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Im sorry that someone post this up already
(12-22) 04:00 PST Orlando -- After hearing his name repeatedly mentioned in trade rumors, injured forward Troy Murphy said Thursday that he's no longer sure where he fits into the Warriors and coach Don Nelson's new system.
"When you come up in everything, it makes you wonder," Murphy said from Southern California, where he was seeing a foot specialist for his sore Achilles. "If you think the fit isn't that great and your name comes up in rumors, you think that maybe the front office feels the same way."
Murphy's name began surfacing in trade speculation last season when Ron Artest was being shopped by Indiana, and again over the summer as the Warriors pursued forward Al Harrington.
It was assumed coming into this season, however, that the 6-foot-11 Murphy would thrive under Nelson as a big man with shooting range. But Nelson scrapped his plan to have Murphy start at center after one game, and it's clear that the pairing hasn't meshed as expected.
Murphy has been in and out with injuries, played anywhere from 11 minutes to 44 minutes in a game, and usually found himself on the bench during fourth quarters as Nelson finishes games with quicker lineups.
Though he's shooting career-highs of 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range, his shot attempts (7.6), points (10., rebounds (5.9) and minutes (28.2) are all down.
"It's been frustrating," said Murphy, who was one of six players to average a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds a year ago. "I thought it would really be a great fit here with the whole change of staff and everything, and it's not been as good a fit as I had hoped. I'm not sure why."
Nelson has called Murphy's situation a case of "the chicken and the egg," with Murphy needing to play consistently, without getting consistent minutes, to earn more time. General manager Rod Higgins said Wednesday he also expected a good season, but that it was too early to be alarmed with the Warriors still navigating through injuries.
Reached by phone Thursday, Murphy's agent, Dan Fegan, confirmed that he's spoken to team executives about Murphy's status.
"What I can say is we've discussed the situation," Fegan said. "It's still early. I have confidence that we'll figure this situation out."
That could mean a split before February's trading deadline. League sources said the Warriors have been shopping both Murphy, who has four years and $42 million left on his contract, and forward Mike Dunleavy, whom Golden State discussed with the Clippers over the summer.
With Dunleavy's father, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., recently signing a contract extension, one source said it's likely those talks could get serious if the Clippers can clear salary space. The Clippers' Corey Maggette has already asked out of Los Angeles, as has veteran forward P.J. Brown in Chicago.
The Warriors also need to move contracts if they want to avoid paying a luxury tax with Mickael Pietrus entering free agency this summer and Andris Biedrins due for a contract extension.
Meanwhile, Murphy said the focus is on nursing his Achilles back to health.
"You ever go to a college campus and you're not a student there? You're just kind of walking around," he said. "I'm just trying to get myself healthy and get back on the floor right now."
Back surgery for Cabarkapa: Forward Zarko Cabarkapa is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. The surgery will be performed at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles by Dr. Robert Watkins, who operated on former Warrior Chris Taft in March.
Cabarkapa has missed the entire season after taking an awkward spill during practice in October, and his back was not responding to aggressive rehabilitation.
"He's frustrated because this was a big year for him," agent Bill Duffy said. "He worked extremely hard over the course of the summer in preparation for the season. He loves the style they play and it's conducive to how he plays, but obviously, he hasn't been out there."
It's unclear whether Cabarkapa, a free agent to be, will be able to play again this year.
"We're hopeful that he can return at some point in the season. That's the goal," Duffy said. "But we're certainly not going to rush it."
Briefly: Nelson said he won't use Jason Richardson in back-to-back games as he works his way back from various knee ailments, essentially ruling the guard out of Saturday's game in Miami. ... Monta Ellis (sprained left foot) will be a game-time decision. Nelson said Ellis will continue to come off the bench as he moves Richardson back to shooting guard.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... N4FFD1.DTL
Is he asking for a traded? if he is then traded him no one in the bay cares about him any more I say trade him for PJ brown
Murphy Frustrated
Discuss anything related to Golden State Warriors basketball here
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last week called. he wants his story back
tHe_pEsTiLeNcE wrote:last week called. he wants his story back
It's in the news board.
oh my bad guys i was to lazy to go see if this is posted already

subset: commoncrawl


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Rolled into Sunny Poeng's donut recipe is a story of courage, perseverance, survival and family.
Rolled into Sunny Poeng's donut recipe is a story of courage, perseverance, survival and family.
After fleeing war-torn Cambodia with his wife, Lang, in 1981, the father of three became the proprietor of a popular donut shop in Ukiah, Calif.
Eight years ago, he relocated to Kings Mountain, N.C., and opened Sunny's Quick Stop at 720 Granard St. in Gaffney.
Poeng had retired from the donut business, but this year he sold two winning lottery tickets; a $250,000 jackpot in July and a $200,000 prize in October.
His business earned $4,500 from the state Education Lottery Commission and his middle son, Andrew, 26, convinced him to revive the Sunny's Donuts concept so he could follow in his father's footsteps.
Andrew and Sunny wake up at 2 a.m. every day to make the donuts. Sunny passes along his recipes and knowledge from 17 years in the business and then stays until 8 p.m. to close up the convenience store.
Their creations include some traditional items and a few imaginative ideas based on four types of flour: regular yeast, old-fashioned cake, royal cake and buttermilk cake. Some unique offerings include "tiger claws" filled with cinnamon-apple, chocolate chip bars, buttermilk bars and apple fritters.
Around town, the family's business has earned the nickname "the lucky store." The Poengs insist, however, that luck has nothing to do with it.
For them, the store is their American Dream born out of years of hardship in the jungles of a distant land. It signifies the strength of a family bonded together, sharing the most important ingredient—love.
Sunny was born in western Cambodia in 1957 and Lang in 1959. They didn't meet each other until 1979. Both of their fathers died when they were children so Sunny and Lang, and their siblings, were cared for by their mothers.
In 1975, Cambodian communists of the Khmer Rouge organization seized control of the country under the infamous revolutionary Pol Pot.
The Khmer Rouge, which was formed in 1968 as an offshoot of the Vietnam People's Army of North Vietnam, began imposing radical social reforms aimed at turning the country into an agrarian communist utopia.
Cambodians who were living in cities or towns were forced to move to rural areas to work on farms or do hard labor.
As the country began to turn back to the Middle Ages, Sunny and Lang were caught in the middle. Just teenagers, they were separated from their families and forced into to all-male and all-female work camps.
In the camps, they were on the receiving end of the Khmer Rouge's brutal brand of social engineering. They were beaten, tortured, starved and made to work 16-hour days.
They had no shoes, one pair of clothes, lived in foul conditions and were almost always exposed to the elements. Religion and relationships were forbidden.
"We were allowed to have one spoon of rice twice a day," Sunny said. "We weren't allowed to look (the Khmer Rouge) in the eye. We always had to bow. They could work us to death, beat us until we died, or kill us for no reason. We were worse than slaves. We were treated like animals."
Disease and suffering was all around them, the Poengs said. Dissent was met with swift and terrible action. They witnessed executions and saw their friends die from hunger and exhaustion.
Everything belonged to "onka," the government, Lang said. Cambodians weren't allowed to keep anything for themselves, even the vegetables grown in their own gardens. Lang remembered seeing one of her peers tortured for trying to hide a coconut.
Sunny said he observed one of the Khmer Rouge's favorite torments on several occasions. He said they would put a man on a stationary bicycle that was wired to a radio or tape player. The soldiers would force their victim, who was likely exhausted and starving, to peddle while they listened to the music. If the music slowed, they beat the man until he picked up the pace.
Other Khmer Rouge vile delights included suffocation via a plastic bag over a person's head and forcing people to drink a cocktail of soapy water.
"It seemed like there was no light. We were constantly in darkness," Lang said. "The only freedom we had was to die, whether by suicide, giving up or talking back so they would kill you."
In 1977, Sunny narrowly escaped death, but one of his brothers was not so lucky.
"My group leader came to me and said 'I just killed your brother and I'm going to kill you next,'" he said. "He said it just like my brother was a dog. He said 'I'm busy right now, but when I'm not, I'm going to kill you.'"
Sunny said he went back to work and his leader never followed through with the threat.
Lang found some reprieve that year, but not before she endured one of the darkest times of her ordeal. To end her suffering, Lang had been contemplating suicide by jumping in a river because she couldn't swim and death would have almost been quick and certain.
She told a friend about her plan, but that friend reminded her that, if she died, her younger sister and brother would grow up never knowing her.
"She was right," Lang said. "I can look back on it now and say that God protected me by having her there to keep me from jumping in the river."
A short time later, Lang became ill and was moved off of the "front line" to a hospital, where malaria and other diseases were rampant. People were dying all around her and Lang said she made the decision to head back to the front line despite not being well.
When she returned, she was put to work, but it was evident that she could not do the hardest tasks. She was moved further back to serve in a support role, although the work was still grueling and the conditions were still awful.
"We were programmed to think it was our duty to work ourselves to death," Lang said. "After I got sick, I didn't care. I knew that if I stayed on the front line I'd die and I didn't want to go back."
In 1979, Sunny, who had just turned 21, was working in a field, when suddenly the sky above him was split by two Vietnamese war planes sweeping in low on a bombing run. The bombs fell just a short distance from where he was standing.
That night, he heard gunfire in the distance. He found out later that it was the sound of the pro-Chinese Khmer Rouge's regime crumbling under the pro-Soviet Union Vietnamese intervention.
Sunny said his group leader called "a meeting." He and the other workers were huddled together in a field.
"I was certain they were going to kill us," he said.
The group leader told the men that Khmer Rouge forces had just executed the populace of a neighboring village and was pulling out toward the mountains. The workers were expected to follow in the coming days or they too would be executed.
As soon as his overseers left, Sunny saw his opportunity and took flight in the other direction. He moved slowly and quietly through the jungle for fear of being caught and followed the road to the neighboring village, where he witnessed the Khmer Rouge's savagery.
"There were bodies everywhere," Sunny said. "I stayed there for a few days, scavenging for food and sleeping among the dead so I wouldn't be discovered."
After a few days passed, Sunny continued his perilous journey. He came across more villages whose inhabitants had been exterminated. The stench of death from bloated corpses was around every corner.
He was finally able to locate his mother.
"I told her we have to run, but we were so weak we could barely walk straight," he said.
Along the road, Sunny gathered up a few of his brothers and sisters. The family continued on toward the country's border with Thailand, hoping to find help. Instead, they were met by a group of bandits and turned over to the Thai army. They were then loaded onto a bus with other refugees and taken to a mountain that was near a great minefield separating the two countries.
At gunpoint, Sunny said Thai forces made the refugees walk over the mountain and down a cliff. Some people fell to their deaths. They were then forced to go out into the landmines because, he assumed, "they didn't want to clear it themselves."
Sunny said he saw two brothers step on a mine and were both killed instantly. There were other casualties and Sunny's family decided to stop where they were and squatted together. They remained there for several days without food or water.
"The situation was very bad," Sunny said. "I knew I had to do something."
He made the decision that he would venture out into the mines with a five-gallon bucket they had found.
"I told my family that if I didn't come back they'd know I had died because there was no way I'd leave them behind," he said. "I looked at my brother and told him that if I didn't come back it was his responsibility to keep everyone alive. I hugged my mom. Everyone was crying."
Sunny struck out to find a water source. A man who had the same idea was walking just a few yards away from him and stepped on a mine and was killed.
He came upon a foul spring surrounded by animal waste. The mutilated body of a man lay nearby.
As he knelt down to fill his bucket, he noticed a string tied to several trees surrounding the spring. Attached to the string was a hand grenade—a booby trap commonly used by the Khmer Rouge to maim or kill.
Sunny avoided setting off the grenade and filled his bucket before heading back to his family.
A few days later, the family decided to leave the area. One of his sisters stayed behind with her husband's family.
Sunny and his relatives walked for three months until they finally reached his mother's hometown. They stayed for a while to regain their strength before striking out for the Vietnamese border, where they were turned back.
The family returned to the village and Sunny gathered food. He had decided that he would go on alone and walk to a UN camp, where he would try to establish a plan to get his family out of the country.
"In my heart and in my soul, I knew I could no longer live in Cambodia even though it was my home."
His mother gave him a small piece of gold. When he got to the camp, he traded the gold and set up a small merchant operation and his family came later.
While he was in the camp, he met Lang's sister. Determined to give her sibling a better life the sister arranged for Sunny and Lang to be married. It was a decision that the 19-year-old Lang was less than happy about.
"I didn't know him. There was no love there," Lang said. "I didn't want to have children. I wanted to enjoy my life."
Lang had come to the UN camp through her own set of circumstances.
By the time the Khmer Rouge was ousted, her mother had died in a work camp and she was separated from the rest of her family.
She decided to become a nurse and was working in a hospital. A family friend happened to run into Lang's brother and told him that she was at the hospital.
"(My brother) came to the hospital," Lang said. "He said, 'I thought you were dying.' I said I'm not dying; I work here."
One by one, Lang found her siblings and moved to the camp, also hoping to find a way out of Cambodia.
During her time in the camp, Lang found her faith. She became a Christian and found her hope restored.
After she and Sunny were married, the couple was living in a crowded hut with several other families when Lang received word that her sister had made it to Bridgeport, Conn., and was working to find sponsorship to bring Lang and Sunny to the United States.
"What was the U.S.? We didn't know. We had no education," Sunny said. "All we knew is the Khmer Rouge hated America. All they had to do was say you're American CIA and shoot you in the head."
Lang said she had trepidations.
"I heard there was no rice in the U.S.," she said. "I thought we're going to starve. Everyone packed rice, not belongings. I found out later that the U.S. had everything."
In 1981, the Poengs finally heard their number called, signifying their selection to come to the U.S. They made the flight in two days, with a brief stop in Rome.
The couple landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport. They spoke not a word of English. A car drove them to Connecticut.
Sunny and Lang soon landed factory jobs. Sunny earned $4.25 an hour and Lang $3.45.
A year later, the Poengs welcomed their first child, a son, Daniel. Andrew was born in 1986.
In 1987, a friend asked Sunny to move across the country to help him start a donut shop in Ukiah, Calif. They agreed and Sunny took over the shop after a year.
Lang became a U.S. citizen in 1989 and Sunny in 1991. In 1995, the couple had a daughter, Brittany. Meanwhile, the donut shop prospered.
In 2004, a tragedy sprung forth a miracle and caused the family to once again move cross-country.
A driver who was parked outside the shop mistakenly hit the accelerator pedal and drove a car through the entrance.
Andrew, who was a senior in high school, said that normally he and his friends would have been sitting where the vehicle crashed through and likely would have been killed. Luckily, there weren't any injuries, but the shop was demolished.
"We all decided not to go to the shop that day," Andrew said. "I can't explain it. So many small things happened that day that kept us from being there. God kept us safe."
After the incident, the family made its way to Kings Mountain, N.C. Sunny opened his quick stop at the intersection of Logan and Granard Streets. He hadn't planned on making donuts, but Andrew was able to talk him out of retirement.
A graduate of Appalachian State University with a bachelor of arts in communications, Andrew was working as a supervisor at a janitorial contractor.
After his family received a check from the lottery winnings, Andrew decided it was time to bring the donut shop full circle under the tutelage of his father.
"I made him prove it to me—that he wanted to do it," Sunny said. "I'm very proud of him."
Andrew said that working alongside his father has opened his eyes to the sacrifices made by both of his parents over the years and has given him a deep appreciation for his family's story.
"At first I thought my story was normal," he said. "It was interesting growing up in an American culture. I resented certain things, like having to translate for my parents. I used to hate the donut shop because it kept them from coming to sporting events and other things… But I can see how God has blessed us every step along the way."
Andrew said he values his father's patience with him and so far the results have been positive. He said the donut shop's customer base has continued to grow and believes there's room at the table for another donut maker in town.
"My dad is an artist," Andrew said. "He truly is. I make something unfortunate and somehow he salvages it. I know we have the goods."
At least 1 million Cambodians, a quarter of the country's population, died under the Khmer Rouge.
The Poengs know their story could have ended years ago. They fought through adversity, lost family members, walked day and night, slept amongst the dead and lived in constant fear.
Lang, who teaches a Cambodian Sunday school class at United Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, has posted scripture verses throughout the store to inspire her customers.
Each patron is sent on their way with a wish for them to "have a Sunny day!"
"At first I wanted to be angry," Lang said. "How could they do this? But after we got saved, we realized that God has a reason and a purpose for everything. What we've been through has made us stronger and brought us to where we are today."
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/sunnysdonuts.


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Daniel Radcliffe shivered through Jon Hamm bath scene
The pair clambered into an old-fashioned metal bathtub together to shoot a scene for the new TV mini-series, in which they play young and older versions of the same doctor, Vladimir Bomgard.
Radcliffe had been looking forward to shooting the scene with Hamm, but admits filming turned into a nightmare as they sat there topless in freezing cold water.
He tells The Sun, "I am the envy of every woman ever (after bathing with Hamm)! At the time I thought, 'Oh, I like baths, that will be a fun scene' - then the water went cold and we were sitting there shivering, and then the hot water failed and the crew had to fill it up with water from the tea and coffee stand!"
However, the Harry Potter actor is full of praise for Hamm, adding, "Jon is really funny, personable and lovely. He's also one of the best actors I've ever seen. He even choreographed a fight scene between my character and his when the stunt co-ordinator hadn't been brought on set and we were on a tight deadline."


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To Gelt or not to Gelt? There is no question!
Kosher Belgian Chocolate Coins ~ Our Specialty
Don't miss these great bulk deals
to buy chocolate gelt, dreidels and other Chanukah
supplies! Click Here>>
Dear customers, we are just sharing what you've said!
Thank you so much for getting our candles to us in time. I am very pregnant and had forgotten to order them in a timely manner, thank you again for allowing us this Mitzvah!!!
Fort Campbell, KYRead more...Becky
- Wholesale
- Contact/FAQ - Testimonials


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This walking tour is a must for any and all Harry Potter fans. Explore the exquisitely magical world that Harry and his friends found themselves in, on this amazing 2 hour walk.
Use your knowledge of spells to outwit the guide and seek out inspirations and film locations around the stunning city of London!
Marvel at locations, such as the entrance to the fictional Diagon Alley, invisible to the Muggle world, the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, soak in the views from the bridge, which was destroyed in the Half Blood Prince! And so much more!
Comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather are advised...


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BBC News
- Brexit: Critics urge renegotiation as ministers say vote 'going ahead'
- Grace Millane: Police find body in backpacker murder investigation
- Charlie Rowley: Novichok victim 'terrified' about health
- Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker won't return for a new series until 2020
- Police searching for Jade McGrath find a body
- NHS told to ditch 'absurd' fax machines
- Raheem Sterling: Manchester City forward says newspapers 'fuel racism' in football
- Woman, 94, dies after being hit by police van in Cardiff
- Plane and gliders in near miss over M1 near Northampton
- Rival marches ahead of Brexit vote
- O2 'to seek millions' in damages over data outage
- Crashed lorry 'holding up' Breamore cottage
- How to be a spy in the digital age
- The coach getting more Muslim girls into football
- Nichola has created an app to help others with alopecia meet new friends
- 'No-deal Brexit could separate us from our pet pigs'
- Flintshire food bank inundated with traveller donations
- Young, gay and Christian
- Homeless shelter puts up tents indoors for the winter
- BBC News Channel
- Dunkeld chippy offers deep-fried Christmas dinner
- Hundreds of Santas take to motorbikes
- Newspaper headlines: Crucial Brexit vote to be delayed?
- Who was the 'Thai bride' dumped in the hills?
- 'I've got two months to find a donor'
- Football team for grieving dads wins top award
- Why I'm scared of Christmas as a single mum
- Love Island: How we made our love last
- Radio Times front covers of the 1940s
- Triple child murders: The lodger who destroyed a family
- Alternative ways to break Brexit impasse
- Children tell of life in a warzone
- Greenham Common pictures highlight life in the peace camps
- In pictures: Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley
- The Irish border and Brexit explained by @BorderIrish
Below we are listing a number of UK job websites that have full-time and part-time job opportunities available in the BRAMPTONBRYAN area.
Fish4 Jobs
JobSeekers (Direct.Gov.uk)
http://api.indeed.com/ads/apisearch?publisher=4773927896266615&q=&l=SY7 0DN&sort=&radius=5&st=&jt=&start=&limit=10&fromage=&filter=&latlong=1&co=gb&chnl=AVUK&userip=220.127.116.11&useragent=CCBot/2.0 (https://commoncrawl.org/faq/)&v=2
Jobs at IndeedWarning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in D:\Webvirtual\ANYWeb\www\Wordpress\wp-content\plugins\shortcode-exec-php\shortcode-exec-php-class.php(895) : eval()'d code on line 9
Looking for more jobs...
jobs by


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The standard has been raised in the world of bonkers motoring. Behold, the Ariel Atom 500. The Honda inline-four is replaced by a naturally-aspirated 500-hp 3.0-liter V8. Considering the Atom's slightly heavier than an eyelash, this will be spectacular. Updated.
Because a 245-hp Honda VTEC engine was just too boring in a roadgoing tube-frame, a V8 was obviously necessary. Enter the 3.0-liter V8 pushing out a beastly 500-hp. Everything else about the Atom 500 has been turned up as well. There's better aerodynamics, an even more stripped down interior with a paddle-shift transmission, and a bigger price! Oh, wait? There will only be 25 Atom 500's built, most of which are spoken for at a price somewhere north of $200,000. We need a banker's bonus this Christmas.
Update: Lookie what we got, the first look at the Hartley Engineering V8 nestled snugly in the Atom's engine bay. Looks right at home.
(Thanks go out to Bill of Sector111 for the photos)


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Hungary - Survey mean consumption or income per capita, bottom 40% of population (2011 PPP $ per day)
Definition: Mean consumption or income per capita (2011 PPP $ per day) used in calculating the growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the bottom 40% of the population in the income distribution in a country.
Source: World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) circa 2008 - 2013 (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).
See also:
Limitations and Exceptions: Because household surveys are infrequent in most countries and are not aligned across countries, comparisons across countries or over time should be made with a high degree of caution.
Unit of Measure: 2011 PPP $
Periodicity: Annual
General Comments: The choice of consumption or income for a country is made according to which welfare aggregate is used to estimate extreme poverty in PovcalNet. The practice adopted by the World Bank for estimating global and regional poverty is, in principle, to use per
Topic: Poverty Indicators
Sub-Topic: Shared prosperity


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Liverpool goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, has told the Liverpool Echo that he has a 'very good' relationship with manager, Brendan Rodgers in response to speculation that the goalkeeper could be sold to Barcelona this summer.
The Reds are currently sitting in seventh in the table after a shaky season and risk missing out on a Europa League position.
Reina has struggled to find fitness this season and when he has featured, his form hasn't been as impressive as it has been in recent years. His dip in form has sparked speculation that Rodgers could sell him in the summer.
This has led to rumours that he could be a replacement for Barcelona's Victor Valdes, who has also been linked with a move away.
However, the keeper himself has revealed that he has a good relationship with the manager and is happy with the club, believing it is going in the right direction.
"My relationship with the manager is very good," Reina said.
"I think we have got a lot of ideas in common. There is understanding about tactics and the way we see football is quite similar.
"I am very happy with our manager.
"He is making sure we are learning every day the way to win and that's important. If we play good football then we will be closer to winning games.
"There's no doubt I am more involved with my feet than before but so is the team. The amount of passes in every game is going higher and higher compared to last season. It's a different style and philosophy - I am happy about it.
"I think given time and as long as the players follow him it will be good. It will become a great side - one which is difficult to beat."
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeFootball Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeFootball.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeFootball.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.


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Puilyogare/Tamarind Rice is a tangy spicy rice which is very famous in southern part of India. The thick tangy tamarind sauce mixed with rice and tampered with loads of (yes..loads of..) peanuts is a joy to eat! A bowl full of puliyogare any time.. is difficult to say 'NO' to a hardcore SouthIndian like me!! Saarina pudi (rasam powder) was out of stock and so puliyogare was made because fresh saarina pudi was made :D ..This time around I tried saarina pudi from Iyengar's Kitchen
I was tempted to make Puliyogare when I saw it on her blog, so I made they were a grand success at home.
You need following to make saarina pudi :
Rasam Powder: For 1 kg
1/4th kilo – Byadagi variety red chillies
150g kilo- Guntur Chillies
3/4th kg – Coriander seeds
100 gms - Fenugreek seeds
100 gms - Cumin seeds
50 gms –Peppercorns
50 gms - Mustard seeds
1 tspn - Turmeric powder
½ tspn – Hing
4-5 strands – Curry leaves
Fry all the ingredients without oil separately. Grind it to a fine powder.
I have added 150 g more chillies than Veda has used to increase the hotness of the powder. Rest of the ingredients are same.
You just need to follow same step by step procedures as mentioned by Veda on her blog for yummy tasting Puliyogare.
You need the following to make Puliyogare Gojju :
Tamarind – 1½ cups
Oil - ½ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 4 lines
Asafoetida (Hing) - ½ tsp
Red chillies – 8
Rasam powder – 8 tbsp
Salt – According to taste
Jaggery – 2 blocks
To make Tamarind rice from gojju prepared above you need the following :
Cooked Rice – 2 cups (grains separated
Oil - ½ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 4-5 strands
Asafoetida (Hing) – ½ tspn
Peanuts– Use generously
Grated Dry coconut – 2 tbsp
Pulioyogare gojju or concentrate prepared earlier – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Powders for seasoning:
Black Sesame seeds – 1½ tbl spns (don't add too much, although it enhances the flavors….it might get bitter if added in a large quantity) I have used white sesame seeds in my recipe
Peppercorns – 1 tspn
Coriander seeds – 1 tbl spn
Rasam powder – 2 – 3 tbl spns
For a detailed post on how to make puliyogare visit Iyengar's Kitchen
This is for you....... :D
Sending saarina pudi to Roma's Long live shelf event


text:
The reality show television crew had no idea the mother of the bride was having a horror-movie moment in her hotel bathroom.
The reality show television crew had no idea the mother of the bride was having a horror-movie moment in her hotel bathroom.
Blood was everywhere.
Jill Barton of Stroud Township had come to Vieques Island expecting a tropical wedding, but a bleeding ulcer was threatening to cut her television debut short. She had always wanted to be an actress, but more importantly, having the opportunity to see her youngest daughter get married — on television no less — was slipping away.
Barton was rushed to the nearest hospital, across a patch of sea on the mainland of Puerto Rico. It was May 8. Later that day, she was on her way back to the hotel on Vieques.
The worst was averted. She would be back in time to get ready for the weekend wedding.
Then, as quickly as it happened before, it started again. The Pocono Medical Center nurse was spitting up blood.
It was back to the hospital.
On the helicopter that would whisk her from the tiny island, she could only think of one thing: She just wanted to be around a little longer.
Barton and her daughters are no strangers to Vieques. The island paradise, with its complicated history as a U.S. Navy training location, is known for its wild horses and sandy beaches.
But for Barton, 59, the island has long been a familiar place. She moved there after she graduated from Stroudsburg High School in 1972.
Her mother, the late Carol S. Mackin, was asked to take over managing the Sportsmen's House, a resort and local watering hole on the island that was owned by her boss at the time.
The little woman who couldn't make a cocktail asked her daughter to come along.
"Jill, you've got to make this mixed drink for somebody," Barton remembers her mom saying. Barton was known back then as Jill Borheady. She met her first husband on the island. Of the 300 or so Marines stationed there, she jokes, she married the first one she met.
She left and moved to Connecticut to start a family.
Barton's mother would leave the island eight years later to tend to her sick parents in Stroudsburg. But the family's connection to the island would last for decades, and came to the fore again when it was time for Barton's daughter, Erica, to plan her wedding to Mike Ackerson.
Erica, also a graduate of Stroudsburg High School, picked the island with memories of her family's connection to it. When she looked for wedding planners, there was only one, Sandy Malone's "Weddings in Vieques."
Little did Erica know that she would be asked to participate in the TLC channel's "Wedding Island" reality show that was set for production.
Forty-five guests were invited, and after negotiations that included how much access producers would have to the nuptials and its planning, a reality show camera crew became part of the deal for Barton's May 11 wedding.
It was Malone's connections and quick thinking that got Barton the help she needed in those tense moments when she didn't know whether she would live or die. Malone was able to get Barton airlifted in the governor's chopper to the hospital.
But through all the chaos, Barton wasn't really scared. Barton has been in tense situations before.
Not just because she's been a nurse for 18 years, but because she's been on a hijacked plane.
On May 6, 1972, when a man with a gun sitting in the seat behind her had hijacked her Miami-bound plane, Barton kept her cool. She was one of two Stroudsburg women on that flight that safely landed in Washington, D.C., during the heyday of domestic plane hijackings in the 1970s.
The only thing that really worried Barton while she was in the hospital was not being there for the next generation.
"You just want to be here for the future grandchildren," Barton said. There were two more return trips to the intensive care unit to have her ulcer clamped.
She was happy, but beat.
A day later, Barton was in the Caribbean ocean for hours playing with her grandchildren. "It couldn't have been any better," she said.
The wedding went off without a hitch, but for Barton, with aspirations of stardom at one point in her life, things could have gone a little better.
"For my TV debut, it wasn't what I envisioned," she said.
"Wedding Island" will premiere on the TLC channel with a sneak-peek episode at 10 tonight. Follow-up episodes will air at 10 p.m. every Thursday. Episode 106, featuring Jill and Erica Barton, airs Aug. 15.


text:
pimp slap
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: pimp-slap
Alternative forms[edit]
pimp slap (plural pimp slaps)
- (slang, vulgar) A powerful slap to the face;[1]
- 2001, Paul Beatty, The White Boy Shuffle, Picador, →ISBN, page 53:
- These silent greetings were often returned in spades, accompanied by the angry rejoinder "Nigger, what the fuck you looking at?" and a pimp slap that echoed in my eyes for a week.
- 2002, Reginald Sinclair Lewis, "The Black Klan Killers", in Inside My Head, iUniverse, →ISBN, pages 10–11:
- […] Respect for your / Elders was lost right then— / In the pistol whippings, the pimp slaps, cold / Beatdowns and in-home invasions and / [page break] / Mass killings we read about in / The newspapers and on the "Action / News" and on all the subway trains / Fleeing the cities you inhabited.
- 2004, Michael Atkinson, Life Is Amazing, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN, page 132:
- Oh thanks a lot mother yucker, and I don't recall telling you to elaborate,I said tell me why the yuck I'm getting an "F" without me taking a test. ¶ That's what I recall saying,but I did not say this to him. He may have given me a pimp slap.
- 2006, Gloria P. Glover, "Where You At Big Brother?", in Glendoria's Creations: Poems from the Heart, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 52:
- But don't worry Bro / I'll get them all back... / I'm coming with a backhanded pimp slap and a fully loaded gat!
- For additional quotations, see pimp-slap.
- 2001, Paul Beatty, The White Boy Shuffle, Picador, →ISBN, page 53:
Usage notes[edit]
For some English speakers, there is a distinction between a pimp slap and a bitch slap, in which a pimp slap is backhanded (delivered with the back of the hand), while a bitch slap is openhanded (delivered with the palm of the hand). For most speakers, however, the two terms are synonymous, referring equally to either kind of slap.
- (slap to the face): bitch slap
pimp slap (third-person singular simple present pimp slaps, present participle pimp slapping, simple past and past participle pimp slapped)
- (slang, vulgar, transitive) Alternative spelling of pimp-slap[2]
- 2001, Johnnie L. Mitchell, 88 Ways to Die, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 27:
- " […] That's what really got me pissed. I admit it. I pimp slapped her a couple times. […] "
- 2005, Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker, "Whatever It Takes", in Kiss the Year Goodbye, Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 21:
- "Hey, Indian." Mr. Marcus, my next-door neighbor, smiled, with the gold caps in the front of his mouth shining. I felt like pimp slapping the shit out of him. How many times do I have to tell him my damn name is not Indian? I hope he's not coming to borrow any sugar, because I'ma tell him no.
- 2006, Brandelyn N. Castine, Spoken Silence: Life in 4 Parts, self-published, →ISBN, page 169:
- […] just when I am feeling my most smug, the hand of God reaches down and pimp slaps me into reality.
- 2007-2008, Saints Row I&II:
- The act of using the Pimp Slap mentioned in the above article to kill/damage an NPC or vehicle.
- 2001, Johnnie L. Mitchell, 88 Ways to Die, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 27:
- ^ "pimp slap" in Geneva Smitherman, Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner, Houghton Mifflin (1994), →ISBN, page 181, and Houghton Mifflin (2000), →ISBN, page 230: "An open-handed slap across the face."
- ^ David Burke, The Slangman Guide to Dirty English: Dangerous Expressions Americans Use Every Day, Slangman Publishing (2003), →ISBN, page 145: "To slap someone as if he or she is less important."


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Europe's booming real estate market is expected to continue increasing in value over the next year, as more Asian investors are attracted to the continent's cities.
This is according to World Finance, which cited record levels of money being invested in property in global cities like Paris, Milan and London, all of which are particularly attractive for Asian capitalists. The dominance of these historic European cities in the global property market shows no signs of waning and has helped increase the value of the European market as a whole, creating a cycle of fruitful investment.
Although a new generation of outward-looking Asian investors is often credited with spurring on this trend, refinements to the industry have played a significant role. Europe's real estate market has made significant regulatory improvements while also becoming more transparent. New investment protocols and performance indices have been introduced, and industry associations have been established alongside additional regulatory reforms. These developments have resulted in renewed investor confidence, so that investing in continental property is now regarded as a relatively risk-free option. Where one respected investor adds to their portfolio, others naturally follow.
The high demand for investment properties in these exclusive destinations has led to properties surging in value, with recent figures from Eurostat revealing that, during the first three months of 2015, house prices in the European Union increased by 2.5 per cent. In the euro area itself, prices rose by 0.9 per cent.
Romania experienced the biggest quarterly increase, with property prices in the eastern European nation rising by more than 4 per cent compared to the final three months of 2014. This was closely followed by Sweden, Hungary and Denmark, with recorded hikes of 3.9 per cent, 3.7 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively. The largest yearly rises, meanwhile, were recorded in Ireland, Sweden, Hungary and Britain.
In separate findings from the Global Property Guide, it was also stated that house prices rose in 25 of the 38 world countries that have released their housing statistics for the first quarter of 2015. Three of the top five countries were European, with Ireland in first place, Estonia in third and Sweden in fourth. All three countries have registered impressive price rises, in some cases beating records set over ten years previously.
The good news for the continent doesn't stop there. A report published by the World Economic Forum found that 75 per cent of the most popular 25 countries for international investors are European, with the United Kingdom, Germany and France ranking among the top ten. The real estate sector has played a crucial role in attracting substantial foreign investment; the top-ranked country in Europe was the United Kingdom, which has repeatedly made headlines thanks to lucrative sales of prime London properties, often to overseas investors.
If you're interested in luxury residential or commercial property in Europe, contact Engel & Völkers. Our experienced agents are perfectly placed to guide you through your search and find the right investment for you.


text:
Living the dog-loving, dog-led lifestyle may be the only way to go for many of us. We hardly think about the extra measures we have to take to accomodate our best friends. Whether it's scoping out a restaurant that lets little Lola sit at the table, finding a job where pet hair-covered attire isn't just for casual Friday, or buying the car that fits all our pooch's latest dog travel safety gizmos, it seems we are always willing to put Fido first.
There is a sphere of life, however, where putting a dog's wants before one's own can be more than an inconvenience — it can be downright painful for both of you! The dating scene is one area where dog lovers may have struggled with making a heartbreaking choice between a certain human and a certain pooch. Turning to the internet to find a person with similar dog-driven interests is a first step for many, but it can be hard to tell when you've found a quality (well trained? well behaved?) human online!
Fortunately for love-seeking dog owners there is an amazing website called Leashes and Lovers that brings dog owners together through social media, singles mixers, no-pressure outdoor doggy events, play dates (for the dogs…), and other great dog and person meet-n-greet ideas. Of course you can still use traditional dating site tools like messages and forums to interact, but you'll be off on the right paw knowing you've already got something very important in common with your new online friends.
Users can browse humans by their photos, or look for owners of similar dogs. Whether you simply want a companion whose furrier companion is a sporting dog or a city dog like yours, or if you need an exact match — if only Goldendoodle owners will do! — you can find your date by the breed they bond with. The dog and person events work well for meeting similar personality types too. You and your dog can go to a book signing at a posh hotel, crash a mixer at a local pub, or take an 8 mile wilderness hike, all sponsored by Leashes and Lovers. You are bound to meet some very different sorts of people (and dogs!) based on the events you choose to attend. Even if an outing doesn't land you a date, you've expanded your network of dog loving friends and shown your first love (the fuzzy one) a great time.
Sheryl Matthys, founder of Leashes and Lovers, just published a book by the same title on "What your dog can teach you about Life, Love and Happiness." Sheryl shows us how relationships with four-legged friends can lead to better relationships with everyone in our lives. The book launch party and book sigining are being held March 30 in New York City.
We are frequent visitors to the site too! So if you stop by Leashes and Lovers just to take a look, or to find a leash-toting lover, be sure and stop to say "Hi" to us on there.


text:
How To Cut and Eat a Grapefruit
A half of a grapefruit is a pretty wonderful way to start your day. Sure it's healthy, but even better, it's a delicious and juicy treat that wakes you up with its puckery taste! Grapefruits do require a small amount of prep work, but it only takes a sharp knife and a short minute to free up those segments. Read on for our step-by-step instructions.
You can't just cut a grapefruit in half and dig in with a spoon. Well, you can but you will make a mess of it. It may seem fussy, but each segment needs to be cut free from its membrane. This actually doesn't take that long and if you have a sharp knife, it's really a breeze.
I recommend using a serrated knife. They are excellent for working with juicy fruits like grapefruits since they don't require a lot of pressure to cut the fragile fruit. I'm also partial to my vintage grapefruit knife, which I picked up for a quarter at a thrift shop (see below.) It has a flexible, angled blade which conforms to the curve of the grapefruit. It's not necessary, but it's a fun and effective tool.
There are basically three kinds of grapefruit: white, pink, and red. Pictured here is an organic red variety from my local farmers' market. In most supermarkets, you have a choice of two or three different types. There is a noticeable difference between each kind, usually in the tart/sweet ratio, so the best way to find your favorite is to try them all. Bon Appétit has a very helpful guide for this:
→ Get the Grapefruit Guide: The Many Faces of Grapefruit from Bon Appétit
Once you've segmented your grapefruit, you can eat it as is or sprinkle it with a little sugar. Another popular thing to do is run it under the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize the top. (Try Faith's Broiled Grapefruit with Cinnamon Sugar!)
How To Cut and Eat a Grapefruit
What You Need
Cutting board
Sharp serrated knife
Small bowl
1. Cut the grapefruit in half. It's optional, but I sometimes like to take a small slice off of each end of the grapefruit so it will sit flat and not wobble around in my bowl. Then simply cut your grapefruit in half across its equator. If your serrated knife is too short, you may want to use a larger chef knife for this task.
2. Cut around the perimeter. Using your sharp serrated knife, cut the fruit at the place where the pulp and the rind meet. Instead of plunging the knife in straight, place it at a sight angle with the point toward the center to accommodate the curve of the fruit. Using a sawing motion, make your way around the fruit.
3. Free up the segments. Carefully slice on either side of each thin membranes separating the segments. I usually start in the center of the fruit and, using gentle sawing motions, work my way out to the pith. You probably won't get all the flesh off of the membrane but that's OK.
4. Eat and enjoy! Place your grapefruit in a bowl and eat each segment with a spoon. When you're finished, don't forget to squeeze the grapefruit into your bowl and drink up the last of its sweet/tart goodness.
Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home?
See more How To posts
We're looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too!
Submit your own tutorials or ideas here!
(Images: Dana Velden)


text:
My Favorite Flirts is a feature that lets you reach your favorite Flirts easily from My Account or on 1-800-TO-FLIRT.Manage My Favorites
(0 Reviews)
I don't really know where to start here. My name is Janine. I
got divorced a year or so ago, and
I'm finally ready now to do some exploring. I've never done anything
like this before,
my ex-husband was kind of a prude. He didn't like me to wear short
shirts or low-cut blouses,
didn't like me acting sexy, didn't want to try anything new. That's
part of why we broke up,
but now I want to see what I've been missing all this time.
I thought this would be a fun
way to try out a lot of things,
see what I like, see what turns
me on. I've stayed in shape -
you go to the gym a lot when
you don't really have anything
else to do. I think I look pretty
good - what do you think?
I hope you agree.
So, anyway, I wasn't
exactly an
innocent when I got married,
I tried a lot of different things
before that, but it's been a while
since I got a chance to do anything really wild or adventurous. I
you'll call me and help me
change that.


text:
Take Note: The Best of Note Taking With Tablets
As a graduate student and freelance designer, I take a LOT of notes. Finding the right apps to use for note taking is essential, as I've discovered not all note taking apps are created equal while done on a tablet. Some incorporate audio recording or the ability to add sketches alongside text, several which I've gathered and believe are well worth the cost of a fancy latte to download...
1. Paper (iPad), Free.
2. Daedalus Touch (iOS), $4.99.
3. Evernote (Windows 8, Android & iOS), Free.
4. GoodNotes (iPad), Free & $5.99.
5. Google Keep (Android), Free.
6. Drafts (iPad), $3.99.
7. Simplenote (Android & iOS), Free.
8. Concepts: Smarter Sketching (iPad), Free.
9. Werdsmith (iOS), Free.
10. Note Sphere (Windows 8), Free.
(Image 1: Joelle Alcaidinho, all others as linked above)


text:
Going On Faith | Church Group Travel Destinations, Attractions & MoreWhere in the World: National Parks
Going On Faith
Published November 26, 2013
Where in the World: Chapels
Where in the World: Missions
Where in the World: Historic Walls
Check out the latest digital edition of our magazine!
© 2018 Group Travel Leader, Inc. All rights reserved. Website by Cabedge - an Atiba Company


text:
On 06.12.2008 16:29, Jose Alberto Reguero wrote: > El Sábado, 6 de Diciembre de 2008, Klaus Schmidinger escribió: >> The attached patch is what I've gathered from various postings >> regarding adapting VDR to the S2API driver API (thanks to >> Igor M. Liplianin, Niels Wagenaar and Edgar Hucek - did I forget anybody?). >> >> Since the S2SAPI doesn't provide a way of determining whether >> a DVB-S device supports DVB-S2 (at least I didn't find any), >> you need to apply the second attached patch to the driver >> in order to impelement a new capability flag that reports >> the availability of DVB-S2 support. >> >> If you don't want to patch the driver, you can change the line >> >> case FE_QPSK: frontendType = (frontendInfo.caps & >> FE_CAN_2ND_GEN_MODULATION) ? SYS_DVBS2 : SYS_DVBS; break; >> >> in dvbdevice.c to avoid FE_CAN_2ND_GEN_MODULATION. Either set frontendType >> permanently to SYS_DVBS or SYS_DVBS2, depending on what you have. >> >> >> So far DVB-S and DVB-S2 appears to tune fine. >> DVB-C is completely untested. >> With DVB-T tuning doesn't work, even though my TDA10046H based DVB-T card >> does work with the S2API driver under VDR 1.6.0. >> >> So for the moment I would appreciate if people could test DVB-T >> tuning and check whether maybe I made some silly mistake in the >> DVB-T tuning code. >> >> Klaus > > For DVB-T in S2API the bandwidth must be in HZ. > > http://www.linuxtv.org/pipermail/linux-dvb/2008-October/029556.html > > > Jose Alberto
So you mean we should not use the driver's constants like BANDWIDTH_8_MHZ etc., but use numerical values instead? Ok, if that's what it takes... With the value in Hz (e.g. 8000000) I can now tune DVB-T channels - thanks a lot! Klaus _______________________________________________ vdr mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/vdr


text:
Philosophy, technology, and the arts in the early modern era
Harper & Row, 1970 - History - 194 pages
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The Idea of Scientific Progress
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text:
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:29 PM ^
If it's anything like the pre-interview mixers back when I was in college, just get ripped and try to make-out with the female members of the interview panel (or the male members, your choice).
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:32 PM ^
The interviewee banged a cougar from the mixer. Next day, to his surprise, the cougar interviewed him.
He got the job offer.
And accepted.
And no, unfortunately, I was not the interviewee.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:45 PM ^
You werent the cougar were you? lol
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 PM ^
Mixers can give employers the chance to meet their candidates in a more casual atmosphere, and attempt to get to know them on a more personal level. This can be especially useful for sales positions as employers can make more informed decisions on how this person, regardless of credentials, will interact with their customers both existing and prospective. Personality, the ability to engage in conversation, and the ability to connect with others are vital to any sales force. These types of events can be very useful in the hiring process since many people know how to give a great interview, know what to say, and how to answer your typical cliche questions...what are your best qualities, what's you biggest weakness, etc.
You should be a little careful though. Some companies will offer alcoholic beverages and you don't want to be the person who gets hammered and acts a fool. Good luck though!
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:49 PM ^
I've been to a few and have conducted a few. Some quick pointers (off the top of my head)
1) have 1 or 2 drinks max, but always keep one in your hand to be social;
2) research the company now/ tonight to know who top clients are, where growth (customers, products, countries...) is expected to come from;
3) talk to the interview coordinator and ask about the dress code. It it is business casual, wear a suit (dress 1 level up);
4) treat this as one long extended interview, so ask many questions, have an elevator pitch about your background and why you should be hired;
5) be very polite and don't be a gunner; and
6) save something (project descriptions, teamwork examples...) for the actual interview. This may require leaving slightly early because of a "prior appointment".
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:50 PM ^
But basically, it is a chance to see you act in a more informal setting -- will you get hammered, do you have polite conversation on general topics and table manners, etc.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 PM ^
I have been to a bunch of these during law school. Every firm that interviewed on-campus would hold these things. Basically, show up, be yourself, and make sure you talk to the person who will be interviewing you the next day. The whole point of these things is for them to try to find out about your personality. If you have the interview already, your resume has gotten you in the door and you're qualified. Thus, take this opportunity to be a normal person/be cool, etc. And since it's a sales job, I am assuming personality is a MAJOR factor. So go there and charm the shit out of all the people you meet who work for the company, so that when they're discussing candidates, everyone knows you and likes you. It's basically kind of like an interview, but not at all formal. They just want to find out how you are in a social setting. A LOT of what goes into hiring decisions is the simple question, "would I mind hanging out with this person? because chances are, at some point, I'm going to likely have to spend forced time with them. Therefore, I want someone cool." If the answer is "yes" from the person making that decision, that's huge for you.
Now go get 'em.
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 PM ^
I had one of these for the company I'm currently working for. It's a primarily engineering company, so everyone, including the interviewers, got trashed since we were all bussed in from the hotel. It was a good time, I met one of my interviewers, hung out and drank Guinness with him for a while, and he hired me the next day.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:16 PM ^
Interesting. Ive been in sales for 12 years and havent experienced something like a mixer. However, my advice would be to be very social, have a smile on your face and be glad to be there. Have your facts down cold about your resume, the industry/product and the company that you are interviewing with. Also, have some current events or social things on your mind other than business because you will probably spend at least half of the time talking about things other than business. Also, I would not drink any alcohol there at all...just stick with water and soft drinks.
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:39 PM ^
The alcohol/no alcohol thing is a tough question. My experience with these types of things all center around grad school/post grad school type things, where they are looking to see if you "fit in" with the rest of the class and the school in general. So, my rule of thumb was always a beer/glass of wine followed by Coke. That way, you aren't the square who doesn't drink, but you're not That Guy who gets hammered and makes an ass of himself. Being on the Interviewer side of things, I can definitely pick out the people who I would rather not represent my school in a professional setting, especially when alcohol is involved.
I just try relax and act like I would if I were meeting my girlfriend's father for the first time.


text:
product description
Related Products:
Burke, Bill, M.S.
Fixed Blade Knives
Work by Mastersmiths
Blade Style - San Mai
Buffalo Horn
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Maker: Bill Burke, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 91393
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***Blade length: 10.33 in.Total length: 16.25 in.Blade height (at heel): 2.25 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.15 in.Item weight: 7.85 oz.Blade: San mai blade combining a powdered metallurgical (PM) SG2 stainless steel core with stainless damascus sidesBolster: Buffalo horn with a sterling silver spacerHandle: Presentation grade muskox hornSheath: Alder wood saya by Daniel O'Malley
Description: Bill Burke, who was honored as a Master Smith June 2008, creates hunting and culinary knives. His work is frequently noted as being among the best in the world -- both in his understanding of design and the keen, long lasting edges. His knives are a pleasure to hold and a joy to use.
This high performance chef's knife is a perfect choice as a primary knife in the kitchen. The long, deep-bellied blade is well suited for slicing vegetables and meats. The gentle arc of the cutting edge is perfect for a rocking, chopping motion with plenty of finger clearance over a cutting board.
The blade was hand forged in a technique known as san mai. A dramatic damascus is forged to the sides of a high performance SG2 PM stainless steel. The bright, swirling pattern created from stainless steel and nickel is offset by the darkened SG2 core.
The handle is formed from extremely rare high Arctic Muskox horn. Muskox horn is one of the most rare and majestic handle materials used in the knife world. The highly polished musk ox has a unique grain structure that immediately grabs the eye. The octagonal handle moves into a sterling silver spacer and a black buffalo horn ferrule. The knife has perfect balance and feels exceptional in the hand.
The knife is accompanied by a custom alder wood saya made by Daniel O'Malley.
Availability: Not currently available


text:
Full of resolve
Each January, millions across the nation make an impermanent oath of some kind — a New Year's resolution.
For many, that resolution means a trip back to the gym — to run, walk, box, Zumba or Jazzercise.
Regardless of whether those commitments last one year or one week, one fact remains — the new year gives a big boost to local gyms.
Gyms throughout Catawba County say the new year brings a steady stream of new customers looking to get into shape.
"It's our busiest time of the year," said Michael Query, a staff member at Planet Fitness in Hickory. "We double the amount of people who work out every day. It's just night and day difference."
Planet Fitness, located off N.C. 127, prides itself on providing a "Judgment Free Zone."
It caters to first-time users, providing trainers and instructors who work to make sure new users are operating equipment safely and properly, Query said.
Memberships are cheap, too, starting with a $10 start-up fee and $10 monthly payment after that.
"It's great for people wanting to come in and try things for their New Year's resolution," Query said, adding that there is no cancellation fee.
In Newton, The Perfect Workout also sees an increase in new members around the beginning of the new year. Owner and fitness director Sharon Rashidi said business usually picks up around mid-January.
She said residents with New Year's resolutions need to start slow, at first.
"They need to start slowly and not go gung-ho, because it can lead to injury and them getting burned out," she said. "Ease into it slowly and build yourself back up."
She added that it's always smart to start with cardio and add light weights after a while.
Area YMCA officials say their facilities in Conover and Hickory also see growth around the beginning of the new year.
The YMCAs, located off U.S. 70 in Conover and off 1st Street NW in Hickory, are currently participating in a New Year's campaign to attract new members, said Angela Chapman, executive director of the Hickory Foundation YMCA.
"We try to do everything we can to help people stay with those New Year's resolutions," Chapman said. "They get three free appointments when they join to work with a trainer."
Chapman added that the YMCA does see an "influx" of members this time of year. She said the personalized training helps with new members.
"They can get in here and feel comfortable," she said. "They can work with a trainer and find a routine that works for them."
Places to work out
The Perfect Workout, Newton
Planet Fitness, Hickory
Hickory Foundation YMCA
1st Street NW, Hickory
Adrian L. Shuford Jr. YMCA
U.S. 70, Conover


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This final column about the Civilian Conservation Corps is intended to show that it was possible for the federal government to operate a program that not only helped destitute Americans but also helped the country at a terrible time in our history when this nation was in danger of being overrun and destroyed.
This final column about the Civilian Conservation Corps is intended to show that it was possible for the federal government to operate a program that not only helped destitute Americans but also helped the country at a terrible time in our history when this nation was in danger of being overrun and destroyed.
After my adventures ended at the World War I veterans camp at Suches Creek, Ga., my father's next camp was near the town of Chipley, Ga. This camp was also very close to Warm Springs, Ga., the second home for President Franklin Roosevelt.
During the summer of 1941, all of us at the camp had a wild visit by the president in a four-door convertible. Seeing the president wheeling all over the roads around the camp with the top down and all alone in the car was a sight very few Americans have ever viewed. It could never happen today. I covered this incident in my March 2012 column. It's online at www.blueridgenow.com if you wish to read it.
My father was transferred from Chipley to a camp in Hackberry, La. We left Georgia on Friday, Dec. 5, 1941, and I have often thought about all my high school friends in Chipley and wondered how they made out after all our lives were changed only two days later on Sunday, Dec. 7.
We crossed the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday afternoon, and it was crawling with soldiers. There were rumors at the bridge that an enemy submarine was in the river to blow up the bridge.
We spent Sunday traveling in southern Louisiana, and every small town had a loudspeaker in the center giving the news in French.
The camp at Hackberry was a real shock to me. It was about 20 miles toward the coast, south of Lake Charles, La.
There was a heavy odor of oil everywhere. The camp was built up on what looked like telephone poles. All the walkways in the camp were raised the same way. There was a layer of water under the camp that rose with the tide.
Mosquitoes were everywhere. People had screens on the front of their cars to keep the mosquitoes from clogging the air ducts on the radiator.
This was the swan song for the CCCs because in February 1942 my father and many others were ordered to report to the Army for active duty. I don't know when the last of the camps were disbanded.
This program was very successful because it removed millions of young men from a life of uselessness and trying to find a meal when they were hungry. It removed a possible source of lawbreaking, and it gave young men a home and three meals a day at a time when those things were hard to get for many people. A lot of useful work was done that led to our present-day U.S. National Parks System.
Either we had some very bright people who foresaw the coming of World War II, or they were very lucky because when the CCCs started in 1933, the trouble that led up to our being involved in a full-blown war were not in the picture at all.
Looking at the big picture, the most valuable asset of the CCC presence was to have several million men ready to jump into a military uniform who had already been trained in how to live the military life in a camp setting and could start learning the combat phase from the start.


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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
In a video uploaded on the 9th of November 2013, the Iranian Yasir Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its first appearance in the Syrian sky. The Yasir is based on the American made Scan Eagle, of which at least one was captured by Iran in December 2012. The Scan Eagle was quickly copied by Iran and two variants have since been revealed to the public, one being the Sayeh and the other being the Yasir. The Yasir has a twin tailboom with a v-tail rudder, as opposed to the Sayeh, which has no tail at all.
Yasir is reported to be capable of flying at an altitude of 15.000ft, having an endurance of eight hours and an operational radius of 200km. This means that the Yasir is able to cover large parts of Syria while being controlled by Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Sepāh) operators inside Damascus. Two Yasir UAVs were downed so far. One on the 5th of December 2013 over Aleppo and one over Qalamoun on the 7th of December 2013.
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Iran deploying her newest drones to Syria; The Shahed 129


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Carolina Christmas
|Berries, Beverage Alcohol, Fruits
|Day Part
|Menu Part
|Cuisine Type
A shrub is a mixture of fruit, vinegar and sugar that when cooked, results in a sweet yet tart syrup used to brighten up drinks. In the late 1800s, shrubs were added to water or carbonated sodas and consumed as a way to beat the heat. Here, Bartender Steven Yamada has used an apple/cranberry shrub to liven up a hot toddy and chase the cold away.
1 1/2 oz. Catdaddy Moonshine
3/4 oz. Apple/Cranberry Shrub
2 oz. hot sweetened white tea
Apple/Cranberry Shrub
3 cups cranberries
1 cup Granny Smith apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
- Combine all ingredients. Stir.
Apple/Cranberry Shrub
- Muddle cranberries, apple and sugar in a large mason jar. Let sit for 24 hours.
- Add apple cider vinegar, stirring to incorporate all ingredients.
- Let rest for a week and shake periodically.
- Strain, filter and bottle.


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Albany, NY — LA Weight Loss Centers Inc. must pay up in at least one state after closing its clubs around the country starting late last year, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January and allegedly not refunding money to its clients. Last month, the company reached a settlement to pay $275,000 in refunds to thousands of New York state customers, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced.
Cuomo's office has identified more than 100 customers so far who were affected by the closures of the company's 45 centers in New York.
"As more companies fall victim to the harsh economy, they still have an obligation to abide by the law and be forthright with their patrons," Cuomo said in a statement. "Many New Yorkers who paid for and never received services from LA Weight Loss now have some vindication."
Cuomo's office received several complaints from New Yorkers who did not get a refund from the company or did not have charges removed from their credit cards for advanced payments made for services and/or products that they never received.


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A Print
According to the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, surgical treatment is medically necessary because it's the only proven method of achieving Long Term Weight Control for the morbidly obese person. This is not cosmetic surgery. The surgeon does not remove any fatty tissue during this procedure.
All bariatric procedures provided at the Bariatric Care Center at Providence are intended to reduce the volume of food our postoperative patients can consume. By eating smaller amounts of food much slower, digestion is enhanced and patients can take the time to enjoy the taste of healthier foods. The dietary instruction is provided to our patients to assist them in improved food selection. Our diet encourages high protein, low calorie dietary intake.
Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions about Bariatric Surgery.
Our patients are first educated in our program about all three procedures provided by the surgeon. Patients do need to know the differences and similarities among the various procedures. Bariatric patients talk to other patients and there are times when misinformation is conveyed. For examples, our patients need to know that initial weight loss various with the type of procedure. Weight loss success is directly proportional to the level of effort and commitment to post operative instructions. The post-operative instructions vary with the operative procedure. Ultimately, the patient must be actively involved in making healthier food choices, consuming protein and water.
The following factors will be considered in determining if you are a candidate for bariatric surgery:
For more information about Bariatric Surgery or our services, please call 1-877-993-7422.
Main hospital Phone: (202) 854 7000
Providence Hospital, 1150 Varnum Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20017 2180
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To the Editor:
On Aug. 15, more than 200 Warwick residents gathered at City Hall for one purpose and one purpose only. That purpose was to request that a member of the City Council docket a resolution allowing the residents to request a public hearing. The people came peacefully and within their rights, but were stunned and dismayed to find dozens of uniformed armed police officers, undercover detectives and numerous fire officials present in every room, hallway and around the perimeter of the building.
For several months, the organizers of the Warwick Car Tax Revolt have made numerous inquiries as to why there was such police presence at a regular scheduled council meeting. Several of the council members that were questioned told us that in all of their years on the council they had never seen such police presence. So, why all the fuss?
In documents received by a Motion to Compel in Superior Court in the case of Cote vs. Vella-Wilkinson, several e-mails have been obtained that reveal some very disturbing facts. These e-mails originate from Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson and were sent to Mayor Scott Avedisian, Police Chief Stephen McCartney, Chief of Staff Mark Carruolo, and Director of the Department of Public Works David Picozzi.
The e-mails state that Rob Cote, director of the Car Tax Revolt, had "reached out to business with fleets of vehicles and commercial trucks to support the rally." Two e-mails of this subject matter were sent to the above noted individuals on Aug. 9 and 10. Since, in fact, this never happened, one could only hypothesize that the intent of these e-mails could possibly have been to plant the seed that the residents had some other ulterior motive, perhaps grid locking the streets or something of that nature, and that the city should be prepared for such behavior. Again, just an opinion, but what sparked such untrue e-mails?
As anyone involved in this movement knows, no such solicitations were ever performed other than handing out of flyers, speaking one-on-one with people at supermarkets and having occasional "toot and waves." The extent was purely word of mouth.
It appears to me that defendant Vella-Wilkinson went out of her way to paint an untrue portrait of the organizer, the residents and the reasons for expressing their concerns. In fact, she went so far over the top, as to distribute false e-mails stating that the organizer was a convicted felon. Were her actions and communications the catalyst that resulted in the enormous police presence that cost taxpayers thousands of dollars? How will we ever get that answer? One can only assume.
Even more disturbing are adjectives that Vella-Wilkinson uses in other e-mails sent to council members Donna Travis, Raymond Gallucci and Council President Bruce Place, when she refers to residents. For example, on Aug. 9 at 4:56 p.m. she stated to Travis, "By the way, Deb (last name omitted) said she is happy to pick us both up and drop us off before/after the Council meeting on Monday. It makes sense because none of those A**holes will recognize her car."
Is that what we are when we wish to ask questions of the elected officials? A**holes? Is that how an elected official refers to people that she has never met? The thought is appalling, to say the least. The fact is the resident's duty and responsibility is to ask questions. That is the reason so many Americans died in battle – for the right to question government. It is surprising how Vella-Wilkinson, a veteran, has forgotten that sacred premise.
Is this the type of vernacular that is used to describe residents when they are not watching or listening? It is clear that we the residents have been cast into a classification, at least by this elected official that exemplifies what is truly wrong with our leadership. Bear in mind that these demeaning statements were made prior to any Warwick resident attending the Aug. 15 council meeting. This speaks volumes about the individual's motives.
Even more disturbing to myself, and my family and friends, is the fact that Councilwoman Vella-Wilkinson on Aug. 11 purposely sent false e-mails to council members Gallucci and Travis, that the organizer of the car tax revolt was "a convicted felon who pled nolo to several felonies." These statements are completely untrue, malicious in nature, and are the primary grounds for the present litigation in Superior Court.
She also referred to the organizer, who she had never met, as the "Messiah," "an old wh*re," "a putz," "illogical" and "an a**." Is this the level of professional communication that this elected official uses to describe people that she has never met? On Aug. 10 at 11:27, Council President Place stated, "I really don't think that you can reason with these people or their friends." Reason with them? You hadn't even met them yet.
I would expect that this type of electronic banter would be the subject matter in an adolescent high school Facebook feud. However, I am not surprised, I just consider the source. The bigger issue at hand would be to question whether an elected official has perpetuated a myth, which has cost taxpayers money, and if so, for what reason? The answer is for the same reason that Council President Place refused to suspend the rules: Because they just don't want to hear what the people have to say.
If anyone would like copies of these documents, simply make the request at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Rob Cote,
Car Tax Revolt Organizer
Cote YOU should be ashamed. YOU should NOT be the voice of any movement in the city of Warwick.
Great job Rob, keep on exposing the motives of most of the politicians in Warwick. This proves that they do not act in the best interest of the tax payer.
Shame on you Rob Cote for showing the true colors of most of our elected officals.
Good job Rob.
I hope you win a big settlement against the city. Forcing mass lay-offs of public workers and the acceleration of our bankruptcy. Then we can reorganize our city into a fiscally responsible, wonderful place to live. And Vella-Wilkonson can move far far away, with her head tucked in shame.
The city council wants to hear from the public that's what they are there for, I have had success talking to a few of them but Cote your opionions are displayed in such a juvinille and unappropriate manner that they get you no where. Also just because you write to the paper instead of posting it on Facebook doesn't make you any better.
"I would expect that this type of electronic banter would be the subject matter in an adolescent high school Facebook feud". Isn't that exactly what this letter is?


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This type of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test measures the specific level of HCG in the urine. HCG is a hormone produced in the bodyduring pregnancy.
Other HCG tests include:
HCG in blood serum - qualitative HCG in blood serum - quantitative Pregnancy test
Alternative Names
Beta-HCG - urine; Human chorionic gonadotropin - urine
How the test is performed
To collect a urine sample,you urinate into a special (sterile) cup. Home pregnancy tests require the test strip to be dipped into the urine sample or passed through the urine stream while urinating. Carefully follow package directions.
Usually a first-morning sample (the first time you urinate in the morning) is best. This is becauseurine is the most concentrated and has enough HCG to be detected.
How to prepare for the test
No special preparation is needed.
How the test will feel
The test involvesurinating into a cup or onto a test strip.
Why the test is performed
Urine HCG tests are a common method of determining if a woman is pregnant. The best time to test for pregnancy at home is after you miss your period.
Normal Values
- The test is negative if you are not pregnant.
- The test is positive if you are pregnant.
A pregnancy test, including a properly performed home pregnancy test, is considered to be about 98% accurate. Positive results are more likely to be accurate than negative results. When the test is negative but pregnancy is still suspected, the test should be repeated in 1 week.
What the risks are
There are no risks, except for false positive or false negative results.
Morrison LJ. General approach to the pregnant patient. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2009:chap 175.
Review Date:
Reviewed By:
Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Bellevue, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, David R. Eltz, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi Wang.


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) - February 22, 2013 --A dealer of rare historic documents is selling a letter that provides a glimpse of the everyday life of President Abraham Lincoln's family at the White House.
The April 18, 1864 letter from Mary Todd Lincoln requests the services of a White House baby sitter to look after the Lincolns' 11-year-old son, Tad.
The Raab Collection in Philadelphia has set the price at $15,000 for the one-page handwritten letter, which belonged to an anonymous private collector.
Raab Collection vice president Nathan Raab says the baby sitter, presidential messenger and valet Charles Forbes, would be blamed by the first lady for her husband's assassination a year later.
Forbes accompanied the Lincolns to Ford's Theater and allowed assassin John Wilkes Booth to enter the door to their private box.


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In case you missed it in The New York Times, "This year, for the first time in memory, the monarch butterflies didn't come, at least not on the Day of the Dead. They began to straggle in a week later than usual, in record-low numbers. Last year's low of 60 million now seems great compared with the fewer than three million that have shown up so far this year. Some experts fear that the spectacular migration could be near collapse."
WOW!… Read more >>


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|Work hours
|Add information
|Mark Meredith is an award winning Real Estate Agent with 25 years experience, choose him for current opportunities in buying or selling your home today!
Working for You!
The current opportunities for buying and selling real estate in our local area are exciting and it would be my pleasure to provide you with the professional guidance and dedicated service you need to achieve your goals.
With the constant advancement of technology and revolving trends, the real estate industry is constantly changing. This continuous change makes real estate a complex business, but the process of buying or selling a home shouldn't have to be. Now more than ever, you need to work with a qualified REALTOR® who has the expertise and professional skills to make your buying or selling journey as easy and effective as possible.
As a part of Semonin Realtors®, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, I am supported by a company that understands the customer's needs in a dynamic and rapidly changing real estate environment. This enables me to offer the most powerful real estate services to home buyers and sellers, including email alerts, cutting-edge marketing tools, buyer consulting, seller CMA comparisons and much more. In addition to these realty services, Semonin operates a full service business, offering you services in:
and Home Warranty
For 100 years Semonin Realtors® has served the real estate needs of thousands of homeowners throughout Kentuckiana. Through a strong set of core values and devoted leaders, Semonin Realtors® has grown over the last century into the region's largest real estate firm. Semonin Realtors® has been able to stand the test of time by combining tradition with innovation. With this approach we can succeed in today's modern, technology-based world, as well as maintain the old-fashioned skills and superior customer service that is centered on honesty and integrity.
Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home or simply want to explore your real estate opportunities, contact me today and let me and my company serve you!


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October 4, 2013 -
Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) issued the following statement today in response to the Treasury Department's report on the potential effects of not raising the nation's debt ceiling:
"If there is one person who can make sure we do not default on the full faith and credit of the United States it is President Obama. That is why House Republicans passed H.R. 807, the Full Faith and Credit Act, in May. It simply says that the Treasury Department will always pay the principal and interest on its sovereign debt. According to the Government Accountability Office, the Treasury Department already has this authority, but H.R. 807 codifies it into law. Regrettably, the president's veto threat against this bill only raises the specter of default instead of taking it off the table.
"My hardworking constituents in the 5th District of Texas do not equate payment on a bond issued by the United States government with payment for the next IRS 'Star Trek' video, travel reimbursements for the Alabama Watermelon Day Queen, pottery classes in Morocco and everything else Washington spends their money on while they struggle to put food on their tables.
"Washington Democrats are the only ones talking about default because it is the only way they can continue their reckless spending spree. We will never default on our nation's sovereign debt and House Republicans are the only ones who have acted to ensure our obligations are met. This debate has been and always will be about our fiscal priorities, not default. We can no longer wait until tomorrow to deal with today's spending-driven debt crisis."
Print version of this document


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IN WIN Maelstrom Review
Many sizes of computer cases are available today, from many different manufacturers. Currently, mid towers dominate the market due to their convenient size and general affordability. Other common case sizes that can be found are the SFF (small form factor) cases that are great for LAN party-goers in need of something portable, or perhaps a home theater PC that has space requirements. On the opposite side of the spectrum, at least in home computing, full tower cases are large, spacious, and preferred by a large chunk of computer enthusiasts. The main selling point of these large cases is simply the amount of room that they have - with the ability to house a lot of hardware and to remain cool due to the large amount of volume. In this review, I will explore a full tower case from IN WIN, named the Maelstrom. Originally based out of Taiwan, IN WIN was founded in 1985 and plunged straight into computer chassis manufacturing. Since then, the company has established branches in the USA, Japan, and the UK. Having won several design awards, I'm looking forward to evaluating the Maelstrom and seeing how it performs.
Closer Look:
The Maelstrom is packaged in a glossy black cardboard box. The front of the box shows a quarter-faced picture of the case with the text "Ready to sweep across the world" written above it. The left side displays a table of its specifications, including dimensions, material, and other information, while the right side shows some of its selling points; exquisite and durable paint job, superb expandability, as well as about four others. The rear of the case is similar to the front, except it only shows a side profile picture of the case, with more features listed across the bottom, almost like icons.
Inside the box, the case can be found inside a plastic bag with two large chunks of flexible styrofoam on each side. I like packaging that uses this styrofoam, as the other types are brittle and can break while trying to remove the product, making repackaging a little tougher. On top of the packaged case is its manual, which includes information about the case in many different languages and has simple installation instructions. At the bottom of the box, after removing the packaged case, a bag can be found containing the usual screws and standoffs, as well as two 4-pin molex to 3-pin fan adapters. Accessories also include the toolless hardware tray that holds all the "rails" for the optical drives and hard drives, and a 5.25" to 3.5" adapter tray. These two trays are actually found already mounted inside the case, and not in a separate box.
On the next page, I will begin to tear down the case and look at its internals, as well as how the working components function.


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Del Fierro is a home designed from the ground up to be an upscale, energy-independent, passive solar residence. The intention was to create a structure capable of lasting centuries and one in which interior spaces can be periodically updated as technology, lifestyles, and trends change. The theory is that this would result in lower lifetime costs with less overall environmental impact than a similarly sized conventional home. Much of the project was experimental with an eye on future scaled-down versions for affordable housing projects.
I tackled my first energy-efficiency project on my own 1980s-era home in 2000 by weatherizing; upgrading to more efficient appliances and a high-efficiency HVAC system; using CFL lighting; and applying energy consciousness. Although I reduced energy consumption by about 40%, I concluded that there's a limit to making an older home highly efficient. To get to the next level, I needed to start from scratch. This is particularly true in the postwar desert Southwest, where the housing techniques— 2-by-4 stick-frame construction, with minimal or no wall insulation—reflected a time when energy was relatively cheap.
After studying passive solar design, construction techniques, and materials, I was frustrated to find that little was written about the topic specific to desert climates. Most passive solar technology focuses on heating and retaining heat. While the physics of heat conduction and convection apply similarly to cooling and heating, the effects of the sun's radiation play a significantly more important role in cooling design. In the summer in the desert Southwest, exposed surfaces can frequently reach temperatures in excess of 150°F, so keeping out the heat is more important than in other climes.
For keeping a home cool, it is critical to reduce its exposure to the sun, keeping the surface temperature of the shell as low as possible. This reduces thermal conduction through the envelope and minimizes charging of thermal mass. This can be accomplished by shading with overhangs, vegetation, the use of reflective coatings, light colors, and radiant barriers. Compromises for cooling over heating are made, since saving energy on cooling was the deciding objective. Tucson has almost twice as many cooling degree days (the number of days where mechanical cooling is needed) as heating degree days (2,954 vs. 1,678). Compare this to Ann Arbor, Michigan, which has 7,864 heating degree days and 289 cooling degree days, and you'll see the drastic differences in passive design requirements.
Readily available earthen-based building materials, such as adobe and rammed earth, have been used in the Southwest throughout history. Modern performance-driven designs fully benefit from their inherently high thermal mass, fire resistance, and durability. I originally intended to use rammed earth, which involves compressing a mixture of earth, chalk, lime, and gravel (and sometimes a cement stabilizer). But at 3,450 square feet, costs for rammed earth were prohibitive due to the volume and complexity of the house, with its high ceilings, parapets, and intricate architecture.
A member of my design team introduced me to lava concrete (LC), a lightweight cast-in-place concrete made from volcanic cinder sand, very abundant in Arizona and other parts of the world. The construction is similar to casting rammed earth, but much less labor-intensive. Once cured, the steel-reinforced structure is strong and considerably more durable than rammed earth or other earthen building systems. With an R-value of 3.27 per inch, our 18-inch-thick walls would be nearly R-59. The LC also provides thermal mass and soundproofing. The inside was finished with a natural clay plaster from American Clay, which also contributes to the home's thermal mass.
A cooling tower provides evaporative cooling and much-needed humidity in the dry months of March through June. A mister injects moisture at the top of the tower, wherein the cooler, dense air falls by gravity, displacing warmer household air out through open windows at each end of the house, and a small electric fan augments the airflow. The cooling tower also works at night when the outside ambient air temperature is cooler than the displaced inside ambient room air.
Another passive cooling technique—deep (8- to 12-foot) overhangs—help shade south- and west-facing walls and windows in the warmer months. Helping overall building efficiency, the roof includes a 2-inch, R-14 sprayed-on layer of urethane foam over a double layer of OSB over I-joists and trusses filled with loose-fill fiberglass insulation, for a value of R-45 to R-60. A white polymer reflective paint was sprayed over the urethane. Pella InsulShield triple-pane, argon-filled, low-e windows and doors retard heat transfer.
All appliances (range, oven, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerators, washer, and dryer) are Energy Star-rated, and CFL and LED lighting is used throughout.
Two 40-gallon batch solar water heaters are backed up with two Bosch 2400E LP on-demand propane-fired units. The SHW system can either feed the backup unit or send the solar-heated water directly to the house. We have it route through the backup units, which are temperature-modulated.
When needed, mechanical cooling and heating is provided by three high-efficiency (16 SEER-rated) fresh or recirculated air-source heat pumps, 2-, 4- and 5-ton units, respectively.
A grid-tied 5.44 kW, dual-axis, tracked PV array provides most of the home's electricity. (The array size was based on the most PV modules I could get on a pair of Wattsun AZ-225 trackers.) PVWatts calculates that our system should generate 13,253 kWh annually. Since PV module prices have dropped, I plan on adding a ground-mounted PV system to cover the property's entire electricity requirements, including the guest house and shop.
For the first year of data gathered, ending in July 2010, our usage exceeded our original energy budget. During that period, thermostats were set for 80°F in summer and 68°F in winter. The HVAC system measured 2,382 kWh over what was anticipated.
To evaluate the building's thermal performance, thermocouples were embedded in eight strategic locations one inch from the inner and outer surfaces of the exterior walls. Data was recorded on a computer every 15 minutes over a period of a year. This was helpful in understanding where heat transfer was significant so adjustments could be made. One zone with south and west exposure consumed power disproportionately—29% of the HVAC power used for 11% of the building floor space. Planting shade trees on those sides of the house largely corrected this problem. It was also found that the default settings on the heat pumps caused the variable-speed fan motors to operate all the time, which was unnecessary for comfort. Filters were changed more frequently and a fan was added to the cooling tower, and used in the spring and early summer months, providing needed humidity. Implementing these strategies reduced the zone to 19%.
About a cord of wood was burned in the fireplace during the coldest months, reducing the nighttime heating load. These changes had no effect on lifestyle and helped keep us under the winter HVAC budget by about 4%.
PV production was improved by fixing a tracker problem and replacing several defective PV modules. Three module failures affected three strings of modules. With two identical systems, it's easy to spot a problem. Trees were removed that had grown and shaded one of the arrays during the late- afternoon hours. We also cleaned the surface of the modules more frequently, resulting in improving PV production from 12,317 kWh annually to 13,307 kWh.
The SHW systems consist of two 40-gallon ICS batch units at each end of the house, backed up by Bosch propane on-demand units. The systems' performance can be measured by the backup fuel that hasn't been used. The 300-gallon underground propane tank was filled to 80% of capacity at move-in. It has never been refilled, and today it's just under 60% full. That means about 60 gallons of LPG was used in 32 months (or 1.9 gallons per month). This consumption also includes a frequently used gas grill, which I suspect accounts for most of the gas usage.
This put us within 2% of our objective of meeting 90% of our energy needs without any compromise in lifestyle. We could squeeze out the last bit by managing computer systems, entertainment systems, and the phantom loads.
A UCLA physics graduate, Edward A. Marue designs off-grid power systems for remote communications and border security sites. He is also a principal in Solar Lava Development Company, specializing in advanced green design and construction.