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|Portraits of Serafino & Francesco Falzacappa; Pier Leone Ghezzi [1674 - 1755]
Source: J. Paul Getty Museum
Our children are being exposed to an experience that alters their brains in ways we do not fully understand. There is now strong evidence that patterns of brain connectivity are different in individuals who have been exposed compared to those who have not1. Influential figures have expressed concern that people's memories will be restricted by this experience, which removes the need for them to memorise material, and allows them to look things up instead2. And indeed, there is clear evidence of changes in cognitive processing, as predicted3. Furthermore, instead of learning in a social context, our children are increasingly being encouraged to engage in solitary activities that deprive them from the benefits of interacting with other people. And, rather than embracing traditional influences, they are exposed to alien ideas from other cultures4,5
Does this sound familiar? Are you thinking computer games, ipads, smart phones? If so, then consider: We are changing children's brains, altering their memories, and influencing their ideas by exposing them to books.
Does this sound familiar? Are you thinking computer games, ipads, smart phones? If so, then consider: We are changing children's brains, altering their memories, and influencing their ideas by exposing them to books.
1. Dehaene, Stanislas, Pegado, Felipe, Braga, Lucia W., Ventura, Paulo, Filho, Gilberto Nunes, Jobert, Antoinette, Dehaene-Lambertz, Ghislaine, Kolinsky, Régine, Morais, José, & Cohen, Laurent (2010). How learning to read changes the cortical networks for vision and language Science, 330, 1359-1364 DOI: 10.1126/science.1194140
2. http://outofthejungle.blogspot.co.uk/2007/11/socrates-objections-to-writing.html
2. http://outofthejungle.blogspot.co.uk/2007/11/socrates-objections-to-writing.html
3. Ong, W. J. (1982). Orality and Literacy. London and New York: Routledge.
4. http://yalebooks.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/a-history-of-women-readers-belinda-jack-discusses-the-relationship-between-gender-and-literacy/
5. Nafisi, A. (2003). Reading Lolita in Tehran. New York: Random House.


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Tag Archives: MRO ecosystem
Publish, Not Pass-through: The Innovation Opportunity For MROs. How I See IT!4 septembre 2015 | Paul Saunders | aircraft maintenance, AircraftIT MRO eJournal, fleets, information management, MRO best practices, MRO ecosystem, MROs, regulatory compliance, technical information management
This blog post originally appeared as an article in the Aug/Sep 2015 issue of the AircraftIT MRO eJournal. An industry defined by aggressive cost control has underspent on information management The business of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul is one that, by its very nature, pushes the limits of economic efficiency, safety,

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, 21 May 2012 07:17 AM EDT
Facebook on Friday sold 421 million shares of stock in a deal that valued the company at more than $100 billion. But investors, expecting a first-day pop in price, instead saw it close just 0.6 percent above the IPO price at $38.23.
As the underwriter, Morgan Stanley stepped in to support Facebook's stock when it fell toward its $38 IPO price shortly after it opened, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The shares spent much of the last hour of Friday trading near that price, with onlookers watching to see if it would post a $37.99 price — which it did not.
But the bank will not support the stock indefinitely, analysts said, and once that firepower is gone, funds that received IPO stock looking for a bounce may decide to bail as well.
Lead underwriters in a stock essentially "short" the stock through what is known as an "overallotment" of shares — they sell shares to the market that they do not own. If the stock has trouble, which Facebook did, the underwriter supports it by then buying more stock at the IPO price.
Had Morgan Stanley bought all of the shares traded around $38 in the final 20 minutes of the day, it would have spent nearly $2 billion. The "green shoe" overallotment, which can be used to support Facebook's stock, is 63 million shares. At $38 per share, that amounts to $2.4 billion in firepower.
In an IPO where the stock rises significantly, the green shoe is typically exercised in the days after the debut and the company raises that additional amount. If Morgan Stanley shorted the full amount and bought shares on the open market to support the price, Facebook will not raise the extra $2.4 billion from the IPO.
"Right now you have one big buyer, Morgan Stanley," said a former chief operating officer for Bear Stearns, who dealt with IPOs on the investment bank's syndicate allocation committee, but asked not to be named as he did not want to talk publicly about the issue.
"That's what people are trying to figure out, how much of the shoe is left," he said. "In most deals, on the Friday that would be it; come Monday, it would be all bets are off, by Tuesday for sure."
That opens the door for short-sellers and institutions looking to get out. Short-selling is expected to be limited for a few more days. A prime broker on one of the lead underwriters said Friday that they would not be lending shares at least until settlement, which comes three business days after pricing.
In addition, with the stock market in correction mode as investors fret about Europe's ongoing debt crisis and the outlook for global growth, the environment for a new stock is not ideal.
That could mean the stock's fate will depend on the strength of the IPO anchor orders — the big clients at the top of the IPO book, who see Facebook as a core holding — as well as a host of retail clients who are less likely to sell their shares quickly and may even be enticed to buy more.
"It is very likely to dip under $38, particularly if overall market conditions deteriorate," said Mohannad Aama, managing director at Beam Capital Management in New York. "Morgan Stanley will continue to defend the $38 price, but that support is not endless."
In the end, Friday's action suggests the IPO was truly priced to perfection.
The company increased the amount of shares being offered last week and boosted the original selling price. Brokers at a number of broker-dealers told Reuters their clients were getting as much, if not more, than they expected.
That is what disappointed those expecting a 10 percent to 30 percent pop in the shares — rather than seeing the stock fall back to its IPO price shortly after opening.
"A Herculean effort by the underwriters, I would call it," said Jeff Matthews of hedge fund firm Ram Partners. "How could it be a hot deal if all the usual mutual fund suspects already own some going into the IPO?" he added.
The classic move by an underwriter to stop an IPO from "breaking issue" worked, if only barely.
Given the technical issues that plagued Nasdaq, with the stock opening about 30 minutes late and delays in receiving order confirmations continuing throughout the session, it is also hard to know how much Friday's action reflected reality.
"You really don't know how that left people, whether there were sellers who put in limits that weren't executed," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management, a hedge fund with $1.3 billion in assets.
"I don't know if people stepped away at some point because they just couldn't execute in a clear manner, and that Monday we will have some follow through of people that weren't executed and still need to sell."
It's retail investors who stand to get hit the most if trades aren't executed properly, said Tim Pollock, professor of management and organization at the Pennsylvania State University.
"This is a situation where small investors are more likely to be affected because of the sizes of the orders they're putting in," he said.
"If Fidelity is saying they want to buy two million shares that's going to take priority over the smaller trades. As a regular retail investor placing orders through TD Ameritrade or Schwab you're at the back of the bus relative to institutional investors so you're hostage to the system."
One RBC broker said that with hindsight he was grateful that he was allocated just 500 of the 20,000 shares he requested.
Others had similar relief. Said John Lane, founder of Lane Capital Markets, a small broker-dealer in Fairfield, Conn., that has managed about 40 initial public offerings: "Many retail and institutional buyers were floored at how much stock they got."
Lane said he spoke with a hedge fund manager and a mutual fund manager who sent buy indications to more than a dozen brokerages on the theory that they would get a fraction of what they desired. "One got filled everywhere, and the other more than he wanted. They're both sweating right now," said Lane, who admits he bought shares near the end of the trading day at a little over $38.04.
If shares fail to recover in coming days, retail investors who were lured back into the market by the Facebook frenzy may revert back to the caution that has slowed trading since the 2008 market crash, some brokers fear.
Those who want to take bets against the company will not be able to do so through the options market until May 29. Activity in options of companies like Zynga suggests investors are using those to hedge against their position in Facebook.
Facebook's lackluster debut also had a knock-on effect on other social media stocks, which dropped sharply on Friday. LinkedIn, Groupon, Pandora Media and Yelp all fell at least 5 percent on Friday with Yelp losing 12 percent.
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When does memory begin? We can't consciously call up images from our infancy, but we surely learn important, lasting associations at very early ages. New work suggests this type of memory begins even in the womb.
In a study published in July in Child Development, researchers from the Netherlands reported short-term memory in 30- to 38-week-old fetuses. First they put a vibrating, honking device on the abdomens of 93 pregnant women. The fetuses quickly "habituated"—that is, they figured out that the noise was not dangerous. When they heard it again 10 minutes later, they did not squirm and their heart rates did not escalate. "It's like getting used to a New York train station," says lead author J. G. Nijhuis, a professor of obstetrics at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. "It is a learning capability to distinguish safe from unsafe stimuli. It is a primitive form of memory."
The 34-week-old fetuses even recalled the sound four weeks later. "What this study clearly says is at least beginning at 30 weeks and possibly before that, the fetal brain is starting to lay down short-term memories and might even be laying down some long-term memories," says Rahil Briggs, director of Healthy Steps at Montefiore Medical Center and assistant professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "This is a sensitive period of development."
Fetuses habituate in other ways, too. Substance-abusing moms give birth to drug-addicted babies. A study found that the babies of mothers who watch a popular Spanish-language soap opera while pregnant calm down when they hear the show's theme music. And anecdotally, some dads who read to fetuses in the womb think their babies are born recognizing their voices, says pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The bottom line: be conscientious around the baby-to-be. "The environment in utero, and extra utero, is very important," says pediatrician Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Hospital. After all, the brain triples in size in the first two years of life. And perhaps even younger fetuses develop memories—researchers will investigate that possibility next.
Note: This story was originally printed with the title "Recall in Utero"


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Last week was big for Twitter. After years of speculation about whether the company was going to have a business model, Twitter announced two deals at our Web2 conference – first with Microsoft's Bing, and second with Google. Details of the deals were not disclosed, but as Google's Marissa Mayers admitted onstage, there were indeed financial terms.
What those terms might be strike me as secondary to the fact the deals got done in the first place. Sure, they probably consist of some combination of data services fees and revenue sharing, but the fact remains that monetizing a real time search result remains an elusive art, and one that honestly, Twitter does not want to cede to either Google or Microsoft. So while the two battling search giants may toss a not-insignificant amount of Adwords or AdCenter revenue into Twitters' coffers, what really matters is the the traffic these deals potentially represent, and the validation of Twitter's role in the real time universe. That, I'd argue, is priceless.
Now, did Microsoft and Google do these deals simply to lay claim to a hot new service, or were their actions driven by the time-honored principle of "embrace and extend"? More on that in a future post, because I think the question begs consideration in light of where the culture of search and communication is headed.
The fact that both giants have validated Twitter's role in search led me to reflect on the role that Twitter plays in our culture. "To Tweet" is a verb in the process of becoming – not unlike "To Google" in 2002-3, or "to Xerox" in the 1960s. So what does "tweet" mean, really? Or perhaps more to the point, what *should* it mean?
At the moment, "to tweet" means something along the lines of "to broadcast a thought, in real time, using 140 characters of text or less." And while confining tweets to this creative box has been seminal to the service's early success, I'd argue that continuing to do so will most likely consign Twitter to the status of a verbal footnote in our ongoing cultural conversation.
What I'm struggling to say is that definitions matter. Words matter. My anthropological spidey senses are tingling right now, because we're in a cultural moment where we are redefining how we share a moment. Facebook knows this. Google and Microsoft know it as well. And we all know it – explicitly or implicitly, as a culture we are learning to share our moments in real time, irrespective of geography or traditional social boundaries.
So allow me to suggest what I believe the definition of the verb "to tweet" should become: "To share a moment."
In other words, to truly scale, "Tweet" – the verb-in-process-of-becoming, or, alternatively, the verb-that-could-have-been-but-became-instead-a-footnote-in-history – needs to be defined by more than 140 characters of text.
If you abstract what we're really trying to do with the creative box Twitter has imposed upon us, it's this: We want to share a meaningful moment in time. Sure, we don't all manage to do that so well, but I think the essence of what we're trying to do – "share," "meaningful," and "moment" – can easily be abstracted from the creative box in which Twitter is currently confined.
If you've used a tool like Brizzly, Power Twitter, or any of the many other services that unpack and contextualize your Twitter stream, it's clear that a tweet is much more than text. It can be an image, a video, an overheard snippet of speech. In short, it's a moment, captured, imbued with meaning, and shared.
As long as it remains those things, it's a tweet. And as much as I love the SMS-inspired roots of Twitter's origin, it's time for the service to branch out and embrace its essence, and not get stuck in its own creation myth. If it fails to do so, I think any number of its competitors – Google, Microsoft, Facebook, or an unborn startup – will recognize and exploit that failure.
So live in the moment, Twitter, and move outside the text box.
PS – I think the same applies to the interface of search – breaking out of keyboard-driven text and more into a conversational interface. I'll have a lot more to say about this in the coming months, as I think it's starting to come together in my head – "The Moment" is a good organizing principle for where I believe things are going in search, culture, technology.


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Events archive
Matthew J. Walton (Aung San Suu Kyi Senior Research Fellow in Modern Burmese Studies, St Antony's College)
13 June 2018 - 5:00pm to 6:45pm
Investcorp Lecture Theatre
The field of Burma Studies has expanded rapidly in the past decade. Part of this growth has been fuelled by changes in Myanmar's political conditions, as research opportunities have opened up on... Read more
Kyaw Myo Win (Site Manager, Sri Ksetra UNESCO World Heritage Site)
11 June 2018 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Deakin Room
Sriksetra is the largest and latest Pyu city, once the capital of unified sovereign of early Myanmar might have been entitled it in Sanskrit and in Myanmar called as Thaye Khittya means "Field of... Read more
Southeast Asia Seminar
Junko Asano, Jieun Baek and Adrian Calo
9 May 2018 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Deakin Room
The Making of the Indonesian Migrant Labour Movement Junko Asano (St Antony's, International Development) The Bold and Brave of Burma: A Micro-Level Study of the first Movers of Dissent between 1988-... Read more
Southeast Asia Seminar
R. Michael Feener (Centre for Islamic Studies; History)
28 February 2018 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Deakin Room, Founder's Building, St Antony's College
Religion has been profoundly reconfigured in the age of development. The past half-century has witnessed broad transformations in the understandings and experiences of 'religion' across traditions in... Read more
Southeast Asia Seminar
Matthew J Walton, Ma Khin Mar Mar Kyi and Aye Thein
14 February 2018 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Deakin Room, Founder's Building, St Antony's College
Myanmar's formal religious authority, the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee (Ma Ha Na), was formed in the 1980s, as part of the military government's efforts to centralise religious control. Popular... Read more
Brian Victoria (Centre for Buddhist Studies)
27 January 2018 - 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Nissan Institute Lecture Theatre, St Antony's College
The 1997 publication of Zen at War sent shockwaves through Western adherents of Buddhism because it revealed allegedly enlightened Buddhist leaders had been fervent, even fanatical, supporters of... Read more
South Asia Seminar
Shapan Adnan
23 January 2018 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Headley Lecture Theatre, Ashmolean Museum
The Rohingyas violently expelled by Myanmar are not recognized as international refugees by Bangladesh. Despite lacking citizenship and the right to work, they have sought to survive through covert... Read more


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This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Two-room new apartment 1+1/62 m2. Durres
Apartment for sale 1 + 1 in Durres with an area of 62 m2. Floor 9 with elevator. Price 43.400€
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Also, our agency provides all the services necessary for furnishing and fulfilling any of your orders, including plumbing and electrical work. For more information, please call: (Viber, WhatsApp) +355 69 517-31-01.


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This Ready Set Go For Safety Hard Hat Sticker will look good on any hard hat.
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Our Hard hat safety stickers are created from durable materials, are impactful & serve as critical reminders on safe workplace tactics.
Our Ready Set Go For Safety Hard Hat Stickers are created, printed, cut and shipped in the USA


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About Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is the world's preeminent organization for girls, with a membership of 1.7 million girls and adults. Today, as when founded in 1912, GSUSA helps cultivate values, social conscience, and self esteem in young girls, while also teaching them critical life skills that will enable them to succeed as adults. In Girl Scouting-and its special girl-only environment-girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together.
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Statement
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council fosters belonging and respect for all girls. We empower all girls, volunteers and staff to fulfill their potential and make the world a better place. Our Girl Scout Promise drives us to provide diverse, equitable and inclusive experiences where all girls, volunteers and staff are confident they belong. We stand firm in these commitments and united by these ideals.
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
Review our council's articles of incorporation and bylaws (form F-407).
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is a community-based organization with more than 35,000 girl members and 14,000 adult members. Membership is open to all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade, and to both women and men who subscribe to the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council serves 26 counties in Southeast Texas, including: Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller and Wharton.
Founding Data
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council was founded by Mrs. F. M. Law and Miss Corinne Fonde in 1922 in Houston.
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is governed by a board of
directors made up of community leaders dedicated to helping girls
reach their full potential.
The GSSJC Senior Leadership Team includes:
Chief Executive Officer Mary Vitek
Chief Executive Affairs Officer Connie Chavez
Chief Financial Officer Debbie Clark
United Way Support
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council values our partnership with the
United Way organization, not only for the financial support that helps
develop girls' leadership skills, but also for the collaborative
synergy amongst the partner agencies.
GSSJC currently receives support from: United Way of Greater Houston, United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County, United Way of Greater Baytown Area and Chambers County, United Way of Galveston County Mainland, United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County, Montgomery County United Way and Nacogdoches Area United Way.
4-Star Charity Navigator Rating
BBB Accredited Charity
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is an Better Business Bureau
accredited charity.
GSSJC IRS Form 990
Our most recent IRS Form 990 can be found at guidestar.org.
Audited Financial Statements
Our most recent audited financial statements:
GSSJC 2022 Audit
GSSJC 2021 Audit
GSSJC 2020 Audit
GSSJC 2019 Audit
GSSJC 2018 Audit
Donor Confidentiality
Girl Scouting would not be possible without the support of our volunteers and donors, who are changing the world by supporting the young girls who will one day make it a better place. It is the policy of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) to maintain confidentiality concerning all correspondence regarding contributions, gift records, prospect cards, and other data on donors and to ensure that this donor information is used on a need-to-know basis only for the support of fund development for GSSJC. View the complete Donor Confidentiality Statement.
We Believe Black Lives Matter
No girl, or any young person, should grow up in a world defined by racial inequities and trauma. No Black person should live in fear because of the color of their skin.
For more than 100 years Girl Scouts has stood for making the world a better place and pledged to "help people at all times." Those words carry great weight and responsibility and compel us to denounce institutional racism, violence, injustice and inequity. Racism goes against the values of Girl Scouts and although we have acted to counter racism throughout our history, we know we have enormous work ahead of us to ensure we are an organization that engages in challenging discussion, acts with integrity and learns from missteps.
While we are proud of our history of diversity and inclusion, our work to end racism is far from finished. We have an obligation to take actions to overcome injustice. Our commitment is that Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council will do this work.
GSSJC Statement on Sexual Education
One of our core values at Girl Scouts is to be inclusive. We offer
membership to all girls and adult volunteers without regard to
practice or opinion on social issues. Accordingly, our membership
consists of a cross-section of America with differing views on
sensitive issues. However, as it pertains to the sensitive matter of
sexual education, reproductive rights and related topics, we strongly
believe that these topics are best decided and discussed between girls
and their families. If a troop wishes to address these topics in a
Girl Scouting environment, there is a strict policy in place for doing
so. The policy specifies that participation is optional and that a
parent or guardian provide written consent for participation. When or
if consent is obtained, topics are presented from a factual,
informative point of view and expressly exclude advocacy or promotion
of any social or political agenda. Lack of adherence to these
guidelines is considered a breach of our program intent.
See frequently
asked questions concerning these social issues.


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Infineon introduces its latest OptiMOS™6 40V power MOS technology in the 5x6mm² SS08 leadless package with highest quality level and robustness for automotive applications. A portfolio of 16 products (RDSon_max from 0.8mΩ to 4.4mΩ address the whole applications range from low-power e.g. Body applications to high-power e.g. EPS) which enables the the customer to find the best product fit in the their applications.
All of this enables the Best-in-Class product FOM (RDSon x Qg) and performance on the market. The new SS08 product offers 120A continuous current ratings, which is >25% higher than the standard DPAK at almost half of its footprint area.
Additionally, the new generation of the SS08 package enables superior switching performance and EMI behavior due to very low package inductance (≈4x lower package inductivity vs traditional packages e.g. DPAK, D²PAK) by using the new copper-clip intercontact technology.
Zusammenfassung der Merkmale
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- MSL1 up to 260°C peak reflow
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Lawyer: British diplomats recommended that Michael Adebolajo be freed from detention in KenyaBy Associated Press
MOMBASA, Kenya — British diplomats recommended that a British man detained in Kenya 2 ½ years ago on suspicion of attempting to join Islamic fighters in Somalia be freed, the lawyer who represented him said Thursday. The man was let go and last week allegedly helped butcher a British soldier on the streets of London.
Michael Adebolajo's lawyer, Wycliffe Makasembo, said a letter from the British High Commission in Nairobi recommended that the man be released because there was no tangible evidence to link him to the crime.
"They noted that the suspects had not yet crossed over to Somalia and thus, there was no cause to charge them," Makasembo told a reporter.
Rosemary Mutoka, the magistrate who presided over the case in Kenya's port city of Mombasa, ruled that there was no clear information about the circumstances and what Adebolajo and other suspects were found doing that led to the police arresting them.
Court records examined by a reporter on Thursday show Adebolajo was arrested on Nov. 21, 2010, with eight others on suspicion that they were trying to cross over to Somalia to join al-Shabab militants. Adebolajo was arraigned in the court on Nov. 23, 2010. The court granted the Anti-terrorism Police Unit officers two days to interrogate him, the court records show, but it is not clear when he was released.
However, a statement on Tuesday by the Foreign Commonwealth Office in London suggests Adebolajo may have been deported.
"There is an established procedure for returning foreign nationals to the UK from overseas. Individuals arrested abroad and not facing charges there are usually put on the next available flight by authorities of that country," the statement said.
John Bradshaw, spokesman for the British High Commission in Nairobi, referred queries on whether it had written a letter recommending Adebolajo's release to the Foreign Office in London. When asked about the issue, Britain's Foreign Office confirmed that a British national was arrested in Kenya in 2010 and that the Foreign Office had "provided consular assistance as normal" for U.K. nationals. The court file examined by a reporter does not currently contain any letter from the British High Commissioner's office.
Adebolajo is a key suspect in the brazen killing of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby, 25, who was slain by two men wielding knives and meat cleavers near his barracks in southeast London's Woolwich area. The two suspects were shot by police and arrested on suspicion of murder.
Courts files show that Adebolajo and others were arrested in 2010 at Kizingitini village, on Pate Island in the Lamu archipelago. An affidavit sworn by Stephen Hamisi from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit claimed that investigations had indicated that the suspects were heading to Somalia before being intercepted.
Kenyan police believed Adebolajo, a British citizen, had earlier associated with a radical Kenyan Muslim cleric who tried to help him join al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked rebel group in Somalia. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed, who was gunned down in August by unidentified gunmen in Mombasa, helped Adebolajo in his attempt to travel to Somalia to wage jihad, or holy war, against the country's United Nations-backed government, a senior Kenyan police official said Tuesday. The official insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press on this matter.
Makasembo was representing Adebolajo even though the Law Society of Kenya website says he was not cleared to practice law in 2010 because he did not have practicing certificate for that year. An official of the society said that without a practicing certificate issued by the organization, a lawyer cannot write legal documents or represent client before a judge or magistrate. Court officials don't often ask for a lawyer's certificate.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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At about $1.3 million each, and only twenty ever made, seeing a Lamborghini Reventon anywhere is a rare treat. Seeing one in the war-torn but slowly recovering nation-state of Chechnya, it's just plain surreal.
According to the poster over at DesignYouTrust, this Reventon was spotted in the former Soviet republic palling around with it's lesser associate, a Ferrari F430. What these two exotic Italians were doing in a bombed-out nation we have no idea, but gross displays of wealth like this are certain to cause proletariat uprisings.
[via DesignYouTrust]


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Regular price
Mod Silk White Penny Earring
Torch Fired Enameled Penny Jewelry on Sterling Silver
This Modern inspired look is made from copper pennies that have been rolled in a rolling, pressed multiple times to create this shape and then hammered on a dapping block to create an organic form. Gives a little 60s glam.
My StoryHow fun are these little guys! I broke down and invested in a torch and enamels after my Dad gave me a Dapping & Forming set for shaping metals. While investigating enamel torch firing, I discovered I could enamel older pennies due to the existing copper in pre-1981 pennies. Brings new meaning to "upcycling".Metals have always been a favorite medium of mine and transparent layers of glossy color only enhance the beauty of the metal.My goal is to create handmade art that is affordable, beautiful and USABLE!These are created to be worn and look better with movement. The ear wire is shaped specifically to balance in your ear while performing all activities. Enamels and metal can withstand soakings and changing environments. I wear mine while exercising vigorously, performing motherly tasks, throwing on the potter's wheel, enameling and hammering metals, teaching art in elementary school, hiking in random environments and occasionally when washing my hair.Beautiful creations are meant to be worn!Frankfort Local ShippingRemember to use Coupon Code LOCALFREESHIPPINGAny Questions? Contact me at PocketofPenniesJewelry@ gmail.com


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DoD Needs a Real Budget, Not a Partial Fix
Congressional leaders such as Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, have already stated that they expect sequester will happen. That these lawmakers — who are assumed to be key players in the middle of crafting a reasonable path forward — are saying outright that sequester is going to occur is truly astounding.
Right now, the military is suffering for two major reasons. The first one has to do with the impact of declining war spending, known as "overseas contingency operations." OCO has wound down, and the military has been trying to return certain budget items to the base budget.
Everyone knew this would happen as the rationale for what is funded in OCO and base budgets seemed quite flexible, and money could wash back and forth. The Defense Department now faces the inflexibility of operating under a continuing resolution because its fiscal year 2013 budget has not yet been approved by Congress. The military currently finds itself short of funds in its operations and maintenance (O&M) accounts.
To compensate, the service departments have placed draconian restrictions on O&M spending. For example, only critical travel is now permitted, temporary employees are to be let go, hiring freezes are in place and permanent civilian employees are to give up 22 paid workdays this year. Additionally, major maintenance for aircraft, ships and ground vehicles is anticipated to cease, as is the refueling of a Navy aircraft carrier.
This is just for starters and does not include the effects of sequester. When that happens, things will get much worse.
What the department needs is a real budget, not a continuing resolution. Only with a proper spending plan can the colors of money be properly programmed and O&M expenses addressed. The department has been anticipating an additional bill as the price for escaping sequester — perhaps another $10 billion per year. With a real budget in place, this would be workable.
Another consideration in this discussion is the state of the nation's economy. It has seen slow growth and extended periods of unemployment, currently at 7.9 percent. Concerns about the long-term picture should be fueled by the release of a new Congressional Budget Office report that looks at economic trends between 2013 and 2023. It projects a 2013 deficit of $845 billion, but additional deficits of $4 trillion over 2013-2022. That compares to last year's estimate of an additional $2.3 trillion.
This anomaly is explained by the CBO methodology of assuming current laws will remain in place, such as the potential tax increases that didn't take effect in 2013. Congress and the administration made most of them permanent with the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012. And the total deficit for 2014-2023 is now $7 trillion. Revenues grow to 19.1 percent of GDP in 2015, while outlays grow to 23 percent of GDP by 2023. That is the basic reason deficits continue to grow.
CBO analysts point out that there are still unresolved issues. One is whether sequester takes place at all. Another is the statutory limit on debt that needs to be adjusted in mid-May. They noted that if the Medicare "fix" for doctors is adjusted again in 2014, the Budget Control Act of 2011 or sequester is overturned, or certain 2013 tax provisions are extended, the public debt will rise to 87 percent of GDP, versus the 77 percent now projected.
Factors that contribute to these trends are the slow growth of the labor force; the aging population demanding more healthcare and higher subsidies for health insurance; growing healthcare costs; and rising interest payments on the debt. All in all, not a good news story and one certain to get worse as Congress and the administration make adjustments to ease the pain of cutbacks in government services and defense spending. Think reduced food inspections, furloughs of thousands of federal workers, reduced federal grants to states, air travel safety and Federal Aviation Administration services. How about no flying whatsoever for one day a week?
These are all short- to medium-term effects. The real game changer that would cause us to take spending seriously is a projected jump in interest rates in 2017 — when three-month Treasury-bills are projected to go up to 4 percent and 10-year Treasuries above 5 percent. That would more than double interest payments on existing debt. By that time, the debt would be $2 trillion higher. This is a big deal.
Aside from the macro trends, the Defense Department has some serious internal problems. Center for Strategic and International Studies analysts David Berteau and Clark Murdock have produced a revealing new study. Their findings derive from budget analysis by Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
They point out that because of internal Defense Department inflation — increasing personnel and operational costs — military personnel, operations, maintenance and construction spending will consume the entire projected defense budget in 2021. That would leave no room for investments. To get to a 32 percent investment cushion — what the Defense Department had in 2010 — the size of the force will have to be reduced from 1.5 million today to less than 900,000. And for certain, a new military strategy will have to be derived.
One harbinger of just how serious a fix defense is in can be seen in the pending recall of a Navy carrier battle group from the Persian Gulf as a result of insufficient operational funds. Expect the discussion concerning the defense force of the future to again address the contentious issues of active-reserve mix, pay and benefits, the future of critical acquisition programs, end-strength issues and service budget shares.
The analysis thus far has concentrated mostly on curtailing discretionary spending, but the two-thirds of the budget that remains on automatic pilot — mandatory spending, that is entitlements and interest on the debt — has been left out, as it has so far by Congress, except for a 2 percent hit to Medicare in the Budget Control Act.
In the ultimate adjustment, mandatory spending must be addressed. In the short term, however, expect only a partial fix to all the issues.
It is also safe to predict that sequester may actually happen for a time, until the pain and the outcry become acute and loud enough to propel the country's leaders to action. And if sequester actually comes to the Defense Department, the administrative issues of process, flexibility, oversight and risk management will prove to be difficult. No matter which outcome unfolds, the Defense Department is in for major adjustments.
Topics: Defense Department, DOD Budget, DOD Policy


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Sling Back Sandals
Leather TanRegular price £60.00
Make 3 payments of £20.00. . No fees.
Aspiga Size Guide
Simply use our general size and measurement guide to find the perfect fit. Please ensure to refer to the individual garment measurements and fit recommendations on the product page. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call on 02076275166 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. See below our women's size guide, men's size guide and footwear size guide.
A gorgeous pair of sandals hand-made in Kenya in a comfortable sling-back design. Each pair is lovingly crafted with a leather upper on a flat flexible (non-slip) recycled rubber sole.
- Product Details
- Fit and Fabric
- Sustainability
- 100% Genuine leather Handcrafted in Kenya
- Part of our sustainable fashion collection: supporting local artisans keeping their craft alive and helping to maintain their livelihood
- Due to our sandals being handmade, there may be slight imperfections
- The sandals are packaged in a gorgeous, colourful reusable fabric bag.
Made in Kenya
Wipe clean
Garment Measurements
- Thong-style sandal Flat flexible (non-slip) sole
Washing Instructions
- Dust off with a soft, dry cloth. For stains/marks; blot with a leather cleaning formula followed by a leather softening agent.
- Due to the handmade nature of this item we recommend wiping the leather with a dry cloth before wear.
We suggest you wear your sandals around the house and on some short outings before you set off on a long day out.
Ethically made
sustainable packaging
Why Choose Our Sandals?
- The sandal bags are made by Elimu Sewing Project in Kenya which supports young women from vulnerable backgrounds to pursue a 2-year training program which equips them with income-generating skills and a sewing trade.
- By rejecting leather we would destroy many jobs for individuals who rely on the leather industry for their livelihood. We only use leather byproducts from the meat industry. The leather would otherwise be wasted.
- Additionally, our leather is only coloured using natural dyes. It will last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations. It is the antithesis of fast fashion. We run a monthly Beach Clean-Up Campaign in Malindi Kenya where we pledged to pick up a basket of waste for every pair of Kenyan Sandals sold. We sponsor twelve children volunteers, who help with the beach clean, to attend school, enabling them to get the education they had previously been unable to afford


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We're trying to give them what they need to get strong enough to move on. If their addiction is more in the early stages, our program should give them the necessary tools to move past it. If their addiction is what we consider a full addiction, then we give them the necessary tools to move past that into professional (help). – Clay Olsen, founder and executive director of Fight the New Drug
WALES, Utah — Justin was 11 when he first saw pornography.
He'd been looking for remote-controlled cars and found a cool YouTube video showing one making a huge jump.
He watched it repeatedly on his home computer, trying to ignore the sketchy video suggestions popping up on the side. But when his friend showed him the pornographic website those sketchy videos brought up, he was instantly hooked.
"At that moment, I wanted more," said the 18-year-old Justin, which is not his real name. "I looked up more. It was a constant need. I had no idea what it was. I was never happy with what I found. Even if it met my sexual preference, it didn't make me happy. I (just started) clicking and clicking and clicking and never stopped."
He's been struggling for years. He is just hoping he can stay in his latest inpatient facility in central Utah long enough to make some real changes.
"The urge to stop has been there for two to three years in treatment," he says. "It just hasn't reached the point where it's strong enough to overcome the temptation."
Justin is just one in a growing body of teenagers who find themselves unable to function because of an increasing appetite for pornography — which was often first found during an innocent Web search on a home computer. Experts say the age of first exposure is continuing to fall and is currently around 11 or 12 years old.
Not every adolescent who struggles with pornography will need something as drastic as a stay in an inpatient treatment center, and even if they did, the huge price tag is prohibitive for many.
For other teens, the struggle is still so private and hidden that the thought of opening up and asking for help is an impossible obstacle. Access to funding to begin an online treatment program is out of the question.
In an attempt to tackle both these problems, Fight the New Drug, a nonprofit group founded as an awareness campaign on the dangers of pornography, will publically release a free online recovery program in mid-January at www.fightthenewdrug.org.
The online recovery program, "Fortify," consists of 55 animated video lessons about brain science, addictions and self-analysis tools to help teens break out of an addiction.
Currently, Fight the New Drug said that it has more than 6,500 teens preregistered for the program.
"We're trying to give them what they need to get strong enough to move on," said Clay Olsen, founder and executive director of Fight the New Drug. He terms this an "accountability partner" for struggling teens. "If their addiction is more in the early stages, our program should give them the necessary tools to move past it. If their addiction is what we consider a full addiction, then we give them the necessary tools to move past that into professional (help)."
Despite the ongoing debate in the medical world about whether pornography use should be considered an addiction, Olsen doesn't get caught up in the rhetoric.
Fight the New Drug has gotten thousands of emails from kids since its launch in 2010, many from kids wanting to join the movement to "make anti-porn cool," and many more expressing their own struggles, which, to them, look and feel exactly like an addiction.
Younger and younger
At least two or three days a week, for eight hours a day, licensed clinical social worker Matthew Bulkley talks with kids who are struggling with pornography. He helps many work past feelings of guilt and shame, and then teaches them how to manage negative emotions in positive ways — without turning to pornography.
A few are as young as 12, most in their late teens. But recently, his final appointment of the day was an 8-year-old boy whose parents brought him in, horrified to discover his pornography habit.
"No longer can we do the 'birds and bees' talk at age 12 and then not talk about it again," says Bulkley, who practices in St. George, Utah. "This has to become something that kids and parents can talk about on a regular basis."
In an article published in Pediatrics in 2007, researchers found that 42 percent of youths had been exposed to pornography online in the last year and 66 percent of that group didn't want to see it.
Data from the "Youth Internet Safety Survey" conducted in 2000, 2005 and 2010 show that the prevalence of seeing unwanted pornography went from 25 percent to 34 percent and then dropped back down to 23 percent.
"This does not mean that young people who are voluntarily accessing pornography are having a hard time finding it," the authors point out. Rather, it might reflect an increased use of filtering on networks and individual computers, as well as more educated young Internet users. They know enough not to click on unidentified links or email.
But when filters don't work and pornography pops up, or when it's sought out intentionally, it's no longer static Playboy or Penthouse images. Instead, today's Internet porn is high-speed, high-definition and increasingly filled with violent acts.
One content analysis of the top pornography movies from 2005 found that 88 percent of scenes showed violence against the performers, including slapping, spanking, gagging, choking, kicking or hair-pulling, and 94 percent of the time the violence was directed at women.
Seeing scenes like this makes an impact on adolescents. Researchers at the Center for Innovative Public Health Research (CiPHR) in San Clemente, Calif., found that youths who watched violent pornography were six times more likely to engage in sexually aggressive behavior compared to non-viewers. These behaviors include in-person sexual assault, or technology-based sexual harassment or solicitation.
This connection persisted even when other important factors like substance abuse, prior sexual victimization and aggressive behavior in general were taken into account. On the other hand, youths who viewed non-violent pornography were no more likely than non-viewers to act out aggressively.
"Not all porn is equal," said CiPHR president and research director Michele Ybarra. "We expected to see a difference, but not to this magnitude."
Viewing non-violent pornography may present its own concerns. According to a 2009 study on "Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Associated With U.S. Early Adolescents' Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media," by Jane Brown, 13- to 14-year-old males who watched Internet pornography, X-rated videos and read pornographic magazines were nearly three times more likely than their non-viewing peers to have engaged in oral sex (59 percent versus 20 percent), and 10 times more likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse (38 percent versus 4 percent) two years later as 15- and 16-year-olds.
But watching non-violent pornography doesn't rise to the alarming public health crisis that violent pornography is creating, said Ybarra.
"How you feel from a moral perspective is valid, but separate, from a public health perspective," she said, "and violent pornography is qualitatively different than non-violent."
Neurological pathways
The adolescent brain is not simply a smaller, newer version of the adult brain. Instead, it's more of a "work in progress," where connections are constantly being made as systems continue to develop.
"Their brains are not fully developed," said Bertha K. Madras, a professor of psychobiology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, speaking of adolescents. "Their executive part, the frontal lobe that puts the brakes on impulses, is involved in sizing up situations, assigning a rational response to emotional situations, all of that is simply underdeveloped in the adolescent."
Those areas will continue to grow while unused connections will be pruned back until youths are about 25 years old. Parts of the dopamine circuitry are some of the last things to finish forming.
Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain in response to pleasurable activities, whether it is running, playing chess, eating a favorite food, shooting up heroin or watching pornography. After an enjoyable activity, the brain makes a mental note that it felt good, so it should repeat it, explained Peter Kalivas, professor and chairman of the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
After a few encounters with the same stimuli, the brain no longer produces as much dopamine. But drugs — and pornography, many believe — are so damaging because they produce large amounts of dopamine every time. Each shot of heroin or drink of alcohol cues the brain to absorb all it can about its surroundings. Pretty soon the user's entire world becomes linked with, and reminiscent of, drug use.
"That's thought to be how we get addicted, and whether that happens with biological things like sexual stimuli [or] highly palatable foods, you can become addicted to those other behaviors," Kalivas said.
Teens are at great risk for addiction — defined broadly by Kalivas as compulsive relapse and inability to regulate behavior — because their brains are still developing and unlike adults, are not "biologically mature enough to "exert cognitive control required to suppress sexual cravings, thoughts and behaviors elicited by pornographic content," according to a 2012 review of the latest research on the impact of Internet pornography on adolescents.
The inability to say "no" can have life-long impacts.
Madras has been studying the impact of drugs on the adolescent brain and preliminary data show that the risk of having an addiction as an adult is up to six times greater when adolescents begin using drugs or alcohol before the age of 14 than if they initiated drug or alcohol use after the age of 18.
While Madras can't authoritatively generalize her findings to pornography, she believes it might be possible that viewing pornography may have a similar impact on the brain — there's just more research needed.
How to change behavior
Kurt was 9 when he stumbled across pornography on his home computer while looking for music.
After that, he started hunting for it.
By the age of 12, he was looking at pornography three to four times a week. By 14, it was multiple times a day.
He went to Oxbow Academy — an inpatient treatment center in central Utah for boys who struggle with pornography — for almost 20 months and finished high school there.
Kurt, not his real name, learned how to handle his stress and anger and created a life plan that doesn't involve pornography or objectifying women. He's planning to attend Snow College where he wants to study computer programming. He's come so far, but he still knows he's not "cured."
"No matter how well you do at Oxbow, you'll have struggles for the rest of your life," he said. "(You have to) keep yourself in alignment all the time."
Such alignment is crucial for teens like Justin and Kurt — and even those who think their pornography issues aren't that bad, because recovery means retraining the brain by creating new non-pornography-related pathways, and then staying on those new paths.
While it's difficult, it is possible, thanks to the neuroplasticity or regenerative abilities of the human brain, especially in adolescence, said Kalivas.
And the sooner the intervention begins, the better. That is why parents should be engaging in deep and potentially difficult conversations with their children about healthy sexuality, says Tim McOmber, clinical mental health counselor at Aspen, a counseling center in American Fork. If they notice something is amiss with their child, they should be willing to seek help.
"We don't just say, 'Hey, the child got a cut, it's not deep, we don't need to do anything about it,' says McOmber. "You treat it, to prevent the infection from coming or getting worse."
Red flags include attitude shifts, like a calm child becoming one ridden with anxiety, or a social child who now prefers to be alone all the time. Parents should be concerned if adolescents become extremely guarded of personal property or don't want parents to touch their backpack, jump drives, computers, phones or gaming systems, said Shawn Brooks, executive director of Oxbow Academy.
Brooks encourages parents to sit down with teens and establish rules and responsibilities — prior to the technology arriving, if possible. One of his key rules is that Internet-enabled devices do not belong in bedrooms. Adolescence can be complicated enough without adding pornography to the mix.
"(With puberty) and the release of estrogen and testosterone, it jacks you up," says Brooks. "Then throw in a data package or a smartphone and it's like Russian roulette but all the chambers have bullets."
Rallying attention
The students file in silently to the auditorium, staring at the signs on the stage, "Become a Fighter: Change Begins with One. Fight the New Drug."
When everyone is seated, Todd Blaquiere bounds up on stage. He asks a few ice-breaking questions to loosen up the sixth- and seventh-grade students at Sandy's Eastmont Middle School, attending their annual Red Ribbon Week anti-drug assembly.
Blaquiere, Fight the New Drug's director of marketing, dives into a kid-friendly discussion of dopamine, the brain's reward pathway and how drugs alter that pathway by making the user crave drugs more than anything else.
He explains that with prolonged drug use, the brain's frontal lobes — or decision areas — shrink, making future correct decisions even harder.
And then, about halfway through the presentation, Blaquiere adds a new dimension.
"Pornography can harm your brain like a drug," he says. "Not all addictions come from chemicals you put into your body."
A small ripple of surprise rolls through the auditorium as the students digest this new information.
"I didn't know there were other addictions beyond chemical," says 12-year-old Eli Schott as he waits to sign the "Fighter Pledge" banner after the assembly. "It's a big surprise that porn is an addiction."
For the last two years, Fight the New Drug has shared the same message across the U.S and Canada.
"As a 7-year-old gets not just exposed, but develops a compulsion to viewing hard-core, violent pornography, what is that doing to their attitudes and perceptions toward women, love and what intimacy look like?" Olsen asks. "It's really kind of messing our society up."
This year, Fight the New Drug will conduct about 80 assemblies, plus meetings with parents and church groups.
They're trying to channel, rather than suppress, normal youthful rebellion by pointing it toward the pornography industry.
"Teens are ready to talk about this," Olsen says. "They're anxious for truth. So we just talk to them in a very real way and approach them as a peer, rather than an authoritative lecture. We approach it as a public health issue. It's harming ourselves, it's harming our relationships and our society as a whole."
"Porn is never going to go away," Olsen finishes. "The objective of our campaign is not to decrease porn, but to decrease demand through education."
For additional resources, see the six sites below:
Nofap.org — a forum-style website where individuals who have committed to abstain from pornography and masturbation for a period of time can talk about their experiences and engage in challenges to help them recover. A sister website of the reddit NoFap community.
Overcomingpornography.org — a resource provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help addicted individuals or hurt family members rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ to overcome and heal from the damage caused by pornography addictions.
Yourbrainrebalanced.com — a forum-style website that allows individuals to share their stories of working to overcome pornography addiction and porn-inducted erectile dysfunction, both as a way to gain strength and to inspire others.
PoSARC.com — Partners of Sex Addicts Resource Center offers information and resources to help promote recovery for both addicts and the people who love them.
Teens.drugabuse.gov — The National Institute on Drug Abuse's teen-focused website teaches adolescents how their brains work and how drugs affect them.
Nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-still-under-construction/teen-brain.pdf — This publication from the National Institute of Mental Health teaches parents and teens about the adolescent brain; how it develops, how it changes and how it's different from an adult's brain.


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Sophomore year is a time of transition for many Princeton students, who face several important choices from selecting their majors to evaluating dining options to deciding whether to study abroad. This video documents the Halftime retreat, a three-day program offered during fall break and intercession to allow sophomores to travel off campus with their peers and spend time reflecting upon their Princeton experiences.
The retreat's workshops, discussions and journaling exercises are intended to help sophomores identify and set personal goals, formulate action plans to achieve those goals, and maximize their use of campus resources and opportunities during their remaining five semesters.
Halftime begins with an opening dinner on campus, where the participating students and staff get to know each other and enjoy the meal. After dinner, the students participate in their first Halftime exercise, which includes presentations from students who have attended past Halftimes, as well as Princeton alumni. The following day, the students leave campus for the retreat.
Throughout Halftime, workshops are offered to give students the opportunity to share with each other and to have conversations about making decisions, setting goals and balancing priorities. Halftime is a chance for students to build connections and a deeper relationship with other sophomores, and for each student to clarify personal values and goals.
Students who are interested in attending Halftime can find out more information on the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students website.


text:
|Powered by Cell Signaling Technology
|Site Information
|ETDPLIRkCMLLPWA SwissProt Entrez-Gene
|Blast this site against: NCBI SwissProt PDB
|Site Group ID: 7252244
|In vivo Characterization
|Methods used to characterize site in vivo:
mass spectrometry ( 1 )
|Relevant cell line - cell type - tissue:
Udeshi ND, et al. (2013) Refined preparation and use of anti-diglycine remnant (K-ε-GG) antibody enables routine quantification of 10,000s of ubiquitination sites in single proteomics experiments. Mol Cell Proteomics 12, 825-31
23266961 Curated Info


text:
I know it's possible to write an AppleScript to add music and video files to the iTunes library. Is it also possible to write AppleScript to add files to iOS apps that use file sharing?
For example, I have an iPad app called Comic Zeal, and I normally add files to it by dragging files into iTunes. I would like to write a script to add files to Comic Zeal from the command line.


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March 10, 2009
Google Video Upload, Powered by Gears
In January, Google announced that it will discontinue support for uploads to Google Video in a few months. "We've always maintained that Google Video's strength is in the search technology that makes it possible for people to search videos from across the web, regardless of where they may be hosted. And this move will enable us to focus on developing these technologies further to the benefit of searchers worldwide."
Even though Google owns YouTube, a much more popular video hosting service, Google Video attracts a different audience that watches longer videos and doesn't like the extraneous social features from services like YouTube. Google could use the same back-end for both services and promote Google Video as the place where you can watch Charlie Rose's interviews, interviews from the archive of American Television or public domain movies.
16 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 10, 2009 at 12:29 PM
The only reason anyone uses google video is that it was around before youtube and uploads directly from picasa without requiring all the manually input metadata. It should be folded into Youtube sooner rather than later.ReplyDelete
So they enhanced a service they're phasing out?ReplyDelete
Would it make sense to have a YouTube Lite? Kind of a skin that gives Youtube the simplicity of Google Video? As for length, I think it's a matter of time.
- AnonymousMarch 10, 2009 at 1:02 PM
@ Alex ChituReplyDelete
I have been using Google video uploader (dedicated for videos above 100MB) and one could also queue several files and see the progress (as number of bytes uploaded not as graphic bar).
For me no major difference, it is even better because i had already Gears installed, so no need to run Uploader separately.
Google Video is a perfect storing place for my family videos. With great option of "Unlisted" available I could be sure that only my family and selected friends can watch who receive the link.
But in Youtube I can't find this option, no more privacy, so this is why disconituation of GVideo is so bad news for me.
- AnonymousMarch 10, 2009 at 1:22 PM
YouTube's batch uploader has been exactly like that for a while: requires Google Gears and uploads multiple files up to 1 GB.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 10, 2009 at 1:24 PM
@Anon When you upload YouTube videos, there should be a "Public/Private" togglable option. When in Private mode, your videos can be shared with at most 25 of your friends.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 10, 2009 at 2:57 PM
@the first Anonymous,ReplyDelete
That's rather silly. Google video allows you to upload longer videos and a different video player.
The player itself has much more granular, intelligently scales to fit the window size, and still has better keyboard shortcuts than the Youtube player.
I've translated this post to Chinese.ReplyDelete
Hope you will not mind.
Many thanks!
@Anonymous said on March 10, 2009 1:02 PM PDT:ReplyDelete
[Google Video's] option of "Unlisted" [is] available...
But in Youtube I can't find this option, no more privacy...
YouTube does offer to mark a video as "private" (shared with up to 25 select YouTube "friends", sign-in required). It also now offer HD videos with resolutions of 1280x720 (720p), something Google Video doesn't.
- AnonymousMarch 14, 2009 at 4:32 AM
I think Google should merge Google Video and YouTube. Both have its pros and cons. Kind of silly having 2 Video services from the same company, although YouTube was acquired.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 14, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Agreed. I'd like to see Youtube allow longer videos and better keyboard shortcuts (like up/down for volume, f for fullscreen) before Google Video gets shut down.ReplyDelete
YouTube already supports the up/down shortcuts for volume.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 16, 2009 at 1:26 PM
I uploaded a few halo montages on YouTube but because I used a song that I like now they banned my video because of wmv owns it or someshit like that now that sucks big timeReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 19, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Can someone tell me if we can still upload videos or not? I just learned that Google is removing new video uploads while they will allow the old ones o remain. Now I am seeing this new Gears thing! Does this mean that we Google will continue to allow uploading? I am thoroughly confused!ReplyDelete
yes, install gears (it is useful at utube as well) AND you will be able to upload videos for a while yet.ReplyDelete
how can i delete a video from GOOGLE VIDEO NOW>....???? I can login but i have no access to my videos??? PLEASE HELPReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 6, 2010 at 12:41 PM
Youtube is badly indexed and too easily censored, but that's probably why Google video is now defunct--censorshipReplyDelete


text: Sprint, a carrier that often touts itself as the only carrier with "truly unlimited" data plans, actually throttles its heaviest data users. Speaking at an investor conference on Thursday, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse admitted that Sprint imposes limits the top 1% of data hogs. "For those that want to abuse it, we can knock them off," Hesse said. The executive explained that Sprint needs to throttle — or slow down the data speeds — of its heaviest users in order to make room for the growing number of smartphone users on its 3G and 4G WiMAX networks. Earlier on Thursday Sprint detailed its first 4G LTE markets, which will roll out in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio during the first half of this year.


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The defining political issue of 2012 won't be the government's size. It will be who government is for.
Americans have never much liked government. After all, the nation was conceived in a revolution against government.
But the surge of cynicism now engulfing America isn't about government's size. It's the growing perception that government isn't working for average people. It's for big business, Wall Street, and the very rich instead.
In a recent Pew Foundation poll, 77 percent of respondents said too much power is in the hands of a few rich people and corporations.
That's understandable. To take a few examples:
-- Wall Street got bailed out but homeowners caught in the fierce downdraft caused by the Street's excesses have got almost nothing.
-- Big agribusiness continues to rake in hundreds of billions in price supports and ethanol subsidies. Big pharma gets extended patent protection that drives up everyone's drug prices. Big oil gets its own federal subsidy. But small businesses on the Main Streets of America are barely making it.
-- American Airlines uses bankruptcy to ward off debtors and renegotiate labor contracts. Donald Trump's businesses go bankrupt without impinging on Trump's own personal fortune. But the law won't allow you to use personal bankruptcy to renegotiate your home mortgage.
-- If you run a giant bank that defrauds millions of small investors of their life savings, the bank might pay a small fine but you won't go to prison. Not a single top Wall Street executive has been prosecuted for Wall Street's mega-fraud. But if you sell an ounce of marijuana you could be put away for a long time.
Not a day goes by without Republicans decrying the budget deficit. But the biggest single reason for the yawning deficit is big money's corruption of Washington. And it's not just corporate welfare.
One of the deficit's biggest drivers -- Medicare -- would be lower if Medicare could use its bargaining leverage to get drug companies to reduce their prices. Why hasn't it happened? Big Pharma won't allow it.
Medicare's administrative costs are only 3 percent, far below the 10 percent average administrative costs of private insurers. So why not tame rising healthcare costs for all Americans by allowing any family to opt in? That was the idea behind the "public option." Health insurers stopped it in its tracks.
The other big budgetary expense is national defense. America spends more on our military than do China, Russia, Britain, France, Japan, and Germany combined. The basic defense budget (the portion unrelated to the costs of fighting wars) keeps growing, now about 25 percent higher than it was a decade ago, adjusted for inflation.
That's because defense contractors have cultivated sponsors on Capitol Hill and located their plants and facilities in politically important congressional districts.
So we keep spending billions on Cold War weapons systems like nuclear attack submarines, aircraft carriers, and manned combat fighters that pump up the bottom lines of Bechtel, Martin-Marietta, and their ilk, but have nothing to do with 21st-century combat.
Declining tax receipts are also driving the deficit. That's partly because most Americans have less income to tax these days.
Yet the richest Americans are taking home a bigger share of total income than at any time since the 1920s. Their tax payments are down because the Bush tax cuts reduced their top rates to the lowest level in more than half a century, and cut capital gains taxes to 15 percent.
Congress hasn't even closed a loophole that allows mutual-fund and private-equity managers to treat their incomes as capital gains.
So the 400 richest Americans, whose total wealth exceeds the combined wealth of the bottom 150 million Americans put together, pay an average of 17 percent of their income in taxes. That's lower than the tax rates of most day laborers and child-care workers.
Meanwhile, Social Security payroll taxes continue to climb as a share of total tax revenues. Yet the payroll tax is regressive, applying only to yearly income under $106,800.
And the share of revenues coming from corporations has been dropping. The biggest, like GE, find ways to pay no federal taxes at all. Many shelter their income abroad, and every few years Congress grants them a tax amnesty to bring the money home.
Get it? "Big government" isn't the problem. The problem is big money is taking over government.
Government is doing less of the things most of us want it to do -- providing good public schools and affordable access to college, improving our roads and bridges and water systems, and maintaining safety nets to catch average people who fall -- and more of the things big corporations, Wall Street, and the wealthy want it to do.
Some conservatives argue we wouldn't have to worry about big money taking over government if we had a smaller government to begin with.
Here's what Congressman Paul Ryan told me Sunday morning when we were debating all this on ABC's This Week:
If the power and money are going to be here in Washington, that's where the influence is going to go ... that's where the powerful are going to go to influence it.
Ryan has it upside down. A smaller government that's still dominated by money would continue to do the bidding of Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry, oil companies, big agribusiness, big insurance, military contractors, and rich individuals.
It just wouldn't do anything else.
If we want to get our democracy back we've got to get big money out of politics.
We need real campaign finance reform.
And a constitutional amendment reversing the Supreme Court's bizarre rulings that under the First Amendment money is speech and corporations are people.
Robert Reich is the author of Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, now in bookstores. This post originally appeared at RobertReich.org.


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We're a week away from the NFL Scouting Combine, and it's completely unclear what April's draft will bring.
"I'm not seeing the difference-makers at the top end," said NFL Network's Mike Mayock during a visit to "The Rich Eisen Podcast."
Mayock -- faithfully grinding his way through film of this year's prospects -- had plenty to say about a quarterback group drawing nothing but lukewarm-at-best reviews after last year's class fascinated from start to finish.
We'll get out of the way and let you hear from Mayock himself. And be sure to check out Eisen's entire podcast, because there's plenty more where this came from:
On the uneven quarterback class: "Over the last several years, we've had defined quarterback play at the top, and we still talk about them ad nauseam. Everybody laughed at me last year at this time. I was trying to tell people Ryan Tannehill was not only going to be a first-round pick, but he might be a top 10 guy. And that's what happens with these quarterbacks. And I don't know who the best quarterback is yet, and I don't know if there's a first-round quarterback. Yet I hear all these people talk about Geno Smith going No. 1. So I'm fascinated. This is going to be, by far, the most confusing quarterback draft we've had in years."
Brandt: How the QB prospects add up
Gil Brandt used a time-tested formula to cut through the hype around the 2013 QB class, and the results were surprising. **More ...**
On Matt Barkley: "I'll tell you where I am with him. I'm confused, because I watched a lot of his tape a year ago, and the two things I knew was that he didn't take sacks and he didn't throw interceptions. And this year, man the tape is different. And he can make every throw and he's got a good but not a great arm; he's smart; but he makes a bunch of bad decisions and throws, which is what I thought this kid wouldn't do."
On Geno Smith as the first overall pick in the draft: "I have a hard time buying into that. ... I couldn't even pound the table today for first-round quarterback, let alone a first-pick quarterback. I watched a bunch of Geno Smith and he can make every throw, he's athletic, the ball jumps out of his hand. But there's a lot of things that make me nervous about him. He misses people by wide margins for no reason. I see a little bit of hesitancy with the blitz and pressure. When that first read is not there, it's not as pretty on the second and third read. His eyes come down, he makes mistakes."
On this year's hidden gem at QB: "I don't have him. I don't have him. And I mean, trust me, I'm looking for him."
Darlington: A prospect to root for
You probably don't know anything about Walter Stewart, but you should. Jeff Darlington tells an inspirational story. **More ...**
On Alabama prospects: "I'm never a big believer that you knock a kid on past performance, or raise a kid on past performance. But I will tell you this: I find myself looking at the Alabama kids, and feeling like I know what I'm getting with them. I know that they're being coached hard, they're playing against SEC competition every year, and I kind of look at the Alabama kids, and I go, 'OK.' I'm almost unconsciously placing them higher because I know what kind of performance I'm going to get from them. So, I'm in effect rewarding them for where they went to school."
On draft depth: "I think we've got more depth for the first three rounds than maybe any time you and I have done this draft, but I'm not seeing the difference-makers at the top end. Every year we've had a quarterback or a Von Miller -- I'm not seeing the explosive difference-makers at the top end of this draft, and I'm not sure the fifth pick is that much better than the 20th pick or the 30th pick. The good news is there's a lot of depth here."
Best player on tape: "The best player I've seen on tape is the guard from Alabama, Chance Warmack. Now, he's not going No. 1, but he's the best football player."
Do yourself a favor and download the entire podcast at NFL.com/richeisen or subscribe on iTunes. And don't forget to submit your very own #RunRichRun video.


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When Kanye West's first sneaker collaboration with Nike launched in 2009, it marked the first time the brand had worked with a non-athlete. The Air Yeezy, as the result was called—after West's nickname—became one of the brand's most sought-after shoes that year, selling for over $1,000 on eBay (the original price tag was $220). "I've been designing Nikes in my sketch pad since the fourth grade," West said at the time.
Since, West has launched a high-fashion line, complete with shoes that are priced at well over $1,000. But he's returning to his sneakerhead roots: the limited-edition Nike Air Yeezy II—which features hieroglyphics spelling out "YZY" across the front—launches June 9 at select global Nike retailers. Jay-Z's already got a pair, but this shoe is really all about 'Ye: it's tailored to his foot.
See the shoe—and the sketch—after the cut.


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VDOT University's Virtual Campus
The Virtual Campus is the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Web-based learning management system. This application connects agency employees and external business partners to the training resources they need.
Simply put, the VDOT University Virtual Campus is the most convenient way for those learners to access tools to ensure professional and personal development.
The Virtual Campus provides:
- Access to training transcripts
- An extensive course catalog
- Online registration for both classroom and Web-based courses
- Continuously new and updated courses and content
- Integrated online administration and reporting
- Online collaboration and "communities of practice" via "Team Rooms"
The VDOT Virtual Campus is always accessible (24/7) from any Internet location.
If you work at VDOT, visit the Virtual Campus for employees.
If you are one of our many external partners, visit the Virtual Campus external Virtual Campus.
See the Virtual Campus general information sheet (PDF, 49KB)
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Page last modified: March 25, 2023


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Open the Terminal.
Once the Terminal window opens, enter the following command at the prompt:
gconftool - -recursive-unset /apps/panel
(Remember: There should be no spaces between the two dashes before shutdown.)
Then enter the next command:
rm -rf ~/.gconf/apps/panel
And enter one more command:
pkill gnome-panel
Both top and bottom panels will appear (if missing) with their default settings.
Hope this helps.


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Horace Dediu is an analyst with a focus on the mobile phone industry and especially Apple. Blogging at asymco.com, he often posts surprising facts that confront the conventional "wisdom" of other analysts, who are often predicting doom-and-gloom for Apple.
We asked Horace to share his thoughts on technology, change, and how to anticipate the next big thing.


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Sony's CEO Kazuo Hirai has some difficult decisions to make as consumers continue to shun the company's smartphones, resulting in continued losses.
The company on Thursday reported a net loss of ¥126 billion (US$1.1 billion) for its latest fiscal year, which ended on March 31. Year-on-year, Sony's revenue increased by 5.8 percent to ¥8.2 trillion.
Not surprisingly, Sony's Mobile Communications unit, which develops the Xperia smartphones, gets part of the blame for another year in the red.
The future of the mobile division has been very much up in question since a new head of Sony Mobile Communications was appointed in October last year. Sony has announced layoffs and pulled the plug on the PlayStation Mobile platform, but hasn't been able to turn around its fortunes.
During Sony's fourth quarter, running from January to March, revenue was flat, but the number of phones it sold dropped.
Faced with Apple and Samsung's domination of the high end and competition from new and old Chinese vendors at the low end, Sony and other companies such as HTC are struggling to get people to buy their phones. Sony was the tenth largest phone maker in 2014 with a 2 percent market share, according to Gartner.
While Sony expects all other segments to make an operating profit during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, Mobile Communications will still record a loss, the company said. If Sony wants to turn around its smartphone fortunes, it needs to break the mold a bit more, and give away more of its content, including movies, Nick Spencer, senior practice director at ABI Research, said in a recent interview.
But it seems the company has already planned for a different future. In February, Sony announced its latest turnaround plan that will see increased spending on the games and network services division, hoping to attract more gamers to the PlayStation and its PlayStation Network.
Along with music and movies, the company is also betting on the unit that makes image sensors for smartphones. The sensors will get more funding, to be spent on research and increased production.
The company's goal is ¥500 billion in operating profit for its fiscal year to March 31, 2018. In the short term, the goal is to turn around to a ¥140 billion profit in the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2016 from a net loss of ¥126 billion in the previous year.


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IFAT 2014 is the world's largest water industry event that will take place between the 5-9 May where Tsurumi will showcase its new and existing range of products through live demonstrations and exhibits. Leading the company's display will be Tsurumi's new KTD pump – available to Europe in August this year – featuring a 2kW and 3kW motor providing customers with more options for various applications as well as its 2kW and 3kW motor KTV agitator range.
Tsurumi's 80m2 booth will also display four live demonstrations including its new TLD-series compact aerator – a diaphragm aerator designed for aerating wastewater in compact wastewater treatment plants. The aerators are also suitable for aerating clear water in aquaculture, fish farms and aquariums. The compact unit offers a high and stable performance, quiet operation, low energy consumption and excellent durability. A thermal protection device is built in the electromagnets ensuring safety.
Other demonstrations at the event will consist of a KRS pump – an agitator pump for pumping muddy, sandy water – originally designed for dewatering construction sites but now used in sewage plants to empty sediment in treatment tanks. A TRN aerator, a mechanical aeration machine sold to sewage treatment plants in the industrial waste water sector, will be operational and a unique LSC pump will be displayed used in many applications and nicknamed the 'puddle sucker' because it pumps water down to a level of 1mm.
Five cross-section samples will be available, showing the inside structure of Tsurumi's simple but effective pump technology. The pumps are made from high quality materials and are water tight but use a simple design for easy maintenance. This year will be Tsurumi's 90th anniversary since the company was established in 1924.
IFAT 2014 – held in Munich's exhibition center – will display innovations and solutions in the field of water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. Drinking water production, the treatment of waste water, water transport management and monitoring functions are central themes at the world's leading environmental technology exhibition.
For more information please visit: www.tsurumi.eu and our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/tsurumi


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Shadowlands1993 Drama | Romance
This lavishly mounted adaptation of the play by William Nicholson tells the true story of the doomed love affair between novelist and noted Christian scholar C.S. Lewis and a Jewish-American poet. Anthony Hopkins stars as C.S. Jack Lewis, an Oxford professor and successful author of the Chronicles of Narnia series of children's fantasy novels. A confirmed bachelor, Jack's existence is an inward life of the mind. Somewhat detached from the world, his only social outlet is evenings out at a local pub discussing philosophy and religion with his fellow lecturers. Jack has been corresponding with a bluntly intelligent American woman, Joy Gresham (Debra Winger), who arrives to visit him, with her young son Douglas (Joseph Mazzello) in tow. She tells Jack that she has actually fled from an abusive marriage and plans to divorce, and Jack astonishes friends and family by agreeing to a platonic marriage with Joy so that she can obtain British citizenship. As their friendship deepens and Joy discovers that she has a terminal illness, the relationship between Joy and Jack becomes a genuine romance, and their marriage turns into a real commitment. Shadowlands (1993) had previously been filmed as a well-regarded British television movie in 1985 starring Joss Ackland as Lewis.~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide


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- Format:Print/online bundle
- Subject(s):French
- Qualification:Cambridge IGCSE
- Author(s):Danièle Bourdais, Geneviève Talon
- Available from: March 2019
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A flexible suite of resources providing full coverage of the Cambridge IGCSE™ (0520), IGCSE (9-1) (7156) French as a Foreign Language syllabuses for examination 2021.
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With a skills-based approach and an international outlook, this coursebook with Cambridge Elevate enhanced edition promotes a deeper understanding of French language and culture in francophone countries around the world. Engaging texts, images and audio enhance the activities in the coursebook and help students develop language skills. Revision sections and clear learning objectives encourage self-assessment and support students through the Cambridge IGCSE™, IGCSE (9-1) and O Level French as a Foreign Language courses. 200+ formative assessment questions in the Cambridge Elevate enhanced provide students with extra practice in the four language skills whilst supporting teachers with evaluating student progress.
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200+ formative assessment questions provide students with extra practice in the four language skills whilst supporting teachers with evaluating student progress. Assessment questions are auto-marked.
Cambridge Elevate editions are customisable and interactive, allowing students and teachers to annotate text, add audio notes and link out to external resources.
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Available online and on tablet devices through the Cambridge Elevate app.
Revision sections and clearly stated learning objectives promote self-assessment. The answers to the exam-style questions are provided in the teacher's book.
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- Unit 0. Bienvenue en Francophonie !
- Unit 1. Mon quotidien
- Unit 2. La pleine forme
- Units 1 & 2. Révisez bien !
- Unit 3. Une famille à l'étranger
- Unit 4. Faites la fête !
- Units 3 & 4. Révisez bien !
- Unit 5. Ma ville, demain… ?
- Unit 6. La nature – amie, ennemie ou victime ?
- Units 5 & 6 Révisez bien !
- Unit 7. Bonjour de Francophonie !
- Unit 8. L'école, et après ?
- Units 7 & 8. Révisez bien !
- Unit 9. Au travail !
- Unit 10. À l'écoute du monde
- Units 9 & 10. Révisez bien !
- Unit 11. En voyage !
- Unit 12. Jeune au XXIe siècle
- Units 11 & 12. Révisez bien !
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text: Interest on early payments and overpayments of tax 2013 This fact sheet covers: entitlements to interest on early payments and overpayments of tax, and how to calculate your interest on an early payment. Who is entitled to interest on early payments and overpayments?Warning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances. End of attention The interest arrangements apply to individuals, taxable trusts, companies and superannuation funds. Interest is only payable if it is 50 cents or more. This fact sheet relates only to individuals and taxable trusts. It does not cover interest entitlements for companies, superannuation funds, corporate unit trusts and public trading trusts. Last modified: 04 Mar 2016QC 28216


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John Kerry's Senate scene from 'The Godfather: Part II'
Secretary of State nominee draws inspiration from the film at confirmation hearing.
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John Kerry's Senate hearing on Thursday was a much friendlier affair than the fictional appearance of mob leader Michael Corleone before a Senate panel that was depicted in the movie The G odfather: Part II. But that didn't stop Kerry, President Obama's nominee for secretary of State, from drawing inspiration from the film.
In the hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, senators heaped praise on Kerry for his almost 30 years of service in the Senate and his dedication to foreign policy. The only contentious moment arose when the nominee was asked about Chuck Hagel, Obama's pick for secretary of Defense.
Kerry, in his introduction, thanked Sens. John McCain and Elizabeth Warren and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for their laudatory comments about him. But he acknowledged a role reversal -- he has chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for years and now is on the receiving end of the committee's questions. He told the senators he had never "seen a more distinguished and better-looking group of public officials in my life," and he joked that the hearing might turn into a scene from the second Godfather movie.
"I want you to know that a couple nights ago, I was watching Godfather II ," Kerry said. "So be forewarned: If someone suddenly shows up with my long-lost brother back in the audience, all bets are off, folks."
The senators laughed, as they did at several of Kerry's quips throughout his testimony. But, alas, no long-lost brother showed up. In The Godfather: Part II , former mobster Frank Pantangeli appeared before a Senate committee to testify on the Corleone family's mob behavior. In the movie, Pantangeli, before he began his testimony, noticed his brother from Sicily in the back of the room. Not wanting to shame the family, he denied his previous affidavit to the dismay and shock of the senators, and mob boss Corleone walked free.
The panelists for Kerry's hearing were a kinder to him. Fittingly, Sen. Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, who served as the temporary head of the committee, mistakenly called him, "Secretary Kerry."
"I have a sense of clairvoyance," he said.
Democrats weren't the only ones to praise Kerry. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the ranking Republican on the panel, commended Kerry on his service and predicted a speedy confirmation.
"There's no one in the United States Senate that's spent more time than you have on issues important to our country," Corker said in his opening remarks, later adding, "My sense is your confirmation will go through very, very quickly."


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October Birthstone
White Opal
To maintain the jewels maximum durability and stability, our opals are lab-created. The white opal has a princely, glimmering look. It is believed that those who wear it will change their fortunes just as its colors change with the breaking of light.
Sterling Silver
All our silver jewelry is made from sterling silver, also known as silver 925. The silver alloy is a 92.5% on the purity scale, considered the most prestigious and best-quality for creating silver jewelry. As a quality standard, all of our jewels have the 925 stamp.
Jewelry is Forever
Silver jewelry treatment
Silver naturally blackens when in contact with the air, so it is important to keep silver jewelry in a closed box. At the same time, blackened silver jewelry can always go back to being as bright as its first day by using a special silver-cleaning cloth. To preserve the beauty of the metal, we recommend avoiding going into the ocean or pool while wearing it, and avoiding contact between the jewelry and various cleaning materials and cosmetic solutions.
Jewelry Design from the Heart
Israeli craftmanship
Our jewelry was made with our passion for craftsmanship and love for beauty and aesthetics of the precious gems and metals. Each and every one of them has a unique design, custom-made with Israeli craftsmanship.


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Nintendo Predicts Its First Annual Loss In 30 Years
Based on a strong Yen and lower-than-expected sales of its 3DS system, Nintendo predicted it would post a yearly loss for the first time in its 30-year history.
The net loss may be 20 billion yen ($264 million) for the year ending in March, compared with a previous projection for a 20 billion-yen profit, Kyoto, Japan-based Nintendo said in a statement today. That compared with the 12.2 billion-yen average profit of 22 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Nintendo, which gets about 80 percent of its revenue from Americas and Europe, is predicting lower profit after the yen gained against the dollar and surged to a decade high against the euro, trimming the repatriated value of overseas sales. President Satoru Iwata cut the price of the 3DS by 40 percent in August as gamers flock to Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s iPhone and iPad, and Facebook Inc.'s website.
That Yen loss is significant. The AP says as the exchange rate fluctuated, the company loss $689 million because of it. The AP also points out that aside from the iPhone and iPad, Nintendo is also facing competition from Sony's PlayStation Vita, which goes on sale in Japan in December and in the U.S. early next year.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.