text:
Anything is Possible with HughesNet in Alleghany?
As a resident of Alleghany, you already know about the wonderful possibilities made available by living in a small town. The charm, hospitality, and beautiful surroundings inspire possibility around every corner. In the same way, HughesNet has revolutionized high-speed Internet in Alleghany making possibilities a reality. With HughesNet, you can research new recipes, find new fishing holes, even start a new business because HughesNet connects you to the web instantly, no matter where you live in Alleghany. HughesNet does this by utilizing its state-of-the-art satellite technology, which is able to reach you in Alleghany and beyond. HughesNet satellite Internet does not depend on traditional cable infrastructure or on a phone line, but rather satellite communication that is transmitted in a fraction of a second. With HughesNet in Alleghany you are able to check email, stream media, enjoy social media, even play games online!
Does HughesNet Really Bring Fast Internet to Alleghany?
Absolutely! HughesNet can instantly connect you to the web whether you live in the town of Alleghany or out where the dogwoods bloom with speeds up to 15 Mbps. Using cutting edge technologies, HughesNet is able to deliver lightning fast Internet service to you no matter where you live or work in Alleghany. If you think about it many of us already use satellite technology everyday in the form of TV, radio, and most importantly GPS! It only makes sense that we would take advantage of satellite advancements to connect us to the web. HughesNet has invested over $1 billion in satellite Internet innovation so residents of Alleghany as well as other rural towns around the U.S. have access to reliable, high-speed Internet service. Previously residents of Alleghany have had to rely old DSL technology or slow dial-up which makes going online a frustrating process. However, HughesNet high-speed satellite Internet has changed all of that. Get up to 15 Mbps download speed delivered directly to your Alleghany home or business and start enjoying all your favorite websites including media streaming services and games. HughesNet makes high-speed Internet a possibility for everyone in Alleghany!
HughesNet: Finally, Affordable High-Speed Internet For Alleghany
With one goal in mind HughesNet satellite Internet service aims to supply quality, high-speed Internet coupled with excellent service to customers in Alleghany and throughout the United States at a price that is affordable. Having the most advanced satellite Internet capabilities does not matter if no one can use it. Our plans are created with Alleghany residents in mind so you can customize your high-speed Internet service according to your needs. Are you a casual Internet user that simply wants to check email and update social media? Or are you a heavy Internet user that likes to stream movies and play online games? No matter what your needs are, HughesNet has a plan and pricing that will fit your budget. Our plans in Alleghany include as much as 15 Mbps download speed (in the Max plan) and start at only $39.99 per month* (for the Choice plan). Don't know how much speed and data you need? Not a problem! Our expert customer service professionals are available 24/7 to help you determine your usage and make the right plan choice. Call today and revolutionize your Internet service with HughesNet!
Local area code: 530, latitude: 39.46 longitude: -120.84
HughesNet (Wildblue) Zip Codes in Alleghany 95910
Library: Alleghany Station Library
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text:
Fans of the Marvel comic book series X-Men Gold noticed coded messages aimed at Christians and Jews inserted into the artwork done by cartoonist Ardian Syaf, who is a Muslim from Indonesia.
Those references included the number "212" written on the awning of a building, a verse from the Koran, and the word "Jewelry" written on a building positioned close enough to a Jewish character's head to emphasize "Jew."
The Daily Mail explains:
In one scene in the book, Jewish X-Men character Kitty Pryde is seen talking to a crowd, with the 'Jew' part of the word 'jewelry' over her head, and the numbers 212 and 51 in the background.
The number 212 is often used as a reference to the Muslim protest against the Christian governor of Jakarta on December 2, 2016, where 200,000 conservative Muslims rallied against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.
In another panel, Russian mutant Colossus is seen wearing a T-shirt featuring the words 'QS 5:51', said to stand for Quran Chapter 5, Verse 51.
That verse reads: "O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people."
"I don't hate Jews or Christians," Syaf insisted in response to the criticism. "I worked with them for 10 years. A lot of good friends too. For all that happened I apologize sincerely."
Another Indonesian artist and Marvel employee, Ario Anindito, criticized Syaf, stating, "What he has done in the recent X-Men book is very disrespectful and unprofessional."
The writer for Ms Marvel, a current Muslim character, G. Willow Wilson, also a Muslim, said on Twitter, "Yeah pardon my French but f**k this guy. Kiss your career goodbye."
Marvel has since responded with an apology:
"The mentioned artwork in X-Men Gold #1 was inserted without knowledge behind its reported meanings. These implied references do not reflect the views of the writer, editors or anyone else at Marvel and are in direct opposition of the inclusiveness of Marvel Comics and what the X-Men have stood for since their creation. This artwork will be removed from subsequent printings, digital versions, and trade paperbacks and disciplinary action is being taken."
As TruthRevolt previously reported, sales of Marvel comics has plummeted since the push for diverse characters overtook the storylines of major characters. But Marvel is not letting the social justice superheroes go anywhere and hope that continuing to include them will trick everyone into liking them.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Complete "Beginners to PRO" guide for GIT commands
In our earlier tutorial, we have learned to install git on our machines. In this tutorial, we will discuss how we can use git i.e. various commands that are used with git. So let's start,In our earlier tutorial, we have learned to install git on our machines. In this tutorial, we will discuss how we can use git i.e. various commands that are used with git. So let's start,
( Recommended Read : How to install GIT on Linux (Ubuntu & CentOS) )
Setting user information
This should the first step after installing git. We will add user information (user name & email), so that the when we commit the code, commit messages will be generated with the user information which makes it easier to keep track of the commit progress. To add user information about user, command is 'git config'
$ git config – – global user.name "Daniel"
$ git config – – global user.email "[email protected]"
After adding the information, we will now check if the information has been updated successfully by running,
$ git config – – list
& we should see our user information as the output.
( Also Read : Scheduling important jobs with CRONTAB )
GIT Commands
Create a new repository
To create a new repository, run
$ git init
Search a repository
To search a repository, command is
$ git grep "repository"
Connect to a remote repository
To connect to a remote repository, run
$ git remote add origin remote_server
Then to check all the configured remote server,
$ git remote -v
Clone a repository
To clone a repository from a local server, run the following commands
$ git clone repository_path
If we want to clone a repository locate at remote server, then the command to clone the repository is,
$ git clone [email protected] :/repository_path
List Branches in repository
To check list all the available & the current working branch, execute
$ git branch
Create new branch
To create & use a new branch, command is
$ git checkout -b 'branchname'
Deleting a branch
To delete a branch, execute
$ git branch -d 'branchname'
To delete a branch on remote repository, execute
$ git push origin :'branchname'
Switch to another branch
To switch to another branch from current branch, use
$ git checkout 'branchname'
Adding files
To add a file to the repo, run
$ git add filename
Status of files
To check status of files (files that are to be commited or are to added), run
$ git status
Commit the changes
After we have added a file or made changes to one, we will commit the code by running,
$ git commit -a
To commit changes to head and not to remote repository, command is
$ git commit -m "message"
Push changes
To push changes made to the master branch of the repository, run
$ git push origin master
Push branch to repository
To push the changes made on a single branch to remote repository, run
$ git push origin 'branchname'
To push all branches to remote repository, run
$ git push –all origin
Merge two branches
To merge another branch into the current active branch, use
$ git merge 'branchname'
Merge from remote to local server
To download/pull changes to working directory on local server from remote server, run
$ git pull
Checking merge conflicts
To view merge conflicts against base file, run
$ git diff –base 'filename'
To see all the conflicts, run
$ git diff
If we want to preview all the changes before merging, execute
$ git diff 'source-branch' 'target-branch'
Creating tags
To create tags to mark any significant changes, run
$ git tag 'tag number' 'commit id'
We can find commit id by running,
$ git log
Push tags
To push all the created tags to remote server, run
$ git push –tags origin
Revert changes made
If we want to replace changes made on current working tree with the last changes in head, run
$ git checkout –'filename'
We can also fetch the latest history from remote server & point it local repository's master branch, rather than dropping all local changes made. To do this, run
$ git fetch origin
$ git reset –hard master
That's it guys, these are the commands that we can use with git server. We will be back soon with more interesting tutorials. If you wish that we write a tutorial on a specific topic, please let us know via comment box below. As usual, your comments & suggestions are always welcome.
If you think we have helped you or just want to support us, please consider these :-
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text:
Tekken (Part 3) FINALE - Caddy's Retrospectives!
WELL....is this one the best of the series? Or the best fighter ever? Or even a game? I DON'T KNOW. BECOME MY PATRON! = http://www.patreon.com/Caddicarus , and check out Hidden Block for more! = http://www.hiddenblock.com LIKE! = http://www.facebook.com/Caddicarus FOLLOW! = http://www.twitter.com/Caddicarus SUBSCRIBE! And remember to stay beautiful. Much loves! DISCLAIMER - I don't own ANYTHING copyrighted from this video. Please support the world's industries and check them all out yourself!


text:
Race on in to M/I Homes in Indianapolis for these incredible savings!
Select Quick Move-In Homes sold by May 31, 2019 that can close on or before July 31, 2019 will receive $6,500 towards Closing Costs with the use of M/I Financial.**
Amount will vary per community, so race on in to one of our Indianapolis Model Homes so you won't miss out on these incredible savings – they will only last until the end of the month!
** Valid on select inventory contracts written by May 31, 2019 and closed by July 31, 2019. Buyer to receive specified Closing Costs with the use of M/I Financial, LLC (NMLS# 50684). "Closing Costs" applies to all costs including lender fees, title fees and prepaid escrows. Buyer will be responsible for any down payment required by the loan program guidelines and any upfront mortgage insurance premiums. Some restrictions apply.
*Valid on any new to-be-built contracts written between May 1, 2019 and May 31, 2019. Interior options and upgrades vary per plan and community. Buyer to receive up to $15,000 off the retail price of selected design center options or towards structural upgrades up to the maximum amount. Up to amount will vary by community and is limited to $20,000. Anything above and beyond promotional credit is buyer responsibility. Certain additional deposits may be required depending on options selected. Prices featured promotion and availability subject to change, terminate or extend at any time and without notice. Not valid on prior contracts See a New Home Consultant for complete details with the use of M/I Financial, LLC (NMLS# 50684) and cannot be used in addition to or be combined with any other M/I Homes promotion, offers or programs (exception is the $1,000 Home Town Hero Program if applicable).
Ask about current properties or more details about this incentive.
Learn more about Kim
or call (317) 532-8188
Select your preferred day and time and we'll help set up the perfect visit.
Our sales representative will be in touch with you shortly to confirm appointment details
Save your favorite communities, homes, and searches to help you find the home of your dreams. All you need is a password.
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain
at least 3 of these character types.
58/Bahr at Central State
Indianapolis, IN
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Bargersville, IN
Glenmore at Saddle Club
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Greenwood, IN
Noblesville, IN
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Scofield Farms
Westfield, IN
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Slater Woods
Cicero, IN
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Fishers, IN
The Estates at Harrison Crossing
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Whitestown, IN
The Reserve at Steeplechase
Waters Edge
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected online by M/I Homes, Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "M/I Homes") in connection with its U.S.-based websites, microsites, mobile sites or mobile apps that expressly adopt, display or link to this Privacy Policy (collectively referred to as our "Sites"). It also applies to personal information M/I Homes collects in connection with the M/I Homes pages on social media sites, such as Facebook®, Twitter®, Google Plus® or others (collectively referred to as our "Social Media Pages").
This Privacy Policy answers the following questions:
We may collect information about you from a variety of sources, including when:
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We may ask you to provide information about yourself directly to our Sites, such as the following:
We may allow you to use your personal social media account, on social media sites ("Personal Social Media Account"), to provide information to us when you participate in certain features on our Sites. This information may include any information you have shared on your Personal Social Media Accounts, such as the following:
It is also possible that we will be able to continue collecting this information from your Personal Social Media Accounts should the information be revised by you later. You may choose not to provide us with certain requested information, but then you might not be able to take advantage of some of the features on our Sites.
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a. Navigational Information. Navigational information, such as the following, is collected by us and our third party service providers when you use our Sites:
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c. Cookies and other similar technology. We and our third party service providers use "cookies." Cookies assign a unique identification to your device and are typically stored on your device by your web browser. We may also use pixel tags (also known as web beacons, web bugs, and clear GIFs) on the Sites and in emails. A pixel tag is a nearly invisible pixel-sized graphic image on a webpage or in an email message.
The information we and our third party service providers collect through cookies, pixel tags and similar technology includes the following:
For additional information on the use of cookies for advertising, see "3. How is technology used to serve our advertisements on other Sites that you visit and what choices do you have?".
Information Obtained from Third parties
We may combine information about you from other sources with the information we have collected about you on our Sites or Social Media Pages.
For example, in connection with searching and applying for jobs with us, we may use a third party to collect and process the applicant profiles and preferences, monitor website activity, maintain the database based in the U.S and provide plug-ins (such as LinkedIn) at your request. We require that the information you provide on pages hosted by these third parties be maintained by them in confidence. Information you voluntarily supply will be stored in a database, which will be accessed by authorized personnel of M/I Homes to address your inquiry or consider you for employment purposes with any of our affiliates. We may also keep the information for future consideration.
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Personal information may be collected directly by us through our Social Media Pages. The type of information we would collect is similar to what is described above under "Information You Provide." Personal information may also be collected by the social media site hosting our Social Media Pages. Our Privacy Policy does not cover the privacy and security practices of the social media sites on which M/I Homes has its Social Media Pages.
The information we learn from you helps us personalize your experience with us and our communications to you, and helps us continually improve your experience on our Sites.
We use the information you provide, information collected through your Personal Social Media Accounts, and information collected on our Social Media Pages for things like:
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We use information collected through cookies and similar technology to determine many of the same things listed for navigational information above. In addition cookies and similar technology are used for things like:
We use third-party analytics providers, such as Google Analytics, to measure traffic and usage trends, and to help us better understand your use of and interaction with our Sites and Social Media Pages. For more information on how Google uses data when you use our Sites, click here.
Similar to the navigational information described above, the social media sites where we have our Social Media Pages may provide aggregate information and analysis to us about visitors to our Social Media Pages. This allows us to better understand and analyze our user growth, general demographic information about the users of, and interaction with content on, our Social Media Pages.
We may contract with third party advertising companies to tailor online advertising to be directed to you on other websites. These third party advertising companies place, use, or rely on technology, such as cookies and pixel tags, to obtain information about your interactions with our Sites as well as with other websites. This information helps us select advertising to serve to you and where to serve it based on your experience on our Sites and other sites that you visit.
For information about opt out programs that these third party advertising companies participate in, and the effect of opting out, click the following: DAA Opt Out click here or NAI Opt Out click here. By clicking this website, you will then leave our Site for another online site where you may specify your preferences under that opt-out program. You can also click the preference icon that may appear on some of our advertising served through these technologies. You should also note that our systems may not recognize "Do Not Track" headers from some or all browsers.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to unrelated third parties except as set forth below. We may share your personal information with the following:
If M/I Homes were ever merged with or acquired by another company, or if we acquire another business entity or are involved in a corporate reorganization or other change of control, or if we sell substantially all the assets of a division, affiliate or subsidiary, some or all of the personal information collected about you could be shared with the acquiring or acquired company.
We may also share aggregate data about our sales, customers, traffic patterns, and other related Site information with third parties, but none of this data is connected to an individual's personal information.
We give you choices about the information we collect and how we communicate with you.
Our Sites utilize encryption technology. We also use firewalls and have implemented other reasonable technical, administrative and physical measures designed to protect the personal information in our custody or control from unauthorized access, use, modification and disclosure. Moreover, we regularly monitor our systems for possible vulnerabilities and attacks. While we implement these security measures on our Sites, you should be aware that 100% security is not always possible.
We may enable you to navigate to third-party websites through links on our Sites. We do this for your convenience. If it is not one of our Sites, we don't endorse, may not have any affiliation with, do not control and aren't responsible for those third-party websites and/or their Internet and web practices. Whether the third-party content appears within our Site environment (like a map frame), or you leave our Site for another website to view it, the terms, conditions, and privacy policies of those other websites govern your online experience. Please review their terms of service and privacy policies if you have any question about their practices.
We may make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time, so please review it periodically. We will update the effective date of the Privacy Policy at the time a change is made.
If you have questions or concerns with respect to our Privacy Policy, please contact the Privacy Policy Manager by visiting https://mihomes.com/support/general/ and submitting your question. Our corporate offices are located at 3 Easton Oval Columbus, Ohio 43219


text:
Stroke awareness program
UPMC Passavant Cranberry will host "Be Stroke Smart," as part of its 2007 Commitment to a Healthy Lifestyle Program at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Cranberry Municipal Building Senior Center, 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township.
Lori Massaro of the UPMC Stroke Institute will be the guest speaker.
The session is free and will last about an hour.
Call Jean Wagner at (412) 367-6643 for more information.
Foreign exchange families needed
Foreign Links Around the Globe Inc. is seeking volunteers to host English-speaking foreign exchange students, ages 15 to 18, from Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Ghana, Scotland, Thailand, Spain, Turkey, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Mexico.
Students are involved in five or 10 month school year programs and bring their own spending money and health insurance.
Host volunteers who are single, single parents, married couples, and retirees are welcome to participate.
For more information, call (866) 540-4029 or e-mail email@example.com.


text:
Mike Mayers is getting closer to fulfilling a dream.
Mike Mayers is getting closer to fulfilling a dream.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-handed pitcher and 2010 Grove City High School graduate was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round (93rd overall) of Major League Baseball's first-year draft on June 7.
Mayers, 21, played three seasons at the University of Mississippi but has decided to forgo his senior year to sign with the Cardinals. He joined the team's Class A team in the Gulf Coast League in Jupiter, Fla., and was scheduled to make his professional debut on July 2.
"If you're playing professional baseball and you don't have a dream to play in the big leagues, then you're in it for the wrong reason," Mayers said. "The goal is to get up there as quickly as I can and hopefully help the Cardinals win a few more world championships."
As a junior with Ole Miss this spring, Mayers had a 5-6 record with a 2.83 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 37 walks in 92 1/3 innings. He got the start in the opening game of the double-elimination NCAA Regional tournament in Raleigh, N.C., against William & Mary. He allowed three hits, six walks and four unearned runs in 4 2/3 innings in the Rebels' 4-2 loss.
Ole Miss bounced back to defeat Binghamton 8-4 on June 1 but was eliminated with a 4-1 loss to William & Mary on June 2.
Mayers was named Southeastern Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week on May 13, sharing the honor with Texas A&M's Daniel Mengden. He finished his college career 12-9 with a 3.42 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 215 innings.
"Mike was just tremendous for his three years at Ole Miss," Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. "He pitched in a variety of roles, but mostly as a starter his last two years. Mike is what you hope all recruits turn out to be: a great player but more importantly a great teammate, great student and great representative of Ole Miss."
Mayers was the 17th-ranked major-league prospect when he played for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League last summer. According to his scouting report on MLB.com, he "combines his low-90s fastball with a slider and changeup, which has plus potential" and he has "good command of all three of his pitches" but must "continue to refine his control." The report also gave him "high marks for his makeup and poise on the mound."
Mayers is hoping to follow former Ole Miss starting pitcher Lance Lynn to St. Louis. Lynn was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round in 2008 and is in his third season in the major leagues.
Lynn returned to Ole Miss this past spring and worked with the Rebels' pitchers, Mayers said.
As a senior at Grove City, Mayers went 4-2 with a 3.80 ERA and was named first-team all-district and all-league, as the Greyhounds finished 21-6, won the OCC-Ohio Division title and lost to Hilliard Davidson 4-1 in the second round of the Division I district tournament.
As a junior with the Greyhounds, Mayers went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings and was first-team all-league, all-district and all-state.
"Mike is always around our program in the winter, even every year he was at Ole Miss," Greyhounds coach Ryan Alexander said. "Our guys know him on a first-name basis. Our catchers have all caught him. It's great to have a guy like that in the program that always still wants to come around and be a part of it."
Mayers credits Alexander for his success at the collegiate level and having the chance to pitch professionally.
"Coach Alexander and I are really close," Mayers said. "He has a lot to do with this, just teaching me about work ethic. You can't control how much ability you have, but you can control and make sure that no one ever outworks you day in and day out. As long as you do that, you're going to do good things."


text:
Not-so-perfect timing
April 19, 2012 Leave a comment
There have been a lot of newsworthy items related to the New Sudanese Community Association . . . . unfortunately Dominic and I weren't in a position to fully take advantage of them. Read about what we could have done had our project already been completed and maybe get some ideas for your own non-profits.


text:
Happy blogging!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
THANK YOU! I HATE the word verification process! I wish everyone would get rid of it! I have no problem with SPAM because it is monitored for me. Hope everyone takes your advice. I don't like to have more than one project at a time because I would never finish!ReplyDelete
Hey Sandy, my friend took me to AC Moore (I still can't drive!) and I bought crochet hooks and yarn! I have so much inspiration from my visits here. Thanks also for disabling the word verification, I disabled mine a long time ago and I hope it is still off. xoReplyDelete
Multiple projects are ok with me...it's just that I need to stay away from Pinterest when I have multiple unfinished items because Pinterest results in MORE multiples of unfinished projects! Here here to turning off the word verification...I did an entire post on how to do it earlier this week and it seemed to be a big ol' flop as not many read it. And I made the instructions super simple too! Oh well...maybe if folks don't hear from you, it will encourage them to turn it off. Comment moderation is always a good alternative! AnnetteReplyDelete
I can only cope with one project at a time, thank you for posting about word verification I have just disabled mine I didn't even know it was on.ReplyDelete
I've never had a word verification thingy on my blog and never been bothered so you should be fine. Thanks for removing the annoying thing !!!ReplyDelete
I'm liking this light blue project in your photo. Can't wait to see how it develops. :-)ReplyDelete
I have turned my word verification off and I haven't been bothered at all by spam. I have also had more people commenting. Thanks for removing it I just hope more people do!ReplyDelete
I agree....I created the above graphics (see the CQC on the red circle) to go with my post on stopping word verification ....drives me crazy! I honestly think most people don't even know they have it turned on. I have gotten good traffic to that post, so I think the news is getting around. I keep the graphic in my upper right column for all to see....trying to spread the word!ReplyDelete


text:
Welcome to the Romance Girls Gone Goblin!
A big thanks to Lisa Sanchez for hosting and Killian McRae fro making the awesome button that scares my ass.
Halloween tortured me as a child. It had free candy, so that was a win. It also had scary things that, basically, scared me. Turns out my sweet tooth was a powerful force and every year I would dress up as a cat or a rabbit and march into the darkness with my friends. My brain would curl up and sob as I tiptoed past garish decorations. But, damn it; I would get the free candy.
I still like free candy. Mostly my favorite is the Target 90% off old Halloween candy which is just like free, sort off, but I'm getting off track.
When I was little I heard about Dracula and he haunted my small head. For years or at least three nights I insisted on falling asleep with my shoulders scrunched up. I guess I thought if Dracula made it into my house he would assume I was a neckless human and leave me be. Which was kind of selfish of the little me. I mean who would be Dracula's snack? My sister or parents who had not the forethought nor the will power to be a hunched up ball of stress while sleeping?
Needless to say Dracula never made a plate of blood nachos out of me. Next, puberty hit like the hammer of hormones and body hair that it is. Then I found Dracula oddly sexy. And Gary Oldmen made it very, very hot. Fast forward to the present and surprisingly; I'm considered an adult. Vampires are still tempting us. Like everywhere. (cough, True Blood, cough)
Now let's fast forward to the present, shall we? Now Halloween has turned into a national holiday where candy is worshiped. Of course I'm on board with that, except that along with the increase in sugar production there seems to be a hell of a lot more attention to detail where the decorations are concerned.
I took my son to a Halloween themed store to get an accessory for his costume. Holy hairy vagina batman! The decorations there were my worst nightmares carved into rubber and set to life. They moved, they spoke and, dear heavens, they scared me. And I get it, some people love to be scared. Have at. Better yet, come over and see my hair in the morning, that's crap-your-pants-crazy. But zombie babies? Who even thinks of that? You know what they did to the babies? They put 'em on a carousel. Wow. There was Freddy and all kinds of scary dudes I have spent a lifetime avoiding when their stupid assed commercials came on at night.
So you might wonder? Why the hell is this girl on a blog hop? Well, despite being a whiny jackass, I love free stuff. I love having giveaways and I think Lisa Sanchez rocks. So I have slid on a pair of sturdy diapers and waded into the Halloween promotion that may keep me awake until Christmas.
Anyway, to celebrate you people that are much tougher than I am, I'm giving away an eCopy of Crushed Seraphim and it is international.
To enter, comment below and make sure to follow this blog! One winner will be chosen at random.


text:
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Stone Flooring
It's beautiful. It's evocative. It's natural solid stone flooring — 300 million years in the making!
Stone floors offer something no other flooring can: history. Architects and designers since the beginning of civilization have used natural stone for their most important works. In countries around the world, stone has long been the accepted choice for cathedrals, monuments, museums, houses of government and, of course, homes.
One might say it's an ancient idea. About 2630 B.C., Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid rose up out of the Egyptian countryside. It was the largest building of its time and much of it was made of stone. This was a tomb meant to last forever and, by constructing it from stone, it has indeed outlasted the mud-brick commonly used in inferior pyramids. It's chief architect, Imhotep, is credited with inventing stone architecture.
There are three basic types of rock from which we carve out stone floors:
Travertine and limestone are examples of sedimentary stone. Granite is an example of igneous stone. Slate and marble are examples of metamorphic stone.
Stone flooring has long been considered the flooring material of choice for the privileged and elite. Think castles and palaces. But that is no longer the case. Advances in technology have helped make the labor-intensive process much more affordable and that savings has been passed on to modern day consumers. Since your home is your castle, why not consider stone floors?
Stone's path to your home begins in a quarry. Large blocks of stone are cut from the earth and transported to a processing plant. Did you know that stone is just a rock until it's been quarried?
Only after cutting is it called stone. The blocks are cut into slabs. The slabs then go to a fabricator to be cut again, shaped and polished.
Today, natural stone quarries can be found throughout the world, including Italy, China, Spain, India, Canada, Mexico and right here in the good old US of A.
Among the many advantages of stone is one very practical one. Natural stone flooring will virtually always increase your home's resale value. And unlike other types of flooring (but like a good wine), it improves with age.
Natural stone tile is produced from natural materials that are quarried, slabbed, finished, and cut to size. Common types of stone used as flooring tile include granite, marble, limestone (including travertine), and slate. Among these types of natural stone are thousands of varieties with characteristics that depend on where and when the stone was quarried.
Granite is a type of igneous rock that is very dense and hard. Its distinctive appearance is due to speckled minerals found within the rock, its unique veining, and the thousands of available colors. Granite is nearly impervious and, once it is polished, resists scratching. It is an excellent choice for flooring in kitchens and high-traffic areas.
Marble is a type of metamorphic rock that has rich veining and is available in a variety of colors. Marble is more porous than granite and is not recommended for kitchen flooring unless honed and then sealed on a regular basis.
Limestone is a type of sedimentary rock that offers an earthy appearance in both light and dark shades. The surface can be textured or polished smooth. Limestone is less dense than granite and marble. It can be easily stained and is also prone to scratching. It is not recommended for kitchen or high-traffic flooring applications.
Travertine is a type of limestone that offers an unusual crystallized appearance with an earthy tone. Travertine is a soft, porous stone with a natural surface that has pitting or divots. A honed or polished surface can be achieved after filling the surface voids. Travertine is not recommended for kitchen floors, as it can be easily scratched and stained. Special care and surface sealing is required to maintain travertine.
Slate is a type of metamorphic rock that is extremely dense and very durable. Slate is available in darker earthy tones. The surface of slate is naturally textured unless a smooth, honed finish is achieved. Slate is an excellent choice for kitchen and high-traffic area flooring.
Natural Stone Tile Surface Finishes
Ceramic Tile
The face of stone tile flooring typically has one of three types of finishes applied: natural, honed, or polished. The finishing process of natural stone begins once the stone is quarried and cut into a rough slab. The rough slab face is polished with abrasive pads. Extremely coarse abrasive pads are used first, then less coarse pads are used until the final buffing. The tiles are then cut to size by a stone fabricator. The surface finish you apply will depend on where you intend to use the stone tile and the desired appearance. Natural surfaces are unfinished and have an earthy, dull appearance. Texture and pitting are visible characteristics of natural stone tile. Honed surfaces are achieved by terminating the finish process prior to buffing. The smooth, matte appearance is excellent for high-traffic and wet areas to prevent slipping and wear. Polished surfaces are highly reflective with a mirror-like finish. The process of achieving a polished finish is a benefit to the porosity of stone tile, creating an almost impervious surface. However, it also creates a more slippery surface. In addition to these common types of finishes, other types are available that offer distinctive appearances and present their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the type of stone tile you choose and its intended application, you might opt for one of the other surface finish types. It is best to consult with a stone fabricator to determine the best surface finish for your project
Ceramic tile is manufactured from clay materials that are quarried, prepared, and then formed into a mold. Common forming methods for ceramic tile include dry press, extruded, and slush mold. The dry press forming method involves a mixture of dry material being pressed into a mold under extreme pressure. Extruded ceramic tile is formed when a mixture of slightly wet material is extruded into a mold. Slush mold is a forming method in which a mixture of very wet material is poured into a mold and then hardened in a kiln at an extremely high temperature.
Porcelain vs. Non-Porcelain
Ceramic tile can best be characterized as either porcelain or non-porcelain. Traditional ceramic tile is non-porcelain and is made from white, red, and/or brown clay and other minerals. Porcelain ceramic tile is made from clay and minerals as well, but it also contains 50% of a white dust or sand called feldspar. Feldspar is a type of crystal found in rock that acts as a "flux" during the kiln-drying process, melting into a glass-like material and bonding all of the molded ingredients together. Minor modifications to the ingredients of ceramic tile or the kiln-drying process (i.e., to the temperature and type of kiln) create enormous variety in the appearance and characteristics of manufactured ceramic tile flooring products.
Porcelain and non-porcelain ceramic tile can be either unglazed or glazed. Glazed tile has a matte, semi-gloss, or high-gloss finish applied to the surface during the manufacturing process. In the past, glazed tile was kiln-fired twice, once to harden the tile mold and a second time to harden the glaze. Today, in addition to double-fired ceramic tiles, an automated single-fired manufacturing process called Monocuttura hardens a glazed mold in one step. Glazed tiles have increased stain resistance, scratch resistance, and traction, as well as decreased water absorption, in comparison to an unglazed tile.
Non-porcelain, ceramic tile is among the most economical types of tile flooring. Porcelain ceramic flooring is more expensive than non-porcelain and can be harder to work with. However, it offers greater durability, natural stain resistance, minimal water absorption, and through-bodied color. Many types of tile are manufactured in a similar fashion to ceramic tile, but they are less common. These include brick, cement, glass, encaustic, saltillo, and terra cotta tile. The varying materials and manufacturing processes create distinctive product characteristics.
Ceramic Tile Contractors In Issaquah, Washington 98027


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I'm almost done with the nursery and will hopefully be ready to post about it next week! In the mean time, I'm pretty sure the more things I'm ticking off my to-do list, the bigger my feet are getting.
Today, I'm guest posting over at The Scrap Shoppe! Head on over if you want to check out some of the hostess gifts I made!


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At least the horse is good. But the Royal Opera House's straightforward new production of Les Troyens isn't nearly as exciting as it should be. The cast and their singing are the best of it, and both Anna Caterina Antonacci and Eva-Maria Westbroek are well worth seeing, but somehow it underwhelms. David McVicar's production is, for the most part, not bad, but it's not much more than average, and the whole affair never coheres enough to rise to the occasion–the occasion, in this case, being a vague Olympics tie-in and the eternal "we're putting on a quasi-all-star uncut Les $#!&ing Troyens, the biggest opera around that isn't in four parts."
Berlioz, Les Troyens. Royal Opera House, 7/1/2012. New production directed by David McVicar, sets by Es Devlin, costumes by Moritz Junge, lights by Wolfgang Göbbel, choreography by Andrew George. Conducted by Antonio Pappano with Anna Caterina Antonacci (Cassandre), Fabio Capitanucci (Coroebus), Bryan Hymel (Aeneas), Eva-Maria Westbroek (Dido), Hanna Hipp (Anna), Jin-Min Park (Iopas), Brindley Sherratt (Narbal), Ed Lyon (Hylas).
David McVicar is a smart and slick director, but rarely a profound one and over the past few years his productions seem to be losing more and more intellectual weight. (I think his Faust is legitimately brilliant, and I love his Zauberflöte, both at the ROH, but his more recent Anna Bolena and Trovatore, both at the Met, are adequate at best.) For Troyens he pulls one of his favorite tricks, setting the opera in the time in which it was composed, here around the 1850s. But that's about the extent of his Konzept, which never creates a compelling reason for why this siege and escape happen. Who are these Trojans, Greeks, Carthaginians, or future Romans? (This exposition is something McVicar achieves with model efficiency in his Giulio Cesare, seen nearly everywhere already and coming to the Met next year). It doesn't have to be a historically specific definition–though since he sets the piece in a historically specific milieu that might be the most satisfying–but it has to be something dramatically convincing. Here too much is left empty, with familiar-looking nineteenth-century images that do little to define the setting or characters. Nor did the cast seem to be on the same wavelength as this setting, or for that matter with each other.
The Troy acts are far easier to stage and the production works best here. The Trojans have holed up in a vaguely steampunk setting of industrial detritus surrounding a giant metal tower. Why the industrial stuff? I thought momentarily of the broken machines in Heart of Darkness, but that's all I got. For people suffering under a long siege the Trojans look damn good, the women in beautiful dresses and the men in elaborate uniforms. (While I'm not sure why it was there, much of the design in this half is very striking.) Swooping through all of this is Anna Caterina Antonacci's old school Cassandra, with the dramatic postures and oversized gesture of, maybe, the 1850s, or a visitor from Planet Sarah Bernhardt. Eyes painted on her hands lets her tell people's fortunes–based on her reactions, most of them aren't getting happy endings. If there's anyone who can pull this kind of thing off it's Antonacci, and she's great fun, but Gesamtkunstwerk it's not.
The set piece effects in Troy work well. While the Horse might seem a challenge I'm pretty sure that as long as you produce something very big and equine it's going to be a hit, and this one, welded of abandoned weapons and snorting fire, is no exception. It looms large and is very exciting. McVicar does a good job with the ceremonies in this act as well, coming up with something convincingly ritualistic and appropriate to the music. The dancing, however, made me decide that if I ever run an opera company I will ban the use of cartwheels, somersaults, handsprings, back handsprings, backwards somersaults, and any other gymnastics in all of my productions. (The dances in Carthage made me want to expand this ban to all dance entirely–more on that in a second.)
While the Troy acts are all dark excitement and desolation, Dido's Carthage is a land of plenty and peace and sunniness. The dark metal tower turns into a multi-tiered sandstone city, as well as a model of a tiny city that variously sits on the stage and hovers above it to no clear purpose. Unfortunately McVicar gives into a wide variety of tired Orientalist cliches out of an unironicized Ingres painting (without the nudity, surprisingly enough). Like in many other productions of Troyens, the Carthaginians have built a glorious city but not yet discovered chairs, and prefer to languish on cushions while wearing robes and shiny jewelry. The dances are more frequent and far more annoying, with lousy slinky choreography, some horribly tacky rainbow costumes and, during a typically McVicarian naiad abduction in the Chasse royale, a tree that bursts into flames. Presumably it was struck by lightning, but the effect is that Aeneas and Dido's love is signaled by a burning bush, Old Testament style.
There is some lazy stagecraft in the last act, with a large portion of Dido's final scene played extreme downstage in front of a black curtain, presumably as the pyre is set up behind it. While this got Eva-Maria Westbroek right down to the apron, it's more than a litle anticlimactic and out of character for the rest of the production. The final step, however, is a mistake not of economy but of opulence. Perhaps skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to be "spoiled" but a giant head with a pointing hand enters at the curtain, looking like a man version of the Horse, presumably pointing Italie-wards. Maybe it's Hannibal. Whatever, it's embarrassingly like a last-minute cameo from the Terminator (not, strangely enough, pictured in any of the official photos).
McVicar knows how to create engaging Personenregie, but the staging fails to provide a larger vision, and the weirdness in the design and especially the dance unwelcomingly recalls the commodity elements of the grand opera genre. It's a luxury buffet of what we purportedly want to see, unfortunately all the dishes don't work together. I must say the lighting is gorgeous, though.
The cast ranged from decent to excellent. Antonio Pappano's conducting was straightforwardly exciting and quickly paced, but tended to shortchange Berlioz's quirkiness. I missed the orchestral detail, unusual timbres, and rapid changes of mood of Colin Davis or John Eliot Gardiner. The orchestra sounded absolutely excellent until the end, when the brass began to tire. The chorus sounded super the whole way through, and with this opera's number of choruses that makes a big difference. The aforementioned Antonacci was surely the highlight, out of place as she was, she can declaim with such conviction and vivid presence that you forget anyone else is onstage. It's a shame Cassandre is only in the first few hours of this epic–and only Antonacci managed to transmit a sense of the epic.
Antonacci also held a monopoly on gravitas among the cast, the rest of whom were lacking in this department. I like soprano Didos, and Eva-Maria Westbroek's shimmering tone suits the part. She sounded lovely despite a certain lack of French style. But I wasn't entirely convinced on a theatrical level. In roles like Sieglinde her down to earth, big sister stage persona is a great asset, but it worked against her here. Her Dido began insecure and worried and only gradually gained in stature (as her voice tired)–but it was too late, in my opinion. This interpretation could have worked had the production fit it, but as it was the second half lacked a strong center.
As Aeneas, Bryan Hymel sang some spectacularly powerful high notes, and his super technique kept his smallish voice even and consistent through the entire long role. But despite really throwing himself into it, both he and his sound are severely lacking in glamour and charisma–the voice is basically monochromatic and plain, particularly in the lower register, and like Westbroek he seems like a guy you'd hang out with rather than an ancient hero. (I have little doubt he sang the role far better than Giordani is likely to do at the Met in December, however.)
The supporting cast was solid, highlighted by Hanna Hipp's Anna, who was slow to warm up in the duet with Dido but whose rich tone sounded absolutely lovely in the duet with Narbal. Fabio Capitanucci was a stiff but authoritatively-voiced Coroebus, Brindley Sherrett a first-rate Narbal, and Ed Lyon one of the few cast members who sounded French-ish as Hylas.
After around four hours of opera, I peered into the pit to see a cellist flipping to the back of his part, counting the pages remaining. I hate to say it but I could kind of see his point. This was a missed opportunity.
Les Troyens at the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Photos copyright Bill Cooper/Royal Opera House


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China Creation Ventures, founded by KPCB China veterans, aims to identify and cultivate more early-stage Chinese startups. "The China local innovation trend will go global soon, with many unicorns being born in China." Zhou predicts.
BEIJING, Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, Zhou Wei, the founder of China Creation Ventures (CCV) received an interview given by All Tech Asia. In the article named "Chinese innovation is taking off and China Creation Ventures was founded to fuel the trend", Zhou Wei shared his vision on Chinese technology startups.
As China's domestic innovations have thrived in recent years, the argument that Chinese entrepreneurs are copying Western startups could be incorrect.
Ever appearing mobile payments, convenient bike-sharing products and drones are a few strong examples of how China's innovations and its entrepreneurial landscape are at a turning point.
Competition among Chinese startups at home is becoming extremely fierce and more entrepreneurs are eying to expand abroad.
Venture capital (VC) firms backing these startups need to not only know the Chinese market well, but also have a global vision so that they can help their portfolio companies grow and thrive.
It is the vision to do this better that inspired Zhou Wei, former Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) China, to leave the American venture capital firm after working there for 10 years, and founded his own VC: China Creation Ventures (CCV).
Tech innovation and young generations generate new opportunities in China
Since 2011, Internet industry in China has seen rapid development. The landscape has been especially reshaped by the startup boom fueled by local innovations. In Zhou's opinion, with the open systems of iOS and Android having global reach, Chinese startups now have equal opportunities to compete with the rest of the world. It has been reported that China has the largest number of mobile developers worldwide.
The rise of China's tech firms has stunned the world in recent years. Tencent and Alibaba were among the world's biggest 10 companies in terms of market capitalization by June, as reported by the Financial Times.
Five Chinese startups, including Alibaba finance branch, Ant Financial, ride-hailing company, Didi Chuxing, and smartphone maker Xiaomi, are among the world's top 10 unicorns (a startup valued at USD 1 billion or more).
"Chinese startups can be competitive. After fierce domestic competition, the surviving ones are ready to explore the global market," Zhou said.
A plethora of innovative startups and 170 million burgeoning young consumers, who are tech savvy and willing to spend on online products, make China a lucrative market for investors.
"I see starting my own VC as a true opportunity to make more possibilities happen," said Zhou.
He went on to say, "As China's innovations spring up, if VCs, especially early-stage investors like us, don't have an efficient and localized policy-making system, we will be forced into a very unfavorable situation."
A veteran team will breed unicorns from a top American VC.
Founded in April 2017 by a team of former venture capitalists and other staff members, CCV intends to invest the most promising Chinese startups with technology innovation. In less than six months, they successfully raised 10-year RMB funds amounting to more than USD 200 million. CCV operates both RMB and USD funds.
Zhou, Managing Partner of CCV, was a seasoned entrepreneur for 10 years before becoming an investor in 2007. He holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Tang Xin, another CCV partner, has 20 years of investment and operational experience, and he been working with Zhou over 10 years in KPCB China. He identifies interesting business models and has a strong track record of investing in projects which have gained quick exits. Liang Yu, the third CCV partner has 16 years of investment, technological and operational experience, and been partner with Zhou and Tang in KPCB China for 4 years.Zhou explained that even though the firm is quite new, the founding team is experienced and complete, since nearly all of the members are former TMT (technology, media, and telecom) group members of KPCB China.
As for himself, Zhou said that he followed an inner calling to seize the opportunity of establishing his own VC to back Chinese startups. He said the name 'China Creation Ventures' reflects his belief that the era of Chinese technology innovation has arrived. He observed now as the right timing, having gained his vision and experience as an entrepreneur and VC for 20 years. Recently, Zhou was selected as one of the Top 30 Influential Investors by Fortune China in 2017.
"Unlike most investors, I was once a startup person," Zhou said.
In 1994, he designed the first generation of point of sale (POS) machines for a Chinese computer company based in Fujian Province, followed by years of work in E-payment space. This experience equipped him with an in-depth knowledge of the Fintech space and fostered his vision as an investor in this area. Later as a venture capitalist, he led A round investments in China's leading financing companies, including JD Finance, CreditEase and Rong360.
Investing in the 'big guy' of the future
CCV's main investment focus is in the TMT area. Specifically, startups in Fintech, big data, artificial intelligence, and general entertainment industries will be its investment targets. Zhou is also interested in Internet startups that expand their business outside China.
Moreover, CCV prefers to invest in early-stage startups that have the potential to become large platform conglomerates with positive social impact.
Zhou made more than 75% of his investments in Series A as lead investor. For Zhou, that strategy has paid off so far, with nearly 30% of them becoming unicorns.
He recalled the early days when he invested in JD.COM and sat down with Liu Qiangdong, founder of JD.COM, to find the best strategy for his company.
When JD.COM was losing money from its heavily logistics-focused system and facing doubts from other investors, I never questioned its future and have always backed them," Zhou said. The JD.COM investment generates superior return for the fund."
Today, JD.COM is China's second largest e-commerce platform, claiming 258 million active customer accounts by the end of June 2017. Liu made a public endorsement of Zhou, stating "There are many people who claim they support entrepreneurs, but few actually do. Wei is one of the few who delivers on what he has promised. He provided me with significant support when JD was developing critical verticals such as logistics."
Zhou values quality over quantity, and has an appetite for startups that have a chance to become platform.
"We don't invest in companies which are 'small and beautiful'. We prefer those who might be a big guy, a platform-like company," said Zhou. "Our principle is smaller quantity but better quality. Among all the companies in which we have invested, about 30% of them have become a unicorn."
In the Chinese online-wireless-content field, Zhou has invested in Ximalaya FM, an audio content giant which has attracted 400 million users. Another winner backed by them is the short-video app Miaopai. Miaopai's parent company, Yixia Tech, gained a valuation over USD 2 billion by its latest financing round at the end of last year. In the Fintech space, they have invested in CreditEase, a large financial services company in China whose P2P branch went public on NYSE in 2015. They have also invested in JD Finance, the finance branch of the second largest Chinese e-commerce site JD.COM.
Group-hunting instead of individual-chasing
CCV differentiates itself from other VCs by not only having a founding team with a unique background but also in how their team works. "Investors in most of the VCs work independently. They put up their own investment proposals and the investment committee will decide to invest or not," said Zhou. "But here at CCV, we do group hunting instead of individual working."
He said that CCV members would sit down to discuss future trends rather than chase current hot sectors like many other VCs. If the team concludes that a certain sector will thrive in the near future, they will meet every top team they can find in this sector to identify the best startup. Their next step is to invest in these best ones and build a relationship with the founders to figure out ways to grow their startups.
Zhou believes that the group-hunting strategy is efficient and will help young colleagues grow.
"We make sure that everyone has a deep understanding of the industry to be invested and makes their own contributions. We do not rely on a certain celebrity investor and our team is stable," added Zhou.
Zhou also believes that people matters most in investment, because investment is an industry that sells no physical product. He said it would be very hard to succeed unless the team understands China very well and can have their local team make decisions.
"It's more pragmatic for limited partners to trust those who really understand Chinese markets and manage those investments for them," said Zhou.
Zhou is very proud of his team at China Creation Ventures. The majority of the members are from the TMT investment team of KPCB China. He feels blessed to have such a stable and mature team, in which people who have already worked with each other for many years have decided to do one big thing together. CCV's investment team has in-depth knowledge of the local markets in China. They hold sound investment records of many Chinese unicorn companies including Asia Innovations Group, a leading global mobile social entertainment group, CreditEase, one of China's top business consulting firms that offers wealth management services, and many more.
The goal of China Creation Ventures is to become a top VC both within China and globally, Zhou said.
The original links:


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i am a bit sad in these days, thanks god nothing about me or my family but my favorite yarns are out of sales.. this means my favorite items no more will be at the shop!
i'll look after new yarns for sure but i'll miss their softness and pale colors..:D
i crocheted my last bird with that yarn and a bit yarn left. then i crocheted a little bird.. Then added key charm and this little guy turn to a sweet little chick key charm.
i keep on doing this with the other left yarns and in these days my creative space will look like this:D
For more CSs pls visit Kootoyoo's blog.
Creative Space
Gönderen Sabahnur zaman: 09:29
6 yorum:
It's so cute! Wonderful keychain! I love it! :):)YanıtlaSil
Gorgeous! Really, really good.YanıtlaSil
What a cute little bird :DYanıtlaSil
Cute birdie! Sad news, but I hope you can find even better yarn any time soon! ;) Have a great day!YanıtlaSil
I love this one... very cuteYanıtlaSil
That is just the cutest little birdie ever!YanıtlaSil
Kaydol: Kayıt Yorumları (Atom)


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Oil prices continue to surge to new records. A barrel of light sweet crude peaked above $123 on Wednesday. Gasoline is selling at a national average of about $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA. And according to the Energy Department, prices at the pump will surpass $4 a gallon this summer.
This is all old news. The bigger question is whether or not the economic fundamentals of rising prices will reduce consumption. According to a new monthly report from the Energy Department, the answer is yes. The Energy Department is projecting that domestic gasoline consumption will decline by about 190,000 barrels a day this year. Add increased use of ethanol, and the overall petroleum tab will drop by 330,000 barrels a day—the first annual decline since the oil price shocks of Iraq War I.
This reduction of oil consumption, and the concomitant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, might resemble a silver lining in the dark clouds of economic recession, climate change, and fragile energy markets. But wait. Those 330,000 barrels of oil account for less than 1 percent of total gasoline demand in the United States. More importantly, while U.S. consumption takes a dip, global oil demand is projected to rise by 1.2 million barrels per day. This year, China alone will add 800,000 barrels a day to its consumption levels.
What does that mean for you and your experience at the local filling station? Demand will continue to outstrip supplies, pushing oil and gasoline prices even higher. Goldman Sachs sees the price of a barrel going past $150 and heading toward $200. Other industry analysts predict $7 at the pumps in the next few years.


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Created By: Allan Krisciunas on 99/12/15
at 10:46 PM
Modified By: Allan Krisciunas on 2000/05/26 at 05:09 PM
The Ottawa Chapter of the ONE PARENT FAMILIES ASSOCIATION
where you'll also find the current list of activities for the upcoming weeks. The Ottawa OPFA invites all One Parent families in the Ottawa-Hull area to come out and enjoy our activities. Nous aimerions ainsi accueillir toutes les familles francophone d'un parent dans la Région de l'Outaouais de nous rendre visite et participer dans nos activités. Il y a beaucoup de francophones parmi nos membres. The annual membership fee is $40, but children are subsidised at many of our events.
Ottawa OPFA meetings are held at 8:00 P.M. on second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Thursdays of every month at the Dempsey Community Centre. It's located at 1895 Russell Rd. North near the Smyth / St. Laurent intersection (see maps below), in South Ottawa. Please feel free to attend at any time. We also have a "hotline" to leave messages, or to get up-to-date information on what's happening -- please phone : 860-OPFA (6732).
.......A happy parent creates a happy family.


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Save the Date 17-19 June: Cities for Mobility 2018
Starting this Monday: the 9th International Cities for Mobility Congress at Stuttgart City Hall!
Meet more than 300 local decision makers, mobility experts, entrepreneurs and practitioners from all over the world 17-19 June 2018. Over 150 representatives from local and regional governments, private sector, research and civil society have already registered.
The 2018 edition of the International Congress will revolve around mobility trends and their influence on creating livable public spaces in cities, tackling especially the importance of mobility experiments and innovations in public space, mobility and urban planning, new concepts for the development of public transport services, innovations in city logistics and the expansion of shared transport models. The national and international good practices to be presented will show how cities are finding concrete, innovative and integrated solutions that can shape a more human-friendly mobility in our cities.
You can find a preview of the keynote speakers here.
Don't forget to register to the event which can easily be done online under the following link https://www.cities-for-mobility.net/congresses/register/
Don't miss the exciting mobility tours on 19 June (limited places!) and the special evening event offered by the Public Transport Company of Stuttgart (SSB) at the Straßenbahnwelt (tram way museum) on 18 June.


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UC Irvine 2, San Diego 0
SAN DIEGO — Sophomore Cameron Iwasa and freshman Gor Kirakosyan scored unassisted second-half goals to power the visiting Anteaters in their nonconference season opener Friday.
Iwasa found the net in the 48th minute and Kirakosyan added the clincher in the 89th minute.
Freshman Michael Breslin made three saves to preserve the shutout.
UCI plays host to Long Island in the Anteater Invitational on Friday at 7 p.m.
Kansas State def. UC Irvine
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Redshirt freshman Marisa Bubica posted a team-high nine kills for the Anteaters, who lost to No. 22-ranked Kansas State, 25-10, 25-18, 25-12, to open the season at the Varney Invitational.
Aly Squires and Taylor Smith each chipped in five kills. Kristin Winkler led all players with 15 digs, while Smith led UCI at the net with four blocks. Marissa Alvarez paced the team with 18 assists.
Biola Summer Slam
LA MIRADA — Freshman Sarah McKinny had 14 kills to lead Vanguard to a 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 win over Concordia of Oregon in the Lions' second match Saturday.
Sophomore Jessica Neves added 12 kills and sophomore setter Carly Maxwell had 47 assists for the Lions (4-3).
Sophomore Kendall Haldi had 14 kills to help lead Vanguard to a 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-12 victory over Southern Oregon earlier in the day.
Neves and junior Grace Konstanzer had 11 kills each, while sophomore Ashli Bellinger contributed 10 kills for the Lions. Maxwell had 41 assists.


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Feel you're being protected and served?
By Tim Martin, Eureka Times Standard
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Jim Pasco, executive director of the largest U.S. police union, recently offered a shocking statement to the press. He vowed to strike back at Quentin Tarantino for comments the movie director made against police brutality at a New York rally.
Pasco said he had a plan to hurt Tarantino "economically." The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, a union representing New York City Police, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police called for a boycott of Tarantino's movies, including his latest picture "The Hateful Eight."
In other words they are blackballing the filmmaker Don Corleone style: "Nice movie you got there, Quentin. It'd be a real shame if somethin' happened to it, ya know?"
After Pasco called for a boycott of Tarantino's films, the director appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" to clarify his position. "The [police] unions are saying that I am a cop hater, which is slander because I didn't say that," he told Maher. "They're implying that I meant that all cops are murderers, and I wasn't. But the thing that's really sad about it is we actually do need to talk to cops about this. We need to bring this to the table."
What kind of police do you call on the police? Law enforcement has become a predatory culture in America. Cops are morphing into thugs and criminals. They beat, choke, shoot, pepper spray, and Taser unarmed citizens. Police unions have transformed into terrorist groups that threaten any and all critics. Pasco's plan to financially cripple the "Natural Born Killers" director proves that many police departments are not interested in protecting citizens, but in maintaining their unchecked right to act unlawfully.
Has it ever occurred to cops that their aggressive and violent behavior is the main reason they have such a terrible image problem?
Since when did the police become a crime mob that issues threats and warnings of harassment and intimidation? Pasco's gang-like threat to Tarantino was a warning so illegal and egregious it boggles the mind. It clearly illustrates the totalitarian idea that any criticism of authority is punishable by law. It also reveals how much some people want our free society to be markedly less so.
This is exactly what black people have been complaining about for decades. Surprise! We are all black now.
The Department of Justice needs to wake up. Law enforcement groups are becoming domestic enemies like the white supremacist groups Ku Klux Klan and Stormfront. There is too much police brutality in this country. Bullying only incites public anger. The public will tolerate unrestrained cop misconduct only so long. If police continue this current trend, they will force violence against themselves.
Cops have killed unarmed people using illegal choke holds and excessive force. The city of Chicago recently fired an investigator who tried to hold two officers accountable for beating a mentally ill man to death. Police need to get over themselves and address the weekly unnecessary murder of people over trivial issues. Many officers do a good job, but unfortunately, they also enforce a code of silence that protects bad cops. Until the cover-ups stop, all law enforcement will be tainted. More transparency and accountability is needed. Police should be working overtime to eradicate criminals from their own ranks instead of finding ways to censor a filmmaker's freedom of speech. And judges must stop giving officers a free pass of "badge truthfulness" in court.
The Fraternal Order of Police and their over-the-top strawman Jim Pasco offer no help whatsoever. They only increase the problem.
I applaud Quentin Tarantino's bravery in speaking out against criminal cops and their terroristic grip on society. Protesting injustices peacefully is what makes American great. Many police officers have lost their moral compass and are abusing the badge. Even worse, they are protected and insulated by a system that allows them to continue to do so. Cops who kill unlawfully are murderers, pure and simple. Pasco is merely trying to deflect the issue by claiming Tarantino was referring to every cop as a murderer.
We were once an extraordinary country where people were free to speak their minds and criticize power without fear of retribution. Those days are over. America is no longer extraordinary. With the arrival of our police state we have become just another Iran or Russia. If we continue to turn a blind eye to police violence it will only grow worse. It's long past the time to do something about this problem. Our entire legal system has gone to the dogs.
Tim Martin resides in Fortuna and writes this column for the Times-Standard. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
URL: http://www.times-standard.com/opinion/20160116/feel-youre-being-protected-and-served
© 2016 Eureka Times-Standard (http://www.times-standard.com)
I was catching up on my "Times-Standard" news when I came across this article from Tim Martin and just had to post it. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to write. Personally, I've refrained from writing about the lawlessness that plagues our area and the dire consequences they portend. Personally, I believe you "reap what you sow" consequently, the people (most of them anyway) deserve what they got.
"Paranoid and delusional," and scared crapless - every encounter is a time-bomb ready to go off. The people of Eureka must really enjoy playing Russian roulette. See: Eureka Police - When the Police Use Force
"Paranoid and delusional," and scared crapless - every encounter is a time-bomb ready to go off. The people of Eureka must really enjoy playing Russian roulette. See: Eureka Police - When the Police Use Force


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When I first began The Indie Book Podcast, I thought of self-publishing was, you know, a neat thing. An interesting alternative path writers could take. I was excited that it was starting to be viable, but I wasn't 100% sure it was something I was going to pursue. After all, I figured traditional publishing had a lot to recommend it, too.
Fast forward three months, and the self-publishing revolution has become less of an interesting novelty for me, and more of a moral crusade. As I surf around the web, combing forums and blog posts for info that might enhance the podcast, I'm just starting to realize how much I've switched over, in my heart, from traditional writer to indie writer. This worm has turned.
Which doesn't mean I don't occasionally enjoy reading the opposite point of view. I particularly enjoyed this post from writer Edan Lepucki. It's a well-written, well-reasoned recounting of Lepucki's reasons for sticking with the traditional path. So, naturally, I'm going to tear it to shreds.
Ok, not really. But I am going to address his arguments, point by point, and see how my own hold up to them.
1. I Guess I'm Not a Hater
…I trust publishers. They don't always get it right, but more often than not, they do. As I said in the piece that started me off on this whole investigation: "I want a reputable publishing house standing behind my book; I want them to tell you it's good so that I don't have to."…
I wouldn't call myself a hater, either. I do think publishers put out good products, and that the publishing companies are responsible for some of the value of those products (AKA, books). I don't think the traditional houses are valueless by any means.
And yet, I do think there is something wrong with the current royalty structures publishers offer their authors. I'm not talking mathematically wrong, here, I'm talking morally Wrong. There's just no reason for a publisher to rake in 85% of the cover price of e-books—not when they're assuming so little risk, and incurring no per-unit costs. Signing a deal that grants you 15% of net receipts (a pretty standard e-book royalty rate) is like saying that the work of writing a book only accounts for one seventh of its value. That seems weird to me. No, not just weird. Crazy.
So, no, I don't hate the big houses. I respect what they have to offer. But I'd like a little more evidence that they respect what I have to offer before I throw my lot in with them.
2. I Write Literary Fiction
…Many of the writers who have found success in self-publishing are writers of straightforward genre fiction. Amanda Hocking writes young adult fantasy, dwarfs and all. ... Aside from Anthropology of An American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann, I can't think of another literary novel that enjoyed critical praise and healthy sales when self-published. That's not to say that it can't — and shouldn't — happen, it's only to point out that it's a tougher road for writers of certain sorts of stories…
Well, that's a fair point. Actually, it's the one I find most persuasive. Like it or not, everything is not equal among the genres, and literary authors may have a harder road ahead of them if they choose to self-publish.
The taste makers for literary books are all still very much the old guard—the New York Times Book Review, Michiko Kakutani, et al. If they aren't looking at self-pubbed books—and I believe at present they're trying their best not to—it's going to be a long time before the readers of those books discover self-published authors.
Secondly—and I say this with love—the literary genre is the genre most invested in the idea of the writer as a special, elite artist. Out here in genre-fiction-land, we're frequently ok with being considered working stiffs, but the same is not necessarily true of our literary brethren. I suspect that a lot of the value of being published, for a literary writer, comes from the cachet of being accepted into The Club. This is particularly true for those literary writers who have secondary careers in academia, another industry invested in the ideas of prestige and the elite nature of the artist.
I don't mean to suggest that literary writers are snobs, or that they things they want aren't worth wanting. The fact is, every writer wants respect, and there's no reason literary writers shouldn't make it a priority. But as long as the communities they belong to grant that respect only to the traditionally published, literary writers will have a long row to hoe when it comes to self-publishing.
3. I'd Prefer a Small Press to a Vanity Press
…The conversation about self-publishing too often ignores the role of independent publishing houses in this shifting reading landscape. … These presses are run and curated by well-read, talented people, and they provide readers with the same services that a large press provides: namely, a vote of confidence in a writer the public might have never heard of…
So, ok, I sort of object to the term "vanity press—" from my point of view, I'm not vain. I'm entrepreneurial!
But, nit-picking aside, Lepucki makes an interesting point here. The self-publishing conversation is often framed as an either/or—throw in with the Big Six, or go it alone.
To be honest, I don't know enough about small publishers—what terms they offer to authors, how able they are to land their books on the bookstore shelves, etc., etc. I'll admit, straight up, that I could stand to learn more about this before I express an opinion of small press vs. self-pubbing.
I will say, though, that I am interested in the evolution of hybrid models of publishing. No matter what, writers are going to continue to need services—especially editing—from people other than themselves. I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of business models grow to fill this need, and it could be that small presses have an important role to play.
4. Self-Publishing is Better for the Already-Published
Perhaps the smarter, and far more seductive, path is the one where the writer begins his career with a traditional publisher, and then, once he's built a base of loyal readers, sets off on his own. The man who loves to talk smack about the publishing industry, J.A. Konrath, already had an audience from his traditionally-published books by the time he decided to take matters into his own hands. It's much harder to create a readership out of nothing…
Well, I don't disagree with the overall point: it is easier to self-publish if you've already built an audience. But here's the thing: getting traditionally published does not buy you out of the work of creating that audience. Whichever way you go, you are going to have to blog, or tweet, or set up reviews and interviews for yourself—you're going to have to be your own marketer. If you're expecting your publishing company to do this for you, well, maybe you'll be lucky. But very likely you won't.
Getting traditionally published does provide some extra exposure, in terms of bookstore placement, but for many authors it comes with limited—or nonexistent—marketing. That's the world we're looking at today, kids. You can go through Door A or Door B, but you'll still have to pimp your own book.
5. I Value the Publishing Community
… Even though my first novel was rejected by traditional publishers, one assistant editor's notes on it — notes that were thorough, thoughtful, challenging, and compassionate — were enough to show me that these professionals are valuable to the process of book-making. I know you can hire experienced editors and copy-editors, but how is that role affected when the person paying is the writer himself? What if the hired editor told you not to publish? Would that even happen?
I'll agree that a good editor is worth his weight in gold. I'll even agree that this is a real, thorny problem facing self-published authors. Finding a good editor isn't just a matter of scanning ads on the web. You want someone who gets your genre, gets your audience, and, ideally, gets you as a writer. That's not something you find around every corner.
The thing I dispute is that signing on with a traditional publisher is a guaranteed way of finding yourself such a gem. I've heard authors say they love their editor, and I've heard authors say they hate their editor. It is very unclear, at present, what level of editing services any particular new author can expect.
At least if you pay for it yourself, you can exercise some control over what you get. And if you don't like the results, you're free to move on to another provider.
6. The E-Reading Conundrum; or, I don't want to be Amazon's Bitch
… The thought of Amazon being the only place to purchase my novel shivers my timbers. I don't mind if someone else chooses to read my work electronically, just as I don't mind if Amazon is one of the places to purchase my work; I'm simply wary of Amazon monopolizing the reading landscape. Self-publishing has certainly offered an alternative path for writers, but it's naive to believe that a self-published author is "fighting the system" if that self-published book is produced and made available by a single monolithic corporation. In effect, they've rejected "The Big 6″ for "The Big 1."
I get where Lepucki's coming from here. Amazon is gaining power by leaps and bounds, and it is a hair chilling to contemplate what they might do with it in the future. And yet, as Barry Eisler pointed out on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing last week, it's not as though the Big 6 operate competitively. They are all offering the same crappy royalty rates to authors.
I am in favor of authors having power over their work, and that means we need competition—competition for Amazon, competition for the Big 6. I really hope we continue to see such competition in the marketplace. But at present, I don't think I can do much to affect the future landscape of publishing. So there's little reason not to throw my lot in with the people offering me the best terms today.
7. Is it Best for Readers?
Our conversation reminded me of Laura Miller's humorous and perspicacious essay, "When Anyone Can be a Published Author," in which she reminds us that the people who celebrate self-publishing often overlook what it means for book buyers and readers. She writes:
Readers themselves rarely complain that there isn't enough of a selection on Amazon or in their local superstore; they're more likely to ask for help in narrowing down their choices. So for anyone who has, however briefly, played that reviled gatekeeper role, a darker question arises: What happens once the self-publishing revolution really gets going, when all of those previously rejected manuscripts hit the marketplace, en masse, in print and e-book form, swelling the ranks of 99-cent Kindle and iBook offerings by the millions? Is the public prepared to meet the slush pile?
No, I suspect they're not. This is a legitimate problem for self-published authors, and it's one I truly hope my podcast can address. We need taste makers in the self-publishing world helping people cut through the chaff—and, yes, it would be disingenuous if I didn't admit that there is plenty of chaff to cut through. Because you're right: no reader wants to read four crappy books on his way to finding a good one.
But happily, there are enormous resources available to help him. There are Amazon reviews, review blogs, and, yeah, my little podcast.
I'd never claim that the vetting traditional publishers do isn't a valuable service to readers. But I'm hopeful that they aren't the only ones who can provide it.
8. I'm Busy. Writing.
Self-publishing takes a little time and energy, but it's not as much as you might think. In fact, if you cast aside the idea that being traditionally published will get you out of marketing your own book, it's really very little time at all. You're just communicating with artists and editors, and spending a few hours of research figuring out how to format your work for publication.
Is that really so much more time consuming than the communication a traditionally pubbed author has to do with his agent and editor? Somehow I doubt it.
Now, I better get busy. Writing.


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After a good round of cruise intervals last weekend, The Falcons were given a treat of the hills workouts at our Western Hills training enclave. A favourite with many of our trainees and training operations, the Mt. Faber region offers many good hills workouts for building those strength endurance bases.
The group of trainers and trainees were a tad smaller this morning as most were away for the HongKong (HK) marathon. As we compile this report, we have heard that they have done very well in spite of the well known hilly terrain of the HK course, with a number of good Personal Bests (PBs) registered.
Back to the Falcon training...the respective Groups 1-4 trainees were led through a basebuild run from SAFRA Mt. Faber along Depot Rd, Alexandra Rd before entering into the Labrador Park region.
Once in the Park, the Falcons were taken through 3-4 repeats of the 1.4km hills course, employing the knowledge they have about effective hill training. Although there were a few new trainees in the midst, most of the Falcons managed the paces and effort well to complete this main menu item up to expectations.
Many of the Falcons who were quite drained by the Labrador Park workout and the run up Morse Rd actually recovered pretty fast to be able to tackle the 2-3 Mt. Faber loops at sustained basebuild paces.
The HM training was completed by 9:30am while the FM groups finished their entire menu by 10:15am - a well managed workout by the Falcon trainers who have spent much effort to engage and motivate the Falcon trainees to complete their planned workouts in targeted timings.
The Falcons wore tired looks but were very satisfied with the hills challenges they faced and overcame this morning, ocne more enhancing their self confidence in their marathon training progress.
We will be back to MF in weekend #4, but this time with a touch of intervals and speedwork sandwiched by 2 blocks of hills runs. Most of the Falcons should be back next week to enjoy this 'tasty' menu. Should new runners wish to join in the program or just drop in at some of the Falcon sessions, do check out the Falcon website at www.OpFalcon.com.
The Falcons Have Overcome The Hilly 'Mental' Barrier
Facebook Photos by FatBird Chin


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Advantages of Arbitration This is a method that is used to settle distributes and disagreement among the business people. The process of settling the disputes can be included when signing the contracts. This allows both the aggrieved parties to work out on a plan of settling their cases out of court. The cost will be very minimal, and this process of dispute settling saves you time that would otherwise be wasted when going back and forth in court. Both parties have to agree on this process, and they should never be forced to follow this process. These cases are arbitrated by the American Arbitration Association which is one of the most known organization in providing these services. The certified agencies can be quoted on the contracts when signing. When you decide on the arbitration process you have to pay both the arbitrator and the and the resolution provider. The process can, however, be less expensive than the traditional civil court case. The alternative dispute resolution is a flexible process and also convenient to the parties involved because it saves them time and also it gives them the chance to decide on when, where and the time they will meet for the negotiations. Use the most best state law. For most businesses having an alternative dispute resolution that is locally available is advantageous and less expensive, and it also gives a better opportunity and the ability to have the preferred law firm to handle the matter. Get a professional law firm to handle your case, and also the mediator should be certified. Put some restrictions on your mediator to be able to save on costs. They should be allowed to state or mention the winner or loser and without going into the deeper details of the case. Some other cases cannot be restricted as they would require explanations because of their complex nature. When You decide on the long process where the judge or the arbitrator have to give explanations you lose the control you had for the cost and so the process can be a bit expensive. The party can also restrict the ability to appeal decisions and also request the attorney's fee and the judges' costs be granted to the prevailing party. They also have time and the opportunity to consider the proposed contracts violation through going through of the objectives. Both parties will come up with a mutual understanding with the assistance of a mediator. The mediator should be neutral and listen to both sides before making a decision. The settlement is reached privately and without involving the public because this is considered a private matter rather than public. The binding arbitration, will allow both the parties to present their positions and also the evidence to the judge who delivers a decision which is final on both parties in the dispute.
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