses.
West Nile is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected mosquitos. The virus can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death. It is estimated that 20 percent of those who become infected will develop clinically noticeable signs and symptoms of West Nile virus disease. Mild signs and symptoms include fever, headache and body aches, and occasionally, skin rash and swollen lymph glands.
"Most people infected with West Nile virus will experience mild or no symptoms," Stapleton said, "But some can develop severe symptoms, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis."
The symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. Stapleton urges individuals who are most at risk, especially those ages 50 and up, and those with compromised immune systems, to take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
"Residents who may have been bitten by mosquitoes and experience West Nile virus signs and symptoms should visit their health care providers to be medically evaluated," he advised.
"Individuals in the communities we serve need to be aware they can take action to help reduce the mosquito population where they live," Stapleton said. "This is the first critical step in reducing the risk of West Nile virus. I am asking residents to reduce the mosquito population around their homes now, by eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes breed."
The following activities can help with this effort:
- Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.
- Empty, clean and replace fresh water in birdbaths daily.
- Remove all discarded tires on the property.
- Make sure roof gutters drain properly and clean clogged gutters.
- Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
- Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds and keep shrubs and grass trimmed.
- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.
- Drain water from pool covers.
"The second important step in reducing risk of West Nile virus infections in our communities is to avoid mosquito bites," Stapleton said.
To prevent mosquitos from biting:
- Minimize outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors for long periods of time, and when mosquitoes are more active.
- Use mosquito-repellent when outdoors, following label directions carefully.
- Make sure all windows and doors have screens, and that all screens are in good repair.
"Mosquitoes will continue to be a problem until the weather changes with the first hard frost," Stapleton said. "Until then, the Health Department and the communities we serve can work together. With a common sense approach to West Nile virus risk reduction, we can assure a safe and healthy environment by taking simple steps to prevent mosquitos from breeding and biting."
For additional information about West Nile virus, click on the following links:
- http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/resources/pdfs/wnvFactsheet_508.pdf
- http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/west_nile_virus/fact_sheet.htm
To report mosquito problems or stagnant pools of water, call the Niagara County Department of Health Environmental Division at 716-439-7444.
For medical questions or to report West Nile virus cases, call the Niagara County Department of Health Nursing Division at 716-278-1900.


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The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near Kedzie Avenue, Illinois State Police said.
A Toyota SUV rear-ended a Dodge car, causing a chain-reaction collision that also involved two other cars, a Pontiac and a Hyundai, a statement from ISP said.
The driver of the Dodge was killed, and the drivers of the Toyota and Hyundai were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The man, 50, was pronounced dead at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest at 2:22 p.m., the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said. The man, whose name is not being released pending notification of his family, lived in the 8200 block of South Evans Avenue in Chicago.
The driver and a passenger in the Pontiac were not hurt, police said.
All eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed Friday afternoon with traffic diverted onto I-57. All lanes were reopened again as of 4:30 p.m., ISP said.
Follow @fox32news
KTBC FOX 7119 East 10th StreetAustin, TX 78701Phone: (512) 476-7777Fax: (512) 495-7001


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As of Saturday, September 3, 2011
© Copyright 2014 Clayton News Daily
Two winless teams met Friday night at Southern Crescent Stadium trying to provide a win for their first-year coaches.
It seems Riverdale brought it's A-game.
Riverdale's 41-0 thrashing of Morrow said more about the quality of the Raider's offense than it did about the Mustangs lack of defense and offense for that matter.
Coming off a difficult 7-0 loss to North Clayton last week, Riverdale gave coach Olten Downs his first career victory. Downs accepted the Riverdale job after helping build Carver-Columbus into a regular playoff contender.
Morrow has now lost nine of the last 10 games between the two schools. a
The 27-0 halftime score came courtesy of two touchdown runs by junior running back Kamhad Magwood, and two other rushing scores by fellow juniors — quarterback Steve Harris and halfback Ti'Keem Cooper. Four consecutive Raider penalties kept the halftime score respectable but could not jump start the Mustangs offense . A third rushing touchdown by Magwood followed by a second for Cooper put the game out of reach late in the third quarter.
The Raiders defense spent the entire game shutting down Morrow's pass attack forcing seven consecutive drives to end in a Mustang punt.
Morrow coach J. Livingston, the school's basketball coach, is still searching for his first win.
Morrow assistant coach Mac McKissic believes the team made some improvement from last week's 68-0 loss to Creekside.
"We are one step away from where we need to be," McKissic said. "I saw a lot of improvement from last week. We just have to get that offense to work and that starts at the quarterback position"
Despite the score, Morrow junior defensive back A'Keitheon Whitner had a pair of first half interceptions.
More like this story
- Mundy's Mill leaves Morrow winless, scoreless ( September 10, 2011 )
- Mundy'S Mill Leaves Morrow Winless, Scoreless ( September 10, 2011 )
- Morow Mustangs host holiday basketball tournament ( November 26, 2013 )
- Morrow looking for improvement ( September 20, 2013 )
- Morrow heads back to state cross country meet ( November 5, 2013 )


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is out of stock.
© 2014 Kohl's Illinois, Inc., Kohl's® and Kohl's brand names are trademarks of Kohl's Illinois, Inc. Please read our Security & Privacy Policy, California Privacy Rights, Advertising Cookies, Legal Notices, and Socially Responsible Product Sourcing - California Transparency in Supply Chains Act.


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James Hookway at The Wall Street Journal reports the Philippines' newest and most advanced warship, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, sped out to confront two Chinese surveillance vessels in an apparent dispute over fishing rights.
Tensions are already high in the area as China declares rights to suspected oil and gas reserves beneath the sea floor, throughout the region.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario met with Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing and both men restated their governments' position that the Scarborough Shoal where they're facing off is in their own country's territory and neither will stand down.
The Shoal is within a couple hundred miles of the Philippine coast, as shown in the map below.
While both sides say they want to defuse the situation diplomatically, it seems they've reached a sticking point, and neither side is prepared to budge.
"The ambassador of China took the view that they have full sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal," Mr. del Rosario told the Associated Press. "So, in a sense we had reached an impasse in terms of our positions. And so there's a real challenge for us in terms of our agreement to keep on talking today."
In response, China rushed two surveillance vessels to the area, stopped the arrests, and the standoff began.
The Filipino sailors who boarded the Chinese vessels found illegally collected coral and live sharks aboard one of the boats.
The confrontations are not new, but the assertive Philippine response is. According to an unnamed Philippine military official "This is part of larger pattern. These new standoffs are coming to light only because we are better positioned to stand up to China now."
That ability comes as the U.S. renews attention on its long-time South Pacific ally, and sends much needed equipment to help it fend off Chinese assertiveness in the region, like the BRP Gregorio del Pilar facing off with China right now.
Acquiring the vessel was big news in the Philippines last summer and prompted the Inquirer Global Nation to say the vessel would help the country defend against an attack by "China's formidable armada."
"Imagine the Philippine David with its cutter slingshot against the China Goliath," Rodel Rotis wrote at the time.


text: Clearance Pearl & Gold Bottles, Set of 3 Item #: 123242 $29.99 $13.97 Ship to Home Display the Pearl & Gold Bottles Set as a trio or stand each one alone. No matter what, these gorgeous resin bottles are sure to stun. Set of three (3) bottles Crafted of resin Large bottle measures 15.25H and 4 in. in diameter Medium bottle measures 13.25H and 4.25 in. in diameter Small bottle measures 10.25H and 3.5 in. in diameter Features embossed circle and geometric patterns Gold and pearl finish For decorative use only This item is no longer available for purchase.


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Vampires vs. Werewolves 16 Suspect Mystery Party Game!
And you thought your neighbours were bad…
A 16 character instant download mystery party game (no murder), can accommodate any number of players over sixteen. Average playtime is 2-3 hours.
In the county of Lichenshire there are two evil forces at work. For centuries the area has been home to a pack of werewolves, who consider the area sacred and never hunt within its borders. Lichenshire is also home to a large coven of vampires, who have lived in the area for decades. After years vicious warring over the territory, the two factions have managed to coexist under a truce. The truce is sacred – neither vampire nor werewolf dare endanger the pact, and the boundary line between their lands acts as a no man's land.
While the two factions hate one another, they manage to live in peace. That is, until the word arrives that a dangerous monstrosity is coming – a vampire-werewolf hybrid! Such a creature would only be created for one reason: to be used as a weapon! Who is behind the evil plot? Vampires will once again be pitted against werewolves to determine the truth – before it's too late for them all!
Features Include:
- 16 Suspects (8 Male, 8 Female)
- Interactive "Mingle" format that gets your guests sleuthing to solve the mystery
- Our trademark, un-boring game materials
- Facilitator guide with full instructions on how to play and tips to help you prepare for your party
- Individual guides for each suspect with full instructions on how to play and their motives
- Character Complexity Rating (to help hosts better assign characters to their guests)
- Optional Audio Introduction and final "Big Reveal" mystery solution
- Accusation Forms
- Invitations
- Name tags
- Access to the PLAY! site to send your guests to – view the trailer, suspects, learn how to play, get costume ideas and more!
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Have ONE or TWO of guests who aren't quite sure if they're going to make it? Add on our 2 Character Optional Suspect Expansion Pack and set your mind at ease. If they don't show up, no sweat! And if they do, they get to be as involved as everyone else. Please note: There are only TWO optional suspects (one male, one female) per mystery. If you're dying to know WHY, just CLICK HERE. If you need a different number of characters or gender mix than what you see here, please CONTACT US, we're here to help you throw the party YOU want!


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Should We Follow These Jewelers' Insiders?
Anh is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG) has done pretty well in the stock market since the beginning of 2009. In February 2009, it was only trading at around $7.13 per share. Afterwards, the share price increased significantly to $61.30 per share as of this writing. To take advantage of the share price increase, two insiders of Signet have cashed out by selling more than $2.2 million worth of stock. Is this move considered a bearish signal?
Business Snapshot
Signet is the largest specialty retailer of jewelry in the US and the UK, with 1,318 operating stores in the US and 535 stores in the UK. The majority of Signet's revenue came from the US, more than $3 billion, accounting for 80% of the total revenue in fiscal 2012. Kay Jewelers was the biggest revenue contributor, with nearly $1.79 billion, accounting for 48% of Signet's total revenue. In terms of item sales, the sales of diamonds and diamond jewelry were the biggest in the US, accounting for 73% of the total US revenue. However, the biggest revenue source was watches, which took 31% of the total UK sales. In the last two years, Signet experienced a continuous increase in its same store sales growth; 6.7% in fiscal 2011 and 9% in fiscal 2012.
Positive but Fluctuating Historical Performance
In the last 10 years, Signet has been a consistently positive cash flow generator. The operating cash flow has been fluctuating in the range of $136 million to $515 million since fiscal 2003. Trailing twelve months, the operating cash flow was $312 million and the free cash flow was $186 million. Interestingly, Signet has managed to generate positive profit in nine of out ten years. In 2009, Signet had operating losses of $394 million. The loss was due to a goodwill impairment of $517 million. Over the past 12 months, the net income was $345 million, or $4.09 EPS. The return on invested capital was 15.91%.
In the middle of January, the COO and the CFO of the US division sold 37,482 shares at an average price of $59.84 per share, with a total transaction value of $2.24 million. The company's insiders also sold out their stock in June and August 2012. Mark Light, the CEO of the US Division, and Robert Anderson, the CEO of the UK Division, cashed out nearly 30,000 shares at an average price of $43.96 - $45.34 per share at that time.
Peers Comparison
At the current price of $61.30 per share, the market capitalization of Signet is $4.96 billion. The market is valuing the company at 15x P/E and 9.45x EV/EBITDA. Compared to its peers, including Zale Corporation (NYSE: ZLC) and Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF), Signet has the cheapest valuation.
Zale seems to be the least preferable company among the three. It had the lowest operating margin of 1%, highest debt to equity ratio of 3.4x, and highest EV multiples of 11.85x. Tiffany is paying the highest dividend yield of 2%, whereas Signet is paying a 0.8% yield and Zale is not paying any dividends. Among the three, Signet had the highest ROIC at more than 15.9%, whereas Tiffany's return on invested capital was 11.46%, and Zale was generating losses.
Foolish Bottom Line
Signet and Tiffany seem to be the decent jewelry for investors to hold for the long run. However, I don't feel comfortable enough to initiate a long position in Signet now due to its insiders' sales and nearly double-digit EV valuation.
hoangquocanh has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Tiffany & Co.. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Information from Wiregrass Georgia Technical College-
Twenty-eight students from Lowndes High received Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) pins at a ceremony held at the school last week.
The students received dual enrollment instruction and credit through a partnership between Lowndes High and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. Students who were pinned include Halie Brown, Savannah Byrd, Julie Evans, Logan Holtzclaw, Ty'Shian Innocent, Miranda Mizaur, Malaysia Mitchell, Josue Nunez, Taylor Peacock, Savannah Srygley, Miracle Stephenson, Charlene Suggs, Lourdes Torres, Briana Williams, Garrianna Brown, Tiffany Butenschon, Kamil Cook, Ashley Hernandez, Allison Hiers, Leshanti Hodges, JaNeisia Holmes, Maria Loza, Rachael O'Connor, Tristan Peterman, Katie Price, Jessica Schara, Jaime Sumner, and Caleb Voigt.
Parents were also present for the ceremony and participated in the pinning ceremony. The Wiregrass Georgia Technical College CNA Instructor is Stacey Brinkley.
Pictured: Amelia Roberson, WGTC High School Services Coordinator, Stacey Brinkley, CNA Instructor, Ashley Dasher, LHS Instructor and Rosemary Martin, LHS Instructor are pictured behind the class at Lowndes High School who received their CNA pins.
Copyright 2013 WALB. All rights reserved.
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News |
Events |
Google Map |
Contact us |
Links |
Parking in Honiton |
10th to 15th November 2014
Pausing for breath and following the success of the first three Honiton Antiques Festivals, plans are afoot for the next festival, taking place in November 2014. There will be many unique events occuring across the town throughout the week, and this year we are planning even more exhibitions and fairs. Most of the the links below will lead to details of the 2013 Festival, but more details of 2014 will appear as they become available. If you would like to be involved, please contact us, preferably by email.
* Specialist Exhibitions *
* Antique Valuations *
* Antiques Fair *
* Books and Printed Paper Fair *
* Specialist Auctions *
* Restoration Show *
The East Devon market town of Honiton has a great deal to offer visitors; a fascinating history, a lively atmosphere, a bustling and individual High Street, cafes restaurants, pubs, miles of country walks for ramblers and is the main centre in the West Country for antiques and antiquarian books. Honiton is a magnet for antique dealers and bargain hunters from all over the world, who come to browse in the 15 or so establishments, or to visit one of the regular auctions in the town's two auction houses.
to download a free, full colour guide and map, which shows all the participants, opening hours, specialities, where to park, where to eat etc.
News |
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Parking in Honiton |
the antiques town in the country
Follow @Honitonantiques


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Students with military experience - past or present - and their families have unique experiences and needs, and in an effort to best serve them at CSS, here are some helpful web resources to guide you.
Veteran Guidelines for Best Practices in the Classroom provided by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
Military Cultural Competence - This is an interactive online training provided by the Center for Deployment Psychology "to assist civilian mental health providers in better understanding, communicating, and effectively interacting with Service members and their families."
From Soldier to Student - This report, written by the American Council on Education (ACE), Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), and others, describes the status of military service member programs in higher education.
Making Your Institution Veteran-Friendly - This ACE brochure describes good practices to make an institution "veteran-friendly".
On Campus Resources: Click here to see our network of staff at CSS who help military students.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to be involved in our Veterans Resource Center, please contact Jessica Johnston at firstname.lastname@example.com or 218-723-6645.
The College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811


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A Fogertown man is facing murder charges in the investigation into the death of Brian Griffin. Dwight Douglas Hughes, 61, is scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Oscar Gayle House Thursday morning August 25 for an arraignment. This court day is three weeks from the time a Clay County Grand Jury indicted Hughes for murder, assault and wanton endangerment.
A Birdhouse missing from Park Trail has been recovered. City Police Officer, Jeff Couch recovered the birdhouse that had been missing since last week.
After months of praying and planning the members of the City of Hope Church have a permanent home they can call their own. The Church stayed at or near the top of the bidding on the old Horse Creek school site during the recent online auction.
Clay County public schools and Grace Community Health have joined together to provide students and staff with in school health clinics.
Danny W. Stewart, 26, of Manchester has been charge with the murder of Carl House. Kentucky State Police Detective Jeff Senters and Trooper Nick Metcalf arrested Stewart.
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You're leaving Wedding Paper Divas to see the Deal of the Day at our parent site, Tiny Prints.
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"The Precocious Penguin Save the Dates (in black) were a big hit with our guests and a fun and whimsical way to share our happy wedding date news! Would be fun for wedding paper divas to expand the Precious Penguins pattern to other card/invitation types (i.e. thank yous, rehearsal dinner/shower invites, etc.)"
"We made a lot of personalisation suggsetions and changes to the overall design of the save the date cards. The proofs turned out beautiful and the final product we received in the mail was better then we could have imagined! Beautiful quality paper and quality printing meant the save the date cards were classic with that professional edge. International posatge via fed ex was streamlined and professional. We wish you were in Australia so we could refer to more friends with a lower budget for wedding stationary items. Cant wait to explore our wedding invitations with you soon!"
"I thought these were beautiful and very cost effective. I should have looked at the measurements, because they were a little smaller than I was expecting, but overall I'm very happy!"
"We ordered these save the dates and they were perfect. The customer service kept in touch with us sending proofs and made changes we asked for promptly. When they arrived they were even better than pictured. Also, our designer sent a personal note to us after and that was an awesome touch!"
"This was a very pretty postcard. The custom text and colors chosen turned out very nice and true to the example. I paid for expedited shipping and it arrived on time."