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Friday, December 14, 2007
How Paladin Met His Sunshine
I had been visiting the Fox Television website looking for information on one of their new shows (Space: Above and Beyond). I came across the chat rooms and decided to lurk there for awhile to see what was happening. My username at the time was Paladin. Yeah, I played way too many computer games back then.
The Wife, then teaching at an all girls school in Omaha, had discovered a slip of paper on the classroom floor that had the address for the Fox chat rooms. She had logged on to make sure her students weren't going to someplace inappropriate. Her username was Sunshine. She was in the chat room looking for a literature chat. That is when Paladin met Sunshine.
I don't remember what we talked about that first night. It must have been something interesting as we set up a time the next day to meet again. We chatted a lot over the next three or four weeks. We even picked the name for our future dog (Homer) during our chats. We exchanged names and pictures eventually (I sent her a picture of me at Glacier NP's Scenic Point above the cloud layer). I mentioned her at work where my friends asked the obligatory: "Are you sure it's a woman?" It took very little time for me to become completely smitten.
Then something happened. I can't remember exactly what it was. I think it had something to do with someone entered the chat room and started to talk like they knew me. Whoever it was, they were talking smack and it was all a pack of lies. They were just trying to mess with us in a very mean-spirited way. This upset the Wife and I a lot. We ended up logging off in a bad mood that was telegraphed loud and clear. I remember getting up and pacing in my small apartment not knowing what to do - I felt like crap. Then the phone rang.
Back then I had a listed phone number. The Wife had called information and had gotten my number. I answered and, if I remember right, she hung up. Then she called back and this time we talked ... and talked. After talking on the phone, chatting just didn't do it for us. We ended up calling each other almost every night. That is until I got my $400+ phone bill - Ouch! We cut back on out phone calls while I investigated different phone plans. We changed plans so that we both could get reduced rates. The plan we got on offered free holiday calling to a number of your choice and we spent hours talking on those days. On New Years eve we talked for 12 hours with only a couple hour long breaks. We even watched TV together while on the phone. We were crazy kids back then.
Over the next five months or so we wooed each other over the phone and e-mail. I baked chocolate chip cookies and brownies for her and her students. We exchanged Christmas gifts. I sent her roses on Valentines (A first for both of us). I even sent a yellow rose to the school receptionist to make sure everything got to the Wife in a timely fashion. Six Months after we met, during Spring Break, I flew to Omaha to meet her in person. She picked me up at the airport and we went to a restaurant to make sure everything was O.K. We both had safety outlets - My Mom lived in Omaha and the Wife's friends called to check up on her a few times. We ended up at her place and we had a great week re-introducing ourselves. It turns out we liked each other in person as much as we did on the phone.
The Wife visited a month or two later. The first half of the visit was a little rough for some reason. We were both a little tired from work and stuff. Mid week we went for a picnic at Lake Cachuma and visited Solvang, a touristy Dutch town. We had a great time and our moods did a 180. The remainder of her stay went very well.
Her second trip out also went very well. Especially after I proposed to her. It wasn't anything fancy. We were walking into a mall and I turned to her and said, "You want to get married?" and she said "Sure." We walked straight to the jewelry store and picked out rings. The mall isn't there anymore. I think I proposed where the Home Depot is now.
When summer started I flew back there and we went to meet her family at their lake house in Iowa. We officially announced our engagement and congratulations were exchanged. I was expecting a grilling from her family but it was a lot easier than I expected. We set a date for the wedding for next summer. We figured it would be smart to give ourselves a year to let the euphoria settle and to make sure we knew what we were doing.
We left the lake house and did a roadtrip around Minnesota and the Great Lakes. Nothing like traveling with someone in a small car to see if you are comfortable together. We experienced our first Alpine Slide at Lutsen , visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cincinnati, and dropped by the Wife's Alma Matter, Notre Dame (Where, once again, I tried and failed to finish a piece of One Thousand Chocolate Chip Cake at the Steak and Ale). When we got back to Omaha we had survived each other - a good sign.
Over the next year we flew back and forth spending a week together here and there. The Wife came out and we spent Christmas in a cabin outside the entrance of Sequoia. It snowed the day we got there and the trees were covered in snow - very beautiful and romantic. The lodge owner suggested we do the Ladybug Trail as it was lower in elevation and would be relatively snow free. The road to the trailhead went from a two lane road to a narrow paved road to a narrow dirt road to a narrow, rutted dirt road. If we had run into another car going the other way it would have resulted in a lot of backing up for someone. It was kind of scary in spots but well worth it as the hike was enjoyable for both of us. We even saw some Ladybugs. Along this road we encountered the rare magic black mountain cow. We turned a corner on the narrow road and there was a cow. There was a shear cliff on one side and a sharp drop on the other. We couldn't figure where it had come from hence "Magic."
After Christmas we went to Las Vegas to celebrate New Years. The strip was closed to cars and revelers were partying out in the street. We watched them blow up the old Aladdin hotel - very cool and boomerific.
At the end of the school year the wife moved out. Then the real whirlwind started. She flew in on Thursday. Interviewed at one school on Friday. We looked at a house on Saturday. We made an offer on the house on Sunday. She interviewed at another school on Monday. We received a counteroffer on the house on Tuesday. She got job offers from both schools on Tuesday. We counter-counter-offered on the house on Tuesday. We opened escrow on the house on Wednesday - a 13 day escrow. She accepted one of the job offers soon after. 12 days after opening escrow, we moved into the house. Two days later we flew back to Iowa and a week later we got married. WHEW!
After the marriage we flew to Calgary, rented a car and drove to Jasper for our honeymoon. The drive up 93 is one of the most amazing drives - ooh-aaws along the entire way through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper. Three days in Jasper and one in Banff and a day driving in between. We stayed at a place called Becker's Chalets that the Best man and Matron Of Honor had recommend. A wonderful place. In Jasper we white water rafted, took a tram up Whistler's Mountain, went out onto the Columbia Icefield glacier in a sno-cat, and did a short but spectacular hike that overlooked the icefields (we saw rams butting heads). We had a wonderful Honeymoontastic time.
We flew back to Omaha and drove the Wife's car and some of her stuff to California and the rest is history. And what an amazing history it has been. Thinking about how much luck was involved in our meeting makes my head spin. We figure that if we had passed in the street, we wouldn't have even looked at each other. The way we met online is the only way we could have met. I can't wait to see what comes next.
6 comments:
Very sweet story.
JaG: Thanks, It was nice for me to write too. Aww, sweet memories.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMonday, December 17, 2007 9:28:00 PM
Such fantastic luck that the two of you found each other. What a wonderful story; thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
GH: Thank You. I hope someday soon you will have a great story to share with us.ReplyDelete
Sorry I'm a little late for this comment.ReplyDelete
That's a really beautiful story.
Besides, my mother met her current friend online as well. It's been going on for a while now. I guess you never know what can happen...
Gany: It's never too late to comment. I like to read what other people think.ReplyDelete
Thank you. I had a great time looking back and writing this down.
Back in 1996-1997 when we were preparing for the wedding, we were surprised to find out how many other people had met online. We were our priest's second online couple.


text: Posted in Uncategorized New Scanned Images Posted Today! sysadmin July 19, 2019 Leave a comment Click here to see all images! Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Related Author: sysadmin Related Articles Nan Hardesty October 21, 2019 Leave a comment Cowgirls Rock!

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"My name is Erik Bleeker and I am 60 years old, lost weight 14 kg, length 1,85mtr. Ever since feeling much healthier and stronger...
When I read on the internet that the North Sea Cycle Route was opened in 2001, my cycle fire was lightened.
It is the world's longest signed international cycle route encircles the North Sea, passing through no fewer than 7 countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland and England. From Harwich and Hook van Holland in the south to Bergen and the Shetland Islands in the north.
To make this extreme long cycling route (6000 km), with heavy climes, up to 20% in Norway (also downhill...) and many times dangerous, because there where no separate cycle paths along auto routes, it is the ultimate cycling adventure challenge for me."


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Keith Cooper has become the latest casualty of Sepp Blatter's purge of the sport's govening body.
Cooper is the second high-profile exit – following General Secretary Michael Zen Ruffinen's departure – since Blatter was re-elected FIFA president prior to the World Cup,
On his re-election, Blatter stated that he wanted 100 days to re-organise the administration of FIFA and Cooper has become the latest victim of his reforms.
"I have been sacked without a reason being given," complained Cooper.
"I have known Sepp Blatter for 30 years but was told that I was being dismissed by Urs Linsi, the acting general secretary. ÿ
"No reason was given, which under Swiss law FIFA has the right to do.
"However, this is something of a surprise coming less than two weeks after the end of a World Cup in which the media organisation was regarded as one of the best of its kind."
Blatter has appointed his personal spokesman, Markus Siegler, as acting head of communications.


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'Interfaith harmony, peace go hand in hand'
The Jordan Times
AMMAN (JT) – Interfaith specialists and clerics on Tuesday explored different means of fostering dialogue among the followers of the Abrahamic religions.
The symposium, held by the University of Jordan (UJ) in cooperation with the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, marks World Interfaith Harmony Week, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Proposed by His Majesty King Abdullah and adopted by the UN General Assembly in October, World Interfaith Harmony Week seeks to spread a message of interfaith harmony among followers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Speakers, including HRH Prince Hassan, underscored the importance of religious harmony in securing peace and dealing with world problems like hunger, poverty and injustice.
They also discussed the common features of the monotheistic religions, Petra reported.
In his address at the event, Prince Hassan said peace and religious harmony go hand-in-hand.
Noting that there are more beliefs and values shared by the faiths than differences among them, he reiterated that interfaith harmony is essential to resolving humanitarian issues. Confronting the problems of poverty, unemployment, hunger, ignorance and injustice in different world countries, he said, requires a collective will that must have interfaith harmony at its core.
Fostering interfaith dialogue also requires reviewing education curricula, facilitating national dialogue and guaranteeing access to information, the Prince said.
Interfaith harmony is an intellectual position as well as a practical philosophy, Mohammad Qudah, dean of the UJ Sharia faculty said. He noted that Islam calls for this kind of harmony, coexistence and justice.
Other speakers, including UJ President Adel Tweisi, Abdul Salam Abbadi, Kamel Abu Jaber and Father Nabil Haddad, echoed the Prince's remarks, highlighting the role of interfaith solidarity in achieving security and stability.


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TOKYO, July 17 (Reuters) - Mitsui & Co, Japan's second-largest trading firm, and Uzbekistan agreed on Thursday to look at forming a joint venture for the exploration of uranium in the Central Asian country.
Securing new exploration projects in Central Asia is key to Japan, which relies on nuclear power for over 25 percent of its electricity. It currently imports some 60 percent of its uranium from Australia and Canada.


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Gareth Cook's article on the new Harvard origin of life project in the Boston Globe, reads like a press release (except for the very end where he actually quotes Michael Behe). Bill blogged on it, wondering how seriously they would take any evidence of intelligent design.
Starting with $1 million a year, we are told, Harvard will
bring together scientists from fields as disparate as astronomy and biology, to understand how life emerged from the chemical soup of early Earth, and how this might have happened on distant planets.
On the whole, this "Origins of Life in the Universe Initiative" is good news for the ID guys, first because the Harvard project seems to acknowledge what everyone who looks into the question soon finds out – that origin of life studies have been at an impasse for decades.
Like intelligent design, the Harvard project begins with awe at the nature of life, and with an admission that, almost 150 years after Charles Darwin outlined his theory of evolution in the Origin of Species, scientists cannot explain how the process began.
Many science textbooks fudge this issue, so don't be surprised if comes as news to you. It might come as news to your old biology teacher too.
Why is origin of life difficult to determine?
To understand the nature of the origin of life researchers' difficulties, we must see what Harvard's precise goal is. Chemist David Liu puts it as follows: "… my expectation is that we will be able to reduce this to a very simple series of logical events that could have taken place with no divine intervention."
Or, translating from the theistic idiom, Harvard's proposition is that intelligence is not necessary, that the universe is bottom up, not top down, and that order may be had for free.
Indeed, that has always been the key difficulty in origin of life (OoL) research. Understanding the OoL is not difficult in principle, because our universe appears to be fine tuned for just such a thing to happen.
Put another way, if all the odds were against life, we should indeed wonder that it exists! But the odds are for it. So in principle, the origin is eminently researchable, just as fine-tuning is.
BUT if your project, like Harvard's, is to rule out an intelligence behind the odds, you have a big job ahead, maybe an impossible one.
I don't think Harvard yard will succeed, but here's the difficulty: They will easily persuade themselves that they have succeeded. That is usually the way with such projects.
Taking intelligent design seriously
Why so? Well, in the first place, as reporter Cook's story makes clear, the background to the project is alarm over the idea of intelligent design. Indeed, the story unobtrusively demonstrates how seriously intelligent design has come to be taken. Just as NASA spent billions trying to disconfirm the Big Bang, Harvard will spent at least millions trying to disconfirm ID, where origin of life is concerned. Actually, Harvard has no alternative.
Remember that when some boffo pundit assures you that ID is not taken seriously by scientists.
Why you will be told the project is succeeding even if it isn't
Apart from the taxpayer funding that the Harvard project will inevitably attract, it resembles certain fundamentalist efforts to find Noah's Ark. SETI searches come swiftly to mind as well. That is, the seekers have already determined that what they are looking for is really there – whether it is a bottom up origin of life, the good ship Ark, or intergalactic civilizations. Failure to find the prize cannot – by the very nature of the project – serve as a disconfirmation. It can prompt only the most limited reevaluations.
When a project is framed in this way, one outcome is that some findings must not be made and some conclusions must not be drawn, irrespective of evidence.
In an analogous situation, Larry Summers, a key project backer, lost his own presidency last year for nothing more than pointing out that women are not as well adapted to the hard sciences as men.
That fact is massively overdetermined by evidence, but what does evidence matter in the face of a demand to demonstrate a politically correct proposition rather than a factually based one?
Indeed, one phase of Summers' difficulties over his remarks on women in science provides a sobering lesson as to what to expect from the Harvard OoL project.
Biology prof Nancy Hopkins walked out of Summers' talk, proclaiming that his remarks made her sick. Specifically, she told The Globe ,that if she hadn't left, she "would've either blacked out or thrown up."
Now, … what if a hard science guy announced that challenges from his colleagues cause him to nearly black out or throw up unless he can just walk out on them? Should he be given a demanding chair? For that matter, which of the ID theorists is having a nervous breakdown because of remarks made by the adult toddlers over at the Thumb? People do not have to be tough in order to survive (it often pays better to be nice, actually), but they do have to be tough in order to survive certain types of positions.
In fact, Hopkins was unintentionally providing good evidence for Summer's observations that the requisite types of personality and mental development are more often found in men than women, as several perceptive women columnists (all of them tough as nails, just like me) have pointed out – but (and this is my point) her behaviour was not generally regarded as evidence. You see it had been agreed in advance that no actual evidence for Summers' original position could ever be admitted. So it will be with intelligence and the origin of life.
However, the article is interesting in several other ways: Yes, it actually does quote Michael Behe. After the intrusive sign-up screen (which means few will see Behe's comment unless they think of asking for the printer-friendly screen instead), Cook quotes Behe as saying,
Michael Behe, a biologist at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and one of the leading proponents of intelligent design, said he was glad that Harvard was going to try to address the issue.
"If, as I suspect will happen," Behe said, "they fail to find a plausible answer without invoking intelligence, then maybe science will be less hostile to folks who see intelligent direction in the history of life," he said.
Fat chance, actually, Mike. As I have noted above, in the atmosphere such a project generates, boosters easily silence questioners, simply by quoting dogma and questioning loyalty. Remember, the boosters know that bottom up order for free is real, and anyone who cannot so convince himself is a failure.
What we can expect is press releases every so often claiming major breakthroughs that turn out to depend on the acceptance of speculative propositions. Such releases justify the current funding and attract more funding – and very few will have an interest in pointing out the problems.
Well, it's an ill wind that blows nobody good. Press releases are bread and butter for me.


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Date & Time Fields
Post Information
Posted on June 13, 2012
By Daniel Morrison
We've added a new data type to Templates and Forms: Date & Time.
When you add a field, the Date & Time field gives you the option of 3 display types: Date with Time, Date only, or Time only. Each of them can be easily formatted with our date template tag.
As an example, you can add a Date with Time
And it will give you these options in your template or form:
A Date only field is similar
Giving you only the date selection:
We have plans to make these a little more friendly and flexible, but we wanted to get them in front of you to get feedback. Give them a try and let us know what you think!
1 Comment
Date and time are important markers of consumer behavior and their lifestyles so it's important to incorporate these fields when asking site visitors for personal information. It also allows site owners to document online activity in their sites.


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Royal Mail workers are to receive ballot papers for a vote on a national strike.
The Communications Workers Union (CWU) said it was issuing the papers to 120,000 workers that it represents.
The move follows months of local strikes across the country in a row over pay and job security.
About 20,000 staff have so far walked out since July and there is now an estimated backlog of 20 million letters and parcels waiting to be delivered – about a quarter of Royal Mail's daily volume, the Times reported.


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Teen Alcohol Use: What You Can Do to Help
Alcohol is, by far, the most socially acceptable and easiest drug to obtain in our country. For that reason, it's a popular choice among teens. Although it is illegal for teens to purchase alcohol, they can often get it through their parent's own liquor cabinets, unscrupulous store clerks, or older friends who purchase it for them. The median age at which teens begin to drink is thirteen. A full 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol. Locally, according to the Middle School Survey, Somerset County students report that 43.7% had tried alcohol and 28% reported using alcohol in the last year. (2010 Somerset County Comprehensive Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Plan)
Meanwhile, the culture runs against us. Science Daily reported December 3 that researchers studied ad placements in 118 magazines between 2002 and 2006 and found that products that are most popular with young drinkers — such as flavored drinks, premium beer, low-calorie beer, vodka, and rum — were four times more likely to appear in publications with the highest levels of youth readership than products that are less popular with young drinkers, like gin, brandy, whiskey and scotch.
These facts make it hard for parents and other adults to find the right methods of prevention, but research shows us that it's important. We all know that alcohol impairs a person's motor skills, reasoning, and inhibitions. Since teens' brains are not fully developed and are not able to fully reason and / or project the future consequences of their present actions, alcohol is not a good mix for this age group. But there's even more evidence that we should work hard to prevent our youth from drinking. California researchers who compared the brains of teen drinkers to non-drinkers found that young alcohol users suffered damage to nerve tissues that could cause attention deficits among boys and faulty visual information processing among girls. The study found that those who binged on alcohol did worse on thinking and memory tests.
Warning Signs
The smell of alcohol on the breath, slurred speech, and problems with coordination are tell-tale signs of alcohol use. Falling grades, skipping school, and behavioral problems are also more common in teen drinkers. You may also notice sudden changes in the friends a child is spending time with. Drinkers tend to be more prone to injuries, such as falls, car accidents, falls, drowning, burns and shootings.
The most effective methods of prevention we have are for parents to talk to their teens, model good behavior, expose youth to examples of positive things that other teens are doing, and teaching youth the consequences of risky behavior. There are some great online guides for what to say, and we've included some resources at the end of this blog. In addition, we wanted to give you some information on three recent studies which have de-bunked some myths about alcohol prevention.
Rueters reported on Oct. 16 that the more parents expect their teens to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking and using drugs, the more likely their teens are to follow through with those behaviors. Researchers found that adolescents with mothers who expected them to be more rebellious and take greater risks reported higher levels of risky behavior than other adolescents during follow-up surveys. On the other hand, parents may lower the rate of risky behavior among their adolescent children by expecting that they can resist negative peer pressure and instead engage in positive behavior, according to the study. The study refutes the common thought that parents are just "being realistic" when they expect illegal drinking.
Another common myth is that, since teens are likely to drink anyway, it's better to allow them to drink at home when they are supervised than to try to stop them. A recent study of Dutch teens who were allowed to drink alcohol at home also drank more outside the home than their peers and were at increased risk of developing alcohol problems, according to researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen.
Finally, some have recently questioned the effectiveness of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. A recent study conducted by John F. Kelly of Harvard Medical School indicates that people who attend AA meetings drink less — and less frequently — than those who do not attend AA, and also are less depressed. So if you believe that someone you know has a drinking problem, AA still stands as a very effective way of managing alcoholism.
Five Tips for Parents from The Science Inside Alcohol Project:
Find Teachable Moments — We live in a culture of celebrity. If a celebrity your child admires admits to a drinking problem, or an instance of alcohol abuse occurs in your community, talk about it. Ask your middle school student if she knows anyone who drinks alcohol and whether it is at parties or has been brought into her school. Answer questions. Have this conversation often.
Talk to Your Kids When Everything is Fine — Middle school students are volatile, hormonal beings. They are sweet and wonderful one moment, and blow up the next. Pick a time when things are quiet and they're a captive audience such as in the backseat of your car. Don't take no for an answer.
Engage Your Kids in the Science of Alcohol — Adolescents are incredibly self-involved. Alcohol can cause memory loss, impair sports performance, incite embarrassing behavior and affect how they feel and look. Make them aware of these facts. If there is a history of alcoholism in your family, explain about genetic predispositions towards alcohol abuse.
Be Vigilant — There's no alternative to monitoring your kids. Have an early curfew. Know where they are at all times. Even if you are not home on a weeknight, make sure you can reach your kids by phone. Get to know their new friends and their parents. Find out what their rules and level of engagement are.
Learn to Trust Your Child — Now's the time when all the work you've put into creating a value system for your child begins to pay off. Set limits and enforce rules, but remember to give your child room to make his or her decisions, within your comfort zone. Praise them when they do well. It's worth a thousand words.
If you need more information about teen alcohol use or talking to your teen, here are some resources:
Online Guide for Talking to Kids About Alcohol
Alcoholics Anonymous
National Al-Anon/Alateen
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday
Alcohol Hotline
The National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Information Center
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service
Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
Local New Jersey Resources:
New Jersey Drug Hotline
New Jersey Al-Anon/ Alateen Info
Somerset Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency
Somerset Treatment Services


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Q. I know this may sound dumb, but I recently moved things around my house and I need to reconnect my TV to my basic equipment — satellite DVR and Blu-ray player — and I don't have a clue how to do it. I always get confused over what cable goes where and so forth. Help me, Mr. Answer Man. — Michelle, Waco, Texas.
Michelle, it's not a dumb question at all. A lot of people get a little intimidated when connecting set-top boxes to the TV. In fact, I've seen auto mechanics — people who could strip a car and put it back together in no time — cower when asked to hook up their TVs.
Click to see today's best-selling TV at Amazon.com!
So let's make it simple here.
First, you get two HDMI cables. (If you're not sure what's an HDMI cable, click here.) Insert the first HDMI cable into the satellite box's HDMI 1 OUT port and then take the other end and insert it into your TV's HDMI 1 IN port.
Now, take the second HDMI cable and insert it into the Blu-ray Player's HDMI 2 OUT port and then take the other end of the cable and put it into your TV's HDMI 2 IN port.
Then, plug in the TV, the satellite receiver and the Blu-ray player. That's basically it. When you want to watch satellite TV, you will hit the Input or Video button on your remote and click on HDMI 1. When you watch to watch the Blu-ray player, you will click on HDMI 2.
If your TV has more than two HDMI inputs — and most new models do — you can connect another set-top such as a Roku player or video game console to HDMI 3 and so on.
Happy Viewing!
The TV Answer Man web site is supported solely from your purchases from Amazon.com. We urge you to buy something now using this link. Every purchase helps. Many thanks.
And if you have a question for the TV Answer Man, send it to: firstname.lastname@example.com


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His diverse film work includes lauded performances in Something Wicked This Way Comes, Brazil, Glengarry Glen Ross, Carrington (for which he won the Cannes Film Festival and Evening Standard Awards for Best Actor), Evita and roles in successful blockbusters including Tomorrow Never Dies, the Pirates of the Caribbean series and the G.I. Joe films.
Pryce recently completed filming To Walk Invisible for the BBC, written and directed by Sally Wainwright. His other recent major roles for television include: "Cardinal Wolsey" in the Golden Globe® winning adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, and "High Sparrow" in the fantasy drama Game of Thrones. Other recent television work includes Cranford: Return to Cranford, for which he received an Emmy® Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama.
His recent film work includes The White King, directed by Alex Helfrecht and Jorg Tittel; The Healer, directed by Paco Arango; Woman in Gold, directed by Simon Curtis; Dough, directed by John Goldschmidt; Listen Up Philip, directed by Alex Ross Perry; and The Salvation, directed by Kristian Levring.
Pryce's extensive theatre work includes Comedians in London and on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award®; Hamlet, in London, for which he received an Olivier Award; and Miss Saigon, in which he starred on both sides of the Atlantic, winning further Olivier and Tony awards. Pryce produced landmark performances as "Davies" in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker in London and New York, and as the title role in King Lear at the Almeida Theatre, London. Most recently, Pryce starred in The Merchant of Venice for The Globe Theatre in London, which is now set for a global tour later this year.


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Did you know that biological viruses can be transmitted through the internet in addition to digital ones? This week the tables turn as Josh's health returns and an extremely congested Emily has to podcast from under a blanket. She'll be all right, though, thanks to the patrons who donated Master System platelets, and also to the energy-infused, patron-submitted VGM Karaoke that literally clears her sinuses. Also reminisce about a time before the internet and when ice skating scandals rocked the world, and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes exposé on the highly anticipated upcoming radio drama, Capcom Girls. So cuddle up under a blanket (again, for equality's sake) and sink into a pillowy limbo with the VGM Jukebox.
|This episode was made possible by:
|Track Title
|Main Theme (Pure Stone)
|Yoshiaki Ohuchi, Tokuhiko Uwabo (arr.)
|A Bad Dream
|Keiichi Suzuki, Hirokazu Tanaka
|Akazuin Cha Cha
|House of Particular Interest
|Toshihiko Sahashi
|Ninja Gaiden
|Stage 2
|Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball
|Division 3 Game
|Super Black Bass 3
|Track 6
|Tsukushi Sasaki, Michiya Hirasawa
...and listeners like YOU.


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Thank You
Corrinne and Michelle Rosquillo
College is a time of discovery – of finding your career, your dreams, your place. While every student at UNC Greensboro can thrive on our campus, Corrinne and Michelle Rosquillo found something particularly special: They found their home.
"We met during Japanese class," remembers Corrinne '12, '15 MS. "I was a sophomore kinesiology major, Michelle was a junior English major. I remember thinking she just 'got' me. She understood and shared so much of my passion for culture."
Corrinne learned more about Michelle '11, '17 MFA as they continued studying Japanese. They became involved in various cultural communities on campus, even taking on leadership roles in Japanese Club. Michelle credits Corrinne's enthusiasm and genuine love of learning and engaging with others with breaking her "out of her shell." When Corrinne decided to study abroad for a semester, they agreed to move in together upon her return.
"We kind of knew that it was meant to be," Michelle says. The couple married in 2014.
"Meant to be" didn't prevent struggle, especially when they both decided graduate education would be necessary for their careers. With one an out-of-state student in athletic training, and the other attending one of the most competitive creative writing programs in the country, Corrinne and Michelle were grateful for donor support.
"Scholarships represent more than just good grades," says Michelle, who received the Ruth McKaughan and W. Bryan Carter Scholarship. "They mean someone believes in your potential and wants to give you that opportunity to succeed. Scholarships are about trust and support."
Corrinne, who could not depend on support from family, appreciated every scholarship she earned, including the Henry Weil Fellowship, the Ellen Griffin Scholarship, and the Nancy Burton Hockett Scholarship:
"The people behind these scholarships truly encouraged me to follow my dreams."
Follow their dreams, they did. Corrinne currently enjoys a position as an athletic trainer in a Randolph County high school, where her training with faculty in the Department of Kinesiology has allowed her to advance by leaps and bounds. Michelle has held numerous positions on campus. She is now an adjunct professor in the Department of Religious Studies, teaching a course on sacred poetry. Neither can imagine life without UNCG.
"Something draws you back to campus," Michelle says. "It's a welcoming environment, full of interesting people and new challenges. I'm glad I can watch my alma mater grow, adapt, and transform while holding the values that first brought me here."
"UNCG is home," adds Corrinne. "I had many struggles with my family and their beliefs. UNCG provided me and my wife a space to flourish and be ourselves. We're so grateful for everything this institution – and its faculty, staff, students, donors, and friends – does to provide community for everyone."
Story by Michelle Danner-Groves, Donor Relations
Endowments provide donors with opportunities to create living legacies and touch the lives of future generations.


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Magna unveils industry-first systems debuted on BMW i8
by Canadian Manufacturing Staff
BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car features outside mirrors with hidden turn signal indicators, electronic side-door latch system developed by Magna
SAILAUF, Germany—Aurora, Ont.-based auto supplier Magna International Inc. unveiled a pair of industry-first systems that made their respective debuts on the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.
According to Magna, it developed outside mirrors with hidden turn signal indicators and an electronic side-door latch system that are featured on the latest and greatest out of Bavaria.
The shapely outside mirrors include a hidden indicator that is fully integrated so that the mirror housing and turn signal lens are one and the same.
Invisible when not in operation, Magna said the turn signal allows for improved aerodynamics and reduced wind noise—albeit incrementally.
Magna's SmartLatch electronic side-door latch requires no cables, rods or moving handles in the door, which help cut weight, as well as the number of components used in the car.
Thanks to the elimination of the lock rods, release cables and handles, Magna said its SmartLatch is a lower-cost door latching system that is flexible enough to be used in any type of car or truck.
"We expect SmartLatch to become the benchmark for door-latch designs over the next few years," said Frank Seguin, president of Magna Closures and Magna Mirrors. "The BMW i8 is an ideal vehicle on which to debut both of these game-changing technologies—the 'i' stands for innovation, after all."
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"We learn from failure, not from success." –Bram Stoker
Stoker published his masterpiece, Dracula, in 1897. Deemed a classic horror novel not long after its release, Dracula has continued to garner acclaim for more than a century, inspiring the creation of hundreds of film, theatrical and literary adaptations. In addition to Dracula, Stoker published more than a dozen novels before his death in 1912.
Bram Stoker was born Abraham Stoker on 8 November 1847, in Clontarf, Co Dublin to father, Abraham Stoker and mother Charlotte Matilda Blake Thornley Stoker. He was one of seven children.
Stoker was bed-ridden for much of his childhood, but lived a relatively healthy life during his adulthood. Educated at Trinity College, Stoker became interested in the theatre while a student through a friend, Dr. Maunsell. He became the theatre critic for the Dublin Evening Mail, co-owned by the author of Gothic tales Sheridan Le Fanu.
In 1878 Stoker married Florence Balcombe, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel James Balcombe of 1 Marino Crescent. She was a celebrated beauty whose former suitor was Oscar Wilde. Stoker had known Wilde from his student days, having proposed him for membership of the university's Philosophical Society while he was president.
The Stokers moved to London, where Stoker became acting manager and then business manager of Irving's Lyceum Theatre, London, a post he held for 27 years. On 31 December 1879, Bram and Florence's only child was born, a son whom they christened Irving Noel Thornley Stoker.
After suffering a number of strokes, Stoker died at No. 26 St George's Square on 20 April 1912. Some biographers attribute the cause of death to tertiary syphilis, others to overwork. He was cremated, and his ashes placed in a display urn at Golders Green Crematorium. After Irving Noel Stoker's death in 1961, his ashes were added to that urn.


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Apr 5, 2010
Investors await Simon's General Growth bid
Apr 5, 2010
By Ilaina Jonas - Analysis
NEW YORK (Reuters) - What will Simon say?
Now that General Growth Properties Inc (GGP.N) has filed a plan to emerge from bankruptcy as a stand-alone company, investors expect a rival plan to emerge, with Simon Property Group Inc (SPG.N) the most likely suitor.
Bayside Marketplace in Miami, Florida - A General Growth Properties Inc mall - Photo: www.baysidemarketplace.com
"This is the beginning of the end," said Scott Moskol, who specializes in bankruptcy, corporate and finance law as a partner at Burns & Levinson.
The detailed plan sets a schedule under which General Growth will consider offers to either help bankroll its emergence as a stand-alone company, or buy the company in its entirety. Those offers must top the plan General Growth filed late on Wednesday 31 March and Simon is facing pressure to make a sweetened offer sooner rather than later.
"Simon should be highly incentivized to submit its improved proposal as soon as possible in order to allow General Growth to negotiate an acceptable agreement and decide to move forward with Simon's bid before the hearing on the 29th," a source familiar with situation said.
If an agreement is reached, General Growth could then present to the court a Simon offer as the bid to top instead of the one filed on Wednesday 31 March. That detailed plan calls for Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAMa.TO), Fairholme Capital Management and William Ackman's Pershing Square Capital to invest $6.55 billion to bankroll General Growth's exit from bankruptcy.
As part of that plan, Brookfield would be granted 60 million warrants and Fairholme Capital and Pershing would together be granted another 60 million in warrants. A hearing on those warrants is scheduled for April 29. Once the judge approves them, the cost of a competing offer would skyrocket and push away potential buyers and investors.
The source also said it would behoove Simon to submit a plan well before a company-set April 19 deadline for interested parties to make themselves known.
A spokesman for Simon declined to comment.
General Growth shares closed at $15.95 on Thursday 1 April, still above the $15 value set in the reorganization plan filed by the company late on Wednesday 31 March.
In February, Simon offered to buy General Growth for $9 per share, an offer that was rebuffed as too low.
Even with the looming deadline, it will probably be a few days before any counter offer might come. General Growth's stand-alone proposal runs about 550 pages and any other potential source of capital or buyer would need to know what it is up against, said John Mallin, McCarter & English group leader for real estate construction and environmental practice.
The Equity Committee also is studying the proposal and is moving to get permission to hire a financial adviser to help it better understand any proposal for the company's future, sources familiar with the matter said.
But Simon is not the only party that could propose a better offer. Mall owners with fewer U.S. holdings could step up and other sources of capital could bid to replace Fairholme or Ackman in a stand-alone deal.
A group of investors, including Elliott Management Corp and Paulson & Co, are mulling an offer to help fund General Growth's exit from bankruptcy. Spokesmen for Elliott and Paulson declined to comment.
"Other parties will come to the table with better equity offers, or Simon will come across with a bid that is definitively or demonstratively better ... or someone else," said a person close to the bankruptcy procedures.
Simon has been weighing whether to sweeten its offer, people close to the deal have said. It has been conducting due diligence since March 3 and has said all it needed was 30 days to formulate a bid.
It also has been lining up a $6 billion credit line. Simon itself has access to about $7 billion in cash.
Yet, David Simon, Simon chairman and chief executive, has repeatedly said he would not pay a price that put his own company's finances at risk.
"I think Simon is willing to walk away. I don't think Simon will bet the balance sheet," said Sandler O'Neill and Partners analyst Alex Goldfarb.
Still, at stake are malls that are among the best performing in the United States. And investors like malls because they have long leases that generate a stable cash flow. Additionally, they are difficult to build in dense areas.
General Growth owns or has interest in more than 200 malls, including Fashion Show in Las Vegas, Ala Moana Center in Hawaii and Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston.
On Thursday 1 April, the International Council of Shopping Centers said its March 2010 composite U.S. Shopping Center Executive Opinion Survey Business Barometer crossed the line into optimism for the first time in 32 months.
"Simon will come back with a counter bid," Goldfarb added.
(Reporting by Ilaina Jonas; editing by Andre Grenon)
© Thomson Reuters 2023 All rights reserved.


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"Really great training! The personal experiences shared by Michigan schools provided simple and motivating ideas to take home. I loved practicing healthy behaviors at breaks and lunch."
Keep the momentum alive! Join our closed Facebook group Michigan Schools: Fuel Up to Play 60!: An online platform available for Michigan schools & Program Advisors to share what you are doing at your school and post questions you may have about the program.
Gain access to many resources by creating an account at FuelUptoPlay60.com. Everyone can get involved! Check out the Tools tab on the website for downloadable files to help get conversations started at school. Some great examples are:
"It's important for my students to take part in this experience because it gives them the confidence to move on to middle school and be leaders at the next level and invoke change in nutrition and physical activity habits of the middle schoolers next year."
Check out available science-based education resources focused on promoting overall wellness, physical activity and dairy nutrition in the classroom.
Ideas to get started with your Kickoff, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Plays. Remember: It's okay to start small!
Use this guide to get yourself and your students registered, exploring and fueling up at FuelUptoPlay60.com.


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How can someone tell if they have an alcohol problem?
If you are a teenager who drinks alcohol, you do have an alcohol problem. Every damaging effect of alcohol is worse in teenagers than it is in adults. Alcohol is not good for anyone, but it's terrible for teens.
An Interactive Self-Assessment of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
The following assessment was adapted from a test offered by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
This assessment is not meant to diagnose a problem with alcohol or other drugs, but only to identify a possible problem. Only a physician or professional clinician should diagnose.
Answer these short "Yes or No" questions to see if you might need help.


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|Jan. 17, 2009 --The National
Portrait Gallery received Shepard Fairey's iconic image of Barack Obama
and installed the work in its New Arrivals section just in time for the
Inaugural. Fairey created the mixed media stenciled collage
almost a year ago and, as Martin E. Sullivan, director of the Gallery,
noted in a statement, "Shepard Fairey's instantly recognizable image
was integral to the Obama campaign." Heather and Tony Podesta
donated the piece. Curator Wendy Wick Reaves described the work
as a convergence
of a popular culture phenomenon, a political graphic, and a work of
fine art. It has elements of the propaganda aesthetic including
the large face, heroic pose, primary colors, and honed down, simplified
design and makes "a very bold graphic statement," she said.
|Congresswoman Barabara Lee,
Shepard Fairey, Dr. Martin Irvine, and Tony and Heather Podesta.
|Copyright © 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action


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Chord Inversion
In previous installments of Music Theory Fridays we've gone over the chords in a major scale and gone over how every chord except vii functions.
So far each chord has been in what's called "root position." That is, the lowest note of the chord is the root or scale degree from which the chord is built. However, chords don't always have to be in root position. Inversion is a way to change the lowest note and add more variety to a chord progression.
Inversion Explained
Chord inversion simply means taking another note and putting it in the bottom voice of the chord. If we have a C major chord (notes C, E and G) and put E in the lowest voice (play a c major shape with the open sixth string included), it become a different inversion. Like wise we can stick G in the bass for that chord to be yet another inversion of C major.
How we notate these inversions is by sticking some subscripts on Roman numerals. These subscripts indicate the interval structure above the bass. So 6/3 means that there's a sixth and third above the lowest note. To go back to our C major example: Lets say we're in the Key of C major. This makes the C major chord tonic or "I". If E is in the bass, this chord is said to be in first inversion and it notate like this…
If G is in the bass, we label I like this…
First inversion is sometimes called 6/3 inversion and second, 6/4 inversion. These labels remain constant for any traid (three note chord). So there's such at thing as ii6/3, etc. Here's the notation of the all chords in C major in their inversions. The first is first inversion (third of the chord in the lowest voice) and the second is second inversion (fifth of the chord in the lowest voice).
7th chords, such at V7, have three inversions because they have three notes other than the root. The names are a bit different; the Roman numerals are as follows (all notated using V).
Here are the inversion of V7 in notation (key of C major)
Chord Functions
In previous installments we've explained how tonic and dominant function and what ii, IV and vi do. Here's a brief summary:
- Tonic is home
- Dominant leads to tonic
- ii, IV and vi are intermediate harmony. They lead away from tonic and to dominant
When we mix inversions into the game nothing really changes. The basic functions are still there! But the rules change a bit as each inversion has typical functions. Here's a basic overview:
Tonic is still home. I6/3 is now a stop along the journey from I to V. Tonic in first inversion is somewhat stable, but still has a tendency to sound unfinished – it wants to go somewhere
Dominant in root position still leads strongly to I. V6 or V6/5 functions as a lower neighbor to tonic. Remember that our lead tone (the third of a V chord) must resolve upwards to one. This rule can be broken sometimes, but not when that leading tone is in the highest or lowest voice. With dominant in first inversion the leading tone is the lowest voice and must resolve upwards. V4/3 is a passing chord that's used when moving between I and I6 yielding the progression I V4/3 I6. vii6 can also be used instead of V4/3 – the chords are interchangeable. V4/2 is interesting. The other rule about resolving V7 to I is that the 7th must resolve downward to the third of the tonic chord. In this inversion of V the 7th is in the lowest voice and must resolve. Which means V4/2 has pretty much one function: to lead to I6.
ii and IV and thier inversions still function the same way: they move to V. Most commonly ii6 and IV6 are used. In fact, 6/4 chord (second inversions) are rarely used outside of very specific circumstances. vi6 is interesting because it has tonic as the lowest note. Regardless of what's over top of a tonic lowest voice, our ear tends to perceive it as relatively stable. vi6 functions as a substitute for I. If you want to see a great example of this, take a look at the first two measures of Villa-Lobos' Etude no. 1. He moves I vi6 then back to I in the third measure. vi6 is a way of adding variety.
A Note About the "Rules"
It's important to say that these rules outlined here are generalizations. Composers break the rules all the time! And in the 20C and today there are no rules on how to write music. Chords can move however you wish. Using this system is useful for understanding the harmony of the "common practice period" which is roughly Bach to 1900ish. It's also important to understand that theory follows practice. Theory does not define practice. Music Theory is an attempt to explain phenomenon that were already happening in music.


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Even though the iPad 4 launched just two months ago, it's never too soon to consider what the next-generation iPad may deliver.
That's the thinking of Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge who reported on Friday that talk of iPad 5 isn't premature in the least. According to him, the device has already been designed.
"Earlier this month," Horwitz revealed this morning, "I had the opportunity to inspect a supposedly accurate—and seriously intriguing—physical model of the completely redesigned fifth-generation iPad."
But "unlike the iPad 2 and third-generation iPad," he admits, "the casings for which were basically complete as of the Januaries before they launched, the iPad 5 didn't seem to be finished yet."
Nonetheless, Horwitz says that calling the iPad 5 a "stretched iPad mini" is "very close to entirely accurate." In other words, the "fifth-generation iPad will be smaller in every dimension than its predecessors."
Based on what Horwitz has seen and heard, the iPad 5 will launch this October and not sooner. Why? The knowledgeable Apple watcher says that the screens and processors needed to make the iPad 5 Apple's thinnest and faster tablet to date "are going to be hard to come by for a while."


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2018 BMW X3 review: Stable, steady and serene
The BMW X3 offers great utility and a smooth ride, but optional extras can add up quickly.
They say that for every pot, there is a lid, and no automaker has taken that to heart quite like BMW. The company's portfolio is full of super niche vehicles that are barely distinguishable from one another.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
But while I have a hard time understanding odd "coupeovers" like the BMW X2 and X4, long-standing, traditionally shaped offerings like the X3 still make a lot of sense. Now in its third generation, the 2018 X3 doesn't try to revolutionize its original formula, but instead remains a solid offering among compact luxury crossovers .
Easy to drive
The standard X3 xDrive30i model is seen here, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine makes 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and is enough to propel this 4,156-pound CUV to 60 miles per hour in a BMW-estimated six seconds flat.
Still, this isn't a performance car. The BMW X3 is best enjoyed in Comfort mode, cruising along the freeway with the heated seats activated on a chilly, foggy San Francisco morning. The ride quality is super smooth, the steering light. It's an easy car to drive over long distances.
Engage Sport mode as the road begins to twist, and the X3 responds nicely. The transmission kicks down and the shifts generally have a snappier quality; throttle response is quicker as well. The xDrive all-wheel drive system has a standard 40:60 rear-biased torque split, though it's constantly making adjustments based on driver demand and road conditions.
Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping functionality and traffic jam assist are all part of BMW's $1,700 Driving Assistant Plus package, which isn't fitted to my test car -- a bummer as I slog through the Bay Bridge merge point. This is also where I notice the coarse, herky-jerky tendencies of the X3's stop-start system. Luckily, it's easy to turn the system off, and it doesn't affect overall fuel economy too much. The EPA rates the X3 xDrive30i at 25 miles per gallon combined, and my observed testing after a week of driving was 27.3 mpg.
Other active driving aids like lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, daytime pedestrian detection and forward collision warning with emergency braking aren't standard, either. Instead, they're bundled in the $900 Driving Assistance package (which is mandatory if you also want the Plus pack). Considering some of these features are standard on far less expensive crossovers, the fact that they aren't fitted to every X3 is a real letdown.
My tester does have the $1,300 Parking Assistance pack, which includes a nifty 3D-view 360-degree camera. I can use the rotary dial and the iDrive infotainment screen to get a fairly realistic image of the X3 superimposed over the digital camera readout. The result is a super-cool interface that makes parallel parking -- and not curbing a wheel -- much easier.
iDrive tech
In the X3's case, BMW iDrive 6.0 is housed in a large, 10-inch screen. You can control it via touch, voice or the aforementioned dial on the center console. BMW's weird gesture controls for volume and phone calls are on tap, too.
The iDrive home page features tiles for navigation, media, phone, BMW Connected Drive, vehicle settings and notifications. Most commands are easy and intuitive, but I found I had to dig deeper into menus and submenus for a few options, like the controls for the available head-up display.
Apple CarPlay is available for an extra $300. And while BMW uses wireless CarPlay, it means you can't use both the onboard Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple infotainment at the same time. I never got the system to use CarPlay with the wired connection. Android users, you're still out of luck.
Comfy and capacious
The X3's interior features traditional BMW styling, with clean, intuitive organization of the vehicle's controls. Leather seating is a $1,000 upgrade over the standard leatherette, and both rows of seats can be heated.
You'll find 28.7 cubic feet of space behind the X3's rear seats. Fold the 40/20/40-split bench and cargo capacity increases to 62.7 cubic feet -- lowering the rear seats can be done manually or electronically, via controls in the hatch. These cargo numbers best competitors like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Audi Q5, but fall behind the Jaguar F-Pace, which offers as much as 64 cubic feet.
How I'd spec it
The 2018 BMW X3 xDrive30i starts at $42,650, not including $995 for destination. For my money, I'll start with the Premium tier model, and I'll add both of the driver assistance packages and the park-assist pack. And even though pretty much every other automaker offers Apple CarPlay for free, I'll begrudgingly fork over $300 for the privilege. All in, my ideal X3 costs $55,395. The car I tested, meanwhile, costs $57,620.
If you don't need all-wheel drive, a slightly cheaper sDrive30i model is available, starting at $41,000. If it's more power you seek, BMW offers the X3 M40i, with a 3.0-liter turbocharged I6 engine with 355 horsepower on tap. It starts at $54,500.
2018 BMW X3 runs at just right the temperatureSee all photos
A well-rounded offering
The compact luxury CUV segment is fiercely competitive these days. In addition to the Alfa, Audi and Jag, the X3 battles the competitive Acura RDX , Cadillac XT5 , Infiniti QX50 , Lexus NX and Volvo XC60 .
The X3 doesn't stand out in any one specific way, rather, it's a comprehensive, well-rounded package. It's comfortable and compliant for daily driving, and plenty useful, too. In a world where more and more automakers are trying to find niches in the luxury CUV space, sometimes it's best to just stick with what's worked all along.


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Rector's Report to the Annual Meeting 2017
Rector's Report to the Annual Meeting
This morning, I want to lay out the priorities which I think are essential for this coming year for the life of our Parish Family.
Over the last several years, one priority that has constantly been brought up by members of our parish is the need to bring in new members. I can honestly say that, in the past few years we have indeed been bringing new people into our parish family. A few Sundays ago, when the weather was, well, typical for this time of year (cold and snowy) I looked around and at the congregation, as small as it was that day, and realized that over 3/4 of those there that day were new members since I came to Holy Cross five years ago.
Growing a small parish in a small town that is not it self growing is a tough enterprise. Indeed growing any church in any town is tough. The first thing we need to remember is that it's not us who make the parish grow, but God.
Now, I please don't think I'm throwing all the responsibility of growing our parish on God. Actually, I am, but we need to be mindful of the things that God is calling on us to do to work with him. That's what the whole Christian life is about: God doing what he does, and us responding in the way which God wants us to respond in order to be the hands and feet of God here on earth. That's what you and I are called to be – the body of Christ, carrying on his mission in the world, by his grace. My sermon this morning was about Christ leading the Charge from death to life, and the mission of the Church, and therefore the mission of this parish as the Church in Warrensburg, is to carry out that work which God has called us to do. Indeed we end our Mass each week asking God to help us "do all such Good works which though has prepared for us do to."
In order to be a place where people want to come. In order to be a family that people want to be a part of, we need to have our business in order. And to have that business in order, we need to be constantly asking ourselves, "Is this what God want us to do?" More than any priority which you may think our parish family may have, that must be priority number one. Are we doing what God wants us to do.
And I want to invite you today, to join with me in adding to your prayers "O Lord, what would you have us do?" That was the prayer which Paul offered up when he was confronted with the vision of Christ on the Road to Damascus. "Lord, what shall I do?"
I've been asking that very question myself over the last several months. What would God have us do as we move toward the future. I want to share with you a few thoughts which I have discerned.
One area which we need to pray about is how can we do more to reach out to our community. I've struggled myself with this very question. There are a lot of wonderful ministries which God has called other churches to in our town. North Country Ministry, the Gathering Place, the Food Pantries. What can we do?
Within our own parish, too, each of us needs to consider how we can offer service. There wonderful people in our parish who bear a lot of the work. We need volunteers to help out with things like serving on the Altar as Acolytes and Chalice bearers and members of the Altar Guild.
But we also need more people to step up and help out with those special events, like dinners, and monthly breakfasts, with those special events like the quiche luncheon and the annual Christmas Bazaar. The more people who are willing to help the better.
One of the first items the vestry will be discussing next month at our first meeting of the year will be bringing back a few committees comprised of both members of the vestry and parishioners in general. Please be willing to volunteer or serve when asked.
In the area of our worship, the vestry has discussed trying to have a contemporary service in addition to our traditional worship services. Personally, I think that there is value in having a broad range of worship offerings, but I am hesitant at the idea that we should use worship as a means of evangelism. Other churches and parishes have tried it and that's not what worship is for.
In the area of Evangelism, we need to get ourselves out there in the public eye more often than we have in the past year. That's one important thing. After five years, im recognized enough around town to be a visible part of our community. That's been an important aspect of bringing new people into our family. But the biggest and most important and best way to get more people to church is to invite them. If everyone in the room today, worked this year to invite just person to church this year, we could double the size of our parish. Who will you try to bring into the church this year? Think of one person, just one and start working on them remembering that the best thing you can to start that process is to start praying for them on a daily basis. And then start inviting them.
In the area of Education, Holy Cross has a robust offering of Educational opportunities. We have the Rector's forum on Several Sundays and Weekly Tuesday Evening meeting that goes back and forth between a book of the Bible and some other book. We also have a Men's Bible study and a women's bible study that meet once a month. I can share with you that I have felt personally heartbroken when I have made direct invitations to people to participate in the Rector's forum and been told "no I'm not interested." I can honestly say I'm hurt when I hear that. What I want to ask of each of you today is to commit to participating in some form of the educational study offerings that we have here. They are really one of my favorite parts of my job. You don't have to talk in the groups, you don't have to do answer questions, but just come and see, like Andrew told his brother Peter in today's lesson.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care is probably my second favorite part of my work here at Holy Cross. You actually pay me to go and visit people and I really do enjoy visiting our shut ins, and being there for people in their time of need.
At the same time, caring for our parishioners is a job for everyone. I'm always delighted to hear from our shut ins that so and so called them or stopped by and visited them. Our shut ins don't make it here because they're not able, so please, keep them part of the family this year by reaching out to them with a phone call, a card, or a visit.
I would also like to institute Lay Eucharistic Visitors in the parish. In some parishes, there are trained volunteers that take Communion from the Mass on Sunday to shut-ins each week after mass. I wonder if this might be something we can try here? Would any of you be willing to go visit a shut-in after mass on Sunday and bring them communion?
Another ministry, which exists in our parish, but you don't hear much about is our Parish Nurse. While you don't hear much about it, I want to just say two things. This is a wonderful ministry that has done a lot of wonderful things for our parish this past year, the results of which are private and confidential, and so done not so much in secret but in a way to keep people's personal medical lives private. And secondly, if you have any questions regarding your health care, we have a Nurse in our parish who is available to you to help you get answers.
The final area I want to speak about today is Stewardship. Stewardship is perhaps the second most important dimension of parish life after Evangelism. Each of us is called to share the Gospel with others, in intentional ways in our lives, that's evangelism. What follows on evangelism's heels is Stewardship.
Stewardship involves a lot of dimensions. One of those dimensions is the maintenance of our day to day operations. You received today a report from our Treasurer. You'll see that at the end of the year, we made ends meet and all our bills are paid. That's wonderful. That is a blessing from God.
But one of the things that concerns me is that as you look at the report, only half of our income came from regular giving envelopes. Almost 10% came from our endowment, and almost 25% came from special projects, which are funded by things like the annual Raffle. As we look to the future, we need to have a better understanding of how God wants us to be good stewards of our annual expenses and income. A few years ago, a few parishioners went to the Parish Leadership Conference and heard about a program called "New Consecration Sunday." This year, I'm going to be enlisting the help of some of you, and some fellow clergy to help us better understand how we might become better givers in the kingdom of God for our annual budget.
Lastly, as members of our Parish we are responsible for being good stewards of the things we have been given, our buildings being a key component. We have done a great job over the years of keeping up and maintaining the buildings we have, and being able not just to use them for our own needs, but to offer them up to the community for their needs. Our ability to be there for our surrounding community is a great blessing to us as well as to the people of Warrensburg. Our buildings are used on a regular and continuing basis by the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, North Country Ministry, Alcoholics Anonymous, and for private gatherings, such as baby showers, and receptions following funerals to name a few. I'm grateful we've got the beautiful and functional space to do that. And as part of our life as a family we're charged with making sure its available for years to come.
To that end, our vestry has decided that we need to undertake another capital campaign this year. Over the last several years we've raised money to pay for big projects like the new roof over the kitchen, insulating the chapel roof, and the repaving of the driveway. This year, we don't have any big ticket projects in the works. But we do have a number of smaller projects which need our attention. IN the next few weeks, you'll be receiving a letter asking you to join in a capital campaign to raise $25,000 in order to get accomplish those little projects we need to get done. When you get that letter, please consider prayerfully how you will contribute.
I want to end this morning on a personal note. Its hard to believe that its been five years since I first stood up here and addressed you as your Priest-in-Charge. Remember that? I was 9 days into this thing called "being a priest." I want to say how grateful I am to you all for all your love and support you've shown me. You've continued to teach me what it is to be a family in Christ. I know that I haven't always been on top of my game, but I couldn't do any of it without the love and help you've given me. I truly hope that someday I can somehow repay you all for what you have done for me. I can't even begin to express what it means. But from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I really do love being here with you all, and serving you as a priest in God's Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. And I truly hope that this year will bring great blessings on our church family.
May God bless you all as you have blessed me these last few years.
Key Points from the Report to the Annual Meeting
- In everything we do this year, ask with Saint Paul, "Lord what would you have us do?" (Lord, is this what you want us to do?)
- Find a community outreach program and build on one which we have already
- Increase service within our parish
- More people helping out with events within the parish. (Breakfasts (Vestry), parish dinners, quiche luncheon, Christmas Bazaar)
- Need a server for the 8 am service.
- Host a worship event that the wider community would participate in
- Get out in the public eye as a parish.
- Every member invites one person to become part of the Holy Cross Family this year.
- Start by praying for them
- Then, invite them to "Come and See!"
- Encourage more people to participate in some for of Christian Education
- Rector's Forum
- Tuesday Evening Bible Study
- Men's Bible Study
- Women's Bible Study
- Encourage parishioners to reach out to shut ins
- Cards, visits, phone calls
- Lay Eucharistic Visitors – bring communion on Sunday to a shut in
- Keep people informed about the availability of the Parish Nurse
- Hold a New Consecration Sunday program this year.
- Conduct an Capital Campaign to raise $25,000 for "small" upkeep projects around the parish


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Sandwiched between Whitney Portal Family Campground and Whitney Trailhead Campground, this campground is often overlooked. It has a slightly odd setup, as campsites are lined up along a small access road that is closed to vehicle traffic. However, the campground provides everything hikers need for basic accommodation. Being so close to the other campgrounds, it shares the same toilet facilities with Whitney Trailhead Campground. There are drinking water supplies and bear-proof food storage containers within the campground.
The campground can be easily accessed from the Whitney Portal overflow parking area, and it is a great backup campsite when all the other campgrounds are full. Hidden between trees, the campsites can get a little cold, but this isn't so much of an issue if hiking is the priority. This spot is a perfect place to get some quiet time before heading out on your hike the next morning. Note that the campground closes in winter.


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Do you have problems sleeping?
Do you have difficulty sleeping at night, whether getting to sleep or staying asleep? Do you lay awake obsessing and can't shut your mind off? It's a vicious cycle, for sure. I'm also having problems sleeping and know the frustration of not being able to sleep. I wake up every couple of hours to pee. Sometimes I get right back to sleep and other times I lay awake for hours. I'm concerned that I won't have energy and be able to function the next day when I can't sleep. I'm learning to ask for and trust that DIVINE ENERGY will get me through the day.
Several of my friends are also experiencing not being able to sleep at night and are exhausted. There is so much powerful light and energy coming into the planet at this time and our bodies feel it. It's almost like our bodies are being rebooted or recalibrated and it can be very uncomfortable. In this unprecedented time in history that none of us have experienced before and with the uncertainty of the future, we are all experiencing different symptoms.
Here are a few things that I'm focusing on to help me stay peaceful and may help you for whatever you are going through in your life. I don't do any of this perfectly, but it is PROGRESS and not PERFECTION.
- Instead of seeing things as a problem, I'm changing my perspective to seeing it as an opportunity
- I'm taking the word TRY out of the equation
- I'm not complaining
- I'm going with the FLOW
- I'm practicing Radical Self-love and Self-care
I don't see not sleeping as a "problem" but as an opportunity. Just that little shift in consciousness helps me accept "what is," even though I may not like it. I may be able to do this for 10 minutes during the night or all night.
When I'm able to see not sleeping as an opportunity, I open myself to possibilities. For example: I am using the time to CHOOSE LOVE and send love to the world and family members, especially to those I am struggling with or who trigger me. My relationship to Spirit is growing deeper.
When I say I'm going to TRY to do something, there is no commitment and I may or may not do it. For example: I will try not to complain, I will try not to eat chocolate, I will try to eat healthy, I will try to exercise, I will try not to judge, I will try not to take things personally. The list goes on and on.
There is so much more power when I say I WILL do something than when I say I will TRY to do something. See how it feels for yourself.
I believe Spirit is inviting us to Radical self-love and self- care and it will look different for all of us. My focus is on both internal and physical healing. I am spending a lot of time going within. It's important to preserve my energy and to not do things that drain me. Instead of pushing to do more (which I did all my life) I'm doing LESS and not beating up on myself and feeling guilty. How do you practice self-love and self-care?
For example: If I don't have the energy to call someone back and need to rest, I rest and give my body what it needs. I will call them later or the next day. If I make plans with someone to do something and I don't have the energy to do it, I cancel. For much of my life I did things to please others, rather than what was good for me.
I'm practicing going with the FLOW and living in the moment and in the day. I like routine because it makes me feel safe and in control. Before I broke my shoulder, I walked early in the morning for 5 miles on the beach. I like to pray and meditate at the same time every day. Everything has changed and I am learning to go with the flow and be more spontaneous. If I don't pray in the morning, I will pray at night or not. I'm seeing everything as prayer.
We are on this journey of life together to love, help and support one another. The world needs us to shine our lights into the darkness even more than ever. There are so many unconscious people who don't know what we know and where to turn for help. I know that Spirit is the answer and I can trust the plan for my life.
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That's all you get!!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Stitchery and a Sneak Peek....
That's all you get!!
9 comments:
That's a cute little birdie!!!!!ReplyDelete
Oh...I love your stitchery!!! always have!ReplyDelete
Haven't those little stitcheries been fun? Yours is darling and I love the winter one too.ReplyDelete
That's a cute little birdie..ReplyDelete
So neat and perfect stitches Jane.
Julia ♥
Wonderful and fun stitcheries, love doing those and small appliques as gifts.ReplyDelete
I like the snowmen. Is he throwing snow balls where did he get those.ReplyDelete
Like the gift one too -it's not pink why.? Lol your bird is very large next to tree. Just noticing all details...lol time for bed zzz ms
Oh the tree is lovely, so is birdie.ReplyDelete
Embroidery is so fun. Yours looks great. One of these days I am going to finish my snow days quilt.ReplyDelete
Love those fabrics in your block.
Jane I've kept your last post about the Wonky House swap marked "unread" ever since you put it up going back and forth over whether or not to do it. I love the idea and like lots of other things, I want to do it! But sanity must prevail and I know I better just keep on keepin' on with my UFOs or they're going to take over my sewing room and block the door so I can't get in. But the next time you have a swap I'm going to be first in line! :) blessings, marleneReplyDelete


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Hammerheads finish the season vs Colgate
On Saturday, Syracuse traveled to Hamilton, NY to face Central New York foe Colgate University for the last match of the season. Both teams went into the math with a 2-3 record and were looking to end the season on a high note.
Syracuse started the scoring early on offense when in the 2nd minute Jack Faure hit a penalty conversion. Colgate bounced back in the 13th minute with a try of their own to make it 7-3. In the 18th minute senior Vince Morales had his first score of the day with a try off a maul. In the 25th and 30th minute Colgate scored on penalty conversions to make it a 13-8 game. Right after the 2nd penalty conversion Brad Orr scored off a maul to tie the contest up at 13.
The play of the game came was a collective effort from sophomore captain Angus Bishop, senior Raf Stitt and junior wing Matt Hoalcraft. In the final seconds of the half Colgate attempted to kick the ball out of bounds to end the half but Angus Bishop blocked the kick. Senior flyhalf Raf Stitt caught the ball and dished it to Matt Hoalcraft who ran it 20 meters for the score. Jack Faure hit the conversion to put the Hammerheads up 20-13 going into the half.
Colgate came out firing on offense and scored a try in the 42nd minute and a penalty conversion in the 45thminute to take the lead at 21-20. Hooker Vince Morales ran the ball in for his 2nd score of the day to regain the lead and Faure hit the conversion to make it 27-21.
In the 60th minute, junior lock Jack Faure hit a penalty conversion from the sideline to make it 30-21. Senior scrumhalf Pat Soloviev put the game away with a score off a scrum in the 81st minute. Faure hit the conversion to make it 37-21
Faure and Morales both had 10 points to lead the Orange. Jack was 2/2 on penalty conversions and 3/5 on try conversions. The Hammerheads finished 4th in the Empire Rugby Conference with a 3-3 record.


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Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Specifications
Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD4WD 7.9 Lakh - 8.15 Lakh Get On Road Price
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Engine
|HP Category
|No. of cylinder
|4 Cylinder
|Air Cleaner / Filter
|Dry type
|Cooling System
|Liquid Cooled
|Fuel type
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Transmission
|Transmission type
|Full Constant Mesh
|No. of gears Forward
|12 Forward
|No. of gears Reverse
|3 Reverse
|Brakes type
|Oil Immersed Brakes
|clutch type
|Single Clutch / Dual Clutch (Optional)
|Gear Box Type
|12 Forward + 3 Reverse
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Power Take Off
|Max PTO (HP)
|PTO RPM @ engine, rpm
|PTO Type
|Single / Reverse (Optional)
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Steering
|Steering type
|Power Steering
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Dimensions & Weight
|Ground Clearance
|350 Nm
|Total Weight
|2085 Kg
|Overall Length
|1925 mm
|Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Wheels & Tyres
|Tyre Size Front
|8 x 18
|Tyre Size Rear
|13.6 x 28
Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD Tractor
The agricultural sector plays a vital role in the Indian Economy. But, nowadays agricultural farming depends on advanced machinery, tools, and equipment. You will get Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD tractor specifications here. Every new day, new brand tractors are coming up with advanced features and technology and are boosting the Indian market as well as satisfying the needs of the farmers. Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD tractor is manufactured by one of the most popular brands In India, 22- 23 tractor brands are manufactured across the country with excellent specifications and automotive productions.
If we talk about the tractors, so every tractor has its own specialty in the form of features and the benefits provided in them. Mahindra is one of the trusted brands in India. These features help the customers to research and compare with the other tractor models. Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD has 45 HP. Some of the specific features that buyer's focussed before purchasing the tractor are utility, budget, comfort and safety, comparison, and consultation with the dealers.
Additionally, the specifications are listed as more 'engine power' and more tractor runs. You will get 41-50 HP Range in Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD. The other factor goes with the transmission which includes gears, reverse, and forward speed, the functioning of brakes, and power of the single and dual-clutch system. Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD tractor has 4WD. The hydraulics make the turning easier which is also used for lifting attachments and implements. The PTO shaft is the part of the equipment located in the tractor.
Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD tractor has 4 CC displacement in CC. The tires and battery capacity tell the smooth functioning of the tractor. Tractor Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD has 12 Forward + 3 Reverse number of cylinders. You will get PTO HP in the tractor Mahindra YUVO 575 DI 4WD.
This tractor provides a 41.1 gearbox.
So, if you are looking for the tractor price of the tractor go through the official links, websites, and dealers and services like Khetigaadi that provide reliable information to the customers.


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|Compatible Pump Heads
C1 R3 single channel pump head with 3 rollers
Flow Rate 0.7 to 2200ml/min
B2 R10 two channel pump head with 10 rollers
Flow Rate: 0.5 to 32ml/min
B4 R6 four channel pump head with six rollers
Flow Rate: 0.6 to 48ml/min
All B-type pump heads should be limited to a maximum speed of 100rpm. Running above this speed could damage the pump.
|External Controls
Speed Analogue input 0-5V, 0-10V, 4-20mA or 0-10KHz
|For fast filling and emptying
|Speed Control
The speed can be adjusted manually or automatically through the external control interface.
Current rpm
Direction Control
|CW and CCW reversible
Communication Function
Memory Function
|Running parameters stored automatically (the running status must stay for at least 5 seconds)
1 to 600 rpm (100rpm max with B-type pump head)
Speed Precision
|1 rpm
Speed Adjustment
|Rotary encoded switch
Display Mode
|3 digit LED displays current running rpm
Acceptable Voltage Input
|90 to 260 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption
|Less than 50 Watts
Operating Conditions
Temperature 0 to 40°C
Dimensions (Drive only) L x W x H
|285 x 207 x 180 mm
Weight (Drive only) 2.3 kg
|3.6 kgs
IP Rating


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September 18, 2012
by Stacey on Nov.05, 2012, under Daily Inspirational Quotes
'The images of my loved one will return in their own time.'
Thank you for taking the time to visit and to honor my daughter Brittany!
- ~~How could you leave the stage in the middle of your song?~~
- There is HELP out there! Get Support NOW!
- Visitor Map
Help for Veterans and Active Duty Military
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text: (Mineola, NY) Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell recently thanked Patricia Brown for all the valuable work she has done over the years while working for the Nassau County Treasurer at 240 Old Country Road. Whenever there was a need, Patricia went above and beyond in using her training as an Emergency Medical Technician to aid the Office of the Nassau County Clerk and many county employees during times of medical emergencies. Patricia was presented with a citation in recognition of her exemplary service to our community. Best of luck Patricia! 240 Old Country Road's loss is 1 West Street's gain.


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NHS strikes: Junior doctors and government to enter talks after 72-hour walkout
The government is facing questions over where it will find £4bn to pay other parts of the NHS, with junior doctors demanding a further £1bn. Representatives say they are prepared to take more action if government offer is 'substandard'.
Friday 17 March 2023 22:28, UK
Junior doctors and the government are set to enter talks following a 72-hour-strike which saw more than 175,000 appointments reorganised.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the clinicians, has pledged they will announce new strike dates if the government makes a "substandard" offer.
On Friday evening, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) released a statement which said: "We deeply regret that over 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week, despite our offer to start formal talks on the condition strikes were paused.
"However, we are pleased the BMA has now accepted our offer to enter talks based on the same terms as with the agenda for change unions - which concluded positively this week.
"We want to find a fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK, as we have done with other unions."
The government earlier this week announced they had made a pay offer of 5% plus a one-off payment to the rest of the NHS on the agenda for change pay scale.
This dictates pay for most NHS workers aside from doctors, dentists and senior managers.
But questions remain over where the extra £4bn for this offer will come from.
Junior doctors are calling for complete "pay restoration" to bring them back in line with the equivalent of what they earned in 2008.
Analysis: Where will the money for a 5% pay deal come from in an underfunded NHS?
This is equivalent to a 35% pay rise, and would cost the government another £1bn according to the BMA.
It is not clear when talks between the government and junior doctors will take place, although in an open letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, the BMA said it was available on Monday and Tuesday next week, and again on the same days the week after.
The letter added: "As it stands there is no further strike action announced.
"We are willing to enter talks based on a pause in announcing further strike action and first-year non-consolidated payment with a second-year consolidated pay award.
"However, we expect you to come to the table in good faith and with a credible offer towards achieving full pay restoration that we can recommend to our members."
A tweet from the BMA explained to its members that "in the event that any offer is substandard, or where the talks lack sincerity or progress, we are fully prepared to call for strike action to focus the minds of the government".


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Social Media Giant Facebook has launched a new Pinterest-like app called Hobbi. It is a social network that will allow users to capture and organize your creative process by posting images or videos related to cooking, arts and crafts decor and much more. The app has been developed to target hobbyists all over the world.
Hobbi will allow users to organise and save photos of their interests like cooking, painting, gardening. The mobile app will also allow its users to make videos of projects and share them with their friends and families. It is currently available for iPhone users but in some regions only. The app has been developed by a team created by Facebook within the company and will be responsible for experimenting with new products as well as services. The team is known as the New Product Experimentation Team, which was developed in July last year. If the developed app fails to lure users it can alter apps or even shut them down. Some of the apps developed by the NPE team in the past is AUX which is a live school radio app, Bump a social networking app that allows you to anonymously chat with your college classmates and Whale a meme creator app. However, none of the apps have lived up to the user's expectations.
At the moment Hobbi is accessible in 84 countries including the US, Australia as well as Canada. The app was launched on Wednesday and it has less than 5000 downloads. According to The Information, there are some differences between Pinterest and Hobbi. In Pinterest, you can bookmark or 'Pin' images that interest you on the interest for instance for your future projects or wedding or for dress inspiration. But here at Hobbi you are asked to create a new project and then add photos by taking then through the app or adding the images from your camera roll. This will allow them to create a highlight video and share them on the platform.
The app is available for download on the App Store and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS 11.0 or later. To sign up the users are asked to enter their phone number for a Hobbi account.
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.


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I flew on a 3 hour United flight to Chicago. The time went by so slowly because there is no entertainment. Previously, the food in first class was so good that I considered it entertainment. Boredom set in without any distraction, not even a movie! , so I was forced to watch that infantile program 30 Rock. Continental Airlines has been installing Direct TV on their planes for the past 2 years but I have bad luck to not land many of those flights… .
Needless to say, I was thrilled to hear that the AA flight crew are calling for the feeble, 30Rock show to be removed from their planes after Alec Baldwin's abusively insulting flight Attendants. They claimed that Alec's drunken rampage was so loud that the Captain could hear it through the cockpit door. I believe that Alec was intentionally giving publicity to Zynga. Movie stars had the privilege of getting in on IPO 's in the 1990's. The IPO market is not so hot anymore but I suspect that Baldwin was drumming up publicity for the IPO launch for the company behind the Subpar "WordsWithFriends" Game he refused to shut down for takeoff. Despite his fiasco, he probably lost money due to his greed, because Zynga was down below their $10 IPO price on first day of trading. Maybe they should not have encouraged the jerk to boost their public trading debut. Another company with declining profits is discovering that he was not the best person to put in the Capital One Venture card commercials. Some of us were appalled at an enraged Alec unleashing a volcanic tirade of threats and insults on his 11-year-old daughter.
Zynga games are fun to play but not a fun place to work and are 53 on the list of happiest places to work according to Glassdoor, because they rescinded stock options and give over critical job evaluations and their friend berating a flight attendant on SNL is not helping them.
American Airlines has been in the news a lot for being the last of the legacy airlines to file for bankruptcy, for the crazy Baldwin and now AA is the first airline to give their pilots iPads to replace the 45 pound brief cases they lug around, containing Charts and Manuals
Some say that if Pilots can use electronic devices, why can't passengers? Is is simply because they want us to pay attention to the safety announcements that everyone makes a point of ignoring? What do you think?
I've just received an email from United Airlines asking me to do a survey but I don't think I will waste my time doing it because I don't plan to fly with them much. It started with Dear Jen, As a OnePass® member who has recently flown on a Continental flight with DirectTV® service ….


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Project No. 5.26.21 Office Furnishings
Project No. 5.26.21 Office Furnishings
Montachusett Regional Transit Authority is seeking qualified vendors supply, assemble and install office furnishings.
|Release Date:
Monday, May 24, 2021
|Due Date:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
|Awarded to Company:
In the best interest of MART, we have decided to cancel this RFR.
|Awarded on Date:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
|Pre-Proposal Site Visit:
This opportunity is now closed. If you would like a copy of the documents, send a message to firstname.lastname@example.com
Return to the Contracting Opportunities page.


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Start preparing your 2026 Iceland solar eclipse trip now!
Bookings are already coming for cruise ship slots in Reykjavik for August 2026, when locals and visitors will be treated to a spectacular total eclipse of the sun.
Norwegian cruise operator Fred Olsen hse certainly got ahead of the game by booking two slots for their cruise ships ten years from now.
On 12 August 2026, the moon will interpose itself between the sun and the earth casting a 300 km wide shadow over Iceland. Cruise ship passengers – as well as locals and visitors flying in – will be guaranteed a sight to behold.
The sun is expected to be entirely obscured by the moon for one minute and ten seconds in the capital, Reykjavik. It is an opportunity not to be missed as the subsequent solar eclipse is not due in Iceland until 14 June 2151!