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Almost all public transport within London is overseen by Transport for London (TfL) and travelling by bus and the Underground (commonly called the Tube) and Overground rail networks is the easiest way to get around the city. The rail networks stop running around midnight and start running around 5am, but there are many bus routes throughout London that operate 24 hours a day and these night-buses are a good way to get about in the small hours of the morning.
Tickets and Travelcards
London is divided into 6 different travel zones with TfL rail tickets priced according to the zones through which you pass, while buses operate a flat fare regardless of how far you travel.
Conveniently, all TfL services operate on the Oyster card system, which is the simplest and cheapest way of paying for your journey. It is possible to buy tickets individually, however, you may then have to consider your precise journey and the cost of the ticket will be greater than that charged to Oyster card users.
Oyster cards can be topped up with 'pay as you go' credit and you need not then worry about choosing the right ticket as the fare is calculated automatically when you touch in and out at the barriers. You can also put weekly, monthly or yearly travelcards on your Oyster card that will allow you unlimited travel between purchased zones for the valid period. Generally, if you make more than ten journeys a week it is worth paying for a travelcard rather than paying as you go.
As a student you are entitled to an 18+ Student Oyster card. Journeys made on this card receive a 30% discount on the adult fare and soon make you a significant saving. To apply for your card you will need
· A colour digital photo to upload
· Your Amity student reference number
· Your course start and end dates
· A credit or debit card to pay the £10 fee
Visit the TfL webpage www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets, click on 18+ students, then Apply online and select Amity Global Business School from the drop down list.
Sometimes you may wish to take a taxi rather than public transport. TfL operate a Cabwise text service to ensure that you can always get hold of a licensed taxi. To use the service text CAB to 60835 from your mobile phone TfL will use GPS to text you your two nearest minicab numbers and one taxi (black cab) number.
To be safe, when taking a taxi please follow these three tips:
1) Book it – Book your taxi with a licensed taxi operator by phone, e-mail or in a taxi office.
2) Check it's yours – Make sure the driver can confirm your name and destination before you get in the car, and check the driver's photo ID.
3) Sit in the back – Always sit in the back seat, and carry your mobile phone in case of an emergency.
Don't risk taking an unbooked taxi. Always use a booked and licensed taxi, night-bus or the Tube to get home.
TfL Information
For more information please visit the TfL website, www.tfl.gov.uk, which carries the latest transport updates as well as a useful journey planner. You can also contact TfL by phone on 0207 222 1234 for a 24hr helpline and directions service.
London and Beyond: 16-25 Railcard
As much as we hope you'll love London, you may want to get away from time to time. One of the best ways to do this is by train and all full-time students are eligible for a 16-25 railcard, even if you're over 25. A railcard saves you 1/3 on train fares and costs £30 for one year. If you're planning to make any rail journeys a railcard is well worth getting hold of; for example, an off-peak return to Manchester costs around £65 so in only two trips you'll already be saving money. What is more, a railcard can get you discounts for a whole range of things, from shows and restaurants, to magazines and more.
Visit the website at www.16-25railcard.co.uk for further details.
You can even add your Railcard to your Oyster card for a 34% off-peak discount and you'll always receive the cheapest possible fare. Visit www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets and click on National Railcards and Gold Cards under Discounts for adults, to find out more.


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ZIRH is back and for very good reason… they make good products.
Their Alpha-hydroxy face wash, aptly titled- Clean is a cleaning machine! It gets your face clean and with very little product. Since Alpha-hydroxy is a derivative of glycolic acid, citric acid and lactic acid, it provides the benefits of exfoliation, reducing blemishes and aiding in keeping the skin smooth. All three ingredients help to stimulate collagen production, which makes the skin more elastic and appear more youthful.
This is a great concept for a face wash; however, in the same breath it can be a bit harsh for some faces. For guys that like the feel of "super clean", this is your wash.
[xrr rating=4.25/5]

subset: commoncrawl


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[Detail] Railway train - Italy, 1894
Collection Overview
World's Transportation Commission contains images by American photographer William Henry Jackson. Jackson, along with a railroad publicist, railroad engineer, and graphic designer, was hired to document types of transportation around the globe from 1894-1896. In addition to railroads, elephants, camels, horses, sedan chairs, and other types of transportation, the collection shows cities, street, landscapes, and inhabitants of North Africa, Asia, and Australia.
In a hurry? Save or print these Collection Connections as a single file.
Special Features
There are currently no special features for this collection.
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1876-1915
- Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900
- Map Collections, 1500-2003
- Panoramic Photographs
- Detroit Publishing Company
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection
The members of the World's Transportation Commission were charged with documenting transportation systems around the globe. However, their attitudes and beliefs about different cultures may be conveyed in the subject matter or the words used in captions.
For help with place searches, go to Select A Country from the Trip Itinerary which lists locations represented by the photographs.
For help with search words, go to the Around the World in the 1890s Subject Index.
For help with general search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.


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February 28, 2011
Cuture is evil
June 3, 2010
Just another day on your telly
So changing channels I ended up onto Alan Sugar's Junior Apprentice...At first I was interested, mainly because these teenagers seemed a lot more genuine and fresh than the usual Apprentice's crowd. For once, they didn't look like actors who had carefully learned their script (tell me I'm sceptical, but I can't believe 'normal' people can behave so comfortably in front of a camera like the Apprentices do. And I just had a look at the ones they had selected for the next season, some guys looked like top-models...very strange). Anyway, it was entertaining, and not too disappointing, up until the point when I saw one of the guys using a hair-straightener, just before going to an important business meeting...Isn't that some kind of totally media-conscious joke? I don't know any well-behaving gentleman who would dare using a hair-straightener, in public anyway...If I ever saw my man doing this, I would surely tell him, straight away 'You're fired!' and though I know some fine 'gender-crossing' men, I don't think any of them would ever dare doing this in public, and in front of a camera...guys, what do you say about this?
November 30, 2009
ONLY WHEN I DANCE – A documentary by Beadie Finzi
The film is inhabited by the grace and passion these kids have for their art. It also cleverly talks about Rio favelas in a positive way, avoiding cliches on a crime-ridden area. Key issues are though evoked – we for example follow the financial struggles parents face to send their children to New York for an international dance competition.
Another theme is evoked, and it's the equality of treatment a young black female dancer could receive compared to other girls. Isabela, the young girl, will finally not make it into the dancers selected for the scholarship, under grounds that she is 'too fat'. To my opinion, this is really loads of bullsh*t. Of course, in case you wonder, she is a thin & gracious girl, with lots of sweetness who incarnates ballet in a very personal way. This young and very gracious girl is just as talented as the others, but the jury of classic ballet dancing have probably a 'classic' conception of what beauty, in the world of ballet, is, so they could not conceive that a young black girl would successfully embody a female character. Because this is what these international competitions are about – selecting the most talented artists who will fit into the patterns classic ballet dancing have always developed. And their ideal of a woman ballet dancer is probably close to a thin blonde girl with straight hair...
So they gave her only the third prize. Which is very unfair, I think.
September 7, 2009
There's a thin line between truth and reality...The Fourth Wall
On Sunday Bank Holiday, I went to Barbican for the last day of that somewhat different exhibition, featuring the (mini) scandal of the Tasaday. For the record, the Tasaday, an ethnic group living in the jungle of the Philippines, were discovered by anthropologists and brought to the media scene in 1971. Reporters spent months with them, including American journalist John Nance. And then the whole region was closed by the PANAMIN, a Philippine organisation taking care of the interests of ethnic minorities, which claimed that it was harmful for this tribe to be approached by foreigners (and those from the Western world in particular).
The Tasaday were brought back to our attention in 1986 when another group of anthropologists and journalists claimed that the previous story was a hoax, and that these people who were allegedly living in isolation since the Stone-Age, who had stone weapons, wore leaves and ate fruits and yams, were in fact members of the nearest village who had been brought there by Elizalde, the Philippine politician behind PANAMIN. The guy had told them to exchange their clothes for leaves and start eating the forest products.
The exhibition used this fact to show footage of the 70's films, as well as interviews from John Nance, in particular. The aim was to work around reality and fiction, and their respective treatment by media. The Fourth Wall being that imaginary line that actors set between themselves and the spectators to immerse even more in the play.
This subject is fascinating, and raises a number of questions.
Firstly, can we set a preserve area around a tribe and therefore put it in prison, just to protect it from the contacts with more 'evolved' societies? Should we do this, as one anthropologist interviewed for the exhib stated?
What is 'evolution', is there a scale from 1 to 10, which says that Western culture in its contemporary form is the utmost degree of evolution towards which all should converge?
What are media seeking, apart from profit and coverage? Are they just interested in scoops, at any price?
And about media, what lies beneath the thin line between truth and reality? It's still unclear whether this whole thing was a hoax or not, despite some troubling facts that have fuelled the controversy over the years – and if we look at the 'suspects', what's their mobile? Did Elizalde really want to protect this tribe from external threats? Was the closure of the region not guided simply by the political embargo on The Philippines? Perhaps the alleged hoax discovery was motivated by the reject of the Philippine regime (as it happened right after President Marcos was deposed, in 1986)? Questions, questions, to which we may never have the correct answer...but for sure, it shows once again that facts and beliefs can be treacherous, so much as to fool scientists and renowned journalists, and that what you read in the press may be true...or may not.
Photograph © John Nance
July 28, 2009
La France énervée
'ça m'énerve!' – Helmut Fritz's song is obviously the hit in France this summer. All ages together, my friends play it loop. Even if the song will not make it in music anthologies, its formal qualities – rythm and energy, allow for a good dance-floor filler, from Le Touquet to Calvi.
But also, the lyrics show some appeal. Indeed, half-criticising half-revering the luxury culture landmarked by Montaigne (the avenue) – Boëtie (the street) – Etoile (the square), Helmut Fritz is echoing the penultimate trend in France at the moment : the fact that the French are fed-up - 'énervés' - with everything. Fed-up to be unable to go anywhere they want to ('Have you booked?'), fed-up to have to pay a mint for anything - entertainment, clothes, food -, fed-up to be dictated ridiculous look criteria...With Helmut Fritz, the French rebel during the Summer...before a proper revolution this Autumn?
July 19, 2009
Facebook sucks...and you too, my friend
While being a star on telly requires to show my best angle to the sunlights, and to be there when it happens, with Facebook, I can create the event whenever it suits me. Today, tomorrow, or next week...But, as for television and other media, communication creates an overflow of images, words and sounds, so to be heard/seen, I have to overexpose myself – more pics, more clever notes, more amusing remarks...in fact, the more I'm a clown, the better. There's very little room, if any, for that picky thought that may not please all of my (numerous) friends.
June 17, 2009
57% abstention, but who cares?
And that's how the Green / ALE / Les Verts have managed to get such high scores : they occupied the space left empty by Labour & Socialists, talking about their vision of Europe, emphasizing, rightly so, the fact that climate & environment problems could only be tackled at a regional or global level, while proposing solutions in other fields as well. And they were, in France notably, and in other countries, very successful, managing to get up to 15% votes, while traditional left parties were collapsing. They also took advantage from the fact that a number of voters traditionally inclined to the left and who take interest in European issues shifted towards the Green.
An analysis of the pre-election campaigns in both the UK & France shows how the Labour and Parti Socialiste approached the election.
The UK, first. Having opted for a UK-based vote, I watched carefully the messages broadcasted by the main parties, Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats. None of them even said a single word about Europe in what they called the 'European Elections broadcast' (as I couldn't believe my eyes, I had to double-check I'd downloaded the correct programme, and not the local elections part. But yes, it was indeed, but not rightly so, I'd say, the 'European Elections' bit). So it was only babbling about the UK politics, and how each of them would manage this country properly etc...While the Green Party talked about the role they had played, and could play, in Europe, tackling the European Commission on environmental issues (Genetically Modified Organisms, correctly labelled food packaging, toxic-free toys...), but insisting also on the role they could play for education, economy..., using the clever tagline 'You might think you know us, but...think again'. This double strategy of mentioning practical achievements, as well as relating to people's preoccupations in areas traditionally privileged by left parties (economy, helthcare, jobs, human rights) seems to have paid off, as an incremental 45% share of the voters chose them in 2009 vs. 2004.
France then. Apart from the fantastic job achieved by the leader of the newly formed Green union, Daniel Cohn Bendit, or as we call him in France 'Dany the Red', who, like the Phoenix, ressuscited from his ashes ; apart from the impact this character had on the results (15% share of the votes, #2 in France and on-par with the Parti socialiste, with 14 MEPs elected), it is interesting to see how the main parties dealt with the campaign.
Both the Centre-Right (UMP, Nouveau Centre, Progressistes – 28% share of votes, 29 MEPs) and the Green (Europe Ecologie) had simple and clear proposals, covering issues ranging from environment to socio-economics (the following are extracts of their respective campaign leaflets) : 'we will commit to creating a true industrial policy in Europe', 'we will tackle the issue of illegal immigration', 'we will re-orientate our economic model towards a new green expansion based on innovation' (UMP) ; 'create a minimum salary across Europe', 'massively invest in education, research and culture', 'prevent on a European scale diseases such as cancer, asthma, obesity, hypertension' (Europe Ecologie). Those were presented as bullet points, in a very clear presentation that highlighted them. A proper campaign leaflet from people who take the election seriously.
On the other hand, the Parti Socialiste had oriented its campaign on attacking the right, and in particular N. Sarkozy. So instead of focusing on effective proposals, it spent half of the leaflet criticising N. Sarkozy and the impact of the liberal system in Europe. While the other half indeed included a number of effective proposals, these were diluted in the overall presentation, and made the whole leaflet look like it was full of technocratic jargon, made by people who didn't really care for what they were talking about.
So what's going on here? It is well known that the representatives chosen for Euro elections are not the biggest stars of their party. As an example, Brice Hortefeux, elected MEP for UMP/PPE, will not go to Strasbourg, he has higher ambitions for himself (such as becoming Prime Minister for Nicolas Sarkozy). So is it that all these parties consider Europe is and should remain devoted to technocrats, that the European Parliament is just an excuse, that the Real-Politik is till only done in the countries? Most certainly. And this is where it matters. We, the people, need a strong federal Europe, that is not only dominated by a liberal view. And that's where the left parties should take it seriously, that's where they have a definite role to play. They obviously haven't understood it, but the people who voted for the Green 'en masse' have. Future will tell if the left gets the message at some point, instead of focusing on their short-sighted tactics only inspired by getting the votes and staying into power.
June 14, 2009
Les défourailleurs sont à l'affiche - License to kill
Are thrillers and action movies any credible today if the posters and advertising don't include an armed character openly displaying his weapon? I doubt it. Examples below clearly show that action and adventure films now have to display one or 2 weapons on the advert – with the promise attached of a massive killing spree. See Underworld, Wanted, Punisher...
Action movies posters in the 50s, the 60s or even in the 70s were not so apologetic of armed violence, and weapons were rarely displayed – 'Peter Gunn', using a visual gimmick on the logo to suggest the weapon, 'Bullit' where Steve McQueen's gun remains in its holster. Also, the advertising would focus on other action elements than the weapon itself – a chase, a fight, a car-race...
In fact the first character to advocate the use of weapons is James Bond, whose 'License to kill' provides him with a sort of calm impunity, as he elegantly assumes his killing function. He created a new trend in action movies advertising, and his current avatars are nowhere ashamed of holding death ustensils, as if they were modern-life tools.
Voici Contre-Enquête un polar psychologique plutôt que d'action - ça dézingue même assez peu (dans mon souvenir) ; qu'à cela ne tienne, c'est un Dujardin armé que l'on voit sur l'affiche !
A vrai dire, depuis des dizaines d'années, on voit des calibres de tous poil à l'affiche des films d'espionnage ou d'aventure ; mais peut-être ces films étaient-ils ceux d'une époque où la suggestion fonctionnait aussi bien que la démonstration, où la promesse d'action spectaculaire portait sur d'autres catalyseurs visuels du suspens : courses poursuites, traques, empoignades, corps à corps, armes blanches, étouffements, constituaient les codes dominants des affiches de films de suspense et de crime.
April 30, 2009
De la démocratie - of democracy and other things
Yes dear readers, you've read it well – the PM website hosts petitions that are created by the citizens, asking him various things about various subjects. And this one, which has been created recently, has gathered already over 33,000 signatures. And is the biggest petition on the site to date. That only shows how fed up the British people are with their current government...but this is another debate, and I'm not talking here about the validity of the petition.
Just when I think about the way the man who stands in office at The Palais of Elysée, obviously controls all media and also manages to be in the news every single day, one way or the other, I can't imagine he would allow something similar to happen. Well of course, the UK and the French political systems are different, but they both belong to the same kind of government: the democratic system.
A quick look at the basics shows interesting definitions of democracy, and in particular the importance of the following guardians – freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Wikipedia - Democracy
Even though there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all members of the society (citizens) have equal access to power and the second that all members (citizens) enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties.
However, if any democracy is not carefully legislated to avoid an uneven distribution of political power with balances, such as the separation of powers, then a branch of the system of rule could accumulate power and become harmful to the democracy itself. The "majority rule" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without responsible government it is possible for the rights of a minority to be abused by the "tyranny of the majority". An essential process in representative democracies are competitive elections, that are fair both substantively and procedurally. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests.
France has a tradition of controlling TV since Charles de Gaulle , but after him the audiovisual policy has been paved with a number of comical episodes or perturbed variations – from the creation of the first private[1] terrestrial channel in the 80s, the ludicrous '5' on the pattern of La Cinque in Italy, owned y Berlusconi himself, to the recent debate about advertising on public-owned channels - loss of which, voted in 2009, will foster even more control by the government, obviously, as the French President is now able to nominate the head of the public channels.
So, with Sarkozy in power, the links between press and politics have been stronger than ever, let's look at some facts about key press groups:
Lagardère Media Active detains shares in Le Monde (15%), Le Parisien (25%); Arnaud Lagardère, General Manager of Lagardère Group, often describes Sarkozy as his 'brother'.
DI group, a subsidiary of LVMH, property of Bernard Arnault, owns Les Echos; Bernard Arnault was bestman at Sarkozy's wedding in 1996.
Socpresse - Marcel Dassault, owns Le Figaro; Serge Dassault, General Manager of Socpresse, publicly supports Nicolas Sarkozy.
Bolloré Médias, owned by Vincent Bollore, has 30% of Havas and SFP, as well as 40% of the well-known research company CSA; CSA is specialised in opinion surveys and consistently cited by French press before key elections; Vincent Bolloré lent Sarkozy his yacht to 'relax' after the presidential election in May 2007 (that was gross, if I may say so...).
In terms of TV, TF1, the biggest channel by its audience, is private since 1987, and belongs to construction tycoon Bouygues (43% capital); Martin Bouygues, was bestman at Sarkozy's wedding, and is godfather to N. Sarkozy's son Louis; Patrick Le Lay, TF1's General Manager from 1988 to 2007, and Etienne Mougeotte, TF1's editor in chief from 1987 to 2008, are both close friends of Sarkozy.
So to conclude I would just like to ask: doesn't it look like we are strongly and blatantly manipulated? Don't get me wrong: it would be extremely naïve to ignore the fact that governments are manipulating opinion, which is the way they get into power...and hold to it. All governments do that, it is part of the democratic game, and it's the role of press to prevent the manipulation of opinion, by informing citizens. But when press is controlled by closed allies of the government, isn't its freedom getting a bit twisted?
[1] Historically, the first private channel was pay-TV Canal+, created in 1983.
April 12, 2009
Fear and loathing in the City
I am still shocked at the events that happened on April 1st in London @ Bank, around the protests surrounding the G20 Summit. It can be claimed that some people have been violent, and indeed during Wednesday protests, a group of anarchists has broken into Royal Bank of Scotland and smashed windows, phones and computers. So what? That was it really, but Police have been charging on horsebacks people who were quietly doing a sit-in @ Climate Camp.
The Met has also used batons and cracked heads on unarmed people.
'Subsequently, at least 10 protesters sitting down in the street close to the Bank of England were left with bloody head wounds after being charged by officers with batons at around 4.30pm. One woman, said to be an Italian student, was carried off unconscious.' The Guardian, 01.04.2009When the English go for a riot they do it seriously.
Moreover, London Police has used a controversial technique, called 'kettling' to pen the protest when it started getting nasty. This meant that thousands of peaceful demonstrators were left unable to leave the area from at least 5 hours. The riots were pacific but they turned nasty at some point.
What to remember from this event? Well...
Met police use controversial methods and don't hesitate to charge pacific protesters. It's as if they wanted to provoke a peaceful crowd and generate disorders.
Even better, Police love charging those who just wander around. Attack them with batons, see them collapse without helping them, and then wait for them to die – unfortunately this is not a scam, but the sad and true story of Ian Tomlinson, the man who died inside a police cordon.
The media were probably overrepresented at this event – when the RBS branch was stormed (below), there were more photographers than protesters, which makes me wonder if this wasn't 'staged' and organised?
The G20 protests undoubtedly marked the rise of alternative media – Twitter, independent photographers, Indymedia etc...
'WE MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO GO TOO FAR, FOR SUCCESS LIES JUST BEYOND' (Proust).
Image Credits: John Stead 2009, guardian.co.uk


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The Yellow Boats
Though you can see a lot of Dubai from its sun baked streets, lofty viewing platforms and specially designed promenades, you get a completely different perspective on the city from its glittering waters.
The Yellow Boats take visitors out into the Persian Gulf, giving them the chance to see an alternative side of the city and appreciate some of Dubai's most famous attractions from the sea.
Tours vary in length, with the longest taking in everything from Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah to the open waters of the Persian Gulf. Shorter tours are available around the Marina, the Palm lagoon and the Burj Al Arab. Night time tours are also available, giving holidaymakers the chance to see the stunning illuminated Dubai skyline.
As well as skyscrapers, resorts, shopping malls and beaches, passengers will also be able to catch glimpses of the opulent royal palaces and private residences that line the waterfront.
The bright yellow inflatable boats you'll travel in are perfect for getting up close to the most impressive sights, ensuring passengers don't miss a thing during the exciting excursion.
As well as sightseeing tours, The Yellow Boats also take holidaymakers on adrenaline pumping 30-minute thrill rides. The perfect way to blow away the cobwebs and get your heart racing, these fast paced trips will leave you feeling exhilarated, wide awake and ready for a day of exploration in exotic Dubai.
The boats will stop at strategic points to allow passengers to take photos of the famous sights and admire their spectacular surroundings.
Tours run throughout the day, with transportation available to take visitors straight from their hotel to the marina.
The perfect way to explore Dubai and see a different side of the city, The Yellow Boats will whisk you out onto the clear blue Persian Gulf and past some of the city's most impressive sights. A must do during your time in the Middle East, a boast tour is guaranteed to be a highlight of your stay in the city.
Get InspirationAll about where to go and what you can do
Whole new worlds of wonder, realms of knowledge and galaxies of the imagination are just waiting to be discovered and explored at Bookworm - Dubai's only bookshop that is designed exclusively for children. This is the perfect place for little ones to begin their adventure into the world of literature and books.
Burj Al Arab
For visitors to Dubai who want to experience the absolute pinnacle of luxury, not only in the city, but also arguably in the world, the Burj Al Arab is the hotel to choose. As a building, the hotel is a defining landmark of the city and features some of the most opulent interiors anywhere on Earth.
Burj Khalifa
Towering above the other skyscrapers and structures that make up the city's skyline, the titanic Burj Khalifa is one of the most impressive buildings ever constructed and one of the most important landmarks in Dubai. Whether you're travelling up to its lofty observation deck or admiring its unique silhouette from the ground, there's no denying that the Burj Khalifa is a building like no other.
Explore dubai your wayTailor made dubai holidays
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SAN FRANCISCO--Every year around this time, many Jews spend a week eating just one bread product: a bland flatbread called matzah.
The yearly ritual is designed to recall the unleavened bread eaten by our ancestors as they fled Egypt without time to prepare proper food provisions.
For modern Jews, the culinary challenges of Passover are relatively minor. Despite some kvetching over things like how to trying to bring matzah to work in fewer than a million pieces, the Passover ritual is not that difficult. In big cities, Americans have access not just to plain matzah, but also to all kinds of baked goods made from the wafer-like bread.
This year, though, just getting matzah has been a challenge. There's something of a shortage in a number of places, including here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I went to at least eight grocery stores without procuring a single box.
As someone who's never had to struggle to have enough to eat, there is something fitting about having to scrounge around to get sufficient matzah to last for the week-long festival.
At home, my partner and I have been figuring out how to make do with a box and a half of year-old matzah. The shortage was the prime topic at a large seder (Passover meal and service) this weekend. Several of us were still talking about how we were still short on the needed Matzah, when one friend announced that he had a few extra boxes and gave those less well off some of his spares.
I found the exercise fitting for the holiday. Passover is about remembering the exodus from slavery in Egypt in biblical times, but also about paying mind to the inequities in our own lives.
Matzah isn't the only food in short supply these days. Staples like rice and corn are also in short supply. For many of us in techland that means an extra few pennies when we go out to lunch.
But around the globe and even in places close to home it means more people are going hungry. Food is perhaps the most pressing scarcity, but there are so many areas where our global abundance of resources is not reaching many in the community.
The personal computer, for example, has reached approximately the first 1 billion people, but that leaves several billion that have yet to experience its possibilities. I saw some of this first hand earlier this month as I traveled to Brazil and Colombia to look at efforts to broaden computer access.
In Colombia, I saw how access to computers meant employment possibilities for people that had been maimed by land mines. In a country without many laws promoting jobs for the disabled and where unemployment is high even for those without physical challenges, those who have such injuries face little opportunities for work.
In the rural community of Corinto, an area at the crossroads of the country's civil war, I saw students using decade-old machines that could barely access the Internet. Still, they had found great use for what we consider obsolete computers. They were using the PCs to chart crops, as part of a broader effort that aims to use technology to help those in rural communities find sustainable agricultural work in an effort to stem the defection of people either to cities or to the guerrilla groups.
Neither Passover nor this blog is about coming up with all of the answers immediately, but it is a reflection on the work that remains unfinished. I am reminded of the Jewish teaching, popular at Passover, that "It is not upon us to finish the task, nor are we free not to begin."
Update 4:30 p.m.: This YouTube video, clearly made in anticipation of a more plentiful matzah environment, shows some fun other uses for the stuff. My mom sent me the link, so I had to add it.
11 TV shows to watch after Game of Thrones ends: Need to fill your Game of Thrones void? These shows might do the trick.
'Battle between fact and fiction' in Lord of the Rings biopic: The director of Tolkien explains how he balanced reality with the imaginary.


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Dec 31, 2016
We went "Pink!" Yinzer Pink as a matter of fact. Recorded live
at the "Real Men Wear Pink" party at Jerome Bettis Grille 36, we
had a chance to meet Pittsburgh fashion designer to the WWE, ESPN
and NFL, David Alan. His The Proper Knot invention is crushing the
fashion world. Then we met 4 of the guys in the American Cancer
Society's month-long fundraiser, "Real Men Wear Pink,' including
John Bettis! Yeah… he's the older brother of… well… you get it.
And, yes… he has stories!
VIEW the Episode Promo Video:
LISTEN to the Podcast show right here below or on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Stitcher Radio, Soundcloud, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and Tunein Radio via the "Pittsburgh Podcast Network" channel.
YaJagoff! Podcast - SHOW NOTES: Episode 40, The Pink Podcast
With David Alan
Music: Mac Miller, "Dang"
01:10 We are in pink "Yinzer" t-shirts at the Jerome Bettis Grille 36 on the North Shore. Make sure you click one of the links below to get all of the details on the American Cancer Society's "Real Men Wear Pink" fundraisers.
04:28 Laura McCurdy, ACS rep, tell us all about the Pittsburgh version of "Real Men Wear Pink" campaign. Search for the #RealMenWearPinkPgh hashtag on social media!
10:07 David Alan, fashion designer who works with the WWE, NFL, ESPN and he only started sewing at age 27! David invented the coolest accessory for men's ties, The Proper Knot. It's launching nationally. His launch party is a fashion show at Room16 in Pittsburgh's Strip District on October 14th and will be hosted by Jonathan Coachman of ESPN! Pittsburgh Steelers, WWE stars and others will be walking the pink carpet! Get tickets here.
21:56 Four of the Real Men who are wearing pink all throughout October and in competition to raise funds for the ACS: Scott Clarke, Todd McCurdy, Brian Holzer and John Bettis. They all have a story and upcoming fundraisers that you can get in on, but… can we get them into an ultimate cage match to raise big dollars? And, who does John's Aunt like better, John or… well... you know?
Find daily #Jagoffs posts at www.YaJagoff.com
How to Listen Regularly:
All shows on the "Pittsburgh Podcast Network" are free and available to listen 24/7/365 worldwide. Audio On-Demand in-your-hand, on smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop computers.
– APPLE users can find us on the iTunes and Podcast app.
– ANDROID users can find us on Google Play Music,
– ALL users can listen on computers, tablets, and smartphones via RSS, SoundCloud, Stitcher Radio, Overcast, Pocket Casts or tunein radio, website or apps.
* SEARCH: Pittsburgh Podcast Network
• iTunes
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• tunein radio
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Thanks To:
• Photo Credits: The Food Tasters & The Pittsburgh Podcast Network
• Production: Frank Murgia & Wayne Weil
How to Follow Everyone on Twitter:
• The Podcast @YaJagoffPodcast
• John Chamberlin @YaJagoff
• Craig Tumas @CraigTumas
• John Knight @JKnight841
• Jason Havelka @SportsMongerPGH
• Mac Miller @MacMiller
• Jerome Bettis Grille 36 @Grille36
• Real Men Wear Pink @RealMenPinkPgh
• ACS Pittsburgh @ACSPittsburgh
• Brian Holzer @BKH726
• David Alan @DavidAlanStyle
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• Room16 @Room16Pgh
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Produced at talent network, inc. @talentnetworktv
by the Pittsburgh Podcast Network @pghpodcast


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Install Windows Media Player 11 without WGA
Thursday, July 27, 2006ŠŠŠŠ
NOTE: This Post is outdated and the links are not working. Please scroll to the bottom to get the link for the updated post.
Recently Microsoft has released the most awaited Windows Media Player, but much to everybody's surprise even if you want to install this version of Media Player you have to go through a stringent set of processes to pass the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation(WGA), which is much irritating as compared to the joy of using Media Player 11. When I got the download of Window Media Player 11 Beta, I was too excited to get a chance to see the new creation of Mr. Gates. But alas..while installing the media Player on my pirated version of Windows XP (Like most people M also using a pirated version of Windows XP) I faced the brunt of validation. Any way I had to install Media Player 11 so experiment continued and finally I found the following methods to crack the process of WGA validation and successfully installed Windows Media Player 11 Beta.
The best way to get Windows Media Player 11 beta to install, of course, is to get the Windows validated. However, for whatever reasons, if you still still want to install WMP11, there are workaround ways to bypass and disable the WGA validation check during setup installation process:
1. Download WMP11 from the Microsoft website or from here:
2. Download and install WinRAR (http://www.download.com/3000-2250-10007677.html) and install WinRAR extraction tool.
3. Extract the WMP11 installer by using WinRAR to a directory (e.g. wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu). You can right click on the setup file and choose any Extract option or launch the extraction utility and choose the WMP11 setup file to extract it.
4. Download legitlib.dll (in RAR format) from http://depositfiles.com/en/files/144094/legitlib.rar.html and extract it.
5. Copy the extracted legitlib.dll and paste legitlib.dll into the extracted directory of WMP11 installer. Overwrite any existing file.
6. Run setup_wm.exe by double clicking.
7. Install Windows Media Player 11 Beta accordingly.
NOTE: I have found that the links are sometime not working. So I have updated the post at:


text: Main Content Committee Bill Records Search printer friendly Click here if you would like to refine these Committee Bill Records by sponsor, meeting, status and more! Selecting from the following options and click "Search Committee Bill Records". Representatives Afendoulis, Lynn Albert, Thomas Alexander, Julie Allor, Sue Anthony, Sarah Bellino, Joseph Berman, Ryan Bolden, Kyra Harris Bollin, Ann Brann, Tommy Brixie, Julie Bryd, Wendell Calley, Julie Cambensy, Sara Camilleri, Darrin Carter, Brenda Carter, Tyrone Chatfield, Lee Cherry, John Chirkun, John Clemente, Cara Cole, Triston Coleman, Kevin Crawford, Kathy Eisen, Gary Elder, Brian Ellison, Jim Farrington, Diana Filler, Graham Frederick, Ben Garrett, LaTanya Garza, Alex Gay-Dagnogo, Sherry Glenn, Annette Green, Phil Greig, Christine Griffin, Beth Guerra, Vanessa Haadsma, Jim Hall, Matt Hammoud, Abdullah Hauck, Roger Hernandez, Shane Hertel, Kevin Hoadley, Jon Hoitenga, Michele Hood, Rachel Hope, Kara Hornberger, Pamela Howell, Gary Huizenga, Mark Iden, Brandt Inman, Larry Johnson, Cynthia Johnson, Steven Jones, Jewell Kahle, Bronna Kennedy, Sheryl Koleszar, Matt Kuppa, Padma LaFave, Beau LaGrand, David Lasinski, Donna Leutheuser, Eric Liberati, Frank Lightner, Sarah Lilly, Jim Love, Leslie Lower, James Maddock, Matt Manoogian, Mari Marino, Steve Markkanen, Gregory Meerman, Luke Miller, Aaron Mueller, Mike Neeley, Sheldon O'Malley, Jack Pagan, Kristy Paquette, Brad Peterson, Ronnie Pohutsky, Laurie Rabhi, Yousef Reilly, John Rendon, Daire Robinson, Isaac Sabo, Terry Schroeder, Andrea Shannon, Nate Sheppard, Jason Slagh, Bradley Sneller, Tim Sowerby, William Stone, Lori Tate, Joseph VanSingel, Scott VanWoerkom, Greg Vaupel, Hank Wakeman, Rodney Warren, Rebekah Webber, Michael Wendzel, Pauline Wentworth, Jason Whiteford, Mary Whitsett, Karen Wittenberg, Robert Witwer, Angela Wozniak, Douglas Yancey, Tenisha Yaroch, Jeff Senators Alexander, Betty Jean Ananich, Jim Barrett, Tom Bayer, Rosemary Bizon, John Brinks, Winnie Bullock, Marshall Bumstead, Jon Chang, Stephanie Daley, Kevin Geiss, Erika Hertel, Curtis Hollier, Adam Horn, Kenneth Irwin, Jeff Johnson, Ruth LaSata, Kimberly Lauwers, Dan Lucido, Peter MacDonald, Michael MacGregor, Peter McBroom, Ed McCann, Sean McMorrow, Mallory Moss, Jeremy Nesbitt, Aric Outman, Rick Polehanki, Dayna Runestad, Jim Santana, Sylvia Schmidt, Wayne Shirkey, Mike Stamas, Jim Theis, Lana VanderWall, Curtis Victory, Roger Wojno, Paul Zorn, Dale Senate Committees Advice and Consent Agriculture Appropriations Economic and Small Business Development Education and Career Readiness Elections Energy and Technology Environmental Quality Families, Seniors and Veterans Finance Government Operations Health Policy and Human Services Insurance and Banking Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Judiciary and Public Safety Local Government Natural Resources Oversight Regulatory Reform Transportation and Infrastructure Only items with status Sort by BillSort by SponsorSort by Committee TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURESorted by: SequenceNo Committee Home Page: Transportation and InfrastructureChair: Tom BarrettClerk Phone: Heather Dorbeck, (517) 373-5323 Bill/ResolutionReferred DateCommitteeSponsorSubjectMeetingsStatus HB 4060 of 2019Referred 3/20/2019Transportation and InfrastructureLove, LeslieHighways; memorial; portion of M-10; designate as the "Aretha L. Franklin Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2080) by adding sec. 1083. HB 4061 of 2019 (PA 4 of 2019)Referred 3/5/2019Transportation and InfrastructureYaroch, JeffHighways; memorial; portion of M-53; designate as the "Chief Petty Officer Jason Freiwald Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 20.2080) by adding sec. 21a.3/13/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 3/13/2019 HB 4118 of 2019Referred 4/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureSlagh, BradleyTraffic control; speed restrictions; procedure for establishing certain speed limits; modify, and make other revisions. Amends sec. 627 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.627).5/15/20195/22/2019 HB 4120 of 2019Referred 5/7/2019Transportation and InfrastructureMarkkanen, GregoryCounties; other; provision related to contracts or agreements for the purchase of real or personal property for public use; modify. Amends sec. 10, ch. IV of 1909 PA 283 (MCL 224.10). SB 0006 of 2019Referred 1/15/2019Transportation and InfrastructureLucido, PeterTraffic control; driver license; operating a motor vehicle without valid driver license; increase penalties and require police officers to take certain actions. Amends secs. 904 & 904a of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.904 & 257.904a). SB 0010 of 2019Referred 1/15/2019Transportation and InfrastructureWojno, PaulHighways; construction and repair; warranties for all new state pavement construction projects; require. Amends sec. 11 of 1951 PA 51 (MCL 247.661). SB 0027 of 2019Referred 1/16/2019Transportation and InfrastructureLucido, PeterVehicles; registration; revenue from vehicle registration fees; allocate to county road commission of county where registrant resides. Amends sec. 10 of 1951 PA 51 (MCL 247.660) by adding sec. 10f. SB 0028 of 2019Referred 1/16/2019Transportation and InfrastructureLucido, PeterTransportation; motor fuel tax; fuel tax; require to be dispersed to county where fuel is pumped. Amends sec. 10 of 1951 PA 51 (MCL 247.660) by adding sec. 10i. SB 0033 of 2019Referred 1/16/2019Transportation and InfrastructureVictory, RogerTorts; governmental immunity; liability for highway defects; clarify that governmental tort liability act applies to county road commissions. Amends sec. 2 of 1964 PA 170 (MCL 691.1402). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0034'19 SB 0034 of 2019Referred 1/16/2019Transportation and InfrastructureVictory, RogerHighways; construction and repair; actions against county road commissions for highway defects; clarify that they are subject to governmental immunity act. Amends sec. 21 of 1909 PA 283 (MCL 224.21). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0033'19 SB 0042 of 2019Referred 1/22/2019Transportation and InfrastructureLucido, PeterVehicles; fund-raising registration plates; fund-raising registration plate for "Kiwanis International Michigan District"; create, and amend definition of "nonprofit". Amends sec. 811d of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.811d) & adds sec. 811gg.3/6/20193/13/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 3/13/2019 SB 0061 of 2019Referred 1/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureVictory, RogerTraffic control; speed restrictions; procedure for establishing certain speed limits; modify, and make other revisions. Amends sec. 627 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.627).3/6/20193/13/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 3/13/2019 SB 0066 of 2019Referred 1/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureJohnson, RuthVehicles; historic; definition of historic vehicles in Michigan vehicle code; expand to include certain military vehicles. Amends sec. 20a of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.20a) & adds sec. 30d. SB 0129 of 2019Referred 2/26/2019Transportation and InfrastructureSchmidt, WayneAeronautics; unmanned aircraft systems; local ordinances; allow a political subdivision to regulate unmanned aircraft systems in certain circumstances. Amends sec. 5 of 2016 PA 436 (MCL 259.305).3/20/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE S-1 on 3/20/2019 SB 0132 of 2019Referred 2/27/2019Transportation and InfrastructureZorn, DaleHighways; memorial; portion of US-12; designate as the "Trooper Rodger M. Adams Memorial Highway". Amends secs. 12 & 48 of 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1012 & 250.1048) & adds sec. 1085. SB 0169 of 2019Referred 3/7/2019Transportation and InfrastructureDaley, KevinHighways; memorial; portion of M-15; designate as the "Michael Cathcart Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2080) by adding sec. 1084.4/17/20194/24/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 4/24/2019 SB 0191 of 2019Referred 3/12/2019Transportation and InfrastructureMacDonald, MichaelVehicles; registration plates; eligibility for disabled veteran registration plate; extend to partially disabled veterans. Amends sec. 803f of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.803f). SB 0192 of 2019Referred 3/12/2019Transportation and InfrastructureVictory, RogerVehicles; driver training; waiver of night driving requirement for individuals holding a graduated driver license; provide for under certain conditions. Amends sec. 310e of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.310e).4/17/20194/24/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 4/24/2019 SB 0193 of 2019Referred 3/12/2019Transportation and InfrastructureVictory, RogerVehicles; driver training; waiver of night driving requirement for a segment 2 curriculum course; provide for under certain conditions. Amends sec. 39 of 2006 PA 384 (MCL 256.659). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0192'194/17/20194/24/2019REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT on 4/24/2019 SB 0244 of 2019Referred 3/21/2019Transportation and InfrastructureMcBroom, EdHighways; memorial; portion of US-8; designate as the "Medio J. Bacco Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2081) by adding sec. 15b. SB 0278 of 2019Referred 4/23/2019Transportation and InfrastructureBarrett, Tom Traffic control; driver license; designation as an individual with a communication impediment; allow in operator's and chauffeur's license, and provide for law enforcement access. Amends secs. 221 & 310 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.221 & 257.310).5/15/20195/22/2019 SB 0279 of 2019Referred 4/23/2019Transportation and InfrastructureHertel, CurtisTraffic control; driver license; designation as an individual with a communication impediment; allow in enhanced driver license, and provide for law enforcement access. Amends sec. 5 of 2008 PA 23 (MCL 28.305). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0278'195/15/20195/22/2019 SB 0280 of 2019Referred 4/23/2019Transportation and InfrastructureStamas, JimHighways; memorial; portion of US-10; designate as the "Marine Lance Corporal Steven J. Szymanski Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2080) by adding sec. 1081.5/15/2019 SB 0299 of 2019Referred 5/7/2019Transportation and InfrastructureHollier, AdamTransportation; funds; eligibility for certain transportation and economic development funds; increase population threshold. Amends sec. 9 of 1987 PA 231 (MCL 247.909). SB 0309 of 2019Referred 5/9/2019Transportation and InfrastructureZorn, DaleTransportation; motor carrier fuel tax; trucks used for towing and recovery operations; assess fees under the motor carrier act. Amends secs. 2 & 8 of 1933 PA 254 (MCL 478.2 & 478.8). SB 0344 of 2019Referred 5/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureBarrett, Tom Vehicles; registration plates; historic military vehicle registration plate; provide for. SB 0345 of 2019Referred 5/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureGeiss, ErikaVehicles; historic; definition of historic vehicles in Michigan vehicle code; expand to include certain military vehicles. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0344'19 SB 0346 of 2019Referred 5/24/2019Transportation and InfrastructureBarrett, Tom Environmental protection; air pollution; emissions inspection requirements; exempt military surplus vehicles.


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What A Down-To-Earth Mom! Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Her Birthday Boy, James Wilke, And His Classmates On A Field Trip!
Sarah Jessica Parker chaperoned her son, James Wilke, and his classmates on a field trip today! And the best part is — it's his 8th birthday!
James Wilke Broderick, who is often seen walking to school with his parents, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, is celebrating his 8th birthday today! Not only did James stroll to school this morning with his mom, but Hollybaby.com spotted the dressed-down Sarah Jessica chaperoning her son and some of his friends on a class field trip! "She was hands-down the most unassuming celebrity I have ever seen," one of our reporters says. SJP crossed the Brooklyn Bridge looking super low-key in an all-gray outfit and big shades, chatting it up with the kids! "They seemed to be trailing the big group," our reporter says. "I assume it was because if she got spotted, or approached by a fan, she wouldn't disrupt the group."
Marion and Tabitha head to the playground!
It seems like SJP was more concerned about spending the fun day with birthday boy James than anything else! The big brother of 1-year-old twin sisters Marion Loretta and Tabitha Hodge is already having a great birthday — he gets to spend the day with his good friend — Mom! We hope James and his family have a wonderful birthday celebration!
–Leigh Blickley
Get more HollyBaby news and gossip! Friend us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Subscribe to our Newsletter!


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Friday, November 28, 2014
Photo Op
Check it out, Mike of Mike Daks Design - who did the sleeve for my S/T album - is seen here posing with his copy of the 2077:Raiders of the Apocalypse lathe 7". Looking good, Mike! Make sure to give his Facebook page a "like" here.
I just checked and there are now five copies left of the 7". Buy it via my Bandcamp for $11 plus postage and get a free digital download that includes an mp4 of the video. Get it here.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
More reviews
So the 150th issue of Rue Morgue Magazine has hit the streets, leading to a much-appreciated increase in the amount of "likes" on my Facebook page, and James Harris of Doc Terror kindly sent me a photo to check out while waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail.
Receiving a three-star review, it was nice getting the comparison to both John Carpenter as well as Goblin, but the Morricone aspect was a bit of a surprise - although the guy's the soundtrack maestro so I am not complaining!
Once again, you can order your copy here, so check it out!
Chelseea Benwell offers more Videogram reviews on The Scream Review page. Summing it up as "a horror hit pulled straight out of the 80s", she calls the album "right on the money" and names Walpurgisnacht, I Warned You Not to Go Out Tonight and Scavolini's Nightmare her personal faves.
Check it out here.
Once again, you can order your copy here, so check it out!
Chelseea Benwell offers more Videogram reviews on The Scream Review page. Summing it up as "a horror hit pulled straight out of the 80s", she calls the album "right on the money" and names Walpurgisnacht, I Warned You Not to Go Out Tonight and Scavolini's Nightmare her personal faves.
Check it out here.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Rue Morgue #150!
Well, the 150th issue of Rue Morgue Magazine is out and offers not only articles on Aussie horror flick The Babadook - I've heard a lot of good things about it - the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and Shinji Mikami's The Evil Within, but also a review of my debut effort. Still haven't gotten my copy yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed it got a good review. Get yours here.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
2077: Raiders of the Apocalypse
November 3rd sees the release of an extremely limited edition 7" lathe cut and to coincide with this I'm premiering the 2077: Raiders of the Apocalypse video on YouTube. Edited as a faux trailer using footage from the 1975 feature A Boy and His Dog - starring a very young Don Johnson! - the video itself will be released in a physical format later on this year.
Featuring mono mixes of 2077: Raiders of the Apocalypse, off the Videogram album, backed with the exclusive Wasteland, the 7" is also available digitally via Bandcamp, iTunes etc. with stereo mixes and a vinyl rip (!!!) as added bonus tracks.
For those wanting a taste you can stream it on SoundCloud and Spotify. The 7" will be available via my Facebook only, so make sure to keep an eye out during the day.
EDIT: The 7" is now available to order via my Bandcamp page, with a free download (including an mp4 of the video) as an added bonus. Get it here.
Hermit: Monster Killer
Check it out, I teamed up with Swedish director Ola Paulakoski for the teaser trailer of his coming feature film Hermit: Monster Killer (Swedish title Den Gamle och Monstret) that was released in time for Halloween.
Mixing horror with humor, the feature is slated for release in early 2015. Check it out on YouTube and Vimeo, like it on Facebook and visit the official websites at www.hermitmonsterkiller.com (English) and www.dengamleochmonstret.se (Swedish) for more information.
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Become a Teacher >> Browse Articles >> Alternate Routes to Certification
Wisconsin Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification
Improvement Program Teaching Internships
Meet the minimum requirements to teach in this state.
The Wisconsin Improvement Program (WIP) is a consortium of teacher preparation institutions and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The purpose of WIP is to promote and encourage the education and professional development of teachers throughout their career. Promising teacher interns are placed in school districts with experienced and welcoming cooperating teachers for a full semester. The internship program offers pre-service teachers a chance to enter the profession as licensed teachers with an intern license.
School districts benefit from the teacher internship program. Services include:
• professional development opportunities for cooperating school personnel and interns
• collaborative instructional planning and problem-solving
• opportunity to recruit highly qualified future educators
• support for differentiated instruction and progress monitoring in the classroom
• opportunity to increase parent communication and involvement
Wisconsin Department of Education


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Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 | Parsha:
1A good name is better than fragrant oil, and the day of death than the day of birth.
2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting; for that is the end of every man, and a living one should take it to heart.
3Vexation is better than revelry; for though the face be sad, the heart may be glad. 4Wise men are drawn to a house of mourning, and fools to a house of merrymaking.
5It is better to listen to a wise man's reproof than to listen to the praise of fools. 6For the levity of the fool is like the crackling of nettles under a kettle. But that too is illusory; 7for cheating may rob the wise man of reason and destroy the prudence of the cautious.
8The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it.
Better a patient spirit than a haughty spirit.
9Don't let your spirit be quickly vexed, for vexation abides in the breasts of fools.
10Don't say, "How has it happened that former times were better than these?" For it is not wise of you to ask that question.
11Wisdom is as good as a patrimony, and even better, for those who behold the sun. 12For to be in the shelter of wisdom is to be also in the shelter of money, and the advantage of intelligence is that wisdom preserves the life of him who possesses it.
13Consider God's doing! Who can straighten what He has twisted? 14So in a time of good fortune enjoy the good fortune; and in a time of misfortune, reflect: The one no less than the other was God's doing; consequently, man may find no fault with Him.
15In my own brief span of life, I have seen both these things: sometimes a good man perishes in spite of his goodness, and sometimes a wicked one endures in spite of his wickedness. 16So don't overdo goodness and don't act the wise man to excess, or you may be dumfounded. 17Don't overdo wickedness and don't be a fool, or you may die before your time. 18It is best that you grasp the one without letting go of the other, for one who fears God will do his duty by both.
19Wisdom is more of a stronghold to a wise man than ten mag- nates that a city may contain.
20For there is not one good man on earth who does what is best and doesn't err.
21Finally, don't pay attention to everything that is said, so that you may not hear your slave reviling you; 22for well you remember the many times that you yourself have reviled others.
23All this I tested with wisdom. I thought I could fathom it, but it eludes me. 24[The secret of] what happens is elusive and deep, deep down; who can discover it? 25I put my mind to studying, exploring, and seeking wisdom and the reason of things, and to studying wickedness, stupidity, madness, and folly. 26Now, I find woman more bitter than death; she is all traps, her hands are fetters and her heart is snares. He who is pleasing to God escapes her, and he who is displeasing is caught by her. 27See, this is what I found, said Koheleth, item by item in my search for the reason of things. 28As for what I sought further but did not find, I found only one human being in a thousand, and the one I found among so many was never a woman. 29But, see, this I did find: God made men plain, but they have engaged in too much reasoning.


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The 20,000 square metre expansion of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre has officially opened making it Australia's largest convention and exhibition space.
The AU$205 million addition increases MCEC to a total size of 70,000 square metres.
New facilities include The Goldfields Theatre – a 9,000 square metre multi-purpose event space with a retractable 1,000 seat theatre and new exhibition halls.
There are also new meeting rooms, an outdoor terrace, banquet space and the Goldfields Cafe & Bar.
The expansion is part of a larger South Wharf expansion project in Melbourne that includes a new 347-room Novotel Melbourne South Wharf that is fully connected and integrated with MCEC.
"The opening of the new MCEC expansion further cements Australia's innovative event delivery capabilities," said John O'Sullivan, managing director Tourism Australia.
"Currently there is an unprecedented level of infrastructure development underway in Australia meaning we have the business event venues, accommodation, technology and service providers that can make any event a success, from a small incentive group to one numbering in the thousands."
The expansion coincides with the introduction of a specialised MCEC production team who offer services in audio, rigging, lighting, vision, multimedia, network systems and production management.


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Solid Waste Hauling
Waste Management delivers a customized waste pickup plan that revolves around your retail outlets.
Retailers like you have to be ultra nimble and frugal to compete. But what's the value of all the materials you're currently throwing away? At Waste Management, we work with you to recover valuable resources and minimize, or even eliminate, waste — all of which can lead to substantial cost savings.
From product conception to storefront display — we'll help root out savings opportunities and convert them to bottom-line growth. It's all part of our Total Managed Program (TMP):
- You'll have matchless buying power for waste and recycling services from our network of more than 5,500 preferred vendors nationwide.
- Our dedicated retail specialists are at your service - even at your sites - to maximize waste diversion rates and increase your efficiency and profitability. And, to keep you informed of your progress on each of your sustainability goals, we will send you comprehensive quarterly reports.
- Reliable analytics and reporting gives you tangible and transparent ways to track your environmental performance across your entire portfolio, enabling you to control costs, assess trends and make accurate forecasts.
- Our experts can assess your specific waste removal and recycling requirements for full-service optimfization - saving you money and reducing vehicle emissions.


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The spell was impressive looking (and thankfully they failed their will roll to negate it outright) but only killed a few Magden and barely singed the troll. Since the troll was right astride the wall, he didn't have any problem coming toward me as this took him away from the flames. Probably a better idea to use it as, you know, a WALL. Next time. Luckily the Magden just couldn't shift those Ogres, who passed their command rolls to hold their position each and every time.
Thanks for helping me test out the game Andy. I think we have moved from 'Alpha' to 'Beta' Testing now. I had heaps of fun and the battle looked exactly how I wanted in terms of the amount of figures and the mix of units. So I think the points system is in about the right ball-park. We also tried a system where Impetuous units (ie 2/3 of Andy's army) had to be assigned one order each before the rest of his units. I think the idea works sort-off fine but the impact was that Andy's didn't really have much opportunity to make choices and had a much smaller pool of 'spare orders to pool at key points. the answer may be just to have options for less impetuous troops? We'll see.
Magic seemed to work as intended too. I got some flashy spells but these took multiple turns to cast and weren't overwhelming (but wait until I bring an Arch-mage with Circle four spells...) Giving all units innate rolls to negate helped a lot there. What didn't work was us not finishing the game. Next time we will do a more traditional deployment where each general dices off, the loser deploys their whole army first, and both sides deploy up to 1' in. That will shorten things by about two turns and make this more like War of the Ring in terms of timeframe. Anyway, lots of fun so far and the proposed changes should make it better.
Thanks for reading.


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If you're considering becoming a hair stylist you could not have chosen a more rewarding career. Here's what you'll experience during the course of your beauty school education; Excitement, Confidence, Pride, Crisis and
It's always exciting to start a new career and with the good fortune to have enrolled in a PM Beauty School the excitement is amplified. The beauty profession is not a piece of cake or something to be taken lightly for there's much more to beauty school then a "hair-do". You'll take written tests, lots of them and get hands on training form highly skilled instructors. As you become familiar with the tools and procedures your confidence will grow and over time begin to feel comfortable helping people look there best. You'll experience a sense of pride knowing you finished something you started and have leaned what it takes to be a practicing professional hair stylist only a short time ago.
Now that you have your diploma and state cosmetology license finding a salon to practice in for some can be over whelming. Especially when starting a career at a time in which some are calling the GREAT RECESSION. But a quick look back in time and you'll see that the beauty industry (salons & cosmetics) got its start in the early part of the 20th century during what was called the GREAT DEPRESSION. It was one of the few industries that weathered the economic storm and actually grew into what is today a multi-billion dollar business. The reason is simple; when times get tough... people visit a salon for it offers an uplifting experience. The old saying is so true; when you look good you also feel good about yourself.
In times of economic crisis people need more then ever what beauty professionals offer; personal enhancement, the look good, feel-good experience. Great blessing lie head for the one who knows the secret of finding the "opportunity" within each crisis. You could not have entered the profession at a better time. With thousands of salon across the country the opportunities for placement are many for future professionals with a Paul Mitchell diploma and a passion for all things "beauty".


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June 17th, 2008, 1:09 am
Here we go.
So, the new format is out. Woop woop.
I hope you like it, as I know that the old art didn't quite turn some of you up all the way. ;)
As always I am willing to listen to any suggestions/improvements or look at anything you yourselves have made that can add to the experience.
Keep thinking, hard.


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AOL is one of the top ranking free email service providers in the USA who offers free email service with other features as well. After few years it was start being known as AOL Instant Messaging. It also has an AOL email support program through which it offers its services to its users if they need something. AOL customer support number is a good way for a user to get in touch with AOL technical support team and the get the issues resolved. AOL has gained a huge amount of fame due to its AOL customer services and error free platform
So, if you are facing one of the above-mentioned issues and don't know hot fix them, contact our TOLL-Free AOL customer support number 1-877-848-3933 as getting the instant results. Our AOL team works day and night to hear your issues and resolve them at moment notice.


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Poland to support introduction of peacekeeping mission in Donbas at UN Security Council
At a briefing in Kharkiv after talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that his country, which will replace Ukraine on the UN Security Council beginning January 1, will support the initiative to introduce peacekeepers to the Donbas.
"We talked about political matters that are very important to us as a member of the UN Security Council for the next two years ... A very important idea that needs to be met is for a UN peacekeeping mission to start working in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. We are decisive supporters of having a peacekeeping mission established for all standards for such operations, not limited solely to the protection of the OSCE representatives, but so that it would be a real peacekeeping mission that would operate on the entire territory," he said.
Duda added that the mission could contribute to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
"The President and I agreed that if such a proposal by Ukraine is actually on the agenda of the UN Security Council, then Poland will be one of the states that will support this initiative. We are supporters of this decision, and Ukraine can count on our backing here," he said.
This is the third year that Ukraine has asked for the introduction of peacekeepers to the Donbas.
In early March 2015, President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree requesting that the UN Security Council introduce peacekeepers to the Donbas. The document enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) titled "On the appeal to the United Nations and the European Union regarding the deployment of an international operation to maintain peace and security in the territory of Ukraine."
In June 2015, a law was passed regulating the issues of holding an international peacekeeping and security operation in Ukraine, particularly expansion of the grounds for admission and stay of armed forces units from foreign states on Ukrainian territory.


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The department produces a large range of electronic, hard copy and interactive maps. For further information on the maps below or to enquire about maps in other formats, contact the department.
For more information on the layout of the department across Queensland, view the department's offices, regions and Local Governments map.


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Even though it's been 3-4 years since I designed that daybed (above) for a fictional teenage girl for my ASID Showhouse room, I'm still regularly asked...
"How'd you make it?"
That particular daybed became really popular the day Apartment Therapy devoted an entire article to it. When they published it, I started getting emails asking where it could be purchased or for instructions on how to make one. Houzz.com asked to publish the info and it's gotten a lot of repins on Pinterest as well.
Needless to say, that daybed — the one I call "The Phoebe Daybed" — has become quite popular.
So popular, in fact, that clients began asking me to use it as inspiration for some of the custom daybeds I have produced for them.
Just after the showhouse, I re-imagined it for a little girl's room:
And even more recently: For a young man who has a long, narrow room. It fits perfectly in the corner. ;-)
The best part of his daybed: It gets rid of that awkward bit of space between the wall and bed that always manages to be wasted. Why waste 18" of space back there when you don't need to?
Need a "Phoebe daybed" designed for someone in your home? Well...
Want to find some cool upholstered beds online to purchase? I've found them for you. Check out this post HERE.
If you're wanting some interesting framed beds that aren't upholstered, I've got some cool ones linked below.
My blog may contain affiliate links. Any purchases, at no additional charge to you, are most appreciated and make this blog possible. :-)


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[A medical assessment of the Aurin queen's health based on an examination recently conducted by a Mordesh doctor.]
SYMPTOMS: Fatigue, chronic pain, dizziness, nausea, insomnia.
DIAGNOSIS: QME-1 has a unique primal connection to her homeworld. It appears her connection to Arboria is traumatizing her every time the Planet Reapers turn a tree to dust. The distance from the Aurin Homeworld has, according to the
patient's own assessment, only caused symptoms to increase in intensity. Lacking a more plausible explanation that would defy all known primal physics, I hypothesize that proximity to Nexus and the intense sources of primal life energy in Aurin territories amplifies the patient's sensitivity to these fluctuations in what her kind call "the Weave."
RECOMMENDATIONS: Although the patient is able to achieve a stable equilibrium using
personal meditation techniques, drawing on primal life sources on Nexus, and simply by getting rest, this situation cannot continue if the patient is to survive. The effort to suppress the pain of Arboria and still function in her role as monarch is taking a severe toll.
I find this particularly frustrating as a doctor, for the solution to this ailment is simple. The patient is capable of severing the connection to Arboria. She insists that, once severed, she would be unable to
reestablish the same thread in this "Weave," and so she refuses to follow this guaranteed course of relief.
Pending the patient's willingness to follow the recommended treatment, a continued course of natural alchemical pain remedies is all I can offer.
ADDITIONAL: Medical conscience compels me to bring my concerns to the First Consort. The patient is too important to her people, and to us all, to allow her to go on
this way. Perhaps he can convince her to do what must be done. I fear he will instead recommend they return to their homeworld, where they will surely die.
I should really find the organ containing my medical conscience and replace it with something more useful.
Quick Facts
Faction: Exile
Type: Journal


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Forgot Username or Password
Coriant today announced the availability of the mTera Universal Transport Platform, a powerful new addition to Coriant's end-to-end portfolio of software-defined switching and transport solutions that span access, metro, regional and long haul (LH) networks. The innovative universal transport solution delivers industry-leading flexibility, density, scalability and resiliency, and enables network operators to address a broad range of packet optical transport applications, including metro-to-LH gateway applications and on-demand data center connectivity…
Coriant today announced the availability of the mTera Universal Transport Platform, a powerful new addition to Coriant's end-to-end portfolio of software-defined switching and transport solutions that span access, metro, regional and long haul (LH) networks. The innovative universal transport solution delivers industry-leading flexibility, density, scalability and resiliency, and enables network operators to address a broad range of packet optical transport applications, including metro-to-LH gateway applications and on-demand data center connectivity. The Coriant mTera platform is the first product to come to market since the merging of Coriant and Tellabs and combines the strengths of both market leaders – compact, simplified and efficient traffic grooming from Tellabs and industry-leading photonic-layer technology and system performance from Coriant. As an integral part of Coriant's Dynamic Optical Cloud solution, the Coriant mTera platform provides enhanced service agility in an open network environment, while significantly reducing OPEX and CAPEX by enabling maximum utilization of each and every fiber, wavelength and router port in the network.
"Coriant has used its newly combined resources to build the mTera transport platform which is well defined with the right optical, OTN and Packet switching capabilities," said Andrew Schmitt, Principal Analyst, Optical for Infonetics Research. "The platform is also designed with SDN in mind in order to meet the evolving requirements of an on-demand, elastic network."
"Hypergrowth driven by mobility, video and cloud applications continues to drive the need for new and innovative infrastructure solutions," said Pat DiPietro, Chief Executive Officer, Coriant. "We continue to make strategic investments in Coriant's portfolio to ensure our customers have the tools necessary to adapt to these dynamic market changes. The addition of mTera to our product portfolio strengthens Coriant's leadership in end-to-end packet optical networking while enabling service providers to cost-effectively meet the performance requirements of today's demanding transport applications."
Transport network flexibility and efficiency are critical requirements as new applications such as wide-area data center interconnect drive increased operational costs and complexity. The Coriant mTera platform has been specifically designed to address these and other dynamic, high-bandwidth applications with a compact and efficient architecture optimized for intra-metro or intra-regional traffic flows between metro/regional hubs or metro/regional data centers.
Key attributes of the mTera platform include:
- Density: Compact form factor which supports an extremely dense 7TB of switching capacity in half a rack; with two shelves supported per bay, this equates to 14TB of total switching capacity. It boasts 14 service slots and 6 switch fabric slots; the mTera will initially launch with 200G cards, with 500G cards scheduled for a future release.
- Flexibility and scalability: Innovative, multiservice switching architecture capable of supporting both OTN and L2 switching seamlessly across every card and every port on the platform. The full complement of ODUx switching including ODU-0 grooming with ODU-Flex, Carrier Ethernet and MPLS-TP ensures the most cost-effective and efficient grooming solution for packet and transparent services. All interface cards are designed using the latest in pluggable interface technology: SFP+ for 10G and CFP for 100G, including 100G coherent DWDM. All interfaces support a host of white light and DWDM options.
- Simplicity: Minimal set of highly flexible interface cards supported with unrestricted OTN and packet switching on every port. This simplifies ordering, sparing and deployment resulting in smoother, simpler and faster roll-outs for customers while minimizing the chances of error.
- Resiliency: High degree of restoration flexibility by providing restoration coordination across multiple layers. From a physical architecture perspective, this includes redundancy in the switching fabrics, interface modules, power supply and processors, and from the network perspective, the integration of ASON/GMPLS control plane and SDN functions for end-to-end, multilayer capabilities.
The mTera platform is currently available and in trials with customers.
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hand-made water drop on water of a sink
nice bouncing smaller water drop
recorded with sony MD recorder and stereo microphone
Thanks I am using it for my newcomposition. It will be soon on "myspace" Check out it !
great!, tnx!
i really like the tone of this drop for ballads..thanks
Please log in to comment


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Art Lovers, hello and welcome to this week's Urban Paradise Art Gallery blog.
Today we will be bringing you fantastic artwork from a home grown genius, Paul Parker.
Peter Parker may be Spiderman, swinging around New York fighting crime but Paul Parker is the man when it comes to original Australian art and it is a crime not to have his new art swinging from our gallery walls.
Paul's art has always been a favourite for art lovers who come into the gallery and his paintings sell like bottles of Perrier in the desert.
Enjoy the samples here art lovers and don't forget to come down to the gallery to see these wonderful paintings live and in colour.
Nullius in verba


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The Kansas City Royals are a team stocked with young talent. Finally, however, they appear primed to really take a look at Kila Ka'aihue, who will be 27-years old by the time the season begins.
Why do I say finally? Ka'aihue appeared on the precipice of making an impact in 2008 when he hit 37 HR in 401 AB between Double and Triple-A. However he got just 21 AB at the Major League level in a cup of coffee and was left to toil in the minor leagues for all of 2009 (where he ultimately struggled).
However, he made his presence felt once again in 2010 (24 HR in 323 AB at Triple-A), leading to 180 AB for the Royals (.217, 8 HR). Now he enters 2011 primed to share 1B/DH duties with Billy Butler and fantasy owners can only dream about what he can do, leading to today's prediction:
Kila Ka'aihue will hit at least 35 HR in 2011
Considering how much he struggled when he finally saw AB in '10, this certainly can be viewed as a stretch. However, something he did show was the ability to hit the ball out of the park. He has seen just 201 AB in the Major Leagues, but in his brief time he has posted the following HR/FB:
- 2008 – 11.1%
- 2010 – 11.4%
It's a small sample size, but it is interesting to note. In the Majors he has hit a home run once every 22.3 at bats, not far off from his minor league career mark of 21.2 (though he did spend a lot of time in the Pacific Coast League).
That alone isn't going to be enough to get him anywhere close to the prediction, considering that a rate of a home run every 21.2 AB over 500 AB would only yield about 24 HR. However, there is reason to believe that he can exceed that mark. We all know that 27-years old tends to be a "magic" season for many hitters, when they finally are able to put everything together. Seeing him improve his ratio in 2011 would not be a big surprise.
He certainly hits more than enough fly balls to generate a big home run total, at least based on his brief time in the Major Leagues (49.1% fly ball rate). Let's assume for a second that over a full season he falls to around 45%. Last season Nick Swisher hit 29 HR with a 44.9% fly ball rate and a 15.1% HR/FB. How unbelievable is it that Ka'aihue exceeds those marks?
There will be some concerns that Ka'aihue won't hold the job for the entire season, but I do not believe that is going to be an issue. The player who may ultimately push him out, Eric Hosmer, probably won't reach the Majors until September (at the earliest) as the Royals continue to be cautious with their top level talent.
Ka'aihue has shown plenty of power in the minor leagues (190 career HR) and seeing him explode, now that he finally has been given an opportunity, is certainly a possibility.
Chance of Happening: 7%
What are your thoughts? Is there any chance Ka'aihue posts this type of home run total? How many do you think he can hit in '11?
**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****
Make sure to check out our previous Wild Predictions:
- Jay Bruce & Colby Rasmus Will Combine For At Least 65 HR
- Jayson Werth will have less than 160 runs scored and RBI combined
- Ryan Zimmerman will outperform Evan Longoria in 2011
- James Shields will post a sub-3.40 ERA and sub-1.20 WHIP
- Austin Jackson will struggle so badly that by June 15 that he will have spent time at Triple-A
- Matt LaPorta will hit at least 30 HR in 2011
- Brett Anderson will be a Top 3 AL-Only fantasy pitcher in 2011
- Jose Tabata will score at least 100 runs
- Chris Perez will save less than 17 games in 2011
- Yovani Gallardo will post a WHIP of 1.20 or better
- Andrew McCutchen will go 30/30 in 2011
- Ike Davis will hit at least 35 HR in 2011
- James McDonald will strike out at least 180 batters in 2011
- Mat Latos will post a K/BB of 5.00 or better in 2011
- Ryan Braun will go 125/125 in 2011
- Jonathan Niese will post a WHIP of under 1.22 in 2011


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Section 4: Disability, the Elderly, Children and Youth
4.3. How many children have limitations in activity?
Over 4.7 million children under age 18 have activity limitations (6.7% of all children). An estimated 1.8% of children (1.3 million children) are limited in an activity other than playing or attending school, 4.2% (2.9 million) are limited in kind or amount of play or school they can attend, and 0.7% (519,000) are unable to play or attend school at all.
An estimated 7.9% of boys under age 18 have an activity limitation (2.8 million) compared to 5.6% of girls of the same age (1.9 million). Age breakdowns can be seen in the chart below.
The percent of children limited in their major activity ranges from 5% for those ages 5-13 to 1.4% for children under age 5.
Source: NCHS, 1995; LaPlante, Disability Abstract #15, 1995
Survey: NHIS 1994, 1992


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On this page I will feature something new each week. It may be a therapy tool, such as a fidget that I like, a fellow blogger whose page I follow, a website with some good information on trich, a book or other trich related product, or trichotillomania related events. I hope this page will help you find tools and resources to further your success on your journey to battle trich!
This week I want to share http://trich.org/. TLC, or Tricholtillomania Learning Center. This is the website that first led me to the discovery of my disorder. TLC is kind of the "go to hub" of all information trich related. Their website features everything from research findings, pamphlets and information packages, free online seminars, and resources to manage and treat trich, as well as dermotillomania. Their mission is to "end the suffering caused by hair pulling disorder, skin picking disorder, and related body-focused repetitive behaviors."
Around April trich.org holds their annual conference. At this conference they share research findings, hold classes/seminars on trich/derm management, and help to educate family members, children, teens and adults, with or without trichotillomania./dermotillomania. For more information and to register click the link above, (Annual TLC Conference). It is a weekend long event and you may choose to go one or all 3 days. If you register early you receive a discount on admission, you also receive a HUGE discount if you are a TLC member. Membership only costs 45$ per year and is definitely worth it.
TLC Membership
There are many benefits to becoming a TLC member. First, TLC membership is considered a tax deductible donation. Your membership/donation helps fund research, the free expert led web seminars, the annual conference, and all other resources on the website. There are different levels of ranging from individual, physician, household, student and seniors.
I hope that this website will help you as much as it helped me! As always feel free to email me with any questions. Follow the links throughout this page to take you directly to the appropriate website pages.
Check out my Instagram: kickthetrich. Or send me an email with any questions or concerns. email@example.com I would love to hear from you!


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Here's the latest from THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics' longstanding recommendations to the contrary, children under 8 are spending more time than ever in front of screens, according to a study scheduled for release Tuesday.
The report also documents for the first time an emerging "app gap" in which affluent children are likely to use mobile educational games while those in low-income families are the most likely to have televisions in their bedrooms.
The study, by Common Sense Media, a San Francisco nonprofit group, is the first of its kind since apps became widespread, and the first to look at screen time from birth. It found that almost half the families with incomes above $75,000 had downloaded apps specifically for their young children, compared with one in eight of the families earning less than $30,000. More than a third of those low-income parents said they did not know what an "app" — short for application — was.
"The app gap is a big deal and a harbinger of the future," said James Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, which had 1,384 parents surveyed this spring for the study. "It's the beginning of an important shift, as parents increasingly are handing their iPhones to their 1 ½-year-old kid as a shut-up toy. And parents who check their e-mail three times on the way to the bus stop are constantly modeling that behavior, so it's only natural the kids want to use mobile devices too."
-NewsAnchorMom Jen
Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea than what you can usually purchase over the counter.


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- Written by Erica Mundt
Scary Moments Can be Teaching Moments
What a new year! I hope everyone had a great holiday. Here in Iowa we had a beautiful white Christmas, which has been followed by a bitter blast of single degree weather. Training Slider has been uneventful, since many of the days I plan to go ride, especially on the weekends, have been too cold to ride.
I usually do not teach or ride in weather colder than twenty degrees, because the barn isn't heated and I do not want my lesson students or horses getting sick from breathing in freezing air while their muscles try to keep warm. I have had to cancel lessons two weeks in a row due to the cold.
It has been an eventful month at the barn, though! Slider is a fluff ball of winter hair, and he has been getting plenty of indoor turnout. He runs like a wild man, and sometimes shows off at a huge trot, with his hocks popping up and his tail flagged. He likes to dodge around the shavings, stop and snort, and then spook himself and run off again, head held high. His confidence seems to be going up, at least during turnout.
I have been doing a lot of riding with him when I can, because the Iowa Horse Shows Association has two schooling shows coming up in March and April that I would love to take him to. So, I have been doing some bending, cantering, trotting and the likes with him in the indoor arena to build his cardio as well as his attentiveness to my commands. He seems very comfortable in the arena, and does a good job going around the rail. That is, until the blizzard came, and a small collection of snow came under the large arena door.
When I say a collection of snow, it was probably enough to scoop up and make into two snowballs, at the most. It was just a few inches out from under the door, and most horses wouldn't have batted an eye at it. But for Slider, this was a whole new level of scary. This was not there yesterday! Looking back on it, I probably should have walked him toward it when on the ground, but it never really occurred to me until I was already on board. Honestly, it may be good for him by this point, to be faced with scary "obstacles" and have to go near them, because in a show arena, there will be lots to take in and lots to potentially be scared of, so it may be a good thing to make him face his fears and walk past the door with the snow on the ground. When we approached it, he abruptly stopped and snorted. I urged him forward after a time. He tried to swiftly walk right and I pulled him back left, and then he tried to leave to the left, and I pulled him back to the right. It was a kind of dance, making him stay close to it and not allowing him to leave. Step by step, snort by snort, we reached the door, and I let him put his head down. He exhaled sharply several times, snorting at the scary snow. All in all it took a good ten minutes to get from point A to point B, but after taking it slow, he did trot and canter next to the door during our ride. He always kept one ear on the door as we went by; you never know when the snow will come alive.
About a week later, I arrived to teach lessons. I was a bit too early, and therapy lessons were still going on. I couldn't stay late, because I had a lot of errands to run after lessons, so I decided to ride in the hallway. The barn where we are located has a long alley of stalls, and I remember from my William Woods days that Virgil Helm has a barn that is a long alley way, and he works his horses up and down that alley. I hadn't done that with Slider yet, but thought it would be a great way to work on canter leads.
I quickly discovered that Slider has no comfort level for riding in new locations. We walked up and down the alleyway, which he did comfortably enough, and his trot was strong but he was paying attention. He was moving off my leg well, which I was strongly using to remind him to get back to the rail. He is getting much better about responding to leg pressure, when he is in a comfortable, relaxed state at least. I asked for his left lead canter, which he took decently enough. That is his good lead.
Then came his right lead, which he is starting to get very well in the arena.
But … we weren't in the arena. He had completely forgotten what I was asking and took off at a leaping cross-canter into a slow gait into a wrong lead with his nose thrown in the air.
I was a bit frustrated, to say the least! We had gotten so far with riding in the arena that I felt he could handle just back and forth in the alleyway. I went back to square one and kept asking for that canter, lifting my hand with his leading leg, cuing with my outside leg, just like in the arena. When he would take off, he would take the wrong lead almost all the time. We had to stop and re-cue about three times down the straightaway to get it. When we would turn around, we had to then canter back on the left lead, and because of how he was acting with the right lead canter, he had himself all wound up and would leap into the left lead and fly down the hallway. Now, I am not one to give up, so we went back and forth, up and down the hallway, me trying to get him to take his lead and him always taking the wrong one.
We finally got the lead about twenty minutes into his speedy canter tantrum, and I verbally praised him and petted him AS we cantered. I know this isn't the safest, but it felt like after all the frustration I was under, and that he was probably under too, he needed to know he had gotten it right. We took a break at the end of the straightaway. For me, and for him!
This is the moment that I feel could have been a teaching point for him. We did continue cantering, and while he did then take the wrong lead a few more times, when he did take the correct one, he picked it up quicker each time when I stopped him and asked him again. I think maybe he is a horse who takes a while to adjust and become comfortable with certain locations, because he mentally stresses out or worries about where he is. I hopped off him right after he picked the canter lead up from the get go; I would rather end on a good note than try again and again to get him to canter, when he was already stressed out and very hot.
Needless to say he spent the rest of the evening under a few coolers while I taught my riding lessons.
In my riding lessons, during the winter, I try to incorporate teaching about aspects of our equine industry as well as equitation and collection. The first week of January, I have made it a tradition to make birthday cake (made of oatmeal, applesauce, molasses, shredded carrots, and flour) for the lesson horses and put a candle on it, and have the kids sing "Happy Birthday" to the lesson horses. All horses turn a year older on January 1st, mostly so it is easier to keep track of horse ages for shows. I can imagine it would be difficult for a show manager to determine how old each competing horse is at their show. There was enough cake for Slider, so we sang him "Happy Birthday" and he got to eat his cake. It is his Sweet 16 this year.
I always try to make goals for myself for the New Year, just like everyone else. I will put them here and revisit next year, and we can see how I did!
- • Get Slider in a curb bit
- • Get Slider to a horse show and complete a class!
- • Get that right canter lead down