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Well, that's a bummer. Apparently lost the best half of my long post as my connection timed out and I had to go through the sign in process and all that. Anyway, I began by speculating that analysts may have been absent yesterday and perhaps the annual meeting has been redesigned to be more of a communication device for the managers and shareholders. I liked the part I lost a lot and the second half not so much, but you can read that second half over on another topic and I'll try to get some of the flavor of what I started out discussing tomorrow or the next day when I'm on my home connection again.
I always get too mushy toward the end of my rants, after great starts. Best, L.
After the opening, overview of Raven and it's place in the economy, Moquist normally delves into the operations, problems, strategies, etc of each division. He started out with Applied Technology.
I think the main theme this year is simplicity and reliability. Ron made a bit of fun with himself as the inept user of automobile navigation systems which have far more features than he can figure out and use. I've never had or played with one, so don't know much about them or their use. And TV remotes which I have used a few times in motel rooms and I have to agree that I've never even looked at many of the buttons on those things. He jokingly complained that he could not get a navigator without a woman's voice, and if he wanted that he would have brought his wife along for the trip. Of course, the reason that is done is that men can hear a female voice in confusing situations much easier than they can a man's. I'm not quite sure how this whole theme will work out as I'm used to thinking of how QCOM just keeps adding features to their chips as the line sizes decrease-then let Verizon, Vodafone, T, and other tell the phone manufacturers which ones they want activated. Maybe Raven will buy very complex chips but for use in a tractor cab, you would probably want to minimize the number of places dirt might get in or heat might damage a unit rather than putting many unused switches on the console.
The International section now has 19 people and a new office was just opened in the Ukraine even though there is little money available. The only sector of the market which is healthy there is agriculture. I think there may have been another recently opened office in a third world country which I missed in my notes.
Ron thought ag markets in general were still in pretty healthy shape with a few problems for livestock producers. I checked with my rancher friend who stopped planting crops 2 years ago and went to grass everywhere and cows. He thinks livestock is doing just fine, so I don't know where Ron is getting his information or what he's thinking of.
As has been common lately, Ron mentioned wireless as being one of the particularly important developing parts of our business, mentioned in cab access to the internet and reporting back to the computer at home with software to incorporate new learning in the field into data sets at the home computer for incorporation into future field input and output designs. He said that Raven's strategy is to provide data storage for minimizing inputs and maximizing outputs of the farm comparing that with some other competitors who concentrate on optimizing more limited parts of the production cycle. Really, I suspect that is where Raven was as a flow controls company, but that it is seeking to broaden it's product line to include all aspects of precision agriculture. And that requires communications between tractors, sprayers, harvesters and the home computer or computing cloud.
Thus AT is different from the other 2 divisions with an open ended and huge market defined. ES as a contract manufacturer might change a process or get an incremental change in customer or line size, as might EF, but not whole new sales channels or product lines. Aerostar might have a bit more in common with AT in that respect.
So we are expecting new wireless products, new geographical markets, new distribution lines, and incrementally improved steerage and flow controls products, and database software (including maritime port navigation) out of AT. It seems like a huge area for a small division to be mucking around in.
Ron specifically said that AT would have a good year, but that it would not be great like last year. Dan, in the question/anwswer laid out various ways AT would manage to grow in the coming year though I don't recall any real good incremental items in the first half. I probably missed something, but my overall impression was that AT would have sales just slightly short of last years $103mm and op income down a bit more than that. Lot's of R&D projects (in fact Ron pointed out that they had more development work going on than they had in the previous more robust years), but nothing very significant ready to pop in the next couple of quarters that I noticed. No, my notes indicate that he said "well short of the great earnings last year" but I always remember that Moquist tends to underpromise and overdeliver. Engineered films next. Best, L.
When Ron described the John Deere deal, he carefully said that it included a limited number of products which JD had not taken the trouble to design in house. Then he said this was not an easy decision for Raven and that the various distributors (I think he mentioned 3 of which I caught CaseNH and AGCO) were not all that happy to have them form the agreement with JD. Then the same description with more detail that he did on the conference call, telling us that he had been involved with developing the chemical sprayer distributor line successfully when he'd first been hired 30 years earlier, but that they had never penetrated or used the tractor distribution network for their products effectively. He used a term other than tractor and I can't quite get it right since I thought CNH had been selling most of the line right along, but I suppose there is a specialized network for chemicals, fertilizers and sprayers which especially contract sprayers use and Raven in well represented there, but not so well in the JD, CNH, IH (if they still exist), etc stores I see all over ag country with huge pieces of equipment all around their yards. I'd guess Raven has developed and sells valves and variable rate valves (a much more complicated design than just an off-on solenoid I'd guess) and plastic nozzles for sprayers on planes and land based applicators. Boom controls would continue to fit with that distribution system, but the new steering and navigation systems being designed by Raven do not fit that or the name "Flow Controls", so we need to encourage a different sales route.
Speaking of margins, at the annual meeting Mr. Moquist put up a slide showing op income for the 4 operations over the past three years. Though I don't have the chart available to me right now, I made my own version for the past 4 years. His point was that if one had looked at op profit for the 4 units in FY07, one might well have concluded that AT and Aerostar were losing sales and profits and were weak sisters to Films and Electronics. In fact, someone on this board began suggesting that Aerostar be sold back then. Looking at the FY 09 results, the two weakest divisions are now the most promising and contribute the most. As you know, I follow operating earnings pretty closely, but even I was surprised to see that Aerostar contributed $4.2mm in 09, and AT $33.9mm when just 2 years previously the two of them contributed $10.7mm vs $33.4mm for the other two divisions. Moquist's point, of course, is that conglomeration of disparate businesses has been working for Raven whether it does for others or not.
I was going to start a new post, but maybe can add one more positive thought. I always have more difficulty coming up with the corporate overhead figure as well as Income tax which I put on my own spread sheets. They are not in the PR's issued at earnings time so I have to dig up the SEC filings to get them. Though Moquist did not mention them, they are amazingly stable over the last 5 years during which I've kept track. In FY06 they hit a low of $1.4mm in two quarters but got up to $1.9mm in the first quarter. The next 3 years get up as high as $2.2mm in two quarters and $2.1mm in 3 more. But Q12010 is back at $1.9mm. I guess the best way to show the growth there would be to list full fiscal years for 06 I have $6.3mm, for 07 $7.0mm, for 08 $7.8mm and for 09 $8.5mm. Q1 of 10 is $1.9mm. If I had more time I'd like to compare some of my other companies on that line (if I believed their numbers like I do Raven's), but generally I suspect this is pretty good performance. Just taking those figures relative to total sales I get in temporal succession: 3.1% 3.2%, 3.2% and 3.0%.
Not bad. Best, L.
I guess you are agreeing with me regarding the recovery. It surely looks like the market anticipates one, doesn't it? I have read some more and I'm almost positive that Moquist is talking about the second half of calender 10 as time for a possible (hoped for) bottoming. He is thinking and stating that primarily for manufacturers in the US, so there might be other sectors acting differently, but I see it much as you do. At least as far as Raven goes, I don't see much in the way of recovery for at least a year and find the current run up in the stock price enigmatic. In fact, I'm thinking perhaps it would be wise to reduce my holdings some. The division which can surprise at any time is Applied Technology, of course. I think the other 3 are fairly predictable and likely to contribute relatively little to operating income. But AT's contribution is already more than half the total, and just a small increase in any one of several different projects or markets could make a significant difference. Moquist pointed out that AT had a very large decrease in sales in the first quarter--much more than he would have predicted, and particularly April was weak. He carefully speculated that they had not lost market share but that the whole ag market was pulling back--he qualified that as a guess rather than anything he knew for sure. To review, revenues in the division dropped from 34.8mm to 29.4mm while op income dropped from $13.5mm to $9.6mm. That $9.6mm contribution is still more than the $6.4mm of the other three divisions, but is clearly the place where we are vulnerable to either upside or downside.
Wow, thanks for lengthy report.
As for the dividends. I thought last years was an excessive increase because it would impair flexibiility for the upcoming difficulties. I'm glad they saw fit to continue the streak this year.
I don't understand how economists are claiming there will be a second half recovery. There's still a fair bit of poison in the system, auto industry problems, and I can't help but to think California is going to continue to have difficulties in the near future.
After Mr Everist took care of the voting and formalities, he introduced Ron Moquist as the main feature of the annual meeting. Ron set the tone of the meeting by pointing out the change in strategy and need for cost cutting. He noted the Tom Iacarella was serving a worthwhile function by being conservative and pointed in a joking way to a previous CFO who was notoriously cheap. Apparently the rolls and fruit on the table might have been fresher in some more robust times, but back when, this CFO would make it clear to employees who were attending the annual meeting, that the (day old) donuts and coffee were for shareholders and not for them. Thus there were always 8 donuts left over from the dozen put out. Ron also held in his hand an annual report which he'd dug out from 1959 which showed some thousands of dollars of profit and was printed on a single sheet of paper less than 8 1/2 X 11. Incidentally, for new people, I believe Raven has earned a profit in every year but one over the 53 years of it's existence. At any rate, Ron pointed out that the current annual report wins awards regularly for a company of Raven's size and is printed on high quality paper.
I would like to point out that the essential quality of the Raven report is not in new layouts or changed format--in fact I can easily compare reports over the 12 years or so for which I have them and the numbers and features are all the same as they were during the last years Christiansen was CEO. But the report is extremely useful in introducing the heads of 4 divisions and in bringing forth the philosophical focus of the CEO with each division head writing about how the focus for the next year has been implemented. Thus I get to know the division heads whom I consider extremely important to a small company like Raven, and Ron gets to set the priorities of the company through that exercise.
From that section on, Tom Iacarella just competantly sees to it the numbers are filled in exactly have they have been in the past with minor variations such as the decision to account for internal sales specifically last year or new accounting standards board rules which must be complied with.
I asked Mr Moquist about the cover of this years' report which I found fascinating and without attribution in the report. Perhaps someone at the company even painted it? Turns out he saw it someplace--kind of looks like the cover of some money magazine where they spend a lot on cover art, doesn't it? Maybe that is what it was, but Ron apparently picked it out as the stimulating picture which could mean any number of things to different people. He declined to interpret it's meaning to him.
I was pleased this morning to discover that Yahoo already has the newest earnings for Raven in place. Either Yahoo or Raven or both are doing a quicker update than I've seen in the past for all companies. I almost never rely upon the EPS numbers listed on Yahoo because they seem to be so badly out of date most often. My suspicion is that someone from Raven goosed them rather than that Yahoo improved it's reviewing time, but I don't know that. Maybe just good luck, but as I've said before, when a company is run cleanly and carefully, good luck seems to follow them. And it is easy for someone at Yahoo to update the numbers for Raven since there are no special situations or excuses which might or might not be accurately reflected in the numbers. Raven and Iacarella use the numbers as they are meant to be used--a communication device which accurately and validly reflects reality for all readers.
If you've not been to an annual meeting, I'll give you a little bit of the orientation which Moquist always sets up. He put a slide up on the screen which showed the growth in EPS over a number of years, reminded everyone that he and David Christiansen had been saying Raven expected to increase earnings by 15% annually and sales by 12% annually over the long term. Early on in Moquist's 9 years as president and/or CEO, the returns had been far above that averaging nearly 30% I believe. But the last three years have seen earnings grow 11%, 10% and 5% (I wrote down 5% but checking the numbers I get 8% so probably mistake in my note taking). To me, and to Moquist that is reasonable given the economy. Some of the early high returns were mostly due to lucky breaks, but most was due to intelligently taking advantage of situations which presented themselves such as disaster film.
As much as I've written, I'm sure Yahoo will make me split it up--and I'm not sure I know how to split it 3 or 4 times, so I'll try to continue in another post.
Ron talked about how now is the time to be hiring and teaching new managers. (Oh, maybe he'll become a professor next--a very honorable profession and one he'd be good at I think). And Matt Burkhart's hiring is illustrative. This is about the third meeting with Moquist when he has mentioned wireless as part of the business. Clearly the acquisition of that Texas company was a step in the direction, but I've been concerned about the sophistication of Raven employees in wireless, comparing them with those 10,000 or so engineers which Qualcomm has in buildings mostly around San Diego. Well, I got a chance to buttonhole Matt who was standing around looking like a guy who was supposed to be buttonholed;
I commented that it I was impressed with such a young guy with only a year at Raven being given such a responsible position--he must have a heck of a history. He said he had an MBA and then had spent, I think it was 5 years with responsibility for 5 states at Johnson Controls. Now, I know Johnson Controls fairly well as they regularly got our best electricians and straightened out some of the electronic messes I'd get myself into, so I am impressed by that. And I suspect he is part of the effort to put wireless and controls solidly in Raven's back pocket. I don't know what Matt's undergraduate degree was in, but I would guess some sort of technical field like electronic engineer. He would need that to have an important role at Johnson Controls with all the skilled technicians they have running around.
I suppose Dan also has some technical schooling as he has been given responsibility for Information technology as well as having both AT and ES reporting to him now--at least I think that's what I am hearing his new role being described as: 3 parts, applied technology division, electronics systems, and IT which would be the new effort Moquist has been listing in his talks the last couple of years--data collection and dissemination. At the annual meeting he described the farmers with internet access in the cab of their tractor--now that's not hard to imagine any more with Qualcomm, et al providing wireless connections all over the globe. But to incorporate the internet connections into Raven's consoles, I suspect they would need a license from QCOM--no maybe they'd just be buying the chips from QCOM or one of the other providers. Or maybe they are thinking the farmer would be buying access from Verizon or T, and our equipment would be separate without a direct tie to the internet.
I don't know how it will all lay out, but I can clearly see the need for some people who understand many facets of portable communications--and Burkhart is probably a guy with some of the skills required. I hope he was impressed with the kind of company he has joined yesterday.
As a friend and I discussed the various management changes and how individuals might feel about them, he described a period when he was an engineer in training and a mentor apparently kept telling him that the "half life of an engineer is 7 years." What an interesting idea and one I'd never considered. Heck, I was an engineer for 4 quarters myself. Tom Iacarella is a proficient and good CFO for one of the best companies around. Matt will have huge responsiblities at a company which is at least a step up from Johnson controls (in my opinion).
Every year Moquist compares Raven's results with the top 100 companies in Minnesota. A few years ago he mentioned that Raven exceeded all but one in 3 measures of efficient capital useage--GGG or Graco (which is where he had worked before coming to Raven). This year he compared and again Raven exceeded all others in all three measures except one (I think it was probably one company and one of the three measures, but not sure of that) Mossaic (spelling and name may be incorrect, but they make fertilizer). That is amazing. Of course different companies show up well in different years, but Raven compares well almost every year.
Best, L.
I suppose Dan also has some technical schooling as he has been given responsibility for Information technology as well as having both AT and ES reporting to him now--at least I think that's what I am hearing his new role being described as: 3 parts, applied technology division, electronics systems, and IT which would be the new effort Moquist has been listing in his talks the last couple of years--data collection and dissemination. At the annual meeting he described the farmers with internet access in the cab of their tractor--now that's not hard to imagine any more with Qualcomm, et al providing wireless connections all over the globe. But to incorporate the internet connections into Raven's consoles, I suspect they would need a license from QCOM--no maybe they'd just be buying the chips from QCOM or one of the other providers. Or maybe they are thinking the farmer would be buying access from Verizon or T, and our equipment would be separate without a direct tie to the internet.
I don't know how it will all lay out, but I can clearly see the need for some people who understand many facets of portable communications--and Burkhart is probably a guy with some of the skills required. I hope he was impressed with the kind of company he has joined yesterday.
As a friend and I discussed the various management changes and how individuals might feel about them, he described a period when he was an engineer in training and a mentor apparently kept telling him that the "half life of an engineer is 7 years." What an interesting idea and one I'd never considered. Heck, I was an engineer for 4 quarters myself. Tom Iacarella is a proficient and good CFO for one of the best companies around. Matt will have huge responsiblities at a company which is at least a step up from Johnson controls (in my opinion).
Every year Moquist compares Raven's results with the top 100 companies in Minnesota. A few years ago he mentioned that Raven exceeded all but one in 3 measures of efficient capital useage--GGG or Graco (which is where he had worked before coming to Raven). This year he compared and again Raven exceeded all others in all three measures except one (I think it was probably one company and one of the three measures, but not sure of that) Mossaic (spelling and name may be incorrect, but they make fertilizer). That is amazing. Of course different companies show up well in different years, but Raven compares well almost every year.
Best, L.
You guys (that's the collective form for a thousand or so shareholders) are nuts! You were told this won't be a record year, so you bid the price of Raven up to 20 times what it is likely to earn anyway! Just remember that if you are a first time buyer, it doesn't feel so good to buy at $30 and then sit on shares at $20. The people who bought at $40 are not so comfortable now, though they'd be a heck of a lot less comfortable with most other purchases they might have made 2 years ago.
Me, I'm hoping to buy at $20 again. Seems to me earnings are likely to be less than $1.70 this year (down 8% or so in the first quarter alone), and that in a period of excess capacity manufacturers are apt to have difficulty making much money. Moquist said he is hoping for a long and slow recovery beginning in the 2nd half of 2010. That's over a year from now. Meanwhile we are apt to see EPS which are weaker than last year.
Oh, I suppose Raven's board announced a small dividend increase and I have not seen it yet. So, compared to all the other companies out there which are in danger of collapsing completely, you are all excited about this one. I don't know--seems to me Raven is safe because it has good managers who will be prudent, but that's not enough to justify a PE of 15. Maybe I'll be wrong.
Best, L.
Thanks from me also for sharing your thoughts. I only sold a small part of my Raven and will probably buy it back at a later date. Maybe 25 or so would be a more reasonable price. As far as the economy in general, it looks like the market is saying the worst is behind us. As discussed, there are still many problems in our economy that still need to be fixed. I am from the camp that says we need to actually produce some products in the US in order for us to grow, and we seem to move every thing we can offshore. That is one thing that attracts me to Raven.
So maybe Moquist was saying he expected a turnaround in the second half of fiscal 2010 meaning June of this year. I don't think so, but it kind of sounds like that from the press release with his comments about this quarter being toughest. It is a nice increase and 23 years of increases is impressive. I agree with the collective "you guys" opinion that this is a great company and deserves a premium. Just not that big a premium. Or maybe I just want to buy too cheaply. We'll see. Meanwhile the press release:
"SIOUX FALLS, S.D., May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raven Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: RAVN - News) announced today that its board of directors approved an 8% percent increase in the company's regular quarterly cash dividend to $0.14 per share. The dividend is payable July 15, 2009, to shareholders of record on June 25, 2009. This is the company's 23rd consecutive annual cash dividend increase.
"Raven's cash position and cash flows from operations are very strong," said Ronald Moquist, president and chief executive officer. "We believe measures taken to generate cash allow us to increase our dividend payout ratio. Although earnings were down in our first quarter and we expect our second quarter to be the most difficult of the year, we are confident that this increased dividend level is sustainable."
About Raven Industries, Inc.
Raven is an industrial manufacturer that provides electronic precision-agriculture products, reinforced plastic sheeting, electronics manufacturing services and specialty aerostats and sewn products to niche markets...."


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21 reviews | 4.6 out of 5
Before I bought this product I did a lot of comparison and did my research on a lot of other brands. I end up buying this one because a lot of the reviews were great about it. I did a sit to store shipment and it came in about a week which was pretty fast. Then putting it together was even easier. My roommate and I took about an hour to do it. The directions were simple and easy enough to understand. The 1st time I got on the machine I was skeptical because it looked so small and I kept thinking I was going to keep hitting my knees on the bars but once I started on a program it gave the best performance. It was so smooth and quiet I love it. The tension and resistance is great and it has a lot of different programs so I will never get tired or bored of the same routine. I use it every day and so does my roommate. We love it! The only thing that I was not pleased with is that it didn't come with the AC adapter but luckily I had one that fit the machine so I wasn't to upset, but if I had to have bought one there was going to be problems. For all that money to get the machine and no power source for it is down right ridiculous.
Overall I think this is a great elliptical. I never heard of Omega so I took a chance with this one. I bought this because I returned my Proform 420 elliptical after one week because it was poorly designed and showed visible wear.
I have had this for 2 weeks and I think this one has a solid durable design. I am thrilled that I found this product. Pros
Solid built machine (supports up to 300 lbs)
*Doesnt* rock side to side when in use
2 workout screens
ac adapter included
assembly was simple (no grease to use) Cons
no water bottle or mp3 player accessory holder
a bit complicated to operate at first
I received this product one week ago. I love it. It is a great machine. The set up was not too bad. It took about 30-45 minutes, much better than the 4 hours that I have seen in other product reviews. It is good and supports different weights well. It gives a good workout and you can really feel it working. The only negative that I have seen is a miniscule vibration while in use. It looks like it needs to be attached the floor (cemented or screwed to the floor) to provide ultimate stability. Of course, this is not really an option.
Regardless of this one small detail, that does not really affect the workout very much, I would buy this elliptical again. I really have enjoyed it and am glad that I spend a little more to get a better product.
I've currently had my machine about 3 weeks now. I feel I am getting the exercise I was looking for. I use my machine every other day or so. So far there are no squeaks or other annoying noises either.
The directions I would say are pretty straight forward, although my boyfriend did most of the assembling, I just helped.
The only gripe I do have about it would be that the pulse monitor doesn't work corectly. Almost everytime I've been on it...my pulse has been between 58-60, and once it was 112...I am pretty sure that it was not accurate. But overall, I am pleased with the machine, but I honestly don't know that its worth what I paid for it. I guess I'll have to wait and see how it wears with more exercising?
This elliptical was very easy to put together, although when I first looked at it in the box I panicked and called for help! It's very sturdy and doesn't wobble when I use it. The movement is smooth. The size isn't overwhelming in my room and I really like the way it looks. My only complaint is that I don't think the pulse detector works correctly, which makes me wonder about the other information it gives. I also wish the instruction book explained the different programs better, but I am able to use it like I planned. I'm very happy with it!
After reviewing various models at Walmart, as well as at other stores, I selected this model based upon price, good reviews, and the description of the features included. I found the machine easy to assemble (less than one hour) and began to use it daily. I have continued to be pleased with this purchase. Not only is it attractive and light enough to easily move across a room, I enjoy the numerous course selections to choose from. I would definately recommend this product to other people.
We're happy with it. My husband and I are both using it. It has programing options that work for both of us, nice and versatile that way. The only thing that doesn't work for us is the pulse monitor. It's really weird, I've not been able to get it to work at all, my husband has a couple times. But it's really quiet. It's sturdy... neither one of us feel like it'll fall apart. It was worth paying a little more, and sure saved us a bundle from the higher end ellipticals.
This elliptical was fairly easy to put together, and provides a great, and fun way to work out. However, after only an hour's worth of use - it started making a clacking noise (from the flywheel). The noise continued to get worse so I called the manufacturer. The technician said it couldn't be fixed so I had to return it. I am hoping that this was a one-of-a-kind problem as I would like to purchase another one.
This product wouldn't be bad except for the fact that once the entire machine was put together it creaked really bad, but I had to use some lubricant to get rid of that. It is a bit rocky even though I made sure I tightened all the nuts and bolts. Second, it would have been nice for whomever delivered my machine to have rang my doorbell instead of leaving it on the frontporch even though I was home.
I researched ellipictials around this price range for about a month and chose this one based on other rewiews. I have to say this is an excellent product.
We have been using it regularly for about 1 month now. It is quiet, doesn't shake and looks pretty cool too. The only thing is I wish the monitor was a little brighter [being pickey]. Great Elliptical for the price.
I found that this product looked good enough to buy. I was pretty much looking for an easier resistance, meaning that I needed a little more support in actually using the machine. It is manual so be aware of this and the stride is somewhat short. You really have to battle with it if you are used to using the ellipticals in a gym. I do plan to return the machine.
I am so happy that I decided to buy the omega elliptical machine. I researched elliptical machines for about a month before buying this product. This machine took me and my husband about 40 minutes to put together. It is very sturdy and visually appealing. This elliptical machine provides a challenging yet very smooth workout.
Very impressed with the look of the machine and the stlye. the machine is very smooth when working out on it and seems to be very effective. I have only been using it for about three weeks and am liking it very much. The setup is very simple and when you get done you jusy hop on and go.
I am very happy with this product. It was very simple to put together. My 9 year old daughter and I put it together in less than 2 hours. Haven't used this but a few times and I am very happy with it. It doesn't take up a lot of room and it is quiet enough to use and watch TV!!!
My husband and I are very happy with the Omega Eliptical. It works well and provides a good work out. The best feature is that you can adjust the tension so we both can adjust it to what works for us individually. We recommend it!
My husband never have a problem putting this product together,very easy to assemble and follow.
We both loved the OMEGA FITNESS ELLIPTICAL TRAINER and we knew you will love it too.
its seenms to be a good quality machine. the only thing that takes some getting used to is the short stroke. easy to assemble and comes with all the tools
The unit was very easy to put together and is very easy to utilize. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the performance and price I paid for the product.
It was a little hard to assemble. After it was assembled it was easy to use and the different programs are very good workouts.
Great Item!! ME and my daughter put it together in about 25 minutes. Works great and easy to understand the programs!

subset: commoncrawl


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I've tried tens and tens of solutions and nothings worked (including trying the resolved thread here).
Could someone please tell me how i can grab the image title or alt tag rather than the post title? I've gone through codex, tried an array and looping through it but nothings worked.
Could you please, please, please tell me how to grab the image title or alt rather than the post title. If it's like the resolved thread here just pasting your php code would be FANTASTIC.
Thank you!


text: 000 NOUS43 KDLH 222138 PNSDLH MNZ038-WIZ001>004-006>009-222300- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 438 PM CDT FRI JUL 22 2016 ...NOAA Weather Radio Station WXM-91 in Park Falls and KZZ-79 in Spooner and KZZ-78 in Ashland are broadcasting normally... NOAA Weather Radio Station WXM-91 in Park Falls...KZZ-79 in Spooner...and KZZ-78 in Ashland have been returned to service. We appreciate your patience. $$ Melde


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Bible Reference
Get more out of your Bible study with Family Christian's selection of Bible reference books, including complete Bible concordances and bible dictionaries. Bible handbooks answer commons questions and bible companions are helpful aids as you seek deeper understanding of the text.
Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism
David Alan Black$22.00Add Your ReviewIntroduces the field of New Testament Textual criticism. Learn More
A Quick Guided Tour Through the Bible: Experience the Story from Genesis to Revelation
Stephen M. Miller$19.99Add Your ReviewYou'll feel as if you're on the scene as the big events from the Bible unfold in this unique visual guide. Nearly a hundred easy-to-read maps, created with data from NASA, and 150 additional graphics are paired with fast-paced, magazine-style accounts. You'll find a fresh pe... Learn More
Genesis III
J. Vernon McGee, Thomas Nelson Publishers$8.99Add Your ReviewRadio messages from J. Vernon McGee delighted and enthralled listeners for years with simple, straightforward language and clear understanding of the Scripture. Now enjoy his personable, yet scholarly, style in a 60-volume set of commentaries that takes you from Genesis to R... Learn More
Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Hebrew: Learning Biblical Hebrew Grammatical Concepts Through English Grammar
Gary A. Long$20.00Add Your ReviewMany students have forgotten, or never learned, the basic grammatical concepts needed for studying Biblical Hebrew. Explanations of these concepts in Hebrew grammar textbooks are either too skimpy or too complex. "Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Hebrew" fills this gap.... Learn More
Christ in the Sabbath
Rich Robinson$14.99Add Your ReviewWhat does the Sabbath mean to you? Christ in the Sabbath will take you on a "Sabbath tour" of the Bible. You'll explore the themes of Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath) and rest in both Old and New Testament and then discover what it has meant to Jews and Christians for centuries.... Learn More
Lutheran Bible Companion Set (Volumes 1 and 2)
Edward A. Engelbrecht$79.98Add Your ReviewTap into the treasures of God's Word with the Lutheran Bible Companion, the first-ever comprehensive guide to the Bible featuring commentary that reflects Lutheran theology. In this two-volume set, readers find new understanding for personal meditation or preaching in the... Learn More
Biblia Hebraica Quinta: Judges$109.95Add Your ReviewBHQ is the new (fifth) edition of the Biblia Hebraica. It is being published in parts (fascicles) by the German Bible Society."For the scholar trained in text criticism. . . the approach of BHQ is an advantage as it places the text-critical judgments in the background, so th... Learn More
J. Vernon McGee$8.99Add Your ReviewRadio messages from J. Vernon McGee delighted and enthralled listeners for years with simple, straightforward language and clear understanding of the Scripture. Now enjoy his personable, yet scholarly, style in a 60-volume set of commentaries that takes you from Genesis to R... Learn More
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses
Bruce Feiler$15.99Add Your ReviewBoth a heart-racing adventure and an uplifting quest, Walking the Bible describes one man's epic odyssey—by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel—through the greatest stories ever told. From crossing the Red Sea to climbing Mount Sinai to touching the burning bush, Bruce Feiler... Learn More
Exegetical Fallacies
D. a. Carson$16.99Add Your Review"Exegetical Fallacies" identifies the common grammatical, lexical, cultural, theological, and historical mistakes Bible exegetes can make. Carson argues that when talking about what should not be done in exegesis, the hope is to interpret the Word of God aright. The second e... Learn More
Need help ordering? Ask a question and we'll get back to you. Or call 1-888-319-0319


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.blue tomatoes.
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"Ghostbusters": 10 Facts About the Franchise You Thought You Knew
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we'd buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we'd get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a "Splurge" item.
Check out Diamond's release list or ComicList, and tell us what you're getting in our comments field.
Chris Arrant
If I had $15 I would be in comics heaven, starting with Shade #4 (DC, $2.99). I've loved what Cully Hamner and James Robinson have done so far, but seeing Darwyn Cooke drawing this issue knocks it up to a whole new level. It's like seeing David Bowie sit in on an up-and-coming band's gig one night. Next up would be the reunion of Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen in Secret Avengers #21 (Marvel, $3.99). I was halfway hoping they would break from the serious tone of the title and revisit the inanity of Nextwave, but the preview dashes that hope; still, excellent work of two guys at the top of their game. Next up would be Invincible #87 (Image, $2.99), promising an all-new level of beatdown for Mark Grayson. Lastly, I'd get Jason Aaron's fresh take on Marvel's mutants with Wolverine and the X-Men #4 (Marvel, $3.99). Part return to basics and part brand-new day, seeing Logan having to be the respectable one and not the plucky wildcard is fun, and the cast Aaron's assembled is great.
If I had $30, I'd continue reading Aaron with Wolverine #300 (Marvel, $4.99). Jokes about the constant renumbering/reshuffling/rejiggering of Aaron's run aside, it's been a swell ride and looks to be heading up to a finale of sorts. Next up would be Batwoman #5 (DC, $2.99). Williams' art continues to impress, and while the story doesn't match up to his levels with Rucka on Detective Comics, he and Blackman are striving for something I haven't been able to fully understand yet. Lastly, I'd pick up Northlanders #47 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99). Artist Declan Shalvey is an inspired get for this series, really showing off what he can do outside Marvel's Thunderbolts.
If I could splurge, I'd dive into Eric Powell's adaptation of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (IDW, $19.99). Putting Powell together with Twain isn't an obvious team-up, but given Powell's depth of work I'm interested to see how it turns out.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Image Comics, the company formed by a group of artists who left the security of work-for-hire comics to create and own their own comics. It's been 20 years of ups and downs, but one thing that has remained consistent is a focus on creator-owned work.
With 2011 in the history books and their big anniversary kicking off with the first Image Expo, a new ad campaign and high-profile series by big-name creators like Brian K. Vaughan, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer and many more, I thought it was a good time to chat with Publisher Eric Stephenson about the state of the company, the year that was, their upcoming plans and anything else he was willing to talk about. My thanks to Eric for taking the time to answer my questions.
JK Parkin: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview, Eric. Incidentally, another feature we're running as a part of our anniversary bash is one where we asked various comic industry folks about what they're looking forward to in 2012. I got one back yesterday where the answer was basically "everything from Image Comics." I find that interesting, because there's a lot of diversity in Image's line and although I think you guys probably publish something for every kind of taste, I wouldn't think that every title would appeal to every comic reader. And yet I also find myself checking out at least the first issue of everything you guys have done lately. So from your perspective, what's the unifying factor (or factors) right now among your titles, if there is one?
Stephenson: I think the main thing is that we're moving forward and creating new things. We're not content to just recycle the same old ideas month in and month out and then market it all as brand new. If this was another publisher, we'd be debuting our latest spin-off of The Walking Dead in March, but instead, we're launching a new series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, a new series by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra, a new series by Joe Keatinge and Andre Szymanowicz, and so on. For 20 years, Image has put its faith in creative people, and it's the power of their imagination that links all our titles together, now more than ever.
It's time once again for our monthly trip through Previews looking for cool, new comics. As usual, we're focusing on graphic novels, collected volumes and first issues so that I don't have to come up with a new way to say, " Mouse Guard is still awesome!" every month. And I'll continue letting Tom and Carla do the heavy lifting in regards to DC and Marvel's solicitations.
Also, please feel free to play along in the comments. Tell me what I missed that you're looking forward to or – if you're a comics creator – mention your own stuff.
Explorer: The Mystery Boxes - With the Flight anthologies done, the all-ages version, Flight Explorer has morphed into this. I expect it to be as lovely as its predecessors and especially like the Mystery Box theme.
Jinx – J Torres and Rick Burchett's graphic novel aimed at tween girls.
Kevin Keller, Volume 1 and Kevin Keller #1 – Archie collects the first appearances and mini-series of their major, gay character and also launches his ongoing series.
Flash Gordon: Vengeance of Ming – The third volume in Ardden's Flash Gordon series.
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we'd buy on Wednesday based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we'd get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on what we call our "Splurge" item.
Check out Diamond's release list or ComicList if you'd like to play along in our comments section.
Chris Arrant
This week's a big week for me, so with only $15 I'd have to leave a lot of things back and make some hard choices. My five under $15 would start with Joe The Barbarian #8 (DC/Vertigo, $3.99) by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy. I'm a big fan of both guys, but I have to admit the story went over my head the same way The Filth did in serialization. Be that as it may, I've kept buying the issues just to amaze myself with Murphy's art. Now that the complete series is out, I'll re-read it all in one sitting and hope for the best. Second would be the fourth issue of Incognito: Bad Influences (Marvel/Icon, $3.50) because, well, Brubaker and Phillips can do no wrong. After that I'd get Secret Warriors #25 (Marvel, $3.99) because Hickman's writing here plays up to all the things I like — espionage, secrets, and overly-complicated story arcs. Over on the DC side I would pick up Brightest Day #21 (DC, $2.99). This series has ebbed and flowed for me, depending on which story arcs are brought to the fore in each issue… but I'm excited to see what happens and that's what it should be about, right? My last pick is a cheat — I only have some change left, but thankfully the Fear Itself Sketchbook (Marvel) coming out is a free promotional item. I'll take Stuart Immonen sketches any day!


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Book your room at La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Bush Intl Airport E
Get an overview of this hotelHotel in Humble with free breakfast and free airport shuttle
Situated near the airport, this hotel is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) from Humble Civic Center and 2.9 mi (4.7 km) from Deerbrook Mall. Humble Oil Patch Golf Center and Cypresswood Golf Club are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Hotel Features
An outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, and a spa tub are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free buffet breakfast is provided, as well as free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free airport shuttle. Additionally, a business center, a meeting room, and dry cleaning are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 78 rooms provide free WiFi and free wired Internet, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves. Premium bedding, coffee makers, and free local calls are among the other amenities available to guests.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Bush Intl Airport E18201 Kenswick Drive Humble TX 77338
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to an outdoor pool, La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Bush Intl Airport E provides a spa tub and a 24-hour fitness center. A computer station is located on site and high-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. Business-related amenities consist of a business center and a meeting room. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary to guests (available 24 hours). This Humble hotel also offers laundry facilities, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a grocery/convenience store. Onsite self parking is complimentary. A total renovation of this property was completed in 2015.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Bush Intl Airport E is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Free airport transportation
- Business center
- Computer station
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Fitness facilities
- Free breakfast
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Grocery/convenience store
- Laundry facilities
- Long-term parking (surcharge)
- Luggage storage
- Number of floors - 4
- One meeting room
- Outdoor pool
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Smoke-free property
- Spa tub
- Television in common areas
- Total number of rooms - 78
- Year Built 2010
Family Friendly Amenities
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Grocery/convenience store
- Laundry facilities
- Microwave
- Outdoor pool
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Long-term parking (surcharge), Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Daily housekeeping
- Desk
- Flat-panel TV
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Microwave
- Phone
- Premium bedding
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Satellite TV service
- Shower/tub combination
Where to Eat
A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is served each morning between 6 AM and 9 AM.
Nearby Things to Do
An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a 24-hour fitness center.
Children under 15 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool, fitness facility, or spa tub without adult supervision.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is Noon
Payment types
- Pets stay free
- 2 per room
- Restrictions apply
- For more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Service animals exempt from fees/restrictions
Pets allowed (no fees)
- Resort fee
Optional extras
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.00 per night
Hotel Name
- Quinta Houston Bush Intl Airport E
- Quinta Inn Houston Bush Intl Airport E
- Quinta Inn Houston Intl
We should mention
A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Children 12 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


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I've just started using the Nokia Here API and it works great, but I've noticed that the maps disable pinch zoom on iOS, on both iPhone and iPad.
Here's an example: http://seemann.com/mapsample/
Works fine across most browsers on a desktop, but pinch zooming is not possible on iOS. (Haven't tested on Android.) This happens even when I turn off the Behavior component.


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Looks great on desktop but non functional on devices like phones or tablets.
Sólo funciona bien en navegadores de sobremesa pero cuando lo usas e intentas visualizar en tablets o smatphones, los botones de avance, retroceso y play se agigantan y superponen a la propia página.
If you have 3 or 4 videos then great. Use this plugin!
if you have more than 4 videos, this plug in doesn't have scroll buttons or arrows to move backwards or forwards.
skip it, there isn't anything in the settings to allow for this feature.
Combined with the FitVids for WordPress plugin, this playlist player has a very nice look and is fairly easy to configure. But this is only for desktop viewing, for mobile it does not work.
I have written an extensive report about the testing that I did with this plugin in the support area, so I will not belabor the facts here. I will just say that the claim in the description that support for mobile devices has been added is not accurate. What they have done is to use scripted code that diverts to a special YouTube playlist when the player is clicked; and on the vast majority of mobile devices, that playlist will not play.
You must log in to submit a review. You can also log in or register using the form near the top of this page.


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The Center for Student Life (CSL) provides opportunities for students to develop skills that enhance lifelong problem-solving, communication, and decision-making abilities in our complex society. Staff members encourage students to forge positive relationships with their peers and participate in values-based student
organizations, university traditions, co-curricular activities, and fraternal experiences. The CSL also promotes the development of a university community which is characterized by reasonable safety and security and enforcement of university policies and regulations. These objectives are furthered by
challenging students to accept responsibility for their actions and demonstrate responsible behavior, civility, and respect.
The CSL supports the vision and mission of the university and the Student Affairs Division by empowering students, both individually and collectively, to participate in intentional and interconnected learning and leadership experiences. The CSL encourages good citizenship, responsible stewardship, and engagement as a
foundation for current and future success.
The CSL houses three interworking offices:
Student Leadership,
Greek Life, and
Program Coordination/Communication and Assessment.
These three offices work together to further the Center for Student Life's mission statement of fostering a university community characterized by reasonable safety and security, responsible and educated behavior, civility, and respect.
The Office for Student Leadership supports recognized campus organizations with leadership opportunities and coordination among the university administrative system.
The Greek Life Office provides a wealth of developmental opportunities that support academic engagement, cognitive development, student leadership, civic responsibility, and peer accountability.
The Program Coordination Office promotes the Center for Student Life mission statement with university-wide programming such as the
Six O'clock Series and events such as
IUP Day and the
Homecoming Parade.
Want to find out about campus events and student organizations, and find things to do? Log on to CrimsonConnect!
Connect with Center for Student Life on Social Media
More IUP Social Media
IUP Recognizes Corinthian Sailors
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On A Clear Day... With Harry Connick, Jr: My Review
Sexual reassignment surgery has gone on at On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, the 1965 Alan Jay Lerner/Burton Lane musical about a gal with ESP whose grief-stricken psychiatrist is obsessed with the gal's past-life persona, Melinda.
In this version -- with a rethought book by Peter Parnell and director Michael Mayer -- the gal is now a gay male florist named David (David Turner).
So when the doc (honey-throated Harry Connick Jr) becomes smitten with David's inner Melinda (who's now a '40s jazz singer played by Jessie Mueller), it's extra twisty that David responds by getting wild about Harry.
That's not all that's different.
Upcoming Events
In aiming for nowness, the show manages to be both bigger and smaller than the original.
By interpolating more songs than they've dropped, this Day boasts 25 numbers (including reprises) instead of the original's 14.
And the ESP is gone, presumably to give things some verisimilitude.
Alas, the awful sets -- mostly checkerboard trellises -- are cartoony and distancing enough to have the opposite effect, not allowing you the freedom to really believe in the wacky goings-on.
What's more, they're chintzy, the '40s getting summoned by just four microphones, a piano, and a riser!
It doesn't help that Act One has too many songs and jokes that don't land (though a dance trio for the doc, his patient, and the past-life lady is deftly amusingly).
But in a new trend for offbeat love musicals (see Bonnie and Clyde -- all right, don't), this one improves after intermission, developing some weight, along with some superior show tunes.
The show's three big numbers are stacked up practically in a row toward the end. It's almost like a Mamma Mia! mixtape medley.
By the end, you've become intrigued enough by the sexuality complications stemming from the Doctor/David dynamic to almost forget the relative jumble that preceded it.
Connick is especially touching as he's forced to confront the death of his various lady loves and move on.
And while Turner and Mueller (who occasionally seems to be channeling Liza Minnelli in New York, New York) can't approximate the star power of the original's Barbara Harris, they're basically appealing.
On a Clear Day is a mixed bag of gems and groaners that might have you longing for it's own past life, but when it finally attains clarity, it can be a lilting reminder of the allure of the unavailable.
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|Reviews for Kingdom Lost
| ifeelsofree chapter 1 . 7/19
The emotions! Glad they started to move on
| trinka belle chapter 1 . 5/14
I loved this. I hope the rest of Hermione's holiday brings them closer and closer. I hope the Order accepts him in due time. I hope Draco and Harry become the friends they were always meant to be. I hope Draco shows Hermione how much he's changed by asking her to marry him. I hope Hermione shows him how much she believes him by saying yes. I hope their children call Draco Papa or Daddy, but never Father. And I hope Narcissa is watching it all from her place in heaven; watching and gloating that Draco turned out to be his mother's son, after all.
| Guest chapter 1 . 3/25
Awwwww i really ship them
| rorogirl15 chapter 1 . 1/6
Amazing. Great job!
| Ads S chapter 1 . 7/1/2015
You killed my Ron!My tears are spilling out like a waterfall!#TheBoyWhoCared
| Guest chapter 1 . 2/23/2015
...Oh my god..I was SO close on crying! What am I saying I'm drying my tears right now! Oh my gosh! You're amazing and...I NEED ALL of these stories in a book of my own! You're a very talented writer! Keep up the work (PLEASE!) thank you for entertaining me for half an hour! I'm going to go read like 12 more of your stories about this "ship" heh...Yep I'm obsessed with Dramione
| Anonymous person chapter 1 . 1/11/2015
I really liked all of the intimacy between the two of them! I would love to see everyone's reactions to Hermione bringing Draco back and the knowledge of what they had done on their week of holiday!
P.s the fact that they were in Pompeii was a nice touch
| guest chapter 1 . 5/22/2014
Awwww that was just so sad ans sweet and cute! :'( Great story :)
| purplepam chapter 1 . 5/16/2014
Whoa...That was really beautiful. I loved how they healed each other. Great job.
| pastel kittens chapter 1 . 9/21/2013
Your style of writing is absolutely beautiful.
Throughout this whole piece there was so much emotion in it. Draco was so broken and I wanted to just cry for Hermione.
I just loved how the bond grew between them in this, it was excellent.
Keep it up!
| Dramione chapter 1 . 4/1/2013
After reading the first few paragraphes I knew I like your style of writing. Amazing!
In the most fanfictions Draco is either the bad, kind of crazy guy or the hero, who can do everything. Your Draco was weak and human - amazing, too.
I wish him good luck and hope, Hermione will find her tears.
R.I.P. Narcissa Malfoy
You did an awesome job and I hope, you'll contine writing - stories, one shoots...
| Rebekah Kroeplin chapter 1 . 1/3/2013
I had tears in my eyes as I read this. Talk about passionate. It's wonderful watching a friendship grow and form between them. You made everything so real and unique. Gosh, I love your work! It's absolutely beautiful.
| sinfulvodka chapter 1 . 12/9/2012
Wow. This story is perfect, I'm absolutely speechless. Probably the best Dramione oneshot I've read.
| Daydreamerofjune chapter 1 . 8/1/2012
This is my favorite one shot ever! Y U NO CONTINUE? seriously though this would rock as a chaptered story. Awesome oneshot though. Bee yoo tee full.
| Delicate Desires chapter 1 . 7/5/2012
Wow, this was great! o: Really sad but it was a really good read. (:


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|Viewing Single Post From: AZ, JS, and EM SOW Blurb
|Jan 18 2009, 11:42 AM
That's wonderful to do that for the crew. I am sure it hasn't been an easy year for anyone, and they get to poke fun at the ridiculous story they are in.
I hardly recognize James!
Thanks for sharing!
|AZ, JS, and EM SOW Blurb · DAYS: News, Spoilers & Discussion


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I do,
find . -type f -name '*.c'
to find the list of .c files in my project. I want to open them all in the vim. I did something like this.
find . -type f -name '*.c' | xargs -- vim
It was not ideal. Is this correct or is there a better way. Please do not ask me to install a vim plugin. I am looking for unix way of doing things, i.e, by piping


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Our Rates Includes:
-Bohio's $870 -One Bedroom Ocean View Villa $1,070.00
Accomodations, Breakfast and lunch for two, Domestic Open Bar until 5pm, One Spa unique experince for two, 3 course dinner for two with a wine of the house bottle, Transportation from airport.
Rates are per night and quoted in US Dollars, based on single or double occupancy. All rates are subject to 17% tax and 10% resort fee.Subject to availability at the time of booking.Offer is not valid in conjunction with other offers and does not apply to groups.Minimum four nights is required. Black out dates apply from the 17th-23rd of February, 2014.


text:
Collective Bargaining
Legal Terminology
Labor Wiki
Brothers and Sisters,
The delegates at the Washington State Council of FIrefighters approved resolution 16-07, Wildland Fire and Mobilization Committee. The State Council President will be appointing a committee of seven to work on topics including firefighter mobilization, policy, deployment and funding for local, state, and federal government. Please read the attached letter from President Lawson and contact me if you are interested in submitting your name for this committee. Thank you.
Craig Becker
IAFF Local 2819
The Kitsap Firefighters Benevolent Fund Community Scholarship is open to high school seniors who live in Kitsap County. Other eligibility requirements include: a minimum 3.0 GPA, a copy of an unofficial transcript, and one letter of recommendation. Applicants will need to answer a short essay question.
The Kitsap Firefighters Benevolent Fund Dependents Scholarship is open to dependents of KFFBF members (high school seniors or current college students). Other eligibility requirements include: a minimum 3.0 GPA, a copy of an unofficial transcript, and one letter of recommendation. Applicants will need to answer a short essay question.
Dependents of KFFBF members are not eligible to apply for the Community Scholarship.
Good luck!
Scholarship Policy
Scholarship Application
Activites worksheet
Application Period:
January 8, 2016 ~ February 28, 2016 March 15, 2016. * This has been corrected.
Application packet must be postmarked or personally delivered byFebruary 28, 2016 March 15, 2016. * This has been corrected.
Applications postmarked afterFebruary 28, 2016 March 15, 2016. * This has been corrected., will not be considered.
Incomplete application packets (those missing any of the above-listed enclosures) will not be considered. We understand that some applicants may not have proof of acceptance at the time of application. If this applies to you, please submit a list of the schools to which you have applied.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application packet – complete with all attachments – has been delivered to the WSCFF office.
Please send completed application and attachments to:
WSCFF Benevolent Fund Scholarship Program
1069 Adams Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Please email the council office helen@wscff for additional information on the WSCFF Scholarship Program or an application in word or excel format.
Our Kitsap Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund will be conducting its third Coats for Kids outing through Operation Warm this week. This year, we will be distributing 108 coats at View Ridge Elementary School.
This is a terrific initiative that is endorsed by the IAFF as well as being supported by three Kitsap based Rotary Clubs. Please make every effort in attending. These kids light up when they receive a fandiddlytastic, new, made in USA coat fitted by a cool fire fighter.
Here are the specifics:
Meet at Bremerton Fire House No.3, 3033 Olympus Drive at 11:45am.
The procession of fire engines will depart at 12:15pm for View Ridge Elementary, 3250 Spruce Drive.
Coat distribution will begin at 12:30.
If you can make it, please call Tom Stanley at 360-440-4641.
Date is This Wednesday the 18th.
October 19, 2015 at 9:00am.
Mark your calendars now. The next IAFF 7th District Mini Ed Conference will be held locally in Lakewood and hosted by Local 1488. These educational conferences are just another way to prepare yourself for challenges that you face as a Union leader and are open to any member interested in taking that next step in Union Participation.
At this time the three subjects to be covered are:
West Pierce Fire Fighters IAFF 1488
7125 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
RSVP by emailing VP Ricky Walsh at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Our Local 2819 Honor Guard will be presenting colors at Safeco Field this October 4th at 12:10pm. This is the sixth and final detail they will have done this summer.
The Mariners will be playing the Oakland A's in a game that can be fun and relaxing for us and our families to watch. Please make every effort in attending.


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When pop stars die too young it's always tragic, and often not all that surprising.
Whitney Houston, who died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday at age 48, had the particular misfortune to have the swift and spectacular success of her early career followed by years spent living a deeply troubled public life under the watchful eye of a tabloid culture.
If anybody ever seemed destined for success, it was Whitney Houston. Her mother was the vocalist Cissy Houston, her cousin was Dionne Warwick, her godmother was Aretha Franklin. Philadelphia soul legends Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff issued a statement recalling that they worked with Cissy Houston in 1969, when Whitney was 6: "Cissy used to always talk about her daughter . . . and what a great talent she was going to be."


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USAF's Newest 'Rock' Star Flies to Arkansas
The 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, received another C-130J Super Hercules airlifter on May 15.
Lt. Gen. Brooks Bash, vice commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, ferried the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., facility in Marietta, Ga. Bash is a command pilot who has logged more than 6,500 flight hours throughout his career.
Global Military Aircraft Avionics Market 2015-2019
The 61st, which has operated C-130s since 1956, is part of Air Mobility Command's 19th Airlift Wing.
Your company's press release on ASDNews and to thousands of other journalists and editors? Use our ASDWire press release distribution service.
Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT)
Oct 26 - 27, 2016 - London, United Kingdom


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Lawmaker opposes fighter jet in Burlington, Vt.February 09,2013MONTPELIER A Vermont lawmaker whose district would be affected by the possible basing of a new fighter jet in the Burlington area is proposing a legislative resolution against it.
Rep. George Cross is a Democrat representing Winooski, a small city in the flight path into and out of the Burlington International Airport where the F-35 fighter jet would be based.
Cross says his resolution has 30 cosponsors and he hopes to garner more support from lawmakers around Vermont.
Supporters of the F-35 being housed with the Vermont Air National Guard say it would be an economic growth engine for northwestern Vermont.MORE IN Vermont NewsPHILADELPHIA Vermonts delegation to the Democratic National Convention took center stage... Full StoryNORTHFIELD A Norwich University professor has been awarded a research fellowship to support her... Full StoryDemocratic Gubernatorial Candidate Peter Galbraith released a proposal Thursday to quash the... Full Story
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November 19th - Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Guilmant Scherzo in d op. 31, Karg-Elert Totentanz op. 70, no.2
Prudence Sanders soprano, Helen Gregory mezzo-soprano, Christopher Diffey tenor, Robert Rice baritone, Duncan Glenday piano, Jonathan Scott harmonium
December 4th - Handel Messiah
Natasha Jouhl soprano, Robert Ogden counter-tenor, Nicholas Watts tenor, Daniel Grice bass, Skipton Building Society Camerata
December 17th - Family Christmas Spectacular
Bradford Youth Choirs, Rothwell Temperance Band
March 24th - Jenkins The Armed Man, O'Regan Triptych, Bartok Divertimento
Imogen Cummings soprano, Skipton Building Society Camerata
June 2nd - Diamond Jubilee Spectacular - music from the Coronation of Elizabeth II, extracts from Carmen and Last Night of the Proms finale!
Peyee Chen soprano, Hannah Mason mezzo-soprano, Mark Luther tenor, Pauls Putnins baritone, Skipton Building Society Camerata
Concerts conducted by Thomas Leech
November 13th - Elgar Lux aeterna, Spirit of England; Faure Requiem
Nicola Howard soprano, Quentin Brown baritone, James Stretton bugle, Jonathan Scott organ
December 4th - Handel Messiah
Joanna Patocs soprano, Natalia Brzezinska mezzo-soprano, George Pooley tenor, Donald Stephenson bass, Edmund Aldhouse organ
December 18th - Family Christmas Spectacular
Bradford Youth Choirs, Rothwell Temperance Band
March 13th - Come and Sing Todd Mass in Blue
April 2nd - Handel Coronation Anthems, Haydn Symphony 48, Mozart Requiem (completed Druce)
Phillipa Hyde soprano, Marion Ramsay contralto, David Burrows tenor, Pauls Putnins bass, Skipton Building Society Camerata
May 28th - Ellington Sacred Concert (excerpts), Todd Mass in Blue
Tina May soprano, The Will Todd Trio Concerts conducted by Thomas Leech
October 31st - Spirit and Fire: Gorecki Totus tuus, Plainchant / improvisations, Whitacre Lux aurumque, Rutter Requiem
Sally Egan soprano, Skipton Building Society Camerata, Nigel Allcoat organ
December 5th - Handel Messiah
Sarah Kelly soprano, Lucy Appleyard mezzo-soprano, David Shaw tenor, Alastair Ollerenshaw bass, Edmund Aldhouse organ
December 19th - Family Christmas Spectacular
Bradford Youth Choirs, Saltaire Hammonds Band
April 24th - Venetian Splendour...Romantic Glory: Monteverdi / Lotti / Viadana Motets, Dvorak Mass in D
Orichalcum Ensemble
June 24th - A Night at the Opera
Alexandra Carter soprano, Jeanette Ager mezzo-soprano, Mark Guerin tenor, John Bernays bass, Aleksander Szram piano
Concerts conducted by Thomas Leech
November 22nd - Visions of England: Parry Blest Pair of Sirens, I Was Glad, Vaughan Williams Te Deum, Mass in g, A Vision of Aeroplanes
Bradford Cathedral Choir, Bradford University Singers, Thomas Moore organ
December 7th - Handel Messiah
Charlotte Kinder soprano, Matthew Lennox counter-tenor, Stephen Newlove tenor, Stewart Kempster bass, National Festival Orchestra
December 17th - Family Christmas Spectacular, including Rutter Gloria
Bradford Youth Choirs, Saltaire Hammonds Band
April 24th - Haydn Creation
Prudence Sanders soprano, Duncan Rock bass
Concerts conducted by Thomas Leech
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A Very 'Gossip Girl' Christmas
Our mind-shatteringly detailed guide to what in this week's episode of Gossip Girl could pass for real-life New York experience, what seemed kinda fake, and what really put the "Jesus Christ" back in our Christmas.
This episode of Gossip Girl was all about the sweeping, romantic gesture. Vanessa got one of Dan's short stories into a fictional fiction issue of The New Yorker, then put aside her getting-kinda-creepy feelings for him in order to help Serena create the second-perfect gift for Dan. ("He's not really into things," Vanessa told Serena smugly. God, we hate Vanessa. But more on that later.) Also, Blair's mom found it in her heart to accept her ex-husband's Eurotrash new boyfriend, Chuck's dad proposed to Lily, and Dan flouted Palace rules by sneaking a Christmas tree into the Van der Woodsen apartment. "What you are doing for Serena is so romantic," Jenny told him as they lugged the giant fir down the street. "I wonder what mom and dad are getting each other for Christmas." We soon find out: a divorce! Hands down, Rufus's coatless, Zhivago–like trek from Dumbo to the Upper East Side in order to reclaim his one true love, Lily, was the most romantic gesture of all in this week's episode. It was also, like much of this week's Victoria's Secret–sponsored episode, just a bit unrealistic. No one in history has ever walked that far, not even Lewis and Clark. Especially in winter! No matter how much warm Lily–love was coursing through his veins, a thin thermal is no match for the gusts of wind that crusade across the city in December. In real life, Rufus would probably have gone the way of the Little Match Girl right around 14th Street.
And with that! On to our mind-shatteringly detailed guide to what in this week's episode of Gossip Girl could pass for real-life New York experience, what seemed kinda fake, and what really put the "Jesus Christ" back in our Christmas.
As Pure As Fake Snow on an Odd-Looking Loft Skylight
• We paused the episode long enough to make a quick scan of the Gossip Girl home page. It was pretty simple, but it wasn't a blogspot or TypePad page, so our gal must have a little HTML experience. But the "Pics" and "Parties" tabs are probably things that she'd have on the page. Plus 1. There's also a "Links" tab. What would Gossip Girl link to?, we wondered. New York Social Diary? The LOLCats? Planned Parenthood?
• We were surprised and delighted to see the all-girl a cappella group from Constance Billard make a return at the holiday auction. Their awkward almost-choreographed dance moves are perfect, as is the coquettish Betty Boop finishing squat. What a cappella girls (okay, and let's be honest, boys) haven't made that move? Plus 3.
• At last, Gossip Girl drops its Parent Trap–ings. In this episode, Jenny learns that while you may be able to drag your mom back to your Brooklyn apartment from Hudson, you cannot stop her from having dirty-sex fantasies about a guy named Alex or being too unlikable to remain on the show. Similarly, Blair's trick of inviting her dad's boyfriend's ex-boyfriend to her mom's Christmas Eve party fails to create whatever convoluted circumstances she imagines will cause her dad to move back to New York and actually just manages to get her in trouble. Plus 2, because even smart kids get stupid when their parents act like slutty children.
• The first time we meet Romaaaaahhn, he is wearing a perfectly lovely cashmere V-neck sweater. With a perfectly disgusting disco shirt underneath. Wow, writers — somebody has a late-blooming gay uncle, huh? Plus 3.
• Jenny tells Dan that since he got his dream girl and got a story in The New Yorker, "he might as well just die." "That's true," Dan replies. "I may have peaked." OH, GOD, WE ALL PEAKED JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. Plus 10.
• Though he often seems perfect, Dan does have negative attributes. For instance, he's pretentious (remember that time he watched I Am Curious Yellow? To learn about sex?), has a self-righteous-dick streak (Remember how he wouldn't speak to Serena after he found out she slept with Nate?), and in certain lights, has the overcast look of a heavy smoker. The dickiness unfurls itself spectacularly during his exchange of Christmas gifts with Serena, when Dan ungraciously refuses to accept Serena's gift of a watch: "Did I overdo it?" she simpers, causing him to snap: "I think even your underdoing it would be overdoing it." Later, he actually weasels out of spending the agreed-upon 50 bucks on her present by stealing her a Christmas tree. Sigh. We can see where this relationship is going. Thirty years from now, Dan will be calling her stupid for watching Julia Roberts movies and screaming at her over credit-card bills, and Serena will self-medicate with Botox and diet drugs. Still, Plus 3 for finally embracing authenticity. Dan has been a little too unrealistically great before.
• Serena originally rejects Vanessa's offer to help shop for Dan because she wants to pick out his Christmas present on her own. Plus 1, because obviously Vanessa would want to be in on the perfect present and be able to say later, "Guess who helped her pick it out?" But Serena was too dumb to realize this and asked her for help in the end. Plus 1. Then Blair sees what's up and uses all her powers of bitchery to scare Vanessa off. Plus 1. Then Serena wins the contest the only way she knows how, by giving Dan sex for Christmas. Plus 1. Did the writers go to high school with us or something? (Also, did anybody notice in the pre-show teaser, there was an ad that said "Happy Holidays from the CW," and they showed a clip of the scene where Dan and Serena have sex? We wonder what would happen if we played that alongside Mike Huckabee's Christmas ad. Would the world end?)
• Blair wanted to have tea at the Carlyle with daddy. So real. And so glad that wasn't our life. Plus 2.
• Chuck's text message to Blair: "Just one question: How did you fake your virginity for N?" That is such the kind of message that an asshole teenage boy would send. In real life, later texts would contain "tuna fish" comments. Plus 3
• Dan jokes about making his own cheese. He's a locavore! Plus 1.
• When Chuck photo-texts Blair a pic of him and Nate on the beach, Nate is shirtless and Chuck is wearing a hat, polo shirt, and sweater. Plus 3.
• Holy hell. Are adults really just as awkward as regular people? Rufus calls Lily while she's at the Waldorf party, and she confronts him: "If there's something you want to say, you should go ahead and say it." "Is there something you want me to say?" he shoots back. We swear to God, Brody and LC had this exact conversation on The Hills. Plus 3
• Vanessa sure is a whiz at the computer. OH MY GOD SHE IS GOSSIP GIRL. Plus 1, because we think we're so clever.
• "We've been friends for a long time," Romaaaahhn tells Eleanor. "Since before Marc Jacobs went into rehab." Hahahaha. Ouch. Plus 1.
• Oh my gosh! Dan and Serena are both so surprised that they end up having sex! BUT: WHERE ARE THE CONDOMS? Plus 5.
• On Christmas morning, Eleanor didn't want to kiss her one-night stand good-bye. Adults are too classy to pretend they still like you in the morning. Plus 2.
Total:49 reality points!
Faker Than Clean White Snow on the Sidewalk
• Dan gets published in The New Yorker. Minus 4, because we become incensed when someone we know writes a "Talk of the Town."
• Okay, so let's get into this Victoria's Secret business. Now, we don't really have a huge problem with product placement: We want to continue watching TV shows sans commercials and whenever we feel like it, and we know that the networks still have to make money. And, we've pretty much come to terms with the fact that The Man is in control of our minds; in fact, these days, we barely even notice. But last night, even our corrupted little brains revolted against the constant promotion of Victoria's Secret. Supposedly, Blair's mom was designing a line of "retro lingerie" for them, and she was passing out Victoria's Secret gift bags and all "I am meeting with the CEO of Victoria's Secret." "You know, I'm doing a line with Victoria's Secret." "I was in Victoria's Secret." Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret! It drove us nuts. Not because we felt manipulated, but because it was just so wrong. Not only would none of the people on Gossip Girl actually wear anything as down-market as Victoria's Secret, Eleanor wouldn't be caught dead designing a line for them. That's like if Carolina Herrera decided to put together a small collection for Fashion Bug. Minus 6 Then, like two days after she seals the deal with them, she throws a VS-themed Christmas party. That's ridiculous. Everyone knows it takes at least a month before those pink hookers start showing up at your home. Minus 2.
• On the flip side, we're frankly kind of amazed that they couldn't get a product-placement deal for the watch Serena gave Dan. It looked like it maybe said Mont Blanc on the face. But wouldn't she have given him a Tag Heuer? Not too chichi, but something that would make him subtly look less poor and gay? Minus 2.
• In this episode (and frankly, in all episodes), the younger siblings are entirely too helpful. Eric helps cut out snowflakes for Serena, and Jenny helped Dan steal the Christmas tree and then carry it to the Palace. In real life, younger siblings are mostly just for undermining and overachieving, not moral support. Come on, writers. Not even any weird slapping fights or farting on anybody's face? Minus 3. And don't Eric and Jenny have friends or lives of their own? Minus 1.
• Romaaaahhn's model ex-lover, that actor that's been on one billion episodes of Law & Order, delivers the following line when he crashes Eleanor's party. "How does one explain the indescribable pull to see an old lover, to feel that jolt of electricity?" Then he exits. After the second-worst piece of dialogue in the show's history (after Grandma Rhodes's speech to Dan), what else is there to do? Minus 1.
• Blair's dad tells her that in France, they have "a cat named Cat, like in your favorite movie." Enough with the Breakfast at Tiffany's. We all know her favorite movie is Weekend at Bernie's. Minus 1.
• Speaking of France, no way is Blair spending her last high-school summer in the countryside there. She wants to go to Yale. Bitch needs an internship. Minus 1.
• What the hell are Blair and Serena wearing on Christmas? Silk teddies? No, no, no, not even rich people like prostitution on a high holy day. Also, it's completely gross that Serena is wearing that in front of Chuck's dad. Minus 2.
• We are to believe that Allison received a letter from her mysterious lover, in which he writes requesting a meeting. Except we later learn that they've been talking on the phone. What is this, Middlemarch? No human under the age of 138 would convey information about a meeting in a letter, when the same information could be conveyed through sixteen phone calls and two texts from the opposite side of the food court. Minus 4.
• Blair's headband looks like she has a bratwurst wrapped around her head. Minus 1. Seriously, it looks like one of those Christmas collars you make a dog wear.
Total: 28!
Despite Rufus's snow crawl, the weird availability of an empty loft space for Serena to build her sex nest for Dan, the Gossip Girl Christmas Spectacular was balanced out by those realistic holiday staples: dysfunction and assholic, selfish behavior. See you next year!