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Valentine's Day is usually seen as a day for the couples, the romantics, and the folks who are in love. But it seems more like Valentine's Day 2014 is for the lovelorn and the currently single. Popular dating app Tinder even took home the "Best New Startup" award at this week's Crunchies, an awards show honoring the best in the tech industry. Once thought to be an app just for the young, Tinder has seen their user base expand from being 90 percent in the 18-24 year-old demographic when they started, to only half of Tinderers being of the young-twenty-something persuasion now.
From quizzes, to twitter trends, Google's doodle, and corporate promotions, Valentine's Day this year seems to be as much a day about being in love as it is the timeless question… What is Love?
Buzzfeed, the online chronicler of human desires, isn't just celebrating singleness, it's downright advocating the down-with-love sentiment:
Brands were all over it – the branding, that is. Yet, they don't seem to be encouraging much outside of playing with food…
Psssstttt, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We know what we're planning. http://t.co/vOIvqHwQ7L pic.twitter.com/rTS80sJ3Wj
— McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 14, 2014
Pancake love means never having to say you're hungry.
— IHOP (@IHOP) February 13, 2014
… Literally:
Your kids will love this #Valentines #HERSHEYSHUGS & KISSES Chocolate Checkers game! http://t.co/5Qfeg17kpH pic.twitter.com/RTLMlHwKgs
— HERSHEY'S KISSES (@HersheysKisses) February 12, 2014
Harvard Business Review took a dire look at how finding love is like a marketplace (as if singles needed to be reminded?).
"Creative" e-cards that don't seem to inspire affection are popping up everywhere.
Vanity Fair even put together this list of valentines from TV villains.
And take a look at these uninspiring, but hilarious, valentines for singles:
Dating apps tell you to just get yourself out there…
Don't let Valentines Day's proximity discourage you, put yourself out there and make it your goal to find that special someone in time!
— OkCupid (@okcupid) February 10, 2014
…even though just 5 percent of Americans in a committed relationship say they met their significant other online (Pew Research).
The trending Valentine's Day related hashtags on Twitter are quite unromantic:
I just met you and this is crazy. Here's a restraining order, sign it maybe? #HarsherLoveSongs
— James M-Theory (@JamesMinock) February 14, 2014
Violets are blue,
Chocolates are pleasing,
The best we could do
Was quantitative easing.
#FedValentines @MarketplaceAPM
— Harlan Kadish (@MathMusicMole) February 14, 2014
#rejectedcandyhearts pic.twitter.com/mcKFIHcwZW
— Nintendo Glass (@amanicdroid) February 12, 2014
And then Pope Francis urged young people to get married:
Dear young people, don't be afraid to marry. A faithful and fruitful marriage will bring you happiness.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 14, 2014
Policy wonks are writing pieces on "how to save marriage," which should encourage concern in any person looking to get married for the first time (or again).
Finally, no one really knows if St. Valentine himself was married. There is little written about him in his lifetime, outside of reports of his acts to marry others.
So whether you're looking for love, or doing just fine all by yourself, Valentine's Day 2014 seems to be for the unattached. Here's to you, single people: reclaiming Valentine's Day one hashtag at a time.


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Is either NBN Policy proposal offering a bargain or the opposite, a "lemon"?
First, what do we mean by "bargain"?
My "New Oxford American Dictionary" defines bargain as:
a thing bought or offered for sale more cheaply than is usual or expected : the secondhand table was a real bargain | [as adj. ] household and electrical goods at bargain prices.On-line Dictionary.com:
an advantageous purchase, especially one acquired at less than the usual cost: The sale offered bargains galore.Collins World English Dictionary, via Dictionary.com
a. something bought or offered at a low price: a bargain at an auctionb. ( as modifier ): a bargain priceOn-line Merriam-Webster.com:
something acquired by or as if by bargaining; especially : an advantageous purchase <at that price the car is a bargain>The dictionary examples seem to point to price: The cheapest things are bargains.
But look again, the wording is often "advantageous", not "lower than normal price". Bargains imply both "value for money" and "notably lower than normally expected price". Purchase price is only one of many factors influencing value.
If you've bought any second-hand cars, you know that what looks like "a great bargain" on the day might turn out to be "a real lemon"... Nasty problems, whether existing or latent ('broken' vs 'will break soon'), may cost several times the notional price of the car to repair. A $2,000 "classic" car that winds up needing extensive rust-repair or (hidden) accident damage fixed may turn into a $15,000 vehicle, still with a worn engine, suspension, steering and transmission!
Just because the sale price is low, doesn't make an item "a bargain", unless you can afford to discard it, for free, when it proves unserviceable.
The other type of value-decision is constant price, but different quality.
Which is a better deal for $15,000, a 2 year-old Hyundai (ie. 'cheap' car) or a 10 year-old BMW or Mercedes (ie. 'premium' car) with a higher build-quality and inclusions? It depends...
If you can work on the cars yourself, have access to specialist tools and test gear and can source parts at reasonable prices, then the older car may well suit your needs better.
If you're at the mercy of others, especially the official Dealers who aim to extract high premiums over the entire life of the product, the newer car may well suit you better.
If you're not going to drive the car far each year, have had it checked for problems by a good, local mechanic who specialises in that brand and who will maintain it for you, then you will, as far as these things are guaranteed, get a bargain by buying the older, 'premium quality' car.
What are we buying, as voters and taxpayers?
How, as consumers, do we "buy" at the next election an NBN that will be at least "good value" and at best "a bargain"?
Firstly, just what is being sold?
What is the up-front price, what's included and not included, what hidden costs might there be and what are the future costs that are reasonably predictable?
At the moment, this completely disregards: are the two options even roughly equivalent. Is one a beat-up old "paddock car" and the other shiny and new?
Update 28-Nov-2012: I've corrected the Fibre component to $26.8B (was $26.4B) and total project to $37.4B (was $43B).
The GPON FTTH solution, for 93% premises, starting to be rolled out is not $37.4B: the fixed-line fibre is $26.8B. The rest is for Fixed Wireless, Satellite and other system/project costs.
An FTTN solution, without copper-line leasing or purchase costs, for 98% of premises was estimated by Telstra to cost around $15B. Paul Fletcher, in Wired Brown Land, suggests a cost of $9-10B for ~90% of premises. The last 1.1M premises were estimated to cost $4-5B, more than four times each than the first 4M premises.
To be generous, let's compare a $10B FTTN with $26B FTTH, both to roughly 90% of premises.
The elephant in the room, the unknown cost, is: What will Telstra charge to use its copper?
Whilst the current agreement pays Telstra $11B in NPV, for access to ducts, pipes, pits and exchanges, it does not pay for access to copper: payments only accrue when copper lines are disconnected.
But here's a surprise: the biggest single component of replacement cost of Telstra's Customer Access Network is the "ducts and pipes". Together with copper cables, well over 50% of replacement costs. One estimate from the ACCC is over $40B (for a competitor) to build a replacement copper C.A.N.
Update 28-Nov-12: With my limited knowledge, I hadn't understood just how deep the Telstra pipe-and-duct network went. It extends 100mm conduit well into the local neighbourhood, with 25mm conduit on "service drops" to premises for the lead-in. A large part of the $11B NPV given to Telstra is for access to that network. NBN Co will be upgrading parts of the network and installing its own pits and probably many new service drops (old, congested, collapsed and to wrong location on-site). Because paying to reuse the Telstra pipe-duct network resulted in a saving, I'm guessing a net cost of $10B, with $2-3B in upgrades. It must be noted that the current SSU contract doesn't buy anything from Telstra: it allows access and allows Telstra to decommission and remove its copper after a declared date in each region (I didn't read who owns the pipes-ducts after then). There is a deadline that NBN Co must meet to declare a service, or Telstra gets to keep its copper in service. IANAL, but that sure looks to me like the Coalition can't rely on the existing SSU and automatically acquiring the pipe-duct network. To be an "apples-and-apples" comparison, they still need to provide an irrevocable right-to-use the $10B pipe-duct network and to upgrade it to the minimum usable standard, as NBN Co will.
The GPON FTTH project is two projects in one:
- For around
$12B in construction costs$10B in Telstra payments and their own upgrade costs , laybuild and upgrade 100,000km of pipe (conduit) and associated connection cabinets.
- For
$14B$14-16B, lay a GPON FTTH inside the new pipe/conduit network.
Which prices should we compare for FTTH and FTTN?
Neither of these support the Coalition assertion, "FTTN will be 3-4 times cheaper to build than an FTTH".
- $40B for a copper CAN to $26.8B for GPON FTTH?
- $10B FTTN to $14B for the GPON component of the FTTN + $2-3B for upgrades?
The first bargain NBN Co is delivering is the
The FTTN does not include this new and very important feature. If this was a car, the salesman would be now saying: "Oh, did you want tyres and rims on your new car?" This new "Structured Cabling" approach became standard in computer network nearly 20 years ago. It's not a new idea, nor outrageous to expect.
For a proper comparison, an FTTN has to include the same options: conduits and cabinets to 75% of premises served.
The apples and apples comparison for FTTH to FTTN is: $26.8B vs $20B ($10B+$10B)
Not that much of a difference.
What do each solution cost in running costs, repairs and maintenance?
All the FTTN proponents acknowledge the ageing copper network has rising maintenance costs, and these are higher than for a) fibre optic in general and b) a brand new fibre network.
By how much? Nobody has been willing to put a figure on that.
We can get a hint from Telstra itself, from their ASX released Briefing Paper, Aug-2005, "The Digital Compact and National Broadband Plan". Page 18 cites: "14.3M fault calls, 14+% of all lines have fault".
This is without considering the running and maintenance of those 70-350,000 little grey boxes spread across the countryside for vandals to smash, weather to impact and heat to break the electronics in... The cost isn't in electronics, though they were estimated at over 50% of the node costs in 2009, it's the millions of kilometres that technicians will have to drive, reducing their productive hours to below 50% of their hours.
That's the second bargain NBN Co will deliver: much lower operational and maintenance costs.
This is a "gift that keeps on giving": maintenance and electronics upgrades are always going to many-fold cheaper than an FTTN. It designed to be efficient.
What are the major project costs?
In the ACCC Report to the NBN Expert Panel in 2009, the cost modelling says that for ULLS (Unbundled Local Links), the cost of capital was 75% of Telstra's costs. The Cost of Capital is the overwhelming cost in every NBN Solution.
The Federal Government, with its AAA credit-rating and "risk-free" status, borrows money much cheaper than anyone. The ACCC analysis added a 6-7% "risk margin", on top of the "risk-free" rate, to the modelling of a privately built FTTN.
Funding NBN Co with "risk-free" debt effectively halves the dominating cost in the project.
A 50% discount: sounds like a great bargain to me!
What the ACCC didn't discuss was IRR (Internal Rate of Return) and Profit Margin.
As a wholly-owned Government Business, NBN Co is expected to return 350 basis points (3.5%) above the reference rate: this is barely above household mortgage rates and much, much lower than any business loan for this project.
The Internal Rate of Return and Profit Margins demanded of NBN Co by the Government are extraordinarily low. They are many times (4?) lower than Telstra or a private consortium would charge.
A 75% discount on the profit margin: sounds like an outstanding bargain to me!
How do we know what Margins Telstra likes to charge (apart from the headline Profit Margin of 42+% of turnover)? From the Aug-2005 ASX Release. Page 13 gives EBITDA Margins for various services.
They range from 88% for Domestic Long Distance (STD calls) to 55% for Local Calls and Basic Access and 40-42% for Mobiles and Data Services.
Because of the very modest financial target set by the Government, we know that NBN Co does not have to charge the extraordinarily high margins Telstra has been used to. As consumers, we get to enjoy lower charges and better services.
Lifetime and Upgrade: Do I get a 15,000km or 150,000km warranty?
The new equipment installed for both FTTN and FTTH solutions will have a 30-year economic design life. Whichever we choose, we are locked into the decision for a very long time. Most people think of a 25-30 year mortgage as "a lifetime"... This is the same sort of commitment.
FTTN proponents acknowledge the capability gap between ADSL/VDSL and GPON Fibre.
Their usual response is "nobody will ever want or need more than DSL can deliver" or "Fibre is sooo expensive, who'd want to buy it?"
The speed difference, out of the box, is 80:1000Mbps at best, but for guaranteed rates 12-25:1000Mbps. That's the difference between walking and a 320kph Ferrari.
For twice the upfront price, one-tenth the running costs, 40 (forty) times the speed and better quality?
Is that the bargain of the century or what??
A Ferrari that uses less fuel than a moped, for just twice as much.
As I've noted above, the monthly rental for subscribers is based on many more factors than he headline/up-front cost of the project. Twice as much up-front does not translate to "Twice the rental".
While the new nodes and electronics installed for an FTTN will have a 30-year economic life, does the ageing fault-ridden copper network come with a warranty of any sort?
That's the weakness of the FTTN: the copper is old and reaching the end of its service life in the majority of premises, it doesn't come with a warranty. [no references found]
You get what you pay for: new GPON Fibre will have a 30-year service life, will support 100-times speed improvement as it is, (just add new electronics either end) and, if you need to replace or augment it, being in conduits - that's really quick, cheap and easy.
Just 15 years ago most Australians on the Internet used 14.4k-28.8bps over the same phone lines they are now getting 4Mbps on. Those same phone lines will be upgraded to 12-25 Mbps by an FTTN.
Is that a 1,000-fold or 6-fold improvement? Which ever way you count it, that's really impressive improvement. How much more improvement can we expect from copper DSL services?
There's the rub... FTTN advocates will say "People have 1Gbps or 10Gbps over copper in the laboratory"... Kinda, sorta, but not really.
You can get 100Mbps over new Cat-5 ethernet cable: for 100m, sometimes 500m.
You can get 1Gbps over new Cat-6 ethernet cables: for 10-30m.
You can get 10Gbps over purpose built cables, either Thunderbolt (active parts) or SFP+: for 2-3m.
Because as frequencies increase, the signals travel in a smaller band just on the surface of a conductor, they are unduly affected by imperfections, corrosion and the breakdown of joints. In the real-world with old cables designed for 3Khz voice, not Mhz DSL, you will never see 1Gbps on copper. The speed that GPON Fibre starts at.
At best, over the next 10 years we'll see a 2-4 fold increase in DSL speed, and then that will probably be it.
Pay 50% more and get a lifetime warranty on a new product: sounds like a really good deal to me. That's the difference with fibre.
In another 10 years will you be wanting 12Mbps or 40Mbps, 100Mbps or more?
Chances are you'll want a lot more bandwidth than 12Mbps and a DSL FTTN just won't take you there then, or for the following 20 years.
In 10-15 years, will the Coalition bow to public pressure for Better Broadband and adopt a GPON FTTH? That replacement will cost only marginally less than the current implementation: the DSL FTTN will cost additional money to remove. It isn't just "building one to throw away", it's also "paying almost the say to remove it as put it in".
Building a DSL FTTN to throw-away: that's not a bargain and disposing of 10,000's of nodes won't be cheap, quick or easy.
GPON Fibre is a bargain compared to an DSL FTTN solution, even a hybrid FTTN solution.
The construction/install cost does not reflect what you'll pay per-month.
The basic price, for 12Mbps, will be higher than current DSL services, but if you're getting 2-4 times the speed as the majority of DSL subscribers will, that's still good value.
- GPON FTTH is delivering is a $12B conduit-to-the-premises, included in the price, allowing cheap, fast, easy upgrades, repairs and additions.
- FTTN does not provide the conduit, leaving us in the nineteenth Century.
- GPON FTTH will deliver: much lower operational and maintenance costs, probably 2-5 times lower.
- Using government "risk-free" funding and a comparatively low Return (3.5%), more than halves the financing costs, which normally account for 75% of internal costs.
- Any FTTN that is built via a Public/Private partnership or solely by Private, will have much higher financing costs and many-fold higher Gross Margins to provide shareholder returns.
- The guaranteed bandwidth of GPON FTTH starts at forty times faster than DSL and will only improve. 100Gbps ethernet fibre-optic is currently commercial available, not a laboratory pipedream.
- The problem isn't that DSL FTTN can or cannot match speed now, but that it will never scale to meet future demand. It is at the end of its lifecycle.
- The copper network is old and near the end of its service life: it's warranty period has expired, while GPON Fibre, which has lower maintenance costs, will be new and easily last the next 30 years: Fibre comes with a "lifetime warranty".
- An FTTN built now, will cost us twice: Once to install and again, nearly as much, to remove.
- What's the sense in building something intending to throw it away. It doesn't make sense.
DSL FTTN might seem cheaper up-front, but is like a clapped out old car on its last legs: it will cost you dearly to run and maintain, let you down when you need it most and will one day die on the side of some lonely road.
But there's a "gotcha" nobody in the Coalition will address: "What will Telstra charge?"
The SSU is about an FTTH not FTTN, Telstra will be obliged to pursue its shareholder interests and charge $8-$12B for its copper network, or lease it for (much) more. Trying to finesse this charge by partnering with Telstra shifts costs to the financing side: much more expensive.
But there's a "gotcha" nobody in the Coalition will address: "What will Telstra charge?"
The SSU is about an FTTH not FTTN, Telstra will be obliged to pursue its shareholder interests and charge $8-$12B for its copper network, or lease it for (much) more. Trying to finesse this charge by partnering with Telstra shifts costs to the financing side: much more expensive.
Bargains represent good value, not just "cheapest to buy".
The GPON FTTN is a great bargain, a DSL FTTN is a lemon that for the next 30 years you'll regret buying.

subset: commoncrawl


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Western Sydney Woman Found Dead On The Floor By Her Son
A man has been charged with the murder of his wife after one of the couple's sons arrived home to find his mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor of their western Sydney home.
Police and paramedics responded to a "frantic" triple-0 call at about 4pm on Tuesday, sealing off the scene in Glenwood Park Drive, Glenwood Park.
Soon after, it was confirmed that they had been unable to revive the 56-year-old woman, and after speaking with the son, the alleged victim's husband was located in a car outside some Kings Langley shops and was arrested.
Detective Acting Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said: "Police spoke with a family member, and as a result, a search began for a 57-year-old male, who police will allege is the husband of the deceased lady.
"He was arrested without incident at that location."
The man was charged with murder late last night, and is expected to face court.
According to a neighbour, the family had lived at their Glenwood address since 2007, and had two university-aged sons.


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When I first got started in SEO, things were different, simpler. In part this was due to the way in which we measured success. Success looked like a number one ranking, and an increase in visitors. We had no idea what conversion rate was normal, so any sales looked good. Bounce rates didn't matter because primitive analytics solutions didn't measure that type of metric, and if you'd talked to me about user engagement, you'd have got a blank look – after all, I wasn't building wedding websites.
As a result of this, the primary goal of a lot of the content that was written in those days was dreadful. Despite Google's guidelines, the stuff that passed for website content wasn't really there for users, it was there to provide a place to put keywords. It looked like this:
If you're looking for cheap anything, then you've come to the right place. We have the cheapest anything anywhere on the internet, so before you buy your cheap anything, check out our prices, and get cheap anything for less!
Then two things happened: Google Analytics, and Social Media.
Google Analytics changed the game for a lot of marketers. Before large numbers of people had access to free software to monitor traffic, and the ability to understand how users interacted with your content, there was little ability to understand where you could improve things. Once you could measure things like bounce rates and user journeys, it was possible to improve the user experience. As a result, content improved.
Social Media also changed things. Once commercial websites started to invest in forums and blogs, and started to have a conversation with their users, they soon discovered that people want more than just a slab of keyword stuffed rubbish. They want to be spoken to as a peer.
I'll freely admit that over the years I've been responsible for some pretty questionable content flooding the internet like this gem from back in 2007 which was totally written for search engines (and my own amusment):
But I've changed since then.
But it seems that some people haven't. Today I was doing a quick competitor review as part of a sales process and I came across the following gem:
If you're looking for cheap KEYWORD; then you've come to the right place.
On every single page of their website.
And on every single page of many of their competitors websites.
I wept.
I'll grant that it isn't easy to write keyword rich engaging content that simultaneously appeals to users and ticks the boxes for search engine relevance, but it's not that hard. So start doing it, because ultimately, not all users need to be told that they're in the right place for something on every page they visit in the same way that they don't need to be told to click here on every big red button.
2 Responses to SEO. I am Disappoint
rob says:
Disappointed that your button done f'k all!!
Quumf says:
Ah yes, the button. It was meant to be metaphorical. It isn't any more.
Buy My BookYou can buy a copy of my Book - Mastering SEO - from the link below. Go on, what are you waiting for? Mastering SEO
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The middle distance (1.9/90/21.1) Championship event will take place at the incredible x-bionic® sphere in Samorin, Slovakia on June 2, 2019.
For professional athletes, The Championship 2019 will carry a minimum €150,000 professional prize purse. A unique professional qualifying system will firstly see professional athletes able to qualify for The Championship 2019 via Challenge Family events worldwide.
Age group athletes will have the opportunity to qualify with a top six age group finish at any Challenge Family event worldwide during the qualification period. Top 6 teams in the male, female and mixed categories in relay events will qualify for The Championship at Challenge Family events.
Slots will roll down in each age group and relay category up to 12th place. There won't be a roll down system for the professional athletes.
THECHAMPIONSHIP 2019 will take place June 1st – 2nd 2019 (side events taking place on June 1st 2019 and the middle distance triathlon will take place on the June 2nd). The stunning x-bionic® sphere in Samorin will again welcome thousands of visitors from around the world and the highly regarded event will be an occasion for triathletes to enjoy, no matter the age or experience.
Additionally, those wishing to cheer and support rather than race will be able to do so from the comfort and surroundings of the Triathlon Expo, which will be in a central position next to the running course.


text: How We Help Our Troops & Their Families Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund Outdoor Adventures Gifts from Home Care Packages Rehab and Recovery Fund Heroes to Homeowners Heroes Retreats Defender of Freedom Awards & Benefit Dinner Army-Navy Weekend Highlights & News Recent Posts January 11, 2019January 11, 2019 Categories: Heroes to Homeowners, Highlights, Support Our Troops Combat Veteran Receives Mortgage-Free Home Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank present wounded Marine Sergeant Andrea Bruns with a newly-renovated, mortgage-free home in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota! This live blog post takes you from a preview of the home to the award ceremony! Watch and celebrate with an American Hero as she receives her mortgage-free home!Read more September 24, 2018September 25, 2018 Categories: Highlights Ollie North's 75th Birthday Matching Gift Challenge In honor of Ollie North's 75th birthday, some loyal friends of Freedom Alliance have stepped forward to issue a $75,000 Matching Gift Challenge. These generous friends told me if we can raise $75,000 by October 27th to help wounded combat troops, they will match that amount with another $75,000! That means we could put a total of $150,000 to work right away providing urgently-needed care and support for our wounded heroes and their families IF we meet this Matching Gift Challenge in time. Read more June 13, 2018June 13, 2018 Categories: Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, Highlights Meet Shelby Summers, Freedom Alliance 2018 Scholarship Ambassador Shelby Summers is the daughter of Army Sergeant First Class Severin W. Summers, a Special Operator who was killed in Afghanistan on August 2nd, 2009 while conducting combat operations when a command wired IED struck his vehicle during Operation Enduring Freedom. A Freedom Alliance scholarship recipient, she is currently a sophomore at Baton Rouge Community […]Read more May 29, 2018 Categories: Highlights, Rehab and Recovery Fund, Support Our Troops Washington Capitals Honor Soldier The Washington Capitals scored victory the other night over the Tampa Bay Lightning, putting the playoff series in a tie with each team scoring three wins. There was one fan attending, courtesy of a donation to Freedom Alliance from the Capitals, who became a Caps fan around 8 years ago. How is it that an […]Read more See the archive Read All Highlights & News Freedom Alliance advances the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States and promoting a strong national defense.


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Also announced for the second quarter of this year was Monster Hunter Freedom, for the PSP, the aforementioned blockbuster hit in Japan. The US version of the game will include four player support, as well as a two-player treasure hunt mode.
The PSP lineup announcements continued with Capcom Puzzle World, a compilation of classic brain-ticklers. Super Puzzle Fighter 2 headlines, alongside Block Block and Buster Bros. Collection. This was followed by a look at Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, a Super Smash Bros. styled four player fighting game. All the main characters from the Viewtiful Joe series take part, as well as Dante from Devil May Cry.
The handheld games kept on coming, with Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed, a veritable treasure trove of games from Capcom's past, in the same vein as the classics collections released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Not much more needed to be said once the full lineup of included titles was revealed. Included in this collection are (in alphabetical order): 1941, Avengers, Bionic Commando, Black Tiger, Block Block, Captain Commando, Final Fight, Forgotten Worlds, Last Duel, Legendary Wings, Magic Sword, Mega Twins, Quiz & Dragons, SectionZ, Side Arms, The Speed Rumbler, Street Fighter, Strider, Three Wonders, and Varth. The collection's bonus features will include access to soundtracks, game histories, and useful tips.
Closing the handheld presentation was Mega Man: Powered Up, a super-deformed take on the first chapter of the Mega Man series, bringing the franchise back to its roots. Every Robot Master from the original game will be playable, as well as the familiar blue hero. Mega Man: Powered Up will include a level editor, a first for the franchise, so that players can trade user-created levels between friends. There will also be what was dubbed a 100 challenge, comprising a hefty bunch of brief levels that would provide a puzzle-game styled series of goals for players to take on.


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Information regarding Air Berlin
Update, 13.10.2017
Lufthansa will take over big parts of Air Berlin, including the Austrian subsidiary Fly Niki and the regional provider LGW as well as 20 further aircrafts. There will be an antitrust investigation before the deal can be fixed, in order to avoid a market dominance of the German Lufthansa.
What does this deal mean for consumers?
For now, nothing about the process regarding reimbursements as explained below has changed. Air Berlin will stop operating flights at 28.10., tickets for later flights are therefore invalid and won't be changed to Lufthansa tickets.
Lufthansa-CEO Carsten Spohr stated in an interview that they will try to offer transport for "fair prices" to those customers of Air Berlin who are stuck abroad. They are working on the details now.
Air Berlin will stop its flight operations at the end of October (as previously reported). Meanwhile, the website information has been updated:
- "As far as we are currently aware, flight operations under the IATA airline code AB will no longer be possible during the insolvency proceedings, at the latest from October 28th 2017. NIKI flights are not affected and will be continued."
The wording "as far as we are currently aware" appears to be intentionally vague and indicates that the situation can change at any time. Please note that the insolvency proceedings have not yet started and that it is completely uncertain when they do.
Consequences for consumers
What do this newest developments mean for consumers of Air Berlin who are affected by a flight cancellation? As before, the date of the booking is decisive.
Nothing has changed for passengers who bought their ticket before the insolvency application on 15.08.: They will have to wait until the opening of the insolvency proceedings to file their claims:
- "If the booking was made before August 15th 2017, reimbursement is not possible. Passengers affected may file their claim for the insolvency schedule after the opening of the insolvency proceedings."
For all others, according to Air Berlin, the following applies:
- "For tickets purchased after August 15th 2017, we will reimburse the purchase price if the flight will no longer be operated. Rebooking to another airline is not permitted."
Furthermore, special considerations apply to customers with tickets for November:
- "Payments for flights operating after November 1st 2017 are secured by a trustee. In case these flights are not operating against expectations, affected passengers will receive a ticket refund. This only applies for bookings from August 15th 2017 onwards."
Air Berlin seems to hope that the already booked flights in November will be operated by other airlines and won't have to be cancelled.
In summary: Air Berlin wants to reimburse all consumers who bought a ticket after the insolvency application and whose flights got cancelled. If this promise will be kept, is uncertain.
According to media reports, a decision about the future of Air Berlin will be made in the next days.
Tips by the ECC:
- We advise all affected consumers to ask for an alternative flight. Air Berlin states on its website that rebookings are not possible anymore, but a few consumers told us that they were successful with their request. It is worth a try and asking does not cost a thing.
- We strongly advise against booking new flights at Air Berlin!
- Consumers who bought a ticket before 15.08. have to wait for the insolvency proceedings. We recommend to look for updates on the website of the insolvency administrator.
Unfortunately, we can only offer information. An intervention would have no prospect of success. However, we will keep you updated about any new developments.


text:
Well, it's been a while since the last post... However, I'm back and I am going to dig a little bit on the "Automatic Shared Memory Management" 10g feature.
As you already (probably) know, every Oracle instance has a big shared buffer called SGA (System Global Area). This big memory buffer is further divided in several slices, each of them being used for special kind of memory allocations. Till Oracle 9i, the only possibility to adjust their sizes were to manually set a couple of initialization parameters like: DB_CACHE_SIZE, SHARED_POOL_SIZE, JAVA_POOL_SIZE etc. However, in 10g some buffers from the SGA were endowed with a nice capability to resize themselves according to the current workload and other parameters.
The figure below depicts a regular section through the SGA.
As you can see the maximum size upon to which the whole SGA may extend is given by the SGA_MAX_SIZE parameter. However, the SGA_TARGET parameter is the one which actually set the amount of memory to be used by all SGA buffers.
The correlation between the values of the SGA_MAX_SIZE and the SGA_TARGET parameters is important mostly when you query the V$SGA_DYNAMIC_FREE_MEMORY.
Lets have a look onto the following output:
SQL> show parameter sga_target;
------------------------------------ -------------------------------- ------------------------------
sga_target big integer 1504M
SQL> select current_size/1024/1024 size_M from v$sga_dynamic_free_memory;
SQL> show parameter sga_max_size
------------------------------------ -------------------------------- ------------------------------
sga_max_size big integer 2G
At the very first sight you may think that from the SGA_TARGET which is 1504M, about 544M are free which, of course, is not true because the Oracle server will always try to expand SGA buffers so that the whole SGA_TARGET amount to be allocated. The free memory reported by the V$SGA_DYNAMIC_FREE_MEMORY view is the difference between the SGA_MAX_SIZE and the SGA_TARGET, which should be read as: "I still have 544M free from the whole SGA_MAX_SIZE which I can use for further expansions of the SGA_TARGET".
A nice view which I also like to query when I want to find out a brief summary of the SGA composition is the V$SGAINFO.
SQL> select * from v$sgainfo;
----------------------------------- ---------- ---
Fixed SGA Size 2074152 No
Redo Buffers 14700544 No
Buffer Cache Size 671088640 Yes
Shared Pool Size 838860800 Yes
Large Pool Size 16777216 Yes
Java Pool Size 16777216 Yes
Streams Pool Size 16777216 Yes
Granule Size 16777216 No
Maximum SGA Size 2147483648 No
Startup overhead in Shared Pool 100663296 No
Free SGA Memory Available 570425344
11 rows selected.
Please notice that I can also look at the size of the so-called "granules", which are the allocation units for the SGA memory. The size of one granule varies according to the whole size of the SGA, operation system and platform. You can also find the size of the granule by querying the V$SGA_DYNAMIC_COMPONENTS.
SQL> select granule_size from v$sga_dynamic_components where rownum <= 1;
Another important thing to remember is that if you set values for the parameters which controls the size of the dynamic buffers into the SGA then, those values will be taken as minimum thresholds which means that Oracle server will try to adjust the size of the buffers when necessary but will never decrease them under the manually set value.
Of course, there is also the possibility to disable the "Automatic Shared Memory Management" feature by simply setting the SGA_TARGET value to zero. Likewise, this feature will also be disabled if the STATISTICS_LEVEL parameter is NONE, but this is not recommended at all as it disables other Oracle features too (ADDM, for example).
Well, that's it... not very new information but just a short review.


text:
Customer Reviews
Alexandra Jerez
We had our daughters Christening Celebration Lunch on the 22 of November, had 55 guests, right from the beginning of organizing the lunch to the end the quality of service was high and not to mention the excellent food. No complaints were made from all my guests, they could not stop talking about how delicious and presentable the food was right from the entree to dessert. A special thank you to Jemma who was in charge at Captains Grill Restaurant, I will definitely go back there any time. Thank you for making my daughters day memorable.
Mannie Swavley
I Held my daughters christening here over the weekend I chose captains grill because I always love eating here when we go out for dinner so decided I would have a small christening here, well small turned into around 100 guests and I couldn't believe how accommodating the restaurant were… they allowed me to bring in decoration and then set it all up for me it really felt like it was a private function centre, all my guests raved about the food and service it was amazing definitely 5 stars. I have been going here for years now and each time I go it just gets better and better, also a special thank you to Jemma she really went above and beyond to make my daughters day special xxx


text:
A blog about the adventures and misadventures that come with parenting, farming, writing, and being a later life college student in the midst of it all.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Nighttime Adventures
Anyway, confident in a full five hours I pulled the covers up and started to drift off.
Mid-drift I heard growling, and snarling and thumping.
It came closer...
and closer...
Till I had one large cat with a kitten in hot pursuit galloping all over my bed.
I yelled and they ran off.
The husband...he was breathing the deep breaths of a soundly sleeping man.
I pulled the covers up and started drifting and achieved full sleep.
Then "Mom!!"
I screamed in terror.
My daughter screamed and then laughed at me for screaming
The husband...he kept breathing.
"What? Are you ok?"
"No...there is a HUGE spider in my room."
"Ok, where?"
"In my room!"
"Yes, I know that, but where?"
"On the wall"
"Which wall"
"Come see"
I struggled out of bed and grabbed my glasses so I wouldn't be trying to catch a blurry spider and since this was a 7 yr old, I figured her big spider would really be small and I would need glasses to see it.
We get to her room and I ask where it is and she points.
"That grey thing on the wall"
(I was tired at this point and not sure what really came out of my mouth, but I think I kept it in my head"
This was truly a spider that qualified as HUGE, like Jurassic era, caveman spider, horror movie stand in spider.
I ran for my trusty Dyson that I use to suck up any manner of creepy thing I find in my house.
I dragged the Dyson up the stairs. It is now 2am.
The daughter disappears into my bed and leaves me to fight off this horrid thing...alone.
I plug in the vacuum and pull out the wand that makes an awesome clicking sound when I am using it...reminds me of the Terminator and I always say "lock and load" when I am using it to suck up a creepy thing. (yep my life is THAT awesome and exciting that I need to do things like that)
Anyway, I aim the end of the wand at the spider...he moves.
The vacuum sucks it into the opening of the wand, and the damn thing got out, and crawled on the wall a bit.
It started to dawn on me that my Dyson was no match for this creature, and I had to be hands on.
Thankfully, my restless sleeper of a daughter had knocked her pillow onto the floor, and the spider fell onto that. I picked up the pillow,oh SO carefully, and carried it to the bathroom and talked to the spider- words of comfort and happy things, and lies. Lies about letting it go, free to wander.
Because really, I took it to the bathroom, knocked it into the toilet and flushed.
Spiders that big can probably hang on and climb back out of toilets, you know.
I wander back to bed, and shove into the middle between happily deep breathing, deep sleeping husband and restless sleeper daughter.
I drift off...and then I hear. "Yip!" 30 seconds later "Yip!" and so on.
So I start yelling from my bed. "DAISY SHUT UP!"
Amazingly, no one wakes up.
At night it is like I am a ghost in my own house.
Now it is about 3am. I fall asleep.
4:30 am and the dog is barking incessantly, she needs to go out.
I get up and take her out.
Normally I wake up between 4:30 and 5, take her out, start the coffee and read or write. This morning I stared at the coffee maker, thought about the non-sleep I had, and went to the couch and passed out till 7.
8 comments:
- AnonymousJune 26, 2011 at 7:31 PM
Your dog sounds just like mine. He takes a great deal of pleasure from waking people before they're ready. :( I'm glad you got to sleep a little longer once you dealt with the dog.ReplyDelete
I noticed early on that my DH can sleep through anything that he wants to. :-PReplyDelete
Okay, as awful as my night of non-sleep was, at least there wasn't a Dyson-defying spider involved.ReplyDelete
LOL You wrote that so well! I hope last might wasn't quite so adventuresome ;), and hopefully you are feeling more rested this morning. :D *hugs*ReplyDelete
I am literally laughing out loud over here.ReplyDelete
"...words of comfort and happy things, and lies. Lies about letting it go, free to wander."
I love this! I mean, I'm sorry about your rough night and can completely relate but... your story telling is amazing! Thought about being a writer (or are you?)?ReplyDelete
That...was...AWESOME! I enjoyed that very much. I'm so sorry you did not.ReplyDelete
That spider sounds absolutely horrific. Defying a Dyson? That's just plain evil.
Wow, you are much braver than I! Had I seen a Jurassic sized spider, I would have dragged my husband out of bed, no matter how deeply he was sleeping LOL!ReplyDelete


text:
Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes to run against Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell
By Tim Ghianni
(Reuters) – U.S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, will face a 2014 election challenge from popular Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.
At a press conference on Monday in Frankfort, the state capital, Grimes announced her candidacy and said McConnell, who has represented the state in the Senate for 28 years, has been obstructionist in Washington and is out of touch with average citizens.
A poll in late May by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found McConnell and Grimes tied at 45 percent each. The poll also showed McConnell with a 44 percent approval and 47 percent disapproval rating.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee immediately attacked Grimes, issuing a statement after her announcement saying that Grimes would oppose the coal industry, a fixture of the Kentucky economy for decades.
"Just last year, Alison Lundergan Grimes stood proudly at the Democratic National Convention to nominate Barack Obama, who has followed through on his promise to destroy the coal industry; in essence declared a war on the state of Kentucky and the middle class families who call it home," the statement said.
Obama lost Kentucky in the presidential election last year, but the state has a history of electing moderate Democrats to statewide office. In addition to Grimes, the state has a Democratic governor. The state's other U.S. senator is Rand Paul, a conservative Republican.
McConnell was elected Republican leader in 2006. He first won election to the U.S. Senate in 1984, defeating a long-time incumbent to become the first Republican to win a statewide Kentucky race since 1968.
(Reporting by Tim Ghianni; Writing by Greg McCune; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)


text:
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text:
A growing number of people in the escalating violence in Syria appear to be targeted because of their religion and "gross violations of human rights are occurring regularly," a UN monitor says - writes John Zarocostas.
The 16-month-old conflict between insurgents and forces defending President Bashar al-Assad's government is also becoming "increasingly militarized," said Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, in a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. An estimated 15,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
"Where previously victims were targeted on the basis of their being pro- or anti-government, the Commission of Inquiry has recorded a growing number of incidents where victims appear to have been targeted because of their religious affiliation," said the report.
Several branches of Islam are involved in the conflict. The minority Alawite sect, a branch of Shia Islam, comprises only 12 percent of the country's population but is strongly represented in the armed forces and forms the power base for al-Assad's government.
A soldier with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), an armed opposition group supported by Sunni Muslims, told the commission that "Alawite soldiers are normally killed immediately upon capture, while soldiers from other sects are offered the chance to join the FSA, and if they refuse they are released to their relatives." About 75 percent of the population is Sunni.
The commission report also noted that "an armed group has occupied a Greek-Catholic church in Al Qusayr, Homs, attacking clergy and turning the building into a base for its operations."
Pinheiro, who visited the Syrian capital of Damascus from 23-25 June 2012, warned that as a result of the flow of new weapons and ammunitions both to government and to anti-government armed groups, "the situation risks becoming aggravated in the coming months."
In a bid to stop the violence, the U.N.'s special envoy on Syria, Kofi Annan, has invited the foreign ministers of the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K., France, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to a meeting on 30 June in Geneva. The meeting will examine a stalled peace plan put forward by Annan.
On 25 June, the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, wrote to Ban, requesting that the UN give "a stronger and clearer mandate" to Annan's initiative. "It is only through an inclusive multi-lateral negotiated peace process that the worst can be avoided in Syria," Tveit said.
[With acknowledgements to ENInews. ENInews, formerly Ecumenical News International, is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.]


text:
White or silver CDs
|20 - 99 discs
|85p each
|100 - 299 discs
|75p each
|300 + discs
|65p each
The above prices are for duplication only. If you would like on disc printing - the cost of printing would be added to the duplication cost.
Please note that there is a minimum order of 100 with on-disc printing. Please see printing prices HERE.
Most of our orders come from London, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire but we can provide a first class service to anywhere in the UK.


text:
Time: 30 Minutes
Tools: Special oxygen sensor socket, 3/8" ratchet and extensions
Talent: (2)
Applicable Years: 1984 to 1996
Tab: $40.00 to $200.00
Torque Numbers: 40 to 44 lb./ft.
Tip: It's often easier to remove the sensor if the exhaust is still hot, rather than after the entire system has cooled down. You may need several different socket extensions and a universal joint for your ratchet wrench. Also, make sure you use a proper O2 socket for the sensor and use antiseize compound on the threads when you install the new sensor.
Performance Gain: The biggest difference will be improved idle performance. You could see a performance gain across the board depending on how badly the O2 sensor was deteriorated.
You probably won't have to replace the O2 sensor on your Corvette. On the other hand an Oxygen sensor is cheap enough that you might want to simply replace the sensor every 50,000 miles as part of a routine maintenance program. Even if you own a C4 with the LT1 engine, and two sensors, the price is still cheap. Treat it like a spark plug and replace it before it causes a problem.
The oxygen sensor is a key element in the engine computer system while the car is operating in closed loop system. The data from this sensor is used to maintain a balanced air/fuel mixture. If the sensor is sending out false or even sluggish readings then your engine is not going to be at peak performance.
An oxygen sensor need not fail completely. Often times on older cars they simply start to act sluggish. The usual signs of this are a slight loss of power, a rougher idle, or a slight drop in fuel mileage coupled with increased emissions.
Almost any shop can hook a scan tool to your Corvette and read the number of oxygen sensor counts, or the number of times it's actually measuring your exhaust gases. This is a foolproof diagnosis and might eliminate an unnecessary replacement, although the diagnosis may cost more than a new oxygen sensor.
Depending on which engine is in your Corvette you may have to look for the oxygen sensor in two different places. On the L98 engine there's only one sensor. It's located down on the exhaust pipe, on the driver's side just forward of the catalytic converter.
The ZR-1 uses two oxygen sensors, which are located forward of the catalytic converters. These are both heated, which means the price is about double that of the older style. The procedure for removing them is no different from replacing the single sensor in the L98.
Before you start to remove an oxygen sensor it's a good idea to remove the negative battery cable. Anytime you do electrical work on your Corvette it's not a bad idea to disconnect the battery. This is especially true when you start messing around with any of the sensors. Although it's not critical when removing the O2 sensor you might feel safer with the battery disconnected.
Most oxygen sensors come with the threads already coated with a special anti-seize compound. GM uses a special compound composed of graphite and glass beads. The graphite will quickly burn away, but the glass beads will remain. If you have to remove and reinstall the old oxygen sensor(s) make sure that you coat the threads with an anti-seize compound.
CC-2-1: The LT5 engine has two oxygen sensors, and both are fairly easy to reach with a wrench. The bad part is they're very expensive. A single sensor is roughly twice as much as an LT1 sensor. That's because they use a heated tip to keep the emissions clean at start up.
CC-2-2: When the LT1 engine was introduced the Corvette returned to a true dual exhaust system. This meant that the system had to have two O2 sensors – one for the right side and one for the left side. The good part is that they're fairly easy to get to.
CC-2-3: This special socket is used to remove the O2 sensor from the exhaust system. The slit down the side is a provision for the wiring. I would disconnect the harness first. Then you might as well start out with a half inch breaker bar on the end of this socket since these sensors don't like to be removed. In some cases you can use a box end wrench and just thread the wires through the box end.
This is an adaptation from Richard Newton's most recent book 101 Projects for Your Corvette 1984 – 1996. He has also written two other best selling Corvette One deals with the 1968 to 1982 Corvettes, How to Restore and Modify Your Corvette 1968-82 , while another deals with the Sting Rays from 1963 to 1967. All of these books are available from Corvette Central.


text:
animals, food, joy, language, observations, relationships, stuff, time
I can feel the beat.
You walking through the door.
Me listening at the door.
The slightly humid room you would like to escape from.
The air conditioning kicks on with a sputter
as you turn it down
one degree at a time
like a safecracker.
The shirts folded where you left them:
in the basket
and the carrots simmering in butter.
Where did you come from today?
The rugs under your chair
I've never seen and the music
I turn on in the evening.
The pots I put away while you fold
paper bags and wonder where
to put them.
The boiling water and the remote control
's silent adjustments.
The jacket on the chair, both chairs
and the shoes by the door.
The knife against the plate,
ice falling on the floor.
It broke into multiple pieces before you could catch it.
The paint flaking along the windowsill
where the tree branch taps every November
to let you know that Winter is near.
Your teakettle with the ivy decoration
and your laugh during Futurama.
A Doritos bag, when you want to be healthy
and a deep sigh when you do not.
The cat scratching and summer beatles
at the doors and windows.
The doorbell and the ice cream truck
's bell and the oven
letting me know the biscuits,
the cookies,
the cake,
the chicken
is done.
Refrigerator in B-flat
and the consternation of all our electronic devices.
Hail in Summer and rain in Spring and
each neighbor saying hello in the way they know how.
Reminders spoken about
swim lessons,
thawed meat,
bath times,
and clean clothes.
The music you sing in the morning
mainly to yourself.
Popcorn on Friday,
pancakes on Sunday.
Gathering coats, hats, purses, and bags to leave for the day.
Paper towels torn from their mates
while the cat watches.
Birds through the back window and the
squash growing thick by their nest.
That is not my noise,
that is my beat.


text:
Use "FIND" option on toolbar to search for a specific word or string.
October 30, 1997
Letter from the Editor
The phone rang in the office late Tuesday afternoon, and now that
"Hello, Steve, this is Dick Hoyer."
"Well, hello Mayor! What can I..."
"Steve, I just got wind about your little project over there
"That was supposed to be a secret, Dick. Who spilled the beans?"
"Well, somebody who knows the way I feel about these things.
"But, Mister Mayor, I... uh (gulp) I can't possibly..."
"Yes you can, Steve. And you'll do it. There are a lot of good
"Okay, Mister Mayor. I promise."
"Thank you, Steve. Good-bye."
Our readers will find our fond farewell section to Dick and Joan
Gadzooks! Brothers and Sisters I'm here to tell you that what I
Pecos Enterprise
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
We support


text:
'Arena' magazine tabs Bar Rafaeli "The Body of 2008″…
January 9th, 2008
With a body like that, who am I to argue?
Caption this…
January 4th, 2008
(image courtesy SplashNewsOnline.com)
On second thought, keep it to yourselves.
See more Jennifer Aniston pics at Egotastic
What the hell is wrong with Peter Brady?
December 19th, 2007
Christopher Knght (aka Peter Brady) is married to uber hottie Adrianne Curry, former winner of America's Next Top Model and two time Playboy pictorial model.
She recently thought she was making a nice gesture, and had some professional pics taken of her having sex with another beautiful women, and presented them to Chris as a gift.
And he flipped! He was totally disgusted and is prepared to separate.
"It is the physicalisation of my worst fears. It creeps me out. I want a separation."
Pete, settle down. Don't do something you're going to regret. The other 99% of men out there would kill to be in your shoes.
You've got a beautiful wife. Trust me you married WAY up. Then she goes and has pictures made of her naked with another really hot babe. Are you crazy?
Stacy Keibler pregnant?
December 12th, 2007
It sure as hell looks like it!
Rest easy though boys. This dress is just a little hard on profile shots…
Can we get her a coupon for a post 1970 hairstyle by the way?
For all the Katherine McPhee fans out there…
December 10th, 2007
Sure she dates an old dude. She's still hot and she's got some of the best legs around.
You better enjoy these because I think her 15 minutes are about over.
Tara Reid looks pretty good in a bikini…
December 4th, 2007
If I'm critical, I say her arms look a little skinny, and her boobs are clearly fake, but I don't know anyone that would kick her out of bed.
That is maybe until you smelled her!
See several more pics at Drunken Stepfather…
Are you sure they're related?
December 3rd, 2007
Jansen Panettiere is Hayden's little brother.
They don't look anything alike!!
Kristin Davis has wrinkles…
November 30th, 2007
(image courtesy SplashNews.com)
…and I can appreciate that. For once at least, I think I can say I'm looking at the real person, and the Photoshop Gods took a pass on this one.
Who is this Kristen Bell person?
November 30th, 2007
She's all over the place. I don't watch 'Heroes', but I always thought Hayden Panetierre and Ali Larter were the only two hotties on that show?
If Kristen keeps this up, I might just have to watch.
Hayden is just too young for me. Ali Larter is top shelf quality, but not strong enough to bring me in just yet.
Is the Asian bob look working for Katie?
November 30th, 2007
I'm going to go with yes. Though it almost looks fake, I think she looks sexy.
Not sure what I'd think if she weren't so dressed up here. Nonetheless, I think Tom is loving hitting that every night.


text:
Kelvin De La Cruz, Dave Wallace, Richie Bancells
Orioles left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz, center, talks with pitching coach Dave Wallace after throwing off a flat mound. Orioles trainer Richie Bancells, right, watches.
Eduardo A. Encina, Baltimore Sun
Copyright © 2019, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad


text:
University of Maine at Augusta is classified as a combined baccalaureate and associate's degree college. At least 10 percent of all undergraduate degrees awarded are bachelor's degrees. This large four-year institution has an estimated annual full-time enrollment of 1,000 to 2,999 degree-seeking students. Fewer than 50% of students are enrolled full time, and fewer than 25% of undergrads reside on campus. This institution awards associate's and bachelor's degrees, with the majority of degrees awarded at the associate's level. According to data for fall enrollment, at least 40% of undergraduates are enrolled part-time. Enrollment data shows that both graduates and undergraduates are enrolled at this institution. Over 90% of the student body are enrolled as undergraduates.
New England School of Photography
537 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
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About New England School of Photography
School Information
General Information
Student Body SizeUndergraduate119
Student Age% Under 2563%
% 25 and Over35%
% Age Unknown2%
Attendance Type% Full-time100%
% Part-time0%
Race/Ethnicity% White84.0%
% Black3.4%
% Asian5.0%
% Latino5.9%
% Native American0.0%
% Race Unknown1.7%
% International student0%
Student ServicesCareer CounselingYes
Student Employment ServicesYes
Graduate Placement ServicesYes
Study AbroadNO
Day CareNO
Religious AffiliationNO
Campus settingCity
Intitution type
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Academic Information
Art-Related Areas of StudyPhotography
Art Degrees OfferedAssociates Degree
Distance Learning Available
Calendar SystemTrimester
Admissions Information
Open AdmissionNo
Application RequirementsHigh School GPA
High School TranscriptRequired
High School RankingNeither required nor recommended
College Prep CoursesNeither required nor recommended
Letter of RecommendationNeither required nor recommended
Demonstration of CompetenciesRecommended
Admissions ExaminationNeither required nor recommended
Test of English as a Foreign Language (International Students)Neither required nor recommended
Standardized Tests% of Applicants Submitting SAT0%
% of Applicants Submitting ACT0%
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition & FeesUndergraduate Application Fee$25
In-State Tuition & Fees$22,400
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees$22,400
Financial Aid% Undergraduates with Financial Aid75%
% Undergraduates with Loans75%
% Undergraduates with Grants38%
Average Undergraduate Financial Aid Award$ 0
Other CostsBooks and Supplies (Estimated)$7,500
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$14,080
Off-Campus Living Expenses (Estimated)$3,500
Living with Family, Living Expenses (Estimated)$3,500
Neighborhood Data for the Boston Area
Median Age30.8
Median Household Income$51,739
Total Population609,942
Age/Gender % Men % Women
Total47.9% 52.1%
Age 0-951.4%48.6%
Age 10-1750.3%49.7%
Age 18-2447.6%52.4%
Age 25-2948.8%51.2%
Age 30-3949.4%50.6%
Race/Ethnicity% White53.6%
% Black25.1%
% Asian9.0%
% Latino17.3%
% Native American0.3%
% Pacific Islander0.1%
% Indian (South Asia)1.2%
On Campus Housing ProvidedNo
Meal Plan ProvidedNo
Off-Campus Room and Board Cost (Estimated)$14,080
Median Rent (Rental Units of Any Size)$1,107
Rental Price Distribution StudioOne BedroomTwo Bedroom
Under $50025.7%24.9%10.0%
$500 to $7499.7%6.2%0.0%
$750 to $99916.6%10.6%8.6%
Over $100047.9%58.3%70.4%
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Rebuild Your Smile and Improve Your Life
According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 69 percent of people between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost at least one of their natural teeth, whether due to trauma, disease, or decay. Unfortunately, many of these people fail to seek appropriate dental care, often because they are afraid of being judged by their dentist or out of a sense of overwhelming dental anxiety.
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Dr. David Silverstrom and Dr. Gary Silverstrom will customize your bridge with biocompatible tooth-colored materials, ensuring that it fits flawlessly into your smile. The bridge will restore mouth function so that you can smile, eat, and speak comfortable again.
What Is a Dental Bridge?
A dental bridge is an appliance used to replace a missing tooth or several missing teeth. It is typically comprised of an artificial tooth, or pontic, attached to a dental crown on either side. These crowns are affixed to the natural teeth on either side of a gap, where they provide strong support for the pontic. If two or more consecutive teeth are missing, multiple pontics may be attached to the crowns.
Dental bridges can also be attached to dental implants, if the teeth on either side of the gap are perfectly healthy. The placement of the crowns that bookend a traditional bridge requires the removal of natural tooth structure, while implant-supported bridges allow healthy adjacent teeth to remain intact.
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580 S Livingston Ave
Livingston, NJ 07039
Phone: (973) 992-3990
580 S Livingston Ave
Livingston, NJ 07039
Phone: (973) 992-3990
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Please contact us for a dental consultation. We look forward to providing you with the most convenient and comfortable dental experience you have ever had.


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I've got a couple of FREEBIES!! They are made with my new kit Oh My Darlin'. The kit is available in all of my stores.
and it's on sale, 40% off until Feb 21st.
I have one on my Facebook fan page: HERE
And... here on blog, here's what I have for you
You can download your freebie by clicking on the image, or HERE
I hope that you enjoy your freebies, thanks for stopping by!


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Some writers have natural gifts for marketing. Others struggle to make the shift between writing and promotion. I've collected seven helpful posts that might make things a little easier.
Reviews are a huge part of marketing. Many authors join sites like Goodreads (recently purchased by Amazon) to connect with readers. But if your book is an indie (self-published), it's sometimes difficult to find readers willing to post reviews. Empty Mirror lists ten ways to find reviewers for self-published books.
Buy Buttons
Your book is live on Amazon, and everywhere else. You've got a website set up. Now it's time to let readers purchase books from your site. I never knew how many potential problems could crop up with a 'book page' on a website. Thomas Umstattd is about to solve them all. He's created an easy way to add attractive buy buttons to your site, while still participating in affiliate programs. Imagine, getting paid twice for each book purchase. Right now (for just a few more days), he's running a Kickstarter project, where donors can receive discounts on the product. It's called My Book Table.
Kindle Direct
The Kindle Direct Program at Amazon can give books a much-needed boost at any stage of the marketing game. However, Amazon changes things from time to time. Check out what Lindsay Buroker has to say about what's working (and not working) right now at Amazon.
If you haven't heard of Kickstarter (and others like it), it's time to check out what this site can do. This site is crowd-sourcing at its best. Worthwhile ideas make money, the not-so-great don't fly (kind of sounds like publishing, doesn't it?) Thomas Umstattd's idea above has nearly tripled the monetary goal he set. But it's important to plan carefully, and learn from others who have traveled there before. One of those is Clinton Kabler, who lays out three basic steps to using Kickstarter for literary projects. He focused on several realities that are important to understand for a successful experience. And Chuck Wendig at Terrible Minds covers some typical misunderstandings with Kickstarter.
Most authors want readers. And sometimes the best way to find them is by giving things away for free. My post last week highlighted some of the positives and negatives of pricing books low or free. Joe Warnimont lists the reasons why direct email marketing has such a big impact, and how you can entice potential readers to sign up.


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This interview with Vorph of Samael was done by phone by Audrey Dujardin on February 23rd, 2006.
After being worshipped as one of the precursors of black metal as we know it and after becoming THE reference of industrial black metal with their album PASSAGE in 1996, Samael have turned into a myth in the metal scene Europe wide. The band likes to cultivate its mysterious decorum by going by pseudonyms and it's originality by emphasizing alternative stage performances including stand-up drumming, a simple imagery and above all a high-quality lights show with every concert. A year and a half after the release of Reign of Light, Samael ties bonds once more with old time label Century Media to release their experimental side project Era One. These words were spoken by Vorph just several days after the release.
Hi there are you calling from home?
Yeah I'm home.
I don't know if Chris (Mas) told you who I write for, have you heard of Tartarean Desire?
Yeah I know them, I go there sometimes.
I had tried to interview you in Lausanne when I was at the gig a couple weeks ago, but since that was the last date on the tour and since your family was there I didn't want to disturb you at the end of the show, I saw that you guys were all busy… I'll use the same questions that I had brought that day…
My first few questions are about the tour. So how was the return from the tour?
Well it was really easy going, it was a one month tour. We had already done a tour to promote Reign of Light in 2004, and this was just a bonus tour. There were some people who came to see us who had already seen us, and some who hadn't the first time since they didn't make the effort to come.
Has anything particular happened on that tour?
No, everything went as planned. It's always like that, when a tour goes well, there's really nothing to tell.
How did the Obituary crowd react to Samael?
I don't think the audience is that different a priori, but it's true that it's still not the same. Some people came for us and some people came for Obituary, those we tried to convince. One could however sense that they were a little skeptical at first, but half way through the shows you could tell that something was happening in some of them, and that was great.
How about the Samael crowd, were they seduced by Obituary?
Look, I remember buying their first album when it came out, and I really liked it! So…
And why didn't Obituary finish the tour with you?
You mean the Lausanne date? That was just an extra date, it wasn't really part of the tour. And because we finished the tour in Ludwigsburg in Germany, we went home for one night and then did the gig in Lausanne.
That's that for the questions about the tour, my next questions are more about Samael in general. The next question is for you in particular. Is it deliberate for you to sing in English with a French accent?
I didn't know I had a French accent… I've already heard people say that I have a German accent, but obviously it's not done on purpose.
And that really makes you unique and gives you a trademark, which is why I asked the question. There are some parts in French on the album Passage, why don't you write some more lyrics in French?
That has never appealed to me, really. Among all the albums that I listened to at the time, I have never listened to any French bands, except maybe Trust. That's just not my culture, not my affinities, it doesn't speak to me.
To get back to what defines Samael as a band, has is ever been problem for you not to perform with a complete drum set? I mean that's part of what defines Samael, but was that ever a problem live?
That's possible. We had been warned when we decided to do things that way, by our label and our management. They said that in the studio it would be ok, but for the live part we should find something else. We thought about it but were pretty confident, that's where we wanted to go, that's what we wanted to try. So after that of course some people want to see a drummer, for them it's important, it's the rock and roll spirit, you need Marshall amps and a double bass drum kit, why not, but that's not our way of doing things.
But that's alright because your way of doing things live works anyways since your brother (Xy) has his own stage gimmicks…
Well we did add some percussions in addition to the programmed drums in the live shows. We even spoke of going a little further, no really setting up a drum kit, then again, it's not impossible that we'd even do that one day, but that particular formula works for us.
I had heard a lot of people talk about the last album (Reign of Light). And many people compare that to Rammstein. I don't really agree, but of course, you did work with Stephen Glaumann. What did you answer to that?
He only mixed the album. It doesn't bother me that much. I don't think they're an influence, and I don't think that there's that much in common. But we wanted to work with Stephen for a long time. I remember liking what he did with Peace Love and Pitbulls , with Clawfinger… We didn't think that he'd be accessible. We though that he'd be very expensive and very selective, but in the end, he's not cheap, but it went really well.
But did that give the album a Rammstein touch anyway? Do you have fans in common? Did you gain some Rammstein fans?
Honestly I don't know. I know that we played with them here in Switzerland…
At the Paleo Festival…
But I don't think there's a link… We also played with them in Germany several times, 2 festivals… There were discussions between us to tour together 5 years ago. But I don't think that it's the same…
Well I agree with you but a lot of people say that you sound like Rammstein, the electronic beat, the Germanic tone…
I wouldn't say Germanic I'd say martial…
I'm going to ask you a completely different question now. Don't you find it ironic that the band is called Samael and that you live in Sion?
I had never really thought about that! Look, it was more by chance. I explain that when people ask me the question, it was like love at first sight with that name. I can't explain it. I had many books at the time that were dealing with things like that and I wash brushing through them. And when I found the name I just thought 'that's it!'. That's how it happened. It presented itself to me. And then the more I read about the different significations the name had the more I thought it fit. The way it sounded was important to me. It's like Vorphalack, that didn't mean anything, but it sounds nice in my ears.
But at the time you had those long names you and your brother, and now you changed them to something shorter…
Well that's because people called us that so we kept it that way.
Speaking of your brother, can you tell me more about his solo album, 'Xytras Passage' where he plays the songs from the Samael album Passage on the piano. What sort of impact did that album have? Why did he make it?
I don't know about the impact it had. Most people talk to him about it. In the beginning he had worked on two or three tracks for himself. He had the midi piano parts, and he rearranged them and made us listen to the results and we encouraged him. We said it was great and pushed him into releasing a mini album, maybe a maxi, and when he had enough for a whole album he released it.
And about Era One, I had listened to it about a year ago, a friend of yours sent it to me as a curiosity, and the first time I heard that it reminded me a lot of Xytras Passage. I was wondering if that album was composed a little in the same way, that you composed it for fun and only decided to release it afterwards? How did that happen?
Well that happened at a time when we didn't have a guitarist. Our label was asking us for a new album, and we didn't feel like working on Samael tracks. At the time when we started working with programmed drums, it sort of opened a door to all the possibilities that we had with that approach. So there were all these alternatives that we could explore. So we thought 'why not, it's now or never', so we tried that, without knowing where we were going really, and that's why the album lacks cohesion, in some respects. It's going a little here and there, we didn't have any real guidelines, we let ourselves do any and everything. Yeah we thought the album would be released, but when we understood that Century (Media) was going to keep it in a drawer somewhere for a while we thought it's time to move on. We worked on it some more since then, that was the idea, right before it came out, at the end of last year. We remixed it.
Ah ok… Because I thought Century Media wasn't going to release it at all…
They didn't take it seriously. They didn't care about the project. They said 'this isn't a Samael album'. We explained to them that it was a project, and they answered that they could care less about it. We had discussions because we wanted it to come out as 'Era One' obviously, without any connection to Samael, but for contract reasons that wasn't possible. But I'm glad that we had time to introduce it to people and explain what it as about. So far I haven't heard anyone feel cheated about it. We explained to everyone that it was a project, something different, and the people who made the effort to listen to it, they like it or they don't, it's up to them, but so far no one thinks it's a new Samael album, so for me the message went through.
And it's going to be released through Regain, right?
No, it has already been released! It was released on Century (Media) who changed their mind about it and that's the reason why we remixed it. It was released 2 weeks ago.
Oh sorry I misunderstood…. Last year I was told that they didn't want to release it at all, so I assumed that the release was going to be done by someone else, and I got confused on the release date, I thought it was coming out at the end of the month…
It was released as double, with an instrumental album of electronic music.
Was it by you too?
Yes, it was by Xy only. It could have been a second Xytras in the sense that he was given full latitude to do what he wanted. But it's very different. Personally I prefer that to Era One, because I'm less used to listening to it, and it's playing non stop in my car player these days. It's not really what I'd call background music, but it's more like ambiance music.
Yeah I know what you mean… I play that record when I'm painting actually… So you told me that you explain to people that this isn't Samael as you know it, so how about the general public, and the press, have you had any feedback on that?
No yet. A few messages, but in general it's quite positive. We haven't really had any bad reviews yet.
I think people might be surprised if they didn't know that it's a one-off project.
I thought the message went through… For now it seems that the message went though.
In 1997 I bought a book in the USA called the 'Collector's guide to heavy metal'. And in that book there was a promotional CD from Century Media. That book was like a dictionary and the author, Martin Popoff reviewed hundreds of records in that book. And in that promotional CD, were all the great classics of the time, Moonspell, the Gathering… And there was the song 'Rain' by Samael. Do you think that this American promotion that Century Media did had any impact for Samael?
Honestly I don't know. I didn't even know that they released it. Look, it's probably good for us, there was probably a deal between Century Media and the guy who wrote the book. But I didn't know about that.
So you aren't on Century Media any more…
No but ironically, we're not with them anymore, but we just released something with them… It's a little strange…
Yeah.. And speaking about that, I imagine that a lot of things have changed now that you are on Regain?
Look, a lot of things changed. Especially our relationship with people. Because in the beginning, we were mainly having problems with the management of Century (Media) in Europe. And now that it's not the same people anymore, it's easier. Still, we don't regret leaving the label. At that time, it wasn't possible (to continue cooperation) for us anymore.
OK… So what did Regain provide you with that Century Media didn't?
Well he's the only ones who let us do our album. He gave us a budget anyway, he didn't ask us what we wanted to do, he didn't ask for a demo or anything. So it allowed us to release an album. We had other offers, but because there were issues with our contract with Century (Media) no one else wanted to take the risk. So it was our chance.
So is this a one album contract?
So what are you going to do now?
Now? I don't know… We're going to start working on a new album. And then we'll see. When we have new songs, we'll present them.
So you're open to business?
We'll see. We signed for 2 albums, with Nuclear Blast in the USA, so logically they should make us an offer for Europe. It would almost be logical for us to go with them. But I don't know. We'll see what else it out there.
Nuclear Blast, that's not too bad, especially in Europe!
Yeah in Europe it's great.
OK on another note, I'd like to talk about a less fun episode in the media life of Samael, I'm talking about the time when you were invited to famous French radio and TV host Arthur's radio show in 2005 and he made fun of Samael and the whole genre and community of metal. Please tell me what kept you from walking up to him and breaking his face. I don't know how you could stand him.
We weren't in the same room.
That's the only reason?
Yeah because you guys stayed really polite. I admire you self control.
Well we didn't know that they were talking while we were playing, and it was more or less the atmosphere of the show, letting loose, acting silly, but I'm happy to see that there was a real reaction from the people. There are many people who sent emails and called up to complain. I'm not talking about him personally, but of the people on his team, it's true that they were insulting to the metal community. But there was a real reaction. So the next day, they called me back. They didn't actually apologize, but they tried to make amends.
I wanted to know how you and the rest of the band react when the public and the press always compare new electro and industrial metal albums to 'Passage'. It seems that that album has become a reference in the genre…
Well people talk a lot about Passage. We'd like to do something that has such an impact. But it's true that we feel like people are still dwelling on that album. The next one went sort of un noticed, because (it came out) at a bad time, or I dunno… Thankfully some people know that we did a new album, because at some point I was thinking that 'Eternal' went completely unnoticed. It was only the people that have been listening to us since the beginning who knew that we had an album after 'Passage'. So that may mean that we have to do something stronger to have an impact on people.
Well it's still a compliment to Samael that people think that Passage is a reference in the genre…
Of course it's a compliment, but it's still the past. So you feel like telling people 'it's time to move on'.
On 'Reign of Light', you picked 'Telepath' to make a video. How come? Who picked it?
It was my decision… Uh… Well first we did the single. Because it was a small budget and because there it no real marketing plan, saying 'first there'll be the single and then this….' It was more one thing after the other. We worked on the single without knowing that there would be a video clip, and then when the single came out and when the album came out, they asked us for a video clip. So we thought it was logical. I had some ideas for that song and it happened in one day in Sweden, so it was relatively quickly done. And I even seized the occasion to do some promotion there too. So in the end the video clip ends on our second single, which means that there really no plan on how to market the album.
To my knowledge, in France, there are no such music clips on TV yet. Do you think that it will happen one day?
Look I don't think that will happen unless there is a specialized program. I hear that in American there is the return of the Headbanger's Ball, which we didn't have in Europe for a very long time. I don't know if they even have it on MTV in England. Unless there are specialized programs I don't think that will happen before a very long time.
Well why not, the songs are a lot better produced than in the past and I'm sure it would appeal to a wider audience now…
Well if it happens, why not!
Do you have anything else to add about you future plans? Mas was telling me that you were working on some new material…
Well we're working on it now. I have some lyrics, but noting definitive, Xy had 2 or 3 songs before the tour. Now he's not happy anymore and wants to do it all over again. I don't know where the project it at now. I still have heard nothing of what he did. But I think that within a week we'll meet again to see what to do. But in general, it's more or less each one works on his own and the we see what we bring.
Okay, so everyone composes, or is it more you and your brother?
Yeah it's more that.
Are you going to collaborate with guests on the album?
Guests on our album? It's possible… but we have no one in mind yet. But last time we had 2 guests, who weren't planned in the beginning. Look, it depends on the direction the album takes, if we feel the need to have some one else, or if we make interesting encounters. But it's not planned for now.
I have a last question to wrap this up. Samael have been around for what, 20 years?
Yeah, not exactly 20 years. But we're getting there.
So, will you still be here in 5 years?
In 5 years? Look, I hope! It doesn't look so far away! But there is an age when you still need to reconsider!
So what can we expect from Samael in 5 years?
Well I hope that we'll have put out a new album by then!! I don't know. Honestly, my real questions are about what we are going to do in the immediate future… How will the album sound, what will we put in it, apart from that there's nothing in my head. It just takes all my time. Once we start it, I don't have any long term projects.
Okay… I hope it lasts! Is there anything else that you would like to add that I way have forgotten to mention?
Look, I think we went over a bunch of things there…
Well thank you for taking the time.
My pleasure.
Hope to see you soon, I heard that you are going to play a gothic festival in Germany?
Yeah the Wave Gothik. I'm not sure what day yet. And there should also be some other concerts. But I don't know much more for now.
Alright, well thanks again and have a great evening!
You too, ciao ciao.
Regain Records
Read the article in its original context here


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Do you know a child or youth ages 2-21 who has gone above and beyond?
Consider nominating them to receive the ICEC "Yes I Can!" Award!
Click Here for Digital "Yes I Can!" Award Form
Download "Yes I Can!" Award Nomination Form (Word Document)
ICEC Yes I Can Application (Downloadable Word File)
Nominate someone by May 1st
About the ICEC "Yes I Can!" Award
Overview and Purpose
The Illinois Council for Exceptional Children (ICEC) is a unit of the Council for Exceptional Children. ICEC is a comprised group of individuals within the field of special education who are dedicated to advancing the success of children with exceptionalities.
The "Yes I Can" Awards program honors and celebrates the achievements of children and youth (ages 2-21) with exceptionalities. The purpose of the award is to encourage individuals to seek their highest potential and to increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations, and personal qualities of those with disabilities.
Eligibility Requirements
Candidates must be 2–21 years of age when they are nominated. The nominee must have an identified disability. Past "Yes I Can" Award recipients are not eligible for re-nomination for the same category.
ICEC Award Benefits
Each Yes I Can Award recipient will:
- Be invited to attend the ICEC Fall Convention awards ceremony luncheon to receive their award.
- Receive a "Yes I Can" Award Certificate.
- Braille and large print certificates are available
- Be featured on ICEC's website and additional publicity sources.
- Have their nomination submitted to the National CEC award review committee.
Nomination Procedures
All nomination materials must be submitted by May 1st of the calendar year. Incomplete nominations will not be considered for selection.
- Nominations may be submitted by anyone (including: the nominee themselves, teachers, principals, related service providers, friends, and parents).
- Each candidate may be nominated in only one category.
- Nominations may be submitted electronically via the online form, e-mailed attachment of the downloadable form, or by mail.
- All materials submitted become the property of the ICEC and will not be returned.
- All nominations and recipients will be notified by August of the committee's decision.
Eligible Nomination Categories
(May be nominated for one area only)
- Academics: Achievement in a particular subject area such as math, science, reading, social studies, language arts, or foreign language; overall academic achievement; or a high level of achievement on standardized tests.
- Arts: Achievement in a particular medium such as music, art, drama, dance, or written expression.
- School & Community Activities: Achievement in organized activities at the school or community level through groups such as school-based clubs/activities (yearbook, theater, debate, tutoring, peer mentoring, social, service) or community-based clubs/activities (volunteer work, Boy/Girl Scouts, places of worship, service, cleanup campaigns).
- Self-Advocacy: Achievement in assuming practical responsibility for oneself, using knowledge of legal rights, advancing one's goals, or effectively obtaining appropriate accommodations for oneself or others.
- Technology: Achievement through the use of assistive and adaptive technology devices and equipment (computerized or otherwise).
- Transition: Achievement in mastering activities that leads to successful experiences in the areas of work, vocational training, or independent living.
How to Complete and Submit the Nomination Form
The nomination form is divided into three sections:
- Section A: Nomination Information
- Section B: Statement of Achievement
- Section C: Video Documentation
Section A: Nomination Information
Double-check that the nominee's name is spelled correctly on ALL materials, as it will be printed on his/her Certificate of Accomplishment.
Section B: Statement of Achievement
In 1,000 words or less, describe why the nominee deserves to receive this award. Include information such as the challenges the student encountered prior to his or her accomplishments, his or her exceptionality/exceptionalities, the type of special education services provided to the nominee, the student's achievements in his or her category of nomination, the setting in which these accomplishments occurred, and the impact these accomplishments have had on the student or others.
Please note that if the nominee is selected as a recipient, the responses to the questions below may be used by ICEC for the awards and publicity purposes.
Section C: Video Documentation
Videos should support the Statement of Achievement (Section B) indicating why the nominee deserves this award. This video should highlight the nominee's work/achievements, his or her daily life, or a statement from the nominee about the impact that his/her accomplishments have had.
- Videos should be no more than 5 minutes in length.
- Videos should be uploaded to YouTube or another video sharing service, and the link should be provided with the nomination.
The following are suggestions for nominee video content for each category:
- Academics—display/discussion of school transcripts, report cards, accelerated programs, academic awards, work samples, statement of change in student's academic achievement.
- Arts—copies of artwork, event programs, recordings of student's musical performances, dance performances, drama performances, and so on.
- School & Community Activities—record of activities, statements from activity leaders, visual display of certificates, awards.
- Self-Advocacy—statement of how the student educates others (teachers, students, community) on their needs or the needs of others with disabilities; examples of the accommodations the student has requested to enhance learning and accessibility.
- Technology—nominee using their technology in everyday situations, record of technology used, how it has impacted the student or others, skills the student has learned through technology use.
- Transition—employment history, performance reviews, certificates, awards, statement of achievement from employers/co‐workers/teachers/coaches/transition officers, record of progress made in acquiring work, vocational, or independent living skills.
Please contact the ICEC "Yes I Can" Award Chairperson with any questions, if you have any trouble with the electronic nomination form(s), or to submit a nomination.
ICEC "Yes I Can" Award Chairperson:
Lindsey Frank (Dalesandro)
1903 N. Pinetree Drive
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Thank you for considering nominating a child/youth to receive the
ICEC "Yes I Can" Award!