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West LA Target had 18" Scout Trooper, and 2x Transformers Generations Roadbuster, Sky Byte, and Legends Acid Storm and Gears.JediTricks 51 Minutes Ago
Great shots Adam! Thx for sharing!! And ya, I had no idea there was a pre-TF UM anyway. I like the last face pictured too. Idk if that's thebikerscout 1 Hour Ago
Who shot first on the Han vs. Greedo sets? TRU or Hasbro?Droid 2 Hours Ago
Completely agree, but I don't think there's anything in the six films to support the idea of the Jedi (or Sith) being as hard to kill as a KryptonianDroid 2 Hours Ago
Something occurred to me yesterday, and I'm not sure why no one appears to have thought of this, including the writers.
Why doesn't the Decepticon
Well, I found one at TRU today and went ahead and bought it. It was clearly a returned item, since the side had been retaped with a pieces of standardbigbarada 15 Hours Ago
Went to TRU today and found a whole bunch of these sets clogging the shelves and several single-boxed Han and Greedos on the pegs above as well. I alsobigbarada 16 Hours Ago
Sounds like Rebels is going to be worth watching. From the shorts I've seen on the Star Wars website, it looks like a fun show. I wonder if it willbigbarada 16 Hours Ago
Salad, fruit parfait, ice tea (peach).JimJamBonds 16 Hours Ago
I don't trust streaming 100%. There've been too many cases of two giant conglomerates not playing nice, and a lot of media being removed from a service.El Chuxter 18 Hours Ago
It appears a hardware issue has killed our gigantic thread, so we'll just have to use cached versions on Google or Archive.org to see the old days....Last Post By: JediTricks 53 Minutes Ago


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Pilgrim Coloring
Topics : Thanksgiving, Kindergarten, Holiday
Here's a pilgrim doing something we've all wanted to do: playing in a pile of leaves! As you color in this picture, think about what colors the leaves on the ground outside are and try to match them in your picture.
Updated on Feb 5, 2013
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subset: commoncrawl


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Do other states have something like this?—TBH
The Texas Tribune Schools Explorer is our most comprehensive public education tool to date and the only one of its kind in the state. This database combines key academic, enrollment and financial records on all of Texas' 1,300 districts and 8,500 public schools, including hundreds of charter schools and alternative campuses. It makes school statistics easy to navigate.
Take a bird's eye view of public education in Texas with these statewide statistics before drilling down into individual school districts and campuses.


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Where Does +1 Fit Into the Search Equation
For Searches, It Really is About Who You Know
Much has been made about the Independence Day de-tethering of Twitter feeds from the search engine leviathan, Google. The event, which resulted in the also much-talked-about demise of Google Realtime Search, (which was dependent upon the now expired contractual relationship with Twitter), is but one of several indicators of an authentic metamorphosis taking place among search engines, in general, and Google especially. To drill down in this most recent phenomenon, the Google +1 button suggests that, for searches, who you know is more important than ever.
By now, a consensus is forming that Google has no designs on becoming the next Facebook. This doesn't mean, though, that Google hasn't learned the lessons about social networking and the implications of the hierarchical social authority status. The +1 button isn't the only tool available for Google to factor into the mix of determining page ranking, but it does do something no other button does: it identifies a signature created by the user – and the user's online social network.
There is, like any successful innovation we can name, (and for every winner, the scores of others that died inglorious, solitary deaths) a risk involved with the strategy. The risk isn't small, but it's not reckless, either. For Google to tap into the treasures it believes lie under the surface of online anonymity for millions of users, a user clicking on a +1 button must first be logged on to their Google account. The bet is covered, in part, by the fact that, at last count, 170,000,000 Gmail accounts will provide an ante for the bet. Add to that the intentional hyperbole built into the inaugural launch of Google+ and the unlimited invitation capability for the original Google+ account holders, invitations that were and are being disseminated among millions, many of whom don't currently hold Google accounts, but will as a prerequisite to joining Google+. So far, it's been a good bet, one in which they intend to capitalize.
For those logged on to their Google accounts, there comes the intelligence haul that defines social authority resulting from each time one of those users clicks on a +1 button. Once again, many other indicators are weighed to determine search results and authority, but it's more than reasonable to believe that the weight given Google account users and those in their networks is viewed with greater esteem.
Other search engines do and will continue to shift the value of social authority upwards just as they will persist in inventing ways to assess and define authority. The Google +1 hook, and to a lesser degree, Google+ itself, it seems will have the most impact on the folding of the social network into the optimization of search engine outcomes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. He divides his time among work, writing and family life. He has a keen interest in blogging and social media and advocates for online education.
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About The Author
Zarko Zivkovic is the founder and CEO of Practical SEO and also a passionate blogger. All of his free time he dedicates to his Practical SEO blog and giving free advice as well as participating in the blogging community.
Connect with me on Facebook | Twitter | Google + | LinkedIn
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6 Response to Where Does +1 Fit Into the Search Equation
Ryan Ward@Atlanta luxury homes on August 13, 2011
Great topic Zarko. I think its going to be a hot topic because there are already a lot of Google+ users and facebook no doubt is still in number one. So far, both Google as a search engine and facebook as a social networking site has excelled.
Anna on August 14, 2011
I think in general the invention of the button Google+1 is already the innovation. It is a stumuli to have gmail for example for those who don't have. It will only improve the competition which is the beginning of some improvements.
Bobbink@Online marketing on August 15, 2011
@Jesse how about the influence (in numbers) of 1′s on SERP rankings? Can you make a difference when competing on high traffic en generic keywords by having many +1′s?
zach @ Chicago SEO Services on August 24, 2011
@Bobbink, from what I've seen and researched so far, having a high # of +1s has a small effect on search rankings. And if you're going after high competition I'd spend your time getting high quality 1 way links, not going after +1s
Noel Addison@Web Design Ventura on August 27, 2011
I guess we can't really tell the effects of google+ in searches at this time. It is still in it's trial phase but I am not also saying that we should underestimate its potentials.
Jesica Wills on August 30, 2011
Tremendous, Zarko. It is a great topic. Social Networking becomes today's path on the web. And, you have selected very informative topic.
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this blog is run by a: geeky, nerdy, foul-mouthed & sometimes cheeky writer rp'er feminist trekkie…
sara-starshine/gonnagetmysoulfree —> feminerdy
"Seek unity, unity builds the Church and comes from Jesus Christ. He sends us the Holy Spirit to build unity!" -Pope Francis, June 2013
Thanks to @brillotweet for the link!
can I please have #2?
(Source: holotapes, via ohmypreciousgirl)
omg why have I written a bajillion drafts of this JVC autobiographical essay
why can't I get this crap RIGHT?
Try to tell me that there is no pressure on men to have a good image. Try me, mother fucker.
Double standard right here, and it ain't cool!
someone finally fucking points it out
some 34k notes…I don't even want to live on this planet anymore. please let some of them be saying how ridiculously unlike real life for fat women this is.
and you know what's gross? calling anyone the "human embodiment of sloth" just because they're fat, male or female. forreals. smh!
(Source: makuta-tobi, via mycatisgossipgirl)
(via brokenwinged-butterfly)
I just really wish google hangouts were actually a proper substitute. #takemebacktoGB
yeah I'm hashtagging…I'm lonely, bored out of my mind, going stir crazy, and have 6 more weeks of it. so don't judge me.
okay so none of you really shared your thoughts on the liturgy with me when i asked because you're all LAME
but what are your thoughts on open communion? it's something i've (up till now) just accepted the Catholic teaching on. It sort of makes sense to me that it would be a public sign of communion, unity, etc. on the other hand, jesus says "take this, ALL OF YOU", and does it really make sense for the waitstaff of the church to withhold something Christ offers so freely?
so idk. please share your thoughts on open communion? i'm working stuff out and i'm interested in various perspectives. or recommend literature on the topic. also if you'd like to recommend any literature on anglican theology that would be appreciated.
HI so I don't follow you but I saw this reblogged on my dash and wanted to share my perspective. then my laptop battery died in the middle of my reply, which maybe was a good thing because I was going all hardcore theology. I do want to point out that there's definitely a spectrum of open/closed communion, but more than anything, I think maybe the best thing I can do in share a personal experience instead. It's a bit long, but bear with me if you can!
Over new years, I was at a fabulous missions conference, and on one of the last nights we had communion. Imagine a stadium full of some 1600+ people doing this together. But I'm Catholic, and the communion was not. I felt torn! Because on the one hand, wow, I had been part of this wonderful and diverse gathering of God's church all week and what is a more beautiful expression of that than sharing communion together? But on the other, I knew as a Catholic I really shouldn't do it.
There I was, sitting in the crowded and weirdly-lit darkness frantically googling if it was ever licit to take non-Catholic communion and freaking out that someone next to me would think I was weird/generally judge me if I didn't. when the MC made an announcement. Though we were surely a significant minority, he recongised there were some who came from traditions that do not practice an open table/in whatever way kept us from participating fully in communion. He recognized we might be feeling pressured. I still remember just how thankful I was to hear his words — it felt like he was saying them just to me. I invite you to participate at any level and in any way that you are comfortable.
So, was I truly comfortable participating fully? No, I really wasn't. Taking the little broken up pieces of exactly whatever it is we were using might have made me feel, in that moment, I was participating, yes. But I was also acutely aware that the answers to questions like "What is the Eucharist?" and "What does it mean to receive it?" were markedly different for me than the friend sitting next to me. The answers to those questions mattered more than any desire I had to not feel left out or judged, to belong, .or what have you (especially after a brutal day that week in which I felt alienated and unwanted during a seminar about Catholics and Protestants in missional partnership). But you know what? Not participating fully didn't mean I did not belong, that I was missing out on something, or that I wasn't participating at all.
Communion gathers together the faithful in so many ways, one of them being belief… and even though beliefs about communion are not united, closed communion can feel like we are purposely dividing ourselves in disunity to those who don't practice it. To those who do, the reverse can sort of feel like lying because let's face it, the church isn't what one would call unified in identity of belief. But putting all of that aside, what I think my experience in January teaches me is that there is always something special and unique about the act of communion — and I don't even mean the act of taking it. The Holy Spirit is wonderfully present and moving at any Eucharistic celebration, at any gathering of believers. In that stadium, even though all we were doing was passing around tiny pieces of some sort of bread sheet on paper plates, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was praying and experiencing fellowship with thousands of diverse Christians, "full participation" or not.
Christ does offer himself freely in communion, regardless of whether it's Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, nondenominational, Reform, etc. Albeit in different theological ways. I definitely think you're right about that. So while I think open communion is nice (even if I don't take it, it does feel good to be invited), I do think it works best where communities have similar theology concerning the Eucharist. Because denominational diversity is different than diversity in the Kingdom — things like ethnic, cultural, and racial diversity. Denominational diversity doesn't have to stop us from coming together despite differences. I think closed communion should ask us not to judge who is or is not invited to the table, but to be aware of those differences in theology and practice. Open communion while those differences still cause clashes, tension, and disunity does not reflect the body of Christ unified in the way it should be. And there's still a lot of that out there between Christian groups. I think closed communion should call us better understand each other, to learn, because out of those things come respect and love, which do bring us closer together, just as does prayer, song, praise, and fellowship.
I don't know if this was helpful at all, but that's what I think!


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Keyword Relevance for: Administrative
19-3031.01 School Psychologists
|O*NET-SOC Title
|no matches
|Alternate Occupation Titles
|no matches
|O*NET-SOC Description
|no matches
|3 matches
|Detailed Work Activities
|1 match
- Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
- Provide consultation to parents, teachers, administrators, and others on topics such as learning styles and behavior modification techniques.
- Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
Detailed Work Activities
- Administer standardized physical or psychological tests.


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Increased oversight at the Duane Arnold Energy Center has some questioning just how safe plant is.
"If you don't catch your problems, that's where the safety issues come in," said Marion resident Pam Mackey-Taylor. "I think that's really important to the public."
In Tuesday's public meeting in Hiawatha, members of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) meet with representatives from Duane Arnold to discuss the plant's rapid decline in performance, resulting in some moderate safety concerns.
Duane Arnold's site vice president Richard Anderson says they've put in a corrective action process to ensure the levels of safety are improved.
"When we do find gaps like this, we put them into our correction action program and it's not unusual to have gaps at a power plant, but we want to minimize those," said Anderson. "Through the training of our operators the use of our procedures and the quality of the maintenance we do that we avoid even the low level problems with our safety equipment."
Federal regulators say it's quite unusual because Duane Arnold performed relatively well, for several years.
"We do continue to believe they're safely operating the facility, but they do have improvements that are necessary," said NRC's regional administrator, Cynthia Pederson. "We've seen here two issues involving safety equipment that were more significant, we look at these issues and look at how important that piece of equipment is to safety."
One finding reveals poor procedures and maintenance of the diesel generator, causing an oil leak. The other finding involved the failure to perform an "operability evaluation" to an unexpected reading on the reactor core isolation cooling turbine speed indicator.
Duane Arnold went from a licensee response on the NRC's action matrix concept, where the best performing plants are, to the downgraded cornerstone, where there's a low to moderate safety issue.
"Problem resolution on a long-term basis has to be a corrected action system, if it isn't working there's significant problems at the plant," said Mackey-Taylor.
Pederson says the plant continues to operate safely, however, Duane Arnold's reduced safety margin definitely causes concern.
"The plant continues to operate safely, if at anytime this plant or any other plant was not safe we would not allow it to operate," said Pederson.
Anderson says the issues at the plant were fixed within days and they plan to have the NRC reinspect the areas of concern again in the coming weeks.
The NRC says they will put in hundreds of extra hours to make sure the plant has met sustained performance.


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See and share Beautiful Nature Photos and amazing photos of interesting places
These War Faith poems are examples of Faith poems about War. These are the best examples of War Faith poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
As the waves forever kiss the shore
One shot leaves you wanting more
My heart and soul, strong and true
With all the love they hold for you
Sometimes my life leaves me bored
Like a swordsman with no sword
These are the times that I write
Memories can be hard to fight
I write out my heart and soul
Controlling my mind is my goal
Each new word released by my pen
Is another spiritual battle I win
The war rages on day by day
Through the poem prayers I pray
It's a war that I will forever win
Long as there is ink up in my pen
In prison I had quite a collection
Each one held it's own reflection
I saved them after they ran dry
Baptized with the tears I cry
I just couldn't seem to let them go
Little memories of my heart and soul
Sometimes I like to take them out
Little memories of what I'm about
What I'm about angel on my shoulder
Making this world a little less colder
His daddy is fighting in Iraq.
His mommy is fighting tears.
His brother is fighting death.
He is fighting his desolation and fears.
Friends are but a dream
and companions are an illusion.
School is a concentration camp,
but he stands, though alone, in the midst of confusion.
His training school is loneliness.
His milestones are fears, thrust in lies.
His only weapon is faith
and his bullets are soft "hallelujah" cries.
Strength left his fragile body
and he lost the fight in life so coy,
yet on his knees he conquered agony
and I call him the little soldier boy.
angels descended
on a bloody battlefield…
soldiers' spirits rise
Heaven's door opens
Freedom fighters' souls enter
Forgiveness is found
"Thou Shalt Not Kill" set aside
By a righteous Creator
(Senryu and Tanka)
*By Carolyn Devonshire for Russell's "A Mesh of Forms" contest
"Lucifer's Laments"
By M. Taha Effendi
(Dramatic Monologue)
Do You not see, Almighty God,
How Your order man defied?
So base, so vile, so gravely flawed,
Yet so consumed by pride!
He broke all sacred codes though warned,
He dared to pay no heed,
He mocked Your words, Your gifts he
He breached what You decreed,
Beyond the holy saint's facade,
There hides a worthless cheat,
A savage beast, a thief, a fraud,
The master of deceit,
Too weak to tame his lust and greed,
To feel remorse, too vain,
Power, wealth his only creed,
And Your worship he disdains,
He quenched his thirst with blood he
In countless wars he waged,
Centuries wore on. Millions killed,
Civilizations laid to waste,
But he prides this life of sin and crime,
As he leads himself astray!
His humanity lost in his race with time,
And by the error of his way,
Why then My Lord was I expelled?
Was mine a darker sin?
I am the angel that rebelled,
But is not man my evil twin?
To salve his conscience, me he blames,
When he himself is full of vice,
While in his heart surely he shames,
To have staged his own demise,
It is a myth his vice I feed,
He writes himself his fate,
Man: A far more disgusting breed,
Not merely my incarnate!
(Finalist - International Poetry Soup
Contest 2011)
The sweetest sounds of burning trees
A gentle stroking in the breeze
The calm has lasted past the storm
Cloudy visions, Satan's roar
Too many sights have passed my way
A time found only in the haze
The softest screams are running bare
My aching bones creak as I stare
You walk a distance towards me
The fall's eternal, can't you see?
I'm a memory in your heart
I whisper to you in the dark
The battle's started at the end
No one is coming to repent
The sinners grab their wine from prey
No judgment calling here to stay
The sport is reckless to be told
The one is laughing at his souls
It falters nowhere to be sure
The power grows forevermore
Like a spirit in the wind
I have no say in where you've been
But cross the line to come to me
And pay the price for ecstasy
You walk a distance towards me
The fall's eternal, can't you see?
I'm a memory in your heart
I whisper to you in the dark.
I look up from the valley and I see the mountaintop.
Up where the air is clearer and gentle breezes never stop.
Where the eagle's nest can be seen in a mighty cypress tree
God's awesome splendor is waiting there for all the world to see.
In an effort to get closer to the one who made it all
I will climb the lofty mountain and listen for His call.
And when His call is heard and His orders are made clear
I will join His mighty army as the final battle nears.
The evil one will also gather all his minions here
And the battle that will follow will make nations disappear.
For all the blood that's shed will, like a river, flow
And the valley will not be the same as the valley that we know.
The righteousness of God will certainly prevail
And Satan's wicked army shall ultimately fail.
So if you want to be there to see how it comes out
Let destiny lead you and there will be no doubt.
Written By John Posey
It was raining with pain from above
and dews of blood are seeping,
on the windows, houses and asphalt
putting out the fire of life feeling.
from the branches of the oaks from the hill
on a string dead cold bodies are hanging,
down are staying the trails of hope
and in the sky,the last sunset is shining.
and the burned out trees, full of ashes,
are waving in the cold wind alone,
they reopen the door for a moment
and let the soul to go home...
all that is left now is empty,
on the river,the willow is dying,
on the streets the life dead lost feeling
and on the grass the dews of blood crying.
I shall live and die
By my own accord
Only my God may judge me
To him I've proved my worth
I am still here fighting
It matters not what for
On my ship of righteousness
Headed for waters unexplored
The clear night sky will darken
And the clouds seem ominous
I take heed to the sure signs
From them I won't digress
They are in the way of my dreams
And hopes that fill my sails
Like the wind from my heaven
Keeps my skin tough as nails
Evil comes to tempt me
I am not immune
Sometimes I play the hero
Other times I'm just a fool
Either way the choice is mine
I make it with my free will
For that's the gift he gave me
And for what I fight for still
The government is coming
To bring a chaos they call order
The line has been drawn
Between two sides there is a border
I feel myself being torn
To choose a fate in stone
Let this be a lesson
Why I wander on my own
Minds can be controlled
I see it every day
The weak wills fall like dominos
That lie littering my way
An obstacle before me
I iron will it to the end
And when the devil comes
to dance with me
I have already started to transcend
into everything around
I am the universal man
my true form I shall disguise
I am hiding it from this great Satan
they say will come for my demise
I know he will find me
maybe he already has
in a long gone nightmare
that my soul he stole at last
if I remember correctly
I can't say I recall
ever escaping his grip
or did it ever touch me
at all?
I close my eyes,
and yet I see a flag draped casket,
And as if there, I hear the synchronic
report of rifles,
and the echo of taps that rides the
morning zephyrs.
Perhaps no image portrays the cost of
my freedom,
such as these mental souvenirs gathered
from each war.
They have allowed me, in thought,
to separate fallen heroes from body bags,
while forcing me to review
Another debt,
which also, I can never repay.
In ancient times when knights were bold,
They dressed in armor, so we're told.
When they went out to face their foe,
Their armor protected them head to toe.
Christians we must do the same,
Or be struck down by Satan's aim.
His flaming arrows fly all around,
Intending to knock us to the ground.
So put on God's armor without delay,
We need His protection everyday.
For our struggle is not against what we can see,
But the powers of darkness are our enemy.
Stand firm then and dress with all haste,
Start with truth buckled 'round your waist.
Satan fights dirty by spreading lies,
But the belt of God's truth will make us wise.
Next is the Breastplate of Righteousness,
That God provides for all who are His.
It's the righteousness of Christ covering you,
That the evil one cannot stand up to.
Now cover your feet with the readiness of,
Sharing God's gospel of peace and love..
Take the Shield of Faith and keep it near,
To deflect Satan's arrows of confusion and fear.
Place the Helmet of Salvation firmly on your head,
It will keep Satan's lies from filling you with dread.
He wants to make you doubt your salvation is sure,
But the helmet will guard your mind and keep you secure.
Your armor is complete, but now you need a sword,
So take the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of the Lord.
God's Word is sufficient to defend or attack.
With God's Word in your heart you can hold Satan back.
With your armor in place and your Sword in your hand,
Be strong in the Lord and in His power stand.
And pray in the Spirit at all times and all ways,
Cause the enemy trembles when Saints start to pray!
Based on Ephesians 6:10-18


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Update: When I first posted this, the LLF live show was listed as ten PM on Saturday. It is in fact two hours later, at midnight Saturday.
Update 2: Listening to the new media track coordinator, it sounds like the tips and tricks panel is actually Saturday and I will be joining it as well.
John and I will once again be attending Balticon, coming up in a week. We plan to record a pre-show this week that I hope we'll be able to get posted before we go. Once there, we will be on panels, again, adding our experiences and talents to those of all the other volunteers to make the new media track as awesome as possible.
When not on panels, we will again be cornering friends of ours throughout the weekend to capture interviews for this podcast to share over the course of the weeks following Balticon.
We will be having our quiet, by invitation only room party, Sunday night. Please ask one of us for the details once we are all at the con. It will still be BYOBS, number 3 I think, but to go along with the re-launch of the podcast, that will expand to Bring Your Own Beverage and Story. We'll have some of our own homebrew on hand and encourage any of our friends and listeners who will be there and are brewers to bring theirs as well. In addition, we'll have a modest bar to mix up some favorite cocktails and perhaps share some more experimental tastes. (We also plan to have a good supply of cold water and you are forewarned we will be nagging people to hydrate so that ill effects are blunted as much as possible.)
One new thing for us this year is a live recording of the podcast. John and I are already conspiring on ideas for how best to include the live audience and bring teh awesome. For those unable to attend, we will be recording so we can share the live show in the feed, too.
Our schedules are:
Saturday, May 25
09:00 Producing Your Podcast (both of us)
18:00 Peer Media, Copyright and You (Thomas)
23:00 Audio Production Tips and Tricks (both of us)
00:00 Libation Liberation Front live show! (both of us)
Sunday, May 26th
12:00 Disasterpiece Theatre (Thomas)
13:00 Talk to Me: How To Conduct Podcast Interviews (Thomas)
16:00 Managing a Large Cast (John)
Monday, May 27th
10:00 Voice Acting For Audio Books and Audio Dramas (John)
So come and find us, say hi, and we'll share our fancy new LLF business cards and, well, perhaps some other surprises once we are there.


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This is actually an early 1990s commercial for an insurance company in the Netherlands. These guys have a good sense of humor and exploit the "born to be wild" theme in the funniest possible way.
I believe that the respective rider is indeed wild, but isolated too. Good for the hot chick!
Source: youtube


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Michael Watson weighs up the pros and cons from yesterday's Budget
Seasoned political commentators will tell you that first impressions of a Budget speech are often wrong.
The most brilliant speech, which has government MPs cheering to the rafters, can quickly unravel. The budget that is poorly received can turn out to be just what was wanted.


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Jack Black • Intense Therapy Lip Balm spf 25 • Lip Treatments
(326 reviews)
|Average Rating.
|Would buy this product again.
reggiemoon on 9/29/2014 5:35:00 PM more reviews by reggiemoon
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
I use the natural mint flavor. This product is way over priced but its the only lip product I've ever used that actually moisturizes already chapped lips. Also its hard to get out the last little bit which is annoying. But it really works for me so I always have this on hand.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
HoneyQ on 8/21/2014 4:51:00 PM more reviews by HoneyQ
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination, Tan Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
Best lip balm ever!!!
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beverlywho on 8/5/2014 5:49:00 PM more reviews by beverlywho
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral Hair: Black, Straight, Medium Eyes: Brown
My lip balm dependent lips love these. The natural mint flavor is my favorite (I just have a thing for minty lip treatments). They feel wonderfully smooth on the lips, though they do seem to sit on the lips as opposed to sink in, as other have noted. I always be sure I don't apply this right before applying a lipstick, because the pigment just will not set into my lips at all. I go through a tube quite quickly, unfortunately, because I incessantly reapply.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Arrosynn on 6/24/2014 11:40:00 AM more reviews by Arrosynn
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Green
This product is just.... meh. I have the mint and lemon ones, and though I absolutely love the smell and taste of both, especially the lemon... this product doesn't absorb into my lips at all. Which means no moisturizing in the long term. The spf is nice sure, but i'd rather use something that actually soaks in and keeps my lips hydrated rather than just sitting on the surface and getting all over everything (if i'm eating or drinking).
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melaniepich on 6/23/2014 11:50:00 PM more reviews by melaniepich
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Combination, Tan Hair: Other Eyes: Brown
This product is okay. It sits on my lips instead of sinking in and it sorta clumps up in the corners and inside of my lips. spf is good but i probably will not repurchase.
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thirdsword on 6/21/2014 7:14:00 PM more reviews by thirdsword
Age: 19-24 Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm Hair: Black, Medium Eyes: Brown
This lip balm comes in several different scents--the black tea and blackberry smells lovely, has SPF 25, and has a great price of 8.50CAD per tube. Due to the many rave reviews I thought that this would keep my lips soft and moisturized, but this isn't the case. The heavy formula sits on top of my lips without any of it sinking in, and it leaves them kind of peel-y. I'm pretty sad that this doesn't work for me as I really wanted to love it, but I'll have to stick with my Nivea and L'Occitane for keeping my lips in good shape.
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xtinacab on 6/14/2014 11:26:00 PM more reviews by xtinacab
Age: 25-29 Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
I really like this stuff. I also love the scent so much! It is pricey but if you had to choose between this or Sugar, I would definitely choose this! Love this stuff!
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lillimariel on 5/29/2014 11:32:00 AM more reviews by lillimariel
Age: 36-43 Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Cool Hair: Black, Curly, Medium Eyes: Black
Glorified Aquaphor it is. Basically same as Aquaphor (40% petrolatum) with added mint and SPF ingredients. Still, it does what is says and I do like that it has SPF.
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*TOP REVIEWER* flairgirl8 on 5/20/2014 1:19:00 PM more reviews by flairgirl8
Age: 44-55 Skin: Other Hair: Other Eyes: Other
This is nothing more than a glorified Aquaphor lip balm with scent and spf.It is too expensice for a petrolatum based product. I actually like Aquaphor better as it contains skin soothing allantoin and vitamin B5 plus glycerin.
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nocturnem on 5/2/2014 5:09:00 PM more reviews by nocturnem
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine Eyes: Hazel
I bought this lipbalm after reading the rave review for it on Temptalia.
Lipbalm, like skincare, doesn't work the same on all people, so even though I took the review with a grain of salt, I was still very curious to see if it could moisturize my super chapped, dry lips. I find it expensive for a lipbalm, but if it had worked for me as well as it does for other people, I think I wouldn't mind paying the price. Unfortunately, although on initial application is does seem to moisturize, after 10 minutes or so my lips start feeling kinda dry even if the lipbalm is still sitting on top. I've tried applying generously before bed, but the next morning even if there would be some lipbalm left my lips were still somewhat chapped and dry, and after washing my face and removing the leftover lipbalm, they'd feel and look just as dry as the night before.
I have the original mint & shea butter lipbalm, it has a pretty strong minty scent and taste and sometimes I even feel it on the back of my throat after applying it to my lips. The texture is sticky and waxy, and the finish is fairly shiny.
Overall, not a lipbalm I'd repurchase, as Nivea or other cheap brands work better for me.
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The best tech bargain out there
Giants like Cisco and Hewlett-Packard look inexpensive based on some valuation measures. But if you consider where trends are heading, there is an obvious winner.
I keep hearing that technology shares are cheap.
The numbers seem to back that up.
Computer stocks trade for just 9.3 times reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, according to Bloomberg. That's just 1.3 times the multiple for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX) as a whole. And that's the smallest premium for computer stocks since Bloomberg's data began in 1998.
The price-to-earnings ratio for the companies in the information technology sector as compiled by Standard & Poor's is just 14.8. The multiple for the entire index is 14.7. The 14.8 multiple for the information technology sector is its lowest since December 2009.
And if you look at individual stocks, the numbers seem to make the argument even stronger. Cisco Systems (CSCO.O), one of the top technology names for decades, trades at a P/E ratio of just 11.5. The Intel (INTC.O) P/E is just 10.2.
But I just don't buy it. I think technology stocks as a whole are pretty accurately priced. The big companies that dominate the sector, the names we all recognize, may even be slightly overpriced. And the true growth companies in the sector may be attractive buys on their growth, but they sure aren't cheap on their price-to-earnings ratios.
I think the whole "technology stocks are cheap" argument fails to consider exactly how much the technology sector has changed from the good old days and how sweeping the revolution is that is now turning the sector upside down.
Let's take a look at the assumptions in the technology-is-cheap argument one at a time.
There's an assumption, for instance, that Cisco Systems shouldn't trade at a trailing 12-month P/E ratio.
Why in heavens not?
Here's a company that belatedly admitted that it pursued a profit-margin-killing strategy of heading off into the consumer market and that it needs to refocus. Then it presented a clearly inadequate reorganization plan.
Operating earnings -- a figure that doesn't include any one-time charges -- will grow, Standard & Poor's calculates, by just 6.7% in the fiscal year that ends in July and by just 8.4% in the fiscal year that ends in July 2012.
That 11.5 multiple doesn't look so out of line to me.
And lest you think this is simply the raving of someone who has recently lost money on an investment in Cisco (which I have), take a look at the other big names in the sector. Does Intel's 10.01 P/E look out of line with projected earnings growth of 7.3%? Does Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N) look cheap at a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.9 against projected earnings growth of 9.5%?
Projected growth is low
Microsoft (MSFT.O) does look cheap against fiscal 2011 earnings growth of 25% at a trailing-12-month P/E of 9.7%, but not so cheap when you notice that earnings growth is projected to drop back to 10.3% in fiscal 2012. (Microsoft is the publisher of MSN Money.)
Compare these valuations with those of General Electric (GE.N) at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.8 and a projected earnings-growth rate of 18%. Or consider an even stodgier Verizon Communications (VZ.N) at a P/E of 16.4 and a projected growth rate of 21%.
To get past the anemic rates of projected growth, you could argue (and I've heard analysts and investors make this case) that the consensus projected earnings-growth rate is too low. These technology companies are set to grow faster than this, you could say, and therefore they are cheap at these P/E ratios.
I'd find this more convincing if these technology companies were acting as if they agreed. Instead, I see one after the other of these giants repositioning its stock as a value instead of a growth stock by raising dividends to the levels that appeal to value investors. Intel now yields more than General Electric, while Microsoft pays only slightly less. Even Cisco Systems has added a minuscule dividend. Growth stocks don't have to pay dividends to lure investors, and they've got better things to do with their cash -- like invest in new business opportunities. Apple (AAPL.O) doesn't pay a dividend. Neither does Google (GOOG.O).
MSN.ca Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. Our articles, columns, message board posts and other features should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft of any specific security or trading strategy. An investor's best course of action must be based on individual circumstances.


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SAN FRANCISCO — Sweep?
That's how this feels. The San Francisco Giants cannot do anything wrong. They are on fire. They beat the Tigers, 2-0, in Game 2 Thursday night. They are just like the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox, who didn't lose a game in the World Series. The Giants are an army of steamrollers.


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CONAN Highlight: America's first case of Ebola is in the Lone Star state. Luckily the medical professionals there know just how to handle it.
Nick advocates going "full bush", maintaining "a swampy atmosphere that's just shy of growing fungus."
Thanks to the Basic Cable Band, you can hear songs that ALMOST sound like the real deal for a fraction of the cost.
Conan jokes about Justin Bieber, "Jeopardy!" and more...
Pete explains that golf is so dull, it's even more boring than taking a nap.
After Sister Jesuina demonstrated the evils of Playboy, young Mr. Offerman never missed Sunday School again.
Jerrod thinks Steve Jobs was a genius at making sure everyone covets the same crappy phone as everyone else.
CONAN Highlight: Bill explains that ladies are so jealous of mens' simplistic, football-loving brains, they'll never be happy until the NFL is destroyed.
Andy thinks Stanley is after his voice-over gig, so he settles it the one way he knows how.
When Jesse & Eric visited Eric's Kansas alma mater, they accidentally stumbled into a fraternity booty call.
Tweeting this from the White House. The Obamas look so peaceful sleeping. #shhhh


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- Ryan McKinney
- Brentwood, MD
- United States
Associate Director of Campus Activities, The Catholic University of America
This conversation is closed.
Titles are essential for leadership
We have all been taught that you don't need a title to be a leader but no one I've interacted with actually believes that. We look to those with titles as the leaders.
Leadership is about relationships and titles help define the relationship you have to someone or something.
Every relationship has a title and every relationship needs leadership skills and knowledge to help it grow - thus every relationship title is a leadership title. Employee, sister, father, stranger, student, musician, cousin, roommate, pilot, supervisor, American, homeowner, etc. These are all titles and if people viewed them as leadership titles maybe we'd take more responsibility for the influence we have in those roles.
edward long 100+Sep 19 2012: Surely we can name some proven successful leaders who have/had no title? If you define occupation as a title then everyone with a job has a title and is therefor a leader? Your suggestion seems to make every living person a leader. Infants don't lead. Comatose people don't lead. I do not think titles are essential to leadership. I also do not think titles are proof of leadership. I think there is nothing more than arbitrary protocol behind titles.
Sep 19 2012: I do suggest that everyone is a leader. Doesn't mean they are effective as a leader. Doesn't mean they are having a positive influence on others. Doesn't even mean they are aware of the role they have. How you lead is up to you and the influence you have over others is up to those you are leading. You can't change the fact you are a leader - you can change the adjective that goes in front of the word leader.
Sep 19 2012: The adjective for me is "disoriented". Do not follow me. So you contend that infants; people in comas; insane people and hermits are leaders? Your conclusion that all leaders (which all people are) need titles is supported by what propositions? Please state them for the debate. A syllogism would be helpful.
Sep 19 2012: Being a leader means having influence. When you are in a relationship you influence the other person, organization, object, or concept. Think about any relationship you have - there is a title that comes with that. If you apply leadership concepts to that relationship you will be able to influence that relationship more proactively. Everyone has relationships thus everyone is a leader. This doesn't mean you are good at it - you could have a negative influence on your relationships. Why and how you influence others will lead to a description of your style of leadership (good, effective, negative, servant, destructive, etc.)
We don't need to wait to be given grand titles to start leading (o Great One, Empress of All Universes, etc.) - the titles of friend, son, homeowner, citizen are waiting for you to lead. For example in Drew Dudley's Ted talk he shared a story about leadership being influence http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership.html. In this story he uses his title as a "Member of Shinaramma", "Student", and "Stranger" to have a significant and lasting impact on the young lady's life.
Let's take James Zhang's example of the title "Cool Kid Next Door" - this title describes the relationship you have with someone else (they live next door). They also define you as "cool" and with this description in your title it qualifies how someone might interact with you and views you. You clearly have a relationship with that person which has led them to not only identify you as the kid next door but add the adjective "cool".
The title "friend" can be hugely influential and means different functions in different friendships yet still gives a context for that relationship. Add "best" in front of that title and it is a different kind of relationship with different influence.
Think of relationship you have and you will find a title. What you do with that title and how others react to how we that title is leadership. It is that simple.
Sep 19 2012: Just to clarify, your definition of "title" is less formal than the connotations that the commonly assumed word carries.
Just a fair warning, If you're gonna see some confusion in some of the responses you get, it'd most likely be because of that reason. Most people think of "title" as a formal title like "Dr." or "PHD" or "Colonel", etc.
Sep 19 2012: Leadership is about leading; it is about having followers; a leader could also be the known best, or the first.
Everybody has his or her own extent of influence; but not everybody is a leader(which would be the case if your idea that leadership is about titles were true).
The reason why leadership qualities/skills are desirable in everybody is that, it helps in being a good influence on someone who may become a leader(or is already a leader).
Sep 19 2012: Another reason those qualities might be desirable is that everyone has the opportunity to be a leader, but perhaps in different environments. I know lots of people who can be classified as a leader, but are not perceived as such by most other people. They all have one thing in common; they provide a good example and stimulate others to do the same (without expecting it).
Linda Taylor 50+Sep 19 2012: I disagree.
Sep 19 2012: Functions are necessary to any organization what you call those functions is not as important. These functions are not being performed currently by the POTUS which is the core problem.
Sep 19 2012: And why don't we all perform the functions of POTUS? Why are we waiting for him to perform them? ....he has the title which indicates that he should be the one to accomplish those functions. But if more of us viewed our title as Citizen differently - maybe we'd exert more influence to ensure the functions are carried out in our best interests. We have the leadership titles but we don't proactively exert the influence those title provide us.
Sep 19 2012: "These functions are not being performed currently by the POTUS which is the core problem."
You mean you don't happen to agree with how the POTUS chooses to perform his functions. It is very arrogant to equate that to "he's not performing his functions", I may disagree with the way George Bush ruled America but I would never say he did not perform his functions.
James Zhang 30+
Sep 19 2012: You can give yourself the title but the person, organization, object, etc. on the other side of that title gets to decide how much influence you have in that relationship. You can give yourself the title Empress of All Universes but the universes decide how they respond to your influence.
Sep 19 2012: I think more specifically, leadership is about having followers. Without followers, how can one be a leader? And there are certain qualities/properties that leaders have that followers respect enough for them to listen/follow. This could be personality and character, ideology, money and material possessions, technical prowess, intelligence, etc.
Titles are one mean to gain respect for others to follow/listen to someone, but they aren't the only way to sell the image.
James Zhang 30+
Sep 20 2012: Yeah, it still can probably. Even a kid can be an emotional leader, unaware of his/her status. Anything can become an icon, and iconic figures are representations of ideas that people believe in and follow. Is it really Martin Luther King Jr. himself that people followed or was it the idea of what he represents that people followed? Or in a religious sense, is it God that people follow or is it the idea of what God represents that people follow?


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|By Business Wire
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|February 4, 2013 12:45 PM EST
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pjmkpz/ict_priorities_in) has announced the addition of the "ICT Priorities in Mexico - Enterprise ICT investment plans to 2013" report to their offering.
This report presents the findings from a survey of 119 Mexican enterprises regarding their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) investment priorities. The survey investigates the core technologies which Mexican enterprises are investing in, including the likes of enterprise applications, security, mobility, communications and collaboration, and Cloud Computing.
What is the current market landscape and what is changing?
Mexican enterprises are still improving their core business operations with IT implementations which is evident from Kable's survey where enterprises' spending is mainly focused on IT systems management, enterprise applications and security. New and advanced technologies such as mobility and cloud computing are also slowly gaining traction among Mexican enterprises.
What are the key drivers behind recent market changes?
The demand for cloud technologies is fuelled by factors such as reducing the cost of managing and maintaining IT systems, improving business agility and datacentre consolidation.
What makes this report unique and essential to read?
Kable Global ICT Intelligence has invested significant resources in order to interview CIOs and IT managers about their IT investment priorities. Very few IT analyst houses will have interviewed 110+ ICT decision makers in the Mexican market in H2 2012.
Key Features and Benefits
Recognize Mexican enterprises' strategic objectives with regards to their ICT investments.
Identify Mexican enterprises' investment priorities based on their budget allocations across core technology categories such as enterprise applications, security, mobility, communications and collaboration, and Cloud Computing, etc.
Learn about the drivers that are influencing Mexican enterprises' investments in each technology category.
Establish how Mexican enterprises' IT budgets are currently allocated across various segments within a technology category.
Gain insight into how Mexican enterprises plan to change their IT budget allocations across various segments within a technology category.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pjmkpz/ict_priorities_in
Come learn about what you need to consider when moving your data to the cloud. In her session at 15th Cloud Expo, Skyla Loomis, a Program Director of Cloudant Development at Cloudant, will discuss the security, performance, and operational implications of keeping your data on premise, moving it to the cloud, or taking a hybrid approach. She will use real customer examples to illustrate the tradeoffs, key decision points, and how to be successful with a cloud or hybrid cloud solution.
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With the explosion of the cloud, more businesses are transitioning to a recurring revenue model to generate reliable sales, grow profits, and open new markets. This opportunity requires businesses to get to market quickly with the pricing and packaging options customers want. In addition, you will want to take advantage of the ensuing tidal wave of data to more effectively upsell, cross-sell and manage your customers. All of this is possible, but only with the right approach. At 15th Cloud Expo, Brendan O'Brien, Co-founder at Aria Systems and the inventor of cloud billing panelists, will lead a panel discussion on what it takes to launch and manage a successful recurring revenue business. The panelists will offer their insights about what each department will need to consider, from financial management to line of business and IT. The panelists will also offer examples from their success in recurring revenue with companies such as Audi, Constant Contact, Experian, Pitney-Bowes, Teleko...
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Over the last few years the healthcare ecosystem has revolved around innovations in Electronic Health Record (HER) based systems. This evolution has helped us achieve much desired interoperability. Now the focus is shifting to other equally important aspects – scalability and performance. While applying cloud computing environments to the EHR systems, a special consideration needs to be given to the cloud enablement of Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), i.e., the largest single medical system in the United States.
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Cloud and Big Data present unique dilemmas: embracing the benefits of these new technologies while maintaining the security of your organization's assets. When an outside party owns, controls and manages your infrastructure and computational resources, how can you be assured that sensitive data remains private and secure? How do you best protect data in mixed use cloud and big data infrastructure sets? Can you still satisfy the full range of reporting, compliance and regulatory requirements? In his session at 15th Cloud Expo, Derek Tumulak, Vice President of Product Management at Vormetric, will discuss how to address data security in cloud and Big Data environments so that your organization isn't next week's data breach headline.
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Scott Jenson leads a project called The Physical Web within the Chrome team at Google. Project members are working to take the scalability and openness of the web and use it to talk to the exponentially exploding range of smart devices. Nearly every company today working on the IoT comes up with the same basic solution: use my server and you'll be fine. But if we really believe there will be trillions of these devices, that just can't scale. We need a system that is open a scalable and by using the URL as a basic building block, we open this up and get the same resilience that the web enjoys.
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The 16th International Cloud Expo announces that its Call for Papers is now open. 16th International Cloud Expo, to be held June 9–11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City brings together Cloud Computing, APM, APIs, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps and WebRTC to one location. With cloud computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to plant your flag in this fast-expanding business opportunity. Submit your speaking proposal today!
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Most of today's hardware manufacturers are building servers with at least one SATA Port, but not every systems engineer utilizes them. This is considered a loss in the game of maximizing potential storage space in a fixed unit. The SATADOM Series was created by Innodisk as a high-performance, small form factor boot drive with low power consumption to be plugged into the unused SATA port on your server board as an alternative to hard drive or USB boot-up. Built for 1U systems, this powerful device is smaller than a one dollar coin, and frees up otherwise dead space on your motherboard. To meet the requirements of tomorrow's cloud hardware, Innodisk invested internal R&D resources to develop our SATA III series of products. The SATA III SATADOM boasts 500/180MBs R/W Speeds respectively, or double R/W Speed of SATA II products.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudian, Inc., the leading provider of hybrid cloud storage solutions, has been named "Bronze Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 15th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Cloudian is a Foster City, Calif.-based software company specializing in cloud storage. Cloudian HyperStore® is an S3-compatible cloud object storage platform that enables service providers and enterprises to build reliable, affordable and scalable hybrid cloud storage solutions. Cloudian actively partners with leading cloud computing environments including Amazon Web Services, Citrix Cloud Platform, Apache CloudStack, OpenStack and the vast ecosystem of S3 compatible tools and applications. Cloudian's customers include Vodafone, Nextel, NTT, Nifty, and LunaCloud. The company has additional offices in China and Japan.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that TechXtend (formerly Programmer's Paradise), a leading value-added provider of server and storage virtualization, and r-evolution will exhibit at SYS-CON's 15th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. TechXtend (formerly Programmer's Paradise) is a leading value-added provider of software, systems and solutions for corporations, government organizations, and academic institutions across the United States and Canada. TechXtend is the Exclusive Reseller in the United States for r-evolution
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- Ulitzer Names the World's 30 Most Influential Cloud Computing Bloggers
- Virtualization Conference Keynote Webcast Live on SYS-CON.TV


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main index
16 and Pregnant is an MTV reality series produced by Morgan Freeman, (No, not THAT Morgan Freeman) and was first broadcast on June 11, 2009. It follows the stories of teenage girls dealing with the hardships of teenage pregnancy. Each episode features a different teenage girl; the episode typically begins when she is four to eight months into her pregnancy, and typically ends when the baby is a few months old. The series is produced in a documentary format, with commercial breaks preceded by an animation of an elaborate cartoon depiction on notebook paper of each episode's highlights.
This series provides examples of:


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Budweiser Clydesdale visits Topsby jmaloni
Fri, May 23rd 2014 09:50 pm
The line in the DiMino Tops Lewiston parking lot was so long Friday night, shoppers might've thought Justin Bieber was performing in concert. In fact, children and families lined up to take pictures with one of the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses. The animal and his teammates are in town this weekend, appearing at various locations throughout Western New York.


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Sacrilegium HQ
Sacrilegium HQ (Xbox360)
The rich and nuanced plot follows the young woman Alex across the world, from the misty shores of San Francisco to the fearsome and foreboding corners of the Old Continent. There, Alex learns that assumptions can be lethally deceptive and that the seemingly safe modern world is but half of a chamber divided by a dark curtain... that beyond that opaque veil lies the embodiment of nightmares spawned into flesh.
Available on: PC, PS3, Xbox360 XBOX360 Rank: 1558 / 1,781 | Overall Rank: 12395 / 14,380
Game tags: Action, Science Fiction, Third-Person, Horror, Modern Times
Latest Media
|Topware Interactive announces survival horror title S... (1)
|Two Worlds publisher Topware Interactive has announced a new survival horror title developed by Reality Pump, Sacrilegium.
|Posted: 07.06.2012 by JonahFalcon
|View all Sacrilegium news...(1)


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Seven-day wonder: Inside the Promise TV
Summary: Modern consumer products need hardware, software, industrial design and usability. Find out what two designers can do with Promise TV, a set-top box that records seven days of Freeview at once
3 of 5Image
Promise TV box
This is the remote head that links a TV to Ethernet while relaying infrared control codes from the remote. Up to four of these can be fitted around a building and connected back to the main box.
The natural length limitations of single-span wired Ethernet and the deliberate lack of wireless make it very hard to use this system to distribute TV outside a single building. The Promise.tv company hopes this will placate any broadcaster nervous that its content rights are being infringed.
Image credit: Rupert Goodwins/ZDNet UK
EPG screen
A major advantage of the Promise TV system is its ease of use and guaranteed capture of wanted programmes — potentially even before the viewer knows they want to see them.
Dominic Ludlam, the software designer, has eschewed the grid system so common in other electronic programme guides (EPGs) for a simple timeline or content grouped by type.
Here, part of the list of the hundreds of films that had been broadcast in the week prior to ZDNet UK's visit is shown. Because it's unlikely the viewer would care when the film was broadcast, the time isn't shown. With news or sport, however, that information is displayed.
Image credit: Rupert Goodwins/ZDNet UK
Circuit board
The main circuit board looks very similar to a wireless router, as it includes five wired Ethernet ports, memory, a CPU and I/O chips. In effect, that's what it is, but with a very specialised function and SATA interfaces to up to two hard disks.
Working as a small company, the designers found that some chip suppliers were extremely helpful, despite the possibility of very small sales — Marvell and Lattice were singled out — while others refused to provide technical support, but "did at least supply devices and documentation", said Dominic Ludlam. The worst offender let Promise TV get a long way down the design process before refusing to divulge missing documentation with essential information.
Image credit: Rupert Goodwins/ZDNet UK
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.


text:
Should We Follow Mario Gabelli Into This Stock?
Anh is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Recently, billionaire Mario Gabelli reported that he owned around 19.1 million shares of Cablevision Systems (NYSE: CVC) at the end of May, much higher than what he had owned at the end of the first quarter this year. Since the beginning of the year, Cablevision has dropped 1.74%, lagging behind peers such as Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV). For the past six months, DirecTV has been the best performing stock with a 23.6% gain while Comcast's share price has increased nearly 6.4%. Should we follow Mario Gabelli into Cablevision? Let's find out.
Sluggish share price performance
Cablevision is one of the biggest cable operators in the U.S., serving around 3.2 million video customers, more than 3 million high-speed data customers, and more than 2.4 million voice customers in several states including Montana, Wyoming, New York, and Utah. The sluggish share price might be due to its sluggish operating performance.
In the first quarter 2013, it experienced a slight decline in revenue, from $1.54 billion in the first quarter 2012 to more than $1.52 billion in the first quarter this year. While it generated more than $57.2 million in net income in Q1 2012, Cablevision produced a loss of more than $16.1 million in the recent quarter. Its adjusted operating cash flow (AOCF) experienced a decrease of 23.1% due to higher programming costs, higher employee-related costs, and the cost related to Hurricane Sandy.
Positive outlook
Looking forward, Cablevision stated that WiFi would still be one of the company's strategic initiatives, with around 80,000 Optimum WiFi access points being used by more than one million customers. Even with several challenges, including rising programming costs and increasing competition, Cablevision estimates double-digit sequential AOCF in the second quarter, thanks to the rising advertising revenue and spending reduction. Mario Gabelli believes that Cablevision could generate around $6.3 billion in revenue with around $1.6 billion in EBITDA. Its EBITDA has been growing, which could allow Cablevision to reduce its debt level.
Cablevision is trading at around $14.70 per share with a total market cap of more than $3.9 billion. The market values Cablevision at 7.7 times EV/EBITDA. EV/EBITDA represents Enterprise Value/Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. This valuation ratio takes into account the relationship between the firm's market value, adjusted by its cash and debt level, compared to its cash flow position. Interestingly, Cablevision is the most expensively valued in comparison to Comcast and DirecTV.
Are Comcast and DirecTV better buys?
Comcast is trading at $39.70 per share with a total market cap of $104.6 billion. The market values Comcast a bit cheaply at 7.2 times its EV/EBITDA. Comcast made a good strategic move with its complete acquisition of NBCUniversal. According to Comcast, NBC has real upside even though it has not been performing well for many years. Comcast saw that it would be able to provide better programming, which could lead to higher ratings, leading to higher CPMs.
In the first quarter of 2013, Comcast experienced good growth in both its top and bottom lines. Revenue increased 2.9% to nearly $15.3 billion while EPS jumped 20% to $0.54. Free cash flow came in at $3.14 billion, 3.3% higher than the first quarter of 2012. Comcast has a good history of returning cash to shareholders. Its dividend increased from $0.27 per share in 2009 to $0.65 in 2012. Comcast expects to pay $0.78 per share in dividends (20% year-over-year growth) and spend around $2 billion to repurchase its shares for the full year 2013.
DirecTV has the cheapest valuation of the trio. At $62 per share, DirecTV is worth more than $34.6 billion on the market. The market values the company at 6.9 times EV/EBITDA. DirecTV's two main markets are the U.S. and Latin America. It had around 20.11 million customers in the U.S. and more than 16.3 million customers in Latin America. In the first quarter of 2013, DirecTV experienced 8% growth in revenue to $7.58 billion, thanks to higher ARPU in the U.S. market and subscriber growth in Latin American market.
Its free cash flow decreased from $952 million in the first quarter last year to $710 million in the first quarter this year due to higher capital expenditure in the U.S. and the timing of receivables. What makes me interested in DirecTV is its significant share repurchases program. In the first quarter, DirecTV spent around $1.38 billion to buy back its shares.
DirecTV expects to generate EPS of $5 or more for 2013, excluding the impact of $166 million in Venezuelan devaluation charge and $60 million non-cash charge for Mariners transaction. Looking forward, DirecTV would keep growing in its Latin American business and drive its EPS higher with its frequent share repurchases.
My Foolish take
All three businesses seem to be good stocks for investors' long-term portfolios. Among the three, I like DirecTV the best with its lowest valuation, potential growth in the Latin American market, and its consistent and aggressive share buybacks.
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text:
Of Royal Forge - Chapter 26 - Aster
Wow. Just…wow. We did it, kids. We climbed this whole mountain. For now at least, but - WOW.
I'd like to thank dirkar for hooking me up to AO3 in the first place. I'd like to thank everyone who's drawn ORF fanart and made fanmixes and who has ever sent me an ask when I was a dweeb and begged for them. I'd like to thank Quilly for being a huge support. I'd like to thank all of you for reading. I'd like to thank my non-DirkJane and non-Homestuck followers for putting up with my crazy sack of crazy-crazy.
Basically, thank you. All of you. For everything. If I could give you the biggest hug and take you all out for sweets, I would. Not only am I so happy to tell a story for a pairing I've come to adore, I feel as if this fic is helping me heal as a writer, and that means the world to me.


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The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires companies that are subject to U.S. reporting requirements to establish and maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting and periodically assess the effectiveness of that system. National Instrument 52-109 of the Canadian securities administrators imposes similar requirements on companies that are reporting issuers in Canada. Both the U.S. and Canadian rules require the use of a recognized framework against which to measure and evaluate the design, assessment and effectiveness of a public company's internal control over financial reporting. Although several other frameworks exist, the vast majority of U.S. and Canadian public companies have been using the framework developed by the Committee of the Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) that was released in 1992 (the Original COSO Framework). Recently, COSO has released an updated version of its framework (the 2013 COSO Framework) which, among other objectives, expands the application of internal controls to address operations and reporting objectives and the identification of, response to and mitigation of risk; and clarifies the requirements for determining what constitutes effective internal control. Every U.S. and Canadian public company using the Original COSO Framework will have to assess the changes to COSO's framework in order to determine whether, and to what extent, any changes to its own system of internal control over financial reporting will be necessary.
The Original COSO Framework was released more than 20 years ago, and since that time business and operating environments have changed dramatically, becoming increasingly complex, technologically driven and global. The needs of investors are also evolving, as they seek greater transparency and accountability for the integrity of internal control systems that support business decisions, governance and improved detection and prevention of fraud.
The 2013 COSO Framework sets out 17 guiding principles, organized around the original five components of the framework (Control Environment, Risk Assessment, Control Activities, Information and Communication and Monitoring Activities), to help companies design and evaluate internal control systems. Those principles were derived from the Original COSO Framework and the principles that were developed and articulated in COSO's 2006 Internal Control Over Financial Reporting — Guidance for Smaller Public Companies. Except in rare circumstances, each of the 17 principles should generally be relevant to all companies.
One example of the changes from the Original COSO Framework to the 2013 COSO Framework is the topic of identifying and responding to risks. The 2013 COSO Framework includes more detailed discussion about risk assessment concepts, including those related to inherent risk, risk tolerance, how risks may be managed and linkage between risk assessment and control activities. Unlike the Original COSO Framework, it explicitly includes the concept of considering the potential for fraud risk when assessing risks to the achievement of an organization's objectives (see Principle 8 below). The 2013 COSO Framework identifies various ways that fraudulent reporting can occur, including:
The five components and 17 principles comprise the criteria that management should use in designing internal controls and in assessing whether the internal controls are effective. In order for a company's internal controls to be effective, generally all of the components and relevant principles must be present and functioning.
The 2013 COSO Framework
The 17 principles supporting the components of an effective internal control system are listed below, organized by the five system components to which they relate:
Control Environment
Risk Assessment
Control Activities
Information and Communication
Monitoring Activities
Changes in Terms Used to Describe Deficiencies of Internal Control
The 2013 COSO Framework uses the terms "internal control deficiency" and "major deficiency" to describe degrees of severity of internal control deficiencies. Under the 2013 COSO Framework, an internal control deficiency refers to a "shortcoming in a component or components and relevant principle(s) that reduces the likelihood of an entity achieving its objectives," and a major deficiency refers to an "internal control deficiency or combination of deficiencies that severely reduces the likelihood that the entity can achieve its objectives." Further, the 2013 COSO Framework explains that a major deficiency exists when "a component and one or more relevant principles are not present or functioning" or when "components are not operating together." In addition, if a major deficiency exists, the organization cannot conclude that it has met the requirements for an effective system of internal control. To comply with internal control reporting requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, an issuer's management and independent auditors would continue to use the terms "significant deficiency" and "material weakness" as defined by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Similarly, under National Instrument 52-109 in Canada, issuers would still be required to make disclosure of any "material weakness". Under both U.S. and Canadian rules, a public company's internal control over financial reporting may not be considered effective if a material weakness is found to exist.
Transitioning to the 2013 COSO Framework
COSO has encouraged users of the Original COSO Framework to transition to the 2013 COSO Framework as soon as possible. The Original COSO Framework will remain available during a transition period extending to December 15, 2014, after which time COSO will consider it as superseded by the 2013 COSO Framework. During the transition period, public companies should clearly disclose in their filings with securities regulatory authorities whether the Original COSO Framework or the 2013 COSO Framework was utilized to assess their internal control over financial reporting.
Companies using the Original COSO Framework that have not already done so should consider whether any changes to their system of internal control over financial reporting are necessary or desirable in order achieve alignment with the 2013 COSO Framework and its 17 principles. We expect that in most cases issuers will conclude that the transition from the Original COSO Framework to the 2013 COSO Framework will not require any significant changes to existing systems of internal control over financial reporting. However, it is important for every public company to ensure that the outcome of an internal control assessment under the 2013 COSO Framework will not result in the identification of any deficiency while there is still ample opportunity to make any necessary adjustments to its internal controls.
Topics: Canada, Compliance, COSO, Internal Controls, Reporting Requirements, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Sarbanes-Oxley
Published In: Business Organization Updates, General Business Updates, Finance & Banking Updates, International Trade Updates, Securities Updates
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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Regulatory reform – cutting red tapeAs large, national businesses, ANRA members face costly and inconsistent local, state and federal regulations. There are 125 government taxes, eight different sets of workers' compensation and occupational health and safety regulations and a host of conflicting food and consumer standards. The costs of these inconsistent regulations are ultimately borne by consumers.
ANRA supports reform which reduces unnecessary compliance costs. The cost of new regulations also needs to be examined and the significant net public benefit assessed before they are introduced.
Businesses' capacity to create new jobs is constrained by the regulatory costs of employmentBusiness has a corporate social responsibility to meet the costs directly related to employment, including occupational health and safety and workers' compensation. However, business has a reasonable expectation that governments will minimise the compliance burden of satisfying these obligations.
The role of government should be to set appropriate community standards, supported by effective enforcement. Regulation should be performance based rather than prescriptive. Regulators should seek to promote a culture of compliance rather than relying on punitive enforcement.
Harmonisation of existing state regulations, such as occupational licensing, state taxes, uniform trading hours and consumer protection, offers substantial efficiency savings for business. ANRA looks to the Council of Australian Governments to intensify its efforts to deliver genuine regulatory reform.