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Two new parties break 5% threshold, clinch seats in Parliament ({{commentsTotal}})
An hour before all precincts had reported and the Reform Party had won the elections, two relatively new parties vying for a place in Parliament clinched a spot, passing the 5 percent threshold.
The Free Party, founded this year, and the Conservative People's Party, an heir of a former coalition party People's Union, each have over 30,000 votes (and counting) and will have at least 5 seats each in Parliament.
The Free Party was founded by Andres Herkel, who left the conservative party IRL; while the Conservative People's Party is a Euroskeptic, anti-immigration party often termed right-populist. Its most prominent members are Mart Helme, a former ambassador to Russia, and his son Martin Helme.
The electorate is just under 900,000 and turnout was 63.7 percent this year.
Editor: K. Rikken, J.-M. Laats


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HIV drugs helps halve new cases: Canadian study
Drugs that repress HIV halved the number of new cases of the AIDS virus, according to a study published today ahead of the opening of the International AIDS Conference.world Updated: Jul 18, 2010 18:13 IST
Drugs that repress HIV halved the number of new cases of the AIDS virus, according to a study published today ahead of the opening of the International AIDS Conference.
The findings support those who argue that antiretrovirals, which treat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but do not eliminate it completely, are also a potent weapon for preventing viral spread.
The paper looked at the population of the Canadian province of British Columbia, examining coverage of antiretroviral treatment and new cases of infection between 1996 and 2009.
Over this period, the annual tally of new cases fell by 52 percent, the researchers found.
For every 100 patients that were placed on the drugs, new diagnoses of HIV fell by three per cent.
The paper, published in The Lancet, is authored by Julio Montaner, director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, and president of the International AIDS Society.
The time scale of the study dates back to the introduction in 1996 of the triple HIV drug cocktail, which now provides a lifeline for five million badly-infected people.
During the period under study, the number of people on this combination therapy rose from 837 to 5,413 but the number of new HIV diagnoses fell from 702 to 338 per year.
Concentrations of virus in the blood among treated patients also fell sharply.
Antiretrovirals can reduce levels of HIV to below detectable levels. The virus retreats to "reservoirs" such as the lymph glands, where so far no way has been found to eliminate it and if the drugs are stopped, it rebounds.
But having very low levels of virus also logically implies a fall in the risk of handing on the pathogen to others.
Previous studies have also highlighted the indirect benefit of antiretrovirals in preventing new cases of HIV.
As a result, some specialists say the time is near to declare antiretrovirals a preventative tool, alongside the condom, that should be added to the panoply of options for preventing spread of HIV.
First Published: Jul 18, 2010 18:10 IST

subset: commoncrawl


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New Release. The Tropics
Based on a recent trip to Hawaii, this painting, "The Tropics" hopes to bring some colour and light into the grand design. This is the first in a series of paintings of the tropics. Here are some artist I mentally checked in with while painting: Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, John Singer Sargent's watercolours of Florida, Mark Rothko as a reminder for future work, Josef Albers ideas around "Interaction of Color" and my attempt in trying to disprove Aldous Huxley theory of "On the absence of Painters in the Tropics"
Posted in Studio Posts.
– June 7, 2009
Buttercup Fields
"Late Spring Orchard"
A week before at this location the trees were in bloom and now these buttercup flowers appeared almost overnight. My paint application and approach was soft when painting the blinding vibrancy of the cadmium yellow buttercups in the orchard. Too strong of an approach would have taken away form the overall poetry of this perfect scene.
Posted in Plein-air Posts.
– June 7, 2009
Season Selection
Spring Orchard.
Spring is a mix of patience and speed. Patience, to wait for the first blossoms, and speed, for quick execution, as these colors last only a few days.
Spring Orchard, is one of those rare scenes that are becoming harder for the urban painter to access, as natural occurring open fields become harder to find. Most trees in bloom, are residential in nature and placement. The choice of rural areas to paint in are more appealing.
Leaving the city for a few hours is always a good thing.
Posted in Plein-air Posts.
– May 20, 2009
Junction. A Travel Log.
This recent painting, Junction, is the first in a series of paintings based on abandoned and semi-abandoned places found on the outskirts of often overlooked places. Be them real, imagined, cut and pasted into memory they are formulated and derived from the inadequacies of visual memory, creating a distilled sense of surrealism.
Junction, or otherwise named after, Giraffe Junction, is a pit stop on the way to Timbavati in Southern Africa. It is a step in the right direction.
Posted in Studio Posts.
– May 8, 2009


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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
how he gets my heart to go pitter-patter.
Posted by ilene @ muchloveilly at 12:00 AM
42 comments:
awwww that is sooo sweet! can't wait for you to have babies!!!! ;)ReplyDelete
Let's share a pumpkin spice latte trans-coast! ;) And yes, I was wondering about them mysterious water droplets...I think they're a nice touch.ReplyDelete
you belong on the cover of magazines....for real!ReplyDelete
and hot dang...what a catch you have there! so sweet :) i need to hear wedding plans ASAP!....skype, phone, text, email, VISIT.....we need to catch up! :)
if i could, i would send one of the MANY MANY starbucks on every street corner by my house to you! :)ReplyDelete
and i hope you & your man get to see each other again soon :)
and yes, toddlers & tiaras makes my heart sad as well
I'm pretty sure you need to try a pumpkin scone as well :).. And I just love everything about the fall. especially blogs! And those shorts are adorable...ReplyDelete
Cute! I agree! I am ready for some pumpkin spice latte! Nothing beats it!!ReplyDelete
I love your bun! You look so cute!ReplyDelete
You are adorable, and your hair looks so great up in a cute little bun!! Love those booties too :)ReplyDelete
you always look so happy in all your photos! love it :)ReplyDelete
I LOVE your outfit, you are totally adorable!ReplyDelete
In our sea of love
Ah. I love Daddy's girls!ReplyDelete
I love that splash of neon you have on your belt! Wish I could pull off the neon like you.
Awww... you do have a great man! Love the sweater!ReplyDelete
Looooooooooooove this outfit.ReplyDelete
Love the hair.
Love the purple shoes and the yellow belt.
Have a fantastic day tomorrow, sweet Ilene!
wow! you look beautiful in these photos. I love your hair. You are a babe! xoxoReplyDelete
I absolutely love the pop of yellow! The story of your hubby reading People was uber adorable! I love your hair do, friend! :)ReplyDelete
Your hair looks amazing!!ReplyDelete
you're so pretty:).ReplyDelete
Awwwww.......that's so sweet of your man! Sigh!! :)ReplyDelete
Loving your big & bright watch! <3
I love your photos.. You look like a really happy, optimistic and nice person!ReplyDelete
i love that shade of color!! xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreamsReplyDelete
You look SO cute! And what a sweet boy. :]ReplyDelete
so cute, really loveable!ReplyDelete
Love your hair!! wow!
Aw. I think he's a keeper Ilene :DReplyDelete
BTW I kept looking for that magazine too and couldn't find it anywhere but the library.. It was so cool to read though.. I can't wait for march either :D
- AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 6:37 AM
Your hair = AWESOME. Your guy = also AWESOME. :)ReplyDelete
I love purple!!! The purple sweater is adorable!!!ReplyDelete
PLUS I LOVE your bun! I wish I could make my hair go up like that but my hair lacks the understanding of team work.
so cute friend, you are gorgeous! love your outfit! and pretty sure i have those shorts!ReplyDelete
I love the purple knit, and the neon belt! xxReplyDelete
Awwww!!! He is such a sweetheart!!!ReplyDelete
that neon belt is delectable! where did you snag that!? also... your hair... that amazing top knot... can i haz???ReplyDelete
I have the same belt!!ReplyDelete
And that is so cute about Ryan. He's a keeper! :D
Aw, so sweet!ReplyDelete
I love your summer to fall transition. The purple is gorgeous on you!
That is the cutest thing ever!!! So so sweet. Love this look and love your hair and makeup too :) xoxoReplyDelete
I had a pumkin spice latter this very morning and felt the exact same way!ReplyDelete
you look gorgeous here!ReplyDelete
so cool outfit - simply but with chic! :)ReplyDelete
Aww, he sounds like a sweetheart! And can I tell you how much I love this color combo? The purple looks amazing with that neon yellow belt!ReplyDelete
Your blog is beautiful. So beautiful.ReplyDelete
I love reading blogs that are powerfully uplifting--just looking at your pictures is enough to make someone smile! you are having SO much fun and they are so welcoming--it's exactly what a reader wants to see! Someone enjoying themselves... and looking great. Thank you for totally inspiring me to be more FUN in my shoots!
Thanks so much!
I Can Be Many Things
ohmysoul how super cutie are you?!?!ReplyDelete
cheers for sweet men in our lives!
LOVE your updo! Wish mine looked that nice when I put it up :]ReplyDelete
O M G ! ! !ReplyDelete
This hair is FABULOUS! I adore it, you do it yourself? I need a tutorial!!
So exciting that your birthday is right around the corner, right in time for pumpkin pie season!
Virginie ♥
aw, shucks! thanks for reading and leaving me some LOVE. you (yes, YOU!) seriously rock my face off.
please, leave me your email address if you have a question that you would like me to answer!


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Neurosurgery Opportunity - Rocky Mountains / Wyoming - Established Pro
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Monday, April 30, 2012
The Earth King- Catacomb Command Barge
8 comments:
- Brian said...
This army is going to be a show stopper. Really amazing stuff man.
- April 30, 2012 at 1:50 AM
- Courtney @ Cadian 127th said...
Incredible. Really love the look of this guy. Excellent work.
- April 30, 2012 at 2:21 AM
- Brent said...
You're an amazing talent, Chris. Where do you get your ideas?
That's not rhetorical! Seriously, where? The concept on this one is fantastic, and while I recognize there are elements of the fantasy undead-rising-from-the-earth, placing this spin on the Crons still takes vision.
Awesome work.
- April 30, 2012 at 7:28 AM
- Old School Terminator said...
The whole army looks great so far and I love the idea of rising from the earth and the subtle conversions, like leaving the drivers off your bardges.
- April 30, 2012 at 1:50 PM
- Aventine said...
Thanks everyone, I am really enjoying working on this project.
Brent, thanks so much. I have always liked Necrons, but not the plainness of them. I just wanted something to make them unique in a way that wouldn't require a crazy paint scheme. I actually did the first test model for this army over 3 years ago, but then sold off the Necron Battleforce I had painted up, so things are a bit hazy on the origins.
- April 30, 2012 at 3:49 PM
- Warhammer39999 said...
I'm with everyone else on this. I'm so used to seeing Necrons as sprayed silver with a black wash, that when someone comes up with an original ideal, I'm floored. The inclusion of the earth/swamp on the model itself is truly clever.
- April 30, 2012 at 7:16 PM
- Kevin said...
I knew I should have used the target cyclops eye for my Lord....
Looks awesome!
- April 30, 2012 at 9:42 PM
- Mr. Pink said...
Dead Sexy. Your earthy Necrons remind me of Moloch's "Terror from the Black Lagoon" swamp necrons. Were they at all inspired by his?
- June 5, 2012 at 10:42 AM


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Varnum Memorial Armory
(Indoor Events ONLY)
6 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI, 02818
View in Google Maps || Get directions
Armory Event Image Galleries
Including smaller meeting rooms as well as a large function hall (40 feet by 110 feet), the Varnum Memorial Armory can accommodate events ranging from a few individuals up to 200 people. In the past, the Armory has hosted music concerts, social gatherings, lectures, fundraisers, and small trade show events. Kitchen facilities, tables, chairs, podiums, and a speaker system are available. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to inquire about your event.If you have any questions, please feel free to call 401-884-4110 or email the Varnum Memorial Armory. Maximum Capacity: 200 people
Varnum House Museum
(Outdoor events ONLY)
57 Peirce St., East Greenwich, RI, 02818
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The Varnum House Museum can host any day or evening outdoor event including weddings, parties, barbecues, and concerts on an acre of property including gardens and shade trees. As a bonus, we can offer your attendees tours of the historic Varnum House Museum! Please use the form at the bottom of this page to inquire about your event. For details, call 401-884-1776 or email the Varnum House. Maximum Capacity: 200 people


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I've got some special news for you tonight. I want to share with you this awesome compilation of decorative accessories and Scandinavian gifts from e-store Skandihome. What is so special about this brand anyway? If you are looking for Scandinavian interior design, then the first place to visit is this e-shop. It comes with an original vision of a modern twist on classic Scandinavian design. Skandihome was founded on the belief that we can all have a beautiful home with no huge budget. The store was established by Swedish Interior Designer Ellen Ripa, who specializes in contemporary home accessories from Scandinavia.
The accessories and gifts range offers a modern twist on classic Scandinavian design consisting of beautiful modern pieces as well as Scandinavian classics. Here are presented stylish and affordable products sourced mainly from Scandinavia. The products range from delicate engraved glassware and unusual decorative bronze Dalahorses to sumptuous Nordic white bedlinen. In this post we are going to see luxury perfumed candles, beautiful hand-woven rugs, napkins and tablemats, elegant plates for everyday use, classic glassware creations, Blue & White China reproductions, and many other decorative accessories. Every single product is a beautiful gift by the way.


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Final report for our trip to Japan
So that's it, we're back in the village of munich now. Apart from a damaged suitcase (which btw AirFrance was incredibly professional about, replacement is already on its way), we had a very good flight. We didn't even have any problems with the batteries during the security checks on the way back.
After all, the resume of our trip to Japan is extremely positive.
Regarding the competiton, winning the speed award was all we ever hoped for. Having actually won it feels really rewarding for all the hard work we put in during the last months.
We experienced, that a working brake is essential for the Climber at all times. The easily changeable wooden crash element was our savior, without it we would not have been able to continue the competiton after the first impact. The CFRP-structure of our Climber proved to resist even bigger impacts than what we designed it for – no damage on the core of the Climber. Only the beanie has to be replaced now due to a small crack.
During the competiton we wittnessed a very professional and thought through event.
Having 16 teams sharing the rope and tether for two days takes very good organisation. We experienced no conflicts between the teams. On top of that it was a very friendly and fair atmosphere.
We also learned a few things for our own SpaceElevator Challenge (EUSPEC) that takes place in September 2018:
- having the rope and the tether hanging from the balloon at all times is quite useful. It saves a lot of time, if you don't have to descend the balloon in order to change from rope to tether.
- having the right bumpers at the lower and upper end of the rope is very important. For the majority of runs a styrofoam bumper was used. When our own Climber came down without braking there were just two empty plastic containers at the bottom. We believe that the normal styrofoam bumper would have caused more damage on the Climber. We will make sure that there will be bumpers made out of plastic canisters at EUSPEC 2018.
- during EUSPEC 2016 there were preassigned timeslots for every team. At SPEC 2017 this wasn't the case. When ready to drive, you just told the HQ and then you got the next available time slot. This system is quite useful, because this way, no time is wasted if a team can't get their Climber to work.
After the competiton we stayed in Tokyo for another week trying to see as much of it as possible.
A small list of what we visited in Tokyo:
Ueno Zoo, Akihabara, Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, Imperial Palast Garden, Tokyo Tower, Odaiba Statue of Liberty, Toyota Megaweb, Metropolitan Government Building and so much more…
Here you can find some impressions of our second week:
While visiting Tokyo we noticed some things that are very diffenrent in Germany. A short extract of our cultural impressions:
- something that was annoying when walking through the streets, was all the noice in the city. For example on many public places there were huge screens playing ads at high volume. Or: When the doors in the train are about to close, a short song starts to play. There are different melodies for every station 😮
- if you go to a small supermarket like 7eleven or Lawson, which you can find every 200 m, you always get your purchases in a plastic bag – even if it's just a single product. Our pockets were filled with plastic wrapping all the time. You would assume, that given this huge amount of rubbish, there are a lot of trashcans in the city. But no, if you're lucky you could find one or two trashcans a day when walking around. Regardless the streets were clean as duck.
- you will never walk through Japan thirsty. Vending machines with cold and hot drinks can literally be found at every corner.
- vending machines are exremely fast, just put all your bills into the machine as a stack and about 1 second later you get your ticket and the change. It honestly makes vending machines in Germany look like ancient things (or do we just have more time?).
- buildings are very high. That's just a fact. Regardless if the plot of land has 1 acre or just 30 m² you just make the building 6 floors minimum. After all there is always much more space in the vertical axis.
- if only the german trains were on time as often as the japanese ones.
- MVG, please implement Suica Cards. They are so fast and useful.
We will stop with the list here, many things just have to be experienced by yourself. Tokyo is worth a visit 100%.
Now, after the trip we want to thank a few people.
A huge thank you to Jota Shimazaki who was our contact in Japan and helped a huge deal during the registration of our team.
Another thank you to Jota, Ohno and the rest of the SPEC 2017 crew who all supported us during the competion. We felt very welcome and will hopefully return soon.
Also we want to thank our friends at Autoliv who tried to adapt their radar sensors for our causes. Sadly the data was not as easy to interprete as we hoped which resulted in us using our old system and keeping a big saftey distance on the upper end. Nevertheless we will continue to develop the radar distance measurement.
At last but definitively not at least (quite the opposite) we want to thank our sponsor Vestner.
Without the huge financial support (covering the flights to Japan and all the costs during our stay in Mito) it wouldn't have been possible for us to take part in the competition.
It was a very memorable experience for us to paticipate in the SPEC 17 and to see Japan. So thank you again, especially Simon Vestner and all other Vestner staff who helped organising our flights.
Now we have to get used to the german weather again. We were really lucky having 11/14 sunny days in Japan. This blog will probably be updated during our next trip 😉
We are ready for Tokyo
SPEC2017 is over, our last baggage just arrived and the climber is already on its way back to Munich with Max.
We will stay in Tokyo for another week.
勝者スピード賞: ワン、サード
After our last
run impact – not knowing what's the cause of our reboots – we decided, it was to risky to go for another run. We stored away all our stuff, cleaned up and watched the end of the competition. As the sun set, they pulled down the balloon (including one climber stuck at the top) and gathered the competitors for the award ceremony.
After some introducing words in Japanese, some more Japanese, and even more Japanese, we heard speed award and everybody looked at us. We had the fastest climber (by far) and got an incredibly beautiful certificate.
The award for the climber with the highest payload-to-total-weight ratio went to a climber lifting 16 kg (rumors say it is able to lift 100 kg, but the balloon could't handle it this time). The climber itself weights 15 kg. For the mission challenge there were three little manikins attached with magnets of different strenght. The more figures standing in their initial position after going up and down, the better. There was a draw between two teams, they both had one figure standing. The winner was the team with less deviation from the starting point.
It was an honor for us to be part of this competition. Special thanks to Jota Shimazaki, Ohno Shuichi and all the other HQ staff for always helping us and organizing the competition, aswell as our supporters at Autoliv.
Huge thanks to our sponsor Vestner, who made the whole trip possible.
We had lots of fun, learned a lot and are now continuing our japan trip.
Our final blog entry will be published in a few weeks after we are back in Germany.
In case you're wondering: The title of the article means "winner speed award: one.third"
Brace for Impact
Today was a beautiful day, although it started with a few clouds. After analyzing yesterday's logs we tried to optimize our acceleration curve and really pushed the climber to its limits.
After the arrival at the competition-site, we had our first timeslot for testruns. Due to "strong" winds, today the balloon was lowered. At every attempt we increased the travel distance step by step and finally set it to 147 m. This is a good point for explaining our descend algorithm. It works as follows: (1) Let the climber fall and (2) brake 20 m above ground level. As you know our electronics were developed "long time ago with perfect testing", but after plenty of successful runs our microcontroller decided to reboot and thereby invented a new brake system – impact.
Fortunately the climber remained one piece – just breaking the lower rope guidance. We didn't even need a vacuum cleaner to collect the thousands of pieces we expected. BTW: The bumper had been designed as a crash element, so we brought spare parts (also painted in black).
20 minutes later our climber was repaired – shining as if nothing happened – and we were ready for our second….
But this time it was our own fault (like last time but differently): We had a perfect run but on the last 10 meters (which we typically descend manually) our wireless connection gave up for a short period of time… just in the wrong moment. Since we had a third rope-guidance-replacement-part we could repair the climber a second time and can now take it back home fully functional.
Successful Trials
8 o'clock am, Senba Park, sunny, 12°C
Official start of the Space Elevator Challenge 2017.
First off, all participants gathered at the Challenge Headquarters. Unfortunately the introduction and all instructions were in japanese.
Afterwards our climber got checked by the technical Inspector. For official altitude and speed measurements we had to attach a Measurement Payload Unit (MPU) to our climber. We wanted to use zipties because they are simple, also because we're a bit lazy.
Since they thought zipties are weak as duck, we were not allowed to use them. Hence we had to improvise. We hat very little tools, but luckily other teams could spare some materials and lent their tools. So we built an aluminum frame for the MPU. The curbside was good enough to grind off all sharp edges.
The Japanese visitors were very interested in our technology, especially after we had completed our testruns. When having a look at the other team`s climbers, we noticed many interesting and clever solutions to problems we also encountered during our development. At this point, it should be mentioned that not all teams focused on speed. There are two other objectives: having a high payload-to-total-mass-ratio and a very stable ride. Our design was just aimed at maximum speed though.
After two successful drive slots with multiple climbs, we were quite happy. The numbers are't published yet, but we are now analyzing our own log files to further improve our performance tomorrow.
BTW: The climber is called one.third, because it only weighs a third of its predecessor (before adding all the safety and measurement stuff).
Lightning strikes
We started our third day in Mito like all the others – in a bakery.
Things we had on our list for today:
– Try the famous Taiyaki – a sweet fish-shaped waffle with different fillings
– Buying stamps, since we hadn't found any the day before
– Meeting with Mr. Shimazaki at the event
area mud field
– Charge all batteries for the climber
– Eat something
– Pick up Max at the train station
The journey of our 5th team member was also very eventful. A plane got hit by a lightning (not his plane) which resulted in a huge delay for him. When changing flights in Paris CDG, Max ran across the airport and was lucky enough to still catch the plane. Sadly the luggage didn't make it. When we were finally reunited in the evening, we celebrated with a reasonable amount of beer and sake.
Settling down in Mito
In order to prepare for the competition and to get know the japanese culture, we (most of our team) arrived two days earlier. So we took the time to walk around in Mito city and explore the surrounding. After a french breakfast we went to an arcade and played airhockey. We were quite surprised how many people were there at 10 o'clock in the morning fishing manga figures from thousands of toy grabber machines. Since it was raining all day we decided to vist the biggest shopping center in Mito. Slightly annoying christmas music on all 11 floors. After struggling to buy paper, an envelope and a stamp we stumbled upon a suspicious gadget: a beer foamer.
No idea, why you would use that.
For lunch we got some miso-soup at our favorite 7-eleven shop and "cooked" it in our "hotel room".
Well nourished by the way to salty soup we gave the climber a final check: Reparing damages caused by the flight, testing sensors and charging batteries.
In the evening we continued our culinary adventure at the McDonalds 100m from our hotel.
Exited about the first day of SPEC2017 tomorrow.
Flying to Tokyo
Today we started our trip to Japan. The route was spread with some, let's call them "hickups" just for fun. The S8 to the airport got cancelled, so just business as usual there. We managed to get to the airport eventually and that was where the fun started.
Our battery packs are a bit too big for just taking them into a plane. They have to be approved by the airline. Perfectly organized folks like us, do this several days in advance just to make sure. After getting a "not approved" status we got a little nerovus and tried to solve all this. After many mails and phone calls (some of us now have PTSD just from hearing the KLM jingle for hours), we managed to get a "approval pending" with the hint to check again just before boarding the plane.
And of course nothing changed. It still stated "approval pending" when we entered the security zone with the batteries for a try. Luckily after some nice explanation with the guy at the security we could bring the batteries. KLM just seemed to have forgotten our request and so after what you whould call a casual 14 hours of flight we found ourserlves in Tokio Narita. Just the final check for "approval pending" – Yep it was still there.
First on our to-do list now: fulfilling basic human needs – money, WiFi, food.
Money was no problem – we just had our passports checked from time to time, because standing in front of an ATM for longer than 10 minutes does not seem to be something a busy Japanese working guy would do.
Wifi – this part is very cool in Japan. You can get a mobile wifi router which itself has a 4G connection to the internet. This small box cost us about 9.000 Yen for 15 days of unlimited data. – Great-
After getting our passports checked again – standing in front of a wifi router store for 15 Minutes is obviously nothing a busy Japanese working guy whould do eiter – we got our bus tickets to Tsuchiura station where we switched to a train to Mito.
As a group of engineers, Japan is super exciting for us. The pace of machines like the ticket vending machine is simply stunning. It takes one second to print your ticket and return your change.
After a short walk we arrived at our Hotel in Mito, where we checked in. The accomodation there is, well let's just say it's there. So after a short walk through the town of Mito we found ourselves super exhausted in a 1,20m wide and 1,90m long "double bed", along with a team mate, of course. – very "efficient" use of space –
That's all for now, folks. Time to sleep -_-
Kontronik saves the day
During a testrun last week our ESC, the old Kontronik KOSMIK 200 HV went up in flames, one week before the 1. advent. We send it to Kontronik for a check and they told us they can't repair it. So we had to get a new one. Special Thanks to Kontronik at this point for the fast and uncomplicated replacement.
They even sent back the old one. So have a look at it:
First look: soot everywhere. The only thing we we saw when its life ended, was a flash near the LED and SD socket . If you follow the path of soot, the smoke most likely ended up under the front cover at the MOSFETS.
After cleaning we could see a big hole in the copper shielding of the IRF7759.
Even the PCB got vaporized!


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Watch Gestalt child therapist Violet Oaklander in an actual counseling session with a 13-year old boy who has difficulty expressing anger.
Full Description:
Expert child therapist Dr. Violet Oaklander has a knack for getting her clients to speak honestly and reveal their difficult feelings. In this video she meets with a boy who is angry with his father but unable to express it directly. Watch as she gauges the boy's level of contact throughout the session, and masterfully provides openings for him to show cut-off parts of himself. She then collaborates to develop real-world strategies for ongoing expression of his difficult emotions. Jon Carlson and Don Keat introduce Dr. Oaklander, and facilitate an in-depth discussion of the further impact and uses of the model.
DVD 1 hrs. 47 min.
Stock: Usually ships in 8-10 business days!


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Who is Nice Apollo?
Now Introducing Nice & Apollo Automatic Gate Systems
Apollo Gate Openers of San Antonio, Texas are still the highest quailty American-made gate openers in the USA. Since 1984, Apollo Gate Operators has earned a reputation for security and reliability. The skilled technicians at Apollo continue to innovate, developing new advanced product lines & improving on their already established products. Together, Apollos well-known reliability and Nices highly innovative technology bring to the market a new era of commercial gate automations. All Nice Apollo Gate Openers are still assembled in the USA!
The Nice Group
The leading worldwide company in the home automation industry.
Apollo Gate Operators
The U.S. leader in low voltage automated gate systems and solar powered gate operators.
Combined (Nice Apollo)
We offer a wide range of automation systems for swing gates, sliding gates and road barriers for both residential and commercial applications.


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AAP Other sport
India close in on victory over WindiesBy AAP Newswire
Umesh Yadav has struck two blows in the second session as West Indies were left reeling at 6-76 in 27 overs at tea on day three of the second Test against India.
Following 6-88 performance in the first innings, the pace bowler took 3-32 to rock the tourists' second innings, with the visitors inching ahead to lead by just 20 runs.
Yadav, who was on a hat-trick from the first innings, missed that opportunity but struck on the second ball of the innings, with Kraigg Brathwaite (0) caught behind.
With Shardul Thakur out injured, spin was introduced early and Ravichandran Ashwin made the West Indies' batsmen skittish on the three-day-old pitch.
The score was 6-2 when Kieran Powell (0) was caught at slip off Ashwin, albeit television replays sided with the bowler in the absence of conclusive proof Ajinkya Rahane dropped the chance.
Shai Hope (28) played with some resolve but his teammates continued to struggle against India's spin troika.
Shimron Hetmyer (17) tried to hit out against Kuldeep Yadav (1-26) and was caught at backward point. Four balls later, Ravindra Jadeja (1-4) had Hope caught at slip.
First innings centurion Roston Chase (6) tried to dig in again as he put on 23 runs with Sunil Ambris (20 not out).
But Umesh Yadav returned with another burst just before the tea break on Sunday, removing the stumps of Chase and Shane Dowrich (0) successively to tilt the game decisively towards India.


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Copyright (C) Pan Rolling, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
in English
To Engineer Is Human by Henry Petroski
Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters by Alan Miller, Satoshi Kanazawa
Does It Fart? by Nick Caruso, Dani Rabaiotti
Lincoln the Unknown by Dale Carnegie
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson
The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton
Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham
Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman, Richard J. Davidson
How To Raise An Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington
Influencer by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler
Mindshift by Barbara Oakley
The Power of the Other by Henry Cloud
The Ideas Industry by Daniel W. Drezner
The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene,Joost Elffers
Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
No More Mr Nice Guy by Dr. Robert A. Glover
The Power of Different by Gail Saltz, M.D.
Dealing with Meetings You Cant Stand by Dr. Rick Brinkman
To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Raven Wolf
Managing Transitions by William&Susan Bridges
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D.
Methods of Persuasion by Nick Kolenda
Dealing with People You Cant Stand by Rick Kirschner, Rick Brinkman
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Managementby Kevin Kruse
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
A Field Guide to Liesby Daniel J. Levitin
The Psychology of Sellingby Brian Tracy
Bushcraft 101by Dave Canterbury
Pushing to the Frontby Orison Swett Marden
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
The Lessons of Historyby Will Durant and Ariel Durant
The Truth by Neil Strauss
Earth, Air, Fire & Waterby Scott Cunningham
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Grimoire for the Green Witchby Ann Moura
Living Wiccaby Scott Cunningham
Bargaining for Advantageby G. Richard Shell
Negotiation Geniusby Deepak Malhotra and Max Bazerman
Practical Candleburning Ritualsby Raymond Buckland
Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magicby Scott Cunningham
The Obstacle is the Wayby Ryan Holiday
The Joy of Livingby Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Eric Swanson
The 48 Laws of Powerby Robert Greene
Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraftby Raymond Buckland
Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Lifeby Jason Hanson
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham
Moon Spellsby Diane Ahlquist
Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physicianby Nicholas Culpeper
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brewsby Scott Cunningham
The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed
Six Thinking Hatsby Edward de Bono
WICCA by Scott Cunningham
BANG by RooshV
CAT DADDY by Jackson Galaxy
The Power of Starting Something Stupid by Richie Norton with Natalie Norton
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
The Book of Tea by Tenshin Okakura/Bushidoby Kanzo Uchimura
ENDURANCE Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
Finding Your Own North Starby Martha Beck
Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Michael Newton
Animal-Speakby Ted Andrews
The Art of Money Getting, or, Golden Rules for Making Money by P.T.Barnum
Transitionsby William Bridges
What You Can Do With Your Will Power by Russell H. Conwell
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Rules of the Game by Neil Strauss
Acres of Diamonds by Russell H. Conwell
Thought Vibration by William W. Atkinson
THE Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney
Journey Of Souls by Michael Newton
Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
Learned Optimism by Martin E. P. Seligman
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey by Kenneth H. Blanchard
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
After the Affair by Janis A. Spring
The Game by Neil Strauss
The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander
Emotional Blackmail by Susan Forward
Tested Sentences That Sell by Elmer Wheeler
(1)書籍タイトル・著者名 (2)簡単な理由 を


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To successfully design a purpose-driven website requires a repeatable, proven process that blends design, technology, performance reporting (analytics), and strategy.
The Purpose-Driven Website Development Process
The Purpose-Driven Website Development Process covers everything mentioned above and has a similar flow as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Bruce Clay's SEO Hierarchy of Needs, a pioneer in the field of Search Engine Optimization.
Our purpose-driven process follows a similar pyramid concept in that the most fundamental needs of websites are at the base of the pyramid, and each tier represents certain needs that cannot be realized until those below it are met. If fundamental site requirements are not in place, such as quality content and theme-based site architecture, then the full capability of a purpose-driven website will not be realized and those layers above, like digital marketing, will be far less effective.
Our purpose-driven process is a framework. It's a structure that shows clear steps to success yet it also grants flexibility to make adjustments for the unique qualities and requirements of each new project. At the end of the day making sure your website and online presence is helping you achieve your goals and mission is what purpose-driven is all about. Our approach is intuitive and responsive, it builds a partnership-like relationship between us and you, and it generates quantifiable results that you can easily track. It also produces a great looking website.
Phase I.
Project Kick-off, Information Gathering and Establishing Analytics Goals
We start a new web design project by getting to know you and your goals better. You fill out a comprehensive questionnaire that uncovers the most important aspects and goals of your new website. With this information in hand, we reference it and refine it as we follow up to further discuss the project. Knowing your goals and understanding how your site can help you achieve them becomes the focal point from which many design, technical and strategic decisions are made going forward.
A lot of web design companies just slap-on analytics tracking after a site has been designed and launched. Not us, during the project kick-off phase your mission and your goals are built into the design and matched with analytics performance reporting as well as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) so that you can accurately track how your new site is helping you achieve your goals once it is live.
Web analytics is the backdrop for all internet marketing efforts, including the overall performance of your website as it relates to your goals. Website data not only tracks visitor interaction and engagement, it measures your website's impact on your goals. Having analytics involved at the beginning provides a baseline from which to measure the effectiveness of the website's overall design.
Phase II.
Keywords, Content and Market Analysis
Next up is seeing what your market is saying and thinking. We accomplish this by researching the search terms used, analyzing trending content both on other websites and social media, and examining who your competitors are and what they may be doing right and wrong. This analysis gets married with your requirements and goals from Phase I to lay the ground work for Phase III.
The keywords coming out of this phase help shape your site content. Both are critical components of your site because they communicate to both people and search engines what your site is about, what they can expect to get from it, and where your expertise lies, your ability to help, and overall mission. Targeting relevant and trafficked keywords that relate to your site's goals will ensure your new website continues to grow and meet the needs of your audiences. Form this analysis you can then choose to develop or recraft your existing content into engaging, compelling and unique content around this keyword research and your goals.
Phase III.
Site Architecture & On-Page Elements
Phase III is where everything starts coming together. In this phase we work with you on designing the right site architecture. Your site architecture is how your website is organized and how visitors will navigate it to get to what their seeking and for you to lead them to your site's goals. Your site architecture is a culmination of goals, keyword research, market analysis, and content strategy.
Site architecture is extremely important for several reasons because it really dictates how effective your website will be in connecting with your audience and then leading them to your mutual goals. Site architecture is a blend of performance objectives and technical fundamentals that help your site with search engine optimization and overall usability.
Behind the scenes, on-page elements, site architecture and server performance must be optimized for search engine consideration. Meta information indicates the subject of the pages. Siloed site architecture creates theme-aligned content sections of a site. Really technical things like .htaccess and robots.txt files help search engine spiders know what to crawl and index on your website so that those areas appear in targeted search engine results. There is much, much more, that is probably incredibly boring to you, but that's why you have us.
Phase IV.
Usability & Web Design
Alas, we're on to design and development, the phase where you start to see your site come to life. Up until now, everything has been focused on research and planning to lay the groundwork for the design and development. During this phase we create the look & feel of the site based based on all the research. We take an iterative approach, where we design, get your feedback, make adjustments, get your feedback, make further refinements, and get your approval. During the design process, you have various opportunities to provide feedback that ensures the site is being designed to your expectations. Throughout the design process, we're also referencing the research conducted, to make sure your expectations, the research strategy and our expertise are all coming together to produce your purpose-driven website.
We also focus on usability during this phase. Web site usability seeks to optimize your visitor's holistic experience on your site, optimizing their journey through the site. An optimized and usable site design eliminates obstacles to conversions, or whatever your goals may be, and offers your users a preferred experience on the site.
The last part of this very busy phase is development. Once the design is confirmed and we feel comfortable with usability, we start making your new website a reality. The site architecture, any available content and graphics, the design, and any desired functionality all come together to finally bring your site from concept to reality. When we think we have a finished product, we'll test functionality, have you review it and test as well.
Phase V.
Training & Launch
A phase not on the Purpose-Driven Website pyramid, but very important, is the Training & Launch. Upon approval testing and development approval at the end of Phase IV, we get ready to launch the site! We wrap up your project with training that helps you feel confident in your ability to use your new website as well as see its new capabilities. During this training we also review your analytics performance reporting to make sure you know how to interpret your website's performance going forward so that you can make informed online marketing decisions.
Though your project ends here, we don't abandon ship completely. We're on standby for a post-launch period to offer additional support if needed. We also recommend become a Website Care Member that places us at the ready, to continue to help and support you.
Phase VI.
Digital Marketing (support)
Digital marketing, also known as online marketing, is the phase that follows your new website and an area we can help with by being directly involved or just simply advising. Now that your site is live, and it was built with your goals and proper market research in mind, it's now time to drive traffic to it. Usually a site on its own, will not attract new users without a bit of marketing effort, but because your site was built on strategy and purpose, your marketing efforts will be more aligned.
Content marketing, pay per click and display advertising, email marketing, as well as social media are some of the areas to be explored and utilized in this phase. All your digital marketing efforts should integrate with your website in one way or another because your website is positioned to be the hub of your online presence and your performance analytics reporting is capable of accurately keeping you abreast of your total website/online presence results.
Congratulations, you now have a Purpose-Driven Website!
Want To Talk About Your Goals?
Let's Begin with a Free Consultation
Complete the form below and we'll schedule a time to talk.


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POSTED: Feb 6, 2014 8:40 PM ET
UPDATED: Feb 7, 2014 8:59 AM ET
NEW YORK -- With the first pick of the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge draft, TEAM WEBBER selected Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans while TEAM HILL picked Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers second overall. TNT's Hill and NBA TV's Webber, general managers for the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, made their player selections live on TNT. The 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will be played Friday, Feb. 14, in Smoothie King Center during NBA All-Star 2014.
In addition to Davis, TEAM WEBBER is comprised Kelly Olynyk (Boston), Jared Sullinger (Boston), Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn), Tim Hardaway Jr. (New York), Steven Adams (Oklahoma City), Victor Oladipo (Orlando), Michael Carter-Williams (Philadelphia), and Trey Burke (Utah).
BBVA Compass Rising Stars Draft
Joining Lillard on TEAM HILL are Pero Antic (Atlanta), Dion Waiters (Cleveland Cavaliers), Harrison Barnes (Golden State), Terrence Jones (Houston), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto) and Bradley Beal (Washington).
Following tonight's announcement of each team, fans can now vote online from both their computer and mobile device for the starters of each team. The starting lineups will be determined by the players garnering the top votes for their respective positions, with two backcourt and three frontcourt spots for each team. The announcement of the starting lineup will be made in broadcast and in-arena on Friday, Feb. 14, the night of the game.
The head coaches for both teams are the lead assistant coaches from the 2014 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The Indiana Pacers Nate McMillan will lead TEAM HILL and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Rex Kalamian will man the sidelines for TEAM WEBBER.
NBA All-Star 2014 in New Orleans will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of the game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 12th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 30th year of All-Star coverage. State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will feature Sears Shooting
Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, and Sprite Slam Dunk. Other events at NBA All-Star 2014 will include the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session. The 2014 game will mark the second NBA All-Star celebration in New Orleans. The city also hosted the event in 2008.
This year's BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge features a three-phase sweepstakes for fans at www.nba.com/BBVACompassRisingStarsSweeps. During the first phase, which ended yesterday, fans could vote for their favorite rookie. In the second phase, which begins tonight, fans can vote for the players they want on each starting line-up. The final phase of the sweepstakes will be during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 14, when fans can vote for the game's MVP. During each of the first two stages of the sweepstakes, one voting fan will be chosen at random to receive a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. During the final stage, one voting fan will be randomly selected for a trip to one game of the 2014 NBA Finals. Three trips in total will be awarded.
The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.
Below are the rosters for the 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, and all-time results for the game:
Team Hill
-Damian Lillard (Portland, Soph.)
-Bradley Beal (Washington, Soph.)
-Andre Drummond (Detroit, Soph.)
-Harrison Barnes (Golden State, Soph.)
-Terrence Jones (Houston, Soph.)
-Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee, Rookie)
-Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto, Soph.)
-Dion Waiters (Cleveland, Soph)
-Pero Antic (Atlanta, Rookie)
Team Webber
-Anthony Davis (New Orleans, Soph.)
-Michael Carter-Williams (Philadelphia, Rookie)
-Tim Hardaway Jr. (New York, Rookie)
-Trey Burke (Utah, Rookie)
-Jared Sullinger (Boston, Soph.)
-Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn, Rookie)
-Victor Oladipo (Orlando, Rookie)
-Steven Adams (OKC, Rookie)
-Kelly Olynyk (Boston, Rookie)
Previous results
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
2007 - Sophomores 155, Rookies 114
2008 - Sophomores 136, Rookies 109
2009 - Sophomores 122, Rookies 116
2010 - Rookies 140, Sophomores 128
2011 - Rookies 148, Sophomores 140
2012 --Team Chuck 146, Team Shaq 133
2013 -- Team Chuck 163, Team Shaq 135


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (September 2007)
Key concepts
Product marketing · Pricing
Distribution · Service · Retail
Brand management
Ethics · Effectiveness · Research
Segmentation · Strategy · Activation
Management · Dominance
Promotional content
Advertising · Branding · Underwriting
Direct marketing · Personal sales
Product placement · Publicity
Sales promotion · Sex in advertising
Loyalty marketing · SMS marketing
Premiums · Prizes
Promotional media
Printing · Publication · Broadcasting
Out-of-home advertising · Internet
Point of sale · Merchandise
Digital marketing · In-game advertising
In-store demonstration · Word-of-mouth
Brand ambassador · Drip marketing · Visual merchandising
v · d · e
Sex in advertising or sex sells is the use of sexual or erotic imagery (also called "sex appeal") in advertising to draw interest to a particular product, for purpose of sale. A feature of sex in advertising is that the imagery used, such as that of a pretty woman, typically has no connection to the product being advertised. The purpose of the imagery is to attract the attention of the potential customer or user. The type of imagery that may be used is very broad, and would include nudity, cheesecake, and beefcake, even if it is often only suggestively sexual.
1 History
2 The concept
3 Criticism
4 Effectiveness
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
[edit] History
Images of pretty women often appear in ads even without connection to the product being sold. This provocatively clad woman lends "sex appeal" to a 1921 ad for tire valve caps
Ivory Soap ads in World War I show sailors bathing on deck, possibly conveying homosexual undertones
Sex has been utilized in advertising since its beginning. The earliest forms are wood carvings and illustrations of attractive women (often unclothed from the waist up) adorned posters, signs, and ads for saloons, tonics, and tobacco. In several notable cases, sex in advertising has%2
Related articles
- Advertising – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (thegreenmarketingcompany.wordpress.com)


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And it's not called the Best Little Art Retreat In Texas for nothing!
I promise that if you come you will be blessed.
Geez, this is such an important part of the retreat, I can't believe I almost left it out! Whew *wiping my brow*.
One of the highlights of the weekend is when we have shots. You know, like at a bar? (I keep tellin' ya, this is Texas) Only ours are even better...................we have Frosting Shots! (haha - fooled ya) Homemade Frosting. Oh, man, I have to be rolled to my room every year!
On another note.....
Readers, y'all have been an amazing blessing to me these last l-o-o-o-ng weeks and I want to sincerely thank you. I'm working my way through all of the comments left on my last post and I will get to you eventually because I want to thank each of you individually for your support and kind words. I am so blessed.....
y'all are a blessing to me,


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Visit our home page for VL info. For support and documentation, visit the Vector Linux Knowledge Center or search the Knowledge Center and this Forum using the search box above.
I could set up a web cam of my next door neighbor (young professional woman) who walks around her apartment - with the blinds drawn - in her birthday suit and you could put that on the main VL page. That would do more for web traffic than me in any kind of outfit.
I just realized that if GrannyGeek or one of the other women sees this post, they'll kill me - but, hey, I've had a good run.
Once I get the game we can negotiate about what I'll pose for.
echo '#define IM_A_BIG_FAT_CHEATER 1' >> config.h
Remember kids ... cheating is wrong!


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PDST Post Primary Senior Cycle P.E. - Status Update, Framework Overview and a Focus on Sport Education
This two-hour workshop has been designed to update P.E. teachers on current developments in Senior Cycle P.E. This workshop will outline the current changes afoot, as well as providing a detailed explanation of the new Senior Cycle P.E. Framework. The workshop will also delve into the instruction model of Sport Education, providing the tools and resources to practically use the approach in a classroom setting.
For more information please see the workshop flyer. Please note that booking can only be done by the PDST Online Booking system. Click here to download the PDST Online Booking Guide.
Course Properties
|Course date
|26-10-2017 6:30 pm
|Course End Date
|26-10-2017 8:30 pm
|Cut off date
|Individual Price
|Number Hours
|Kilkenny Education Centre


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BOSTON -- UMass Boston women's tennis put up an immense fight but couldn't hold on, as the Plymouth State University Panthers defeated the Beacons 8-1 on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Boston College High School Courts.
With the loss UMass Boston was eliminated from the Little East Conference Tournament playoff race, as the Beacons fell to 3-9 and 1-6 in LEC play. Plymouth State finished off regular season play with a 7-6 record and 5-3 mark in LEC action. The Panthers will host a Little East Quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
Prior to the match, the Beacons honored Hieu Nguyen (Dorchester, Mass.) and Wendy Steinman (Dudley, Mass.), two four-year players who played their final home contest of their careers. The pair will both finish their careers amongst the top 10 in singles and overall wins in Beacons history.
Despite the 8-1 score, the Beacons took the Panthers deep in every doubles contest and were almost as strong in singles play. Freshman Solveig Castelli (Precojo, France) earned UMass Boston's lone point with a 6-4, 6-2 win at number five singles over Jane Duggan.
In doubles action, Imani Williams (Roxbury, Mass.) and Shihyu Yang (Taipei, Taiwan) fought their way deep into their match at number two doubles, before dropping an 8-5 contest against Nitsa Ioannides and Andra Dion. At number three doubles, Duggan and Chelsea Thibeault outlasted Castelli and Stephony Reeves (Dorchester, Mass.) 8-5. Finally, Sara Burke and Molly Heartfield took down Nguyen and Samantha Counts (Bridgewater, Mass.) 9-7.
The Beacons will finish off their 2012 campaign Sunday when they travel to Worcester to take on Worcester State at Noon. The match will be held at Assumption College.


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Having a solid website is essential if you want your business to do well. With that said, everyone does not have the skills needed to create design magic. If you want to find someone else to handle this for you, here are some pointers that will help you find the best Kelowna web design firm around.
A great kelowna web design firm will know the importance of excellent images.
There are many designers out there that discount the importance of a great picture and that spells trouble. When people arrive on your site for the first time, their focus will typically be on the images that are present, not the design that is lingering in the background. Yes, design is important as well, but it should complement the images; not the other way around. Look at some of the work in the portfolio of any Kelowna web design firm you are considering to see where their focus lies.
Flash is considered some of the worst technology out there for web design.
While it was once the best way to make a site shine, there are far better ways to get things done in this day and age. There are many consumers who loathe the idea of using Flash-based sites since they tend to have slow load times and often cause system crashes. If you find a company that is able to design terrific sites without placing a huge emphasis on this, you have certainly hit the jackpot.
They should always offer maintenance services to anyone they perform work for.
One thing many people do not understand is the fact that web design is not something that should be done once and forgotten. It is important to keep things updated and fix anything that may become broken over time. A solid firm will be available in the event that you need help. This is not something that comes without cost, so don't be surprised when you are told that there are fees expected for this upkeep. Any company that is not willing to be there for you in the event that you need them at some point in the future is certainly not worth a second look.
There are numerous Kelowna web design firms that are hoping to gain your business.
With that said, you should be very selective when making a choice. Consider all of the information you were told above during the process. It will help you separate the firms that are likely to do an excellent job and those that are subpar.


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As collectors we really owe it to our family to make sure they have an understanding of how to disposition our collections when we are no longer around. Some of us might already have done this but many others probably have not addressed this important task.
To assist those who have not there is now a free, downloadable "Album Disposition Instructions" form. It is a simple, quick interactive PDF form which you can fill out, print, and then place inside each album or stock book.
© 2014 - 2019 All Rights Reserved Stamp Smarter
Dedicated To My Wife Dawn


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Basic skills
Our agency works to improve basic skills in the adult population in the areas of literacy, numeracy, oral communication and the use of ICT.
Our objective
The main objective of our work is to increase the quality of teaching and ensure that individuals get an education adapted to their needs, so that every adult can attain the level of basic competence that enables him/her to meet the increased demands of today's work and everyday life.
Adult Skills
In Norway, the mean proficiency scores of 16–65 year-olds in literacy and numeracy are significantly above the average of the OECD countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC).
Only 6.9% of the adult population (16–65 year-olds) report no prior experience with computers or lack very basic computer skills. In contrast, 41% of the adult population score at the highest level in problem solving in technology-rich environments, a proportion significantly above the average of the OECD countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC).
Although Norway had a high score in the PIAAC survey of adult skills compared to other countries, there are still a large number of adults whose basic skills need to be addressed. Statistics show that approximately 400 000 adults are at risk.
The PIAAC results show that:
About 400 000 adults score at level one or below in reading.
Almost 500 000 score at level one or below in numeracy.
The younger adult population (16–24 year-olds) scores significantly below the average in literacy of the OECD countries participating in the Survey. In numeracy, they score around the average. In both domains, younger adults score higher than their older counterparts (55–65 year-olds).
In general, the number of people with low basic skills increases with age.
Immigrants, especially from non-western countries, have a low score.
Among people with low scores, these factors occur more frequently: low levels of education, unemployment, social benefits as main income.
International surveys
Norway has taken part in three large international surveys concerning basic skills in the adult population; International Adult Literacy Survey, IALS, 1994–1998, Adult Literacy and Life Skill Survey, ALL (2004–2006) and The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competence, PIAAC (2013).
Tools and resources
The Competence Goals
The Competence Goals for Basic Skills for Adults establish national standards for reading and writing, mathematics, digital competence and oral communication.
The Competence Goals are examples of local curricula in basic skills for adults. They are based on the curricula in the Knowledge Promotion Reform and the Framework for Basic Skills prepared by the Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training.
The Competence Goals are a revised version of the Competence Goals in Basic Skills for Adults. They can be used as an aid in adapting learning content to adults, irrespective of the setting in which this learning takes place. The example of a local curriculum in reading and writing as a basic skill has been developed with a view to training of adults. In addition, it may be suitable for some students at the lower and upper secondary levels.
The Competence Goals gives examples of how the skills can be used in adults' everyday life, working life and in educational activities. The examples are not exhaustive and in a training situation they should be adapted and supplemented with other examples and illustrations that are relevant to the participants.
The competence goals are divided into three levels which describe the advancing abilities and the intended learning outcomes for each of the basic skill.
Reading means to create meaning in the widest sense and gives insight into other people's experience, opinion and knowledge independent of time and place. Writing involves expressing oneself understandably and appropriately about different topics and communicating with others in the written mode.
An ability to read and write at level 1–2 includes reading and writing brief and familiar texts that one encounters frequently. Some support may be needed when reading and writing in new situations.
An ability to read and write at level 3 includes reading and writing comprehensible texts. One relates actively to written information and has strategies for refinement of these skills. One can use reading and writing in new situations, for learning and for solving some challenges in everyday life.
An ability to read and write at level 4 includes mastery of formal requirements for a diversity of texts. One reads and writes an independent, critical and flexible manner and selects strategies on the basis of settings and needs.
Numeracy means applying mathematics in different situations.
Being basically numerate at level 1–2 means being able to understand simple mathematical information in everyday situations and make use of simple calculations in known settings.
Being basically numerate at level 3 means being able to relate actively to mathematical information and use calculation in various settings.
Being basically numerate at level 4 means being able to understand and use complex mathematical information and use that knowledge to draw conclusions, communicate and present mathematical information.
Digital skills
Digital skills involve being able to use digital tools, media and resources efficiently and responsibly, to solve practical tasks, find and process information, design digital products and communicate content.
Having digital skills at level 1–2 means being able to relate digital information when required and use digital tools, and being familiar with simple precautions when using the Internet.
Having digital skills at level 3 means being able to relate actively to digital information and use this information in new settings and situations. Digital tools and services are known and being used.
Having digital skills at level 4 means being a reflective user of complex digital tools and services. Production of personal ICT-based information is adapted to the situation and based on prior experience.
Oral skills
Oral skills relate to creating meaning through listening and speaking.
Having oral skills at level 1–2 means being able to engage in simple communication in known settings. The main content of messages and instructions is comprehended and simple communication strategies are applied.
Having oral skills at level 3 means being able to communicate actively on topics of interest in known settings. Personal interests and needs in daily life can be fulfilled, and oral communication abilities can develop as needed.
Having oral skills at level 4 means being able to communicate flexibly and effectively in known as well as unfamiliar settings. The adult can engage in exchanges of opinion in public and private settings and assume responsibility for the communicative process.
Download the Competence Goals for Basic Skills
Download the Guidelines to the Competence Goals for Basic Skills
Basic Job Skills Profiles
The Basic Job Skills Profiles are a tool meant to facilitate the design of basic skills courses tailored to the needs of each work place and individual learner. The profiles describe how each of the basic skills are used by workers in a particular occupation. The profiles are based on the competence goals.
Through the use of these profiles, employers can get an overview of the skills that need to be strengthened and workers can increase their awareness about their need for further training in literacy, numeracy, oral communication and digital competence.
Creating own profiles
Below, you will find an English translation the profiles Vox has created in cooperation with various enterprises, organizations and teachers. The best profiles, however, are those that have been tailored to each individual situation, taking into account a concrete case and adapting them to each individual need. These examples are meant as an inspiration for course providers, who can develop their own adaptations to create courses that are really relevant to the needs of the participants.
Download the profiles and get inspired.
Basic job skills for bus drivers
Basic job skills for canteen assistants
Basic job skills for carpenters
Basic job skills for cleaners
Basic job skills for electricians
Basic job skills for forklift drivers
Basic job skills for heavy equipment operators
Basic job skills for HSE in the construction industry
Basic job skills for kindergarten assistants
Basic job skills for long distance transport workers
Basic job skills for personal care assistants
Basic job skills for plumbers
Basic job skills for premises technicians
Basic job skills for retail assistants
Basic jib skills for taxi drivers
Basic job skills for tinsmiths
Basic job skills for warehouse workers
Basic skills financial literacy
Learning materials
Skills Norway offers a series of tools for basic skills training. Some of these are online, interactive and suited for learner self studies, others are aimed at the tutor.
Maths Aid
Maths Aid (Regnehjelpen) is a digital learning tool consisting of tasks with topics from adult everyday life.
- It includes interactive tasks with topics from a variety of arenas including recipes, online shopping, working life and personal economy.
- The objective is to give people an opportunity to refresh their own maths skills and also to improve their ability to help their children with their homework.
In addition, the learning tool offers explanation of fundamental rules in maths through animations and different types of calculators.
(The English version consists of the interactive tasks only)
Go to the complete site (in Norwegian)
ABC pc
ABC pc is an interactive training programme for basic pc skills. It comprises the use of mouse and keyboard, writing texts, using the Internet and e-mail. The programme is aimed at adults who want to improve their basic ICT skills.
ABC pc is available in Norwegian and English. It is possible to download and translate the resource into other languages. You can also burn the course to a cd or a dvd.
InterAct is a web-based modell based on role play and problem solving. The aim is to motivate for learning at work. The activity is relatively short-term (lasting 4–6 weeks), giving diverse learning outcomes and creating a starting point for more learning.
The model is developed in an international Leonardo project co-ordinated by Skills Norway. The objective of the project was to improve basic skills for employees with little formal education and low ICT skills.
Learning basic skills while serving time
This report is based on experience from basic skills training for inmates in Bastøy Prison in 2009. The daily work of the inmates was the focal point for the training.
In the report, you will find
- examples of texts and numeracy questions from the inmates' everyday life
- examples of how to link the training to the inmates' every day life
- examples of how prison staff contributed to creating learning opportunities
- an evaluation of how the participants' identity and work relation influenced their motivation
National initiatives
Skills Norway has the administrative responsibility for a programme directed towards developing basic competence for working life.
The aim of the SkillsPlus is to give adults the opportunity to acquire the basic skills they need to keep up with the demands and changes in modern working life and civil society.
Funding and participation have increased every year since the programme was established in 2006. The number of participants who have received training now exceeds 30 000.
Programme priorities
The programme concentrates on reading, writing, numeracy, and digital skills. Commencing in 2014 the programme also includes oral communication in combination with other skills. Any enterprise in Norway, private and public, can apply for funding.
The following criteria have been emphasised:
the learning activity should be combined with work and basic skills training should preferably be linked to other job-relevant learning;
the courses should strengthen the participants' motivation to go on learning;
the courses have to relate to the competence goals expressed in our Framework for Basic Skills developed by Skills Norway and approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.
Special efforts are made to include SMEs in the programme and to encourage applications from industries which employ people with relatively low formal skills.
There is a range of training providers, including study associations as well as public and private providers. The providers are important stakeholders in the programme, and they often write the applications on behalf of the enterprises or in their own right, often as a training provider for a group of SMEs. Providers may apply for seed money to help them prepare good applications through meetings with companies, project planning, and motivation activities.
Data base
A data base has been established in order to supply up-to-date reports on the progress of the programme. The data base also includes detailed information on participants (gender, formal education, industry etc) and thereby makes it possible to monitor the activity and to ascertain whether it reaches the intended target groups. The data base will also make it easier to evaluate the long term impact of the Competenceplus.
Competence goals, tests, tools and teacher training
Competence goals, profiles for basic jobs skills, tests and educational tools have been developed to assure the quality of provision and to help providers in their task. Vox organises short courses for teachers of basic skills and provides grants for teachers who take further education in the teaching of basic skills.
Teacher training
Skills Norway has been assigned the responsibility to design a model for teacher training customised to the needs of teachers who teach basic skills to adults.
A model for formal training for teachers who teach basic skills to adults was developed in close cooperation with pedagogical experts from training seminars, and in 2009/2010, the model was implemented in cooperation with teacher training institutes at universities and university colleges. The 30-credit training course comprises theoretical aspects as well as facilitating for learning, and is provided over two semesters as a distance learning course. The current course is running throughout the autumn term of 2013 and the spring term of 2014.
In addition to this, Skills Norway organizes annual series of one-day seminars for professional development, aimed at training providers in the practical application of the competence goals, and covering a wide range of methodological topics.
Local training services
Skills Norway has been assigned by the Norwegian Ministry of Education to assist local adult education centers in establishing high quality basic skills training courses for adults.


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Assessing geothermal potential in the Dominican Republic05.05.2017
An information sessionon geothermal energy presented by the BRGM at the Ministry of Energy and Mining in Santo Domingo, 14 June 2016 (Dominican Republic). © BRGM
Like many Caribbean island nations, the Dominican Republic is highly dependent on oil for its electricity production. This new phase in geothermal explorations is justified by the island's tectonic context (Caribbean arc) and potentially favourable indications of geothermal resources (discovery of 300 000 yearold volcanic zones and presence of hot springs emerging at 40°C).
"Developing renewable energy from its own resources is an issue of major importance for the Dominican Republic and its economic development and energy independence", says project manager Bernard Sanjuan. "Geothermal energy, if it could be available 24/7 at a competitive price, would be a tremendous asset, but previous explorations had left too many points unresolved."
The BRGM had conducted exploratory work for geothermal resources since the 1980s in the Dominican Republic, identifying four priority zones of which one, in a volcanic context on the Yayas de Viajama-Constanza axis (west of Santo Domingo), was particularly favourable. The Italian company Electroconsult explored the zone in more detail in 1984 and proposed two borehole sites on the thermal gradient, but these were never drilled.
Electricity production for industry, agriculture and leisure
"In the last few years, the BRGM has resumed its geothermal activities in the Caribbean at a sustained pace, for example with the development of the Bouillante field in Guadeloupe and its exploratory studies in Martinique and Dominica", says B. Sanjuan. "We were already very active in the Dominican Republic (see article on page 8), so the BRGM was a natural choice for this study, which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and conducted under the framework cooperation agreement signed in 2014 with the Dominican Republic's Ministry for Energy and Mining."
The four zones identified in 1980 will be studied for a year, with a particular focus on the Yayas de Viajama-Constanza zone. As B. Sanjuan explains, "we will be compiling and analysing a large quantity of bibliographic data, previous reports and information from the oil drilling database and the Sysmin database on mineral resources. The next phase will involve geological reconnaissance campaigns and geochemical and hydrological investigations to confirm the potential we have identified. Our subsidiary CFG Services will then take over with technical and economic studies to assess whether the potential resources match need in the country."
Electricity production via high-temperature geothermal resources (over 150°C) is not the only aim, however. Geothermal resources with lower temperatures will also be assessed for the production of heat and cold for industry, agriculture, fish farms and leisure activities.
"The final phase will determine the relevance of additional studies", says B. Sanjuan, "especially pre-feasibility and feasibility studies that will require geophysics surveys and drilling along the thermal gradient, and explorations to depths of several hundred metres."The BRGM is being fully supported by the Director of the Dominican Republic's geological survey, which has a team contributing actively to the project. "We are working with two geologists, two hydrogeologists and two specialists in Geographic Information Systems. Another aspect of our mission is to train and transfer knowledge and know-how to local staff working on the ground."
*Study piloted by OLADE (LatinAmerica Energy Organisation)


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Tart cherry consumption lowers blood pressure in men.
Tart cherries are often recommended as part of a healthy diet due to their purported health benefits, such as reducing post-exercise soreness and inflammation as well as improving sleep and heart health. Cherries may exert these physiological benefits because of their high phytochemical content, such as flavonoids like anthocyanins (found in deep red and purple fruits and vegetables) and epicatechins (also found in green tea) that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Because of these properties, studies have evaluated the potential role of flavonoid-rich foods in the prevention of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular disease is one such chronic disease that is also the leading cause of mortality in the US and worldwide.1 One study showed that high intake of anthocyanins was associated with a reduced risk of heart attack in women.2 However, the mechanisms by which tart cherries, in particular, benefit the cardiovascular system are not well understood.
In a recent study, 15 men with elevated systolic blood pressure (≥ to 130 mmHg) participated in a randomized-crossover study.3 Participants consumed either a cherry juice concentrate beverage or a fruit-flavored placebo drink. Various assessments of vascular function and blood pressure were measured periodically for the following 8 hours. The cherry juice drink was made of concentrated Montmorency cherries (a type of tart cherry), equivalent to ~180 whole cherries and mixed in water. Fourteen days later, the men returned to the laboratory and repeated the test day, consuming the drink that they didn't consume on their first visit. Two hours after drinking the cherry beverage, blood pressure was approximately 7 mmHg lower relative to the placebo beverage. However, measures of vascular function did not differ between the two test days.
This is a small study that only evaluated the effects of cherry consumption over a very short period of 2 hours following consumption. The study reports no effect of cherry intake on important measures of vascular health including arterial stiffness, microvascular vasodilation, and blood pressure though systolic blood pressure did drop significantly. The results from this study along with other research on tart cherries suggest that making this fruit part of your regular dietary repertoire is a good idea. Indeed, tart cherry consumption has been shown to improve the antioxidant status of blood,4 which may reduce cellular damage. More research is needed regarding how regular, long-term intake of cherries influences cardiovascular function.
While you're waiting for more research, you don't need to wait to eat cherries! It may be unreasonable to consume 180 cherries worth of cherry juice (or whole cherries!) in one sitting, but you can still incorporate them into your diet regularly. Montmorency tart cherries won't be available fresh everywhere. However, if you live in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin or Utah, look for them at your local farmers' market or supermarket in July. Otherwise, you can find them in frozen, juice, concentrate or dried forms year round and throughout the US.
New to tart cherries? Try our Banana Sour Cherry Smoothie for a refreshing breakfast or snack. Or if you're looking for a savory dish to prepare anytime of the year, check out our Pork Chops in Warm Cherry Sauce recipe!
Video Center: Selection. Storage. Preparation.
How Many Cups Do You Need?
Key Nutrients in Fruits & Vegetables
Fruit & Veggie Database


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TRENTON -- Returning from a Thanksgiving vacation, Gov.-elect Chris Christie today quickly ended any illusion of harmony in the gubernatorial transition.
With rhetorical flourish, the Republican tore into Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine's "wildly off" budget projections, his nomination of "unqualified" Middlesex County Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo to sit on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, and various Democrats' lame-duck maneuvers, including weighing bills that would require spending.
Full Star-Ledger coverage of the N.J. Governor-elect Chris Christie transition
And he seemed to enjoy it all -- at one point jokingly admonishing reporters to "Let me finish please, I'm in the middle of a rant here" -- while dispensing with the niceties of the election's immediate aftermath
"We simply do not have the money," said Christie, the former U.S. attorney. "These are not in my view appropriate lame-duck issues."
Corzine, who also stressed reconciliation after his Nov. 3 loss, declined to respond directly to Christie's criticisms.
"The budget, pending legislation and appointments will all be undergoing a thorough review by Governor Corzine in these next few weeks," Corzine spokesman Chris Donnelly said. "The Governor appreciates any and all recommendations made on these issues and looks forward to continuing a smooth transitional process so that Mr. Christie can also set about tackling these issues when he assumes office in January."
Christie saved some of the harshest language for a Democratic proposal to require New Jersey governors to fill vacant U.S. Senate seats with members of the same political party as the departing senator. If the bill is enacted, it would ensure Christie appoints a Democrat if either of the state's current U.S. senators resigns.
"This is garbage. It's garbage. It's political lying, is what it is," Christie said, dismissing bill-sponsor Assemblyman John McKeon's stated motive of saving $10 million that would be spent on a special election. "This whole fallacy of it's going to save money. Well, Jon Corzine replaced himself and didn't feel the need to call for a special election."
Listen to the audio of Christie's comments:
Corzine appointed Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) as his replacement when he left the U.S. Senate for the governor's office in 2006.
McKeon (D-Essex defended the bill and dismissed the criticism. "Accusing me of playing politics? ... Look who's calling the kettle black," he said in an interview.
As he upbraided Democrats, Christie tried to draw a connection between McKeon's bill and Corzine's nomination of Spicuzzo, cleared by the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. He called Spicuzzo "probably the singular most unqualified candidate for the Sports Authority you could find....Yet he's being pushed through for purely partisan political reasons."
"This is why I got elected," Christie said. "Because of this stuff, because these folks, while we're in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis this state has ever had, they're occupying their time down here playing politics."
Spicuzzo did not respond to a request for comment.
New Jersey's worsening fiscal situation also drew Christie's ire. Last week, the state told investors it faces a $1 billion mid-year budget shortfall. Though he said "everything has to be on the table" for cuts -- including K-12 school aid, which he vowed during the campaign not to touch -- Christie laid the blame at Corzine's feet and stressed he is not yet in charge.
"It wasn't the Christie administration that wildly overprojected revenues. It isn't the Christie administration that's sitting there now having to deal with it," he said.
The governor-elect reiterated his request for lawmakers not to pass any legislation requiring the state to spend more money, including for "laudable" causes.
Republican strategist Carl Golden, who was chief spokesman for both Govs. Tom Kean and Christie Whitman, said Christie's display was "unusual" and questioned whether it was spontaneous or a calculated attempt to seize back the spotlight.
"Transition is a time of relative calm coming off a stormy campaign," Golden said. "You generally don't see this sort of thing. It makes you wonder whether it was part of an act or part (that he) lost his temper."
Listen to the entire audio of Christie's press conference:
By Josh Margolin and Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau


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Assess Your Customer Service Quality
The first and vital step to realize stellar customer service in your organization is to get to the bottom of service problems. Customer service problems are opportunities to create lasting change in your company that will boost your bottom-line. WCW assists organizations on their customer improvement journey through a thorough analysis of customer experience. Consider and ask yourself:
- What is your customer's experience?
- What do you have in place to handle an unhappy customer?
- How well does your service recovery process work?
- How well trained is the front-line employee to meet challenging service situations?
- How empowered are employees and management to solve customer problems proactively?
Take Inventory of the Customer Experience
WCW customizes inventories for management, employees and customers with the goal to discover customer improvement opportunities. If need be, we will design a customer survey process that will gather reliable data. We interview external and internal customers, study available customer feedback, conduct focus groups, deliver mystery shops, assess competitors and review industry research and marketing data.
Once we have gotten to the bottom of service challenges within your organization, WCW presents a practical review of strengths, weaknesses and recommendations. From this thorough inventory of customer service, we customize and tailor service training that will create sustainable service results and develop the capability in you.


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I don't quite know how to start this month's letter; I've been doing so much grand-scale thinking lately that I'm loathe to delve into that pot yet again. Fanny and I had dinner two weeks ago, both of us walking a balance beam between "I'm alright" and "I'm somewhat of a mess." I walked her to Grand Central afterwards. "What are we going to do, the two of us?" I asked. "Hope for miracles," she said. So we threw pennies in a fountain. Boy, am I glad to have a friend who isn't afraid to chuck spare change into the abyss with me.
Happily, none of the self-doubting moments in the past month have anything to do with that big old expensive continent called Europe. I had such a good trip. It was the perfect combination of newness and old friends, gorgeous sunny days and gray contemplative ones. I spent two nights in a bar in Clermont with Erica, chatting with Christophe the barman about the state of the world, the way our countries are different, the way we ourselves are the same. I met up with Suffragettes, a true sweetheart, who reads this blog and got a coffee with me at the base of Montmartre on my last evening in Paris. I took planes and trains and cars and used my own two feet walking miles along the cobblestone streets. And now, it seems that Europe and I have built a committed relationship. We know we're not leaving each other and though we don't see each other frequently, we're going to be alright.
On the home front, time marches on and I can't believe that Katherine's wedding is in a month. I brought my bridesmaid dress home on the train with me this morning and now that it's here in the apartment, it's starting to feel real. Our friend Katherine is going to have a HUSBAND. There will be a WIFE present at our monthly girl dinners. And I'm so excited to be part of their day, to go back to Muhlenberg where we will no doubt be nostalgic and emotional about how far we've come since Prosser '99.
I signed up for Spanish last week. Starting in late September, I'm going to spend my Monday and Wednesday early mornings at the Cervantes Institute, learning how to say my name and age and where I live- in Spanish. It feels like the right time to do this, like a good moment to launch myself into a new culture and language that I don't know at all. I'm thinking of planning a trip to South America next summer as incentive; a year of Spanish lessons and I should be able to chat with the local baker about his favorite music, non?
I feel very lucky to now be at Arc full time; I've never been at a place with such a concentration of brilliance. I realized the other day that, for the first time in quite a long time, I felt smart at work. Not talented at a language, not well-read due to experience, but as if my brain had a little something extra going on. I wonder a lot if it's the influence of all the science and math brains that brings out another way of thinking. And all those boys. They sure do think different, them boys.
But I remain incredibly grateful to know such strong, brilliant women around the world. On my last night in Paris, Katie, Mad and I lounged around on the bed, making flip books and watching SATC. We bounced from French politics to sex to war to music. At one point we wondered aloud what would happen if the US and the UK went to war, how we would feel being on opposite sides of the fight. And it was strange to think about that, strange to imagine something larger than ourselves pitting me against them. Because those girls are on my side. I may not have a clear definition of what 'my side' is, I might not be able to show it in pie charts or fancy vocabulary words, but I think you can feel that sort of thing. And in the core of my core, I feel it.
I am one lucky girl.


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Turning Prospects into Customers:
We all know that "the early bird gets the worm". At Future Solutions, our mantra is "the early bird gets the competitive edge". This is why we are constantly forging new ground in emerging technologies and new media communication solutions. From rich media to mobile applications and beyond, we strive to be on the forefront of technology in order to provide our clients with the most updated marketing solutions available.
Future Solutions' expertise includes:
- Interactive Catalog & Brochures, press kits
- Joomla (CMS) Website Implementation
- Web Application Design and Development
- Mobile Applications Design and Development
- Artificial Intelligence SEO
Future Solutions provides turnkey digital communication solutions for agencies and in-house marketing departments. We offer a comprehensive range of advanced services designed to connect, communicate and ultimately, to convert prospects into customers.From media planning and project management to creative design and reporting, our digital communication specialists work closely with clients in order to accomplish a singular goal: to increase your bottom line.