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Filed under: International, United States | Tags: anthony annan, asamoah gyan, bob bradley, carlos bocanegra, clint dempsey, ghana, jozy altidore, kevin prince-boateng, landon donovan, maurice edu, michael essien, oguchi onyewu, ricardo clark, richard kingson, robbie findley, tim howard, United States, world cup
Filed under: United States, World Cup | Tags: andre ayew, asamoah gyan, benny feilhaber, bob bradley, brian mcbride, carlos bocanegra, clint dempsey, damarcus beasley, edson buddle, ghana, herculez gomez, jonathon bornstein, jose torres, jozy altidore, landon donovan, maurice edu, michael bradley, michael essien, oguchi onyewu, razak pimpong, ricardo clark, robbie findley, stephen appiah, steve cherundolo, United States
The United States's victory over Algeria was historic, and, if you are a United States fan, won't be forgotten if you were watching it. However, it is time for the Yanks faithful to snap out of it, because very shortly, they face a physical and dangerous Ghana side that would very much like to knock them out of the competition for the second World Cup running.
Bad blood will be flowing when the teams take the field on Saturday. Their last meeting ended with a 2-1 Ghanian victory won off of a dubious penalty kick "committed" by Oguchi Onyewu. Clint Dempsey scored the only goal by a United States player in Germany, and will be looking to find the scoresheet again as he typically does in big time games. However, this time around, we are looking at a different Ghana side as well as a different United States side.
Six players from the United States will be present Saturday that were four years ago: Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and DaMarcus Beasley. If Onyewu is fit, he should be a sure thing to start, despite the fact that the defense played well against Algeria without "Gooch's" help. And other than DaMarcus Beasley, every one of them should start on Saturday.
Returning for the Black Stars is Stephen Appiah (the man of the match in '06), 'keeper Richard Kingson and John Paintsil. Kingson is usually very consistent for Ghana, as is Paintsil, and unlocking their defense will be quite the task for the Americans.
So what are the keys for beating Ghana?
1. Win the midfield – Ghana plays a 4-5-1, which means that the midfield will be crowded for Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu/Jose Torres/Ricardo Clark. They are physical and technically adept, so it won't be a walk around for the coach's son, who, so far, has been many peoples' player of the tournament for the United States. Also, Benny Feilhaber put in a good show as a substitute against Algeria and may feature on the left hand side, with Donovan on the right and Dempsey moving up top (but we reckon this will happen later in the game rather than from the get-go). Bradley is key in snuffing out attacks and starting new ones, if he can find his feet early in the game, impose himself on Kevin Prince-Boateng and Kwadwo Asamoah, it could mean a win for the Yanks.
2. Steady Defense – Oguchi Onyewu may be key to the keeping another clean sheet against Ghana, even though he wasn't even part of the back line that did against Algeria, don't be entirely shocked if Bradley keeps the same back four. However, you can count on "Gooch" wanting blood in this game, as it was he who allegedly fouled Pimpong for the spot kick in 2006. Surprisingly, Jonathon Bornstein didn't look too bad in the last game, but, if he plays, he will be faced with more adept opponents in Anthony Annan and Prince Tagoe, both of whom are capable of skinning the haphazard left back. Jay Demerit was a veritable rock against Algeria, and he will be key to overcoming the threat of Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's primary hitman. If he and Onyewu can form a steady partnership, they can neutralize his potent attacking skill. One option for Bradley, is playing Bocanegra in the middle of the back line, because he knows Gyan better than anybody on the American team, as they are team mates at Rennes.
3. Key Performances From Big Players – Notably Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. I know what you're thinking. Well, obviously they need to have big games in order to beat Ghana, but they are more key for this game than ever. Jozy will have a very daunting task sizing up against the physically tough John Mensah, the heart of the Black Stars' defense. John Paintsil is no slouch either, as the Fulham man holds his own against most clever wingers and strikers than run at him. He is fast and defensively resolute. Clint Dempsey will likely be deployed on the right for the start of the game, and, depending on the situation, could be moved up front. His opposite number could be Andre Ayew or Kevin Prince-Boateng, depending on how manager Milovan Rajevac chooses to line up. Donovan is key, as always, as he is part
of nearly every move towards goal and it will be paramount that he has a great game if the United States wants to get on the score sheet.
It's a sizable task, but both teams will walk onto the field Saturday confident of a win. Despite the fact that Ghana is without their talisman Michael Essien, they still have a great deal of menace and will assuredly cause trouble going forward and snuffing out attacks. The United States have nearly everybody fit, and the lineup on Saturday should include Maurice Edu, but the striker position is still a wild card as Bradley has toyed with his options quite a bit.
Either way, the game will have plenty of chances, drama and history. This game is a coin flip. Question is: heads or tails?
Filed under: United States, World Cup | Tags: benny feilhaber, carlos bocanegra, clint dempsey, demarcus beasley, edson buddle, england, fabio capello, group c, herculez gomez, james milner, jay demerit, jermain defoe, karim ziani, landon donovan, maurice edu, michael bradley, nadir belhadj, rafik djebbour, rais m'bohli, slovenia, steven gerrard, tim howard, United States, world cup
England and the United States booked their tickets to the knockout round, and the latter did so in the most dramatic of circumstances.
England took the lead through Jermain Defoe who was playing in his first start at the World Cup for the Three Lions in the 22nd minute after James Milner whipped in a delicious cross that Defoe tucked away nicely. England held on for the remainder of the game, as did Slovenia, who were content to let the 3 points go as it looked set that they would advance in the runners up spot. However, the American Dream was realized with some late drama at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The United States needed a win against Algeria, and it looked as if all their chances would go begging until, in the 92nd minute the talismanic Landon Donovan popped up to tuck in a rebound to seal all three points and a top spot in the next round.
The Yanks looked set to go behind early again after Rafik Djebbour got through 1-on-1 with Tim Howard only to see his superb volley crash off the crossbar. Rattled, the USA finally found their composure and eased their way into the game after creating some great chances, that, in all fairness, should have been tucked away.
Herculez Gomez tested Rais M'Bohli with a good shot to the near post, and later was put through on goal where could only send his shot into the body of M'Bohli, however he sent a shot/pass to Clint Dempsey who was lurking on the far post. Dempsey put it in the back of the net, but it was deja vu for the Yanks as it was unjustly called offside.
The USA backline looked shaky at times, especially early on when Jay Demerit looked suspect, but they all came very much into their own as the game wore on and Demerit put in an outstanding display with captain Carlos Bocanegra have a flyer as well.
Algeria were not without their chances as well, however. They were looking to play on the counter attack all game, and looked very dangerous nearly every time they came into the final third. Karim Ziani had one of the chances of the Algerian's game when, in the 69th minute, he was seemingly in the clear, but from the corner of the box sent his low driven effort wide of the post.
Nadir Belhadj was fairly effective bombing down the left side of the pitch, as his left foot sent in some rasping crosses that the Algerian front line couldn't make anything of.
Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu looked like the most natural pairing in midfield, and, despite the fact that Edu still gave the ball away here and there, he compensated with his all around solid work in defense and in the build up. Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley also combined notably on more than a few occasions as they both looked lethal exchanging passes and making clever runs.
Benny Feilhaber replaced Herculez Gomez at half time, and he was an excellent change as he held the ball well, penetrated the back line and played an overall smart game. Edson Buddle came on for Maurice Edu in the 64th minute and also played a great role as his first touches were crisp and nearly scored with a headed effort five minutes after being introduced. DeMarcus Beasley was the last substitute to be introduced, but he failed to make any significant impression on the game. To be fair, he came on in the 81st minute and saw limited time on the ball.
The result means the United States top Group C and England will sit in the runners up spot. Slovenia were on the brink of sneaking into the knockout round, but Landon Donovan's goal crushed any hopes they had. The Algerians played an interesting game, and began looking like they were playing for a draw; a result which would have brought them nothing in terms of reward other than personal satisfaction.
Filed under: United States, World Cup | Tags: abdelkader ghezzal, algeria, bob bradley, clint dempsey, edson buddle, england, group c, jose torres, jozy altidore, karim matmour, karim ziani, maurice edu, michael bradley, nadir belhadj, pretoria, ricardo clark, slovenia, United States, world cup
Three points are there for whoever wants to take them. Both teams are dying to advance from this group, as the United States has the expectations riding on their back and Algeria would relish the thought of an underdog victory. Albeit, Algeria would need to defeat the United States by at least 2 goals to make it. Still though, Algeria are a wounded animal and won't be giving anything away without a fight.
United States vs. Algeria
Four years of World Cup qualifying comes down to 90 minutes in Pretoria tomorrow. Every game played in the stadium thus far in the tournament has produced a victor, and both sides will be gunning hard for the spoils. A victory for the United States sees them through to the next round, but in first or second spot remains to be decided by the England – Slovenia game. Should the United States draw, only a Slovenian victory will still see them through to the next round. Should the England game come to a draw, the difference will come to goals scored (which, right now, the United States has the edge in).
Bob Bradley's team selection shouldn't be too much of a mystery except for the two toss-up positions. With Ricardo Clark
finally being seen as less effective, he may very well be replaced by Maurice Edu who put in a decent show with Slovenia. Edu would bring more composure and experience on a bigger stage than Torres would and is more of a box-to-box midfielder than Clark.
The other position is alongside Jozy Altidore, who has yet to get on the score sheet in South Africa. Edson Buddle is tipped as the favorite, as Robbie Findley wasn't particularly amazing against Slovenia and Buddle is still fresh in the memory with his two goals over Australia. Buddle should hook up well with Jozy, however, it might be slightly concerning that they play a very similar style of play. Still, there is no denying that Buddle has talent, and Bradley could well opt for him tomorrow.
However, as Group C has learned, Algeria aren't the easiest of opponents. They possess great pace and the technical ability to
break on the counter, something which Slovenia exploited very well during their match against the States. Also, there is the worrying fact that Abdelkader Ghezzal is back from suspension. Karim Matmour and Ghezzal are both players love to find the soft pockets between the midfield and back lines, something that was a weak spot for the Yanks against Slovenia.
Nadir Belhadj is an obvious man to mark as his pace and ball skills have been a joy to watch in the Group thus far and he could have his way with slower defenders like those in the United States back line.
Key Match Ups –
Michael Bradley vs. Karim Ziani
Steve Cherundolo vs. Nadir Belhadj
Prediction – The United States has the quality to take the Algerian side, but an early goal from the Desert Foxes could, once again, put the States in a hard place. The first 20 minutes will be very key to the remainder of the game.
United States 2 – 0 Algeria
Filed under: World Cup | Tags: benny feilhaber, bob bradley, clint dempsey, disallowed goal, herculez gomez, jose torres, Koman Coulibaly, landon donovan, maurice edu, michael bradley, milivoje novakovic, oguchi onyewu, robbie findley, samir handanovic, slovenia, United States, valter birsa, world cup, zlatan ljubijankic
The United States were denied a game winning goal in the 87th minute by Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu, but was called back to due to offsides…maybe. Nobody is entirely sure what the call was. Edu was clearly onsides and, if anything, Michael Bradley was being held down in the box for what should have been a penalty.
However, life isn't fair, and quite often, neither is football. Koman Coulibaly in his first officiation of a World Cup game put in a less than admirable display as he frequently missed calls and came up with bizarre bookings for both sides.
Jose Torres replaced Ricardo Clark in midfield after the latter failed to impress in any sense during the England game. Robbie Findley continued to start alongside Altidore for the second time in as many games.
In one of the most predictable actions, the United States allowed another early goal as Valter Birsa hit a cracker from 25 yards out that left Tim Howard rooted to the spot as it found the corner of the net. The United States defense left Birsa with far too much space and he let fly with a perfect strike to put the Slovenians in front.
The United States was out of sync for much of the half and only started to find rhythm in the 40th minute or so when Clint Dempsey played a teasing ball into the area and Miso Brecko made a vital interception with Landon Donovan lurking.
It was short lived however as the Slovenians broke on a counter attack and Novakovic slide the ball expertly to Zlatan Ljubijankic who did well to sneak past the offside trap and slip the ball under the onrushing Tim Howard to leave the Americans in a very bad place.
After the half, Bob Bradley replaced Jose Torres with Maurice Edu and Robbie Findley with Benny Feilhaber. Edu proved to be a great change, as the Rangers midfielder snuffed out attacks and played well for his time on the pitch. Feilhaber was decent. He didn't play badly but failed to make a serious impression on the game.
The Yanks started the half ideally as Landon Donovan, now in a more advanced position, attacked the goal and ripped a shot near post past Samir Handanovic. Then the game really begun.
The United States began continually pushing into the Slovenian half, which was dangerous considering how lethal the latter looked on the counter attack. Bradley made his last sub in the 80th minute by bringing on supersub Herculez Gomez for Oguchi Onyewu. This meant the States moved to a 3-4-3 and really began to attack.
This type of pressure paid dividends as the coach's son, Michael Bradley slotted after being played in by Jozy Altidore. Cherundolo looked long into the box and Altidore rose highest to nod the ball into the path of Bradley who almost put the ball over the goal as he smashed the ball into the net.
After storming back into the game, the Yanks pushed hard, but were constantly kept in check with the breaking Slovenians who constantly found space going forward with only 3 Americans in the back line.
It was all for nought however, as in the 86th minute, Jozy Altidore won a freekick on the edge of the box after being bundled over. Landon Donovan swung it in and Maurice Edu finished with aplomb from six yards out. The goal was quickly called for something, most probably offsides, but replays show that this was clearly not the case. Furthermore, replays suggest a penalty could have been given for how Bradley and others too were handled in the box during the kick.
The match dragged out with no more drama, but the biggest question will be asked of referee Koman Coulibaly, who was fairly bizarre all game. Will he face any repercussions? Time will tell.
The result means that should England beat Algeria today, the United States MUST win against Algeria on Wednesday and hope for a winner from England-Slovenia. If they draw, it will come down to goal difference and become a matter of how badly the United States could beat Algeria.
Filed under: World Cup | Tags: brad guzan, carlos bocanegra, clint dempsey, england, frank lampard, glen johnson, injury, jamie carragher, jay demerit, jose torres, jozy altidore, landon donovan, manchester united, marcus hahnemann, maurice edu, michael bradley, oguchi onyewu, ricardo clark, robbie findley, robert green, steve cherundolo, steven gerrard, tim howard, United States, wayne rooney, wolverhampton wanderers
What started out as looking like a long match for the United States, turned into a fighting display to claw back and snatch a point from Group C favorites, England.
After Steven Gerrard had put the Three Lions up in only the 4th minute, all looked like it may be a tough match for the States. But this didn't put the United States off, says midfielder Landon Donovan.
"The Czech Republic game four years ago (in the World Cup), when they scored that goal early, there was this sense of 'Oh no'," said Landon Donovan. "Today, I didn't have that feeling. We just felt like 'Okay, let's get back in the game. We don't have to go get it in the next five minutes. Eventually we'll get back in the game. And, sure enough, we got back in the game.'
However, the Yanks weathered the English pressure after allowing the early goal and were rewarded 36 minutes later when Robert Green allowed Clint Dempsey's shot to trickle through his hands and across the line.
A howler.
The English might have found it hard to rebound from the calamity of Green's and looked disjointed for the rest of the match.
That's not to take credit away from the United States' defense. The back line, coupled with Tim Howard performed admirably and stifled out Wayne Rooney & Co. with aplomb. Oguchi Onyewu is finally showing he has recovered from his knee injury in October and, after the lax defending for the 4th minute opener, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo all had their hands full with the English but held their own against a talented attack force.
The dark spot on the match is the fitness of Tim Howard. Howard was bundled into by Emile Heskey in the second half and may have broken some ribs. If that is the case, we will likely see Wolverhampton Wanderers keeper Marcus Hahnemann or Aston Villa's Brad Guzan.
Also, as many probably guessed, Ricardo Clark was mediocre at best, and could easily be replaced with the choice of Maurice Edu or Jose Torres. Though he had some moments against Frank Lampard when he put in some crunching tackles and simple passing. Regardless, the fact that Bob Bradley stays with Ricardo Clark is a worrying fact.
Robbie Findley made a start alongside Jozy Altidore, which was slightly surprising to the United States fans. Neither found the net in the match, but Altidore came closest in the 64th minute after he shrugged off Jamie Carragher to fire at Green, who turned the ball onto the inside of the post and out of the goalmouth. Probably the best chance of the second half.
Wayne Rooney was fairly quiet given his form at Manchester United and failed to cause the United States defense grave concern. He was wily enough, but failed to make an impression on the match and live up to the pressure that millions of British have placed on his shoulders.
The result doesn't do either side much hard, despite the fact that Slovenia picked up a win (albeit a rather lucky one) against Algeria to top Group C. Slovenia plays the United States in their next game while Algeria will play England. All to play for in Group C, and the fireworks could still go off there in South Africa.
Filed under: World Cup | Tags: aleksander kolarov, andres guardado, benni mccarthy, branislav ivanovic, brett emerton, carlos tevez, christian poulsen, clint dempsey, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, daniel agger, danny shittu, diego milito, france, francesco totti, franck ribery, frank lampard, gareth barry, gennaro gattuso, giovanni dos santos, gonzalo higuain, hugo lloris, joseph yobo, jozy altidore, kaka, landon donovan, lionel messi, lucas neill, lyon, mark shwarzer, mexico, michael ballack, michael bradley, michael essien, nemanja vidic, neven subotic, nikolas bendtner, rafael marquez, ricardo clark, rio ferdinand, sergio aguero, simon kjaer, south africa, steven gerrard, steven pienaar, sulley muntari, taye taiwo, thierry henry
Group A –
– South Africa vs. Mexico –
Yep, the opening game. It will be the first test for both sides hoping to make it out of one of the more exciting groups. Recently marred by the Benni McCarthy scandal, the nation will be eager to get behind their boys and cheer the Bafana Bafana to victory. However, they are coming up against a battle ready Mexican side featuring the likes of Andrés Guardado, Giovanni Dos Santos, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco. But, it is important to stress the effects that homefield advantage can have on a squad (cue 2002 South Korea). Whatever happens in Group A, it should amount to some fireworks.
South Africa 1 – 2 Mexico
– France vs. Mexico –
To say France has drastically underachieved in qualifying could be putting it lightly. Les Bleus have one of the strongest rosters in the world, but have failed to live up to that potential. Forever famous for his handball (the Hand of Gaul), Thierry Henry, the French's leading scorer, will look to net early and often against a Mexican side that isn't without its flaws. Rafael Marquez has only just returned from injury and could be prime for a runaround, a fact that Franck Ribery knows assuredly, as well. One of the only consistent performers for the French, and only recently, is goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The youngster has been in superb form for Lyon and will more than likely attract the attention of big European clubs in South Africa.
France 1 – 1 Mexico
Group B
– Argentina vs. Nigeria –
Most likely the most anticipated match-up of Group B, as the attacking flair of the Africans and the unrivaled talent in the striking
department of the Argentines should provide fireworks. The Nigerian defense isn't half bad either. With the likes of Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu and Taye Taiwo, they won't be push overs. However, when you consider the opposition of Messi, Tevez, Aguero, Milito and Higuain up front, it's hard to be confident. Expect a high scoring match with little being offered by either team to defensive standoffs.
Argentina 4 – 2 Nigeria
Group C
– England vs. United States –
There is a lot of buzz surrounding this match, as the two nations have an illustrious history. Wartime foes and allies, fierce
rivalries in sports (Ryder Cup anyone?) and the constant claim that the Americans will never be up to snuff in the footballing world. And with a squad like England's, it's hard to argue…at least this time around. Despite losing Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry (for the opener only), England still has plenty of bite. Their pacy wingers will be eyeing up the slower Yank defense and licking their lips. However, the Americans prosper as underdogs and have proved it before against Spain, Italy and nearly Brazil. They also do have a few game changing players in their ranks in the likes of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore. Michael Bradley will surprise some critics at this World Cup for his stifling defensive work but will have his hands full with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard…especially if Ricardo Clark starts and keeps being useless.
England 2 – 2 United States
Group D
….All. The Germans look favorites to top the group, who could blame them? They are historically dominant and just legit all the time. Without Ballack, there will be a big hole in midfield that some undersized plugs will try to fill, but the Germans will still manage to oust this group. The Ghanians will obviously be missing their star man, Michael Essien, but there is still hope as Asamoah Gyan will be a viable option up top and Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah will look to anchor down the middle of the park. The big physical play of the Serbs could see them through this group as they have sufficient talent all over the pitch, namely defense. Aleksander Kolorov, Branislav Ivanovic, Neven Subotic and Nemanja Vidic…enough said. They won't allow many goals and won't be devoid of goal scoring options up top. The Australians might be the underdogs of this group, but not by too much. Their defensive work, like the Serbs, could make up for any menace they lack going forward. Brett Emerton, Lucas Neill and keeper Mark Shwarzer will be up to the task to snuffing out more than enough attacks. The question is: can they hold off enough of them to get forward themselves to score? We don't think so.
Germany to take top spot, with Serbia and Ghana slugging it out for second. Slight edge Serbia.
Group E
Cameroon vs. Denmark
The two would-be runner up contenders will contend what we believe to be an intense contest. This is backed up by a little guycalled Christian Poulsen. He's explosive, he provokes players and he's violent. After run ins with Francesco Totti, Gennaro Gattuso and Kaká, Poulsen has made a name for himself as a bit of a dirty player. That coupled with the intensity sure to be building up within the Cameroonian midfield could lead to a show. Don't put it past Poulsen to make a racial slur, provoke one of the Lions. That said, Cameroon have an iconic hitman in Samuel Eto'o, however that may be slightly scuppered by the big Danes, Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer. Cameroon are also dealing with internal team issues with Samuel Eto'o being called out by legend Roger Milla, essentially for being a baby. Denmark will look to snuff out attacks with their big boys in back and counter through their young gun Nikolas Bendtner.
Cameroon 1 – 0 Denmark


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A Psalm of Obama
(To be sung by children, K-12, every morning of their seven-day school week.)*
The State is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
It makes me lie down in federally owned pastures.
It leads me beside quiet waters in banned fishing areas.
It restores my soul through its control.
It guides me in the path of dependency for its namesake.
Even though our nation plunges into the valley of the shadow of debt,
I will fear no evil,
For Barack will be with me.
The Affordable Care Act and food stamps,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table of Michelle Obama approved foods before me in the presence of my Conservative and Libertarian enemies.
You anoint my head with hemp oil;
My government regulated 16-ounce cup overflows.
Surely mediocrity and an entitlement mentality will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I will dwell in a low-rent HUD home forever and ever.
*Special Note: For union workers teaching their subjects this psalm in government schools, it is to be regarded as a psalm of exquisite beauty. The main subject is the watchful care that the Government extends over its dependents and the consequent faux assurance that you must make them feel that the State will supply all their needs. The leading thought—the essential idea—is to get gullible Americans to fully believe that Big Government will provide for them and that they will never be left to want. Make certain the dumb bastards get that message, okay? (Doug Giles)
And speaking of entitlements…
Riding a wave of confidence after his re-election victory, President Obama is eager to collect scalps from the class war he appears to have won. Americans, Obama said in his postelection news conference earlier this month, "want to make sure that middle-class folks aren't bearing the entire burden and sacrifice when it comes to some of these big challenges. They expect that folks at the top are doing their fair share as well." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., echoed this point in a fundraising pitch sent out on Monday: "Voters sent a clear message to Republicans in the election: we must stand up for the middle class and ensure the wealthy pay their fair share."
Although Obama and his fellow Democrats repeatedly call on wealthier Americans to pay their "fair share," they never specify what percentage of the nation's tax burden the wealthy would have to bear. As matters stand, the top 1 percent of American households paid 39 percent of income taxes in 2009, according to the most recent data compiled by the Congressional Budget Office, and the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid 64 percent.
But income taxes, taken in isolation, do not tell the whole story, because lower-income Americans do pay payroll taxes. But even taking into account all forms of taxation, the top 1 percent still paid 22 percent of federal taxes while earning just 13.4 percent of household income. The top 5 percent paid 40 percent of all federal taxes, despite earning only 26 percent of all income. No matter how you slice the numbers, it's hard to understand why anyone would think the wealthy aren't already shouldering a burden commensurate with their blessings.
In the next few weeks, Obama will keep repeating this "fair share" language as part of his call to raise taxes on those earning more than $250,000 per year. He also wants to close additional loopholes and limit deductions to increase their tax burden further. But bear this in mind: On top of whatever new taxes go into effect in the deal to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, there will be additional new taxes due to Obama's national health care law. These include a 0.9 percent Medicare tax hike for individuals earning more than $200,000 per year and couples earning more than $250,000 as well as a 3.8 percent surtax on investment income.
Moreover, even if Obama gets his way on all of his tax hikes on the wealthy, it still won't make a dent in the $16.3 trillion national debt. Later in his term, once he has blown all of the new revenue with spending increases and goes back to this well for still more revenues, will the media let Obama get away with claiming the wealthy aren't paying their "fair share" once again, without specifying what constitutes fairness? (WE)
Unequivocally, Yes, they will. They are drinking from the same poisoned well.
They are The Ministry of Truth. They cannot commit heresy upon their God.
For they are with God, The Almighty, and none shall pass unless they are of The Body (yes, that's a Star Trek Reference) and you will be Assimilated (another one) or you will be EXTERMINATED! (Doctor Who) Figurative, for now.
It's what they voted for, after all.
Big Brother is Watching You. 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


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Small Dog Breeds Suspenders
Get into the holiday spirit wearing these cute and fun Christmas doggies socks! These pups are all dressed up wearing their Christmas sweaters and Santa hats. Let these dachshunds, scotties and dalmations keep your feet warm in festive style! / Available in Adult Size Large (Fits men's shoe size 6-12 ½) / Cotton, Nylon & Spandex Blend


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5 Technology Trends That Give an Edge to Insurtech Startups in Emerging Asian Market
Favourable economic environment and the huge underinsured population are driving a string demand for insurance in Asia's emerging market. And the ever-so-growing demand of insurance has made way for the spate of insurtech startup launches in the region.
According to a report by Innovators Edge, there are approximately 1,000 start-ups in more than 60 countries. Another report by Willis Towers Watson reveals Asia's emerging market is home to approximately 7% of world's total insurtech startups.
But that's not all: PWC reveals in a report that insurance companies have less than 3% insurance to GDP penetration in Asia pacific region. This means that Asian insurtech startups have a considerable room to grow and expand in the region.
While insurtech ecosystem in Asia is still in its infancy, it is likely to grow fast in 2019 and beyond. In fact, a recent survey conducted by PwC found that incumbent insurers are threatened by the tremendous growth of insurtech, and 9 out of 10 insurance companies fear losing their customers to insurtech startups. In addition, approximately 74% of the insurance companies are likely to witness disruption of their business in the next five years.
But here's the BIG QUESTION:
"What's giving these insurtech startups an edge over traditional insurance companies?"
The ANSWER:
The ever-so-evolving technology and potentially disruptive innovations is what driving success for these insurtech startups in the ever-so-competitive Asian market. Insurtech startups leverage evolving technology trends to provide several digital touchpoints, comfort, and personalized insurance experience to tap into the huge pool of new-age and ever-so-connected insurance seekers in the region.
In this post, we'll pull the curtains and reveal 10 disruptive technology trends that are helping insurtech technology tap into the pool of 1.8 billion internet savvy consumers in the Asia's emerging market.
1) Blockchain Technology: More and more insurtech startups are leveraging blockchain technology to ease out the processing of claims, lower down the cost, build trust, fraud detection, risk prevention, and eliminate the risk of cyber threats. In fact, the immense potential of blockchain technology is driving growth for insurtech startups.
2) Wearable Technology: Wearable technology is still in its infancy, but it has got tremendous potential to transform the insurance industry worldwide. In fact, by 2022, wearable tech market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 15.5%. Approximately 42% of insurtech startups in the Asian market leverage sensor-based technology and wearable tech to generate measurable and relevant data to facilitate precise insurance underwriting.
3) Chatbot Technology: Chatbot technology is perhaps one technology trend that has been going strong globally for last couple of years. A large number of insurtech startups deploy chatbots to identify customers' risk profile, underwrite accurate insurance policies, provide query resolution online, etc. In fact, a report by Capegemini-Efma explains that 75% insurance players are planning to invest a sizeable amount of money in the Chatbot technology in 2019 and beyond.
4) Robotic Process Automation: This was one of the winner tech trends for insurtech startups in 2018 and it is likely to go stronger in 2019 and beyond too. More and more insurtech startups in Asia pacific region ate deploying robotic process automation to boost their productivity, fasten the insurance underwriting process, speed up the claim resolution process and ascertain fraud detection.
5) Artificial Intelligence Automation: Over the years,Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making headlines across the globe. Insurtech startups were the first in the global Fintech industry to leverage this technology to provide usage-based insurance. Artificial intelligence helps insurtech firms to develop their predictive precision by mining precise customer data and scale analytical capabilities across the firm.
Wrapping it Up!
So there you have it – 5 technology trends that have helped insurtech startups disrupt the insurance industry over the years. Willis Towers Watson, popular re/insurance broker, reports that total transactional volume of insurtech mergers and acquisitions has crossed US $460 million over 2017, as against 2016, in Asia. The increasing demand and changing customer behaviour is driving the change and helping insurtech startups in the Asia pacific region capture the fancy of investors.


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The senior team that will lead the Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter hotel has been announced.
Following the appointment of the hotel's general manager Andrew Fox and director of sales Amanda McBride, five senior roles have been filled by specialists with a wealth of experience in the hospitality sector.
As well as the successful recruitment process, the construction, overseen by owner and property developer Clouston Group, is on schedule for a summer opening.
Vicky Stephenson, the new hotel manager, has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality sector.
She is returning to the North East from her most recent role as a hotel manager at Thistle Aberdeen.
Human resource manager Jane Klotz joins the senior team after over six years as HR & training manager at local golf destination Close House.
Paul Walker, who will be responsible for food and beverage management at the hotel, recently worked for other regional hospitality brands such as Maften Hall and Rockliffe Hall.
Executive head chef Robbie Stokes recently moved from Dubai where he's been working as an executive chef for InterContinental Hotels Group for the past three years.
Originally from Kent, he will bring his international experience to the hotel after working for international award winning restaurants in Bangkok, Spain and Switzerland.
Ray Stevens, the chief engineer, graduated from City of Sunderland College and has been working in engineering since.
Most recently Ray was employed by Crowne Plaza Leeds for over six years.
Once complete, the seven-storey, 251-bed Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter will add a major new business conferencing and banqueting facility to the city.
Mr Fox said: "I'm delighted to bring these passionate and driven professionals to the city. Each member of the senior team has many years of experience in the hospitality sector, so can effectively contribute to the high quality service we're expecting to provide at the hotel.
"Just last week we all moved to new temporary offices in Boiler Shop in Stephenson Quarter, so it's very exciting to see how we operate as a team.
"All of us are full of ideas on how to make the hotel the top destination in Newcastle for business and leisure visitors. We are raring to go and really look forward to the opening in July."


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MOZART The Marriage of Figaro: Overture
ELGAR Serenade for Strings
MOZART Horn Concerto No.4
ROSSINI The Italian Girl in Algiers: Overture
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No.4, 'Italian'
Chloé van Soeterstède Conductor
Ben Goldscheider French Horn
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Europe's rich tradition of orchestral music has produced countless legendary pieces of music that have stood the test of time. Join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for an intimate performance of some of the best that this continent has to offer, right on your doorstep. Mozart's energetic Overture to The Marriage of Figaro gives a foretaste of the farcical fun of the opera it introduces, and provides a sparkling curtain-raiser for this concert. Then follows Elgar's entrancing Serenade for Strings; a gentle, romantic piece that the composer described as his most favourite work. The RPO returns to the stage after the interval with the explosive Overture to Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers. Packed with energy, the Overture perfectly showcases the full instrumental colour and spirit that the RPO is known for. Mendelssohn's buoyant and cheerful Symphony No.4, 'Italian' closes this concert with panache and flair; a charming expression of how Italy made him feel.
A pre-show talk with conductor Chloé van Soeterstède will take place in the auditorium at 6.30pm for all ticket holders.


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Lego Art Book
Legos Shine in the Medium's Most Striking Masterpieces
Legos Shine in the Medium's Most Striking Masterpieces
Impassioned artwork can stop you in your tracks, and every page of Beautiful Lego ($30) will leave you in awe. Let's just say if classical sculptors like Michelangelo had used the toy bricks as their medium, the results would be found within these pages.
Lego artist Mike Doyle highlights his own work and that of 77 other artists from around the globe in Beautiful Lego, an anthology of everyday objects and fantastical sci-fi wonders reimagined with the Lego brick. Here, our favorite geek (of course!) picks from the book that will be at the top of your coffee table's holiday wish list.


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Please consider making a gift in 2011 to Compassionate Action for Animals. Your support will enable us to develop and implement effective methods to get the word out about the horrors of animal agriculture and plant-based alternatives.
They are well-organized, and they employ an extensive array of grassroots activities to promote veganism and respect for animals. CAA says that they strive 'to use the most accurate and reliable information available in our efforts to educate people about animals.' As a result, their website is a wealth of good, dependable information for activists. I think they serve as a model for other city- or regional-based vegan activist groups." – Ginny Messina, vegan dietician and co-author of Vegan for Life
Thanks to your support, we've had numerous victories this year, including:
- Our second Vegan Chili Cook-off
- Thousands of leaflets about factory farming distributed
- Multiple screenings of Farm to Fridge
- An all-vegetarian meal once per week at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Many presentations to teenagers by Bridges of Respect, our humane education program
- And much more!
And we want your support to make 2012 even better. Please consider making a donation of $50, $25, or $15. With your help, next year we will:
- Host our first ever Veg Fest on July 14, 2012
- Ensure that the new vegetarian meal at the University of Minnesota is a success
- Distribute free vegan food, literature, and documentaries to young adults
- Host potlucks, dineouts, and other social events to connect animal-friendly people together
- And again, much more!
But we need your help to make it happen. Please make a donation today to help animals!


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We have showcased many vehicles that OCD Resto has profiled on their YouTube page but none of them has been as cool as this. If you have been living under a rock, OCD Resto's magic centers around their pursuit, collection, and restoration of the most awesome and rare old four wheel drive trucks and fire trucks you have ever seen. They have topped themselves with this 1957 International Harvester R190 truck. Why? It is one of the most unique fire fighting rigs ever built, it is a one-of-one, it has 7,000 original miles, and it has a complete documented history.
Four companies were involved with the construction of this truck. From the chassis itself at International Harvester to the facility that converted it to 4WD to the Orville company that built the totally sweet three door crew cab, to the fire equipment company that outfitted the truck with the pumps and other necessary equipment everyone had their hands in building this one.
The truck is original and unrestored. It is fully functional. It is amazing.
Just think about a town signing off on paying the ticket for this rig in 1957. They didn't just buy a fire truck. They bought a fire truck from the most expensive builder of the time and then they added stuff like power steering, four wheel drive, and a custom built cab. As the video mentions, just the shipping alone on this project, moving the thing between the different companies had to have been expensive!
One of the things we found deceptive about the truck on first glance was its size. Until you see it moving with a driver behind the wheel you don't really understand how large it is.
Boy is this thing awesome and we're blown away (and happy) that OCD Resto has it in their possession.


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01497 82089607811323300
This is a 19th Century Victorian antique mahogany dressing stool. The green stuff over seat supported on four turned and fluted legs.
In good condition upholstery clean and tidy legs show signs of old water staining
Haywain Antiques has clarified that the Victorian mahogany dressing stool (Jb / LA146372) is genuinely of the period declared with the date/period of manufacture being 1880.
Please contact Haywain Antiques
Period : 19th Century, Late Victorian, Late 19th Century, Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Material : Mahogany
Origin : British
Click thumbnail to see larger image.Click large image for slideshow.
01497 820896
Calls may be monitored for training purposes.
Print Details


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Digital Transformation DTC
Costa Rica
11 employees
Established in 2018
Company description
We advise companies in their Digital Transformation process, our objective is to increase the competitiveness, accessibility and efficiency of our customers by transitioning their businesses to digital technology. Our capabilities include Consulting Services on Digital Transformation, Digitalization of Commercial Model, Digital Marketing, IoT sensors development, Business Mobility Applications, Digitalization of Workforce Management, Digitalization of Work Orders Management. We rely on platforms of Digital Marketing, IoT, Cloud and Big Data. Our Digital Marketing division is part of WSI, an innovative digital marketing agency with offices in over 80 countries. We are specialists in the B2B segment. Our proven sales prospecting processes help our customers by increasing their sales pipeline adding qualified leads for their sales teams to close. The higher number of leads a company has, the greater its chances of success are. A sales team may find difficult to develop a stream of qualified leads with high potential of converting into sales. Every business needs more sales leads, they are the basis of business growth and profits. We deliver proven lead generation strategies to ensure sales teams can focus on closing the sale and building a great experience for their customers. With more than 20 years of experience in Internet marketing, we have the knowledge and tools to take your brand to the next level. Products and Services: • Digital Marketing Consulting • Creative Web Designs • Responsive Website Development • Mobile Development • Paid Search Marketing (PPC, Display Advertising, Re-Marketing) • Search Engine Optimization • Email Marketing Campaigns • Social Media Optimization • Online Reputation Management Customized Solutions: Our creative Internet marketing solutions are individually formulated to make your brand stand out from the crowd. We develop a plan that works for you and continue to provide ongoing support to ensure that your plan is carried through to its potential. Results: Over the past 20 years, WSI has constantly increased its client's online presence by successfully converting website visitors to customers and doubling traffic to clients' websites. Our Digital Marketing Lifecycle methodology maintains consistency of all deliverables. It allows us to track and manage results while keeping all parties on target. Our innovative designs and outstanding results have received numerous awards year after year!
Sector / Industry
Products and Services
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Commercial information
Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Main customers:
Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres de Costa Rica, Cinde, Noxtak Group, Tecnoinso, Tecnolite
Digital Marketing by WSI; Digital Transformation by CXO Transform
Women-owned or women-led business
Company self-registered as women-owned or women-led business
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birds and the bees
it's summertime and the wildlife is frisky! if you want to know how the birds and the bees do it, try reading about it or even watching an interpretive film about the love life of insects.
and if you are in new york city anytime soon, get out of the cold and take a quick trip to the tropics in the butterfly exhibit at the museum of natural history. after volunteering there for a few months wayyyy back in 2005, i have a new appreciation for insects. apparently i was still a little shocked in this picture to be receiving so much butterfly attention!
so now that i've talked about the insects, on to the birds! my favourite bird at the moment should be pretty obvious, but if you need a hint, it shares it's name with a fruit, it's nocturnal and it can't fly. i spent about 5 hours in the post-mortem room today measuring KIWI embryos. depsite the formalin smell being stuck in my nose and mouth the rest of the day, it was quite fun to see the developmental sequence from only a few days old until the point of hatch. just wait til i get them on treadmills!
p.s. if you click on the kiw link above, and watch the flash animation of a little kiwi hatching and walking and growing - that is my project in a nutshell! hopefully after my work we can make a little more biomechnically correct version of a walking kiwi :)
p.p.s. happy birthday darwin!


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Our Buyer Research Wins More Awards
The ASG Group's buyer research as published on its Buyer Insight's portal continues to win awards. In December and January alone, our articles and insights were to be found among the Editors pick on CUSTOMER THINK a total of 4 times!
As of January, Buyer Insight's research into buying process and other trends in modern buying is to be syndicated by The B2B Marketing Zone.


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Conor McGregor Wants Dustin Poirier to Show "More Respect", Following Call For Rematch
Recently Dustin Poirier reported he thinks the timing's right for a rematch with Conor McGregor, but the star has a condition he wants met, before he considers it...
Dustin Poirier has let it be known he's interested in running it back with Conor McGregor. So is the superstar fighter interested? Maybe?
Poirier's callout
As you surely know, Poirier took on lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov this past weekend at UFC 242, and was submitted in round three. After the devastating loss, which came in "The Diamond's" 32 pro-bout, Poirier was somewhat, non-committal about his future.
But, on Tuesday, Poirier raised eyebrows throughout MMA, by calling for a second fight with McGregor.The two fought at UFC 178, back in 2014, and McGregor won via first-round stoppage.
McGregor's response
So what does McGregor think? Well, not surprisingly, it didn't take too long before the outspoken, former champ tweeted out this:
I fed you to the canvas in 90 seconds bro.
You should have spoke my name with a bit more respect in that build up. "McGregor's not next"
Motherfucker, it's McGregor always!
McGregor is the goal! Always!
Say that now and I'll think about it.
#GoneIn90seconds #NicCage #AJolie
I fed you to the canvas in 90 seconds bro.
You should have spoke my name with a bit more respect in that build up. "McGregor's not next"
Motherfucker, it's McGregor always!
McGregor is the goal! Always!
Say that now and I'll think about it.#GoneIn90seconds #NicCage #AJolie
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 10, 2019
So, it's not exactly a 'yes', but it's not an outright 'no' either. McGregor is likely referring to the fact that before UFC 242 went down, both Nurmagomedov and Poirier said Tony Ferguson deserves the next shot at the lightweight crown. Leading up to the event, there was some talk about whether the UFC could look at Poirier – McGregor 2, if "The Diamond" had pulled off the upset and beat Khabib.
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Could McGregor – Poirier II happen? As I've opined before, it could, but, chances are it's not McGregor's first choice. One would think that a fight between McGregor and the winner of this Saturday's bout between Donald Cerrone and Justin Gaethje would be just as big, if not bigger. Further, that fight would almost certainly be set up as a title shot eliminator, with the winner moving on to face whoever takes the belt in the expected Nurmagomedov – Ferguson fight.


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When we start talking about the world of style and fashion, there is the inevitable mention of the French, who seem to rule in this sector and then there is even mention of Europe, Africa, Asia and even the Indian subcontinent. But rarely do we give American fashions their due. This is because people believe that American fashions are derivative and have a lot of outside influences from different cultures because the whole country is made up like that. There are so many cultures living there that it would be tough for some aspects of them not to rub off on all aspects including fashion. For instance, if you examine the elements of fashion trends that have the influence of South America, these would also have rubbed off on American fashion outfits. They have also absorbed some elements of native American designs in fashion and you can see this very clearly indeed.
American Fashion Outfits Which Never Go Out Of Style
The past also has left an indelible impact on the American fashion outfits and to realize how this works, all you have to do is look at fashion in the 1960s and the history of clothing styles with pictures to know what we mean.
The thing is we have been dismissing the influence and contribution of America on fashion outfits. But it is time to give credit where it is due:
Jeans: We are talking about outfits, but if we did not talk about jeans, this would be a big miss on our parts indeed. The world we live in today, it is difficult to get through the days without resorting to wearing jeans at one point or another if not all the time. The old west did its part in this regard popularizing the concept of these hardy garments that we all love and depend on. The best part about jeans is that they work on almost everyone and are versatile enough to offer plenty of choices in terms of the style as well as the way they are styled.
Dungarees: This was supposed to be a garment that was worn by workers who had to have a convenient way to hold their tools and with loose comfort that would not slip off. Today you can see women making this entirely practical and utilitarian outfit looks practically hot and worth salivating over. The dungaree has changed its avatar and comes in many lengths, but at the core it is just an American standard.
Shirtdresses: This cute little outfit that is comfortable, confusing (to the onlookers) and also interesting can be credited to American fashions. This short dress has many choices around the fit that make it an awesome staple to have in your wardrobe. You can slip it on and style it to fit occasions ranging from a casual date to a meeting with prospective in laws.
Sweatshirt: When we have already talked about jeans, can the sweatshirt be far behind? This garment that can only defined as something between t-shirt and sweater is awesome to wear when it is mildly cold or when you want a garment that will absorb perspiration when you are working out. Coming with options like a hoodie, pockets, zippers or slip on, the sweatshirt can be a great outfit option to stow away in your wardrobe.
Fringe outfits: Americans have taken somethings from others to add to their fashion outfits and one of them happens to be the fringe. This can add panache or a saucy touch to what would have been a simple garment like a shirt, jacket or skirt. It is simple, but adds style without going overboard.
Jumpsuits: Jumpsuits or rompers are one piece outfits that come with a trouser or shorts like the bit at the bottom and top sewn on. Though this outfit may not be practical for long days given that it makes rest room breaks a bit difficult, it is still a great staple.
The post 40 American Fashion Outfits Which Never Go Out Of Style appeared first on Stylishwife.


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Quite honestly, "The Big Sick" should not work nearly as well as it does. Mixing comedy and a potentially terminal illness is a tricky tightrope to walk. "50/50" was able to do it tremendously well. Judd Apatow divided audiences and critics when he tried it with "Funny People." Now as just a producer, Apatow has found perhaps the best example yet of how to do it right. "The Big Sick" is emotional, for sure, but it's also hilarious. In taking their life story and putting it on screen, writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani have put forward something wonderful. In a very real sense, you'll laugh and you'll cry in equal measure.
"The Big Sick" manages to feel both deeply cinematic and also deeply real, a credit to Gordon and Nanjiani. They hit on something that you rarely see in romantic comedies. If you're serious about someone, be it dating or marriage, you're also getting their families as part of the package. In showcasing that as much as the central relationship, they've hit on something profound. For a movie with its share of raunchy jokes, there's a heart on display. That truly sets it apart and makes it one of 2017's best yet.
At the start, this seems like a cute little Apatow-style rom com. We have an aspiring comedian in Kumail (Nanjiani), clearly in need of growing up. He wants to make a career in stand up work, but at the moment he's also driving for Uber. When he meets Emily (Zoe Kazan) at a show, there's an immediate spark. They sleep together, but intend for it to be a one-time thing. Yet, they keep meeting up, repeatedly saying they don't want to date. Inevitably, they do, though it quickly creates conflict with Kumail's parents, Azmat (Anupam Kher) and Sharmeen (Zenobia Shroff). His mother, especially, wants him to marry a nice Pakistani girl, arranging for one to always be around the house whenever he's there. This puts a strain on Kumail and is a secret he must keep from Emily, one that eventually blows up in his face. Emily is gone, with Kumail left to wonder if he made a mistake. Then, one night, the phone rings.
It turns out that Emily's periodic sickness is the sign of a serious disease. She is placed into a medically induced coma, and Kumail happens to be the person contacted, despite being an ex. Emily's parents, Beth (Holly Hunter) and Terry (Ray Romano), soon arrive and are ready to take over. Faced with Emily's illness and the chance to walk away, Kumail opts to stick around. Beth knows what happened between them and initially wants nothing to do with Kumail, but Terry takes a shine to him, awkwardly trying to bond with his daughter's former boyfriend. As Emily struggles to come out of the coma, Kumail learns a lot about her parents, leading him to rethink quite a lot. The film more or less ends up where you expect it to, but the road it takes to get there is one you might not anticipate.
There's no shortage of performances to rave about in "The Big Sick." Nanjiani shows newfound range and displays the ability to be an effective leading man. Kazan aces a complex role that's lighter on screen time but holds the key to the success of the entire film. She's been a romantic lead before in things like "Ruby Sparks" and "What If," but she shows a whole new angle here. Hunter is her reliably strong self, showcasing an ability to generate laughter that's delightful to find. Then, there's Romano, who is perhaps best in show. Initially seeming like a simple schlub, he lets you in on the dramatic depths within his character. If you cry during the movie, it might be due to Romano.
There's also some very nice supporting work here too. The aforementioned Kher and Shroff subvert the expectations of immigrant parents on film, while Adeel Akhtar is solid as Kumail's more traditional brother. In addition, Kurt Braunohler, Aidy Bryant, and Bo Burnham provide comic relief as stand up friends of Kumail, while the rest of the cast includes David Alan Grier, among others.
Director Michael Showalter has made a nice little career handling gentle character studies. With "The Big Sick," he jumps to a whole new level, suggesting he has as much in common with James L. Brooks as other comedians turned filmmakers. He handles the tone brilliantly, never going too far in one direction. Paired with Apatow as his producer, he mixes comedy and drama perfectly. If there's a slight flaw, it's that the flick could have been a few minutes shorter. However, there's no clear place to cut anything. The comedy aspects are just right. The drama ones are too, whether in the hospital or seated across from a set of parents. It's all just so well done.
It would have been easy for Gordon and Nanjiani to shy away from some of the more complex aspects of their lives, but the brave decision not to elevates the film. In telling the story of various battles being fought, be it medical or emotional, they never lose sight of the comedy. Every emotion is earned, whether laughter or tears. Frankly, this is perhaps the most effective screenplay of the year so far. In a perfect world, it will be remembered at the end of the year and contend for a Best Original Screenplay nomination.
By focusing on cultural differences, relationship issues, and familial tensions in equal measure, "The Big Sick" manages to be a cut above. There's essentially nothing not to like about this dramedy. Apatow saw something in Gordon and Nanjiani's story, as did Amazon when they bought it for a ton of money at the Sundance Film Festival. Now, you can see why. Don't miss this film, as it could end up being the small scale early year release from Sundance that gets remembered come Oscar time. Yes, it's that good. Don't miss it!
"The Big Sick" is distributed by Amazon Studios and opens in theaters on June 23.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJmpSMRQhhs]


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How to use the Just Married Cutter (Guide)
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How to use the Just Married Cutter (Guide)
Use this easy to follow step by step guide to create this fun Wedding cake using our 'Just Married' all in one sugar-craft cutter. This cutter is perfect to use for busy sugar-crafters who have lots to do!Instant Download
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text: The hotel is located within the Resort of Lloret de Mar, away from the center but at the same time a few minutes from the beach and the area of shops and restaurants. Just 500 meters away you will find the Fenals beach (with more tranquility than Lloret de Mar) and in the surroundings you can enjoy the charm of the Costa Brava. Barcelona is 80 kilometers away by car or bus.


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auf Anfrage
Sea transport form the airport
We can organise sea transport to and from the airport for you including Wi-Fi, fresh water and fruits/snacks for all passengers/guests.
We would be happy to rent a car for you (also with option of private chauffeur), regardless of whether you need it just for a few days or during your whole stay with us.
The countryside of the island of Brač is best explored at sea, so we can offer you a variety of boats to rent and also boat/yacht tours to top destinations like Hvar, Palmižana, Pakleni island, Volta, Blue Cave, Krknjaši, Vis, etc.


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Llyod Loar's Hometown Music Festival
- Dickson Mounds, Lewistown
Event Audience:
Join us for Dickson Mounds Museum's second annual Llyod Loar's Hometown Music Festival. Enjoy performances by a variety of artists. Impromptu jam sessions encouraged!
Performances by Andy Hatfield & Solly Burton, Chris Vallillo, The Rocky Ford Rounders, and The Nathan Taylor Band. Guest performances, too!
10:00 am - Festival Opens
10:30 - 10:45 am - Carlos Shaw
10:50 - 11:05 am - Sunflower Slim
11:10 - 11:25 am - Erich Schroeder
11:30 - 11:45 am - Erin Connolly
Headliners ...
12:30 pm - Rocky Ford Rounders
1:30 pm - The Nathan Taylor Band
2:30 pm - Chris Vallillo
3:30 pm - Andy Hatfield and Solly Burton
The festival will be held rain or shine. Performances will be held on the Museum's outdoor stage. Bring along chairs, blankets, and any items you may need. In the case of inclement weather, the festival will be moved indoors. Kid's activities will be held throughout the day.
Admission is free; however, donations are greatly appreciated. Food will be available for purchase courtesy of Holy Smokes BBQ.
Black Sheep Flower Farm is offering tent camping for $20 per family/tent, 10 am set up camp and enjoy a day of music at the mounds. Bring your instruments and join the pickin' circle around the fire. Located across the road from the Museum.
"This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Two Rivers Arts Council."


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home | codereading | contact | github | math | misc | notes | patches | tech | README
Last update to this page was in 2018-10-10.
We are using dom0 host configured with NetBSD 8.0. For more information how to setup dom0, check Xen setup in NetBSD.
Before starting, it is good to know that a domU guest can be installed in different modes. In this guide we are going to initial setup of CentOS Linux as PV and HVM guests.
What's the difference between PV (Paravirtualized) and HVM? For this, I recommend you to take a look at the Xen Project Software Overview page, section Guest Types, but, in summary, in PV mode you need to run a modified version of the kernel for your domU system, but it doesn't require any special processor support. In HVM mode, you can run an unmodified operating system as domU (so, it is possible to run Windows), but it requires special instruction in your processor.
You may want to run your guests as HVM to save you some trouble, but there may be are advantages running them as paravirtualized guests.
First, it is important to note that CentOS doesn't support paravirtualization since version 7.4, as noted by smart prgmr people (note that they point to an alternate kernel that can support PV mode). So these instructions work for older versions of CentOS. The one we are going to use in this section is version 6, but it may work for versions up to 7.3.
Most of the tips I got for this section are here How to Install Paravirtualized CentOS 7 DomU on Xen.
First, download CentOS 6 kernel and initrd. Links below worked at the time I was writing this:
# mkdir -p /vm/centos6 # cd /vm/centos6 # wget http://mirror.globo.com/centos/6/os/x86_64/isolinux/vmlinuz # wget http://mirror.globo.com/centos/6/os/x86_64/isolinux/initrd.img
For now, we are going to cover how to setup the virtual machine in a image file. It is possible to use a separated partition for it, improving performance, but it is beyond the scope of this guide. Create the image:
# dd if=/dev/zero of=centos6.img bs=1m seek=20000 count=1
We created a 20 GB image, but in sparse file format, with the seek operand.
We now create file centos6.cfg with the following content:
name="centos6" vcpus=4 memory=2048 disk=['file:/vm/centos6/centos6.img,xvda,w' ] vif=['bridge=xenbr0'] on_reboot="restart" on_crash="restart" kernel="/vm/centos6/vmlinuz" ramdisk="/vm/centos6/initrd.img"
You can now just instruct Xen to create our virtual machine:
# xl create centos6.cfg
And to access its console, type:
# xl console centos6
The installation of an CentOS HVM guest is straighforward. You can use recent CentOS official images, since the kernel don't need to be modified.
Download CentOS 7 ISO:
# mkdir -p /vm/centos7 # cd /tmp/centos7 # wget http://mirror.globo.com/centos/7.5.1804/isos/x86_64/CentOS-7-x86_64-Minimal-1804.iso
Let's create a 20 GB image sparse image:
# dd if=/dev/zero of=centos7.img bs=1m seek=20000 count=1
The centos7.cfg configuration file will look like this:
name="centos7" vcpus=4 memory=2048 disk=['file:/vm/centos7/centos7.img,xvda,w', 'file:/vm/centos7/CentOS-7-x86_64-Minimal-1804.iso,hdc:cdrom,r' ] boot='d' vif=['bridge=bridge0'] on_reboot="restart" on_crash="restart" builder="hvm" kernel="hvmloader"
Thanks for this link for the configuration file.
In HVM setups, you'll need to use vncviewer to see what is happening on the virtual machine:
# vncviewer localhost
After you perform the installation, you can change the disk=... and boot=... lines to:
disk=['file:/vm/centos7/centos7.img,xvda,w' ] boot='c'
And finally boot your machine from the HDD image.
For some reason I didn't discover why (if you know, please, let me know), I couldn't boot from the HDD image if I had the ISO on the configuration, so I removed that after the installation. TODO: why?


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$ 129.95 $ 199.00
Back again this year as a staple in the Nordica junior ski boot line up, the Nordica Little Belle 3 is the perfect boot for the little ones. With 3 buckles, a super plush liner, and the 45 degree closure system, this soft flexing boot is super comfortable for the kids, keeping them shredding all day long. Come see our experts at Aspen Ski and Board in Lewis Center for all your boot fitting needs.
Collections: Clearance, Kids Ski Boots, Nordica, Outlet Ski Boots | 614-848-6600, Ski Boots | 614-848-6600, Ski Equipment
Type: Ski Boots
Out of Stock $ 425.00
At Aspen Ski and Board Columbus, Ohio we have the entry-level all-mtn freestyle twin, the Armada ARV 84 is intentionally built to deliver all you... View full product details
Out of Stock $ 475.00
Check out the newly-designed Armada ARV 86 at Aspen Ski and Board! The ARV 86 boosts the fun factor with a Poplar-Ash wood core for... View full product details
$ 239.95 $ 375.00
Check out the ARW 84 at Aspen Ski and Board this winter! Armada's entry-level all-mountain freestyle twin is intentionall built to deliver all you need... View full product details
$ 159.95 $ 250.00
Make those first turns count with the Armada Bantam. Featuring all-new geometry, durable, solid construction and a tight turn radius, the Bantam has all the... View full product details
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text: What is NiV? As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah Virus is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes a severe disease in both animals and humans. This virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998. At that time, it was primarily caused in pigs and through them got transferred to humans. Nipah Virus infected as many as 265 people then, out of which 40 per cent were taken under intensive care due to the infection having spread severely. As quoted by the WHO, the natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus. The virus can be transferred through infected bats, pigs or humans who have been infected. In 2004, humans who consumed the date palm sap infected by fruit bats, caught the virus as well. Humans who were infected by other humans were reported in Bangladesh and India.


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A football move in which a player on defense strikes an offensive player on the neck or chest by extending an arm away from his body and parallel to the playing field. This type of tackle is considered unnecessary roughness and a personal foul, and generally results in a penalty and sometimes a fine or other action by the league. Clothesline tackles can be made from in front or behind.
Although the NFL does not specifically outlaw "clothesline tackles" in their official rules, the clothesline tackle and similar moves are grouped under a number rules regarding player contact. Because the clothesline tackle is often aimed at a player's neck or head and also involves a premeditated action on the part of the tackler, it is not only enforced as a personal foul, but also often results in a fine for the offending player. Aside from the vicious nature of the move, clotheslines are also considered dangerous because they can often catch the offensive player unawares and can cause injury if the victim falls awkwardly or is struck in the neck or head. One of the most feared practitioners of the clothesline tackle, before it became illegal, was Dick "Night Train" Lane, whose move was sometimes labeled the "Night Train Necktie."


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Corporate America hikes contributions to key Democrats:
Corporate PACs are increasing their contributions to several Democrats who are in line to lead powerful committees if their party retakes the House in November, another sign of the burgeoning expectations for Democrats' showing in the midterms. …
Contributions from lobbyists and corporate PACs are the lifeblood of Washington fundraising, and many Democratic lawmakers say there's nothing wrong with accepting such contributions to help retake the House.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), who's in line to become chairman of the House Rules Committee if Democrats control the chamber next year, raised about $139,000 from corporate PACs for his campaign and his leadership PAC, Mac PAC, in the first six months of this year — 38 percent more than he brought in during the first half of 2016. But he doesn't believe the checks he's accepted from PACs affiliated with companies such as Amazon, General Mills and Boeing make him any more sympathetic to their interests. …
The money is a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions — if not billions — of dollars that will be spent on the battle for control of the House. But the uptick shows big business eyeing the chances that Democrats could win in November and trying to make early inroads with potential party leaders. The contributions could help Democrats on their way to control of the House — but also could exacerbate tension within the party's ranks over its relationship with corporate PACs.
To Everything There is a Season
And a time for every purpose under heaven.
Now, in my view, is the time for corporate money flowing to Democrats. They badly need us, because their own Republican politicians did not stay bought. And we need them, acting in their own selfish interest, to drive a stake into the heart of Trumpism.


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We come to your party and do Hair, Nails and a touch of age appropriate make up for your little princesses.Hair can be curled, put up or straightened, nails painted and lots of glitter and sparkles! Basic package - Hair styled, make up, nails and hair clip (Goodybags not included). Party time! - Hair, nails, make up, tiara or princess wand for birthday girl, hair clips and goody bags. Girls night in - Ages 11-15 - mini manicure, mini pedicure, hair stying, make up, cleansing facial and make your own facemasks. Get crafty - Basic package plus jewellery making, cup cake / gingerbread decorating. Fashionista - Party time package plus fashion show/top model competition. Professional photographer available at request at an additional cost.Where possible two members of the team will attend so no divas have too long to wait. For parties under five guests a minimum charge of five guests still applies.For enquiries email Jo or Chrissie using the form below.
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How Inbound Marketing Can Help Tech Startups
When businesses are starting out, they face very many different kinds of challenges and one of those is in the area of marketing. Marketing solutions are specifically very important for tech startups especially because of the different dimensions of challenges they face. There are marketing companies available in the industry today that have focused all their efforts on helping tech startups. Before starting to work with marketing companies, it's very important to ensure that you have confirmed the level of experience they have in addition to, the success rates they have enjoyed. It would be possible for you to work more confidentially with such a company if you understand if they are successful businesses. When looking for the solutions that should help you to start out easily, the company should provide you with technological solutions that work.Most of these companies are available over the Internet meaning that, you can get the services of such companies just by going through some of the platforms on the Internet. Inbound marketing is one of the most effective startup strategies for companies and is usually has very many different kinds of benefits. One of the most effective strategies that can really help you out with marketing is inbound marketing because of the benefits that shall be explained.
One of the main benefits of inbound marketing is that it's very cost-effective and especially because you are a starting out company. Building a good foundation as you starting out the company is very important and it's possible if you decide to use inbound marketing because of the cost-effectiveness. Inbound marketing is always very important because through the cost-effectiveness, it would be possible for the company to look at the most important activities.It will also be easy for you to continue reducing expenses that the company and increase the level of productivity. In the end, this is one of the strategies that is going to pay off in a great way because of the positive results.
Inbound marketing is also very long-lasting, making it one of those important strategies. When you focus on inbound marketing, one of the things you will realize is that it helps you to build very great relationships with your new customers and in the end, create customer loyalty.Another benefit of using inbound marketing is that it'll help you to reach the new markets and also audiences, people that would be interested in your products. One of the most important things in marketing is finding valuable customers that can bring in money and that's exactly what inbound marketing helps you to do by, focusing on people that show interest in what you're doing and through that, you can make some sales.
How to Achieve Maximum Success with Marketing


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The Vietnamese government has just presented the Friendship Order to Katrin Kandel, Executive Director of Facing the World – a United Kingdom-based medical charity in recognition of the contributions that she and her organisation have made to Vietnam over the past decade.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh presents the Friendship Order to Katrin Kandel, Executive Director of Facing the World
A ceremony was held in Hanoi on Monday to announce the Friendship Order which was already presented to Kandel on October 9 during a UK visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
The event was held to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations between the United Kingdom and Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, Katrin said the award showed the recognition and support of the Vietnamese government to the organisation.
Since its establishment in 2002, Facing the World has provided treatment for a large number of children with facial disfigurements in 20 countries around the world.
Throughout its ten years of operation in Vietnam, the organisation has co-ordinated with various Vietnamese hospitals to provide operations for thousands of vulnerable Vietnamese children.
Over the past two years, thanks to the organisation's support, more than 40 Vietnamese doctors were sent to the UK to share and exchange experience with their international colleagues.
At the function on May 6, the organisation signed a co-operation agreement with the Pan Pacific Hanoi Hotel to raise funds for Vietnamese children having operations for facial deformities.


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Athletics News
Seniors Andrea Moore & Ebony Sampson hold the championship banner as they celebrate their ISL-A Championship. Pictured behind the seniors from left to right are: Calla O'Neil '22, Nicole Samuels '21, Farah Pahlavi '22, Jordan Maged '21, Adrianna Peradoza '22, Hannah Baltimore '20, Sydney Helfand '21, Natasha Popenos '22, Coco Guo '21, Shannon Dunwell '21, Coach Malcolm Greene, and Coach Bob Pass
Varsity Girls Tennis had a dominating season this year on their way to winning the ISL-A Championship. The girls' finished with a 13-2 overall and a perfect 9-0 conference record by defeating St. Stephen's / St. Agnes 7-0 in the championship.
Senior Ebony Sampson and freshmen Adrianna Peradoza both finished 15-0 at 1st and 2nd singles respectively.
Congratulations to all the players and coaches on a fantastic season!