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I have been playing a lot of CoD MW2. But, we opened presents early, so my new haul (combo Xmas and Bday) is:
Dragon Age
Halo 3 ODST
Forza 3.
Which should keep me busy for a while.
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Slacker wrote:(not that I've played the first ones in these series!).
Slacker wrote:Far Cry 2 [...] Gears of War 2
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My Photography Portfolio
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
This is my favourite Alice In Wonderland Photograph i took and created. Simply because i love the contrast of the storybook background and the real life figure of the character, as if she had just got up and started walking around Wonderland. I used strong saturation and HDR which gave the background of the image the storybook look.
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Natalie Marie
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subset: commoncrawl


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Reference designs offer HD video for less than US$40 eBOM and a lot reduced development time To answer security designers' needs to create advanced surveillance products with less resources, Texas Instruments announced two comprehensive and cost-effective reference designs for network cameras and DVRs. These reference designs, powered by the new TMS320DM365 digital media processor based on DaVinci technology, provide high-definition (HD) H.264 in high, main or base profile (D1, 720p at 30 fps or 1080p at reduced frame rate) with tri-streaming support. They also benefit from TI's fifth generation Image Signal Processing (ISP) solution, which enables video stabilization, face detection and other video quality enhancements. Additionally, the DVR reference design includes the new TVP5158 video decoder to capture multi-channel video inputs with new features, such as auto contrast and video noise filtering for greater visual quality.The reference designs offer a cost-effective electronic bill of materials (eBOM) at less than US$40 for the IP camera and $60 for the DVR, while including a full complement of analog ICs, ranging from power management to interface devices from TI. This enables customers to quickly create cost-sensitive products such as IP cameras, IP modules for closed-circuit TV cameras, digital video servers (DVS), DVRs and network video recorders (NVR), reducing development time from approximately 160 man months to only four months.IP camera reference design key features and benefits:*Based on the DM365 digital media processor, supports HD H.264 in high, main or base profile with D1, 720p at 30 fps or 1080p at reduced frame rate with tri-streaming support
*Includes a 300 MHz ARM926EJ-S core that offloads the video encode/decode functions to the integrated HD video accelerators for optimal system performance
*Multi-codec support (H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VC-1 and MJPEG) provides developers with flexibility and ensures compatibility with legacy codecs, while decreasing design complexity and accelerating time-to-market.
*TI's on-chip, fifth generation ISP solution eliminates the need for customers to create custom algorithms in-house or purchase expensive optics to achieve high-quality images. It provides video stabilization, face detection, noise filtering, auto white balance, auto focus, auto exposure and edge enhancement, as well as other video quality enhancements for image improvements and added intelligent video processing.
*Integrated hardware connector for seamless connectivity with an ObjectVideo enabled video analytics daughter card based on the TMS320DM643x digital media processor
*Royalty-free Linux based IP camera application, including source code for customer specific customization and differentiation
*Developed with and available from Appro Photoelectron.DVR reference design key features and benefits:*In addition to the DM365 processor, the DVR reference design includes TI's new TVP5158, a multi-channel video decoder with flexible video outputs that removes the need for an external mux FPGA solution, thus reducing system cost.
*DM365 processor executes simultaneous record, playback, live view, storage, streaming and display so that customers do not need to add an additional host processor, thereby further saving on costs and development time.
*Multi-channel support with two D1 or eight CIF channels
*Includes Windows PC-based video management software
*Royalty-free Linux based DVR application, including source code for customer specific customization and differentiation
*Developed with and available from UD Works
Copyright © 2018. Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd. All rights reserved.


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Toby Rothstein Gruber, Eye On Education's Director of Professional Services and the moderator of Eye On Education's professional development webinars.
The Common Core is getting a lot of attention these days. Teachers are feeling the pressure now more than ever to prepare their students for the real world using the standards. Some are feeling overwhelmed, while others are tackling this challenge head-on.
Eye On Education's Senior Editor and former classroom teacher, Lauren Davis, addressed these concerns by presenting a webinar on five shifts that should be happening in every classroom to ensure student success. They include: (1) increasing text complexity, (2) leading high-level class discussions, (3) teaching argument over persuasion, (4) focusing on process, not just content, and (5) creating authentic assignments.
During the event, teachers shared some of the great things they are already doing to make these shifts happen. Here are some of their suggestions.
Increase Text Complexity:
Lead High-Level Class Discussions
Teach Argument Over Persuasion
Focus on Process, Not Just Content
Create Authentic Assignments
One final thought: As you align your curriculum to meet the Common Core State Standards, remember the bigger picture and that your purpose is to give students the skills needed to be successful both in school and beyond.
Education World®
Copyright © 2012 Education World


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For several years Whales Alive! has been commenting on the debate about how much human noise in the oceans is too much, particularly to cetaceans. Happily, the debate seems to be growing. CSI has often joined the debate between scientific, political, governmental, commercial, environmental and military interests. We've tried to report with objective detail, in hopes that Whales Alive! readers shared CSI's view that the probability of human acoustical impacts is real, excessive, and growing. We are intent on fairly representing public concerns that whales and dolphins are being impacted by our collective din, and that something must be done to lessen it.
Our focus began with ATOC, as reported by Whales Alive! editor Brent Hall. ATOC is now gone "in its present form" (they just won't give up), leaving behind a wake of public mistrust and a valuable study in poor communications between the scientific and public communities. How much harm did ATOC do? No one really knows.
The U.S. Navy's Low Frequency Active Sonar has been a CSI focus for several years. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the LFA is due perhaps by Christmas. The DEIS is certain to provoke much debate, eventually in the courts. Will the LFA impact the environment, specifically marine life? No one really knows.
In September the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service held a workshop to address acoustical criteria for anthropogenic noise in the oceans. NMFS will soon rewrite the official rules on what human sound levels in U.S. waters are allowable. A most impressive panel of scientific experts discussed current knowledge before an audience of diverse industry, military, and environmental representatives, including CSI President William Rossiter. Other acoustic workshops have been and will be held, mixed results may be expected, but the recent interest in the subject is welcome news to all who care about marine life. How much impact could these experts say our noise is causing? No one really knows.
The overall impression from the workshop and elsewhere was that there is little empirical evidence that major human noise producers have had a deleterious impact on marine life. This was one heavily promoted "result" from ATOC. To some this means the issue is closed and we should all move on to other issues. No news is good news. So why is CSI still alarmed? The only proof that we have seen is that scientists haven't yet learned how to get the data. No data does not mean no impact. What we haven't seen enough of, at every level, is the "precautionary principle"; that in the face of ignorance and uncertainty we should proceed with caution. Isn't this the most appropriate approach to the issue? At the moment the very best scientists don't have the facts to help the government write the rules on schedule. So the rules will again be conservative estimates, perhaps vulnerable to legal challenges.
We rely on science to give us empirical evidence about the real world, in part to understand what humans are doing to it. The key word here is "empirical", hard facts. It was evident at the workshop that current science is unable to quantify behaviors that indicate that a sound is having a negative impact on a cetacean individual or population. The true effects may be subtle and long term, and are expensive and demanding to define through research. The panel discussed qualitative behavioral cues of significant acoustical effects, such as interfering with predator or danger detection, separation of mothers and babies, abandonment of core habitat, "vigorous" errors in navigation and obstacle avoidance (e.g. strandings), major panic reactions, stimulated agonism (e.g. attacking objects), sleep disturbance, haul out disturbance of pregnant pinnipeds, and long term problems such as stress. Lesser effects not considered generally significant on smaller scales included migration, mate selection, feeding, and changes in dive or respiration patterns. The panel was unable to conclude enough about the potential significance of human noise masking cetacean communications to include it in either category. Notice how accepting this abstract definition would remove the LFA Scientific Research Program, and possibly the LFA itself, from official contention as an acoustical source of significant impact. CSI contends that invaluable opportunities to measure some impacts have been ignored; the scientists either never thought of them or dismissed their value. A recent meeting to discuss the connection between a mass stranding of beaked whales and a NATO sonar system had only secondary clues to work with; the whales' ears were not sampled for physiological trauma. The "Quicklook III" report shows that the LFA Scientific Research Program in Hawaii last March ignored large scale behavioral cues, albeit anecdotal, that suggest that humpbacks and others a long way from the LFA source moved still farther away. Why shouldn't the burden of proof be to demonstrate that the redistribution didn't occur, or that it wasn't significant to this endangered species on its breeding grounds. Understanding the implications of such impacts of human noise on a wide area or population is invaluable. The implications remain unknown only because science didn't ask the right questions. That we will never know does not mean there was no impact.
Uncomfortable with so much ignorance about behavioral cues for acoustical impacts in the wild, the tendency among the panel was to rely on very limited data from small experiments on captive mammals to define physiological effects beginning with Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). For example, captive dolphins were exposed to very loud sounds, and then their temporary hearing loss was measured. Extrapolating these meager results to find TTS estimates for other marine mammals, much less free dolphins, is at best questionable. But to some it is the only hard data available, and they are not comfortable with anything less. This fosters the attitude that official concerns should start at TTS estimates, rather than behavioral impacts. To achieve this data, by the way, these dolphins were treated inhumanely; had anyone observed wild dolphins chewing on docks, charging objects, and trying every possible way to get their heads out of the water in response to nearby noise many alarm bells would have rung. That these were U.S. Navy dolphins "at work" at a closed facility brings up many more questions.
There is no doubt that the effects of human noise is a complex issue. Much of the argument for more caution is based on personal experiences, anecdotes of cetaceans apparently reacting to noise. Even this distinguished NMFS panel resorted to using personal hearing experiences to make various points. Anthropomorphic comments are normally the bane of scientific discussions. Here they helped people communicate and were most useful, demonstrating both an open minded effort to help and a recognition that we can't really say much about the perceptions in other life forms. The popular attitude that a "deaf whale is a dead whale" was questioned by a study of the ears of a few stranded or entangled cetaceans. Some had lived for years with profound deafness! How many cetaceans have a hearing problem? How many live well in spite of that? How many boats hit whales that just can't hear them coming?
CSI's alarm comes from the implication that no data means no impact. Without empirical data many scientists are reluctant to make expert guesses or demand caution. Some are not reluctant, increasingly calling for the "precautionary principle". In the absence of hard facts the noise makers argue that they can make more. That will be the main argument of the LFA DEIS. Some scientists, perhaps as part of their nature or their paycheck, argue that caution demands proof. Is CSI's alarm at this backward approach justified?
We all know that the ocean is full of sounds. Thunderstorms, earthquakes, calving icebergs, cetaceans and a host of other source create very dramatic levels that could deafen us, but we aren't designed to live there. Cetaceans have evolved to deal with these noises, and their own. Perhaps they aren't deafened because their inner ears have special muscles to protect delicate structures. They may have many adaptations, and in fact they may be able to cope with our noise too. That would be welcome news. Prove it.
Go to next article: Tuna-Dolphin Update or: Table of Contents.
© Copyright 1998, Cetacean Society International, Inc.
URL for this page: http://csiwhalesalive.org/csi98403.html


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'GP out-of-hours is stretched for a reason,' says Dr Margaret O'Brien, Head of General Medical Services
As many of us celebrate and enjoy the holidays with our families and friends, we should remember that this is also a very busy period for our local GPs, nurses and other staff providing an out of hours service.
GP out-of-hours is offered by five different providers to everyone registered with a GP practice in Northern Ireland, and functions 365 days of the year outside of normal GP working hours. The demand on these services also increases during the holidays when regular surgeries are closed.
This means out-of-hours GPs all across the region are handling very high volumes of calls, some from people with very serious conditions that require immediate attention.
The pressure is heightened when people treat the service as an alternative to their everyday GP services – this is not what out-of-hours is for. It isn't for repeat prescriptions, minor ailments such as a cold, treatment for hair lice or if people are just too busy to ring their GPs during the day.
Using the GP out-of-hours service inappropriately can prevent people who genuinely need help such as parents with a very sick child, a palliative care patient or an older person who feels very unwell from getting through.
Almost 600,000 calls made to GP out-of-hours each year and numbers are increasing year on year, which is why it's important to only use the service for urgent and serious conditions.
My message to readers is to think before you call GP out-of-hours – is your situation urgent? Can you wait until your surgery opens in the morning? Should you be getting treatment elsewhere? These questions will help to reduce the large amount of calls from people that could be treated elsewhere and free up phone lines for urgent calls.
The Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Board are working together to urge people to 'Stay Well This Winter' and advise everyone to look after themselves and take the appropriate actions that will help them stay well.
Find out about the different health service options available in Northern Ireland from self-care, community pharmacists, minor injury units and more www.nidirect.gov.uk/stay-well


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SAP Business One E-Commerce Software
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Your SAP Business One system is flexible and callable enough to keep up with your company's success – why expect anything less from your e-commerce solution? Sana Commerce offers exactly what you need for SAP B1, without replicating business logic or data.
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A user-friendly web store on every device. Our fully responsive designs let your clients order wherever and whenever they want.
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Made to Convert
We use our 20+ years of e-commerce and online marketing experience to create web stores that draw in visitors and turn them into customers.
Watch the Demo
Integrated e-commerce for SAP Business One offers many benefits for your sales department – and your clients. Learn more in our three-minute demo.
Sana Commerce for SAP Business One
Our e-commerce software integrates seamlessly with SAP Business One. Fully utilise material master data and price lists in a flexible and scalable online sales platform.
Navigate thousands of products with ease. Sana offers custom filtering and faceted search to make sure your clients can always find what they're looking for, no matter the size of your catalogue.
Sana Commerce ensures an efficient order turnaround because web store orders are instantly available in SAP B1 to pick, pack and ship. Prefer a quote for the start of your order process? We support that too.
Always display the right price. Sana and SAP Business One are the engine for your shipping and payment calculations. More complex calculations can be supported by FedEx, UPS or other add-ons.
Empower your clients. Let them place orders, view order information and manage their account information without having to call your sales department. Sana web stores make it possible.
Your web store can be a massive boost to your marketing. Sana Commerce web stores help your organisation benefit from email marketing, SEO and personalised content.
Use Sana's Content Management System to easily manage rich product content maintained in your item master data. It also lets you manage your store's marketing content such as full-page banners.
Dive Into Sana 9.3!
Get a full overview of all Sana Commerce features for SAP Business One in the Solution Highlights.
That's the beauty of SAP Business One and Sana Commerce integrating seamlessly. All the information is there when you need it.
— Paul Sykes | Group MIS Manager at Docherty Group
Docherty Stays Ahead of the Competition
Docherty's web store offers the flexibility and scalability to keep up with their SAP Business One ERP, with just 30 minutes of maintenance a week. Find out how they achieved this with Sana Commerce.
Full-Service E-Commerce
Sana is your one-stop shop for e-commerce excellence. Discover our services portfolio and add-ons catalogue and see how we can help you realize your full potential
E-Commerce Services
Finding the right e-commerce solution is the first step towards online sales success, but not the last. Sana can help you every step of the way.
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Enhance Sana's out-of-the-box e-commerce solution to perfectly support your processes with add-ons for shipping, online marketing and more.
Sana Web Store for SAP Business One
Read the facts to find out how Sana's integrated e-commerce platform will fully leverage your SAP Business One ERP and take your business to the next level.
Certifications and Add-Ons
You're looking for an e-commerce solution that you can rely on, no matter what the future has in store – including new versions of your ERP system. This is why we strive to support each major new SAP Business One version just one month after release. Currently we support SAP B1 9.0, SAP B1 9.1 and SAP B1 9.2.
Sana Commerce is an SAP Partner. Our software is certified specifically for integration with SAP Business One. This means Sana Commerce meets SAP's certification requirements, demonstrating high quality and compatibility with SAP products. You can find Sana Commerce on the SAP Store.


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« back to Designing Woodworking Projects forum
|Forum topic by mtenterprises
|posted 03-30-2014 02:51 PM
|2280 views
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|1 reply
Ok guys this one goes out to those who have made woden scoccer balls or you guys that are real good at sketch up. First the background info – Back in 1972 Buckminster Fuller designed the Hexi-Pent dome. A simple to build and assemble dome system. Back then they offered plans of which I could not afford back then and today I cannot find them anywhere. So this project keeps surfacing in my brain from time to time and it again surfaced today. In the receint past I realized that a scoccer ball was in fact, A Hexi-Pent. Thus this question here.
For those of you who have made the wooden scoccer balls what is the angle that you cut each of the blocks to to make the angled joint that makes the arch of the sphere? Are all the angles that make the arch the same (I would think that they are)? From small to large as long as you have the same amount of pieces the angles remain the same whether it's a 12" scoccer ball or a 20' dome.
Now you guys that are sketch up wizards I'm sure you can give me the same info.
-- See pictures on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/44216106@N07/ And visit my Facebook page - facebook.com/MTEnterprises


text: The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon Strong's Number: 4173 Browse Lexicon Original WordWord Originpolitavrchßfrom (4172) and (757)Transliterated WordTDNT EntryPolitarchesNonePhonetic SpellingParts of Speechpol-it-ar'-khace Noun Masculine Definition a ruler of a city or citizens King James Word Usage - Total: 2ruler of the city 2 KJV Verse Count Acts2Total2Greek lexicon based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament." These files are public domain.Bibliography InformationThayer and Smith. "Greek Lexicon entry for Politarches". "The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon". .


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It's no surprise to read that New York and Tokyo are expensive places to visit, but it may be a jolt to realize that the highest restaurant bills are found in Abu Dhabi, and some of the most economical dinners can be bought in Tel Aviv and Jakarta. These findings are part of facts listed in the 1985 edition of "Prices and Earnings Around the Globe," a survey of living costs published by Union Bank of Switzerland.
The figures were determined by researchers who, during the first half of 1985, went to several restaurants in 49 cities and ordered a meal of sirloin steak, two side dishes and a dessert at each place. Besides gaining more than their share of cholesterol, the diners toted up checks averaging $59 in Abu Dhabi, $42 in Tokyo, $15 in London, $7 in Tel Aviv and $5 in Jakarta. In the United States, the same menu averaged $35 in New York, $29 in Houston and $23 in both Chicago and Los Angeles. A factor not taken into account, however, is that the supply and quality of beef varies in different countries.


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With such a variety of models and engines, the Dodge Challenger can fill many roles. Each is more flamboyant and exhilarating than most any midsize model.
Driving impressions by Kirk Bell, The Car Connection. James M. Flammang contributed to this report.
* The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, other fees required by law, finance charges and any documentation charges. A negotiable administration fee, up to $115, may be added to the price of the vehicle.
* Images, prices, and options shown, including vehicle color, trim, options, pricing and other specifications are subject to availability, incentive offerings, current pricing and credit worthiness.


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|This is Ann
|This is Momi Gen
Where am I? You can take a look at my profile if you want *wink, wink*
The Mooon Cafe restaurant is a Mexican resto with three branches all over Cebu: one in Guadalupe, Ayala Terraces, and Parkmall.
We arrived there at around 7pm and it's not a surprise to see the resto fully occupied because, again, it's payday. The expectation made us a bit patient, while we waited for an available table. When we found our place, we immediately asked for the menu. There are a lot of delectable selections but these are what our eyes favored:
|Chicken Mozzarella
|Pasta Carbonara
|Mooon Steak
It's our first time dining in this restaurant and it would be interesting to try something we don't usually have. Sure we can eat pasta, steak, and chicken anytime we like, but it's not about the food itself, it's the "kick" in the food. For instance, you can have dozens of breaded chicken in your plate, but there could only be one which can impress you. If you're passionate about food, you know what I'm talking about ;)
First, their pasta carbonara is like no other! There's a garlicky taste that you couldn't help but remember (it's the only pasta carbonara I had with a garlic aftertaste). It is delicious, but if you're not into strong tasting spices, I recommend other pasta variety such as "Spaghetti ala Moon" which follows your traditional home made spaghetti with a Mexican personality.
Their breaded chicken sounded more like pizza, but it didn't get away with the all-time-favorite chicken taste, only better. I personally like mozzarella in various dishes and having it as highlight in a chicken recipe makes it more interesting. The meat was fried just right; no premature cooking, bloody, and oily elements. In other words, perfect. Speaking of perfection, I couldn't say anything less to the calamares recipe. I'm a calamari fan but this one convinced me to go back over and over again until I get tired of squid (which I probably won't). Some calamari dishes are gummy (which I hate). It stops the momentum of tasting a supposed-to-be delectable food.
Let's get to the steak. As a meat lover, it would be peculiar for me not to like steak. The steak was OK, not bad but not distinct as well. Though the meat is not hard to chew at all, it would be difficult for you to appreciate. I've tasted a variety of steaks in Cebu, which is probably why I don't get easily impressed.
|For some refreshing "panulaks," we had 2 glasses of iced tea and a pineapple juice for Momi Gen.
The drinks were normal and I have a strong feeling that our iced tea was the regular litro pack you can buy at any convenience store. Sorry about that Mooon, but I think you need to reinvent your best selling beverages, just to be different. The image below was not in our list. It's just that the containers are so cute, we can't help but order. Didn't taste the blueberry desert, but I think their leche flan was fab!...if only they can make it bigger than a shot glass size.
|Blueberry Desert and Leche Flan
|The Mooon Ambiance: Cozy and weirdly beautiful
Mooon Cafe accommodates reservations and drop in restaurant goers. If you plan to go on a peak season, say payday or holiday, making a reservation would be more ideal. The Mooon Cafe branch we went to was in Enclave Bldg. D - 4-6B, Parkmall Mandaue City. You can contact them at 505-3965.


text: Source: PIERS Lightering the Load to Meet Underserved Ports Published: 20 May 2015 01:05:40 PST PIERS products empower our customers by providing them with valuable insights that help them make informed and profitable decisions. As the leader in global trade intelligence, PIERS has the most comprehensive database of transactional data passing through U.S. and international ports.But what happens when cargo is offloaded prior to coming in to port? Lightering is the process of transferring cargo between vessels of different sizes, usually to reduce a vessel's draft in order to enter port facilities which can't accept larger vessels. Although not nearly as common place as it was at the turn of the century, lightering is still a fairly common practice among the oil tanking industry. Recently, a major oil company approached PIERS for help in assessing the effects of lightering on oil imports to the US. They wanted to know specifically:How much fuel was being offloaded before coming to port?Was their competition underreporting the volume they were bringing in?Was their competition offloading to smaller ships to service smaller ports?By running a special customized report, PIERS was able to deliver a wealth of data to their client, giving them valuable insight into how lightering was effecting oil imports. Armed with this information, they not only have a clearer picture of what their competition is doing, they also have the ability to assess opportunities in smaller ports that may be underserved due to lack of access by larger tankers.For more information about how PIERS data can help grow your business, visit us online. Share this post:


text:
The future of menswear: Selfridges' Designer Street Room
Oct 29, 2018 | By Alice Gividen
Jan 13, 2013
Milan: The house of Missoni showed in Milan despite the ongoing search for their CEO, recently disappeared off the coast of South America, the somber mood in contrast to this optimistic menswear collection. Inspired by the landscapes of the American West, knit cardigans featured subtle nods to native weaving patterns, their stripes mixing nicely with the classic marled Missoni motif. Youthful innovations like knit puffer vests, button up hoodie sweaters and pieced suede bombers looked fresh as key elements of Fall's streetwise direction, while the surprising addition of dark denim created a pleasing toughness. —Nina Stotler
Silhouette: Layered & soft / Relaxed
Color: Mustard / Shark grey / Rust / Chambray blue / Cobalt / Oatmeal / Cranberry / Plum / Olive / Tan / Mushroom
Key Items: Knit suiting / Denim jackets / Zippered cardigans / Knit quilted vests / Soft overcoats / Relaxed jersey trousers
Materials: Suede / Tweed / Knit wool blends / Camel hair / Jersey / Denim / Satin / Popcorn knits / Corduroy / Velvet / Nylon
Print + Pattern: Herringbone / Cable-knit patterns / Stripes / Swirls
Details + Trim: Contrast panels / Ribbing / Zippers / Shawl collars / Hoods
Accessories + Footwear: Leather tote bags / Silk scarves / Bead necklaces / Suede boots / Casual briefcases / Foldover portfolios / Sneakers / Basic leather belts / Ombré loafers
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


text:
Sandy - posted on 03/05/2012 ( 2 moms have responded )
No comment
Sandy - posted on 03/05/2012 ( 2 moms have responded )
No comment
This conversation has been closed to further comments
Misty - posted on 03/05/2012
is it possible that he has an issue with wheat gluten and processed sugars??? My daughter has Asperger's and she has serious behavioural issues when eating wheat gluten and when she gets too much refined sugar... I've had success with a gluten-free diet for my daughter and I know other parents have had successes as well.... considering his diagnosis..maybe some sensory accomodations might be helpful??? body breaks through the school day, ear muffs or noise cancelling headphones for the classroom, rearranging of the desks to cut down on the number of kids he can see, a change in lighting, a visit with the school's social worker (if there is one) on a regular basis, etc.... not sure what your school board has in place for policies but if you call the board, they may be able to put you in touch with the people who can help.... also getting in with the therapist will be helpful I'm sure....good luck
Tammy Lynn - posted on 03/05/2012
Maybe perhaps the boy is facing the onset of puberty, it throws off his ideals. With his OCD, he is bothered by the changes but with his inability to process this information as we would, he resorts to many negative behaviors. I know he is taking a higher dose of straterra which is helping. He also has lots of support at home withhis mom and dad. His dad has talked to him about his changing body and why the changes are occurring. Fortunately, the boy is quite receptive. I hope this helps somewhat. I kmow it's tough- hang in there! If I can find any more helpful info, I will post.
Sign up for Circle of Moms and be a part of this community! Membership is just one click away.Join Circle of Moms


text:
French b.o. hit 'Sticks' flies off shelves
More than 1 mil videos sold in two daysPARIS -- French consumers have given another warm welcome to Dany Boon's boxoffice record-breaker "Welcome to the Sticks," with the comedy selling more than 1 million DVD, Blu-ray and VHS copies in just two days.
Eight months after its release in Gallic theaters, "Sticks," complete with bonus tracks, sold 650,000 copies during its first day on store shelves Wednesday.
Fox Pathe Europa ordered 2.5 million copies of the DVD, and the stock already risks being cleaned out by early next week.


text:
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Izayoi Sakamaki, Asuka Kudou, and You Kasugabe have tremendous psychic powers and are bored with the regular world. An envelope arrives for each person, and when each opens their envelope, they are stunned to see the scenery around them change to a world they had never encountered before. They've been summoned by the Black Rabbit to help the community "No Name" to overthrow the Devil King.
Characters & Voice Actors
VA: Nomizu, Iori
You Kasukabe
VA: Nakajima, Megumi
Asuka Kudou
VA: Bridcut, Sarah Emi
Izayoi Sakamaki
VA: Asanuma, Shintaro
Other Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 10
Status: Currently Airing
Aired: Jan 12, 2013 to ?
Producers: Diomedea, Kadokawa Shoten, Nippon Columbia, flying DOG, Project No Name
Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural
First Impressions
Got average impressions on the first episode. It started off kinda good with the throwing of the rock by Izayoi but later on seems to fallen apart a little. Also, those bunny ears:
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
The main protagonist is pretty tough and I liked his personality especially when he battled that dragon in the latter half of the episode. Hopefully this series gets good soon.
Animanga hunter extraordinaire
Im looking forward to it.
If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick.
from what iv seen it looks great
life is always better with anime
reserving this spot for first impressions of ep 1
EDIT: here are my first impressions after finished ep 1
this is the season of the super powers/ESP users, and I like it
action was good, characters seem to fall into familiar tropes but it works in this kind of action fantasy show
Overall I liked it and will follow it till the end
lol at this moment
also with the way they introduce all the different races of gods, spirits, rabbits, judges etc it and the insane fights, Problem Children reminds me of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere...but done better, the terms are explained much better and there doesn't seem to be a convoluted plot yet with way too many characters lol
I also really like the song at the end which is going to be used as the OP
What even
Interesting... looks very fluffy but for the stuff at the end...
Edit: but those are just lyrics from the EP 1 ED / EP 2+ OD Black + White... ah well, thought I was onto something... love the song anyways and have ordered the disc, comes on January 30th.
Izayoi asks Kurousagi what she isn't telling him, then the next two screens have no subtitles but they say...
Kono te ni aru "In these hands..."
unmei "is your fate"
So now I'm interested and have to watch episode 2!!!!
Honestly thought it was stupid from viewing the Preview Video, but after watching the first episode, I'm going back for some seconds :)
I just love Black Rabbit <3 Thank you Crunchy for giving us a great Simulcast lineup
This was pretty good. I will keep watching.
Wasn't expecting anything, honestly..
But the first episode wasn't half bad.
I liked the attitudes of the characters.
They seem to have included all the fuzzy moe characters in this one (rabbits, cats, etc.). I'm wondering if it will be on the order of Dog Days
Only 10 episodes!? Shame.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
I wasn't expecting them to be starting with powers, figured it would be one of those things where they get powers after arriving in magic land.
The fact that they start with powers because of being blessed from the get go adds a slightly different level to things.
All three mains have strong personalities, I like that. Not one of them seems like someone who is going to sit in the back and wimmper about how useless they are. Even the bunny girl seems to have a bit of Gustto and a power up mode.
Pretty interested in seeing where this goes.
avoiding doing any work today
shes call black rabbit but shes blue and turns pink umm ok
If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick.
She has blue hair because actual black would be smudgey... black doesn't often blend well in pictures... plus actual black hair often looks blue (indigo) in sunlight.
At first, I thought the short-haired girl was blind...
Poi is the new Desu!
this post is the first I remember hearing about this anime, so I'm happy for that. I rather enjoyed the first episode, and am looking forward to seeing where this anime goes.
glass, once broken, can never be restored perfectly


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Send an e-mail to Katherine Orrison
NOTE: This is not Ms. Orrison's personal e-mail address and she cannot reply by e-mail. Please do not change the subject line.
Katherine Orrison
Katherine Orrison's letter to Scott Eyman,
Educated at Sacred Heart Convent in Cullman, Alabama (one of only two Protestants in her class), she graduated in 1966 and journeyed to California three weeks later to attend the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theater Arts (1966-1967). She was briefly married to actor Peter Coe (1918-1992; The Sands Of Iwo Jima, Rocky Mountain; The House Of Frankenstein), obtaining an annulment in 1969.
Orrison worked in animated films and commercials from 1969 to 1980 for Filmation, Hanna-Barbera and Disney, working on Superman, Star Trek, Batman, Tron, Human Highway and many others. With the outsourcing of hand-drawn animation overseas, she saw the handwriting on the wall and attended the American Film Institute in the years 1980-1982, producing some ten student films for the AFI and DGA grant programs.
From 1982 through 1992 she worked as an associate producer, production manager, art director, set decorator and costumer for independent features. While some of the movies were of the caliber of Miracle Mile (1988) or The Doors (1992), many were not. She grew increasingly frustrated with the quality of the scripts she had to work with and the subject matter of the stories.
As more and more of the film business "ran away" to Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, Orrison again saw the handwriting on the wall (by now covered with graffiti). From 1988 through 1992 she alternated film work with restoring and decorating the Mayan Theater and nightclub in downtown Los Angeles, and writing her first book.
That first book was Lionheart in Hollywood, a biography of actor/producer Henry Wilcoxon [right] (1905-1984), star of Cleopatra (1934), The Last Of The Mohicans (1936), The Crusades (1935), Unconquered (1947) and Samson and Delilah (1949), and his twenty-five-year association with legendary director Cecil B. De Mille. With the publication of Lionheart In Hollywood by Scarecrow Press in late 1991, she turned to writing full-time.
She was a staff writer on Cult Movies magazine for over ten years, penning articles on such subjects as Lawrence of Arabia, Ed Wood, actresses Yvonne De Carlo and Joan Woodbury, actor Bela Lugosi, the re-modeling of Cecil B. De Mille's estate in Los Feliz, and the making of Blade Runner, to name a few. She also contributed regularly to the Cult Movies book review column.
She appeared as a film historian on the Yul Brynner episode of Biography, on the CBC on the subject of Gary Cooper and on the BBC on the subject of epic films. She provided the DVD commentary on both the 1923 and 1956 versions of The Ten Commandments, for Paramount Studios.
Her second book, Written In Stone: Making Cecil B. De Mille's Epic The Ten Commandments, was published in 1999 by Vestal Press.
Katherine Orrison married Sherman Labby in the early 1990s. Labby was production illustrator on over eighty films including Blade Runner, Top Gun, Thelma and Louise, 2010, The Horse Whisperer, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and What Dreams May Come. He died from the effects of muscular dystrophy in 1998.
In addition to books and magazine articles, she has collaborated on several screenplays, one of which, Rave-On Macbeth, was produced in Europe in 2002.
Orrison does not own a computer, cellphone, fax, answering machine, CD player, TiVo, iPod, pager or digital camera, but she does employ an answering service. All her writing is done with a #2 pencil with no eraser. Her favorite tech gadget is her 1930s Western Electric rotary-dial telephone from Henry Wilcoxon's Paramount office.
She has resided in Hollywood through fires, floods, earthquakes, riots and recessions. She currently lives in a Mediterranean-style building once owned by Cecil B. De Mille, although it's obvious he never lived there.
Click on the images below to order the item.
Written In Stone: Making Cecil B. De Mille's Epic, The Ten Commandments


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Category: FAQ
Implementing an OHSMS – 7 Steps to Take First
Are you thinking about implementing an occupational health and safety management system?
There are 7 Steps you should take FIRST.
Want to know what they are?
Sign-up below for my mini-course (delivered to you in 7 e-mail installments) – The 7 Steps to Take Before You Implement an OHSMS.
Validity of Certification
I recently got the following question about a blog post I did back in 2009 – OHSAS 18001 "Governing Body".
The question was –
My company is an Environmental Laboratory in India. It holds an unaccredited certificate issued by an Indian company. Can you clarify how far this certificate is valid.
My response –
I can't answer your question since the answer is specific to your organization, the clients you conduct work for and the laws of your jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, there are laws that require testing laboratories to be accredited – including those doing certain environmental tests.
As I mentioned in the blog post you referenced, management system standards are used for a variety of different purposes.
One of those purposes is to set out the requirements upon which certification programs are based. Some of these certifications are reputable and legitimate, whether they are accredited or not. Others are only sham certifications. They are issued primarily to deceive or encourage reliance on the part of third parties that is not justified based on the level of investigation actually being performed by the individual or organization providing the certification.
The issue is not so much accreditation or not. The issue is the credibility of the certification based on the level of due diligence that supports the determination being made.
I posted this question and response because of the increased interest and reliance on OHSMS certification that is being driven by an increase in public sustainability reporting. It is important to understand that certification alone does not represent due diligence unless it is clear exactly what assessment activities were done to support the certification.
© ENLAR Compliance Services, Inc. (2013)
Identifying Applicable Legal Requirements
Last week, I received the following question from a reader about the OHSAS 18001 requirements related to the identification of applicable legal and other requirements –
We are an OHSAS 18001 certified company…. Our Hazard Identification and Risk assessment (HIRA) first page tells about the legal requirement clause and the legal statements for complying with the HIRA. Our external auditor (certifying body) insists we insert a column in the HIRA chart to identify what legal requirement clause comes against the control of each identified risk.
1. Is my auditor correct?
2. Does the OHSAS 18001 Standards say that?
My answer –
That is NOT an OHSAS 18001 requirement. I believe your external auditor is confusing the ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 requirements.
Section 4.3.2 of ISO 14001 requires that an organization determine how its applicable environmental legal and other requirements apply to its environmental aspects. This is often done as your external auditor suggests, although it does NOT have to be done that way. You can use whatever method is appropriate for your organization.
Section 4.3.2 of OHSAS 18001 does NOT have the same requirement as ISO 14001. It requires that an organization "take into account" its applicable legal other requirements in its OHSMS. No column, chart, matrix is required. Nor does it require identifying requirements by individual risk. This requirement was specifically rejected when OHSAS 18001 was revised in 2007.
© ENLAR® Compliance Services, Inc. (2011)
OH&S Risk Assessment is NOT a Single Process
One of the requests I commonly get from organizations seeking to integrate occupational health and safety into an existing environmental management system is –
"Can you provide a generic risk assessment process I can just plug into my aspect/impact procedure?"
The short answer to this request is "No."
This is the fundamental difference between the OHSAS 18001 and the ISO 14001 standards. To conform to ISO 14001, many organizations have a single aspect/impact evaluation process. It may be complex and involve several factors and complicated calculations but it is typically one process. This is not the case for OHSAS 18001 hazard identification and risk assessment.
To quote from the OHSAS 18002 guidance –
Hazard identification and risk assessment methodologies vary greatly across industries, ranging from simple assessment to complex quantitative analyses with extensive documentation. Individual hazards may require that different methods be used, e.g. an assessment of long term exposure to chemicals may need a different method than that taken for equipment safety or for assessing an office workstation. Each organization should choose approaches that are appropriate to its scope, nature and size, and which meet its needs in terms of detail, complexity, time, cost and availability of reliable data. Taken together, the chosen approaches should result in a comprehensive methodology for the ongoing evaluation of the organization's risk.
In other words – there is no simplistic answer or cookie-cutter methodology. It is not one process but several that, when taken together, make up a comprehensive risk management strategy.
© ENLAR® Compliance Services, Inc. (2008)
Maintaining Your OH&S Management System
Last week, a reader e-mailed me the following question –"What are the most important areas to concentrate on in maintaining an OHSAS 18001 management system that is already in place?"
This is an excellent question. Sometimes organizations put so much effort into developing and implementing an occupational health and safety management system, they run out of energy when it comes to its on-going maintenance.
There are two areas that are particularly important for maintaining your OHSMS —
- On-Going Management of Change
- An Effective Internal Audit Program
To quote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus – Nothing endures but change.
Since change is a constant in all organizations (in activities, products, people, responsibilities, etc.), addressing the occupational health and safety impacts of those changes is a major challenge. That is why OHSAS 18001:2007 added explicit management of change requirements (check out my previous blog — "What is Management of Change?" – for information on what these requirements are).
An effective internal audit program is also important for maintaining your management system. It lets you know whether your efforts have been successful or if changes are needed. It is also the primary means for top management to fulfill its management review responsibilities — to determine whether the OH&S management system continues to be suitable, adequate and effective.
© ENLAR® Compliance Services, Inc. (2007)
What is Accountability?
In the 2007 revision of OHSAS 18001, a requirement was added for allocating, documenting and communicating accountabilities — as well as responsibilities. While accountability is not defined in OHSAS 18001, it is an important concept in a management system. The dictionary definition is "the state of being accountable, liable or answerable." According to wikipedia, the word "accountability" is an extension of the terminology used in money lending systems that first developed in Ancient Greece. One would borrow money from a money lender and would then be held responsible for their account to that party.
It is worthwhile, in this context, to explore the differences between authority, responsibility and accountability in an organization:
- Authority is the right to make a decision or take an action
- Responsibility is the obligation to ensure that an action is taken
- Accountability is to be answerable for a particular activity or action to a particular entity
Although clearly related, these terms are not synonymous. One may have the authority to take a certain action — for example, to spend money on behalf of the organization — but not be obligated to take that action. Similarly, an individual may have an obligation to do something — for example, to ensure the organization complies with a particular legal requirement — but not be accountable. The organization may lack a mechanism to hold that individual responsible (answerable) even if compliance is lacking. Similarly, an individual may be held accountable — e.g. fired for a particular action — even if he or she did not have the authority or the responsibility to accomplish the activity in question.
There are five key elements of an effective accountability system:
- Clearly specified standards for authority and responsibility
- Adequate resources to meet the assigned responsibilities
- Monitoring and assessment of individual performance
- Appropriate consequences for taking or failing to take action
- Consistent and unbiased application of accountability standards
It should be noted that accountability is not necessarily the same as blame. Often, organizations seek to assign accountability only when they are looking for someone to blame.
How can you distinguish the difference?
In most organizations, much of what is done requires a group effort where no one person is completely responsible for a particular action or decision. In addition, accountability goes hand-in-hand with authority and responsibility. This means that, generally, those with the greatest accountability will be highest up in the organization. Therefore, if you are truly attempting to identify who is accountable, the result will be a list of people that includes individuals at the top, as well as the bottom, of the org chart. If you are seeking to assign blame, usually finding a single "fall guy" will be sufficient.
Top managers need to keep in mind the sign President Truman kept on his desk to remind him who was accountable. It read: "The BUCK STOPS here!"
© ENLAR® Compliance Services, Inc. (2007)
What is a Management System? — Part 2
Using a different approach, one can seek to determine what a management system is by examining the definitions penned by the individuals who drafted the ISO management system standards.
The ISO Definition of a "Management System"
ANSI/ISO/ASQ ISO Q9000-2000 defines a "management system" as follows — a system (separately defined as a set of interrelated or interacting elements) to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives. A "quality management system" is then defined as a management system to direct and control an organization with regard to quality.
ISO 14001:2004 defines a "management system" as a set of interrelated elements used to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives and an "environmental management system" as follows — part of an organization's management system used to develop and implement its environmental policy and manage its environmental aspects.
What is interesting about these ISO definitions is their explicit focus on defining a management system in terms of the task of "establishing policy and objectives" (ISO 9000) or "developing and implementing a policy" (ISO 14001). This focus on establishing and implementing policy is not part of any of the dictionary definitions for management.
The OHSAS 18001 Definition
OHSAS 18001:1999 defines an "OH&S management system" as follows — part of the overall management system that facilitates the management of the OH&S risks associated with the business of the organization. With the 2007 revision of OHSAS 18001, the definition of an OH&S management system will be aligned with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 definitions to focus on developing and implementing policy.
Is the primary purpose of a management system to develop and implement policy? What do you think?
What is a Management System? — Part 1
Since OHSAS 18001 is intended to set a framework for an OH&S management system — like ISO 14001 sets a framework for an environmental management system and ISO 9001 sets a framework for a quality management system — it is probably worthwhile to explore just what a "management system" is.
To enjoy standard-setting is to enjoy defining terms.
There are a variety of ways you can go about deciding what something is. You can ask an expert, you can ask several experts, you can take an opinion survey or you can look it up in a dictionary. Part 1 of this series takes the approach of looking it up in the dictionary (or more accurately — a dictionary of dictionaries — www.dictionary.com).
A Dictionary Definition
If one approaches this as a tautological exercise, one can break the term "management system" into its component parts of "management" and "system," define each and then combine the two definitions back together again into a single definition for a "management system."
Using this approach, one can define the word "management" as the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control and the word "system" as a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole. Combining these definitions, one gets the following definition for a "management system" — the act of managing a group of interacting, interrelated or interdependent elements forming a complex whole. This is a traditional, and predictable, definition.
On the other hand, by combining a different set of definitions for "management" and "system", one can get the following, entirely different, definition — a social, economic or political organizational form used by corporate power elites who are distinguished primarily by their distance from actual productive work and their chronic failure to manage. For those who appreciate Dilbert cartoons, this may represent a more "real world" definition of a "management system."
Given the variety of choices set out at www.dictionary.com, which dictionary definition do you prefer?
Let's Start With The Basics — What Is OHSAS 18001?
OHSAS 18001 is a specification document (standard) that sets out requirements for establishing and implementing an occupational health and safety management system.
It was originally developed in 1999 by an independent group of national standards organizations and certification bodies. Although it is not an ISO standard, OHSAS 18001 is structured the same way as ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard, and has essentially the same elements. It was developed specifically for use in third-party certification.
OHSAS 18001 was developed to replace a number of registrar-specific OH&S specification documents and to serve as a model for developing an international standard. Its development was initially driven by the lack of consensus for moving ahead in developing an international standard through the ISO standard-setting process.
More information about OHSAS 18001 can be found on ENLAR's web site at http://www.enlar.com/ohsas18001.html#OHSAS18001.


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Debating Humanism
Nick has the following to say about Furedi's contribution;
Furedi provides a reason beyond their inability to grasp elementary principles for keeping our new friends at arms length. His essay shows in embarrassing detail the leader of the RCP isn't very bright. First, he flirts with epistemological relativism while denying he is doing it. Then he makes a good point for bad reasons but lacks the courage to follow it through because its inevitable conclusion conflicts with the party line. He, too, insists that opposition to religious intolerance shouldn't define humanism. Instead, we should challenge the environmental movement's 'culture of misanthropy' which denigrates the human race as greedy and destructive.
He has a case. Misanthropy undoubtedly informs the dominant strand on the post-modern European left. It takes a special combination of self-hatred and selfishness to insist that we can't judge other cultures, place democracy higher than tyranny or say that brown-skinned women in Kabul must have the same rights as white-skinned women in Paris. A genuine humanist would notice that cultural relativism leaves its adherents naked before their fanatical enemies, but Furedi can't acknowledge the logic of his argument because to do so he would have to admit that there are movements of the religious far right and it is the duty of humanists to oppose them. The admittedly grim truth that we are going to have to fight the old Enlightenment battles for freedom of thought, the vote and the emancipation of women all over again – and not only for our own sakes – is too much for him to bear.
It's easier for Furedi and his comrades to carry on as before and get in the way of people with serious work to do.
Oh dear!
Read the review here.


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Authorities widened their search yesterday for a single-engine planethat has been missing since Friday with a student pilot at the controls.
"There is always the possibility that she could be alive," said Maj. Mitzi Parks of the Civil Air Patrol.
Parks said the search was expanded yesterday into the Delaware area near Chesapeake City, one of the 30-year-old woman's destinations.
More than 100 searchers in planes and cars also were combing the area from Lee Airport to Easton Airport, where the woman was believedto have stopped for lunch at 3 p.m. Friday.
The pilot, whose namehas not been released, took off at about 1 p.m. from Lee Airport south of Annapolis on a solo training flight that was to take her to theBay Bridge Airport on Kent Island, to Summit Airport at New Chesapeake City in Delaware, to Easton Airport and back to Lee Airport.


text:
PARIS, Nov 2 (Reuters) - State-owned Russian nuclear group Rosatom is ready to take part in a Saudi Arabian nuclear power plant tender if the country decides to launch one, a company spokesman said on Thursday.
Sources told Reuters this week that Saudi Arabia has sent a request for information (RFI) to reactor vendors to build two nuclear power plants, a first step towards a formal tender.
"Rosatom has expressed its interest and sent its initial proposals to the Saudi Arabia nuclear authorities. We are looking forward to the tender and are ready to take part in such a great project," a Rosatom spokesman told Reuters. (Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Susan Fenton)


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Admit it, the headline made you chuckle. You probably thought to yourself, "Yeah right, there is no way Buick could catch the #1 luxury brand in the U.S."
Granted, we're just two months into the year, so the fact Buick has outsold Lexus for two straight months should not be taken as a sign GM's beleaguered brand can catch Lexus over an entire year.
That's not the point.
The point is Buick is finally showing it's a relevant player in the luxury car market.
Consider the sales number so far this year.
- Buick: 29,076 (Up) 51.6%
- Cadillac: 28,834 (Up) 60%
- Lexus: 26,674 (Down) 9%
Source: Autodata
Yes, January and February are two of the lowest volume months of the year and when sales heat up this spring Lexus could easily blow past Buick. Still, the surge in sales at Buick is a testament to the fact several things are working for a brand that used to rely on Tiger Woods to generate buzz. Buick is turning heads by refurbishing about a third of its dealerships while also offering generous incentives to people trading in foreign luxury cars.
But the biggest reason is the re-styled line-up at Buick. The Regal, Lacrosse, and Enclave have the styling fit and finish to compete with other luxury and near-luxury models. Jeremy Anwyl with Edmunds.comsummed up the rise of Buick and slump by Lexus saying, "Lexus has been slow to refresh their product line and this is a marketplace that really likes hot new product and that's one of the things that Buick has been offering."
The question is whether the rebound at Buick is a flash in the pan or can last? I don't expect Buick to stay as hot as it has been the last two months, but I do see it building momentum. The models are far better than the boring, bulky models GM used to crank out and tag with a Buick badge. Plus, the quality of Buick models has been among the industry's best in recent years.
The real trick is getting potential buyers past the "Buick stigma".
Tom, a friend of mine since grade school, is looking at buying a new Buick and called me recently for my opinion. In the course of our discussion he eluded to the perception of Buick being boring cars for old men. I'm not sure if that perception will stop him from buying a Buick, but it clearly is not impacting other buyers who are taking a fresh look at GM's long-forgotten brand.
Click on Ticker to Track Corporate News:
- Ford Motor
- Toyota Motor
- Nissan
- Honda Motor
___________________________ Questions? firstname.lastname@example.com Follow me on Twitter @LeBeauCarNews


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Price includes monthly service & repairs on vessel for 12 months up to a total of $10,000!
Rare West Coast 53' Sunseeker Portofino 2008
Original Owner, Professionally Maintained
LLC Owned!
Call Alan Yorath for more info at 714-325-9829 or at email@example.com
En-Suite Head
Guest Stateroom
Guest Stateroom Starboard
Day Head
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
16400 Pacific Coast Highway, #122
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
United States


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More than 150 young rioters were causing disruption in the areas of St Paul's and Stokes Croft, the scene of rioting earlier this year amid anger over a new Tesco store.
People were warned to stay clear of the city centre as police launched efforts to bring the scenes under control.
Do you have footage of riots in your area? Please send your videos to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Evidence of a Downtrend in the US Stock Market• dailyreckoning.com
The Dow rose 259 points. Gold was up $28.
But who cares? Up, down…up, down… Every day brings more 'truth.' But what we want is a truth with legs. We're not day traders. Not week traders. Not even year traders. We want a long, sure…mega trend. We want the Dow at 900 in 1983. Or gold at 260 in 1998.
What is there today that is equivalent? How about 10-year US bonds at 2.20% yield? For upside, we can't think of a single other thing. US bonds have been in a long, long uptrend — basically — since they've existed. From 1791 to the present, they've gone up. Of course, there have been some major problems along the way, notably in the '70s when it looked like the Fed had lost control of inflation. Otherwise, bond yields have gone down as prices have gone up.
Is it time for a turnaround? Maybe not just yet. We're still in a
Great Correction. Bonds should continue to go up — for a while. But just
wait…this is a truth that won't go away: US debt is expanding…as its
ability to pay declines.


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Before even thinking about filing for an IEP, it is incumbent upon an individual to know that he/she has met the definition of a "parent" for the purposes of representing your child before the school district. Fortunately, the regulations have clarified this issue for us. Under 34 C.F.R. 300.20, a "parent" is defined as a natural or adoptive parent of a child, a guardian (but not the State if the child is a ward of the state), a person acting in the place of a parent (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child's welfare) or a surrogate parent who has been appointed in accordance with Section 300.515.
Moreover, depending on state law, a state may permit a foster parent to act as a parent if the natural parents' authority to make educational decisions on the child's behalf has been extinguished under state law, and the foster parent has an ongoing, long-term parental relationship with the child, is willing to make the educational decisions required of parents under the Act, and has no interest that would conflict with the interests of the child.
These requirements are pretty straightforward and are rarely at-issue at an IEP meeting. Nevertheless, prior to attending the IEP, it is a good idea to insure that you have satisfied the "parent" requirement to insure your full participation in the process.
Wade Chernick is a licensed California attorney who handles Special Education cases at the Due Process stage at no cost to the parents. He may be reached at (818) 907-9505 regarding any special education questions that may be of concern.


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Pieced together by visitors to an online male-escort review site, Dennis Coopers The Sluts is a hyperlinked murder mystery narrated by anonymous tops, masochists, porn-star neer-do-wells, rim-job aficionados, bareback breeders, Nick Carter fanatics, and the occasional Leather daddy type, mid-50s, into restraints and heavy anal sex with youthful-looking bottoms. Unlike the fragile LSD/Guided by Voices philosophizing of Guide, Periods rustic, romantic outsider art, or My Loose Threads claustrophobic brother-to-brother dysfunctions, The Sluts is a distillation of these bloodier earlier works, and according to Cooper, his last hurrah with the dark death/sex material. Tracking über-bottom Brad, a death-wishing submissive twink hustler with a talented asshole, and his violently opportunistic pimp of a boyfriend, Brian, the book begins with Web postings by alternately satisfied, confused and near-ecstatic johns relaying dates with Brad, who possesses unearthly beauty as well as a facial tic and assorted mental issues. Later reviews capture Brads increasingly extreme quirks (e.g., torching buildings, violent outbursts), which only help to engender a phase of intense Brad hype/worship that eventually leads to obsessive maiming, leg smashing, precision castration and murder. Like a number of Coopers doomed boys Guides snuffed, youngster porn star Goof; the inverted George Miles doppelgänger EgoreG in Period Brad has an inoperable brain tumor, and he has only six months to live. The promise of deaths inevitability allows Brian and company to realize a fantasy of killing someone during sex with very little guilt. As he does in Frisk, Cooper uses the theme of written fantasy versus actual violence; the postings that make up this digital-age epistolary novel are crammed with so much misinformation, it soon becomes difficult discerning reality from mean-spirited motives and masturbatory invention. The Sluts is chattier than most of the Los Angeles authors past work, and Cooper captures friendly, often very funny cyber-speak the author calls it a horny everyman rhetoric subtly sustaining prose patterns for each individual, creating suspense as well as laugh-out-loud snuff-related punch lines with the spare, carefully modulated language of Web sites, message boards, a dating-service telephone conversation, faxes and e-mail. The most intriguing chapters are modeled after Male4maleescorts.coms review forms: Name, age, address and hourly/nightly rate as well as body type, dick size, bedroom manner and more difficult questions like Did he live up to what he promised? are listed in point form and read like minimalist poetry. Despite wild European success, Cooper remains somewhat pigeonholed in the States. Due to The Sluts quasi-pornographic nature, Coopers agent suggested that he skip shopping it to more mainstream, squeamish outlets. Luckily, Void Books, a nascent Brooklyn press founded as an update of serious erotica publishers such as Obelisk and old-school Grove, offered to release it, bloody dildos and all. While The Sluts is sure to receive a mainstream cold shoulder, God Jr., Coopers novel forthcoming next summer from Grove, might bring with it a critical frequency shift: no gay characters, no sex, only Nintendo video-game violence and a loving father who feels responsible for the death of his teenage son. Cooper deserves reassessment, but until an Oprahesque crossover occurs, this compelling page turner ought to remind adventurous readers that important transgressive literature neednt be something only the French and the occasional perverted American can get behind. THE SLUTS | By DENNIS COOPER | Void Books | 296 pages | $50 hardcover
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The Last Hurrah
February 17, 2005 | 12:00am|


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1 Min Read
April 24(Reuters) - Surfilter Network Technology Co Ltd :
* Says it changed the accounting policy due to national policy requirement
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/iyDe8h
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.


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Jan 31,2008
Deschutes County community survey results give high ratings to employees
by Bend Weekly News Sources
BEND, Ore. - Deschutes County employees received high marks in a recent community survey completed by 400 County residents. The survey asked citizen their thoughts about the quality of life in Deschutes County, County services, customer service, public safety, communication and other subjects.
Deschutes County employees were rated favorably; with four in five residents who had been in contact with the County saying their overall impression was "excellent" or "good." Residents rated the courtesy of employees the highest; almost nine in ten said employee courtesy was "excellent" or "good." County employees received a high rating of over 80 percent as "excellent" or "good" in all six survey categories; courtesy, responsiveness, knowledge, availability, ability to answer questions and resolve problems, and overall (customer) impression.
According to the report, residents were most pleased with the job the County does at listening to resident input. Residents also rated individual County services with the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center as the top-rated service. 81% of respondents rated the Fair and Expo Center as "excellent" or "good."
Overwhelmingly, residents in Deschutes County responded that they feel safe in their neighborhoods and were confident in the ability of the County's public safety departments in the case of a major emergency. Drug related issues and a lack of jail beds were considered the biggest public safety issues noted by survey participants.
Leadership and listening to resident input were the highest rated public trust questions, with each being rated as "excellent" or "good" by 48 percent of those surveyed.
During the survey, residents were asked what they believed to be the most important issue facing the County in the next two years. The most common answer was growth (the choice of 29 percent of respondents) with top issues rated below that item as; crime and jails, the economy and budget issues, an affordable housing shortage, and expansion and development.
Regarding the quality of County services provided, respondents rated the following departments or services:
Department or Service
Excellent or Good
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center
Management of County elections
Solid waste landfill disposal services
Document recording services
Sheriff patrol services
Minimizing risk of wildfires
Public health services
Juvenile Community Justice services
Mental Health services
Property assessment and taxation
The telephone survey was conducted two weeks ago by the National Research Center of Boulder, Colorado.
The County wishes to thank residents who took time to answer the County's community phone survey in recent weeks. Their comments are being considered now to assist the Board of Commissioners in setting goals and objectives for the next fiscal year.
To see the Deschutes County community survey, please visit the home page of the County's Website at www.deschutes.org for a complete copy of the report. Go to Quick Links in the bottom, left-hand corner of the page, click on Community Survey in red. For more information about the Deschutes County Community Survey, please call 322-7697.


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