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|Norma Winstone, Anita Wardell. Songsuite 2013. Photo Credit Melody McLaren
(Songsuite Vocal Festival 2013, Sunday 23 June. Review by Matthew Wright)
This charming festival of jazz singing completed a second successful year at Jazz Cafe Posk in Hammersmith with a superb rendition by (arguably) Britain's greatest living jazz singer, Norma Winstone, and the festival's artistic director Anita Wardell. They were supported by singers participating in the Songsuite course Wardell had taught, who were understandably thrilled to be on the bill with Winstone. Their choice of repertoire was diverse; their singing highly enjoyable; and their enthusiasm galvanised the evening with the irresistible sense of fun that characterizes the best live music.
The festival was conceived by Wardell and promoter Tomasz Furmanek as a celebration of jazz singing, and platform for the highly impressive and (proportionately) numerous jazz vocalists from Poland and neighbouring countries. These included talented acts like Monike Lidke, Agata Kubiak, Alice Zawadzki and Brigitte Beraha.
Wardell set a daunting array of examples over the weekend, as tutor, director and singer; her performance, in the middle of the evening's programme, was perhaps her most important. Her voice is a lithe and tender instrument, and she plays with words, rhythm and intonation with an excitingly delicate touch. Scatting displays her witty and intelligent sense of harmony, as well as her athletic vocal movement. Lacking, perhaps, the raw power of some singers, she compensates with delicacy and fluency, particularly in the lyrical bottom half of her range.
Her ability to scat, sing lyrics, or mix the two gives her an unusually wide range, and she impressed with both the Antônio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova hit 'Somewhere in the Hills' and the harder bop edges of Bobby Hutcherson's 'The Kicker'. Wardell improvised on both tracks, dancing her way deftly through the chords with real jazz sophistication. Despite the gentleness of her tone, she sings with compelling expressiveness and drama.
She finished her set with a duet of the folk song 'The Water is Wide' with Winstone, a moving choice which advertised the complementary timbres and emotional potency of both singers. She was accompanied by Robin Aspland, who matched her variety and imagination with impeccable sensitivity and precision.
Booking Winstone was undoubtedly a coup for the festival. Her range, in every sense, is extraordinary; her voice can conjure all four seasons in an instant; her top register thrills with precision and purity, her mid-range is infinitely varied, and the lower register suggestively sumptuous but always under complete control.
Her choice of songs displayed a similarly commanding breadth. 'Gold Mine', by collective improvisers Take 6, a slalom of tongue-twisters negotiated with lightning dexterity, was followed by a fresh and unsentimental version of Paul Simon's 'I Do it for your Love', a lustrous sound balanced by harmonic inventiveness.
She uses words and the harmony of scat equally well, meandering expertly among the harmonies while the words are sinking in. James Taylor's 'Shall I Tell you again', Kenny Wheeler and Jane White's 'Everbody's Song but My Own', and Ralph Towner's 'Glide' all enjoyed this kind of brilliant alternation.
Perhaps the most complete display of her skills came in Steve Swallow's song 'Ladies in Mercedes', using Winstone's own lyrics. With a deliciously lilting, swinging rhythm, compelling internal rhyme and an attitude poised irresistibly between satire and celebration, it had the audience hooked from the start, wondering where these glamorously coiffeured ladies' next chauffeured destination would be. She ended on a sinking note, like an organ whose bellows have sprung a leak. Throughout the set, she ended wittily; so often an anticlimax, she has perfected the art of the ending.
She was accompanied beautifully on tenor sax by Mark Lockheart, and on piano by Gareth Williams. Williams' piano was expertly placed, though he rarely had the chance to stray from the background; Lockheart, on sax, was a model of refinement and delicacy, modulating both the volume and the phrasing so that it twined perfectly around Winstone's vocal line.
This festival was a joyous event that said so many wonderful things about the state of jazz today, particularly its ability to bring all levels of jazz lovers together for a celebration of so many kinds of wonderful song. So successful has the festival been that plans are afoot, it was hinted, for some kind of expansion next year. Bring it on.
Categories: miscellaneous


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ThinkGeek has released a great zombie-themed lunchbox that looks like a military-issued ammo can, but instead of ammunition it holds precious survival food. The lunchbox is available to purchase online.
Each Zombie Ammo Lunchbox looks like standard issue tactical gear for an official Zombie Emergency Response organization. But open up the top, and it's ready to hold all your goodies. Use it for your lunch, as a sewing kit, for emergency conventions provisions, and all sorts of other fun things. What do we keep in our Zombie Ammo Lunchbox? Let's see: sandwich, cheesy poofs, two napkins, and a rocket launcher. Just kidding – the rocket launcher is only a spoon for our pudding cup.
images via ThinkGeek

subset: commoncrawl


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Radioactive waste and radiation protection
Everyone is exposed to natural radiation every day. In Germany, the annual effective dose from this natural radiation exposure amounts to 2.1 millisieverts on average. In addition, radiation is used for specific purposes – in medicine or in research and technology, for example. Germany's Radiation Protection Ordinance (Strahlenschutzverordnung) therefore sets limit values for the general population and for persons who are occupationally exposed to radiation. To ensure compliance with these limit values, specific safeguards must be put in place.
Different types of waste – different risks
Some waste streams from nuclear power plants are extremely hazardous to health and the environment and require safe disposal. They include fuel elements, which are highly radioactive, as well as various other types of waste produced during the operation or dismantling of nuclear facilities. These waste streams must be held in an interim storage facility until a repository is available for their final storage. Nuclear reactors also produce various waste by-products which are not radioactive or which can be decontaminated and disposed of as conventional waste. However, they must first undergo a process known as clearance. Here too, limit values apply: the levels are defined in such a way that the annual effective dose from these cleared substances may not exceed 10 microsieverts for any member of the public. The regulations also give due consideration to the food chain.
Final storage in deep geological formations
High-level radioactive waste, by contrast, will remain dangerous for time spans seemingly beyond human comprehension: no building or facility could possibly contain it safely and securely for long enough. This type of waste must therefore be placed in final storage in deep geological formations – the option recommended by the German Commission on the Storage of High-Level Radioactive Waste in its final report, submitted in 2016. Since September 2017, Germany has been searching systematically for a suitable final storage site.
Meticulous planning and preparation
Through its CEO Michael Sailer, the Oeko-Institut was directly involved in developing the process for organising the search for a site, formulating the criteria that must be met by a future repository and designing transparent site selection procedures. The Oeko-Institut researchers work on a range of topics relating to radioactive waste and radiation protection, including clearance of dismantling waste, reuse of landfills used to store rubble from dismantling, and interim storage, which will be required for several decades to come.
Extended interim storage – the technical, organisational and social dimensions
Participation and civic engagement
Public participation in the repository site selection procedure
Radiation protection for mankind and the environment
Environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments


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Optimizing your Femtosecond Laser Processes using a Numerical Simulation based Decision Support Tool
Laser surface texturing has emerged as a promising texturing technique due to properties such as excellent repeatability, non-contact process, the ability to achieve small-size features and high-quality finishing. The work described here is part of the H2020 research program called SHARK which aims at developing laser surface texturing from the current trial-and-error, lab-scale concept to a highly predictable, finite element (FE) modelling and data driven industrial approach. One of the challenges of the SHARK project is to overcome the lack of knowledge and resources available to inform the laser parameters selection.
Femto-second laser texturing offers the possibility to reduce significantly the amount of molten material. This means better surface properties as well as more accurate prediction of the surface topography. In this paper, a model that captures the important physical phenomena involved in the femto-second laser texturing process is developed and presented. The ultra-short deposition of the energy is taken into account in this model through an approach called the "two-temperature model", which consists in modelling the heating of the component through two phases. During the pulse duration, only the heating of the electrons is computed, as the timescale for continuous energy transfer is not reached. Then the heat transfer from the electron to the lattice of the material is modeled by solving the energy equation in the component. A coupling term between the temperature of the electrons and the temperature of the lattice is included to account for the heating of the lattice from the electrons energy release. The interest to use this model was demonstrated for pulse durations from several tens of femtoseconds to several tens of picoseconds [1]. The flux of ablated matter is computed using a convective heat flux under the hypothesis that the surface does not exceed significantly the vaporization temperature. The mesh is then moved by computing the mass flux leaving the liquid-gas interface from the heat energy lost by vaporization. The results obtained from this model are compared with existing data from literature [2]. The model can then be used to study the influence of laser parameters (average power, pulse duration, frequency…) on the final topography.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Program for research and innovation under grant agreement no 768701.
- Chevallier_posterSHARK_ConfCOMSOL_2020.pdf - 0.38MB
- Chevallier_Laser_ConfCOMSOL_20.pdf - 0.35MB


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How Sermons Work – A Free e-Book
David Murray has made his first ever e-Book available for free download. It is entitled, How Sermons Work – An Introduction to Sermon Preparation, and although I've yet to read it, from the table of contents it looks to be a helpful resource.
It's on my to read list, why don't you download it and tell me (and David Murray) what you think.


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The heat in Antarctica is continuing to climb with recent recordings showing that the icy continent has reached a shocking temperature of 69.35°F (20.75°C)—the highest temperature ever recorded.
The unprecedented hot temperature was logged by Brazilian researchers at Seymour Island on February 9 and soars past the previous record of 67.64°F (19.8°C), which had been recorded on Signy Island in January 1982.
The grim record comes after another recent record temperature was reached last Thursday when an Argentine research station on the northern tip of the continent found that temperatures had reached 65°F (18.3°C), the hottest-ever temperature reading on the continental Antarctic Peninsula.
While the record still needs to be checked for accuracy by the World Meteorological Organization, the "incredible and abnormal" readings are consistent with what researchers see as an increasingly dangerous trend sweeping the continent.
Temperatures in Antarctica typically range from 14°F (-10°C) on the coast to -76°F (-60°C) inland. However, the Antarctic Peninsula which lies near South America has become one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet.
Over the past 50 years, recorded temperatures on the peninsula and nearby islands have warmed by approximately 5.4°F (3°C)—a blisteringly fast rate of increase in a region that has been covered in ice since time immemorial.
Carlos Schaefer, who works for Brazilian climate monitor Terrantar, told the Guardian:
"We are seeing the warming trend in many of the sites we are monitoring, but we have never seen anything like this."
Over the past 20 years, temperatures on the peninsula have been increasingly erratic—with a brief period of cooling in the first decade of the century being followed by a period of rapid warming.
Much of this has to do with shifts in ocean currents and El Niño events, the Brazilian researchers say. Schaefer added:
"We have climatic changes in the atmosphere, which is closely related to changes in permafrost and the ocean. The whole thing is very interrelated."
The latest temperature readings come as scientists reported that an iceberg twice the size of Washington D.C. has broken off from the Pine Island glacier in Antarctica.
In a statement, the European Space Agency wrote:
"The Pine Island glacier recently spawned an iceberg over (115 square miles) that very quickly shattered into pieces."
Antarctica stores roughly 70 percent of the world's fresh water in the form of snow and ice. Were it all to melt, sea levels could rise by 50 to 60 meters, or roughly 165 to 195 feet. While such a melt would take multiple generations, U.N. scientists predict an ocean rise of anywhere between 30 cm to 110 cm.
» Source


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One Hundred Shadows
Happy new year! we had a packed book group where we chatted about nuclear winters, swingtime, gieger counters and memories. I think we managed to outnumber more or less everyone else in the Effra Social. We also recorded at least part of the meeting for the upcoming Brixton Book Group podcast (watch this space).
I only managed a one page doodle this time..
The book for next time is One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun which is available from Hive or direct from the publisher Tilted Axis Press.
Runners up included: The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma Jane Kirby, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, The Handmaid's Tale by (friend of Brixton Book Group) Margaret Atwood, The Unwinding by George Packer, The Tennant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Bronté, Little Deaths by Anne Flint, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage and So Long See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell.
Meeting date is the 2nd of February in the Effra Social from 7ish.


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VR casino gaming is inevitable and will likely alter the dynamics of casino games themselves.
There are already signs that casino games are in need of a revamp – some of them, after all, are hundreds of years old. Meanwhile, the casino giants of Las Vegas have noticed that while more visitors are coming to Sin City than ever before, fewer are coming to gamble. Instead, they come for the restaurants and nightclubs, and yes, some of them even come for the giant Ferris wheel.
Millennials, reared on Halo and World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto, have little appetite for the gaming floor, and that means that the gaming floor is ripe for innovation.
Last year the State of Nevada changed its gambling laws to allow for variable payouts on its slot machines. Previously, payouts were required to remain constant, which ensured the fairness of the games, meaning that each gambler had an equal chance to win. The new rules have paved the way for the introduction of slots with skill-based elements, a hybrid of gambling machines and video games designed to appeal to the esports crowd.
The reimagining of casino gaming began, of course, with social casino gaming. Social gaming understands that its players are a different demographic from real-money gamblers, and that they are far more interested in "beating" the game – in unlocking levels and attaining rewards – than the risk-based thrill experienced by traditional gamblers.
The intrinsic simplicity and familiarity of casino games with people across the globe means, however, they should not be ignored by VR developers who are looking for that "killer app." It's just that we need to rethink casino gaming and repackage it for the Millennial generation and beyond.
VR casinos, as with all VR projects, should be created with VR in mind, and that means building new games and experiences designed specifically for the new medium, rather than merely converting games that have been successful in other formats. How will an in-app purchase work in VR, for example? And advertising? Obviously, pop-up video ads will be an irritating distraction from the immersive experience, and developers will need to find ads natively incorporated into games using 3D objects that go with the theme of the experience.
Most importantly the games will become a necessary ramped-up hybrid of multi-player casino gaming, skill-based video gaming and social gaming. Of the traditional gambling games, poker, as the most social of casino games, will work best in VR, but there is room for the introduction of hugely popular multi-player skill-based card games like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone, as well as chess and even board games. Oculus just gave us a glimpse of their latest Dragon Front card-based tabletop VR game.
SlotsMillion, which may have created the very first real-money fully-immersive VR casino, believes that virtual reality could ultimately provide the elusive "missing link" between social casino and real-money casino players, synthesizing these two separate demographics, as the lines between casino video and social games become increasingly blurred.
But when is this all going to happen?
Should the casino giants be plowing millions into VR, so we can experience the delights of the Vegas Strip without ever leaving the house? Well, that would be cool, but maybe not yet. "I don't think we're going to see a rise of virtual reality and virtual reality in gaming next year," Alexandre Tomic, SlotsMilllion co-founder told CalvinAyre.com recently. "I don't even think it's going to come in 2017. As Mark Zuckerberg said, he believes in it but it's maybe, five, ten years so there is no rush to invest in it, but you really have to watch it like milk on fire."
One of the key features of the VR revolution is the probability that, in the future, consumers and staff will one day share the same virtual space. Casino staff, tasked with ensuring the smooth running of the games, will actually spend more time in casino than the players, and this will make customer service more effective, building a stronger bond between the operator and its customers.
Just as the internet has had a profound effect on the way we interact in the workplace, it is predicted that VR will have a similarly revolutionary effect on our lives, and that a significant portion of the world's population will one day spend their working hours inside the VR world.
Thus, the playground of the consumers will become the workplace of the industry; a place where operators can meet suppliers, partners and clients, and affiliates can physically bring players.
We are no longer talking about merely a gaming platform, but looking at a completely revolutionary new way to do business.


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Redknee supports a Tier 1 North American Operator with the execution of its MVNE Strategy
13 Oct, 2015, 07:00 ET
TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Redknee Solutions Inc. (TSX: RKN), a leading provider of real-time monetization and subscriber management software, is pleased to announce that a Tier 1 Operator in North America has extended a contract, with the extension worth more than US$5 million to Redknee, in support of the operator's Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) strategy. With Redknee's MVNE solution the Tier 1 operator is able to implement its customer engagement strategy, focusing on encouraging online or community based support and reducing the use of more costly traditional customer care solutions. Redknee's billing and customer care solution provides the agility and flexibility to implement this capability, while providing the scalability for future growth. This significant contract highlights Redknee's ability to strengthen relationships with existing customers and to become a long-term partner that assists Tier-1 operators with all aspects of their business, including the provision of large-scale solutions for MVNO and MVNE operations.
Leveraging Redknee's converged billing solution, the operator can accelerate its MVNE and multi-brand growth strategy, including the launch of new consumer and partner brands and additional MVNOs to the market from this centralized platform. Redknee's converged billing and customer care solution provides service providers with an innovative platform that enables fast time to market to launch new services, while minimizing the investment risk with low initial setup costs.
Lucas Skoczkowski, Redknee's CEO commented:
"Redknee is excited to support this Tier 1 Operator in North America with its exciting MVNE growth strategy. By using Redknee's converged billing and customer care platform, the operator can support new and innovative business models, products and to reduce time to market in support of its aggressive marketing and loyalty programs to drive growth and profitability. This is a strategic deal that reinforces the strength of Redknee's expertise and capabilities, and its ability to support Tier 1 operators to support multiple business models and provide multifaceted solutions."
Redknee enables communications service providers (CSPs) to monetize and optimize the subscriber experience across the entire customer lifecycle. From activation and provisioning, to supporting a 360 degree view of the customer's usage, preferences, and integration with third party social media sites, to empowering customers with self-care tools and the ability to pay for services on the go, Redknee offers one of the most comprehensive real-time converged charging, policy management, billing and customer care solutions in the industry. Redknee's highly scalable and flexible solutions enable CSPs to monetize third party relationships and content, support resellers and dealers and launch multi-country operations quickly, effectively and with a low total cost of ownership. Available on premise, cloud-based and as a Software-as-a-Service offering, Redknee delivers a complete monetization and subscriber management solution to more than 250 service providers, including some of the largest Tier 1 operators in the world.
About Redknee:
Redknee monetizes today's digital world. We provide a complete portfolio of mission-critical monetization and subscriber management solutions and services that allow communications service providers, utility companies, auto makers and enterprise businesses of all types to charge for things in new and innovative ways. Redknee's real-time billing, charging, policy and customer care offerings provide the agility and scalability to drive a unique user experience, increase profitability and support any new product or business model. Available on premise, cloud-based, or as a Software-as-a-Service, Redknee's low-risk, flexible solutions power more than 250 businesses across the globe. Established in 1999, Redknee Solutions Inc. (TSX: RKN) is the parent of the wholly-owned operating subsidiary Redknee Inc. and its various subsidiaries. References to Redknee refer to the combined operations of those entities. For more information about Redknee and its solutions, please go to www.redknee.com.
SOURCE Redknee Solutions Inc.
For further information: Redknee Solutions: Michaela Radman, Corporate Communications, [email protected], +1 905 625 2190; Investor Relations: Robert Kelly, NATIONAL | Equicom, T: (416) 848-1382, [email protected]


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Eds. Note: This article was published in the online Waterway Guide, December, 2007. It is reproduced with thanks to Dozier's Waterway Guide and Skipper Bob Publications.
Maryland's winter of discontent
(because that's when the taxman comes)
Editor's note: With controversy roiling over South Carolina's boat tax policy, we thought we would ask the experts from the Annapolis law firm of Baylaw, LLC to explain how taxes work in some of the big boating states along the Waterway.
Yes, its that time again, the winter ducks arrive, the cold fronts roll in, and Boat Tax Enforcement Division on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wraps up its seasonal investigations and issues vessel tax assessments. You will know it if you get one, it says "Assessment of Tax" and it's printed on colored paper. It notifies you that you have 30 days from its issuance to appeal or it becomes final-and you do not have much of a remedy if you do not agree with its contents. Do not dawdle, the 30 days is a real deadline.
For the uninitiated, this paper can be quite a shock. It is the culmination of an investigation which typically includes monthly surveys of your boats location, an analysis of its fair market value, and an investigation into its ownership, including the ownership of any corporation that may it may be titled to. For a $100,000 boat, the assessment is an unexpected bill for 5 percent of the value ($5,000) plus a 10 percent penalty ($500) plus interest running at 18 percent from the date that the boat became taxable, up to three years.
Interest can easily eclipse the amount of the penalty, and so the bill can easily reach and surpass $6,000 on a $100,000 boat. Scaling up, the bill on a $1 million boat can easily reach and surpass $60,000. If for any reason the DNR believes that tax was avoided on the basis of fraud or gross negligence, the penalty will be 100 percent of the tax, and so the total assessment will be growing toward $12,000 or $120,000.
Most boaters will not face such an assessment because they will have paid sales tax on their vessel at the time of purchase or they will have paid tax when they registered and titled the vessel. Such is the case for a runabout purchased from a Maryland dealer or titled with Maryland. There are, however, lots of boats that are not subject to sales tax at purchase, including boats purchased in non-tax states (i.e. Delaware or Rhode Island), boats purchased abroad, home-built boats and some commercial vessels.
If those boats are federally documented, they are not subject to state titling laws, and they may not have been legally obligated to pay tax. This is the favorite bait of boat tax enforcement: the federally documented vessel that has not previously paid sales or use tax to any state. The second favorite bait? The boat that is registered to a non- or low-tax state such as Virginia, but that is principally used in Maryland. If you are in one of those categories (and you have not yet fallen asleep) you should definitely continue reading.
Maryland taxes boats in three main instances, all of which are subject to certain caveats and exceptions. Those instances are:
1) a boat that is purchased in the State;
2) a boat that is titled in the state; and,
3) a boat that is principally used in the state during any particular calendar year, assuming that it is in the State more than 90 days in that year.
The first item is pretty clear. If the money and the boat change hands in this state, it's a Maryland purchase, if parts of the transaction take place out of state, well, it depends. The second item is clear. If you apply for a Maryland title (or you are required by law to do so), tax is due. The third item is the one that causes the most consternation for boaters -Principal Use.
Under Maryland law a boat is in principal use in the state or territory of the United States in which it is used most during a calendar year. Thus if you use it 100 days in Maryland, 200 days in the BVI and 50 days in Florida, the state of principal use is in Maryland. BVI does not count (it's not a state of the United States) (EDS NOTE — AS OF JANUARY, 2008, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE BVI AND OTHER NON-US JURISDICTIONS MAY COUNT — IF IT MATTERS TO THE ANALYSIS OF YOUR CASE, PLEASE CALL FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE), and Florida has less days than Maryland.
Things get a bit tricky from that point, though. Days only count in Maryland if the boat is "in use." In use does not mean its being used (in the sense of operating it), but means by definition any time that it is in the water or any time that it is kept in a structure in readiness for use. Thus (stay with me here) a boat that is in Maryland, outside, and out of the water is not in use; but a boat that is in the water but not being used, is in use. Also, it is generally recognized that a boat that is in the water but winterized is not in use for principal use analysis, but it is considered that a boat on a trailer, indoors or out, is in use.
Confused? No worries … so is everyone else.
So what should you do if you get an assessment, or perhaps more importantly, if you would like to avoid getting one? First, you should be aware that Maryland recently extended its cruising window to 90 days-if the boat was not purchased in Maryland, you can cruise for no more than 90 days without facing tax liability, even if you do not spend more time in another single state.
Second, you should be aware that there are exceptions for boats that are out of the water, winterized, or undergoing significant repairs. The details of those exceptions will have to wait for another article, but they should be considered if the boat is going to be (or has been) in Maryland for an extended stay. Third, you can be sure to keep (and keep evidence of keeping) your boat in another state for more days than in Maryland. Finally, if you receive an assessment, be sure to act quickly. If you have good defenses, and you do not raise them in time, they will not be so good.
If you are going to need counsel-that is, if you may have a defense and there is a significant amount at issue-identify one who knows this area, hire them in time get an appeal in the 30 day deadline, and do so before contacting the DNR yourself. I often see people revealing facts that were better left unsaid, or paying tax that was not owed. A little bit of good advice can save a lot of heartache in the long run, it may also be able save money in any negotiation if tax must be paid.
(This explainer comes courtesy of J. Dirk Schwenk. He has been active in maritime and Admiralty law since 1999, is based in Annapolis, MD, and focuses on issues of concern for vessel owners, marine businesses and those that live, work and play on the water.)


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Linda Heller (from Stamping School) introduced me to this fun technique. It's called - Faux Cloisonne. You chose an image from a magazine and use a stamp with open spaces (here I used Regarding Dahlias) and gold emboss over the image and cut it out. The first card I stamped over a jack-o-lantern. Can you see the mouth & eyes?
The second card I stamped over a chili pie dish from a Woman's Day magazine. I love the variety of colors. All I did was match the card stock with the embossed image.
Give this technique a try!
Click HERE to place your online order.....or email me with your order.


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February 23, 2022
Call of Duty Vanguard February 22 Update Nerfs the MP-40
Sledgehammer Games has released the February 22 update, focused on nerfing the overpowered MP-40 and fixing an annoying issue regarding killstreaks. Overall, the community is all but satisfied with most of the recent Call of Duty games. Issues regarding optimization, bugs, and balance have plagued the experience. Even though the studio is working on a […]
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Our New York Dentists Help People Get Rid of Pain and Love Their Smiles
We can take care of all of your dental and cosmetic needs. If you're experiencing tooth pain or had any kind of injury, please reach out to us – we're here to help!
A Bit More About NY1 Dental
Whether you've woken up with tooth pain, curious about improving your smile, or just are interested in a checkup and teeth cleaning, we can help. There are a number of things that set us apart from most dentists and treatment approaches in New York.
Many people are scared or nervous about going to the dentist. Maybe you've had a bad experience with another dentist in the past, or are afraid that a procedure might be extremely painful. Our number one priority is to make your experience as pleasant and painless as humanly possible. We have the best dentists in New York that truly care about your long term health. We utilize a holistic approach to treating every patient and your care will never be influenced by what an insurance company will pay for.


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These two dolls are prototype dolls made in China for the Trendmasters Company in 1998. Prototype toys are usually distroyed by
the toy Companys after they are approved. These two dolls are the only ones known to exist. Dr. Smith clothes are white, and not
the normal green uniform. The face was all hand painted. The Giant Cyclop fur is orange, with face, paw, and feet not painted.
UncleOdiesCollectibles.com is owned by Robert Vanderpool. Copyright � Robert Vanderpool. All rights reserved. All other Trademarks and Copyrights are property of their respected owners. Copyright Policy.


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We can all feel lonely and distressed and there are many such moments where we might need support or help. Here are a few places you can reach out to:
- iCALL – The Tata Institute of Social Sciences, School of Human Ecology:
022-25521111 (Mon-Sat: 8 am to 10 pm)
- Vandrevala Foundation: 1800-233-3330/ 0261-2662700/ 1860-266-2345
24 by 7/ Email: email@example.com if you don't get through and expect a call-back
- SAHAI, in Bangalore: 080-25497777
- JEEVAN Suicide Prevention Hotline, Chennai: 044-26564444
- SNEHA, Chennai: 044-24640050; Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- SAMARITANS, Chennai: 84229-84528/ 84229-84529 / 84229-84530. 3-9 PM (all days)/ Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Parivarthan Helpline: 76766-02602 Timing: 4 pm to 10 pm, Monday to Friday
You can use this resource for those feeling suicidal. You can check out these crowdsourced lists for numbers of therapists, counsellors and psychologists: For young people, Crowdsourced by iCALL, Queer Affirmative practitioners. You can also reach out to these wonderful organisations doing work on mental health all over India for a resource near you.
- For Information on mental health you can visit


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Sometimes our lives are cluttered with things. Sometimes it's things to do that clutter our mind and time. I wonder if I will ever get my To Do list done before I die. Sure, I make time to nap, read, recreate, and take vacations so it's not like I don't take breaks, but still I wonder if I will ever really get caught up. So here's a collection of tips I've developed over the years to deal with taming time.
1. Pray first: Even if you're not "religious," taking time daily to contemplate who I am and what's important – is important. If I wait till there's time, other priorities crowd out this spiritual time. Now that we are no longer in the active parenting stage of life, first thing in the morning works for me. For those with other bio-rhythms last thing at night can qualify as first in anticipation of the next day.
2. Set priorities: Most time-management gurus advise identifying no more 3 priorities that you hope to accomplish each day. Do those first, starting with the top priority. This is good unless your top priority is to create world peace or it becomes a day long project. Solution: Estimate the time your top priorities will take and if one might take more than 1/3 of your working day, reevaluate. Set deadlines. Exception: 3 Minute Rule. If several things are not top priorities but are quick and easy, do them early.
3. Keep a To Do List: Consider a To Do list not as a burden but rather a tool that frees you of the stress of keeping everything in your head. Some things are necessary and have a deadline; others are nice to do if time allows. One beauty of a To Do list is the satisfaction and joy of crossing tasks off (in red) when accomplished. My daughter recently co-authored a playful Wall Street Journal article, America Is Drowning in Lists, which includes ideas from the Ivy Lee Method to Bullet Journals.
4. Develop Email/Text/Phone Protocols: Only check emails after your basic priorities for the day are set lest you wallow in email purgatory before starting the important stuff. However, email does allow you to identify some 3 Minute Rule tasks from your To Do list and quickly cross them off.
- Reduce Email:
– Don't reply to all unless "all" really need to know.
– State the goal and deadline clearly. For example: Need a reply by ___. OR For your information – No need to reply avoids unnecessary "Thank you for your email" emails
– Expedite scheduling large group meetings with an app like Doodle.
– Filter and/or Unsubscribe from unwanted repetitive promotional emails.
- Texting: Best for short messages, your kids, or times that might interrupt a person's job. But, don't overdo it. Don't contribute to another person's phone clutter.
- Phones: Turn alerts off or ignore during meals or meetings unless your mother is in the hospital. The live person in front of you always comes first.
5. Check social media last and only for a limited time – maybe 30 minutes. Use Social Fixer to prune unnecessary Facebook posts.
6. Save Time for Recreation & Relaxing: This might come under setting the day's priorities if you tend to be a Type A personality like me. Accomplishing a lot is good. Being a balanced person is better. Don't waste time complaining unless you can do something to fix it.
7. Laugh, Turn it Over Sometimes people and life will interfere with even the best time management system. Think of these as a spiritual call to pay attention to the humans and life around me. Laugh at the folly of trying to completely control my life.
For additional ideas see my past posts under the TIME Tag cloud (bottom of right column), especially Wasting Time/Saving Time.


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I really can't recommend poetry slam (and jam) enough. It has been a high point of the year for me, every single year in the classroom. You can find some great resources for doing slam with your students in this roundup over on Digital Poet and this collection at Poetry Out Loud. Or if you are feeling busy and wish someone else would create this unit for you, I'm happy to say I have gathered all my resources together and made them available over at TPT. My poetry slam guide is one of my most popular pieces of curriculum, and it always makes me happy to imagine students around the world sharing the wonderful experiences my students and I have had with this unit.
I invite you to share your own experiences with slam or ask questions about it in the comments below, or come on over to our Facebook group, Creative High School English, and join the conversation there. I always love to hear from you!


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Their Furniture For Bikes range unites interior design with the cycling world and combines stylish form with function. These sculptural bike stands support everyday life on two wheels and address the challenges of owning and living with a bike in an urban environment.
Furniture for bikes, Sculptural Bike Storage
Made in Britain, Design in Clerkenwell
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Happy Fall, Y'all! The weather has finally cooperated and you can see it on the faces of people walking around outdoors today. Fall break is in full swing and both Tennessee and Georgia schools have had the week off and local parks including Renaissance Park have seen kids out playing on sliding on the famous sliding hill. With so many fall festivals going on in the area, you have no shortage of fun options to choose from. Here are some best bets for the weekend.
Alice Cooper
We all know the classic Alice Cooper song, School's Out for Summer and that Alice is an excellent golfer. With a career that spans more than 50 years, Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier) is considered to be the most beloved heavy metal rocker, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Tonight you can see him, live and in person in Chattanooga. With fantastic theatrics and a crazy stage set, Alice promises to put on a fun show. Tickets are still available online. Show starts at 8 pm. Memorial Auditorium. 399 McCallie Ave.
Camp Out
Want something a little less scary? Head to Enterprise South tonight for a family friendly camp out, sponsored by Rock Creek. Learn the basics of camping such as setting up a tent, building a fire and how the follow the "Leave No Trace" policy. Enterprise South Park is a beautiful park located in Ooltewah that feels like a million miles away, but is literally in our own backyard (5 minutes from Interstate 75). Register online. $15 per family of 6. 190 Still Hollow Loop
Swing Night
Saturday you can get your swing on, literally, at Barking Legs. Local swing band, The 9th Street Stompers will provide the tunes and you can arrive early and learn to swing. Featuring tunes that blur the lines between swing, tango, rockabilly and blues, these fantastic musicians are a must see. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. 7 pm for dance lessons and 8-9 pm for the show. 1307 Dodds Ave.
Oktoberfest at the Chattanooga Market
If you love beer, brat and doing the chicken dance, this is the weekend for you! The Chattanooga Market's 17th annual Oktoberfest takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Chattanooga Market. Featuring German food including brats, baked goods and of course, pretzels as well as live polka music, a 5k race, Mr and Mrs Oktoberfest contest, thousands of kegs of beer and more. The event draws crowds from all over Tennessee and features hundreds of vendors offering their wares. This year includes a Chattanooga Challenge bike race with a 100 or 50 mile option. Saturday, 10 am -8pm and Sunday 11 am-4 pm. Willkomen!
We hope you are able to get out and enjoy this glorious time of year in Chattanooga. Have a super weekend.


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Thank you for helping the Jersey Biodiversity Centre to inspire more people to care for nature.
We are a small charity with three part time members of staff and we rely on the help of volunteers to run a variety of activities throughout the year.
We have different volunteering roles at the Centre, and you can volunteer when it suits you.
Events: Throughout the year we attend different nature themed events to run children activities, creepy crawly hunts, craft events. At these events we talk to the public about nature either around the island or in their home gardens. We often have a variety of animal homes that we sell to raise funds for our schools project. These events are normally run at weekends.
Article writing: On our website we have news and articles page, if you like writing about nature and want to tell stories of your wildlife spotting places you can send us your finished articles to be added to the website and also posted on Facebook. This is something you can do from home and send in.
Website content creation: If you're feeling creative you can create wildlife photo guides or activities, puzzles and games for children to use, these we can add to the website and distribute to schools and clubs around the island. This is something you can do at our office or at home.
Surveying: If you're interested in a particular animal species or group of species you can volunteering your time by conducting surveys around Jersey. We can assist you by providing equipment and training.
Research projects: If you want to conduct a more in depth project of a species or group we would love you to spend time collecting data and writing reports that can be published to the States Environment Department and on our website.
Fundraising: Get creative thinking of ideas to raise much needed funds and support for the Centre. We work with school aged children, teenagers and adults interested in natural history and different fundraising activities will inspire different groups.
Other (please state): If there are other areas you would like to volunteer please let us know how you can help.
See something that you fancy? Join today here


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(All continental US orders come with a flat shipping rate of $10.40 + tax. The shipping rate for other territories varies.)
● This packet of 50 half wrapped Cropsticks each come with a built-in rest made from sustainable bamboo.
● Prominently featured on Shark Tank (Season 8, Episode 20), these Cropsticks are not only functional but a fun piece to add to your dishes.
● They are individually wrapped in recycled paper and are perfect for restaurants, catering, weddings, and more.
*Each Cropsticks is individually half wrapped in recycled paper.
"Yup, Cropsticks as they're called, are the real deal."
"Cropsticks" will make your life—or at least your lunch—easier"


text: Gretchen K. Williams is the Albuquerque Director of Development for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico. Before coming to New Mexico in 2005, Gretchen worked with Richmond Ballet in Virginia. During her tenure, she secured more than $9 million in contributions. Williams' devotion to the arts and dance began early in life. NDI New Mexico was founded with the knowledge that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate children. The purpose of their distinctive programs is to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence, and a belief in themselves that will carry over into all aspects of their lives.


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Parity Ethereum 2.1.2-beta: Constantinople coming to Kovan and Ropsten
Product Communication Manager @ Parity Technologies
October 12, 2018 in
1 min read
Parity Ethereum 2.0.7-stable and 2.1.2-beta were released today, marking a major step toward the Constantinople hard fork on the Ethereum mainnet. Today's release includes Constantinople support for the Kovan and Ropsten networks, as well as the POA Core mainnet Hard Fork 2. Along with many improvements and optimizations, support for EIPs 145, 1014, 1052, 1234*, and 1283 are included and will activate on Ropsten and Kovan on the following dates:
- Ropsten: Block #4,230,000 - October 14th, 2018
- Kovan: Block #9,200,000 - October 25th, 2018
If you are running one of the above networks using Parity Ethereum, we recommend to update as soon as possible. Once enough time has passed after the network upgrades on Kovan and Ropsten, Ethereum core devs will decide on a block number for Constantinople activation on the mainnet.
There are many other small optimizations for this release of Parity Ethereum, including a hard fork for the POA Core mainnet at block #5,329,160 (October 22nd, 2018).
For the complete list of changes, check out the entire changelog on Github.
* Note: Kovan's hard fork does not include EIP-1234.


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Soy Marvelous Jar
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Gold Nacree Wax
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Champagne Fraises Wax Jar -12 Units Box
Description:The best assortment of our Champagne Fraises Wax Jar 3.9 Oz (100 g). Enjoy this full box of 12 Wax Jars. Champagne Fraises Wax Jar is microwavable, so it is easy to use while keeping all the wonderful properties of the Gourmet line. It is infused with strawberries and champagne for antioxidant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, and clarifying properties.
If you want to buy the individual item click here!
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Item Number: 243
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Sask Premier Needs To Tone Down His 'Country Bumpkin' Schtick - UPDATED
"The NDP thinks Saskatchewan's resource economy is a disease."
Brad Wall
Premier of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is scheduled to meet with Federal New Democratic Party Leader, Tom Mulcair while the Federal NDP Caucus meets in Saskatchewan.
For starters, Tom Mulcair never called Saskatchewan's resource industry a 'disease' despite the paid political TV ads that Premier Wall's right wing Saskatchewan Party ran.
It's time to stop playing to the lowest common denominator in the Sask Party and act like a true national statesman.
Hopefully Premier Wall will tone down his 'bumpkin' schtick and have realistic, intelligent, meaningful discussions with Mulcair.
-Really Brad! .. Really?
Looks like the Premier took my advice to some degree
schtick definition [ʃtɪk]
- n.
a routine or act that is the trademark of an entertainer, especially in vaudeville. (Yiddish.) : His schtick was a trained dog and cat act.


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3 vote(s)
Discode: vol.2
* Based on a game by Courreges. Futaba is a high school girl who has a strong sexual desire and she plays with herself at any place and anytime. However, she has a dark mystery that no one knows...
Duration: 18 min
Censorship: No
Added: 05-10-2009
Release Year: 2004
Subt: -


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It has certainly been an interesting ride for Snapchat since its September 2011 founding: "Enjoy fast and fun mobile conversation! Snap a photo or a video, add a caption, and send it to a friend. They'll view it, laugh, and then the Snap disappears."
Here is a detailed infographic timeline of Snapchat by DPFOC Online Marketing.


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About ASCE
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Micropile Application - Three Mile Island
Log in
Event Details
Micropile Application - Three Mile Island
10 Nov 2011
Gaetano's Restaurant, 1617 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh PA 15216
Full-Time Student
Member – $25.00
Non-Member – $35.00
Registration is closed
ASCE GeoInstitute Pittsburgh Chapter Presents
Micropile Application
Three Mile Island
Mr. James Pease, P.E., M.ASCE
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Attendees are eligible for 1.0 PDH
Two steam generators were scheduled to be replaced at the Three Mile Island (TMI) Nuclear Generating Station. The generators were to be delivered from Port Deposit, Maryland to the site south of Harrisburg, PA on specially designed transport vehicles. The transport configuration was 153 feet long, 24 feet high and 17.5 feet wide with a total weight of 825 tons. Two bridges along the required haul route were inadequate to support the loads from the transports. The first bridge was an old stone arch bridge that was only one lane wide. At the second bridge the transport had to be reconfigured and the generators had to be temporarily supported by gantry cranes. A fast-track micropile design and construction was performed in the complex geologic setting to provide the added support at both bridges so that the transport could safely travel across the bridges. Mr. Pease will give a presentation on the geotechnical design, construction of the micropiles and the results of load testing performed.
Mr. Pease, P.E. is a Senior Project Manager in Hayward Baker's Palmyra, Pennsylvania office and was the design engineer for the Three Mile Island Project. Mr. Pease has a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University and is a member to ASCE. Mr. Pease has 20 years of experience in soil improvement with extensive experience in micropiles, compaction grouting, vibro piers, and stone columns. Mr. Pease also has extensive experience in the application of ground improvement methods to karst terrain and has also worked on numerous forensic geotechnical engineering projects.
Registration is $25 for Pittsburgh Section members, $35 for non-members, and free for student members. Please register online or contact Stephanie Chechak at
or Michael L. Schumaker, P.E. at
to RSVP by November 4, 2011.
Please see the
for additional details.
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The site for the project is located on the south bank of the Liffey Quays in Dublin's Docklands. Bounded by City Quay, Princes Street South and Gloucester Street South, the northern quayside portion of the site falls within an archaeological zone. To the west is a group of protected structures: City Quay Church, Presbytery including associated gates, piers and railings.
The site is zoned to allow a tall building to be considered, the design of which would be developed as part of a framework plan for the area. The brief is to provide approximately 20,000sq m gross of high quality offices with car parking and associated facilities. Pedestrian access is via a ground floor entry lobby which may also contain exhibition space, meeting rooms and café facilities.
Vehicle lifts are located midway along Princes Street South to allow access for cars and bikes to Level -2 basement parking at approximately -5.4m. Plant and Services are also accommodated at this level. With a 5m floor to floor height, Level -1 is proposed as an open plan trading floor with perimeter pavement level rooflights.
To improve pedestrian circulation along the scheme, the ground level is setback on Princes Street South. The entry level perimeter is to be protected by a 900mm high flood protection wall which will also integrate the required vent shafts to the basement car park.
Open-plan flexible office floor plates are served by two service cores containing escape stairs, goods lifts, M+E and sanitary services. Standard office floors have a clear internal height of 2.7m within a 4m floor to floor zone. Glazed passenger lift banks serve all floors with walkways located in the atrium space. Roof level is occupied by plant, maintenance access points and façade maintenance equipment.
The massing of the scheme is split in a north-south direction with the eastern portion rising to 11 stories. Relating to the scale of City Quay Church, the western block is 3 stories high and links to the taller neighbouring block by a glazed atrium. With air intake at the base and exhaust through the roof, the naturally ventilated atrium is to be fully occupied at its base level and also by a series of pods which are dispersed through the levels above and accessed from the standard office floors.
Detailed studies and consultation were undertaken in relation to the replacing and relocating the adjoining primary school facility, including provision of below ground multi-purpose hall and roof top play deck. A new presbytery and community facility was also studied. The project was halted with the financial crash in 2008.


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Stay on Top of Home AC Repair Services
Date: May 14, 2014
When you stay on top of heating and air conditioning maintenance, you will save on energy costs. You will also enjoy a more comfortable environment in your home. A home AC repair expert can help you figure out the service schedule that works best for you. By taking proper care of your heating and cooling system, you can reduce your power bill by up to 50 percent and avoid costly repairs in the future.
Make Time for Regular Maintenance
Every HVAC system needs regular maintenance. Filters should be replaced at least four times a year. If you have household pets or live in a pollen-rich environment, consider replacing your filters six times a year or even once a month. An air conditioning service technician can give you advice on the best modern filters for energy efficiency and allergy reduction. In addition, each unit needs an annual tune-up and adjustment for maximum performance.
Prompt Repairs Are Important
When your cooling or heating system is not working properly, it is important to find a trustworthy home AC repair professional who can return it to an ideal condition. When you sign a long-term service agreement, you are building a relationship with a team of experts who know your unit and its particular needs. By fixing a problem in its early stages, you can protect yourself against costly emergencies later on.
Know What to Do in an Emergency
If your air conditioner fails during a 110-degree summer day or your heater breaks down in a mid-winter freeze, you will need prompt assistance to deal with the emergency. A heating and cooling repair service professional can make your home livable again. Service technicians can arrive in just a few minutes and use their diagnostic equipment to fix the problem. Avoid burst pipes, heat damage, and health hazards by having a reliable emergency number at hand.
Maintaining your HVAC system is an investment in the well-being of your home and family. A good service agreement can keep you comfortable now and save you money in the long run. Call (602) 787-3956 today to learn more about the air conditioning maintenance and repair services available at Donley Service Center.


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November 13, 2004
Can I Get a Do-Over on the Weekend?
Can I Get a Do-Over on the Weekend?
We still have Sunday to go, but Friday was a bust and Saturday has been exhausting. Friday was grey and cool. In the morning I took the older two kids out to run a few errands, while Justin, who has a cold stayed home to nap with the baby -- only she didn't sleep. So he decided to go into work for a bit after I got back, but first he tried to turn on the heat. Didn't work at the thermostat, so he tried going through the whole procedure of restarting it. He did that about 5 times, before it really sunk in that the thing was not going to start.
We called in the guys we buy a yearly service contract on the furnace from and they came out within a few hours. The ignition switch was broken, so the guy went to get the part and then started doing the regular service, inspection and cleaning before installing it -- which is when he found holes in the exchange. Now, it is a 12 year old, bottom-of-the-line furnace, so we knew it was going out soon, but it would have been nice to get another year or two from it. NOT!
The bad news is that a furnace is downright pricey. The good news is that they were offering no interest financing and they could install it today. So we have heat.
Right after the salesman left taking our meagre fortune and plenty of money we don't yet posess with him, the Baby threw up. Now she spits up on occassion, but recently she's been making a hacking noise followed by yellow puke. This time the puke wasn't just yellow, it was clear -- like broth. That scared me enough to call the pediatrician, who must have worried too, because she sent us to the ER. We quickly found accomodations for the big kids and a neighbor to watch the dog and headed off. Lots of hours, an x-ray and a consultation with the gastro-guys and we got to go home with everyone's best guess being that she either has bad reflux, an irritation somewhere or a stomach virus. Anyway, nothing as serious as they'd feared.
Bedtime at 1 a.m. doesn't make for lively parents the next morning, but we were up bright and early to let the furnace guys in. When they finished in a super speed 2 hours, we headed off to get the kids and directly on to a festival at The Boy's school. We were there from noon to four or so and the kids had fun doing crafts and games and all the neat things there were, but that meant no nap for anyone.
When we got home a kind neighbor brought us food. I always try to make a meal for people when they have a baby and people have done so for us in the past, but it has been even more wonderful this time than ever before and I must remember to cook more for others when they are sick or out-of-the-loop. It sure does mean a lot and help a lot.
I'm praying for a calm and peaceful day tomorrow, with a nice long nap in the middle.
That sounds brutally exhausting: physically, emotionally, financially.
Thank God for the civilizing rituals of taking meals to people. It keeps us all -- givers and receivers, alike -- sane.
I pray for a less epic week for you.Posted by: Patricia at November 15, 2004 01:02 AM
Bless your heart, Jordana--sounds like a real challenge of a weekend. I sure hope Sunday was better.Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 15, 2004 10:19 AM
You have always been so thoughtful!
I can say that the gift of a meal is always a special gift from people. How nice of your neighbor!


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Web Application
Yora Infosystems provides professional services in website development and programming. Our Web Developers work in combination with the Search Engine Marketing team; also have the ability to improve your existing website to ensure a successful Web Marketing campaign or business application. Our Developers have the expertise to deliver a well planned and executed Web Solution for your business.
PHP Website Development
Developing your website is becoming a priority these days to establish your business on Internet. Designing and Development are the major steps that go hand in hand. PHP Programming is one of the Languages mostly commonly used for Website and Web Application Development. PHP is a general purpose, server-side scripting language run on a web server that is designed to create dynamic web pages and applications. PHP as a web development option is a secure, fast and a reliable option that offers lot more advantages to make it accessible to a lot of people.
It needs to be given a thought as to what has made PHP Programming as one of the most commonly used programming language for the Web application industry. Using PHP as its programming language has many benefits, a few of which could be listed as below.
- PHP supports databases like MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, etc.
- It is by far the most compatible with servers like Apache, IIS, etc.
- PHP runs on diverse platforms, such as, Windows, Linux, etc.
- It has been successfully used in developing various ecommerce applications, CMS systems, SRM systems and the list goes on.
- Using PHP to create a website is very simple because of the easy functions, methods, and syntax of this language
- PHP also supports relational database management system and other open source databases, thus adding to the reduction in the web development cost.
- Not only this, PHP has also been compatible with open source software integration, such as, Drupal, Joomla, Typo3, osCommerce, etc.
People in online business would want their website to be developed without any flaw and maintained well. THE Yora Infosystems makes the difference here. We provide PHP development services for your website, satisfying your requirement in the most effective manner.
We are the company offering professional and customized PHP Development services constituting the following:
Yora Infosystems has a very efficient team of knowledgeable, skillful and experienced programmer with a knack in PHP web development, PHP application development, PHP software development. We aim at delivering robust web solutions that are highly professional, error free and made up of all the functionalities the client puts in their requirement sheet.Lamp Development
LAMP Programming is the most advantageous technology for web application development and open source application development. We use LAMP (Linux, Apache, MYSQL, PHP) for developing affordable modern day websites. LAMP is an open source platform that uses Linux as its Operating Systems. We provide to our clients the power to use open source system, with our part to help them customize their PHP/ LAMP application.PHP Application Maintenance
Just like maintenance of any machine, websites after a period of time need to be updated and maintained. Yora Infosystems help to take up this job of maintenance and upgradation of your website timely. Our application maintenance services include providing new add-ons, making modification to certain functionalities of existing system or any other customized maintenance work. Our maintenance services allow our clients to focus on their core business areas in order to widen their customer base.Hire PHP Programmer
We have dedicated team of professional PHP developers working dedicatedly to satisfy our client with their requirement. We assure to provide experience and skilled PHP developers with a cost effective solutions. Our PHP developers are well versed in PHP web development, custom PHP development, PHP software development, PHP Application Development, and open source development. We assure to meet your requirements and be a reliable IT solution partner to you.


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About us
ZaragozaFlatShare is a team of ex-erasmus students born and based in Zaragoza. Having stayed in various countries across Europe on Erasmus, we have since formed friendly relationships with students who choose Zaragoza as their destination for a great Erasmus experience. We have decided to link our professional lives with the student world resulting in the creation of this dedicated project.
ZFS provides rooms in rental flats for students. Our own experiences as Erasmus students have allowed us to become accustomed with the problems that students can face in an unknown city, and what they need to get by. All our flats are in the best possible locations, next to " la city" (Universidad plaza San Francisco) and in the city centre, which has plenty of transportation services that can take you to every University Campus in just a few minutes (San Francisco, CPS, Universidad San Jorge).
Our philosophy is based on human value, in having total transparency with students, in professionalism and in common sense. Of course our rent includes a legal contract, we ensure that the conditions on the contract are strictly fulfilled by both parties. We take steps to prevent the student from being abused or suffering from trickery or any other disadvantageous situation.
We don´t charge the students any commission. No reservation fees, no viewing fees, or any other fee. The money you send to book your room will be established as the bound/deposit for the contract. When the contract expires your deposit will be fully refunded if there is no damage to the property.


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CHENNAI, India — Indian microblogging site Koo made inroads in Nigeria days after US tech giant Twitter was indefinitely suspended in the African country.
The Nigerian government opened an account on Koo, India's answer to a Twitter, on June 10, after an overture from Koo's Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Aprameya Radhakrishna.
The Nigerian government suspended Twitter indefinitely within two days of the microblogging platform removing President Muhammadu Buhari's post that threatened to punish regional secessionists.
A day later, Radhakrishna ironically used competitor Twitter to say that Koo, which has a bright yellow bird as its logo, is available in Nigeria.
"Koo is available in Nigeria. We are thinking of enabling the local languages there too. What say?"
When the Nigerian government joined Koo, Radhakrishna welcomed the move on Twitter, saying Koo is "spreading wings beyond India now". The Nigeria government's Koo account already had over 47,000 followers at the time of publishing.
Launched in March 2020, Koo is similar to Twitter. The app supports 'koos' or short messages of 400 characters where users can upload audio- and video-based posts and use hashtags to generate a conversation. It's currently available in eight Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Twitter has 17.5 million users in India, dwarfing Koo's 6 million users, but Koo's numbers are expected to rise. There are an estimated 40 million Twitter users in Nigeria, according to media reports.
"Globally, most apps with widespread acceptance are made in the U.S. or China," Sreedhar Prasad, an independent internet business advisor based in southern Indian city Bengaluru, told Zenger News.
"The world has become more open after the lockdown, and we are seeing more unicorns [companies valued at $1 billion or more] across the world, including India."
"The instant gratification of communication by Twitter was adopted in India, but Twitter didn't become a mass communication tool for most Indians. The need for platforms in local languages and not translated in local languages is in huge demand. This [Koo] could become a mass adoption platform if they crack the Arab world, the African continent, and CIS," Prasad said.
The CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) unites Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.
This is the second time Koo is moving into Twitter's turf after a tussle with a government. The first time was its rise to prominence in India this year amid tensions between the Narendra Modi-led ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Twitter over the farmers' protests in the country.
India asked Twitter to block thousands of accounts for allegedly spreading misinformation about the protests against the central government's farm laws.
While Twitter said it blocked or permanently suspended "more than 500 accounts", it refused to take action against accounts of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians, to protect freedom of expression and said the government's orders were not "consistent with Indian law".
Koo has consistently marketed itself as a homegrown app and stated that its lone Chinese investor had fully exited the venture.
Bengaluru-headquartered Koo began trending on Twitter after India's Union minister Piyush Goyal joined the platform on Feb. 9, promising exclusive updates to followers.
This was followed by prominent politicians from the Bharatiya Janata Party joining Koo, including Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Ravi Shankar Prasad, the central minister for Electronics & Information Technology.
Koo has also become popular with big celebrities in the country who are politically aligned with the Narendra Modi administration.
Kangana Ranaut, an actress in the Hindi film industry, was permanently banned on Twitter after state elections in Eastern India's Bengal for violating its policies on hateful content. Koo's co-founder Mayank Bidawatka welcomed the actress to get more active on Koo instead, saying it's like her home.
From 3 million downloads on Android's Google Play Store in March, the Koo app currently has over 5 million downloads on Android.
This year, India revamped its Information Technology Rules to tighten regulation over streaming players, social media platforms, and digital news media.
Companies with 5 million registered users are considered 'significant' social media intermediaries, and Koo's Radhakrishna said the firm had already complied with the new Information Technology regulations.
Twitter has requested the government for more time to comply with the norms amid heightened tensions between the administration and the San Francisco-based firm.
A Special Cell of Delhi police landed at Twitter India's offices in May for tagging a tweet by a member of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as 'manipulated media'.
Twitter declined to comment on its compliance with the Information Technology Rules in India. Koo did not respond to a request for comment.
As Koo's profile has risen, so has its funding. In May, Koo raised $30 million in Series B funding led by U.S. investment firm Tiger Global Management with existing investors like Blume Ventures, Kalaari Capital, and Accel Partners, according to company data firm Tracxn. The new funding round puts its total valuation over $100 million.
Tiger Global Management has backed several Indian start-ups that have become unicorns like e-commerce major Flipkart, ride-hailing firm Ola, and social networking site ShareChat.
"It looks like Koo has seen a significantly higher number of subscribers in the past few months because of Twitter's tussle with the government and non-compliance with the Information Technology Rules," Ashutosh Sharma, vice-president and research director at Forrester Research in India, told Zenger News.
"That created this opportunity for Koo. Tiger Global must have looked at subscriber growth among other things such as its technology capabilities, platform roadmap, and subscriber engagement levels, which allowed them to fund them at that valuation."
(Edited by Amrita Das and Anindita Ghosh. Map by Urvashi Makwana)
The post Nigeria's Twitter Coup: Govt Joins Indian Microblogging Site Koo appeared first on Zenger News.


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General meeting
Wednesday 8 June
7:30pm at 48 Aro St (Aro Hall)
All people who live, work, own property or a business in the Aro Valley are warmly invited to attend and participate in this general meeting of the Aro Valley Community Council (AVCC).
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. WASTED - discussion on waste in the Aro Valley
- Ways to reduce it - remove plastic bags and plastic water bottles?
- Rubbish collection - dealing with untidy kiwis
4. New Incorporated Societies Law - AVCC comments
5. Minutes of previous general meeting
6. Update on Committee activities since last General Meeting
7. Topics for further general meetings -
8. Urgent General Business.
11/1/2020 09:25:59 am
6/3/2022 02:19:10 am
Good blog posst
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Aro Valley Community Centre
48 Aro Street, Aro Valley
Coordinator Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:30am - 2:30pm
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 04 384 8499
Facsimile: 04 384 8498


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"New" Medals
A coworker wanted to get a St. Michael medal for his friend who is becoming a police office this weekend. I told him I had one at home and promised to bring it in.
Given how much I use medals for Lenten projects, I typically have a bag of 20 or 30 on-hand, so I put them in my purse and brought them in today.
As we were sorting through them looking for St. Michael, I came across one for St. Philomena. I added it to the holy card on my office wall. I look at them constantly, and each time I do, I'm reminded to say a prayer or refocus my attention on God. Finding her medal was a nice bonus.
I actually found three, so I'll wear one and keep the other in the pile for my kids at Lent.
Anyway, I also found one for St. Genesius. I've never heard of St. Genesius! So I did some digging and came up with a pretty awesome conversation story.
St. Genesius of Rome was apparently the Shakespeare of his day. He led an acting troupe and performed plays that mocked Christianity.
During one play which sought to belittle the Sacrament of Baptism, Genesius saw two angels come towards him with a list of his sins. Immediately demanding baptism, his fellow actors thought he was simply acting out the play. However, Genesius insisted that he must be baptized and proclaimed the truth of Christianity.
Upon hearing this, Diocletian ordered St. Genesius to be tortured. This had no effect on Genesius. He continued to proclaim the truth of Christ to anyone who would listen. Confounded by his refusal to deny Christ, he was beheaded. From his martyrdom, a popular devotion to this saint sprang forth.
That's what I call Divine Intervention!
What a great conversion story - very Saint Paul!
Ah well. I'm glad to have been acquainted with a new saint today. I'm always fascinated by the stories of these ordinary people who, unbeknownst to them, are called to be beacons of truth. Just... incredible!
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Our mission:
It is a goal of Alleghany County Schools to provide a system of support services that fosters student success and achievement of educational goals.
Student services in Alleghany County Schools include a variety of programs and services for students and families. Student services professionals focus on prevention, intervention, transition and follow-up services for students and families. Direct services are provided for all children and youth, especially those who encounter barriers to learning.
Student support services are a vital part of school and student success.It is our hope that links on this page may provide valuable information for students, parents and community members.
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TOKYO (AP) ? Sony reported a 27 billion yen ($346 million) loss for the latest quarter and downgraded its annual earnings forecast Wednesday to stay in the red for the fourth year straight, battered by the strong yen and poor sales of flat panel TVs.
The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate is now projecting a 90 billion yen loss ($1.2 billion) for the fiscal year through March 2012 after earlier forecasting a profit of 60 billion yen ($769 million).
Sony Corp. said the strong yen and lower sales, especially in TVs, hurt July-September results. It also suffered production disruptions from the recent floods in Thailand, which came on top of the supply problems from the March tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.
Sony's TV operations have lost money for the past seven years straight amid price plunges, an oversupply of panels and intense competition.
The company has also suffered a blow to its reputation because of a massive online security breach around the world earlier this year, affecting more than 100 million online accounts.
Analysts say the maker of Bravia TVs and Walkman players needs to restore its reputation for innovative gadgets as U.S. rival Apple Inc. powers ahead with its iPod, iPad and iPhone.
Sony had a loss of 260 billion yen in its previous fiscal year.


text: JELD-WEN is one of the world's leading manufacturers of reliable windows and doors. Consistently ranked as Oregon's largest privately owned company, JELD-WEN began in 1960 as a small Oregon millwork plant with 15 employees and today has approximately 20,000 employees across more than 100 locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. These strategically located facilities aim to serve their localities to best accommodate regional preferences and standards, and help minimize resources and costs required for transportation.


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Over the past few months we have seen record breaking traffic, and not just record breaking but try 100 percent increase over the past few months compared to those same months in 2012. So, I thank everyone who has visited the site, as well those on the staff who have put out some great coverage.
With all of the people finding our sites via other message board, Twitter, Facebook or wherever we thank you. With the traffic increase the comment to visitor ratio is quite low, there are a lot of new commenters we have seen, but I know there are lurkers who just come to check out a random article. Plus, there are people who I am sure read the site every day but had no reason to join.
It is super easy to join, here is the link to do so. You can use your Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook or Google+ to register for our site or any of the over 300 sites on the SB Nation network.
Well, there are plenty of reasons to join. We have polls which require to be a member, plus we do live threads/chats for all of the Mountain West games. The threads are just another way to interact with this whole community, and with so many games in the Mountain West going on there is never a shortage of something to talk about.
Don't be afraid since you may see the same set of commenters talking, there was a point where they were brand new too at one point.
Also being a member of the site allows you to write up your own opinion in our FANPOST section, or toss up a quick link, video or tweet in our FANSHOT area.
If you have never commented or even signed up to comment, go ahead and do so. Also, drop a comment below about who is your team.
Football is approaching this week, and that is a wonderful thing.


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It's true. Since I was a little girl, yellow has been my favorite color. I wear a lot of black today, but yellow will always be my favorite. Be sure to check out the good deals at The Limited. The Safari jacket is on sale, the skirt is 40% off and jewelry is buy one, get one 50% off.
Safari Jacket sold @ The Limited
Colorblock Beaded Necklace sold @ The Limited
Foldover Tassel Bag sold @ The Limited
Pieced Waist Pencil Skirt sold @ The Limited
Simple Tote sold @ The Limited
Caribbean Scarf sold @ The Limited
MICHAEL Michael Kors MK Flex Mid Pump sold @ Zappos
Foldover Tassel Shoulder Bag sold @ The Limited
March 27, 2012
My Favorite Color... Yellow
⋅ Labels: Accessories, Blazers, Handbags, Jackets, Michael Kors, Pencil Skirt, red pumps, safari jacket, shoes, Skirts, The Limited, yellow scarf, Zappos
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Every once in a while the scientific community comes up with a discovery so important that it immediately changes the course of human evolution. I'm talking of course about the invention of the word blanet. I think we can all agree that it is the cutest word science has ever created.
However, if you're like me, you'll be disappointed to know that a blanet is in fact not a tiny little planet covered in soft comfy blankets – it would have had a pillow moon as well. Blanets are actually a theoretical class of planetary bodies proposed by astrophysicists that could exist within a safe zone adjacent to a black hole.
Scientists have long hypothesized that black holes could play host to planetary bodies. The big idea is that a singularity is infinitely dense, but as you get further away there comes a point where it should logically be able to snag a hold on a massive object and maintain it within its gravity without devouring it.
The same thing (sort of) happens when planets form around stars, such as our solar system did around our sun.
[Read: Here's what would happen if a black hole fought a wormhole]
A new study conducted by astrophysicists in Japan attempts to shed light on how blanets could form within the confines of a black hole's gravitational boundaries. In essence, the researchers calculate that blanetary formation would work quite similar to its planetary cousins.
According to the researchers' pre-print study on arXiv:
We proposed that a new class of planets, blanets (i.e., black hole planets) can be formed, provided that the standard scenario of planet formation is present in the circumnuclear disk. Here, we investigated the physical conditions of the blanet formation outside the snowline (rsnow ∼ several parsecs) in more detail, especially considering the effect of the radial advection of the dust aggregates.
Planets are formed when dust eddies swirling around a star fuse into a disc from which a planet is spun out of. In black holes the same essential function is at work, however the end result wouldn't be anything like Earth or other bodies we're likely to recognize as a planet. Per the study:
Our results suggest that blanets could be formed around relatively low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) during their lifetime (. 108 yr). The gaseous envelope of a blanet should be negligibly small compared with the blanet mass. Therefore, the system of blanets are extraordinarily different from the standard Earth-type planets in the exoplanet systems.
Other astrophysicists have posited hypothetical star systems merged with black holes. In these scenarios, scientists have proposed a binary singularity/star paradigm where a black hole and a star of equal mass would exist in perfect equilibrium. Under such circumstances – which are incredibly specific – hundreds of habitable planets could revolve around the black sun binary in a belt.
Both theories are based on calculations and explain more about the mechanics and physics of black holes than they do about the actual existence of blanets – which would require some pretty specific creation parameters. But that doesn't stop us from imagining entire galaxies hidden inside the fuzzy edges of a supermassive black hole.
There's no reason why the Milky Way, and us inside of it, couldn't exist within a wispy tendril of a super-duper massive black hole's outer edges. Maybe deep down inside Earth was a blanet all along. Then again, maybe it's just turtles all the way down.
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A company website is very important for attracting clients and directing them to your company. A website such as is not difficult to build. However, one may need to hire professional website builders so that they can be assured of the most attractive site. When a company has a website that has sufficient information about itself, it can be assured of the best visitors and this will be a good source of their income. It is also important to say that the company will have better visibility when it has a website. This is due to the fact that when people find it online, they will visit the website and get to know more about the services offered by the company.
There is something known as search engine optimization. When a company is visible on the search engines, it means that people who search online are going to be redirected to the website of the company. This way, you will end up with visitors who would not have come to your website. This is good for the business of the company.
For your insurance company, when you have a well optimized website, you can be sure that you will be visible to the search engines. This means that when people search for terms related to the insurance industry, they will come across your company website and this will be a sure way of getting these visitors to be your clients. You are supposed to ensure that your website has information about the kind of services that you offer the kind of discounts that you offer the clients and such information. When you make a clear website full of relevant content, you should be able to attract business from as many visitors as possible. Promoting your company and the website on the social media is another way to attract business.Your Insurance Company Website Can Attract You More Clients by Pat Mitchell


text:
Click the structures and reaction arrows in sequence to view the 3D models and animations respectively.
In an aldol reaction, trans enolates prefer to form anti aldols. The reaction proceeds via a chair like transition state where the aldehyde chooses to react with the methyl group equatorial. As the enolate has no choice over its orientation, only an anti product is possible.
C. H. Heathcock, C. T. Buse, W. A. Kleschick, M. C. Pirrung, J. E. Sohn and J. Lampe, J. Org. Chem., 1980, 45, 1066–1081.
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Everyone gets stuck. Whether you're measuring by how clear and focused you feel, by numbers on the scale or in your bank account, or by your relationship dynamics – it's totally normal to feel like what you want just isn't happening.
In this video, I share the #1 thing to do when you're stuck, why it's goal-suicide to keep trying, and what major mindset shift you need to make to feel safe succeeding.
Want to join my private Facebook group and be live for videos like these? Join HERE.
Be free. Be brave. Be YOU!
Latest posts by Alexis (see all)
- What to do when you start slipping on your goals - January 9, 2019
- "But it's not safe to be me…" 3 approaches to the fear of not being safe - January 7, 2019
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Enthusiastic GROGSQUADer Dr Cowie is a frequent convention attendee and self-confessed Chaosium fan-boy who kindly agreed to file this after action report about this year's GenCon event on the Streets of Indianapolis: Born to Game!
This year I attended GenCon for the sixth time, taking both my sons for the fourth and fifth time respectively. Why would anyone endure the predictably ghastly missed plane connections and jet lag over and over again?
Each year sixty thousand gamers descend on downtown Indianapolis, streets are closed off for parties with live bands, beer and food trucks abound, restaurants have custom menus, retail staff dress up and join in – even the airport has gaming tables set up in the departure lounges. It's enormous (the Lucas Oil Football Stadium is only the third largest space), but incredibly friendly and relaxed.
Speaking of friends, the first time I attended GenCon I went on my own, and it was frankly a bit overwhelming. But apparently if you have tens of thousands of people in one place gaming and chatting and eating and drinking – turns out lots of them are lovely. And every year you know more and more of the people you bump into and it feels more and more heading back to a small town full of gamers where people know your name.
But of course, you are there to GAME! GenCon is a chance to play with incredible DMs and players (usually incredibly good, though sometimes…) Over the four and a half days the boys and I played Runequest, Champions, Pathfinder 2E, D&D 5E, various boardgames , a quick LARP session and finished with our traditional Call of Cthulhu on Sunday afternoon. Oldest Boy tends to go for at least one all nighter with Sith Yoga to perk him up in time for breakfast – easy enough if you have the stamina of a teenager and you're below legal drinking age in the US.
Then there is the GenCon Exhibit Hall. You've probably seen the videos, but like so much about the convention it's difficult to get your head round without being there. This year there were over five hundred exhibitors, many of which have large dedicated areas for demos (or queues!) or have several different locations because you just can't get round the hall in one day. Everyone you've ever heard of in gaming is there, usually trying to sell you something but extraordinarily prepared to chat. Name dropping is almost pointless, if anyone attending the convention cares about a "celebrity" they've probably already spent ten minutes pestering them about gnomes in WFRP4E.
But everyone has One Special Thing* you don't get elsewhere. In some ways GenCon is thirty or more different conventions simultaneously with a couple of thousand people at each. Do you love Magic the Gathering? Pre 70's wargames? LARPs? Pathfinder? Miniatures? Cosplay? Virtually anything you can think of brings hundreds of excited people together – not really interacting with the other conventions but mixing in amiable (if sometimes slightly bemused manner) in the Exhibit Hall and across the city.
After all this; why am I not recommending that everyone grabs a ticket and heads over? Lots of reasons. It's expensive – about £2,000 each all in for me and the boys (though you can save a lot of money by staying further away from the con). It's huge and baffling the first time. There is a non zero chance you will spend over twenty four hours getting home, and lose your luggage while you're about it. Most importantly – you can meet equally lovely people a lot closer to home at UK conventions (though the beer is more expensive at Expo).
But, even after all these warnings, if you're ever thinking of going, give me a heads up. Over a pint at GROGMEET (if you're going) I'll tell you the tales we couldn't print – and it would be great to have other GrogSquadders at GenCon next year!
*My Special Thing is stalking Chaosium employees. Luckily their huge generosity (or maybe poor security) has given me the chance to playtest a possible Dragon Pass remake with Chris Klug, and to play Gods War with Sandy Petersen. This year I'd like to thank Todd Gardiner for running the organised play, and Scott and Tracey for awesome Runequest and Call of Cthulhu sessions respectively. But ultimately – where but GenCon can Jeff Richard drag you through the Big Rubble and Michael O'Brien take you behind the scenes at the Second Battle of Moonbroth on the same day?