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Editor's Note: Mark N. Katz is a professor of government and politics at George Mason University. He is the author of "Leaving Without Losing: The War on Terror After Iraq and Afghanistan" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012). Follow his blog.
Story highlights
Mark Katz: Obama and Putin said they'd cooperate but didn't say how they would
He says Obama appeared to want to befriend Putin at G-20, but Putin was stiff and reserved
He says if U.S. won't accommodate Russia, Russia won't accommodate U.S.
Katz: Russia thinks U.S. mistaken on Syria and regime's ouster will bring worse carnage
At the Group of 20 summit in Mexico, President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin had their first face-to-face meeting since Putin resumed the Russian presidency in May. The joint statement they issued afterward indicated several issues (including Iran and Syria) that the two sides would seek to cooperate on, but it did not announce any significant agreements to do so.
More telling were the visual images when the two presidents were together; Obama appeared to be doing his best to project an image of warmth and friendliness, while Putin was stiff and reserved, as he usually is with other world leaders. It appeared that Obama was earnestly seeking to befriend Putin, but Putin was not reciprocating.
Why would Putin behave this way? It may be because, unlike Obama, he may not be looking for opportunities to cooperate, nor be embarrassed about forgoing them. He appears to have a much more transactional approach to foreign policy, running something like this: Washington wants Moscow to adopt the American approach to Iran and Syria and several other issues. But it is unwilling to make concessions to Moscow to get it.
Two such concessions would be abandoning ballistic-missile defense plans that Moscow finds threatening and repealing the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik Amendment that continues to limit Russian-American trade. But much to Moscow's frustration, Washington is either unwilling or unable to accommodate Russia. So why should Russia accommodate America?
News: Obama and Putin discuss Syria, other topics during two-hour talk
The Obama administration would undoubtedly respond that surely Putin does not want Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, and thus should fully cooperate with the international effort to prevent this. And as Benjamin Rhodes, Obama's director for strategic communications at the National Security Council, was quoted as saying Monday about Syria, "We've been working to get the Russians to come in line with, frankly, the broad international community. This is not just an issue between the United States and Russia." Surely Russia would not want to defy the "broad international community" on Syria.
Especially when it comes to Syria though, Putin and the Russian foreign policy establishment believe that America and the "broad international community" have missed the point. As bad as Bashar al-Assad's regime may be, Russia believes its downfall will be far worse for everyone, and not just Russia.
The Russians believe the most likely consequence would be the rise of a radical Sunni regime or a drawn-out civil war. Either way, far more people will be killed. Nor does Moscow see increasing sanctions – much less the use of force – as being effective in resolving the Iranian nuclear crisis.
Moscow doesn't see itself as willfully and wrongly defying "the broad international community." It genuinely believes that America and its Western allies are pursuing misguided policies toward Syria and Iran. For Obama to think he can get Moscow to adopt the American approach without compensation is simply an insult to Putin.
The Obama administration needs to understand that America cannot have its borscht and eat it, too. If it wants Russia's cooperation on Syria and Iran, it is going to have to make significant concessions to Moscow on other issues. Washington must now decide whether the cooperation it wants from Russia is really worth that.
Syria exposes cool spots in U.S.-Russia ties
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark N. Katz.


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PivotGrid allows you to integrate the Chart component to visualize data. The Chart is synchronized with the PivotGrid and visualizes the currently displayed total summary values. Expand a row or column header in the PivotGrid below to see how it works.
To bind these two components, create a Chart and pass its instance as the first argument to the PivotGrid's bindChart(chart, integrationOptions) method. You can call this method at any point in your application. In this demo, we call it after view is initialized / component is mounted.
If you specify only the first argument and omit integrationOptions, default settings are in effect: row and column field values constitute chart series and arguments, respectively. The Chart displays values of each data field on a separate value axis. If you need to customize the resulting chart, specify the integrationOptions argument.
You can use the following integrationOptions to specify how PivotGrid fields should be converted to chart series:
putDataFieldsInto: "series" | "args"
alternateDataFields: Boolean
Specifies whether to alternate data fields in the resulting chart. This demo sets this field to false.
dataFieldsDisplayMode: "singleAxis" | "splitAxes" | "splitPanes"
dataFieldsDisplayMode applies only if the PivotGrid contains several data fields. In this demo, the dataFieldsDisplayMode field is set to "splitPanes".
inverted: Boolean
If false, row field values constitute series and column field values form the chart arguments. If true - vice versa.
The integrationOptions object can also contain the following functions that allow you to process PivotGrid data before visualization and customize the Chart and its series:
Processes a PivotGrid cell's data before the Chart displays it.
Allows you to customize the Chart's appearance.
Allows you to customize the Chart's series.
Refer to the bindChart(chart, integrationOptions) method description for more information on these functions.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thanks to everyone who commented for a chance to win the 2012 Standard Catalog of Firearms. We thought we'd chosen a relatively obscure gun for the contest, but many astute readers guessed the model right anyway.
The gun pictured here is a Luger 1902 Carbine, by Deutsch Waffen und Munitions, Karlsruhe, Germany. According to the Standard Catalog:
"11.75-inch barrel, 7.65mm caliber. The sight has four positions and is silver-soldered to the barrel. A stock and forearm were sold with this weapon. The serial range was 21000-22100 and 23500-24900. There were approximately 2,500 manufactured for commercial sale in and out of Germany. Many were imported into the United States, but none here have been noted with the 'Germany' export stamp."
The price? Exc 19000, VG 14500, Good 7500, Fair 3500, Poor 2500. Note: With stock add 50 percent.
The winner of the book this week, by random drawing, is "rud.jordan," one of the many readers who got the model correct, and he was also right in the ballpark with his guess on the value.
Thanks again to everyone who entered the book giveaway, and to all of you for reading the blog. If you didn't win, but would like a copy of the Standard Catalog, click here to get yours in the Gun Digest Store. As a valued Inside Gun Digest Books blog reader, get free Standard U.S. shipping by using promo code INSIDEGDB. Fine print: This offer is valid with the purchase of 2012 Standard Catalog of Firearms. Items which ship directly from the manufacturer, indicated by a little red truck symbol, do not qualify for free shipping.
And, remember to check back often for more chances to win great Gun Digest books!


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WireHose provides a powerful, flexible foundation for building content management systems in WebObjects, based on the concept of tagging and indexing content.
WHTag objects represent metadata which can be arranged in an arbitrary hierarchy and assigned to taggable objects. Tags can be arranged into any hierarchy required. A tag can be uniquely identified by its tagpath, which is a slash-delimited string indicating its position in the hierarchy such as "Animals/Cats/Black cats/Budu". You use static methods in WHTag create and retrieve tags, and assign them to taggable objects. You can subclass WHTag to implement access control, workflow or other special applications.
The com.wirehose.base.engage package defines several WHTag subclasses which implement access control for taggable objects.
WHRevision is a WHTag subclass which provides support for versioning taggable objects.
Taggable objects
WHTaggable defines an interface for objects which can be categorized and fetched by tags. A taggable object can have any number of tags. You can add taggable support to your existing enterprise object entities by adding a few relationships and implementing the WHTaggable interface, which provides a default implementation as a static inner class. WireHose also includes Xcode templates to create new taggable objects from scratch.
Indexable objects
WHIndexable defines an interface for objects which can be indexed and fetched by keywords. You can add indexable support to your existing enterprise object entities by implementing the WHIndexable interface and adding a few relationships. WireHose also includes Xcode templates to create new indexable objects from scratch. Indexable objects are indexed through the WHTextIndexer utility class.
Fetching taggable and indexable objects
WHTagDataSource an EODataSource, suitable for use with display groups, which fetches taggable and indexable objects by tags and keywords. WHTagDataSource is optimized for performance, and includes fine-tunable caching and entity pruning so expensive fetches are minimized. You can filter fetched objects by entity or interfaces implemented, and control its SQL generation through several Java properties.
Starting content used with permission of Gary Teter. WireHose and the eyeball-and-arrows logo are trademarks of Gary Teter.


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Tomlinson used Diane Rehm interview to further distort his actions as CPB chairman
During an interview on National Public Radio (NPR), Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the Republican chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), made a number of misleading statements about his efforts to correct perceived liberal bias in public radio and television broadcasts.Tomlinson initially stated he wanted to "turn down the temperature" on the ongoing debate over the future of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and NPR. But over the course of the hour-long interview he proceeded to provide numerous misleading and insufficient answers on a range of topics: public opinion of bias in public broadcasting; his decision to commission a consultant to monitor NOW, the PBS program formerly hosted by Bill Moyers, for bias; his role in funding a new PBS program featuring members of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board; and his appointment of two CPB ombudsmen that have conservative ties.
In the interview on the May 18 edition of NPR's The Diane Rehm Show, responding to an email from a listener who cited "numerous conservative figures" appearing on Moyers' program, Tomlinson responded in jest, "Am I gonna have to go back and hire another consultant and demonstrate this is incorrect?" The reference was to an outside content review study of NOW he reportedly commissioned in 2004. The study is reported to have cost taxpayers $10,000, but Media Matters for America has been unable to determine the identity of the firm conducting the study. Further, Tomlinson never sent the results to the CPB board, and he has yet to release them to the public [The New York Times, 5/2/05].
The identity of the firm conducting the study would be relevant for a number of reasons, including Tomlinson's apparent willingness to engage the services of a conservative firm that employs questionable methodologies. Tomlinson has reportedly contacted S. Robert Lichter, president of the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA), "about conducting a study on whether NPR's Middle East coverage was more favorable to Arabs than to Israelis." As Media Matters has noted (here and here), CMPA, which has received funding from right-wing organizations, has conducted numerous flawed studies purporting to confirm liberal bias in media and academia, and Lichter himself has misrepresented those findings in media interviews.
Early in Rehm's interview, Tomlinson dodged a question concerning the ramifications of a 2003 CPB-commissioned poll that measured public opinion of bias on PBS and NPR. After Tomlinson confirmed the poll's findings -- that a plurality of Americans see no bias on either PBS or NPR, that just one in five respondents detected a liberal bias in public broadcasting, and that one in 10 detected a conservative bias -- Rehm asked, "[H]ow does that lead us to believe that we must have something to balance a program like Bill Moyers'?" Tomlinson answered obliquely, "Well, do you agree that the Bill Moyers program was liberal advocacy journalism?"
When Rehm inquired whether Tomlinson planned to monitor the PBS program The Journal Editorial Report, hosted by Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot, for bias, he answered that such oversight had only been necessary when "the question of balance was an issue." He went on to say, "There's no question that the NOW program is essentially liberal advocacy journalism."
Tomlinson also asserted that "he did not participate" in CPB's decision to provide $5 million in funding for The Journal Editorial Report. "The decision to fund the show was done by our professionals within CPB," he said. But "public broadcasting officials said Mr. Tomlinson was instrumental in lining up $5 million in corporate financing and pressing PBS to distribute [The Journal Editorial Report]," The New York Times reported on May 15.
In response to a listener question about CPB's recent hires of ombudsmen Ken Bode and William Schulz, Tomlinson denied that he had previously asserted that CPB would hire a liberal and a conservative: "I didn't choose Ken [Bode] for his, quote, liberal views, but I had seen him as coming from that general part of the spectrum. These people in the end were hired because they are professionals," he said. To the contrary, the May 15 New York Times article reported: "At a meeting in February [2005], Kevin Klose, NPR's president, was told by Mr. Tomlinson that the corporation would have a liberal ombudsman and a conservative one, participants in the meeting said." In fact, as Media Matters has noted, while Schulz is clearly a conservative, Bode is hardly a liberal; an adjunct fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute, Bode endorsed Indiana Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels in an October 15, 2004, Indianapolis Star commentary.
From the May 18 edition of NPR's The Diane Rehm Show:
TOMLINSON: This debate has gotten a little hot in recent days, and I think we need to turn down the temperature, while answering proper questions.
REHM: Was there consultation throughout this system? Or was it simply an agreement between you and [PBS president and CEO] Pat Mitchell that this Wall Street Journal program would be funded by $5 million out of CPB funds?
TOMLINSON: All of the above. Pat made the initial contact with Paul Gigot and The Wall Street Journal. The decision to fund the show was done by our professionals within CPB. I do not participate in those decisions.
REHM: Am I incorrect in inferring from what I have read that the studies demonstrate that a majority of the U.S. adult population does not believe that the news and information programming on public broadcasting is biased? In fact, the plurality of Americans indicated there is no apparent bias one way or the other, while approximately one in five detects a liberal bias, and approximately one in 10 detects a conservative bias.
TOMLINSON: That is a proper reflection of the poll.
REHM: Well, then, how does that lead us to believe that we must have something to balance a program like Bill Moyers'?
TOMLINSON: Well, do you agree that the Bill Moyers program was liberal advocacy journalism?
REHM: Well, my own perception is much less important than what I now have in front of me, which is an email from a listener in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He says, "I'd like to know why Mr. Tomlinson targeted the Bill Moyers show. It was really the only place on television where liberals and conservatives talked civilly with one another about issues of the day. Conservative guests on the show included Grover Norquist, Larry Klayman, former congressman Bill [sic: Bob] Barr, the late Bob Bartlett, editor of The Wall Street Journal, and others. The exchanges were always respectful and informative."
TOMLINSON: Am I gonna have to go back and hire another consultant and demonstrate this is incorrect? But the Bill Moyers NOW program represented outstanding broadcasting. He's a very talented and gifted man. It's just that -- you know, Bob Dylan said you don't need a weather vane to tell which way the wind is blowing -- it was not a balanced program. I think there is a residue of positive feeling for public broadcasting in this country reflected in that poll. And I don't want to do anything to effectively undermine that.
REHM: Here's an email from Christine in Valparaiso, Indiana, who says, "While I have high regard for Paul Gigot, I do not expect the new PBS program to be anything but one-sided, because as editor of The Wall Street Journal editorial page, he countenances no opposing opinion." Do you plan to monitor the Wall Street Journal show for balance as you did the Bill Moyers show? What actions do you envision in the event of bias on the Gigot show?
TOMLINSON: We monitored the Bill Moyers show only in a time period when the question of balance was an issue. There's no question that the NOW program is essentially liberal advocacy journalism. And it's good journalism. The Wall Street Journal show is conservative advocacy journalism. And it's good journalism. And you will from time to time hear various points of view on both of those programs. But why don't we offer those two programs side-by-side and let the people decide.
REHM: How unusual was it that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting funded the Wall Street Journal program?
TOMLINSON: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds all sorts of new broadcasting endeavors, but after that initial funding --
REHM: Of five million --
TOMLINSON: We expect these programs -- we demand these programs find their own sponsors, and that's the way we'll move forward.
REHM: And that's after one year of broadcasting?
TOMLINSON: That's after one year, yes.
REHM: So will you be monitoring the Wall Street Journal program?
TOMLINSON: I'll be watching both NOW and the Wall Street Journal program, and I will enjoy them both. If you have two programs which the broad general public understands represent points of view, you don't have to monitor them.
REHM: Here's an email from Tom in Jacksonville, Florida. "Can Mr. Tomlinson please explain why both the ombudsmen he's chosen for PBS are conservative? Ken Bode wrote an endorsement wrote of Mitch Daniels, GOP candidate for governor of Indiana, last year. William Schulz is an avowed conservative.
TOMLINSON: Well, I knew Ken Bode in another period of his life. I knew him when he was with The New Republic. I knew him when he was in D.C. I didn't choose Ken for his, quote, liberal views, but I had seen him as coming from that general part of the spectrum. These people in the end were hired because they are professionals. And I think that they will respond to professional criticisms. And the success of the ombudsmen will be weighed by the public based on the quality of their work.
JEFF CHESTER (Center for Digital Democracy): But my question is, isn't there a conflict, Mr. Tomlinson, between your role as what I call America's chief propagandist, the fact that you're also the chairman of the board of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the U.S. government agency which oversees Voice of America, Radio Sawa, Radio Marti, which has to advance a U.S. government line, and your role as chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is supposed to be independent from government.
TOMLINSON: As to the question about my other job, I am the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees international broadcasting. That is a presidential appointment. The president appointed me as chairman. But there, too, we engage in journalism. We are charged by law to reflect all shades of American point of view, and I think we do an excellent job of that.


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If you have forgotten your screen name, keep in mind that you may log in using your registered e-mail address instead. If you cannot remember either one, you will need to reach out to Player Support for assistance.
If you need to reset your password, you will need to handle this manually as Player Support does not have access to sensitive information such as passwords.
To begin, click on the Log In screen at the top-right of the page:
Once there, you will need to click Reset Password, which is found in the middle of the log in screen at the right-hand side:
Enter your e-mail address or screen name in the field that follows:
You will need to look in your inbox for a message from SugarHouse Casino with the subject 'Reset Password Request'. Please note that you may need to check your Spam folder.
Open the e-mail and look for the 'Reset My Password' button. If the e-mail has been sent to your Spam folder, you may need to move it to your Inbox or mark it as not Spam before any buttons become visible.
After clicking this link you'll simply need to enter your new password twice and click 'Set password'. Note that your password must be 8-20 characters and contain at least one letter and one number.
To finalize your request you will be prompted to answer your two security questions:
Simply click submit and you will be notified that your request was successful. You may now use your new password to log in and play!


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- Description
- Architect & Product Resources
Executive Series Flare Top Trash Receptacle, built with reliability in mind. This tough commercial grade steel receptacle is designed with vertical slats and two horizontal bands at the neck and base that show off its simple clean lines. This 40 gallon flared top trash receptacle offers a flat lid with a pitch-in opening that conceals waste, minimize odors and encourages proper litter disposal. Never worry about losing the lid, there is a discrete security cable that is attached under the lid and then to the inside of the base. Included is a removable, steel liner, contoured to precisely fit the unit ensuring no unsightly gaps. The all steel trash receptacle and liner are both thoroughly coated with a durable black powder coat finish to protect against the effects of environmental conditions. This finish will inhibit rust and corrosion, promising many years of exceptional service.


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Thank you once again Matthew and Suzanne for your insight and guidance on our Path toward Ascension!!
*** gavin
Matthew's Message: November 20, 2012No Israel-Palestine war; effects of high vibrations on bodies, relief measures; US presidential election; vibratory alignment; Earth regaining balance; civilizations help others by request; ET assistance on and off-planet; prayer; effects of false information; giving thanks
With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. You are physically and emotionally feeling the effects of energy surges more so than seeing their remarkable results. We are feeling and seeing the grand forward thrusts the surges have given the planet and most of its residents: Gaia, Earth's soul, is joyous about her planetary body's nearness to the threshold of fourth density; hope for better times is being restored within people whose living circumstances are desperate; and newly awakened souls are sparkling all over Earth.
A world full of other marvelous happenings is on the way, but in the days at hand, the in-pouring of high vibrations also is having some unwelcome effects, like the roiling intensity at the negative end of duality's spectrum. Perhaps at this moment it is most noticeable in the tense Israeli-Palestinian confrontation. We hasten to assure you, the time for a full blown new war is past, today's enemies will evolve into peaceful, co-operative relationships, and any country waging war against another will be unthinkable.
On a different front but also due to increasingly high vibrations, many are experiencing conditions such as weakness, disorientation, forgetfulness, fatigue, sudden mood swings and other uncustomary sensations. In healthy bodies that have absorbed light, the anomalies are few and brief as these bodies' crystalline cells adjust more easily to energy fluctuations than can the carbon-based cells of bodies with less light.
Please do not use any of those symptoms as a barometer for assessing how much light is within you! Chronic maladies and forms of mental illness still affect bodies in Earth's atmosphere, and souls who are radiant with light may continue to experience those discomforts until they're well within fourth density's strong healing vibrations.
To lessen the severity and duration of the temporary anomalies, get sufficient sleep, avoid stressful encounters, drink a lot of water, have solitary serene time as often as possible and eat wisely. Vegetables and fruits are especially beneficial and less meat, sugar, starchy foods and fats in the diet also will help to lift energy levels, reduce fatigue and stabilize a positive outlook.
We strongly suggest that you not resort to antidepressants or other prescription drugs or the many that are lining store shelves. Particularly in the prevailing energies, the chemicals in drugs can suppress or destroy the body's own healing mechanisms. If you are on a medically-prescribed regimen, consult with your healthcare giver about safely reducing dosage.
Another effect of Earth's proximity to fourth density is that linear time is passing more and more swiftly. If you are reaching day's end feeling frustrated because there was no time to handle all responsibilities, set your priorities and please don't fret about foregoing what could not be fit in.
The prevailing vibratory levels contributed substantially to quite a different kind of matter, too. The Illuminati, who thought that not only could they cling to their remnants of control, but rebuild their former worldwide power base, now know that their situation is hopeless. They had pinned their hopes and put their money on Mr Romney winning the US presidency.
That country's people and the rest of the world see President Obama's re-election as the voters' choice. It was that indeed, but his victory is more than the vote count – it is a manifestation of science, a reflection of the energetic flow of the universe. The president's vision of a peaceful world restored to its former health and beauty and his goals to achieve this are aligned with Earth's vibratory field. The goals of Mr Romney are to keep the world's resources and vast fortunes in the same few hands, and this is not in alignment with Earth's vibratory field.
Like all other sources of negativity, the low vibrations of greed and control are incompatible with the high vibrations of love that are flowing ever more abundantly throughout the world and bringing Earth back into a healthful state of balance. The energy within balance is love-light, and nothing with low vibrations can co-exist with this most powerful of all energies in the Universe.
The fact that the election outcome was in consonance with the universal flow, as the Golden Age master planners long ago knew it would be, did not diminish one iota the free will choices of the United States citizens. Each voted in accordance with his or her reaction to the energy emanating from the candidates.
Please understand that this is neither criticism nor judgment of the voters or the candidates – it is explaining the election result in the context of laws that govern life in this Universe. The same holds true for the congressional elections in that country and all elections in every other country where the citizenry have a choice of candidates for leadership roles.
The laws are affecting not only national governments and governing bodies from village level on up – wherever negativity still has a foothold, high vibrations are causing shake-ups to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to say. This can be as close to home as family, neighbors and co-workers and as seemingly remote as multinational corporations, the United Nations, military forces, religions, education, law and justice systems, and information outlets around the globe.
High vibrations are overpowering the low vibrations of everything that has adversely affected life in your world. This had to happen so Earth could regain her balance after almost dying from long ages of imbalance due to humankind's brutality to each other, animals and the planet itself. The massive infusion of light from far distant sources seventy-some years ago enabled Earth to embark upon a journey back to life-sustaining balance – you know this journey as Ascension.
This is an appropriate place to address an email that recently was sent to my mother:
"I just found your site but I've known about Disclosure for quite a while. What are we supposed to do until our ET family gets here – just continue to wait patiently and hope they really will come? Can they decide not to? If so, would that mean that it is our responsibility to end all wars and other violence, repair the environment and fix everything else that is wrong in the world? Doing that without any help from advanced civilizations seems like an impossibility."
There is so much to say about this, it is hard to know where to begin.
Perhaps it is best to start with the universal law that no civilization has the responsibility – much less the right – to go into another world and make changes as they see fit, even when it would immensely benefit that world's inhabitants. Civilizations with a core of darkness have violated this law and destroyed other peoples and their homelands, but this never has happened to Earth and only Lighted civilizations are anywhere near your solar system.
So yes, it is the responsibility of a civilization to right its own wrongs, but there is a loophole there, you could say. Conditions in your world from severely damaged environment to the state of perpetual warring and unconscionably lopsided distribution of resources are products of your civilization's successive generations' bellicosity, brutality, greed, corruption, deception, negligence and abuse. Righting all of those wrongs is indeed a formidable undertaking, and to any third density civilization, it surely would seem an impossible task.
No doubt that is why God authorizes assistance to civilizations that request it. Gaia asked for help so her planetary body could survive, and the response was what we mentioned above, the infusion of life-saving Light from many civilizations. But it is not only by Gaia's request that assistance is being lovingly given. The desire in your collective consciousness to live in a world at peace and in harmony with Nature is your request for help to accomplish this.
From the first moment of intensive light-beaming, many years ago, civilizations that the majority on Earth don't know even exist have been helping Earth and you in numerous vital ways. Thus clearly their assistance is not dependent upon "Disclosure", your governments' public acknowledgement of extraterrestrial presence.
In accordance with universal laws and as part of the Golden Age master plan – prior to birth, everyone in your world knew the plan's details and clamored to participate – all of our universal family who have been helping you are way-showers, not over-takers.
Many thousands are living right there with you, working alongside you. They have adapted an appearance that looks no different from you, and their superior intelligence and highly developed skills have given them entry into fields where darkness held sway.
Some work quietly researching and documenting the truth that the darkness has kept hidden from you, and others – you call them whistleblowers – tell the truth to the world.
Others are initiating or influencing reforms in such diverse areas as governing, economic and legal systems, energy, transportation, healthcare, sports, education, mining, logging, agriculture, computer technology, species preservation, the media, scientific research and metallurgy.
A few are in the entertainment field, and even though you regard them as such, their feats that amaze you stir thoughts about what underlies their extraordinary abilities. They exemplify what you, too, can do when you expand spiritual and conscious awareness.
Many brothers and sisters came from other worlds to befriend, enlighten, guide and inspire the individuals who share with them the same ancestry civilizations.
The protection of invisibility by "cloaking" or an impenetrable shield of Christed Light is given to people whose lives are at risk at the hands of Illuminati henchmen.
None of the highly publicized "feared" pandemics occurred because family members working in your laboratories neutralized the toxins in vaccines that were designed to cause illness and death.
The damage that has been done to Earth is much too severe for you to manage yourselves. Even when technologies long-controlled by the Illuminati are released, they are not sufficient to speedily handle the extensive restorative aid the planet requires, and technologies in nearby spacecrafts, some of which is mind-powered, do have that capability.
While passengers and crews have been waiting to land and work with you on site, all along they have been helping from the skies. Foremost is preventing more than a dozen attempts by the Illuminati to use nuclear warheads in terrorist acts that would have caused more deaths and destruction than "9/11".
- Radioactive releases from Japan's damaged nuclear facility would have killed or sickened millions if the crews had not dramatically reduced the lethal levels.
- No marine life within miles of the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico would have survived if the crews had not kept clearing away the gushing oil's toxic components.
- They have also been reducing the toxicity in weaponry, industrial waste, stored nuclear waste, chemtrails, and other pollutants in inland and ocean waters.
- Crews far and near disintegrate or deflect the course of celestial bodies and manmade debris in space that could cause serious damage if they hit the planet.
- By laying an electromagnetic grid above Earth, they reduce the effects of earthquakes insofar as death toll and destruction, yet permit the same amount of negativity release.
- They steer severe storms away from land unless the target areas need the cleansing and purifying that water imparts.
Can you imagine the state of your world and all who live there if none of those measures had been undertaken by countless numbers within our universal community?
This brings us to a point we wish to emphasize about "just continue to wait patiently" for Disclosure.
Beloved souls, you are not just waiting! Innately you know that the responsibility for cleaning up the mess is yours because it is your homeland, and in one way or another, all of you have contributed to its condition.
That's why many millions of you have been serving for years to bring about benevolent changes that are generating light and uplifting your world.
Let us give you some examples:
- Local and international rallies and meditation services for peace.
- Participation in a variety of environmental conservation measures.
- Monetary support to organizations that are providing life essentials to refugees and others in impoverished circumstances.
- Community and individual efforts to assist those who are most needy.
- Demands for justice and humane treatment where those are being denied.
- Efforts to preserve and uplift the lives of domestic and wild animals.
- Ingenuity, perseverance and cooperation to overcome financial adversity and other hardships.
We want to mention other factors that also pertain to "waiting patiently." In previous messages we have explained what has prevented mass landings for the past decade or so, and it is most unfortunate that much confusion and disappointment has arisen due to blatantly false information given to some channels by dark entities that claimed to be well known respected sources. The dark Ones do this specifically to cause negative reactions because they feed on the energy of negativity and to survive, they must keep creating it.
It didn't help that the very few actual plans for a small number of ETs to make a public appearance had to be postponed – we assure you that the Fleet Commanders' decisions were wisely made for your safety and theirs.
Because of that and the many instances of deliberate falsehoods about extraterrestrials' arrival and intentions as well as claims of imminent planetary disasters, Hatonn has asked us to expound on his statement in a previous message: "If our making an appearance becomes pivotal to Obama keeping his position, we'll do that in sufficient time before the election. If we see that his re-election is certain, we'll show up soon afterwards."
"We" refers to members of the off-planet contingent that has been negotiating with some of your government leaders and others in the vanguard of paving the way for the Golden Age. This visiting group would be introduced prior to the arrival of our family who will bring technologies and remain as long as you want and need them to work with you.
The decision about timing of that momentous day is the province of the highest Universal Council, and it acts upon God's mandate. Only at that ultimate peak of awareness can soul contracts of everyone involved, individual and global karmic completion, and your population's reactions be known.
There is still another aspect to the "waiting game,"if you will. Animals whose soul contracts provide sufficient longevity have a free ride into fourth density with the planet, but humankind does not – you have to earn your ticket, so to say. Whether your contract choice is to live in Earth's Golden Age or to enjoy its full panorama from Nirvana, it is prudent to use this time to prepare spiritually. Live from your heart – love is the key!
Only in the United States is one day each year designated Thanksgiving Day. Should not every day be a time of thanks-giving throughout your world?
Thanks to our universal family who are in your midst or in your skies, and all who are beaming intense Light from afar to you and your world.
Thanks to Gaia for crying out for help so her body and all of its resident life forms could survive.
Thanks to God for His unconditional love and for never judging what you do or don't do.
And thanks to each other for providing the opportunities for experiences that you needed for spiritual and conscious growth.
Always and in all ways, the respect and love of lighted souls throughout this universe are with you, our dear Earth family.
LOVE and PEACE
by Suzanne Ward 20nov12


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Project Details
- Project Name
- Kline Biology Tower
- Location
CT ,United States
- Project Types
- Education
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Shared by
- Project Status
- Built
Project Description
Education Projects
1964 P/A Award
In His Science Tower At Yale, The Dexterous Philip Johnson Mixed Functionalism, Classicism, And Contextualism.
The Kline Biology Tower is the signature component of a science center planned by Philip Johnson & Associates for a hilltop site in Yale University's science precinct. The structure's cylindrical ground-floor columns become half-cylinder exhaust ducts as they rise toward its crown, which houses a chiller plant sized to serve several buildings. Johnson's respect for classical precedent is reflected in both the emphatic columns (thought by one juror to be "obsessive") and the tower's rigorous symmetry. His meticulously crafted surfaces of iron-spot brick and sandstone echo the varied masonry of nearby Gothic Revival structures, though not their picturesque massing.
The 1964 P/A Award honored Johnson's entire multibuilding proposal (which included the geology building he had completed in 1963), but the focus of the jury was the tower that remains a prominent feature of New Haven's skyline. The jurors praised the project's respect for existing context, a concern that had emerged among Modernists by the early 1960s. Further construction of science facilities didn't quite adhere to Johnson's plan, but subsequent buildings have deferred visibly to his commanding tower.
The housing of academic functions in towers is now frowned upon, believed to discourage the socializing that's thought to promote scholarship. So Yale has recently installed a café and lounge on the generously scaled first floor. Reporting on this development, the Yale student newspaper characterized the tower as "overbearing" and "menacing"—a starkly different view of a building that the P/A jurors considered an "elegant" good neighbor.


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This garment fits all sizes up to bust 48 inches. It is secured by an inner tie and outer sash. There is a 10 inch slit up each side and comfortable, wide three quarter length sleeves. It measures 34 inches (86cm) from neckline to the hem at the back.
Made from 12 momme silk, which is slightly lighter weight of fabric than used in our other products.
Made of 100% Silk.
Full care instructions included and completely machine washable.
For more information about Thigh Length Silk Kimono with Hand Painted Design from our Kimonos range, please contact us by filling out our online form and starting the enquiry with Thigh Length Silk Kimono with Hand Painted Design


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Peter Lee, principal transportation engineer with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, told members of the Bay Area Toll Authority at their monthly meeting, "There is a troll on the new bridge."
However, Lee wouldn't disclose the troll's location, saying only, "It's somewhere on the bridge."
The new troll is aimed at carrying on a tradition that started in late 1989 when iron workers place a good-luck troll on the eastern span when they replaced a slab of bridge deck that collapsed in the Loma Prieta earthquake on Oct. 17 of that year.
The old troll was created by local artist and blacksmith Bill Roan.
Lee said the old troll was recently removed from the old eastern span, but he told committee members, "Don't ask me where" it's now being stored.
When Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates pressed the issue and asked where the old troll was, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger said only that "it's at a secure undisclosed location not on the bridge."
After the meeting, MTC spokesman John Goodwin provided bits of additional information, confirming that the old troll was removed the night of Aug. 28, the first night the Bay Bridge was closed for last-minute work so the new span could open on Labor Day.
Goodwin would not specify where the new troll has been placed, saying that it might be somewhere on the new span or inside a steel section of the span.
He said the troll's current location is only temporary, and that transportation officials are trying to find it a permanent home that meets several important requirements.
Goodwin said trolls don't like to be exposed to sunlight, so officials want to find a shaded location. He noted that the new troll was placed on the bridge only after the sun had gone down on Labor Day.
Goodwin said another requirement is that the new troll be visible "to those who seek it out" so officials want to place it where it can be seen, such as by people who go under the bridge on a boat or by people who use the bike and pedestrian path on the new eastern span.
He said the new troll was donated, and no public funds were used to pay for it.
Both trolls "appeared without official sanction," and the Bay Area Toll Authority has adopted a policy of "benign non-interference" in allowing them to be placed on the bridge, Goodwin said.
He said the new troll is crafted from steel, is slimmer than the old troll, stands upright, and holds a sledgehammer.


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Hi, I'm Daniel! I'm a 33-year-old guy, originally from Melbourne, Australia but now living in Mountain View, California. I work at Facebook as a frontend developer. I enjoy web development, including both frontend (including HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript) and backend (including ASP.NET MVC, PHP and Node.js) development. I love exploring new technologies, and creating websites or applications implementing these technologies.
This should really have a better introduction on who I am... I'll complete it one day. For now you can find me on Facebook, I guess.
I've also got a list of projects I've worked on. I'm probably most well known as "the guy that wrote a lot of Simple Machines Forum modifications", or "the guy that wrote the ATAR Calculator" :-)
Contacting me
You may contact me via the following methods:
- Email —
- Google Talk / Jabber — .
- Skype — daniel15au. I'm currently Offline.
Recent Blog Posts
- Securely Sharing Storage with NFS
- WireGuard on OpenVZ/LXC
- Netdata causing load increase every ~20 minutes
- Performing DNS requests from Google Docs
- Fixing "error MSB3552: Resource file "**/*.resx" cannot be found"
- Reusing Job-DSL configuration sections
- Fixing GPG "Inappropriate ioctl for device" errors
- Using Entity Framework 6 and MySQL on ASP.NET 5 (vNext)
- Getting Started with XHP in Laravel
- Secret, the PostSecret of social networks
Recent Tumblr Posts
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- 1 litre of Coca Cola for only $11?! BARGAIN. #australia...
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- #Busker dressed as Super Mario, playing songs from the games. Oh...
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- RiftBook


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Country Listing
Germany Table of Contents
In 1987 German chancellor Helmut Kohl and French president François Mitterrand agreed on the formation of a Franco-German Brigade to be stationed in southwest Germany, but with headquarters in Strasbourg, France. Once established, the French and German units in the brigade were not integrated; the brigade functioned jointly only at the command, secretariat, and logistic levels. The German contribution consisted of one mechanized infantry battalion, one artillery battalion, and one self-propelled antitank company. Troops are attired in the uniforms of their own armies but wear a distinctive blue beret bearing the insignia of both armies.
In May 1992, Kohl and Mitterrand announced the establishment of a Eurocorps intended to form the nucleus of a European army. All the states of the Western European Union (WEU--see Glossary) were invited to participate. Three possible missions were identified: deployment under NATO control in time of war; peacemaking and peacekeeping operations under WEU command in places outside the NATO treaty area, subject to constitutional limits on German troop deployments; and employment for humanitarian purposes abroad.
The Eurocorps is scheduled to be operational by October 1995 and to number about 50,000 troops, including a French armored division, a German division, a Belgian mechanized division, and a Spanish mechanized infantry brigade. The German division, the 10th Armored, will remain simultaneously committed to NATO. The troops will be stationed on German soil and will retain their separate national identities under a joint command at Strasbourg. Before the Eurocorps can be deployed, every government that has contributed troops will have to approve the mission.
The primary areas of operation of the navy (Bundesmarine) in the event of war are the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Until 1990 the navy's mission had been to block the Baltic approaches on behalf of NATO to prevent the deployment of the Soviet Baltic Fleet in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The navy also contributed to protection of NATO sea routes by helping to control the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. Although lacking large surface units, the navy was well equipped to carry out intelligence and reconnaissance, mine countermeasure operations, and antisubmarine and antiship warfare. The navy regularly participated in NATO exercises as part of the Standing Naval Force Atlantic and Standing Naval Force Channel.
The political changes that unfolded in 1990 enabled the navy to reduce its concentration on the Baltic Sea and northern flank, shifting from defending against a tangible Warsaw Pact threat to preparing for a broader spectrum of maritime defense missions and tasks beyond home waters. The deployment of mine countermeasure vessels to the Mediterranean for NATO during the Persian Gulf crisis in 1990 and to the Persian Gulf after hostilities broke out in 1991, as well as Germany's participation in monitoring the naval blockade against Serbia in 1992, undoubtedly foreshadow other possible requirements distant from German coastal waters.
Although the navy is preparing for possible involvement in future multilateral and humanitarian missions, its primary task will continue to be to prevent attacking forces from controlling German territorial and adjacent waters. The nations of the former Soviet Union are no longer regarded as hostile; however, the presence of Russian naval units in the Baltic, with their potential to deny Germany the use of its territorial waters and the high seas, remains a relevant factor in strategic planning.
As of early 1995, the navy had about 30,000 personnel, including 4,230 Naval Air Arm personnel, and 6,700 conscripts. The ship inventory included as its principal combat units twenty submarines, thirteen destroyers and frigates, and thirty-eight missile craft (see table 24, Appendix). The Naval Air Arm is equipped with Tornado fighter-ground attack aircraft and Breguet Atlantic aircraft fitted for long-range reconnaissance, including some dedicated to electronic intelligence. Dornier Do-28s are used for short-range surveillance and patrol of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Two Westland Sea Lynx helicopters are based on each frigate for antisubmarine warfare and target acquisition.
Four Brandenburg-class frigates are under construction to replace Hamburg-class vessels by the end of 1996. Four Type 212 submarines are scheduled to be introduced after 2000 to begin the replacement of Type 205 and unmodernized Type 206 submarines.
At unification the East German navy had a substantial fleet of twenty-three frigates, fifty-two missile boats, and twenty-four mine warfare vessels. Because the West German navy was already facing a sharp reduction, all East German ships were scheduled to be scrapped or sold, rather than absorbed within the unified navy.
Proportionately, the cuts imposed on the navy in response to the improved security situation in Europe have been the greatest among the three services. The ship inventory will be reduced to nearly half by the year 2005. The future German fleet will consist of about ninety vessels, including fifteen frigates, eight submarines, fifteen corvette patrol vessels, and twenty mine countermeasure ships. Personnel strength will decline to about 27,000 by 2000.
Under the chief of staff of the navy are three major commands: the Fleet Command at Glücksburg on the Baltic Sea; the Naval Office at Rostock, responsible for enlisted personnel, schools, armament, and the medical service; and the Naval Logistics Command at Wilhelmshaven. Under the consolidation plans, a number of bases will be closed and headquarters merged, leaving four main bases: Wilhelmshaven (frigates plus support vessels); Kiel (frigates, submarines, and support vessels); Olpenitz (mine countermeasure vessels); and Warnemünde (patrol boats). The naval air combat arm will be reduced from four to three wings of about forty-six Tornados based at Eggebek (near the Danish border), mainly for reconnaissance and attack sorties. The naval air station at Jagel and the remaining Tornados will be assigned to the air force.
Data as of August 1995
Country Listing
Germany Table of Contents


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Reading a newspaper can be a bit stale, especially when there is an attractive female at the other end of the table. It's even more difficult to concentrate when she's sipping on a beverage and flirtatiously staring you down. Karina isn't content with just flirting, so she tosses out the liquid from her glass, gets up on her feet, and pulls up her skirt. As if that weren't enough to distract a guy from his paper, Karina boldly raises her leg to piss in her glass. She's much more concerned with pissing on the table, partially filling up the glass before drenching the table top. Her boyfriend is no longer focused on the paper, watching attentively as Karina drenches the table top. Taking a cue from Karina, he tosses his newspaper aside and is pissing into her mouth shortly after. Karina takes it easy for a while while working in some special moments like sucking and pissing at the same time. She gradually gains more and more momentum, finding the most eccentric positions with one of her legs going up in the air in some sort of fashion without any sort of difficulty.
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- Featuring:
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Filter by date range
x1851 - 1900
Found 1 collection related to Seaver, Romaine W
Filtering on: x1851 - 1900
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne, 1835-1910
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature | Berg Coll MSS Clemens
717 items
This is a synthetic collection consisting of portraits, pictorial works, manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence from, to, and about the author, a diary for 1885, a notebook for 1895, portraits, and pictorial works.
Indicates that portions of this collection have been
digitized and are available online.
digitized and are available online.


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Vice President Joe Biden shocked the nation in a speech last night when he endorsed Mitt Romney for President.
Vice President Joe Biden reportedly told a crowd in Tampa last night that "I am one hundred percent positive that for the next four years, Mitt Romney will be President of the United States." Many in the audience thought it was another one of Biden's infamous "gaffes" but after the speech Biden confirmed to local reporters that he was endorsing Mitt Romney for President.
"He's got the experience and I think he can help get the country back on track," Biden reportedly told reporters on Air Force Two.
White House aides were in damage control mode this morning. "Joe Biden misspoke last night. He thought he was being asked about the President. It is ludicrous to think that Joe Biden would endorse the opposition party. He supports Barack Obama, and himself, fully," a White House spokesman told WWN.
There is a "mystery spot" on the schedule at the Republican National Convention for Thursday night. Marco Rubio is going to introduce Mitt Romney, but before that someone who is listed only as TBD (to be determined) will speak for twenty minutes. Rumors are spreading around Tampa that Joe Biden will make a speech officially endorsing Mitt Romney for president at that time.
"He's gone completely off his rocker, " James Carville reportedly told an ABC News correspondent early Tuesday. "Joe was certifiable before, but now… we need to replace him as VP as soon as possible."
Jay Carney, The White House Press Secretary was unavailable for comment, but a member of his staff reportedly told WWN that "Joe is just being Joe. He's trying to stir the pot. President Obama is not going to drop him from the ticket. Nor is Joe endorsing Romney. Joe was just trying to take attention away from the Republican Convention… and it worked!"
We'll see… Meanwhile, Chris Christie is giving the keynote speech tonight at the Republican Convention. When told about Biden's endorsement of Romney, Christie reportedly said, "He's an idiot. Who cares."


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What a week it's been! As of this morning, I am done with my business taxes for the year!!! (Insert a HUGE party here!) If I could do cartwheels, I would do 100 of them. I find it highly challenging to run a small business, but I am also very thankful that I get to do this. If you've bought a pattern or a book, taken a class or attended a trunk show/lecture that I've given, thank you! Your support means so much!!!
Ok, now, on to some fun, crafty finishes!
Yesterday, I finished my 12th pair of socks to date. They only took me a month to knit, which feels super speedy! They are pretty unexciting, color wise, but they will match about 80% of my wardrobe. Funny how that works, eh?
here. I can't tell you how much I love wearing hand knit socks. I'm pleased that my collection is growing.
Speaking of a growing collection...I made a few more pin cushions for my craft room "candy dish". (See this post if you missed it last week.) This is another little orphan block turned pin cushion. Slowly, one by one, I am cleaning up odds and ends around the craft room. It feels great! I love the dense grid quilting. So fun on a tiny project!bright birch trees quilt, it uses the smallest of scraps. I LOVE how it turned out!! It's about 3.5" x 3.25" finished. Tiny!
A note about pin cushion filling and construction: For the filling, I use crushed walnut shells that I buy from the pet store. (They are sold as lizard litter.) One big bag makes a BUNCH of pin cushions. For the construction, I make a quilt block, quilt it onto a piece of scrap batting (no backing required). For the other half of the pin cushion, I do one of two things: I use ticking (without interfacing) OR quilting cotton with a layer of Pellon SF 101 interfacing fused to it. The interfacing gives the back a bit of stability and prevents the need for an inner liner. I hope that answers any questions that you may have!
Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday!


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From Abracadabra to Zombies | View All
perfect prediction scam
This scam involves making a series of opposite predictions (on winners in the stock market, football games, or the like) and sending them to different groups of people until one group has seen your perfect track record sufficiently to be duped into paying you for the next "prediction."
For example, Notre Dame is playing Michigan next week, so you send 100 letters to people, predicting the outcome of the game. It doesn't really matter whether the recipients of your letter are known to bet on college football games. The information you provide will stimulate some of them to want to bet on the game. You name your letter something swell like The Perfect Gamble. In 50 letters you predict Notre Dame will win. In the other 50 you predict Michigan will win. You write a short introduction explaining that you have a secret surefire method of predicting winners and to prove it you are giving out free predictions this week. Notre Dame wins.
The next week you send a free copy of The Perfect Gamble to the 50 who got the letter that predicted a Notre Dame victory. In the introduction you remind them of last week's prediction and you inform them how much they would have won had they followed your advice. To show there are no hard feelings and to give them one more chance to take advantage of your surefire system you provide—free of cost—one more prediction. This week Notre Dame is playing Oregon State. You divide your list of recipients and you send 25 letters predicting Notre Dame will win and 25 predicting Oregon State will win.
After the second game, you will have 25 people who have seen you make two correct predictions in a row. Three correct predictions in a row should convince several recipients of your letter that you do have a surefire way to pick winners. You now charge them a substantial fee for the next prediction and, if all goes as planned, you should make a handsome profit even after postage and handling costs.
Since you are a crook for running this scam, you won't feel guilty in promising the prospective suckers their money back if not completely satisfied with your predictions. Your hope is that they will be greedy and say: "How can I lose?" You needn't remind them how. You might even be able to rationalize your behavior by telling yourself that they deserve to be scammed because they're so greedy!
For different audiences, you can pretend to be a psychic or an astrologer or a mathematician or a gambler who knows how to fix college football games. If you are cheating the gullible as well as the greedy, you may be able to convince yourself that you are performing a beneficial service to the community by cheating these people out of their money. You might persuade yourself that rather than try to put you in jail for being a fraudulent scammer, society should give you an award for reminding people to use their common sense and critical thinking skills.
A variant of the perfect prediction scam is used by some psychics. If you tell enough clients "someday you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams," then if one of them inherits a great sum or wins a lottery, you may get credit for being psychic.
further reading
Steiner, Robert A. (1989). Don't Get Taken! - Bunco and Bunkum Exposed - How to Protect Yourself Wide-Awake Books.
Last updated 27-Oct-2015


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I'm betting on a White Christmas
According the Met Office, the last official White Christmas was in 2010 - when it recorded snow on the ground at 83 per cent of its weather stations, the highest amount ever recorded.
The Daily Mirror on Tuesday, was predicting '36 days of snow' over the winter, and bookmakers Coral slashed the odds of snow falling anywhere in the UK on Christmas Day to even money.
William Hill was on Monday offering odds as short as 3-1 on a White Christmas, with the chance of a white Christmas in Manchester standing at 4-1.
AccuWeather forecaster Tyler Roys told the Mirror: "We'll see full-on cold spells. Northern England faces colder than normal period, some of which could affect southern England. And Scotland is forecast a colder than normal winter too.
"Given recent winters' minimum temperatures of -8C to -21C, lows of that level are possible this winter."
Last week there were reported predictions of 'months of heavy snow' and 'the worst winter in half a century'.


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Editor's Note: This is a transcript of Charlie Munger's famous speech to Harvard grads in 1986.
Charlie Munger is a prominent figure in the world of finance and investing, known for his partnership with Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway. He is a billionaire investor, philanthropist, and the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Munger is widely respected for his wisdom and insights on a wide range of topics, including investing, decision-making, psychology, and business. He is known for his emphasis on rational thinking, the importance of acquiring knowledge from various disciplines, and the value of ethical behavior in business and life. Munger's annual letters and speeches are highly regarded for their thought-provoking ideas and practical wisdom. He is often considered a guru of value investing and a source of valuable life and investment lessons.
"Now that Headmaster Berrisford has selected one of the oldest and longest-serving trustees to make a commencement speech, it behooves the speaker to address two questions in every mind:
1) Why was such a selection made? and,
2) How long is the speech going to last?
I will answer the first question from long experience alongside Berrisford. He is seeking enhanced reputation for our school in the manner of the man who proudly displays his horse which can count to seven. The man knows that counting to seven is not much of a mathematical feat but he expects approval because doing so is creditable, considering that the performer is a horse.
The second question, regarding length of speech, I am not going to answer in advance. It would deprive your upturned faces of lively curiosity and obvious keen anticipation, which I prefer to retain, regardless of source.
But I will tell you how my consideration of speech length created the subject matter of the speech itself. I was puffed up when invited to speak. While not having significant public-speaking experience, I do hold a black belt in chutzpah, and, I immediately considered Demosthenes and Cicero as role models and anticipated trying to earn a compliment like Cicero gave when asked which was his favourite among the orations of Demosthenes. Cicero replied: 'The longest one."
Charlie Munger and Johnny Carson
However, fortunately for this audience, I also thought of Samuel Johnson's famous comment when he addressed Milton's poem, Paradise Lost, and correctly said: "No one ever wished it longer." And that made me consider which of all the twenty Harvard School graduation speeches I had heard that I wished longer. There was only one such speech, that given by Johnny Carson, specifying Carson's prescriptions for guaranteed misery in life. I therefore decided to repeat Carson's speech but in expanded form with some added prescriptions of my own.
After all, I am much older than Carson was when he spoke and have failed and been miserable more often and in more ways than was possible for a charming humorist speaking at younger age. I am plainly well-qualified to expand on Carson's theme.
What Carson said was that he couldn't tell the graduating class how to be happy, but he could tell them from personal experience how to guarantee misery. Carson's prescriptions for sure misery included:
1) Ingesting chemicals in an effort to alter mood or perception;
2) Envy; and
3) Resentment.
I can still recall Carson's absolute conviction as he told how he had tried these things on occasion after occasion and had become miserable every time. It is easy to understand Carson's first prescription for misery -ingesting chemicals. I add my voice. The four closest friends of my youth were highly intelligent, ethical, humorous types, favoured in person and background. Two are long dead, with alcohol a contributing factor, and a third is a living alcoholic -if you call that living. While susceptibility varies, addiction can happen to any of us, through a subtle process where the bonds of degradation are too light to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. And I have yet to meet anyone, in over six decades of life, whose life was worsened by overfear and overavoidance of such a deceptive pathway to destruction.
Charlie Munger on Envy and Resentment
Envy, of course, joins chemicals in winning some sort of quantity price for causing misery. It was wreaking havoc long before it got a bad press in the laws of Moses. If you wish to retain the contribution of envy to misery, I recommend that you never read any of the biographies of that good Christian, Samuel Johnson, because his life demonstrates in an enticing way the possibility and advantage of transcending envy.
Resentment has always worked for me exactly as it worked for Carson. I cannot recommend it highly enough to you if you desire misery. Johnson spoke well when he said that life is hard enough to swallow without squeezing in the bitter rind of resentment.
For those of you who want misery, I also recommend refraining from practice of the Disraeli compromise, designed for people who find it impossible to quit resentment cold turkey. Disraeli, as he rose to become one of the greatest Prime Ministers, learned to give up vengeance as a motivation for action, but he did retain some outlet for resentment by putting the names of people who wronged him on pieces of paper in a drawer. Then, from time to time, he reviewed these names and took pleasure in noting the way the world had taken his enemies down without his assistance.
Well, so much for Carson's three prescriptions. Here are four more prescriptions from Munger:
First, be unreliable. Do not faithfully do what you have engaged to do. If you will only master this one habit you will more than counterbalance the combined effect of all your virtues, howsoever great. If you like being distrusted and excluded from the best human contribution and company, this prescription is for you. Master this one habit and you can always play the role of the hare in the fable, except that instead of being outrun by one fine turtle you will be outrun by hordes and hordes of mediocre turtles and even by some mediocre turtles on crutches.
I must warn you that if you don't follow my first prescription it may be hard to end up miserable, even if you start disadvantaged. I had a roommate in college who was and is severely dyslexic. But he is perhaps the most reliable man I have ever known. He has had a wonderful life so far, outstanding wife and children, chief executive of a multibillion dollar corporation.
If you want to avoid a conventional, main-culture, establishment result of this kind, you simply can t count on your other handicaps to hold you back if you persist in being reliable.
I cannot here pass by a reference to a life described as "wonderful so far," without reinforcing the "so far" aspects of the human condition by repeating the remark of Croesus, once the richest king in the world. Later, in ignominious captivity, as he prepared to be burned alive, he said: "Well now do I remember the words of the historian Solon: "No man's life should be accounted a happy one until it is over."
My second prescription for misery is to learn everything you possibly can from your own personal experience, minimizing what you learn vicariously from the good and bad experience of others, living and dead. This prescription is a sure-shot producer of misery and second-rate achievement.
You can see the results of not learning from others' mistakes by simply looking about you. How little originality there is in the common disasters of mankind -drunk driving deaths, reckless driving maimings, incurable venereal diseases, conversion of bright college students into brainwashed zombies as members of destructive cults, business failures through repetition of obvious mistakes made by predecessors, various forms of crowd folly, and so on. I recommend as a memory clue to finding the way to real trouble from heedless, unoriginal error the modern saying: "If at first you don't succeed, well, so much for hang gliding."
The other aspect of avoiding vicarious wisdom is the rule for not learning from the best work done before yours. The prescription is to become as non-educated as you reasonable can.
Perhaps you will better see the type of non-miserable result you can thus avoid if I render a short historical account. There once was a man who assiduously mastered the work of his best predecessors, despite a poor start and very tough time in analytic geometry. Eventually his own original work attracted wide attention and he said of that work:
"If I have seen a little farther than other men it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants."
The bones of that man lie buried now, in Westminster Abbey, under an unusual inscription:
"Here lie the remains of all that was mortal in Sir Isaac Newton."
My third prescription for misery is to go down and stay down when you get your first, second, third severe reverse in the battle of life. Because there is so much adversity out there, even for the lucky and wise, this will guarantee that, in due course, you will be permanently mired in misery. Ignore at all cost the lesson contained in the accurate epitaph written for himself by Epictetus: "Here lies Epictetus, a slave, maimed in body, the ultimate in poverty, and favoured by Gods."
My final prescription to you for a life of fuzzy thinking and infelicity is to ignore a story they told me when I was very young about a rustic who said: "I wish I knew where I was going to die, and then I'd never go there." Most people smile (as you did) at the rustic's ignorance and ignore his basic wisdom. If my experience is any guide, the rustic's approach is to be avoided at all cost by someone bent on misery. To help fail you should discount as mere quirk, with no useful message, the method of the rustic, which is the same one used in Carson's speech.
What Carson did was to approach the study of how to create X by turning the question backward, that is, by studying how to create non-X. The great algebraist, Jacobi, had exactly the same approach as Carson and was known for his constant repetition of one phrase: "Invert, always invert." It is in the nature of things, as Jacobi knew, that many hard problems are best solved only when they are addressed backward. For instance, when almost everyone else was trying to revise the electromagnetic laws of Maxwell to be consistent with the motion laws of Newton, Einstein discovered special relativity as he made a 180 degree turn and revised Newton's laws to fit Maxwell's. It is my opinion, as a certified biography nut, that Charles Robert Darwin would have ranked near the middle of the Harvard School graduating class of 1986. Yet he is now famous in the history of science. This is precisely the type of example you should learn nothing from if bent on minimizing your results from your own endowment. Darwin's result was due in large measure to his working method, which violated all my rules for misery and particularly emphasized a backward twist in that he always gave priority attention to evidence tending to disconfirm whatever cherished and hard-won theory he already had. In contrast, most people early achieve and later intensify a tendency to process new and disconfirming information so that any original conclusion remains intact. They become people of whom Philip Wylie observed: " You couldn't squeeze a dime between what they already know and what they will never learn."
The life of Darwin demonstrates how a turtle may outrun the hares, aided by extreme objectivity, which helps the objective person end up like the only player without blindfold in a game of pin-the-donkey. If you minimize objectivity, you ignore not only a lesson from Darwin but also one from Einstein. Einstein said that his successful theories came from: "Curiosity, concentration, perseverance and self-criticism. And by self-criticism he meant the testing and destruction of his own well-loved ideas.
Finally, minimizing objectivity will help you lessen the compromises and burdens of owning worldly goods, because objectivity does not work only for great physicists and biologists. It also adds power to the work of a plumbing contractor in Bemidji. Therefore, if you interpret being true to yourself as requiring that you retain every notion of your youth you will be safely underway, not only toward maximizing ignorance, but also toward whatever misery can be obtained through unpleasant experiences in business.
It is fitting now that a backward sort of speech end with a backward sort of toast, inspired by Elihu Root's repeated accounts of how the dog went to Dover, "leg over leg." To the class of 1986:
Gentlemen, may each of you rise high by spending each day of a long life aiming low.


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Sunday night a team of two dozen Navy SEALs killed Osama Bin Laden. If all goes as planned, you will soon be able to reenact that head shot in a video game this weekend.
Kuma\War Episode #107: The Death of Osama Bin Laden is planned for a Saturday release, Keith Halper, the CEO of Kuma Games told Kotaku today.
Kuma Games, are the people behind turning John Kerry's Silver Star mission and the capture of Saddam Hussein into a playable video game. They decided this afternoon to return to the mostly defunct series to create this last episode.
"I looked back at 106 episodes of Kuma War and understood it was a story without an end and so it was a matter of personal decision between myself and the development and writing staff to say we can't close the door on Kuma War 2 until we've told this absolutely critical last story," Halper said.
In Kuma Games' Kuma War missions, players take control of the real soldiers who fought through some of modern history's most publicized engagements. The game plays a bit like most modern day shooters, such as Call of Duty or Battlefield, with players controlling the movements of a soldier and where and when they fire.
Kuma Games vice president Joe Kressaty, confirmed to Kotaku that the company was discussing the possibility of a kill Bin Laden mission based on the weekend's events, but couldn't provide further details.
Founded in 2003, Kuma Games turned the notion of fighting reality into a blossoming business. The company creates games that allow players to take on the role of animal predators, World War II dogfighters and relive the lives of infamous mobster like John Dillinger and John Gotti. But perhaps the company's most known, most relevant marriage of reality and gaming comes with Kuma War.
The free tactical shooter puts players in the boots of different international military forces as they replay famous, often current battles in Afghanistan, Iraq, South Korea, Vietnam, Mexico and Sierra Leone. Past missions have included recreations of John Kerry's Silver Star mission, a battle between Mexican soldiers and drug cartels and the capture of Saddam Hussein.
The game has even created a past "episode" about Osama Bin Laden, examining the Battle of Tora Bora in Dec. 2001. Currently Kuma War features more than 120 of these episodes, each based on information pulled from news accounts, military experts and sometimes Department of Defense records. The missions often include briefings by military experts, soldiers and people who participated in the events.
Halper has likened what his company is doing to the work of news organizations.
While Kuma Games appears to be the only developer that may be turning the weekend killing of Bin Laden into a game, it's not the only game that includes a Bin Laden appearance.
Newgrounds, popular home to a stream of free-to-play, ever-changing Flash games, often features games created by budding developers looking to make a name for themselves. Coincidentally, one of the top games on the site hours after news of Bin Laden's death hit, was one starring the founder of Al Qaeda.
In Mujahedin players take control of a suicide bomber who is targeting a U.S. Army base. The work of playable satire features a cartoon Bin Laden who offers to become a drinking buddy with the player if they succeed.
Monday morning, iPhone game developer Dedalord Games released an update to their Falling Fred, that allows players to control a perpetually plummeting "Ogama Ben Ladder" as you try to avoid dangerous objects... or hit them. The rag doll Bin Laden likeness bruises, loses limbs and bleeds as he hits objects during the fall, until he finally succumbs to his injuries.
My attempt at guiding Ben Ladder through the dangers of his perpetual fall ended suddenly on a tiled outcropping. Then a newspaper headline popped up on the screen that read "Terrorist Terrorized by Terrible Tiling." The newspaper article underneath accounted my virtual Ben Ladder's many injuries, including the number of fractures, amputations and blood loss. I was also given the option to replay the video of his plummet.
Ian Bogost, professor of digital media at Georgia Tech and co-author of Newsgames: Journalism at Play, calls these quick-to-hit reactionary bits of play "tabloid games."
"They are 'tabloid games' more than anything," he said. "Quickly created release valves that capitalize on this event for traffic or attention.
"That said, perhaps some of them may give us a sense of how the operation took place."
Kuma, he notes, tries to do that with their attempt at accurate recreations.
Bosost says that these tabloid games also give people a way to come to terms with a surprising event. For instance, a game popped up after soccer player Zinedine Zidane's head butt during the 2006 World Cup finals.
"That was so strange, 'Did that really happen?' was the question everyone was asking," Bogost said. "And the [Zidane] game, crude as it was, offered a way to ponder that question."
These Bin Laden games could also give some people a "welcome sense of false closure," Bogost added.
"See, Osama is dead. The 'war on terror' is over. See, I killed him myself on my computer.' Whether that's true or not, it doesn't matter," Bogost said.
Well Played is an internationally syndicated weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.
The above picture shows Osama Bin Laden as depicted in Kuma War's take on the Battle of Tora Bora.
Well Played is an internationally syndicated weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.


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Windows: Generate CSR for code or driver signing certificate
To request a code signing certificate or a Windows driver signing certificate, you have to provide us a certificate signing request (CSR) generated by the machine you use to sign the code. We'll use the information in this file to validate your request and provide the information to anyone downloading your code or driver.
If you're using Windows 7 you can generate the CSR through Microsoft Management Console (
Note: It's important that you generate the CSR from your local machine and not from the web server you're using to host the file.
Add certificates snap-in to MMC
- In your Windows search feature, enter mmc, and then click it to launch the Microsoft Management Console application.
- From File, click Add/Remove Snap-in.
- Click Certificates and then click Add.
- Select Computer account, and then click Next.
- Select Local computer, and then click Finish.
- Click OK.
Generate CSR & private key
- In MMC, expand Certificates (Local Computer) and then Personal.
- Right-click Certificates, and then go to the following menus: All Tasks > Advanced Operations > Create Custom Request.
- Click Next.
- Click Active Directory Enrollment Policy.
- From Template, click Web Server.
- Ensure the Request format is PKCS #10, and then click Next.
- Click the downward-facing arrow next to Details, and then click Properties.
- From the Type menu, select the following values, enter the corresponding Value, and then click Add:
Type Value Common name Your business or organization's name Organization Your business or organization's name Locality Your business or organization's address State The state where your business or organization resides Country The country where your business or organization resides
- Click the General tab, and then enter a Friendly name you can use to refer to the certificate.
- Go to the Private Key tab, click Key type, and then select Make private key exportable.
- Click OK, and then click Next.
- Browse for the location where you want to save the file, enter a File Name, and then click Finish.
Your CSR is now stored in the file you saved it to on your local machine.
This process also creates a private key, which you will need to use later to create a
file to sign your code or driver.
Next step
- Open the CSR file in Notepad, and then use it to request your SSL certificate.


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On selected products
Our insect repellents provide effective protection against mosquitoes and other biting insects in all environments. Our range is for those looking to avoid or soothe insect bites and even for those who need to remove ticks. With both DEET and DEET free repellents, Lifesystems is able to cater for all situations.


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This summer was extremely busy as we finished off sorting through the collections. The final hurdle to get over was the immense collection of textiles – uniforms, dresses and other pieces of clothing. The sheer size of this collection was surprising once the old and decaying boxes were cracked open. This collection was poorly documented and I would like to thank Jordyn Thompson for her willingness to help take this one on. The collection will still need loads of research as many of the items look quite impressive, but again, like the china collection, it will need an expert to figure out what exactly they are.
Working through the collections was a personally rewarding experience as much as it was professional. I felt connected to the things I was searching through. My own family has deep roots in the community and I came across a good deal of evidence to prove it. I often think of my grandfather's stories of his days in the citizens band when, in the bleak days of the Great Depression, little Gananoque produced an award winning band that was in demand across
On another level, the tale of the
who their predecessors were and what things were like in the past. Yet, the actual closure of the
Many people have asked me why the
Now, the question is, with the collections stabilized can there ever be another
With that said, I would like to offer a huge thank you to all the people and institutions that helped out. Without the many volunteers and help from town staff and officials this project could not have been accomplished.
My heartfelt thanks to Eileen Truesdell, John McDonald, David Wells, Marcia McRae, Kathy Karkut, Kathy and Aidan Baker, Erin Findlay and Jordyn Thompson whose enthusiasm for the work kept me energized and without whom the work could never have been completed. My thanks also to the staff of the
My thanks to Paul Banfield, director of the Queen's University Archives, as well as to Conservator Margaret Bignell, assistant Heather Wolsey, and to Susan Office and Elaine Savor for their work in conserving and copying the Joel Stone papers. Thanks also to archivists
Thanks also to Doug Mainse for all his help and creative solutions to many technical issues, Noel Bullock for his insightful ideas and help with conservation issues, Art Shaw for his help and interest in identifying many of the curious industrial and agricultural pieces, Linda Hocking and the staff of the Litchfield Historical Society, especially for her help with some of the head-scratching issues related to creating the archives. My appreciation also to Westley Cote for his much-needed help and artistic talents in the creation of the "Gananoque in the Gilded Age" displays. A sincere thank you to the Mayor, Council, and staff at the Town Hall for having the faith to let the project go ahead, but also for providing funding – without which nothing could have been done. I'd like to extend a special thank you to Councillor Frank O'Hearn and now-Mayor of Leeds Township Frank Kinsella, for their support of this project and their help in pushing ahead in the early, uncertain stages of the project. An additional thank you to Councillor O'Hearn for making the Heritage Committee a reality; to Kent Fitzhugh for his enthusiasm and help in many matters; to Steve Silver, the town CEO, for always having time to talk to me, even though I knew he really didn't have the time; to Brenda Guy for her help and leadership in getting the heritage committee underway, and to Jim Guest and the board of works for lending some muscle in carting away 30 years of accumulated debris.
I was also very gratified to have so much support from other local institutions. Early on Bonnie Burke at the Brockville Museum and Ann Blake at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes were of enormous help setting me on the right path. Providence Continuing Care and the So, with that, I finish. The computer catalogue is still being worked on, but should eventually be ready for public inspection. For those that may be curious on the ongoing creation of the Joel Stone comic, I will be beginning a new blog very shortly. This will be part of the Digital History Class at the
So, with that, I finish. The computer catalogue is still being worked on, but should eventually be ready for public inspection. For those that may be curious on the ongoing creation of the Joel Stone comic, I will be beginning a new blog very shortly. This will be part of the Digital History Class at the
It's been a blast!


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Scott Wiley
Assigned to: Coach Mentor - Czech RepublicAwards: ECAC Hockey League Coach of the Year (2003)Hockey Experience: Head Coach, Colgate University (2002-2012)…Assistant Coach, Colgate University (2000-2002)…NCAA East Regional Selection Committee (2007-2010)…USA Hockey Development Camp (2003)…Various hockey schools throughout the USA (2001-2012)…Coach Mentor, IIHF High Performance Camp, 2012…Coached five ECAC Hockey All-league team members, thirty-six all-ECAC Hockey Academic Team members, nine AWHCA National Scholar-Athletes, six ECAC Hockey all-Rookie Team members, an ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the year, an ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year, an ESPN The Magazine academic all-district member and and five Canadian and USA national team members…Coached Collegiate soccer (1995-1998)Personal Information: Currently resides in Hamilton, NY with wife, Leta, and three children, Kailtyn, Devin and Taylor… Hometown Williamstown, MA. Owner of Total Team Works, a company that specializes in custom team building programs.Why have you joined AMP? I see this as an amazing opportunity to help grow the game globally. Coaching and teaching is something that I have spent my life doing and I look forward to sharing my experiences and continue to learn along the way.


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My husband & I are separating.
Boy do I not know what to say... because it's sad but yet having been there myself, it's freeing.
My thoughts are with you....
Rhea-I know this is a tough time for you and the boys. I will be thinking about all of you.
I am so sorry. I know it must be so tough.
this is not some carefree whimsy- I know...this is going to be tough.
When I saw this title in my sidebar I had just had a horrible feeling this was it. I am so sad for you all Rhea and very sorry it came to this.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during such a tough time. Hang in there for those lovely boys of yours...}}}}H{{{{
Hi Rhea-Sorry you are going through this. Not sure what happened. Maybe you have said and I wasn't around. Hope it works out just as you want and need.
{{{{{{{{{{{Rhea}}}}}}}}}}} I wish I could say that I'm sorry to hear this, but I can't. YOu've let slip a little tidbit here and there over the months and I think this may be the very best thing for you and the boys.
Please email me if you want!
Justine :o )
I am so sorry that you are going through this painful change:-( I wish strength for you in your adjustment.
I am with Justine on this one. Some of the things you have said...I do think it's for the best. But change is hard to say the least. I know it will be a challenge for you. And for the boys. I am here for you in whatever way you need.
I'm sorry you've had to go through everything that lead you up to this point. I pray that your path will now be clearer and your spirit will heal. And I pray for a smooth transition for your boys ... handle them with care, I know it can't be easy.
You will be fine. I've been in your shoes but I had NO advance warning or preparation. Hugs and best wishes to you :)
Change can be very good for you, I hear. Either way, I'm sorry you have to go through this time.
This must be a difficult time for you and the boys. Y'all will be in our thoughts and prayers. You know where to find me if you want to hang (but I warn you that you may never want to hang with me after that,lol!).
I'm so sorry...
Oh, Rhea. I am so sorry to hear this. Good luck as you begin this new chapter in your lives. (And I hope this new chapter includes more blogging...I miss you!) :)
Oh, my sweet Rhea. I was hoping for the best.
let me say...
maybe this is for the best.
You are so brave to go public with all this.
So very sad you need to go through this. Been there, wasn't fun, but the kids and I survived in a very good way. Take care of yourself.
I'm so sorry to hear this. If you need to talk, my emails are open.
I'm so sorry to hear that...I hope you and the boys are alright
awww sweetie...don't know what to say... i'd pray for you if i were a praying kind of girl... good vibes will have to do....
So sorry! I know that decisions like this do not come lightly. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you begin this new chapter in your life.
Sweet Rhea, I picked a fine day to come see what you are up to. Big hugs to you!
I know you hoped things would have turned out differently.
Maybe some time apart will help in good ways for everyone and you'll come to a better place in your relationships. Change sometimes is very necessary. It will happen anyway, but atleast accepting it is somehow going to be better in the long run.
Best wishes for you and the boys and THB too in that you can all make peace with what's happening.
Take care, Rhea. Thinking of you!
Write me anytime.
Oh, Rhea. Life is so difficult sometimes...and then it gets better.
You'll get to the better part, I just know it.
Take care and keep the faith. Sending the very best thoughts and wishes.
I'm sorry to hear this, Rhea. I'll be praying for you all through this difficult time.
Oh honey, I'm so sorry to hear this. I know I haven't been by for a while, but please know I'm thinking of you as you move into the next phase. Hugs.
Well, shit. I finally get back to reading blogs and doing my own and I read what you're going through.
Part of me wants to feel sorry for you but another part wants to cheer for you because you made a decision that has changed your life (hopefully for the better). I'm a big proponent of change, especially in a stagnent situation.
I'm here for you if you need me. Seriously.
I'm new to your blog but i am really sorry that this is happening to you and your family. I hope things will work out for the better for everyone.


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From the Dog Days of Summer series: Sweet Treat Shiba Inu!
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Upset by the "horrific breasts" a plastic surgeon had allegedly given her, a woman took to Yelp. Now she and other dissatisfied customers are facing a defamation lawsuit.
According to ABC, former patients of Dr. Jay Pensler wrote criticisms on Yelp and Citysearch like, "MY BREASTS LOOK LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF FREDDY CRUGER'S MOVIE!!!!!!!" and "I had surgery done by him and my breasts are ugly and uneven. I will need additional surgery to fix them." Another poster said Pensler had given her "Frankenstein breasts." Pensler's lawyer subpoenaed records from the website and traced some of the comments back to three women: Elaina Bender, Lisa Cuevas, and an unnamed plaintiff. Pensler's lawyer says, "It's one thing for people to express their opinions in a responsible way and they're entitled to be critical if they choose to be critical. But people are not permitted to make up stories or make up false statements that attack people and are defamatory."
It's not clear where the line between responsible criticism and defamation lies, though. Expressions of opinion are sometimes protected from defamation lawsuits, but law professor Danielle Citron explains to ABC that "while it's disputed that calling someone is 'dangerous' is fact or opinion, it could be argued that 'dangerous' is also defamatory." One watertight defense against defamation is to prove your statements are actually true, and that seems to be the tack at least one of Pensler's disgruntled patients is taking. Says Carol Oshana, Elaina Bender's lawyer, "She was humiliated by the results of her breasts. Her breasts are just horrific."
Whether or not Pensler's suit requires a court to evaluate the "horrificness" of a plaintiff's breasts, the case has disturbing implications for all users of services like Yelp and Citysearch. It's not the first time Yelp has been involved in a defamation lawsuit — last year, CNET reported that chiropractor Steven Biegel sued Christopher Norberg for posting a negative about him. The case ended up settling, and after the settlement, Norberg replaced his earlier Yelp review with this somewhat creepy statement:
A misunderstanding between both parties led us to act out of hand. I chose to ignore Dr. Biegel's initial request to discuss my posting. In hindsight, I should have remained open to his concerns. Both Dr. Biegel and I strongly believe in a person's right to express their opinions in a public forum. We both encourage the Internet community to act responsibly.
Describing the Pensler case, Citron points out that, "potentially, the people writing are trying to protect other women but, at the same time, there are huge stakes for folks whose professions are about trust and professionalism and expertise." Indeed, Yelp is a double-edged sword — it makes sense that businesses would want to protect themselves from online lies about them, but at the same time, the idea that you can be sued just for posting a negative review on a website is a little chilling. If they go unchecked, defamation lawsuits like Pensler's could make Yelp users afraid to post negative reviews at all. However, there may be some natural checks already in place against such suits. Aaron Larson of ExpertLaw points out,
The publicity that results from a defamation lawsuit can create a greater audience for the false statements than they previously enjoyed. For example, if a newspaper or news show picks up the story of the lawsuit, false accusations that were previously known to only a small number of people may suddenly become known to the entire community, nation, or even to the world. As the media is much more apt to cover a lawsuit than to cover its ultimate resolution, the net effect may be that large numbers of people hear the false allegations, but never learn how the litigation was resolved.
Before the lawsuit, only people who visited Pensler's Yelp page knew someone had accused him of giving a patient "Frankenstein breasts." Now ABC's national audience may associate him with that none-too-flattering term — and they may not hear about it if he wins his suit. Presumably Pensler has decided that it's worth it — but just as his case may give Yelpers pause, it might also cause other angry business owners to think before they sue.
Plastic Surgeon Sues Clients Over Negative Reviews On Yelp, Citysearch [ABC]
Image via Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock.com


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Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial 10/21/12
The Bell Tower in the Greenwood Memorial Park was erected in 1810 in memory of Deceased Members of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department. On Sunday, October 21,2012 the Professional Fire Fighters Of Arizona held a Memorial for the Fallen Fire Fighters of Arizona. Each year the PFFA hold a memorial for the Fallen Fire Fighters that lost their life's in the Line of Duty.Read More