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Objective: aiming to exceed the return of the benchmark on a three-year rolling basis. It will invest in smaller companies in developed markets (North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore). The strategy is benchmarked against the MSCI World Small Cap Index
"Our team meets with the management of hundreds of companies across the US, UK, Europe and the Asia-Pacific each year to gain direct investment insights."
Why Hermes Global Small Cap?
- High quality: we believe that long-term investment in high-quality stocks generates excess returns over market cycles and also provides downside protection in adverse conditions.
- Focus on stock-specific risk: we aim to outperform through stock picking rather than sector and geographical exposures.
- Long-term investment: our usual holding period of three to five years allows us to participate in the secular growth characteristics exhibited by many small-cap stocks, and to exploit typical market short-termism.
- Extensive experience in the asset class: Hermes has managed regional small-cap strategies since 1987 and this experience determines the approach now applied by the global fund.
Investment approach
Focusing on the quality of companies is a core element of our philosophy. We employ a multi-factor appraisal methodology which looks for and evaluates characteristics such as a durable competitive advantage and
sustainable growth. As a result, the strategy aims to generate a high return on equity and high stability of returns compared to the benchmark. Our strategy is deliberately long-term focused. This is, we believe, an important factor in generating alpha from small caps: such an approach is necessary to capture the market-share-gain phase of successful smaller businesses, and to take advantage of market short-termism.
Stock ideas are sourced from Hermes' regional small-cap portfolios. This effectively narrows the universe from more than 4,200 stocks to about 250. We undertake a large number of company meetings and overseas trips each year to find new ideas and monitor existing holdings. Each potential investment is peer-reviewed, with the lead manager ultimately determining stock selection and portfolio construction. The fund consists of 50-70 stocks, which helps to ensure that we focus on the best companies and generate a high active share.
We aim to concentrate as much risk as possible in stock selection – our core competence – while maintaining low exposure to sector and geographical risk as this, we believe, generates superior risk-adjusted returns.
The search for quality
We evaluate each company for evidence that they meet the criteria of quality, and their individual merits are discussed at regular stock review meetings. It is not necessary for any one investment to fully satisfy all of the criteria, but they must be perceived to be sufficiently strong on an overall basis. A quality score derived from this assessment contributes to our portfolio construction process.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and targets are not guaranteed.


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Firstly, hello to all FOGer's in the Southern area, or indeed anyone who might be interested in coming to an event in this area of the country.
This is an idea stolen shamelessly from Gregster from the SE section, but hopefully should serve to make things easier to find in this part of the forum. Given all the things likely to be going on, or that people are commenting on, what you're looking for may not be at the top of the pile. This post will be organised chronologically, upcoming events at the top, then past events, and other info at the bottom.
Hope it helps, and I look forward to seeing you guys out and about in the mud,
All the best,
Some shots of past events in and around Hampshire...

subset: commoncrawl


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Car Deals
Sedan Deals: April 2013
With so many sedans to choose from, it can be hard to pick the right one. Shoppers looking for a new 4-door this month will appreciate our list of today's best sedan deals. We think our list can help you narrow down your search for a new 4-door in April. And it can certainly help you find a great deal, whether you're paying cash, leasing or financing.
Dodge Charger
The 2013 Dodge Charger is a full-size, rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive sedan with retro-themed styling. In April, shoppers can get a deal on the Charger whether they're looking to lease, finance or buy it with cash. For those looking to pay in full, Dodge is offering up to $4,000 cash back on V8-powered R/T models, or $3,000 back on the Charger SE and SXT, both of which use a V6. Shoppers looking to lease the Charger can get a V8-powered R/T model for 36 months with payments starting at $269 per month after $2,999 down. And for those who want to finance the Charger, Dodge is offering zero percent interest for up to 36 months. That rate also includes $1,500 cash back for the Charger R/T, or $500 back for the sedan's SE and SXT trims.
Ford Taurus
The 2013 Ford Taurus is a full-size sedan available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. In April, Ford is offering finance incentives and a cash-back deal on the 2013 Taurus. For finance shoppers, the automaker is offering zero percent interest for up to 60 months or 1.9 percent interest for 72 months. Both offers also include $1,000 cash back. The low-interest deal is also available on the high-performance Taurus SHO, which uses the brand's turbocharged EcoBoost V6. For shoppers looking to pay cash for a new Taurus, Ford is offering up to $3,000 cash back this month.
Honda Accord
The 2013 Honda Accord is a midsize sedan that consistently ranks as one of the top-selling cars in the U.S. In April, Honda is offering the newly redesigned Accord with both a lease deal and a finance incentive. For lease shoppers, the well-equipped Accord EX is available for 36 months with payments starting at just $249 after $2,999 down at signing. For qualified buyers looking to finance the Accord, Honda is offering 0.9 percent interest on the sedan. While that offer is only good for up to 36 months, shoppers looking for a longer term -- and lower payments -- can get rates starting at 1.9 percent for up to 60 months.
Hyundai Genesis
The 2013 Hyundai Genesis is a rear-wheel-drive premium sedan with available V8 power. In April, it's available with several good incentives. The first is a low-interest deal that offers rates as low as 1.9 percent for 60 months or 2.9 percent for 72 months to qualified buyers. That offer also includes up to $500 cash back. The Genesis sedan is also available with a lease incentive in April. Through the end of the month, shoppers looking to lease the sedan can get a 36-month term with payments starting at $399 per month after $3,499 down at lease signing. Hyundai is also offering up to $1,500 cash back on the Genesis for current Hyundai owners or those who drive a competitive model.
Find a Hyundai Genesis for sale
The 2014 Mazda6 is a newly redesigned midsize sedan with sleek styling and a 4-cylinder engine. This month, it's available with two incentives. The first is a 36-month lease deal with payments starting from $229 per month after $1,999 down at lease signing. Shoppers looking to finance their next car also can find a good deal on the Mazda6 in April. Qualified buyers can get interest rates as low as 0.9 percent for up to 36 months on any version of the sedan in April. That's a good deal considering the fully-redesigned model only recently went on sale.
Toyota Corolla
The 2013 Toyota Corolla is a popular compact sedan with a 4-cylinder engine. In April, both lease and finance offers are available for shoppers looking for a good deal on the Corolla. The lease deal is available for 36 months and boasts payments of just $149 per month. The only catch: To get that rate, shoppers must put down $2,548 at lease signing. The sedan is also offered with an impressive finance deal. Through the end of April, qualified buyers looking to finance a Corolla can get zero percent interest for up to 60 months. Toyota is also offering up to $1,000 cash back for college students or buyers with college degrees.
Find a Toyota Corolla for sale
What it means to you: Our list of the top sedan deals available today will help shoppers interested in getting a new sedan at a good price in April.


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Countrywide Mediation offer the added benefit of evening and Saturday mediation service offering our clients the ultimate service.
Why our Family mediation service Ashford is the best. Every. Single. Time.
Family mediation Ashford is a priority to us:
We understand that at this point, all that is desired is a peace of mind. Managing a schedule, showing up to work every day, sorting through a divorce. These are difficult challenges separately and even more difficult when combined. Though it may mean arriving at a mutually beneficial decision, the proceedings need not be difficult. It is, therefore, our duty to provide our clients with outstanding support and services.
Timing and burn-out convenience:
We provide evening and weekend appointments to compliment you, your work and family's schedules. Our desire to provide you with the service you have paid for and deserved goes beyond the nine-to-five. Our mission is to assist at your convenience. We want to make the most progress for you. In this regard, we take the discussions and decisions made very seriously. If work or life's other engagements get in the way of your appointments, we provide evening appointmentsAshford that can easily be scheduled. However, if you feel you are showing up instead of participating, if you feel that your weekday has taken so much out of you that you no longer have the bandwidth or capacity to continue, we provide weekend appointments as well.
Accessibility when duty calls:
We consider that you may have intense work schedules that have "rest days" and "down time" spent with kids, or family. Inversely, some work commitments may require one or both of the members of the family to be out of state or town. To amend for this, we provide teleconference or skype mediationAshford. As long as the call is in the same country, we will easily be able to give quality service, provided we have an investment of your time and attention. Being physically present, although preferable, does not need to be necessary if circumstances do not allow it.
We will spend our energies and efforts to you and your needs:
Our bottom line is that we are sympathetic, impartial and confidential. Our aim is not to be a step in your family's journey. We aim to be part of your family, to deeply and sincerely understand your concerns as you understand them. To tailor to your needs in the most productive and synergistic manner. To create environments where differences provide opportunities. To walk a line that is a blend of seemingly different opinions. To form terms and agreements that leave the family content and clear on where their needs are, as parts and as a whole.
We accommodate clients across the United Kingdom in its entirety. Our size and scale of reach only mean we do our job and do it well. A testament to our ability to deliver customer-based service at its optimum level. Operating on a country-wide scale also does not mean difficulty in booking appointments. Fast appointments can be obtained within a short time of getting into contact with us. We aspire to cater to our customer's needs. We book appointments most convenient for all parties involved. Our service Ashford caters to the needs of customers, working during evenings and week days. Most importantly though is our mediation service is cost effective. Help us, help you.
- Reaching an understanding with the parents – The first thing the grandparents can do, and one that is the most desirable option, is to reach an understanding with the parents. Not only will this ensure that an amicable relationship is maintained with the children, but it will also make things hassle free for everyone.
- Contacting a solicitor Ashford – If for some unfortunate reason you are not able to build any contact with the parents, or if an agreement cannot be reached, then a family law solicitor should be contacted. This is because a law solicitor will be able to provide you with useful advice and appropriate options which would be okay with both you and the parents.
- Family mediation Ashford – Finally, whenever possible you should always opt for family mediation. Whenever talks fail, mediation becomes extremely useful in helping reach an understanding. Basically, in mediation what happens is that a mediator or a moderator, who is neutral, meets with the parents and grandparents separately at first in order to evaluate whether or not mediation is going to help this case. If the case is fit for mediation, then everyone is made to attend a joint session. The main purpose of mediation is to help the parties reach and understanding that is suitable for everyone.


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Hi all,
It was a wonderful feeling to see that my PIC16F84 micro contoller worked after been programmed with a simple program written in assembler using the MPLAB development IDE from Microchip.
I use a programmer based on david tait's design. I originally had errors saying "Impossible address" but I managed to get hold of a new and better version of programmer software namely PIC84V05.ZIP and it performed well , the programming action takes less than 1 second!.
On my web site is an example PIC program which I used for the test. Have a look and hey .... let me know what you think of the MACH 2001 and the Model II. Any suggestions or comments are most welcome.
Eddie Leighton


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Blackmon gets warm welcome from Hendricken
Walking through the halls of Bishop Hendricken last Thursday, it was impossible not to take notice of a certain electricity flowing through the hallways.
It was only about half an hour until the end of the school day, but the energy didn't come from over-anxious students waiting to get out of the building.
The students were over-anxious, to be sure, but it was for a completely different reason.
As they all piled into the gym, so did the faculty and administrators. By the time the bleachers were filled and the back wall was occupied from side to side, there might as well have been tumbleweeds billowing down the hallways.
Save for one room, Hendricken had turned into a ghost town.
Then the chants started, slowly and contained at first, but gradually louder until they started echoing off the walls.
"We want Will! We want Will!"
And at that moment, onto the stage walked Will Blackmon, the former Hendricken football star who had just finished up his season as a member of the New York Giants' team that knocked off the New England Patriots 21-17 in the Super Bowl in early February.
The room exploded into applause and cheers, while Blackmon took hold of a microphone, laughed for moment and then asked everybody to calm down a little bit.
He didn't seem to think there was any real reason for everyone to be reacting like the Dalai Lama had walked into the room.
In his eyes, he was just another Hendricken graduate coming home.
"It's always the number one thing on my list," Blackmon said at a press conference after addressing the crowd. "Every time I achieve something, I want to come back here and share it with everybody here."
That's not just athlete-speak, either.
Blackmon keeps in regular touch with Hendricken's Vice President of Operations, Paul Danesi, math teacher Bettyann Tudino and former football coach Ron Mosca.
He spoke to his former history teacher and freshman football coach Michael Quigley just before the Super Bowl.
"I talked to coach Quigley before the game and he kept reminding me about the Patriots," Blackmon joked. "He's like, 'Good luck, but go Patriots.' I'm like, 'Why even call me, Coach?'"
It's those types of interactions, ones that Blackmon has had regularly with people inside the Hendricken community since graduating in 2002, that epitomize his relationship with the school.
He's revered at Hendricken, where his jersey sells in the bookstore. But he reveres Hendricken just as much.
"I think it's a tribute to what this school can do if you use it the right way, not only in sports, but whatever avenue you decide to go on," Blackmon said. "I'm just glad to show that I'm a product of the system. If you use it right, it's going to help you."
When Blackmon spoke to the students on Thursday, he did so casually. He didn't have anything written down, and he didn't offer any life lessons.
It looked like he just wanted to have a conversation amongst friends.
"That's why I didn't really give a speech," Blackmon said at the press conference. "I come back here all the time when I can, and I make a point to. I appreciate it here so much, because I was able to find myself and my identity in this school."
The stories of his appreciation go on and on.
Two years ago, when the Hendricken football team won its first Super Bowl since 1996, Blackmon sent Danesi a video message to play for the team, congratulating them.
Prior to that, after playing four years at Boston College, Blackmon invited Mosca to watch him participate in the NCAA Senior Bowl.
It's no wonder that everybody around the school holds him in such high regard.
"I was interviewed by one of the TV stations, and I choked up," Mosca said. "I got a little emotional. I hope they don't show that."
When Blackmon was beginning to wrap up his press conference, he told the story about fielding the punt prior to the game-winning drive in the Super Bowl.
"I remember the last punt, I was like, 'Okay, just get the ball for Eli and let him drive down the field,'" Blackmon said. "The ball is in the air for honestly about 10 minutes. I'm sitting there just like, 'Come down! Come down! Please!' My heart is pounding, and I'm just like, 'Catch the ball. Because if you don't, you can't go back to New York.'"
Luckily, Blackmon caught the ball. And maybe if he hadn't, he would have had a hard time showing his face in certain parts of New York again.
But he wouldn't have had any problem coming back to Hendricken. He'd still be a hero to the students, and he'd still be able to find solace in a school that he reveres, and one that unconditionally appreciates him for more than just football.
"He was the best athlete I've coached," Mosca said. "He had speed, quickness, he's just a great athlete. And he's also just a great kid. He doesn't have come back here and do this. But he does."
Kevin Pomeroy is the assistant sports editor at the Warwick Beacon. He can we reached at 732-3100 and firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Caps resume playoff push versus Islanders
The Washington Capitals will continue their playoff push on Thursday night against another team in the thick of the postseason race as they play host to the New York Islanders.
The Capitals have put together a 5-1-1 record over their last seven games, with the lone regulation loss coming at home against the Islanders on March 26. Washington has pushed its point total to 36, two back of the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Southeast Division.
Washington was able to close that gap on Tuesday thanks to a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes as well as New York's 5-2 triumph over Winnipeg. The Isles won for the fifth time in six games and are tied with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference with 39 points.
The Capitals are actually closer to first place in the division than the eighth spot in the conference as they trail the Rangers, Isles and Devils by three points.
"There's still a lot of games. We can't get too far ahead of ourselves," Caps coach Adam Oates said after the win over the Hurricanes. "Just like two weeks ago, we didn't look at the standings either. We just have to play our hockey and just keep improving. It's not going to be good enough to just play like this. We have to keep improving and worry about (the playoffs) later."
Washington's current run has been sparked by Alex Ovechkin, who had two goals and an assist in Tuesday's win. He has 20 goals on the season, with 10 tallies and 15 points over a nine-game point streak.
Mike Green also scored twice and Nicklas Backstrom assisted on four goals for Washington.
The Islanders find themselves still in the hunt thanks to their recent string of wins as well as season-long success on the road, where they are 11-5-1 this season. New York, though, took care of business on home ice Tuesday in downing Winnipeg.
Frans Nielsen snapped a tie game with a power-play goal in the final minute of the second period, while Matt Moulson and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist in the win. Tavares has scored a goal in six of his past eight games and is second in the NHL with 23 tallies.
Colin McDonald also tallied and Anders Lee added a goal in his NHL debut after signing a two-year entry-level contract on Monday. Kevin Poulin aided the cause with a 23-save effort.
"We got pucks to the net and that was the big thing," said Islanders head coach Jack Capuano. "After two periods we had close to 30 shots and that's the one thing that we wanted to try to accomplish tonight."
The Isles have won the first two of three meetings with the Capitals this season and four of the past six overall. They got a game-winning goal from Tavares with 5:18 left to play in the 3-2 victory at Washington on March 26.


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Coming off a 4-1 loss to No. 7 Florida on Friday night, No. 24 Ole Miss scored two goals in the first five minutes and went on to win 7-0 over Auburn on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Bethany Bunker netted a pair of goals to give her a hat trick for the weekend, and five goals for the season, including the first goal of Sunday's game.
Junior Kelly McCormick made three saves, as Ole Miss recorded its sixth shutout of the season. Offensively, along with Bunker, senior Mandy McCalla added two goals, giving her nine for the season, while sophomore Olivia Harrison, senior Emily Reid and freshman Addie Forbus rounded out the scoring for the Rebels.
"They just moved the ball so great, and really, Bethany and Rafa were great early, getting in and getting around the corner, and putting the ball in dangerous spots," head coach Matt Mott said. "It was a complete team win. We were very good and organized in the back.
"We had tons of energy. This team, they have great character, and they want to get out and play well at home. They weren't happy after Friday, so they came out with something to prove. They knocked in those couple early goals and settled themselves down. I'm certainly happy with their performance."
At 9-2-1 through 12 games, it's the third-best start in program history, its best since 2003, when Ole Miss advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first and only time in program history. Next weekend, the Rebels hit the road for two road games against two team currently just outside the top 25 in Tennessee and Georgia.
"We expect tough games," Mott said of next weekend's games. "Every SEC road game is really tough. We will have to come ready to go on Friday against Tennessee."


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Reload Review
Gamers who have been to shooting ranges or enjoy carnival games will find Reload a familiar experience. On the other hand, the closest some of us have come to a shooting range is in the slingshot range in Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Reload closes the gap, giving players an enjoyable and somewhat authentic experience on a variety of ranges.
The gameplay of Reload is easy to learn. You have a crosshair to aim, a button to shoot, and a button to reload. To aim, you must drag your finger around the screen. Even though you don't need to be touching the crosshairs to do this, this mechanic can still make you wish you had invisible thumbs. It is also difficult to move quickly across the small screen, even though moving quickly is vital.
Poorly placed poles.
Once you've figured out aiming, there are a variety of targets to fire upon. Realistically, they look like cardboard cut-outs on moving pegs, which snap back when shot. Some are enemies and some are civilians, and you can only kill three of the latter before losing. They change in appearance rather drastically, from blue figures to gun-toting thugs to terrorists, with the civilians changing to meet each thematic setting.
The shooting ranges come in many varieties, making the game feel dynamic, even if the graphics are sub-par. Enemies change behaviors as you progress through these ranges too, with some enemies even capable of shooting back if you don't take them down quickly enough.
And then he opened fire on the foosball team.
There are also a wide variety of weapons, though you are limited to using just one on each level. You progress from a magnum to a sniper rifle, with a wide array in between, including a shotgun. And trust us: Trying to avoid clipping civilians while using a shotgun is difficult.
Reload is a fun shooting gallery game with a good deal of content. If you think you have fast enough reaction times, pick this one up.


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- It may very well be that I am too profoundly American to understand this concept, this lingerie for little girls. Though I have traveled the world and have a debaucherous youth under my belt, maybe I really am too 'girl next door' to be comfortable with the ideaof pre-pubescent girls wearing satin mini-adult underthings.
Or maybe it is that I firmly believe there is no need to package our little girls for sex.
Lingerie, from its beginning, has been used to seduce and titillate while the wearer is being gazed upon. In modern days, it is meant to be gift wrapping for bedroom play and sex. Alluring, erotic. And now it comes in Size 4. In fact, now thanks to Jours Aprel Lunes, families can even purchase Mommy & Me matching lingerie, which I truly hope leaves penises shriveling and falling off at the thought.
In 2003 the global lingerie market peaked at $29 billion. And to think, despite Candie's best efforts, the children's true lingerie market had not yet been cornered.
Instead of talking about if this is right or wrong, how horrible the sexualization and sexploitation of childhood is, how our daughters are being damaged by messages coming at them so early that their ability to be beautiful and sexy will define their worth and that their not-yet developed sexuality will be a performance for others instead of something innate….
Let's desconstruct what this is really about, because I heard some absurd things when this was discussed:
1. "Little girls like to play dress up and look like Mommy."
Okay, sure, kids like to play dress up. Except, this photo shoot isn't playing dress up. It is very young girls wearing make-up and sexy Brigitte Bardot bedroom hair styled by adults while posing at the instruction of the photographer.
And when playing dress up in Mommy's things, they are a visitor to Mommy's world, so things are too big and don't fit. Because those things weren't made for them, they were made for Mommy. But we're talking about lingerie made to fit little girls. Made just for them. There is an adorable awkwardness in clomping down the hall in high heels and a dress many times too big. This usually includes drastic over-accessorization of every piece of jewelry owned and sloppily-applied make-up. I don't know about you, but when my kids play dress up, my drawer of lingerie and bedroom toys is off limits. Why? Because that is a part of my adult marriage and adult sexuality they have no business being a part of. I don't think that makes me a prude. That makes me a parent.
So let's be clear, this isn't dress up. Now, maybe after purchase of the kiddie lingerie, a little girl at home would wear her fancy Jours underthings for dress up. I just don't think my five year old needs diamond-encrusted satin panties.
2. "Saying that a woman wears pretty undergarments because they expect to be undressed for sex, also bad." And "not always why I wear it… I would say it's made to make me feel (when properly fitting, of course) feminine, sensual, attractive, etc".
What I said, for the record, is that the 'lingerie is gift wrapping for sex'. There are definitely women who like to wear lingerie for the sake of wearing lingerie, sex or no sex. Fancy bras and panties are a perk to being a grown woman. But I think it is safe to say that the majority of people wearing lingerie, the majority of times they wear it, is to be seductive in the boudoir and to be gazed upon. Now we have a children's version, which makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Let's remember, Victoria's Secret was created by a man, to make a more comfortable and easy shopping experience for men buying items for their romantic interests. The lingerie market was created and largely exists for sex and seduction, to be gazed at while wearing garments that accentuate the adult body in a sexual manner. Wearing lingerie is about sex or feeling sexy. And none of that has to do with being a five year old.
3. "There's a very fine line between teaching girls that their sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, and not pushing them into too much, too soon."
I don't think that fine line calls for kiddie lingerie. Itty bitty lingerie no more instills healthy sexuality in a child than a push-up brainstills confidence in a teen. I don't think that line is so fine. I can teach my daughter to be sex positive and I can be supportive and a trusted source of information for her as her sexuality develops at an age appropriate pace. I can teach her to respect and love her body without having to watch her skip right over her girlhood and hop into mini-womanhood. She'll become a woman, and I am in no rush to get there. Because I raise her with the right messages, neither is she.
4. "I bet pedophiles are loving this. Now they have these images…." And "How many pedophiles work for this company?"
Let's answer the second question first: Most likely zero. People who sexualize little children are more often than not, not pedophiles. They develop a product that has a market, and they sell. This is about dollars, not sex. I don't think the people at Mattel who make Monster High are pedophiles any more than I do the folks at Submarine Kidsor Abercrombie & Fitch. I do think they are people who lapse some serious good judgement when it comes to children's product development and marketing to kids.
Now for the pedophile stuff – Friends, these images don't hold a candle to actual child porn, and if you knew the seeminly innocuous images that get certain pedophiles off on, you wouldn't let your kids out of your house. Your child is more at risk of coming into contact with an older or same age family member, playmate, neighbor (adult or child), or school mate for whom products and advertising like this blur the line of taboo around kids and sex. That's a line I don't want smudged.
While child sexual abuse, online pornography, and pedophilia do exist as dangers to our children, the real and more tangible concern with early sexualization is what messages our kids, boys and girls, are learning about gender and sexuality: how girls/women should look, act, and how adult sexuality is projected. This leads to a whole host of problems like low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, early promiscuity, risky sexual behavior, poor performance in school, and an unhealthy development of sexuality at a very crucial age for young people.
5. "I don't think I would have had any idea I was being sexualized, and since my parents would never have let me pose in my underwear in a public forum under any circumstances (and it never would have occurred to me to want to), I don't think anyone else would have had the opportunity to sexualize me either." And "If no one involved, including the children, notice it happening, then how is it happening exactly?"
That is the beast of sexualization, isn't it? Children don't understand that it is happening to them. How would they? That doesn't mean it isn't happening. If I have a pot boiling on the stove and I leave the room as it boils over, I may not see it happening, but I still have a mess to clean up. Sexualization doesn't have to take place in public, and sexualization is not the same as sexual abuse.
Sexualization is an emotional and/or physical experience, often many moments and messages over the course of time, that teach the subject unhealthy values about sexuality.
From the American Psychological Association's 2007 Task Force On The Sexualization of Girls –
There are several components to sexualization, and these set it apart from healthy sexuality. Sexualization occurs when
- a person's value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics;
- a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness (narrowly defined) with being sexy;
- a person is sexually objectified—that is, made into a thing for others' sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making; and/or
- sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a person.
6. "I think saying 'my daughter wants to be like me and she may by any means she chooses EXCEPT the things I do because they make me feel pretty' is…bizarre. Girls are allowed to want to be attractive."
I think all living creatures are looking for acceptance, and a part of that comes from being found attractive. But in girlhood, that shouldn't come from being sexy. Trying on Mommy's dresses and make-up and painting toes is one thing – both totally normal and age appropriate, while keeping in check the focus and emphasis on "being pretty". Trying on mini, child version of the type of lingerie Mommy would wear to seduce Daddy while away on an anniversary weekend? Not okay. Disgusting, really.
Playing with hairstyles and clips and updo's – totally normal and age appropriate. Sitting at a photoshoot getting a Brigette Bardo bombshell updo to model lingerie made for kids? Are ya kidding me? Not. Okay.
There are some things adults do because they are adults that have no place in childhood.
Girls are allowed to want to feel pretty and should spend a small portion of their girlhood experimenting with hair and make-up and dress up and that kind of stuff. That is not what this is about.
It is all about allowing our children to be children, and not rushing them in sexuality and adulthood. It is about seeing the value in our girls enjoying and thriving in girlhood. If we do that, we'll be raising a great bunch of young women.
To continue the conversations about these topics, join us, we've got one lively and smart Parent Community on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PigtailPals


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|Cup training, without the mess...
|... a smart alternative to "sippy cups"
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The Reflo Smart Cup is a revolutionary new concept in training cups. It's a smart alternative to sippy cups and a great transitional tool for your children to learn to drink from an open cup.
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BPA-free, phthalate-free and dishwasher safe, the Reflo Smart Cup is designed for safety and hygiene with no moving parts to trap dirt and germs.
Recommended for all ages as a smart alternative to "sippy cups" which have been associated with dental and speech problems.
The Reflo Smart Cup is the safe, smart way to learn to drink from a regular cup.
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WILLIAMSBURG — When Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Band traveled across Canada by train in 1970 in the wake of Woodstock, the spontaneous collaborations and rollicking party atmosphere inspired what became the 2003 documentary "Festival Express."
It also became the inspiration for two music-industry stalwarts, who are about to mark the grand opening of their Williamsburg watering hole, Passenger Bar, on Wednesday Jan. 9, with a roster of well-known performers set to take the stage.
The railroad-themed bar, located at 229 Roebling St. at South Third Street, is intended to reimagine the traveling jam session, hosting musicians from around the city as well as around the world to drink together, play together and perhaps form new creative collaborations, according to the team behind the bar.
"When I saw ["Festival Express"] years ago, it just always stuck in my head," said music-industry veteran Melissa Aubert, who manages musicians like Andy Rourke of The Smiths, and opened the bar with partner Jay Weilminster, a drummer who has toured with bands like The Kills and bartended on the Lower East Side for a decade.
"Someone had this dream to do something completely weird and different. It ended up with them all having an amazing time and hanging out and creating something out of it. We tried to do something extremely unique and not have it be just a bar. We want it to be collaborations with artists," Aubert added.
The railroad-themed venue, formerly a dance club, is packed with subtle details inside its two-story space. The upstairs level overlooking the main room is decorated with a sleeper-car theme, with a high shelf along the wall like old luggage racks.
The bathroom toilet paper rolls rest on train nail spikes, beneath old, weathered postcards on the bathroom walls. The liquor shelves behind the bar are shaped like a train tunnel, and railroad lanterns are scattered around the space.
The reclaimed-wood bar is hugged by a 1,100-pound train rail, which serves as a footrest to heighten the feel of drinking at an old railroad station or saloon, the creators explained.
"The whole design concept has that railroad feel, but it's very hidden — like you don't notice that you have your foot on a train rail until someone points it out or you look down," said Aubert, noting the bar is filled with that sort of "hidden, little detail."
The grand opening on Wednesday will include an open bar from 8 to 9 p.m., with a set by banjo player Morgan O'Kane at 10 p.m. and a DJ set by actor/comedian David Cross and Jaleel Bunton of TV on the Radio at 11 p.m.
As part of its mission, the bar plans to hold a series of live performances funded by Cross and Les Savy Fav bass player Syd Butler. The sessions will be recorded and released as "The Passenger" tapes, giving people who missed hearing the performances in person an opportunity to hear them.
"It's going to be kind of organic," said Aubert. "Our friends and other artists we've wanted to perform, we're going to work it out for them to play here and then record it."
They are being tight-lipped about who might play, but said it would include local and national acts who are in town for gigs. Some of the jams may be promoted about a week before the event, but many will be secret.
The bar also plans to offer a limited food menu with flatbreads and snacks, along with items inspired by their musicians friends' favorite tour nosh.
"We'll write up blurb about the band and upscale their sandwich or whatever it is and have it as a special," Weilminster said.


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Auburn, Malzahn load up on defensive line prospects, with late additions joining Carl Lawson
AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn coach Gus Malzahn closed his first recruiting class by landing two of the nation's top defensive linemen.
Defensive tackle Montravius Adams and end Elijah Daniel both announced on Wednesday that they'd play for the Tigers. The class is ranked No. 10 by Rivals.
Malzahn is known more for his fast-paced offense but the defensive front was clearly the strength of a class that survived a couple of high-profile defections after Gene Chizik's firing.
The late additions join five-star defensive end Carl Lawson, regarded as the nation's No. 4 recruit by Rivals.
Malzahn says he feels like they're "three of the best in the entire country."
Running back Johnathan Ford also chose the Tigers over Tennessee on Wednesday.
The Tigers signed three quarterbacks, including junior college transfer Nick Marshall.


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Zac Efron: 'Parkland' Star!
Zac Efron has just signed on to star in the upcoming flick Parkland!
The 25-year-old actor would join the cast of already announced stars Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jackie Weaver, with Tom Hanks attached to produce.
The flick will center around the dramatic true story of the chaotic events that occurred at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd 1963. Zac will play the role of Dr Charles "Jim" Carrico.
The movie is based on the book "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy".
ARE YOU EXCITED to see Zac Efron star in Parkland???


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Bleached Bond
Coral bleaching, long considered an indicator of demise, creates an opportunity for reefs to adapt by creating a new symbiotic relationship with different, and better-adapted, algae.
Delicate coral reefs, bleaching their way to death in the wake of a warmer ocean. Paints a vivid picture, doesn't it?
In fact, the false paradigm of the Fragility of Nature is perhaps the greatest misconception foisted upon the public in the last 40 years. Just ask any 9th grade science student, and he'll happily spew forth dogma about "small environmental changes upsetting the delicate balance between ecosystems."
But any scientist who believes in basic evolutionary principles (that should cover about 99% or more of all scientists, right?) knows that uber-sensitivity in a species is the recipe for extinction. Most of the species around today have stood the test of time–they've adapted strategies that allow them to survive a wide variety of extreme conditions.
For environmental scaremongers, the inherent problem with global warming is that it happens far too slowly. This gives species plenty of time to adapt. In many cases, this simply involves moving to a warmer/cooler/wetter/drier locale. Of course, that's also the reason why no one has ever produced a major non-fiction motion picture about global warming: Who wants to watch a movie about 200 years of gradual climate change?
Which brings us to our main topic for today: The supposed demise of tropical coral reefs as evidenced by coral bleaching. This is a major concern for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, no doubt because of Arizona's extensive coastline. In his global warming floor debate on October 30, 2003, McCain worried about the destruction of "70% of the heat-sensitive coral reefs in the world due to increases in water temperatures——[that] place reef fisheries in jeopardy. I don't know what happens when the beginning of the food chain disappears."
Corals are a perfect candidate for global warming hyperbole: They collectively house a cute animal (tropical fish, which are the koala bear of oceania), they can't relocate so adaptation is tougher, and they seem to respond to small increases in water temperature by a very strange adaptive strategy–death.
But as you might suspect, the real story is a lot more complicated. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with certain photosynthetic algae in the genus Symbiodinium. The algae get nutrients from the corals and the corals acquire photosynthetic products from the algae. There are different groups (or clades) of Symbiodinium that vary genetically and that can benefit corals in different ways.
When bleaching occurs, corals essentially reject the Symbiodinium and thus lose their color. One of several potential causes of coral bleaching is high water temperatures. After bleaching occurs, large numbers of corals die. So it may seem that bleaching is not a very good evolutionary strategy.
But some corals manage to survive these bleaching events, which allows them to acquire new Symbiodinium that are potentially better adapted to their new environment (the parallels to divorce and second marriage are far too obvious, so we needn't go there).
In a paper that appeared in Nature three years ago, Andrew Baker proposed that bleaching may be an excellent strategy employed by corals that sacrifices short-term benefits for longer-term gains. That line of thinking would account for corals surviving for millions of years through much harsher climate changes than those that have been experienced over the last few decades.
Now, two new papers in Science add further evidence that corals must not be as "fragile" as certain senators might hope. Cynthia Lewis and Mary Coffroth of SUNY-Buffalo bleached Caribbean corals and exposed them to certain Symbiodinium genotypes for six weeks. The corals not only re-established symbiotic relationships with the algae, but in some cases they changed algae species, giving the corals a unique opportunity to select symbionts based upon the environmental conditions.
The second Science paper, by Angela Little and two coauthors from Townsville, Australia, looked at changing symbiotic relationships over the lifetime of the corals. They found that young juvenile corals tended to interact with different Symbiodinium strains than did adults, which "suggests that there maybe 'active' selection by the host to maximize symbiont effectiveness that varies with differences in physiological requirements between juvenile and adult corals."
So death is not the corals' only response to change. The ability of corals to shuffle symbionts is an effective adaptive strategy for dealing with environmental changes, such as changes water temperatures and light levels.
Add these two studies to a growing case file in support of the resiliency (rather than the fragility) of Nature. While coral bleaching appears to be mass suicide to uninformed senators, it could actually be an excellent adaptive strategy that has allowed the species to survive for millions of years.
Little, A.F., M.J.H. van Oppen, and B.L. Willis, 2004. Flexibility in algal endosymbioses shapes growth in reef corals. Science, 304, 1492–1494.
Lewis, C.L., and M.A. Coffroth, 2004. The acquisition of exogenous algal symbionts by an octocoral after bleaching. Science, 304, 1490–1492.
Baker, A.C., 2001. Reef corals bleach to survive change. Nature, 411, 765 –766.


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – King College Men's Wrestling displayed two second place finishers and one third place finisher at this weekend's King College Open, held in the Student Center Complex. Freshman Madison Martin continued his early run of success with a third place finish while Garrett Fosdyck and Nic Stella both were runners-up in their respective weight classes, leading the way for the Tornado. A total of nine King grapplers placed in the top-6 of their respective weight classes.
Heavyweights Garrett Fosdyck and Billy Swanson (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) gave King two podium finishers in one weight classes as the two battled it out in Sunday's day-long tournament. Fosdyck, a redshirt sophomore from Mathews, Va., went the distance and earned second place in the 285-pound division after making a straight path toward the finals bout. He began his day with a big win by decision over Limestone's Aaron Rowe (10-4) before going on to a major decision win (14-3) over NCAA Division I wrestler Denzel Dejournette of Appalachian State. Fosdyck pinned Kenny Mason (Brewton Parker) just 49 seconds into the bout before matching up against teammate, Billy Swanson.
Swanson's path to the 285 semifinal bout included a pair of decisions after pinning his first opponent, Steven Salvatore of Limestone College. He went on to beat Deandre Johnson (Ferrum) 6-1 and earned a 2-1 decision win on a tiebreaker over Matthew Colter (Newberry).
In the semifinal bout, the dynamic duo met up but Fosdyck took care of the Swanson with a pin in just 53 seconds. With the win, Fosdyck advanced to the finals bout to take on Justin Kozera of Gardener Webb. The two went the distance but in the third round, Fosdyck fell by pin and placed second overall. Swanson advanced to the consolation quarterfinals and earned a fifth place finish.
Senior Nic Stella (Sweet Home, N.Y.) made a strong run through the 149-pound bracket with four wins out of the gate to put him in the finals. His first two bouts turned into easy victories after a 12-3 major decision over Paul Briggs (Ferrum) and a fall over Aaron Booker (Newberry) in the second period. Stella earned a 10-4 victory over Jeremiah Lutz (Brewton Parker) before being matched up with Newberry's Shawn Landgraff. Stella came out on top in a 5-3 decision win but lost in the finals to Deral Brown (Newberry) for second place finish.
Freshman Madison Martin had a very strong start to his day in the 125-pound bracket, pinning Immannuel Henderson (Brewton Parker) early in the second round and then followed with an 8-0 major decision over Limestone's Sam Murph. His second test from the Saints came from Brandon Harrison when after three periods the two were tied 8-8, forcing an overtime session. Martin scored a two-point play early to take the win, 10-8 and advance to the semifinal round. Eventual runner up Vito Pasone (Appalachian State) delivered a 13-9 loss, placing Martin in the consolation bracket where the Ringgold, Ga. native continued his run to a podium finish. He narrowly defeated Zach Bridson (Chattanooga), 10-9, to advance to the third place bout where he edged Appalachian State's Andrew Nie, 6-4.
Freshmen John Jones (Alabaster, Ala.) and Reggie Adams (Memphis, Tenn.) both advanced to the semifinal round of the 157-pound division and combined for five pins between them to that point. Adams defeated Michael Ross (Cumberlands) and Cody Cooper (Ferrum) both inside the first period. Jones won by fall over Ish Walker (Ferrum), Jacob Huggins (Limestone), and Austin Trott (Limestone) all in the first period, as well. Adams lost his next three bouts but finished sixth. Jones earned his fourth pin of the day over Oliver Broadest (Life) before losing to Austin Trott in the third place bout.
Three additional King wrestlers earned sixth place finishes on the day including Jerrell McCabe (133 lbs.), Marcelle McCabe (141 lbs.), and Trevor Wentt (165 lbs.).
At 174, freshman Jesse Masters (Alabaster, Ala.) earned a fifth place finish after going 4-2 in his bracket. After winning his opening bout by pin (1:09) over Sean Bateman (Cumberlands), he fell into the consolation bracket with a major decision loss to eventual champion Travis Sheehy (Newberry). Masters put together two more pins, both in the first period, to be placed in the fifth place bout against Ridge White (UNC-Pembroke), which he won by medical forfeit.
In all, King placed 10 wrestlers inside the top-6 of their respective weight classes. Nationally-ranked wrestler Tywan Claxton did not participate in the King Open.
King will return to the mat for its third open tournament of the season when they travel to St. Louis, Mo. for the Kauffman/Brand Open. The open will be held on Dec. 1 and hosted by Maryville University.


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DETROIT — The Detroit Institute of Arts is getting ready for the fourth year of its "Inside/Out" project that includes putting up reproductions of paintings on the streets of Michigan.
The museum recently announced 21 participating communities in this year's program.
From April to June, 81 reproductions will be in some communities. From July to September, 80 reproductions will be placed in other communities. Specific locations are being finalized. Each area will have from five to 12 images clustered within walking or biking distance.
The museum is adding six new reproductions to the 80 already in use. New ones include "The Window" by Henri Matisse.


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Good seeds, bad seeds or somewhere in between? Open-pollinated, hybrid, heirloom and genetically modified — what does it all mean?
Open-pollinated (OP) varieties breed true from seed. Seeds from a Brandywine tomato can be harvested and planted the following year for fruit that will be identical. Similar traits of production, growth habit and disease resistance are passed down.
Plant performance is generally good with open-pollinated varieties, and taste can be exceptional, though some varieties take longer to mature than hybrids, produce smaller crops and are more susceptible to some diseases.
Hybrids are varieties that result from cross-pollinating flowers from two distinct, but related, parent plants. The offspring, a combination of the two parents, brings out the best of both varieties. Often the plant has increased vigor, increased production and better disease resistance than open-pollinated seeds — more food per square foot of growing area.
The drawback is you can't save seed from a hybrid plant because it will not breed true. In seed catalogs, hybrid seeds will have "F1" after the varietal name or will simply be identified as a hybrid variety. Hybrid seed, which often requires hand pollination, is significantly more expensive than OP seed.
Heirloom seeds are the jewels of our agricultural heritage, varieties so good they have been passed down through generations of gardeners. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and more are direct descendents of pioneer gardens.
Heirloom-seed companies and seed-preservation organizations play important roles in making sure the genetics of yesterday are never lost, and that varieties are being actively propagated, so we'll always know what vegetables used to taste like before shipping and marketing became a factor.
Genetically modified organisms — GMOs — have been genetically altered, meaning DNA has been mixed and matched. Sometimes genes have been inserted from a different species altogether. Not only are the seeds not passed on to the next generation, but the escape of pollen that might contaminate native plants is a major concern worldwide.
A majority of corn and soybean products grown in the United States today are GMO crops. Fortunately for the gardener, GMO seed is not available. Only commercial farmers can grow it, and only after approval and a signed contract with the company that owns the seed.
The pro and con arguments over GMO seed varieties are profound, firmly entrenching each side with no room in between. Where do we draw the line for our seed choices? How about the middle ground?
Heirloom, open-pollinated varieties should have a place in home gardens. Old-time beans, peppers and tomatoes just can't be beat for taste, and the link to history is just another reason why we enjoy gardening.
Hybrid varieties can play a role, as well. Increased and earlier harvest, along with disease resistance, brings more food to the table. Growing bush or dwarf varieties that are well-adapted to containers and/or raised beds means people with small yards can enjoy the thrill of gardening.
Understanding the value that each type of seed offers can help gardeners develop a plan to better feed the family. Both open-pollinated and hybrid varieties can coexist in our home gardens.
If producing healthful and nutritious food is the goal, then using the best of both worlds can help to achieve it.
David James has been writing gardening stories in Southern Oregon for 35 years. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Seed primer
Good seeds, bad seeds or somewhere in between? Open-pollinated, hybrid, heirloom and genetically modified — what does it all mean?


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English Description: The Herbal Pharmacy
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Yep but 100k more expensive than a roller. And that is not me who called it a Bloodthirster. I would agree on this profile with any other name. There are so many daemons in the Chaos Wastes...Str 7 and horns? That's a big bag of crazy right there, you honestly want something that can outmuscle a roller right out of the gate, even though you don't get to use the roller for more than 1/2 a match?
Anyway, the more i play this team, the more i liked it... And with the Dode's fluff explanations, i find them great, without reservation (except the name of the big daemon with his wings, you know, the bloodth... no it can't be so weak...)


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An Indiana prosecutor has warned that co-sleeping is no longer merely a personal or familial choice; under current state law he can and will prosecute parents of babies who die while co-sleeping in his jurisdiction.
Delaware County Prosecutor Jeff Arnold has vowed to take an aggressive approach against parents whose infants died as a result of co-sleeping. "I'm not going to overlook that anymore as stupidity, I'm going to try to prosecute those cases," he told Indiana's NewsCenter. Arnold explained that co-sleeping was a factor in many of the infant deaths he has seen in the past year.
Plus: Milwaukee Co-Sleeping Ad Outrages Parents Nationwide
Arnold isn't the only prosecutor jumping into the co-sleeping debate; prosecutors from across the country, with support from the American Academy of Pediatrics, have decided to take a stand against this controversial parenting choice. A couple in Utah just began their trial in January for the death of their second child due to co-sleeping and a Texas couple had been charged with endangerment after their child died also while co-sleeping.
Plus: Crib-Sleeping Vs. Co-Sleeping
Arnold doesn't plan to prosecute all parents of babies who die while co-sleeping, though: "I'm not prosecuting that parent who just lacks the education or the knowledge to not co-sleep," he explained, and specified that he'll definitely prosecute in cases where drugs and alcohol are present.
Do you think parents should be punished for their decision to co-sleep? Do you think that this practice should be made illegal?


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Awesome Stuff: Sweet Dreams
from the are-made-of-this dept
- First up, we've got SHADOW, the Community of Dreamers. It's an interesting project, trying to build software and a community to help people "remember and record" your dreams -- and then share that data, such that it might become useful someday. Like many people, I will often wake up from an interesting/strange/amusing/amazing/frightening dream and think that it was so vivid that I'm bound to remember it, only to have it completely fade away within a short while. The goal here is to prompt people to record their dreams the moment they wake up (the app itself is an alarm clock that gradually wakes you up, like plenty of others on the market, but then prompts you to record your dream). And, then the information is "anonymized" (which sounds easy in theory, but isn't always in practice) and added to the database with some metadata (again, making me not so sure how anonymous it really is...). Still, an interesting project, though, I'm not convinced that there's any great global linkage to be gleaned from everyone's dreams, as the creators imply. It still might make an interesting research dataset though -- though, just wait until the NSA hacks into it.
- Next up, we've got Luci, the lucid dreamer inducer. When I was a kid, I first read about lucid dreaming in Richard Feynman's collection of memoirish stories, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, in which he talks about his own experience figuring out how to realize he was in a dream and then controlling the experience. Of course, today people probably think of the movie Inception or something like that. After reading about Feynman's experience, I tried to copy what he did with no luck, and even checked a few books on "lucid dreaming" out of the library -- and still no luck. So I gave up and really stopped thinking about it altogether. But I know some people get really into it, and there are a few devices on the market that claim to be able to help, with this being another one. However, most of the other products are masks that detect REM and then flash some lights in your eyes, which you then need to realize means you're in a dream. These guys claim that Luci does more by using brainwaves, and a voice telling you you're in a dream. I have no idea how effective this actually is. The company shows its own tests, but they appear to lack basic scientific rigor (even at the most basic level).
- And, finally, we've got the other semi-obsession of many people I know when it comes to discussions about sleep: polyphasic sleep (sleeping in a bunch of shorter bursts, rather than getting a full night's sleep at once). There are a bunch of apps out there to help people who want to switch to a polyphasic sleep system, but SmartSleep is working on one that looks decent, with some cool features if you really want to try out polyphasic sleep. Unlike a lot of apps I've seen that are just alarm clock/nap timers, this one really seems focused on helping out with polyphasic sleep, including helping to automatically adjust your sleep schedule if you miss a nap and providing additional information on polyphasic sleep.


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Web Business Monthly
Your Web site is like any retail store - if you drive more people through the door, you will probably generate more business. Using Web site forwarding, a feature that lets you forward traffic from one Web address to another, you can employ a couple of basic offline retail strategies to help grow your online business.
Put a better sign out front
Do you have a great Web site that lives at a difficult or unprofessional address like (www.sitebuildingservice.com/thebookstack)? You can keep the site and improve the address by simply forwarding a more memorable, professional Web address (like www.thebookstack.com) to that site. You can even "mask" the forwarding address so your visitors never see the less desirable address in their browser window.
Open up more locations
Securing multiple addresses and forwarding them to one Web site gives you more chances to get traffic to that site. Just like you would with a real address, you can anticipate where your visitors are likely to go (relevant words and phrases) and put yourself there. If you have already protected your brand name by purchasing different extensions (.biz, .info, .us) or variations (misspellings, similar names), put them to work! Forward them. You could be wasting traffic to these addresses.
Register.com offers two Web site forwarding services. One is a free service that comes with every Web address and includes an advertising banner that forwarded visitors will see at the bottom of your Web site. The other is a premium version without the banner that you can purchase. To take advantage of either of these services, log in to your account.
|Back to site promotion index


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Jonas Brothers: Japanese Dinner After Jingle Ball
Joe Jonas wears a bright yellow blazer while out to dinner at Katsuya on Saturday night (December 1) in Hollywood.
The 23-year-old musician grabbed a bite to eat at the popular Japanese restaurant with brothers Nick and Kevin, and sister-in-law Danielle.
Just a few hours prior, the quartet were seen at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2012, where the Jonas Brothers performed.
Earlier over the weekend, Nick, Joe and Kevin were seen taking Danielle and Joe's new girlfriend Blanda Eggenschwiler for dinner and a movie.
10+ pics inside…
Posted to: Danielle Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas


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If you will be in the third year of the day program or in the third or fourth year of the part-time or evening program, and you have strong writing skills, you are eligible to apply for a TAship. Please submit your cover letter, resume, GPA, and LRW I and II grades to Professor Susan Adams by March 31, 2009.
The renowned Lincoln Trio, under the auspices of the Ravinia Festival, is coming to Chicago-Kent on Tuesday evening, April 7, 2009, to perform an historic chamber music program in celebration of the Lincoln bicentennial. This special program of the Institute for Law and the Humanities, which is also co-sponsored by Alumni Relations and Development, will take place in the auditorium from 6:30-8:30 p.m., with a reception from 5:30-6:30 in the lobby.
All faculty, students, alumni, staff and their guests are cordially invited. However, space is limited, so reservations are required. Please RSVP to Kevin Jones at email@example.com. We hope to see you at this unique event.
If you have any questions, please contact Professor Sheldon Nahmod at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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*[http://jalopnik.com/5387089/lexus-lfa-all+digital-tach-speedo-first-look/gallery/ Lexus LFA All-Digital Tach, Speedo: First Look]
*[http://jalopnik.com/5387089/lexus-lfa-all+digital-tach-speedo-first-look/gallery/ Lexus LFA All-Digital Tach, Speedo: First Look]
*[http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/22/lexus-lfa-transparent-tokyo-2009-architect/ Tokyo 2009: Cool As Ice: Japanese architect builds full-size transparent Lexus LFA]
*[http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/22/lexus-lfa-transparent-tokyo-2009-architect/ Tokyo 2009: Cool As Ice: Japanese architect builds full-size transparent Lexus LFA]
'''''Enthusiast Sites and Discussion Forums'''''
'''''Enthusiast Sites and Discussion Forums'''''
[[Category:Pages with the First Anniversary Infobox Upgrade]]
[[Category:Pages with the First Anniversary Infobox Upgrade]]
Revision as of 09:57, 23 November 2009
|Lexus LFA
|Type aka here, not up there
| 2011 - 2013
500 units only (20 per month)
|Body Style
|2-door, 2-seat Front-Mid engined Coupe
|177.6 in (4.51 m)
|74.8 in (1.90 m)
|48.0 in (1.22 m)
|102.56 in
|3263 lb (1480 kg)
|6-speed Automated Sequential, RWD
|4.8 litre (4805 cc) 72º 1LR-GUE dual VVT-i DOHC V10, 40 valve
| 560 hp (412 kW/560 PS) @ 8700 rpm
354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque @ 6800 rpm
| Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
McLaren MP4-12C
|Haruhiko Tanahashi
The Lexus LFA is a two-seat exotic sports coupe produced by Lexus as a concept car, racing prototype, and production vehicle.<ref>Official production release site</ref> It is the second model in the F marque line of performance vehicles from Lexus, following the IS F. Three concept versions have been shown, each debuting at the North American International Auto Show with the LF-A designation as part of the LF Series concept line. The first LF-A concept premiered in 2005, followed in 2007 by a second LF-A with a more completely furnished interior and exterior. The third version of the LF-A, a roadster model, premiered in 2008. The production model, trademarked LFA,<ref name=lfatm>Template:Citation/core{{#if:|}}</ref> was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009.<ref name=autocar>Template:Citation/core{{#if:|}}</ref>
The production Lexus LFA features a new V10 engine and a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) body. The use of CFRP materials, which account for 65 percent of the LFA's body composition,<ref name=rttech>Template:Citation/core{{#if:|}}</ref> is to reduce overall weight for improved performance. The LFA is scheduled to go into production in late 2010, with a projected run of 500 hand-built vehicles at an estimated base price of $US375,000.<ref name=bwlaunch/> A circuit-tuned variant is scheduled for 2012.<ref name=lfar>Template:Citation/core{{#if:|}}</ref>
See Wikicars' comprehensive Lexus LFA Review.
- 1 Recent Changes
- 2 Styles and Major Options
- 3 Pricing
- 4 Gas Mileage
- 5 Engine and Transmission
- 6 Performance
- 7 Reliability
- 8 Safety
- 9 Photos
- 10 Colors
- 11 Main Competitors
- 12 Hybrid Models
- 13 Unique Attributes
- 14 Interior
- 15 Resale Values
- 16 Criticisms
- 17 Generations
- 18 Worldwide
- 19 Design quirks and oddities
- 20 Awards
- 21 See Also
- 22 External Links
Recent Changes
Mention any minor facelifts or major changes made to the vehicle here.
Styles and Major Options
Certain vehicles come in different trim levels or body styles. Features and major options should be mentioned here.
Add more fields as necessary.
|MODEL Trims
| ¥ 37.5 million
Gas Mileage
Add more fields as necessary.
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:
Engine and Transmission
The LFA is powered by a 72° 4.8-liter V10 engine equipped with Dual VVT-i carrying the 1LR-GUE designation with a maximum output of 552 bhp delivered at 8700 rpm. Its maximum torque output of 354 lb-ft arrives at 6800 rpm, 90 percent of which is available from 3700 rpm. The engine, like the Ferrari 458 Italia, redlines at 9000 rpm and is constructed using forged aluminum pistons, titanium connecting rods, titanium valves and uses dry sump lubrication as well. Air is fed directly from beneath the hood through a large rectangular opening using a dual stage variable intake manifold into 10 individual throttle bodies and exits through a titanium muffler. Toyota attempted to design the engine to sound like that of a Formula One car with rapid revs and claims an analog tachometer needle would be unable to accurately track the LFA's rapid changes in engine speeds, necessitating the use of digital tach which can instantly display rpms.
The powerplant gives the LFA a power to weight ratio of 5.9 hp/lb and enables it to reach a top speed of around 202 mi/h.<ref>http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/215355/lexus_lfa.html</ref> Like the IS F Yamaha co-developed the engine cylinder heads. The engine complies with Euro V emissions. On the LF-A, the V10 is installed with a front mid-engine placement.<ref name=mauth/>
According to Chief Engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi a front engine layout was selected instead of a mid engine layout as it is inherently more forgiving dynamically affording less experienced drivers with a wider safety net.<ref>http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=7&article_id=8480</ref> To maintain a near ideal weight distribution, a rear transaxle is used, in addition to the mounting of the fuel tank ahead of the rear axle and the radiators at the rear. <ref>Lexus Unveils LF-A Concept at 2005 NAIAS</ref> The engine is connected to the transaxle via a rigid torque tube which the exhaust system runs directly below. This arrangement is designed to lower the vehicle's center of gravity compared to conventional designs.<ref name=autocar/>
- Engine Type: 1LR-GUE
- Cylinders/arrangement: V10
- Valve mechanism: 40-valve DOHC
- Displacement: 4,805 cc
- Bore x Stroke: 88.0 x 79.0 mm
- Compression ratio: 12.0:1
- Fuel Injection Type: EFI
- Octane Rating : 95 or higher
- Max. Power: 552 bhp @ 8,700 rpm
- Max Torque: 480 Nm @ 6,800 rpm
- Max. engine speed: 9,000 rpm
- Exhaust emissions certification: Euro 5
The gearbox itself is a six-speed electrohydraulic transmission operated with paddle-shifters. The driver can select from four settings, auto, normal, sport and wet. Toyota quotes the sport mode's gear change times as ~200 ms. According to Tanahashi a twin-clutch transmission was tested but gear changes were found overly smooth, resembling that of a traditional automatic with its shock absorbing torque converter and the design team preferred the feel of more abrupt and courser shifts, however the auto mode and low speed performance suffers as a result.<ref>http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=8479</ref> A Torsen limited slip differential is also applied on the LFA.<ref name=autocar/> The Lexus LFA transmission gear ratios are as follows:<ref name=ospecs>Official LFA press information</ref>
- Gearbox type: 6-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox
- Front counter gear ratio: 1.259
- Gear ratios
- 1st: 3.231
- 2nd: 2.188
- 3rd: 1.609
- 4th: 1.233
- 5th: 0.970
- 6th: 0.795
- Final drive ratio: 3.417
- Maximum permissible speed
- 1st: 52 mph
- 2nd: 76 mph
- 3rd: 104 mph
- 4th: 136 mph
- 5th: 172 mph
- 6th: -
Please make sure to write information of the vehicle's performance in a third-person point of view. This section should include information about the car's acceleration figures, handling, braking, etc.
If using information gathered from Road Test articles from a reputable automotive source, then please make sure to cite the quote.
- 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h): 3.7 s
- Top speed of 201.94 mph (325 km/h)
- Power-to-weight ratio of 5.8 pounds/hp
- 48/52 front-to-rear weight distribution
- Front: Cross-drilled ventilated discs, 399 x 34 mm
- Rear: Cross-drilled ventilated discs, 360 x 28 mm
- Front: Double wishbone with anti-roll bar
- Rear: Multilink with anti-roll bar
- Steering gear type: Rack and pinion
- Power steering type: Electric
- Ratio: 14.3
- Turns lock to lock: 2.35
- Wheels
- Front: 20x9.5J BBS alloy
- Rear: 20x11.5J BBS alloy
- Tyres
- Front: 265/35R20 95Y
- Rear: 305/30R20 99Y
Warranty options and scheduled maintenance information should be mentioned here.
This section should reference points on safety ratings and features of the vehicle.
Add Photos of the vehicle here.
Please make sure not to use copyrighted photos.
- Whitest White
- Metallic Silver
- Pearl Gray
- Pearl Brown
- Pearl Blue
- Pearl Yellow
- Pearl Red
- Red
- Black
- Ivory White
- Mint Green
- Aqua
- Lavender
- Sky Blue
- Lime Green
- Fresh Green
- Orange
- Passionate Pink
- Sunset Orange
- Slate Blue
- Steel Blue
- Moss Green
- Crystal Gold
- Brown Stone
- Steel Gray
- Lapis Lazuli
- Black Amethyst
- Starlight Black
- Matte Black
Main Competitors
In terms of price, performance and exclusivity, these are the LFA's closest competitors. However, it should be noted that at its US$ 375,000 entry fee and 500 unit production, the LFA sits in a unique market segment that has no direct competitors (or which are no longer produced, such as the Porsche Carrera GT or the Mercedes-Benz SLR-McLaren).
- Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
- Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
- Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
- McLaren MP4-12C
Hybrid Models
If there are hybrid versions of this vehicle manufactured, then please elaborate a little bit on it here.
Unique Attributes
If there are any features of this vehicle that sets it apart from other vehicles in its class, then mention those unique attributes here.
The LFA interior incorporates carbon fiber, leather, alcantara, and metallic surfaces. There are two bucket seats, and Lexus' Remote Touch controller interface. The instrument display is a digital speedometer with color-changing background, size-changing numbers, and side-appearing submenus.<ref name=cdrev/> The LFA features a new seat-belt driver and passenger airbag design<ref name=cdrev/> increases similar to the S-class ESF safety concept car. The steering wheel feaures a right-mounted start button, and alloy paddle-shifters.<ref name=cdrev/>
Resale Values
Add more fields as necessary.
|<MODEL> Year
|Year X
|Year X-2
|Year X-3
|Year X-4
|Resale Value
Please make sure to keep critiques in a third-person point of view. If using criticisms from a reputable automotive source, then please make sure to cite the quote.
Fill in as many as appropriate. Add more if necessary and pictures wherever applicable.
Please make sure NOT to use copyrighted pictures.
First Generation/Origins (2011–2013)
This article is a stub. Help us expand it, and you get a cookie.
If the vehicle is sold in other markets worldwide, then this is the section to mention that information. Also, mention if the <MODEL> goes by another name in these other markets.
Design quirks and oddities
Refer to any pop-culture tidbits about the vehicle in this section.
List out notable awards that the model has received while in production. Boldface the company or organization that gives out the award, and Italicize the name of the award.
See Also
Toyota | Lexus | Scion | Hino | Daihatsu
Cars: IS 250/250C/350 · IS-F · ES 350 · GS 300/430/450h · LS 460/460L · LS 600h/600hL · LFA · CT 200h
SUVs: RX 330/350/400h · GX 460 · LX 470 · LX 570
Hybrid: RX 450h · GS 450h · LS 600h/600hL · HS 250h
Cars: IS 200/300 · ES 250/300/330 · GS 300/400/430 · LS 400/430 · SC 300/400/430
Hybrid: RX 400h
Racing Vehicles
Concept Vehicles
LF-A Concept · LF-C Concept · LF-Ch Concept · LF-S Concept · LF-Sh Concept · LF-X Concept · LF-Xh Concept · IS 250 Sports Concept
|Corporate website
|A division of the Toyota Motor Corporation
External Links
News and References
- VIDEO: Lexus LF-A breaks cover before Tokyo unveiling
- Full Production Lexus LF-A Caught Inside & Out Ahead of Tokyo Unveiling
- Tokyo 2009: Lexus reveals $375,000 LFA supercar...finally
- Lexus LF-A: Production Version of V10 Supercar Uncovered in Photos and Video
- VIDEO: Lexus LFA Official Promo Film with Some Track Action
- 2012 Lexus LFA: Official High-Res Photos and Specs of Ferrari-Fighting Supercar, Priced at $375,000
- Lexus LFA Officially Unveiled in Tokyo
- One more massive Lexus LF-A leak, with specs
- Lexus LFA Online Configurator Launched, and yes, 'Passionate Pink' is Offered on the Menu...
- Lexus Hangs CAD-Like Wire-frame LFA Cut-Away On Wall Like Trophy
- Lexus LFA All-Digital Tach, Speedo: First Look
- Tokyo 2009: Cool As Ice: Japanese architect builds full-size transparent Lexus LFA
- REPORT: Lexus to lease - not sell - all 500 LFA supercars in order to foil speculators
Enthusiast Sites and Discussion Forums


text:
Talk:Get Gama Rei!
| This talk page is for discussing the Get Gama Rei! article.
This includes commenting on the article, questioning whether it is correct, or adding suggestions for improvements
Questions about GTA games, not about the wiki page itself, should be asked at Community:Questions.Remember to always add your signature to the end of your comments/replies using four tildes:
The title of the article should have an exclamation mark.--spaceeinstein 09:13, 2 March 2009 (UTC)


text:
Snowden, whose U.S. passport was revoked after he began his globe-trotting flight from justice for leaking national security secrets, lamented in a statement posted on the WikiLeaks website that President Obama was obstructing his right to seek asylum by threatening countries willing to grant it.
Snowden has been holed up in a transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for more than a week and the strain of being trapped in a judicial standoff of his own making was palpable in his accusatory statement.
"One week ago I left Hong Kong after it became clear that my freedom and safety were under threat for revealing the truth," the former National Security Agency contractor began.
After thanking friends, family and anonymous supporters for helping him retain his "liberty," he accused Obama of diplomatic strong-arming countries "from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.
"This kind of deception from a world leader is not justice, and neither is the extra-legal penalty of exile," Snowden wrote. "These are the old, bad tools of political aggression. Their purpose is to frighten, not me, but those who would come after me."
Snowden remains a U.S. citizen and administration officials have said his return to the United States would be facilitated if he decides to face the espionage charges brought against him.
"The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon," Snowden lamented. "Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person."
He was issued special travel documents by Ecuadorean diplomats in Moscow last week. However, officials in Ecuador's capital, Quito, canceled them, saying they were provided without proper authorization.
Ecuadorean officials initially hinted they would give refuge to the 30-year-old American. But the South American country could face serious economic consequences for rejecting any U.S. extradition request as $400 million in trade -- and 40,000 related jobs -- could be lost if Washington refuses to renew a trade pact with Quito that expired Sunday.
The unspoken threat may be behind the foot-dragging and retreat by Ecuador in the Snowden affair, even as the South American government publicly declared it would pull out of the trade deal of its own accord rather than face U.S. "blackmail." Ecuadorean officials said late last week that any grant of political asylum would take months to decide and would have to take into consideration any negative consequences in its relations with Washington.
Russian President
Other Russian officials disclosed to local news media that Snowden had submitted a request for asylum in Russia and 14 other countries, although they did not specify which other states he had approached.