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I've been thinking about ways to subvert the systems of public education that have more to do with managing kids and producing test scores than with authentic learning. The best way to subvert public education might be to build collaborative relationships with students in pursuit of the knowledge, skills, and understandings they want to learn – through the production of the projects, portfolios, and performances they want to share.
Here are some of my favorite examples of how to do so, shared by schools, teachers, and a community organization I wholeheartedly recommend you follow in addition to the @CoopCatalyst crew. Adam Burk (@pushingupward) can share with you a bevy of exemplary authentic, joyful, student-centered, socially-just schools, as well. Consider each of these links a starting point for finding even more schools and educators sharing amazing learning opportunities with their students.
- Shelly Blake-Plock
- Darah Bonham
- Shawn Cornally
- John Hunter
- Jerrid Kruse
- Laura Oldham
- Matt Townsley
- The Corbett Charter school
- The Manhattan Free School
- Murray High School
- The Music Resource Center
- The New Country School
- Quest High School
As I think about these educators, their students, and their practice, I turn over in my head, again and again, the questions we pose for ourselves here.
Can we educators let students lead us in learning? Can we buy in to a flat classroom? Can we avoid behaving towards students like the experts behind standardized education behave towards us?
In what kinds of communities do we want to work? How do we want our colleagues and leaders to treat us? How do we want to feel about what we do? How different do we imagine things are for our students?
All of these questions echo in my conscience thanks to my participation in this blog, but while I feel closer than ever to articulating and acting on just answers, I struggle with my role as a public educator.
Quite clearly, I have contracted myself to fulfill the duties assigned to me by my administrators and school board. I have agreed to a salary and benefits, and in return for that salary, I have accepted that I am expected to teach a curriculum, to address state standards through instruction, and to prepare kids to pass end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Even as I've worked through the development of students' self-directed work this year, I've helped students align their projects to reading and writing goals, and I've worked with my collaborators to establish, in class, stations directly related to our state curriculum and standards.
However, I think standardized tests and their supporting documents artificially cap learning. I think the testing schedule further superimposes grade-levels' arbitrary pace on the idiosyncratic learning of individual students. I think the amount of time and money spent teaching test-taking strategies and trivial arcana robs struggling students of the time and human resources needed to further their literacy.
So what's the career arc in public education for a teacher like me? An endless series of compromises? An uneasy acceptance of the "AND," connecting authentic work back to state standards? A lateral, Praxis II-enabled move to a "non-core" subject? Do I stay in charter schools? Move to private schools? Re-enter the world of administration? See if they need any help in the Young Adult Lit section of the book store? Go write a book? A dissertation?
I'm not going anywhere. I'm committed to changing things from inside public education – and, at present, from inside a classroom. I just can't stop asking myself these questions. By asking them, I ask myself "who am I?" as a teacher. What do I communicate about teaching and learning to my students and their parents? To my coworkers and leaders?
Am I a subverter? Am I ready to own that label? What does it mean for me? For my students? For my family?
I feel tremendously supported by my school and division in my work with non-traditional students and curriculum at our chartered middle school, one of only three in Virginia. It's our state's only chartered middle school and, currently, its only start-up charter school. However, dealing with the uncertainties of students' lives and our division's budget, I can't help but wonder, ultimately, what share of our success will be attributed to failing forward, and what share will be awarded to having good test scores? From where does our viability come? From trying to create a school culture of artistic expression, life-long literacy, and innovative teaching and learning? From test results? Or from the "AND" – we're an arts-infused, literacy focused school for non-traditional learners AND we get good test results?
From where does my worth come from as a teacher? By virtue of my behavior, to whom do I seem most beholden? How coercive is whose approval to me?
Who says it's enough for a school to reconnect disengaged kids with learning, despite their test scores? Who says it's enough for a school to help a child make up several years of reading even though he or she doesn't pass a grade-level test? Who says it's enough for a school to keep kids safely in the classroom by favoring counseling over suspension?
Several people say it. Am I one of them?
Where in my job description does it say that?
What am I afraid of, and for how long do I teach from a place of fear?
More frighteningly, when we do well on the tests this year, will I suddenly feel all better?
I'm going to continue to develop and implement classrooms structures for self-directed learning and take on personal responsibility for better communication with parents. I'm going to keep on lightening up and sharing teaching and learning with kids. There aren't any easy, comfortable, or unambiguous answers to my questions, so I won't hazard any here. I will say that I'm beginning to think that the opposite of burn-out isn't contentedness; rather it's a constant cognitive dissonance and the desire to do everything instead of one thing or nothing.
For me, it comes down to this:
What do I want for them both?
How do I have to subvert myself to make that happen?


text: I am a first time mother and have done my "research" on breast feeding but it obviously wasnt enough. I am having serious issues. I want to give my baby breast milk and because of the demands of my life I knew going in it would be a struggle. Between finishing up nursing school, working and running my own business I knew I would have to pump. BUT NOT THIS EARLY! My baby did not take to the "boob" she was what the nurses called lazy and they told me to pump, so I started pumping. Since then my milk supply has gone down. I pump every two hours and am lucky to get one ounce. So what I need to know from all of you wonderful mothers who have became pro's is this 1) how often should i pump? 2) for how long on each breast? 3) is there something i can do or a herbal supplement i can take that will boost production 4) HOW DO I BOOST PRODUCTION? No one in my family breast fed, none of my friends breast feed or if they did gave up after a week or two and even though i am "supplementing" now I DO NOT WANT TO QUIT GIVING HER BREAST MILK since any breast milk is beneficial! HELP ME PLEASE?!?!?! BEFORE I HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!!!!! (

subset: commoncrawl


text: I wasn't sure where to post this, so I thought I post here. I have allergies to down products which is why I don't have a down sleeping bag, jacket, etc. I was wondering if anyone else is similar to me and yet have used a down underquilt with out your nose getting stuffy and all the next day? I was wondering because if I made a down underquilt I'm not actually touching the down, therefore, not really getting a reaction from it? I have a primaloft sleeping pad and thought about taking the primaloft out of that to make an underquilt and buy another sleeping pad down the road.


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On a drizzly, chilly November afternoon, my husband and I navigated the crowded streets of midtown Manhattan, dodging the pointy parts of umbrellas and, as a kindness to others, trying not to poke out anyone's eyeballs with our umbrella.
But a brisk 35-minute hike later, we had ascended a set of stairs at Gansevoort and Washington streets, in the Meatpacking District, and reached a wide expanse of sidewalk that we pretty much had to ourselves. That's because we were on the High Line, a 1.45-mile linear city park built on a historic elevated freight line that traveled above the streets on Manhattan's West Side.
Make no mistake: The High Line truly is a park, one that includes artwork, creative lighting and abundant plantings.
"The High Line is a four-season garden, and the landscape truly reaches its design peak in winter," said Thomas Smarr, director of horticulture for Friends of the High Line, a nonprofit group actively involved in funding and maintaining the wheelchair-accessible park.
"During this time of year," Smarr said, "the park is dominated by the varied textures, colors and shapes of seed heads and sun-bleached tan grass stems, exposing the structural beauty of the plantings not visible during other seasons."
Bare branches also afford more unobstructed views of the Hudson River and area high-rises. Expansive bump-outs work, in essence, as viewing stands, where visitors can pause and look down on busy New York streets.
In winter, the High Line literally and figuratively chills out, turning more contemplative and offering a chance to relax, even when the elements call for an umbrella.
(The Friends of the High Line website, thehighline.org, is an excellent source of know-before-you-go information, including rules (no dogs or bikes), hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in winter) and a detailed map showing all access points, including elevators. There also is a user-friendly guide to the park's plantings.


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Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (US - BD RA)
Gabe returns to the arena for a second helping of Hunger Games...
Against all odds, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her fellow tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) have returned home after surviving The Hunger Games. Winning means they must turn around, leaving their loved ones behind and embark on a 'Victory Tour' through the districts. Along the way, Katniss senses a rebellion simmering – one that she and Peeta may have sparked. At the end of the Victory Tour, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) announces a deadly 75th Hunger Games that could change Panem forever. (From Lionsgate's official synopsis)
As a person that lives his life largely outside the influence of Young Adult novels, I am utterly fascinated that Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy seems to have sparked an entire subset of dystopian YA literature. As an adult without children it's easy to assume that kids want more Hero's Journey monomyths, like Harry Potter in their lives, but, looking back on my own pre-teen/teen years, I realize that dreary, post-apocalyptic universes appealed to me in the form of comic books and movies (in particular, James Cameron tapped this need when he stuck a child protagonist in Terminator 2). What better place for a 14-year-old to revel in his/her hormonal angst than a world that has already ended?
The first film adaptation of Collins' books, titled, simply, The Hunger Games, was something of an experiment on the part of Lionsgate – a company that was trying to open their marketing opportunities to something outside of horror franchises (the gamble paid off and they're now starting another dystopian YA franchise with Divergent). Its relatively modest budget meant that special effects spectacle was secondary to the popularity of the source material and the strength of Jennifer Lawrence's central performance. It was directed and co-written by Gary Ross, a man known for his Oscar-friendly productions ( Pleasantville and Seabiscuit). Ross was the right guy to develop a visual language for the series. He shot the film using handheld cameras and developed a strong visual contrast between the grounded reality of District 12 life and the Technicolor debauchery of the Capital during the first two acts. However, the cinéma vérité style didn't work so well during the Hunger Games themselves. Here, his shaky cameras rattled the violent action scenes into indiscernible blurs. It was also clear that Ross and his co-writers weren't sure how to split the story between character development, battle training, and the games themselves, which made for an unbalanced and numbing narrative rhythm.
The filmmakers behind the second film, Catching Fire, benefit from Ross' preparations, even the more awkward ones. The world and its rules are established, allowing new director, Francis Lawrence, to build upon the foundation. Lawrence has very little in common with Ross as a director, except for, perhaps, his pre- Catching Fire movie, Water For Elephants. Otherwise, Lawrence is best known for his work with big, supernatural action spectacles, like Constantine and I Am Legend. He is a technically adept director with a good eye for striking compositions. I don't think he could've created the series' visual language without Ross' initial input, but he's a good choice to continue the franchise. Working with almost double the original film's budget (a lot of which probably went to actors' paychecks), Lawrence recreates the familiar environments with a stronger sense of spectacle and reality, thanks to improved, more realistic digital effects. His action sequences are also much better choreographed than Ross' were.
Ross' original film also has the advantage of a self-contained story. The Hunger Games ends with the promise of further adventures, but doesn't require additional plotting to complete its story. Perhaps this is because Collins wasn't sure if she'd have a chance to write any further adventures for Katniss and her friends. Catching Fire requires the audience to have seen the first movie (though, I do appreciate the relative lack of recap, given the 146 minute runtime), then ends on a cliffhanger, which wouldn't be so bad, except that Lawrence fumbles the rhythm, and offering no comedown from the story's proper climax. That said, I do feel appropriately primed for the next chapter in the series (even if they're greedily risking overexposure by spreading Collins' final book over two movies).
When the franchise traded out their director, they also traded out screenwriters. Ross, Collins, and State of Play and Captain Phillips writer Billy Ray were replaced with Simon Beaufoy, Academy Award winner for Slumdog Millionaire, and Michael deBruyn, the nom de plume of Michael Arndt, Academy Award nominated writer of Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 (he also wrote Star Wars VII, but it sounds like his script is not going to be used). Once again, with the somewhat awkward process of lining up the pins already finished, the new writing staff has a much easier time knocking them down. Catching Fire has a healthier narrative structure, more even pacing, and much stronger character moments. The only real issue, at least on a plot level, is that the Hunger Games section of the film requires everyone keeping their elaborate plan a secret from Katniss, despite her participation being a prerequisite to success. No one involved produces a compelling reason to keep the heroine in the dark. The suspension of disbelief is not too much to overcome, but the narrative device is still a gimmicky way to manufacture additional drama and it cheapens a genuinely clever way of surmounting audience expectations for a Hollywood sequel.
The Hunger Games so plainly states its political allegories (sending children off to war, the 99% verses the 1%, the 'meat parade' of celebrity worship, the salaciousness of reality television, et cetera) that it almost didn't count as subtext. This was acceptable, considering the age group the books were original aimed at. It's probably better that kids learn these lessons from a book of their choosing, rather than to be force-fed Orwell's 1984 for the millionth time (though, I'd hope they'd be open to reading that one on their own later). With the clunky, pulp sci-fi politics out of the way (there's a lot of Death Race 2000 in Ross' movie version), Catching Fire is free to develop the themes into something more complex and mature. The politics of Panem come into greater focus, especially the main villain, President Snow, who is fleshed out from a shadow of a threat to a full-fledged monster. I'm genuinely impressed that the filmmakers managed to squeeze this much real-world bleakness into a tentpole blockbuster.
The entire returning cast seems more comfortable in their roles. It's easy to be cynical about Jennifer Lawrence's (no relation to the director, by the way) meteoric rise, but the truth is that, from Winter's Bone to American Hustle (maybe not House at the End of the Street…), she has earned every ounce of the audience's goodwill. Katniss is a remarkably well-rounded heroine and I hope that the film's enormous box office success (it was the number one money maker stateside in 2013) inspires studios to flood the market with more strong females for girls to look up to. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth are trapped in the kind of thankless supporting roles that are usually reserved for female love interests. Hemsworth isn't on screen enough to really matter, but Hutcherson does a fine job expanding upon the series' perpetual damsel in distress. The newer cast members, especially Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Lynn Cohen, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (R.I.P.), are given broader characters, which they whittle down into proper human beings as Katniss comes to understand them.
Ross shot his film on 35mm, a tradition that is carried on in Catching Fire, at least until we reach the Hunger Games, when Lawrence changes over to IMAX 65mm. This Blu-ray is presented in 1080p HD and usually framed at a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Details are dynamic and crisp without any notable edge enhancement or other sharpening artefacts. The use of shallow focus keeps many of the backgrounds blurry, but the fine film grain remains sharp. Lawrence and David Slade's preferred cinematographer Jo Willems reuse a lot of the original film's colour palette, including the cool grays, blues and yellows of the Districts and the neon purples, blues, and oranges for the Capital. The new film is a bit darker and more 'Technicolor' in its element separation and includes richer, deeper blacks – some of which crush-out the finer details in the darkest scenes. I noted no major macro-blocking or other compression issues on even the richest hues, nor did any of the more subtle gradations appear smooth. When the film enters its final act and the characters enter the games arena the aspect ratio changes to a more IMAX-friendly 1.78:1 (some of the effects-heavy scenes appear to have been shot in digital HD, according to the behind-the-scenes doc). As soon as the characters enter the jungle (the moment the larger format is officially used, despite the aspect ratio change slightly early) the overall clarity increases quite a bit, especially in wide-angle shots (Lawrence and Willems use much deeper focus when dealing with 65mm) and the grain levels plummet. Perhaps more significant, the colours are all much more vibrant, especially the lush forest greens and intense bloody reds that occasionally pop out of the landscape.
The first Hunger Games overcame many of its budgetary constraints with a full-bodied, big, and boisterous soundtrack. Catching Fire's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 matches and even exceeds that mix, thanks in no small part to bigger, louder action set-pieces and broader, more detailed futuristic environments. The sound designers keep the more mundane environments dry, moving the basic aural elements (especially dialogue) freely throughout the channels, depending on placement. The stand-out sequences include any of the major Capital crowd scenes, the more subtly surround-enhanced training sequences, and, of course, the whole of the games themselves. Within the arena, everything takes on a heavier bass influence (the cannons that signify a participant's death throb hugely around the rear channels), the environmental ambience becomes lively, and the sounds of even the simplest actions are amped up for more aggressive impact. The swirling island and the screaming birds are highlights. James Newton Howard (who originally replaced Danny Elfman) reprises his role as composer and does a fine job undercutting the film's already dark qualities with sinister and mournful (though rarely memorable, outside of his recycled Capital theme) string themes. The more rhythmic action cues benefit greatly from the discrete LFE.
The extras begin with an audio commentary that features Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson. This is not the most exciting track, nor is it the most dynamic one, but the filmmakers do a decent job of running down the basics. Both participants fill the space pretty well with on-set anecdotes, technical jargon, comparisons between the book and movie, and discussion of the underlying character and story themes, along with less constructive descriptions of the on-screen actions and fluffy cast & crew praising. The track's low energy is a bit tiring, but there is plenty to learn and not a lot of overlap with the other extras.
Speaking of the other extras, they include:
- Surviving the Game: Making Catching Fire (2:25:00, HD) – A nine-part, feature-length documentary that includes behind-the-scenes footage, production art, and a myriad of cast and crew interviews. It is broken down into:
- A New Kind of Hunger: Continuing the Saga – An introduction to the pre-production and the process of adapting the first-person novel into a movie.
- Visual Vocabulary – A look at the conceptual art, production design, and set construction, all of which was built upon the existing materials of the first film.
- Stirring Things Up – On casting the film.
- Fashion Forward – On the costume, make-up, and hair design.
- Let It Fly – Concerning the Georgia part of production, pre-viz, and Lawrence's direction.
- Moves and Countermoves – About the stunt choreography/coordination, training, and weapons.
- Tick Tock – Concerning the Hawaiian part of the production and shooting in IMAX.
- Threading the Needle – Including a look at the editing process, sound design, and visual effects.
- The Revolution of Lives – A wrap-up that also covers the next two movies in the series.
- A deleted/extended scenes reel (4:40, HD) – These include bits of Katniss visiting District 12, Snow explaining the biology of a mockingjay, Plutarch Heavensbee doing clandestine things, and Finnick teaching Katniss how to tie a knot.
- A sneak peek of Divergent (6:50, HD)
- A trailer for Divergent
Catching Fire is certainly not a perfect movie, but it is an improvement on the original Hunger Games in just about every way I can fathom (aside from novelty, I suppose). It also sounds like this creative team is firmly established for the next two episodes and I honestly find myself looking forward to them. Lionsgate's Blu-ray comes fitted with a sharp transfer that shows off the differences between the 35mm and IMAX sequences, a big, brassy DTS-HD MA soundtrack, and a number of informative extras, including a decent commentary, an in-depth documentary, and a number of deleted/extended scenes.
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Gabriel Powers
Existing Posts
I am glad Lionsgate followed "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises" example by transferring over IMAX sequences onto BluRay, unlike "Star Trek Into Darkness." As someone who loves to see movies in IMAX, but doesnt have a quality IMAX theater around them that the seats don't destroy your back after 30 minutes, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see the games sequence in full IMAX screenage. I am watching this tonight, even more excited that i was before.
I meant to say that Ross' film was shot 35mm, so Lawrence followed suit, but I kinda mucked it up. Thanks for the catch.
In the video section of the review, I think you mean to add Frances Lawrence's name in the first sentence since he directed this film. Ross made the first one.
There is an easter egg on the disc: the screen with the "THE OPINIONS ON THIS DISC ARE NOT OF LIONSGATE" or something has a hidden message at the bottom with the instruction of pressing the red button when the Mockingjay symbol appears ont the main menu: http://instagram.com/p/k4boT2Ce9K/# This leads to a viral-like video that is listed as "Inside District 12: The Hob" in some regions.
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 7th March 2014
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: Various
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and DVS 2.0 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Extras: Director/Producer Commentary, Surviving the Game: Making Catching Fire, A Sneak Peek at Divergent, Deleted Scenes, DVD Copy, UltraViolet Copy
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Donald Sutherland
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance and Sci-Fi
Length: 146 minutes
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(AP) DAKAR, Senegal - President Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat to his former protege Macky Sall late Sunday, congratulating him several hours after polls closed when preliminary results showed the opposition candidate had trounced the 85-year-old incumbent.
Wade called Sall around 9:30 p.m. Sunday to congratulate him on his victory, state television reported. The move alleviated fears that Wade would attempt to stay in office after 12 years or would challenge the runoff results.
Even before Wade conceded, Sall's supporters began celebrating in the streets of the capital, singing and marching through downtown Dakar. Some even danced on the roofs of moving vehicles, and one man did a cartwheel amid the traffic near the Place de l'Independance.
Sociologist Hadiya Tandian said that Wade's concession washes away the wounds of a violent election season, which left at least six people dead and tarnished the country's reputation.
"This is a great victory for Senegal it shows the maturity of our democracy," Tandian said. "It shows that the Senegalese believe in their voter IDs, that a voter card can change something, can make a difference. It shows that our long democratic heritage continues to live in us day by day."
Wade, who first took office in 2000, has seen his popularity suffer amid soaring costs of living and unemployment in this country on Africa's western coast.
He spent 25 years in the opposition fighting to loosen the grip of the former socialist party, which ruled this former French colony for 40 years since independence in 1960.
His image began to suffer after he began giving an increasing share of power to his son Karim, who was derisively called "the Minister of the Sky and the Earth" after he was handed control of multiple ministries including infrastructure and energy.Senegal headed to runoff vote for president
Senegalese president booed during vote
Wade's reputation took a nosedive when he announced last year that he planned to run for a third term. For weeks leading up to last month's election, protesters calling for Wade to step down hurled rocks at police in demonstrations that paralyzed the capital's economic heart.
Marieme Ousmane Wele, 55, said she had voted for Sall because the rising prices of basic goods have made her life increasingly difficult.
"I sell cereal made from corn but the price of corn has really gone up. Now, I don't have many customers and it's becoming difficult to feed my own family," she said, as men sat nearby on plastic lawn chairs in the sand listening to news about the election on portable radios.
On the streets of Senegal's capital, images of Wade on campaign posters had their eyes scratched out. And his convoy was hit by rocks in the final days of the runoff campaign.
Sall, 50, is a geologist by training who worked for years under Wade. The two, though, had a subsequent falling out and Wade referred to Sall as an apprentice who had not yet taken in "the lessons of his mentor."
Earlier Sunday, Sall expressed confidence that Senegal would avoid a protracted electoral dispute.
"Our country is a strong democracy ... That's what should be praised, that the vote goes through peacefully and calmly," he said.
Most voters simply spoke of change rather than Sall's credentials when explaining how they voted Sunday.
Dr. Johny Assane said he voted for Wade in 2000 but has since become disillusioned. While he says he is financially secure, he has seen how others have failed to benefit from Wade's leadership.
"The situation of my patients who come to get medicine in my office has really deteriorated," he said. "Everywhere there are children whose parents are finding it difficult to pay for their treatment and that shows me that the country is not working."


text: U.S. Dairy Exports: Up, Up and Away October 4, 2013 04:53 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Jim Dickrell Dairy Herd Management Dairy Editor Email The continual, almost unbroken stream of increases in U.S. dairy export volume and value is like the broken record one never tires of hearing. U.S. dairy export volumes have been increasing at an average annual rate of 12% over the past decade. And barring any fourth quarter 2013 hiccups, volumes this year will be up another 14 to 18% in 2013. The value of those exports is even sweeter music, up an average of 20% over the past decade and up 25 to 30% this year. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Alan Levitt, vice president of communications and market analysis for the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The bottom line on exports, he says, is that "world demand for dairy products is up, and the world is willing to pay for them." Levitt is cautiously optimistic as the calendar flips toward 2014. Yes, world milk production—driven by the European Union, the United States and New Zealand--is again back in growth mode. He expects global milk supplies to grow 2 – 2 ½% next year—or 10 to 13 billion pounds. "This will put some downward pressure on world prices," he acknowledges. But it will likely be more of a soft landing than a hard crash. Some importers have been out of the market because of high 2013 prices. Lower prices will mean they'll back, sopping up some of the increased supply. "And most of the buying is underpinned by China. It is already the world's biggest buyer of dairy products, and it needs to import even more," Levitt says. "The Chinese are willing to pay what it takes to get dairy products into the country." In fact, China has now over taken Canada as the Number 2 destination for U.S. dairy exports. By value, China increased its purchase of U.S. products 41% in the first seven months of 2013 over the same period a year ago. And that's despite the fact our sales to Canada increased 20% over 2012. Another very good piece of news is that Dairy Farmers of America's whole milk powder plant being built in Fallon, Nev., will start operation next year. This plant is the first in the U.S. wholly dedicated to the export market, and designed specifically to meet Chinese product needs. Once fully operational, Levitt calculates the Fallon plant, plus WMP capacity added earlier this year by Darigold and Michigan Milk Producers Association, could export the equivalent of two billion pounds of milk annually, or 1% of U.S. production. "This is clear, tangible evidence that a U.S. farmer cooperative is committed to the global market," says Levitt. "It's really a milestone point that we've taken saying we're all in." Undoubtedly, there will be bumps in the road as the U.S. sells more and more of its milk overseas. That is inevitable, and dairy farmers, co-ops and processors must be prepared for that eventuality. In other words, risk management will become increasingly important. For now, however, the future looks bright. The only way forward is to keep driving forward. There's no turning back. More information on U.S. dairy trade data can be found here. Back to news


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Deck the halls, plum the pudding, make merry under the mistletoe: The holidays are party season and now's your time to shine. And whether you're headed to the festivities directly from the office or just need to get ready fast, the quickest way to add glamour to your look is by paying attention to lips and eyes.
"Lashes and lipstick are really the quickest, easiest way to make the transition from day to evening," says Gina Brooke, Intraceuticals skin care ambassador and former Shu Uemura artistic director, whose celebrity clients have included Anne Hathaway and Madonna.
Makeup artist Collier Strong, who has worked with Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek, agrees. "Simple eye makeup and a sophisticated lip take your look to a different level, creating a bold, polished statement," Strong says. And for this look, it's best to keep the rest of your makeup minimal, he says.
For lips this season, go with bold bordeaux or red.
Pati Dubroff, who has made up celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Mendes and Miley Cyrus, favors the former. "Bordeaux is edgier, more film noir, than red lipstick," she says. And when using bordeaux, she prefers a matte or cream formula instead of gloss.
Whichever color you choose, make it stay on by filling in the entire lip with matching liner, wearing a lip stain underneath lipstick or using long-wear lipstick.
For eyes, a simple way to pump up the volume is with mascara. "There are formulas out there right now that really take the place of lash extensions or false lashes," Dubroff says. She recommends curling lashes, applying two consecutive coats of mascara on each side, then adding one more layer on each side for drama. Use a lash comb as needed to prevent clumping.
If the festivities are taking place after work, it's best to go through the day with very little or no mascara and then apply mascara and bold lip color before you head to the party.
But if you opt for false lashes, Brooke recommends applying them before heading to work. First curl your natural lashes. Then bend strip lashes to make them more malleable, apply dark eyelash glue to strips, wait a few seconds so the glue gets tacky and apply from the inside corner to the outer corner. "Then take your eyelash curler and gently tap, not curl, your real and false lashes together so they interconnect and become one so it looks like you just have long beautiful lashes," Brooke says.
Following are the experts' product picks to achieve fast holiday lips and eyes.
Bordeaux lips
Dubroff: Nars Train Bleu velvet matte lip pencil ($24, narscosmetics.com), Tom Ford lipstick in Crimson Noir ($48, bergdorfgood
Strong: MAC Film Noir ($15, maccosmet
ics.com), YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain Shade #1 Violet Edition ($32, yslbeautyus.com).
Brooke: Shu Uemura in collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld Luxe Burgundy lipstick ($30, shuuemura-usa.com), Chanel Rouge Allure velvet lipstick in L'Exquise ($32.50, cha
Red lips
Strong: Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Haute Red ($26, lauramer
cier.com), L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche lipstick in British Red ($8.95, drugstore.com).
Brooke: She recently collaborated with Make Up Forever to create a long-wear classic red lipstick for Madonna called Aqua Rouge #8 ($24, sephora.com). She also likes Nars velvet matte lip pencils in Forbidden Red and Cruella ($24, narscosmetics.com).
Dubroff: Nars velvet matte lip pencil in Dragon Girl ($24, narscosmetics.com), Tom Ford Narcotic Rouge lip color from his new Jasmine Rouge lip collection or Cherry Lush for a deeper red (each $48, bergdorfgood
Dramatic mascara
Dubroff: Lancôme Hypnose Custom Volume mascara ($26, lancome-usa.com), Maybelline Lash Discovery mini brush for bottom lashes ($7.99, ulta.com).
Brooke: Volume Effet Faux Cils ($30, yslbeautyus.com), DiorShow mascara ($25, shop.nordstrom.com), Shu Uemura eyelash curler ($20, shuuemura-usa.com).
Strong: L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black ($7.49, ulta.com).
Festive false lashes
Brooke: Farfallina false eyelashes, which she created ($29, shuuemura-usa.com).
Dubroff: Instead of strip lashes, which can pop off on the corners, she prefers individual or cluster lashes in multi-length packages, such as Eyelure ($5.99, ulta.com).
Strong: Miss Adoro #600 and #747 short or medium ($2.72, missadoro.com). "A huge mistake people make is to use [lashes] that are too long or too thick," he says.


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GRANGEVILLE – What started as a simple traffic infraction escalated into a felonious high-speed pursuit across the prairie, ending with the arrest of a Grangeville man.
Tyler J. Ross, 19, is charged with felony eluding a police officer, along with related misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and driving without privileges. He is set for a Dec. 23 preliminary hearing in magistrate court.
The early Saturday morning pursuit, Dec. 7, involved officers with the Grangeville and Cottonwood police departments, along with the Idaho County Sheriff's Office, and lasted more than 20 minutes, during which the suspect's speed on the icy backroads north of Grangeville allegedly exceeded 100 mph.
Around 12:30 a.m., according to GPD Chief Morgan Drew, Officer Paul Orgish attempted a traffic stop on a red Ford Probe that failed to yield at a stop sign at the North Idaho Street and truck route intersection. The vehicle is alleged to have failed to stop for Orgish and instead took off into the unincorporated area north of town where, along with the high speeds, it was reported driving on the wrong side of the road and in a manner endangering the public.
Along with Orgish, ICSO deputies Gideon Roberts and Scott Paulsen, and Cottonwood Police Chief Terry Cochran were involved in pursuit of the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes, at which point the Ford drove into a stubble field and the driver – identified at the time as Ross – exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Ross subsequently eluded a pursuing officer.
An arrest warrant was issued for Ross the following day, and ICSO law enforcement arrested Ross at his work at Grangeville Monday, Dec. 9.
During the pursuit, a GPD vehicle slid off the road and into a fence causing minor body damage, which on Idaho State Police investigation was determined a nonreportable accident (less than $1,500 damage).
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Technology word will get the latest invention soon from Microsoft yes we are talking about the fourth generation of surface tablet known as Surface Pro 4 which will hit the market soon before the end of this year. However, this is not the new device infact Surface Pro 4 is the modst version of well received Surface 3. Some features of the third generation Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 are simillar but still the Surface Pro 4 will come with many good changes. Here we are discussing the features, release date and price of upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Price and Release Date:
Microsoft has an official event on 6th October 2015 and the company has the plan to announce the Surface Pro 4 tablet in the same day. However the price of this upcoming Surface Pro 4 is not confirmed yet but it is expected that the 12 inches Surface Pro 4 carry $800 price tag and the 14 inches tablet will be available against the price of $950, but all of these prices are on assumptions and need to confirm officially from Microsoft.
Design and Display:
The first impression is the last impression and Microsoft is too trendy and concious about their products design. Surface Pro 4 is similar with Surface Pro 3 in the account of design. Microsoft marketing director Brain Hall says; "with our product roadmap in mind and will be compatible with the next generation of the Pro line of Surface."
It is also expected that Microsoft will unvailed the two sizes of Surface Pro 4, on with 12 inches display and another one is 14 inches screen. Both tabelet has the same 2K display with 2160x1440 pixels resolution.
The SurfacePro 4 is the tablet designed for the new geration so it is expected that the tablet is featured with new Skylake processor by Intel. The processor was debutted in IFA 2015. The new chipset is more powerful and efficient than the fifth-generation processors running on Intel's Broadwell architecture and the Surface Pro 4 will pack with this new powerful chipset. The tablet will be available in three types processor option Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7.
Powerful Stylus:
Business News published the report about the Surface Pro 4 and the report claimed the tablet will come with N-Trig stylus which is much better than the previous Stylus and has improved touch sensitivity. The new stylus is paired with new Microsoft Windows 10 which increase the ability of functionality for example users are able to save the web page easily on the cloud. Microsoft also improved the text recognition technology which allows the users to turn the text into the digital notes easily.
3D camera with Hello Facial Recognition:
Some resources published the reports and made the claim that the Surface Pro 4 will come with 3D camera and "Hello Facial recognization". These features allow the users to log in in the tablet without securing it with a password. The other source claimed that the 3D camera is "Extremely Accurate". There is no doubt that the 3D camera is efficient in working and if the Surface Pro 4 make the debut with this 3D camera it will be the king in tablet lines.


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8:30 pm
Dialogue "Media, Ethics and the Election" Marcia Franklin talks with Kelly McBride, a senior faculty member of the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida who specializes in ethics, reporting and writing at the school for professional journalists, news media leaders, future journalists and journalism teachers.G
9:00 pm
America ReFramed "Street Fight" This program follows the turbulent campaign of Cory Booker, a 32-year-old Rhodes Scholar/Yale Law graduate running for mayor of Newark, New Jersey, against Sharpe James, the four-term incumbent twice his age. An urban David and Goliath story, the film chronicles the young man's struggle against the city's entrenched political machine, which routinely uses strong-arm tactics to hold onto power. The battle sheds light on important questions about democracy, power, poverty and race. D
10:30 pm
Need to Know "America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa: Clarkston, Georgia" MARIA HINOJOSA ANCHORS. This week, Need to Know airs a special edition titled, "America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa: Clarkston, Georgia." In the shadow of Stone Mountain, GA (once a gathering place for Ku Klux Klan cross burnings), Clarkston is a town of 7,500 that has gone from 90% white in the 1980s to less than 14% white and over a third foreign born today. D
11:00 pm
Global Voices "Peace Versus Justice" When the International Criminal Court was established, it was championed by human-rights crusaders as a long-overdue end to impunity. But what if the victims of heinous crimes don't want the court's version of justice? PEACE VERSUS JUSTICE takes a critical look at the problems of applying Western conceptions of justice to other countries and continents. D


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Think Like A Proton
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As long as Think Like A Proton isn't worn, smelly or damaged, it can be exchanged for a new item or voucher within 14 days of receipt.


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TV Syndication Company Attempts To Take Down Public Domain Content By Abusing Trademark Law
from the if-you-can't-play-by-the-rules,-simply-use-a-different-rule-set! dept
Some players in the copyright industry just can't let things go, even when the content in question doesn't belong to them anymore. Once something's in the public domain, it's there to stay unless an act of Congress yanks it back out. Some of this discussion seems almost theoretical considering copyright has been extened to the point where something "lapsing" into the public domain now happens more infrequently than Halley's Comet sightings.
But some things do actually make it into the public domain, and the Internet Archive has done an amazing job over the years of preserving these works. Unfortunately, its archival efforts have drawn some attention from a company wishing to take back content that no longer belongs to it. The fact that the content it's trying to take down is in the public domain hasn't deterred it. It's only made it alter its attack strategy. (MST3K fans will definitely recognize the company name.)
Sandy Frank Film Syndication has hit the Archive with ridiculous legal threats based not on copyrights, but rather trademark rights. The company initially demanded that the Archive takedown not just links to the television show [popular 1950s show "You Asked for It"] (which it admits is in the public domain) but also links to remix videos that use footage from the show, a series of sermons that happen to use the term "you asked for it" in the title, and a reference to a record that also used the term.The Internet Archive pushed back immediately, but this only resulted in SFFS removing its takedown requests for "colloquial use" (the sermons). Despite the fact that SFFS openly admits the content it wants taken down is in the public domain, it has pressed on with the rest of its demands and even added an additional (and absurd) claim that using the term while searching the internet was a trademark violation.
This isn't the first time we've seen entities attempt to skirt the limitations of copyright law by dragging trademark law into the mix. (The Faulkner Estate dodging fair use arguments for a nine word misquote of Faulkner/photographer Brian Masck making up for a long-delayed copyright registration -- both claiming Lanham Act violations.)
At this point, the EFF stepped in and issued a long, thorough letter to SFFS that destroys all of its arguments point-by-point (posted below). It points out that SFFS has no trademark claim over the content stored and streamed by the Internet Archive. For one, it's non-commercial use, making it statutorily exempt from the Lanham Act. For another, every use of the show's title on the Internet Archive is either protected use or not infringing on SFFS' trademark.
In response to claims of "likelihood of confusion," the EFF writes:
Trademark law does not forbid the use of "You Asked For It" to accurately identify the shows available via the Archive. Indeed, it is unclear how else the Archive might identify the shows...As for the remix videos using "You Asked for It" content, SFFS has no viable claim there either.
No one would imagine your client, the holder of the trademark, in connection with licensing television shows, is the source of the programs in question, not least because no such licensing is required for these programs.
The videos in question do not raise a trademark issue -- they don't even use the term "You Asked for It." Even if they did use the term, the videos are fully sheltered by the First Amendment.The EFF also attacks the claim that using its trademarked show title as search terms might be actionable, pointing out that the cases SFFS cites refer to keyword advertising, not the actual searches themselves. Citing cases that contradict or weaken its claims seems to be a problem for SFFS, most likely because the sort of IP end-around it's running has rarely found favor in judicial decisions. The EFF's letter basically states that SFFS is shooting itself in the foot with its own quoted legal precedents.
More broadly, your citation to Dastar v. 20th Century 539 U.S. 23 (2003) is surprising at best, because that is one of many cases that doom your legal theories. In that case, the Supreme Court addressed precisely the kind of bootstrapping your client is attempting here. The plaintiff claimed that reproducing (modified) public domain videos without attribution to the original creator infringed trademark law. The Court rejected the claim, noting that any other holding would place trademark law in direct conflict with copyright:The EFF is hoping this rebuttal will encourage SFFS to drop its claims against the Internet Archive, but it warns that this probably won't be the last time a trademark owner will attempt to abuse its limited protections to reclaim content from the public domain. SFFS may decide to press on despite any real legal leg to stand on. Its website offers a variety of licensable clips from its shows, including the disputed "You Asked for It," and it's likely very interested in being the sole distributor of the 1950s run of the show, especially considering its main "competitor" is offering these episodes for free. But doing so will be an uphill battle against a knowledgeable opponent and a legal system predisposed towards this sort of IP law abuse.
"The rights of a patentee or copyright holder are part of a "carefully crafted bargain," . . . under which, once the patent or copyright monopoly has expired, the public may use the invention or work at will and without attribution."


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***Announcement: It would mean so much if you supported...
Will He Love me? (Punk Harry Styles)
- by sexy_mexy37
- Rating:
- Published: 2 Aug 2014
- Updated: 4 Oct 2014
- Status: In Progress
When Abby moves to Homes Chapel U.K. she would have never have thought she was going to be friends with the bad boy/player Harry Styles at her new school. Everybody tells her he's just bad news but she think's differently and also grows feeling for him later on. But will Harry stop being a player and love Abby the same way as she loves him?
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The 6" (Unmounted) Neutral Density (ND) 1.2 Filter from Tiffen has several uses and offer the possibility to achieve otherwise unachievable results. It enables the shooter to adjust exposure without affecting color balance. ND filters appear gray and reduce the amount of light reaching the either the sensor of a digital camera or the film plane of a traditional film camera. Neutral Density filters are used to create some unusual special effects such as capturing the "blur" of the rippling water of a waterfall or the swirling effect of city traffic.
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Jim, many thanks for that kind introduction and for officiating so many of our most important ceremonies. Good afternoon, everyone. Let me recognize:
As we say in Hawai'i, E como mai—Welcome. Congratulations to Irma and Mark and their negotiating teams. You have set a high bar in master agreements, and in record time. VA's last two national union contracts took seven years to negotiate; this one took just one. And we—managers, supervisors, union officials, VA nurses, and Veterans—will all benefit from it.
I think many, if not most, in this room have heard me speak about what nurses have meant in my life, so I won't repeat the entire story today. Let me just say that, in 1970, an incredible nurse—the head trauma nurse in the amputee ward of the 95th Medevac Hospital in Vietnam changed my life. She told me about medical decisions awaiting me, when I returned stateside, and gave me options for how I might live my life. I wouldn't be here today if she had not taken the time to educate me about what it would take.
Generations of severely-injured and seriously-ill Veterans spend long days, weeks, and months in our hospitals. For some, anxiety about the unknowns alone is overwhelming. Others bear combat's scars. The baggage of war remains a long and heavy burden.
Now, these are the days when our nurses are at their very best, delivering their special brand of care for the one percent of Americans who today put their lives on the line for America.
The agreement we're about to sign serves the interests of both Veterans and VA nurses. It codifies how VA and NNU will work together in the coming years, also setting both tone and template for future negotiations with other unions.
President Obama charged us to build a more effective government by improving labor-management collaboration. By our signatures this morning, we reaffirm our trust in one another, embrace our common objectives, and build on our mutual strengths as labor and management. Veterans need both of us, and deserve our willing collaboration.
As VA's frontline caregivers, registered nurses are critical to delivering safe, high-quality patient care. This contract between VA and NNU supports a quality working environment for recruiting and retaining registered nurses, for promoting patient safety, and for enhancing cooperation between labor and management.
So, I'm very pleased to help implement this new agreement with NNU. Irma, I want to assure you and Jean, and the rest of the NNU leadership, that VA's managers, at all levels, will meet both the spirit and letter of these provisions.
Again, thank you all for your hard work and tireless efforts in delivering this contract. Now, let's sanction it through our signatures.
Thank you.


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The Alhambra Coin Center was founded in 1975 by brothers Malcolm and Jay Varner, both of whom are recognized experts in rare coins and numismatics, as well as members of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and Malcolm is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). Based out of the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra, the Alhambra Coin Center has grown over the course of its thirty-five plus years to become one of the largest and most frequented coin stores in California. Alhambra Coin Center not only retails to the public, but functions as a wholesaler to other coin companies and numismatists across the country.
Developing and expanding, the Alhambra Coin Center has evolved into a center not only for numismatics, coins, and bullion, but also for antiques, jewelry, diamonds, antique pocket watches, luxury items and more. Now a central hub for the public and dealers alike for the buying and selling of collectibles of all descriptions, the Alhambra Coin Center is flourishing. Our tremendous growth is a direct result of our commitment to professionalism, to ethics, and to serving each and every customer to the highest of our abilities.


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- Premier League
Gerrard: Reds in Champions League hunt
Steven Gerrard insists that Liverpool have shown they can still qualify for next season's Champions League with their performance against Manchester City.
Gerrard, 32, scored as Brendan Rodgers' side earned a 2-2 Premier League draw against the champions at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The point leaves Liverpool in seventh place, their highest position of the season, with a nine-point gap to close on fourth-placed Tottenham.
But Gerrard, named England's player of the year on Sunday night at an awards ceremony at the Football Association's National Football Centre in Burton, Staffordshire, believes that gap can be closed over the final 13 league matches, and that a top-four finish can be secured to win a place in Europe's top club competition.
The Liverpool captain has taken great encouragement from their last two performances, with the display against City coming three days after a 2-2 draw at Arsenal.
"We can take a lot of belief from the way we've performed against Arsenal and Manchester City," Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo.
Rodgers' side led in both games, but lost a two-goal lead at Emirates Stadium and let a 2-1 advantage at the Etihad Stadium slip in the closing stages.
"It was similar to the Arsenal game in that I felt we did enough to come away with the three points," he said. "City are a good side and to go away to the champions and get a point is a good result, but after the way we played we're disappointed not to get the win. We need to build on this. I'm feeling really confident about our ability to move up the table.
"We might not have got the results we wanted against the top sides, but every time we have certainly matched them if not bettered them in games. We just need to try to cut out our mistakes and turn those draws into wins.
"No disrespect to the sides we've got coming up, but if we keep playing like that then we can certainly put in a challenge for fourth place. If we perform like that, we will pick up a lot of points between now and the end of the season."
Gerrard's spectacular long-range strike looked to have given Liverpool victory on Sunday, but Sergio Aguero pounced on an error by keeper Pepe Reina to score from a tight angle and save a point.
"We scored two really good goals and it's certainly up there with our best performance of the season," Gerrard added.


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Rocko (Feat. Gucci Mane) - I Salute You
"Rocko's newest project with The Empire, "Rocko Dinero" - with features from T.I., Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, and Future. The project also features production from Drumma Boy, Zayoven, Lex Luger, G-Phonix, and Ensayne Wayne. Rocko is also proud to present the launch of his new business venture A1 Recordings, after a celebratory release from Def Jam Records. Rocko Dinero available for free download
Follow Rocko @Rocko4Real Future @1Future Gucci Mane @Gucci1017 "
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I'd like to condense my final thoughts on the Restoration Shaman Changes so far, since the patch is imminent at this point and shouldn't be too far off.
The hottest topic for Shamans as of late has been the Blessing of Wisdom and Mana Spring Totem stacking change. Understandably we were all a bit shocked by this change. This is pretty much taking the stars out of alignment for us. I know I reacted harshly to it first in my post Shaman and Paladins Mana Buff Get Hit! . This was before I got a chance to actually test it out as well as sit down and think about it.
Lets talk about mana regeneration from an encounter design standpoint. In a raid how often do you run out of mana now? For me I know it's never unless a lot of other healers bite the dust and I have to pick up the slack. How often do you have to use mana potions? I think I've used 5 total in about 8 weeks, and those were on heroics. That's with moderate gearing, not even a heavy MP5 set. That's honestly not good for designers. In order to compensate for ungodly amounts of healer mana developers tend to make encounters with more widespread raid damage instead of other much more fun mechanics. Personally I'd rather have fun mechanics, I like variety! (read as less Whack-a-Mole plx!)
Raid wide we lose 109.2 MP5 from this change and I can tell you from testing it, it's not that bad. I've spent a lot of time on various iterations of Lodur on the PTR testing the changes out, doing raids, seeing how regen was affected… and to be honest it really wasn't affected as majorly as many people think. Right now on live I can end a fight like Kel'thuzad or even Sartharion with drakes with around 50% mana, and that's with chain casting. On the PTR I was ending with about 35%. Honestly it's the difference of a mana potion. We're not really going to see a shift too dramatically. Rejoice! We are the mana base line!
There is also another great part of this for Shaman in general that I'd like to take a moment to point out. There was a discussion about totems and macros and such on PlusHeal and a very interesting point came up. A lot of shaman over there refer to our water totem as our swing totem, and I agree with this. The water totem slot is our most versatile of the lot and tends to get the most use. By changing the way mana regen stacks it allows us to take a Blessing of Wisdom, and then use our water slot for something other then just Mana Spring. Healing Stream totem is getting a buff through talents that makes it a very attractive choice (AoE hot? yes plz!) and lets not forget our brand new Cleansing Totem that will take care of both poisons and diseases. With the new change we wont have to sit and worry about taking away mana regen by dropping a poison cleansing totem or what have you. I found the ability to not have to worry about having Mana Spring down all the time was like a weight lifting from my shoulders. I have a feeling once you guys see it in action you'll feel the same =D
Here's a recap of the Patch Notes relevant to restoration Shamans.
- Ancestral Awakening: This talent now accounts for your ineffective healing, rather than effective.
- Ancestral Healing and Healing Grace have swapped places in the Restoration talent tree.
- Cleanse Spirit now has a new icon.
- Mana Tide Totem: This spell no longer costs mana.
- Restorative Totems: Reduced to 3 points, down from 5. Increases the effect of your Mana Spring Totem by 7/12/20%, and increases the amount healed by your Healing Stream Totem by 15/30/45%.
- Riptide: This spell has a new icon.
- Tidal Force: Now has a new spell effect.
General Shaman Changes
- Bloodlust/Heroism: Cooldown reduced to 5 minutes, but Sated and Exhausted now last 10 minutes.
- New! Earth Elemental Totem: The summoned Earth Elemental should now have significantly more health and slightly more armor.
- New! Fire Elemental Totem: The summoned Fire Elemental should now have moderately more health and mana, and its damage scaling has been increased. In addition, the Fire Elemental's spells now cost less mana.
- Flametongue Weapon: Bonus damage from spell power now based on weapon speed. Slower weapons will benefit more from spell power.
- Frostbrand Weapon: Damage increased by approximately 20%.
- Mana Spring Totem: This totem has been redesigned. It now provides the same mana benefit as Blessing of Wisdom to the entire party or raid, but is exclusive with that effect.
- Poison Cleansing Totem and Disease Cleansing Totem have been merged into "Cleansing Totem." Cleansing Totem pulses every 3 sec, down from 5.
Another item was the change to Heroism / Bloodlust. The change is that the debuff and the cooldown are being flipped around. Cooldown has been changed to 5 minutes and debuff has been changed to 10 minutes. At first this seems like a big hit from the nerf bat, and at first I thought so too, until Matt and I had a great conversation about it. Heroism / Bloodlust is an optional raid buff, unlike replenishment which Blizz feels is a mandatory buff. Encounters are not tuned with you having one every try in mind. It's a raid leaders shot gun buff, on Sarth 3D we use it to burst down the second drake for an example. It's something you use when you really need to have something dead and fast. The change allows for you to use it more inline with progression fights. Lets say you pop it, and you die. Dying clears the debuff but if the ability is down and you don't have another Shaman, fat lot of good it's going to do you. This will allow groups that only have 1 Shaman to always have this buff available when learning fights. I think this is actually a good thing.
Elementals are getting buffed, which is long overdue. This will bring them back up to something a little more useful then were they currently are. I know my Fire Elemental when I break him out on Sarth adds doesn't really do a whole lot and tends to run out of mana fast. Which his damage scaling more and cheaper spells he'll just be that much more useful. Earth Elemental getting a health increase is also really good. I can't tell you how many times I've dropped him to make a get away only to have him die so fast it doesn't matter that I dropped him at all.
Bottom line here is we really made out this patch. We didn't get godly buffs, but we avoided the nerf bat and remained largely unchanged. The changes we did get will actually help our utility to a raid, and can be looked at as buffs in a way. The Mana Spring totem change really benefits us more then it hurts us. It gives us a bit more freedom to roll around totems. I am looking forward to this patch for many reasons, not least among them Ulduar.
What about you? How do you feel about the imminent patch?
Till next time, Happy Healing.
As always feel free to follow on twitter http://twitter.com/LodurZJ And don't be afraid to ask questions using direct message there or the contact form here on the site!


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I am looking for help or advice as I use blogger and have a mailing list that is a google group. But it seems many members of the group are no longer getting my blog. I tried to recreate the group…Continue
Anne Zimmerman has not received any gifts yet
Posted on January 22, 2011 at 8:28pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
OK, Showtime addicts, not that kind of weed. Dandelion stir fry...while these leaves are bitter, and often used…Continue
Anne, I LOVE your blog! I am planning on doing a "recipe of the week" series pretty soon on my blog, and I would love for you to be a guest blogger!!
Please check out my blog and follow me!
New follower cant wait to try some of your recipes....Would love for you to follow my blog as well http://www.tamingmyhunger.blogspot.com/
Hi Anne! I would love to RT your tweets. Can you RT mine? Mine are health and nutrition related. I just posted one to RT, but you can do any you think are interesting. I am following you now. I am @healthyolga. Thanks!
Welcome! I just wanted to introduce myself, and my blog, The Book Buff: Book Reviews for Regular People. Check it out at http://www.thebookbuff.blogspot.com
It can be a bit overwhelming around here, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
-Kate the Book Buff


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Houston Attorney Draws on Her Theological Training to Fight Human Trafficking
Family Law Attorney, Julie Waters, is mobilizing the Christian community by partnering with non-profits, law enforcement, and government agencies in the fight against modern day slavery. Free the Captives, is an evangelical anti human trafficking organization Julie has founded that is establishing a network of support to end human trafficking on a national and international level.
To hear more from Julie Waters please visit our YouTube channel and view our extended cut


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"Juice Plus+ is the only daily supplement I take."
– Dr. Bill Sears
You can order Juice Plus+ products and learn about how your child may qualify to receive Juice Plus+ for free by participating in the Juice Plus+ Children's Health Study.
Do I feel passionate about this product? Yes! Here's why.
Each morning I put a scoopful of Juice Plus+ Complete into my fruit and yogurt smoothie. Every day I take my Fruit and Veggie Juice Plus+ Capsules, and dole out Juice Plus+ to our kids in the form of chewables (soft) and capsules according to their age and taste. Then I go to my office and recommend the Juice Plus+ Children's Health Study to the families in my pediatric practice.
During the year following my surgery, I read volumes about nutrition, subscribed to every nutrition journal I could find, put together a collection of over 500 file folders about food, and became what my friends tagged a "health nut." About three months into my new style of eating, I noticed some amazing changes. My energy level skyrocketed, prompting my wife Martha to call me "Zip." We stepped up our ballroom dancing and even beat some of the younger couples in the swing contest. My mind was working better, too.
I just plain felt good all over – mind and body – and finally learned what it is to experience real well-being. Too bad I had to get sick in order to learn to eat right instead of eating right to keep from getting sick.
Why was I feeling so good?
The answer seemed clear: I was putting the right fuel into my body that made it run better. At that time – as a father of eight, author of many books, and a pediatrician at the peak of his career – I was going to do everything I could to keep my health up and not let the cancer reoccur. Talk about motivation!
During my quests for what constitutes good health, I devoured books and articles about supplements and discovered that one of the secrets of good health is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain thousands of disease-fighting chemicals called "phytonutrients." I call them "phytos" for short. The same phytos that help keep plants healthy, help keep our bodies healthy. Even thousands of years ago Hippocrates said, "let food be thy medicine."
As I studied the parade of supplements out there, I concluded that whatever supplement I take must have good science and make good sense. That's how I came across Juice Plus+.
It had good science behind it and made good sense – a whole food-based supplement! Whole foods, a bunch of the healthiest fruits and vegetables, were juiced and dried as close to the fields as possible to maintain the highest possible level of nutrition. These nutritious juice powders are then put into capsules and chewable tablets!
Intrigued by this concept of packaged phytos, I realized that my life depended upon eating the right foods and taking the right supplements. So I did my life-saving detective work. While visiting the company where Juice Plus+ is made, I saw firsthand the care and quality that went into this product. In examining their independent clinical research, I discovered that researchers had measured the blood levels and found that disease-fighting "phytos" go way up after taking Juice Plus+ – and they had published their results in peer-reviewed medical journals. This was a vital discovery since it's not what's on the package label that's important – it's how much gets into the body. Finally I grilled the company executives, and they were honorable people. The combination of good science, good sense, and a reputable company convinced me that this would be my supplement of choice.
Since taking Juice Plus+ daily and following an overall healthy eating and exercise program, I have not even had so much as a cold; even though my wonderful little patients share their germs with me every day. The parents of children who are sick a lot often thank me: "Since my children have been taking Juice Plus+ they haven't been sick as often." Juice Plus+ is now the only whole food based supplement I take. I'm pleased to recommend the joy of taking Juice Plus+ to everyone who takes their health seriously.
I am very excited about Juice Plus+ and have seen the benefits in myself and my children. Start your family on Juice Plus+ today and see the benefits over a lifetime!
To Your Good Health,
Dr. Bill


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LONDON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Rolls-Royce of Britain reports it has expanded its global nuclear services business through the acquisition of PKMJ Technical Services of the United States.
PKMJT, which has headquarters in Pennsylvania, is a consulting and engineering services company serving the nuclear power industry.
"Our investment in PKMJ represents another significant step toward growing our global civil nuclear business and providing customers with a suite of services to deliver safe and efficient lifecycle operations," said Lawrie Haynes, president of Rolls-Royce-Nuclear.
"PKMJ supports every nuclear utility in the U.S. and Canada with an impressive portfolio of services and solutions and employs some of the most highly skilled people in the industry. We look forward to welcoming them into our business."
Rolls-Royce-Nuclear develops techniques and solutions to manage, enhance and extend the lifetime of nuclear power plants and acquisition of PKMJ Technical Services will accelerate its growth in nuclear services sector.
PKMJ President Paul Tobin said, "(The) acquisition ... provides us with an excellent platform from which to grow the comprehensive plant optimization service that we already provide."


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Good news for gamers and other creative professionals who rely on their displays to show top-notch detail (and are unfazed by high price tags). Dell is adding several new UltraSharp monitors to its lineup, including its flagship U3014 30-inch monitor with 2560 x 1600 resolution.
Creative types who need precise color rendering and calibration for their displays should keep their eye out for Dell's UltraSharp displays with PremierColor, which are available in 30-inch (U3014), 24-inch (U2413) and 27-inch (U2713H) configurations. Since the U3014 (pictured above) is the largest of the three, with an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution, the 30-inch model is ideal for CAD/CAM, gaming, and content creation. But it won't come cheap: the U3013 will retail for $1,499 when it becomes available worldwide soon, according to Dell.
The 24-inch U2413 and 27-inch U2713H are comparatively more affordable at $599 and $999, respectively, and both are capable of displaying 1.07 billion colors, thanks to their 12-bit internal processor. Both the 24-inch and 27-inch models are available worldwide now.
For people who want to see and do more at their computers – whether it's devoting one screen to their social media feed and the other to their work, or splitting a photo across two monitors for greater detail – a dual-monitor setup typically requires a computer (and graphics card) that can support two DVI outlets. With Dell's ultra-wide U2913WM monitor, the 29-inch HD display with a 21:9 aspect ratio gives you the benefit of extra screen real estate without the annoyance of a bezel interrupting the image. Although Dell's press release did not specify this model's exact price or availability, it seems B&H is already retailing this monitor for $587.99.


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'Black Beauty' Meteorite Points to Mars' Kinder, Gentler Past
Jan 5, 2013 5:00 AM PT
After a year of study, researchers have concluded that a Martian meteorite found in the Sahara desert in 2011 is a new class of meteorite -- one that adds credence to the idea that life may have existed on the Red Planet.
The meteorite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, nicknamed "Black Beauty," is black and about the size of a baseball.
The researchers, led by Carl Agee, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of New Mexico, have determined that the meteorite was formed 2.1 billion years ago.
"Most scientists think Mars was warm, wet and had harbored life, and some time later lost much of its atmosphere and water and became a harsh environment," Agee told TechNewsWorld. "This is from the time when things were changing on Mars, and that's why it's exciting. Maybe the change had taken place, or maybe there was still water around."
About NWA 7034
The meteorite, which weighs about 11 ounces, contains about 10 times more water than any other Martian meteorite.
It closely matches surface rocks and outcrops that were examined by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers sent to Mars by NASA.
"Having a lab sample that's similar to the rocks being looked at by the rovers is great," Agee said. "It also demonstrates how important it is that we go to Mars and bring back rocks to the lab."
NWA 7034 is made from brecciated volcanic rock. Breccia is the name applied to rocks constituting broken fragments of minerals or rock held together by a fine-grained matrix that can either be similar to or different from the makeup of the fragments.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico performed microbeam and X-ray analyses of minerals in the meteorite. They also performed water analysis, stable isotope analysis and age-dating tests.
Team members at the University of California, San Diego tested for oxygen isotopes of water and carbon dioxide. Others, at the Carnegie Institution, studied the carbon in the meteorite and discovered it contained organic macromolecular carbon similar to that seen in other Martian meteorites.
NWA 7034's chemistry is consistent with surface rocks that have interacted with the Martian atmosphere. It contains 6,000 parts per million of water.
Signs of Life
The possibility of life has been posited since at least the publication of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs on Mars, and the analysis of NWA 7034 gives further credence to this line of thinking.
"If you do find such materials, it would make it more likely that life on Mars may have existed," Rogier Windhorst, Regents professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, told TechNewsWorld. "It's not a proof, but it's one of the necessary conditions. More data is needed."
It's still not clear whether or not Mars was warm and wet at the time the rocks like NWA 7034 were formed, but "there was enough water around to have a significant amount of reaction with the volcanic rock when it was cooling, and that meant water was plentiful," research team leader Agee said. However, it's not known whether that water was on the surface, in the form of lakes or rivers, or was underground.
Still, "this at least opens minds to the possibility that things on Mars were perhaps a lot more favorable [to life] even two billion years ago," Agee continued.
NWA 7034 was formed during Mars' Amazonian epoch. This is the latest of the three epochs that constitute the geologic history of Mars. The oldest is the Noachian epoch, followed by the Hesperian.
The Amazonian epoch has seen the formation of the Olympus Mons volcano which, at nearly 14 miles high, is the tallest mountain on any planet in the Solar system, standing about three times Mount Everest's height above sea level. [*Correction - Jan. 6, 2013]
Mars' broad plains and sand dunes near its poles were also formed during this period.
*ECT News Network editor's note - Jan. 6, 2013: Our original published version of this article incorrectly stated that Olympus Mons stands almost 10 times Mount Everest's height above sea level.


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Audience: The gift of fortitude
"Let us thank the Lord for these Christians who are the hidden saints among us", said Pope Francis Wednesday "ordinary, everyday people who carry on their lives and faith, who fight for their families and educate their children", despite the difficulties that life can sometimes present them with. These are people who open their hearts to the Holy Spirit who fills them with the gift of fortitude, the strength to carry on. Emer McCarthy reports: RealAudioMP3
Continuing his series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Wednesday, Pope Francis spoke of the gift of fortitude in times of trail. Tens of thousands of pilgrims and visitors had queued since dawn outside St. Peter's Square to attend the audience. Despite a strong and chill wind, the Pope spent over half an hour touring among them in his open topped jeep, blessing children greeting the elderly, embracing the sick.
A Gospel passage was proclaimed in the main languages, before the Holy Father began his catechesis in Italian.
Below please find a Vatican Radio transcript and translation of the Holy Father's catechesis
Dear brothers and sisters !
In recent catechesis, we examined the first three gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding and counsel. Today we think about what the Lord does, He always comes to support us in our weakness with a special gift, the gift of fortitude .
1. There is a parable told by Jesus, which helps us to grasp the importance of this gift. A sower goes out to sow; not all the seed he sows, however, bears fruit. What ends up on the street is eaten by birds; what falls on stony ground or among thorns sprouting, but is soon dried by the sun or choked by the thorns. Only what ends up on the good soil can grow and bear fruit (cf. Mk 4.3 to 9 / / Mt 13:3-9 / / Luke 8.4 to 8 ) . As Jesus himself said to his disciples, the Father is the sower, who sows the seed of His Word abundantly. The seed, however, often clashes with the aridness of our hearts and, even when welcomed, is likely to remain sterile. Instead with the gift of fortitude the Holy Spirit frees the soil of our heart from torpor, uncertainties and all the fears that can stop it, so that the Word of God can be put into practice, in an authentic and joyful way. This is a real help, this gift of fortitude it gives us strength and frees us from many obstacles.
2 . There are difficult moments and extreme situations in which the gift of fortitude is manifested in an extraordinary, exemplary way. This is the case of those who are facing particularly harsh and painful experiences, that disrupt their lives and those of their loved ones. The Church shines with the testimony of so many brothers and sisters who have not hesitated to give their lives, in order to remain faithful to the Lord and His Gospel . Even today there are numerous Christians in many parts of the world who continue to celebrate and witness to their faith with deep conviction and serenity, and resist even when they know that this can result in them paying a very high price. All of us know people, people who have experienced difficult situations, so much pain, let us think of those men and women who have a difficult life, who fight for the survival of their family, educate their children. They do this because the Spirit of fortitude helps them. How many, many men and women – whose names we do not know – honor our people, honor our Church because they are strong in carrying forward their lives, their work, their family, their faith – these our brothers and sisters are saints! Every day saints! Hidden saints among us! They have the gift of fortitude in carrying on in their duty as people, mother, father, brother, sister citizen. We have so many so many. Let us thank the Lord for these Christians who are the hidden saints among us. But is the Spirti within who carry them forward and it would do us good to think of these people. If they do this, if they can do this then why not me and we ask the Lord to give us the gift of fortitude.
3 . With this, we must not think that the gift of fortitude is only necessary on some occasions or in certain situations. This gift must be the base note of our being Christians, in our ordinary everyday lives. As I said we must have fortitude in our everyday life as Christians we need this fortitude to carry on in our lives, our families our faith. Paul, the Apostle Paul, said something that it would do us all good to hear: "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me" (Phil. 4:13).
In our everyday life, in difficult times it would do us good to say this "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me". The Lord always gives us strength, Lord never gives us more than we can handle, "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me".
Dear friends, sometimes we may be tempted to allow ourselves be overtaken by laziness or despondency, especially when faced with the hardships and trials of life. In these cases, do not lose heart, but invoke the Holy Spirit, so that with the gift of fortitude He can lift our hearts and communicate new vigor and enthusiasm to our lives and our following Jesus.
Below please find the English language summary of the Holy Father's catechesis :
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In our continuing catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we now turn to the gift of fortitude. We have seen that the first three gifts of the Spirit – wisdom, understanding and counsel – enable us to contemplate God's loving plan and to know his will. Through the gift of fortitude, we receive the strength to do God's will in spite of our own natural weakness and limitations. In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus teaches us that the seed of God's word sown in our hearts can encounter not only interior resistence, but also be choked by life's sufferings and trials. Through the gift of fortitude, the Holy Spirit enables us to remain faithful amid every difficulty and – as the experience of so many Christians around the world shows – even amid persecution and martyrdom. For most of us, the gift of fortitude is exercised in our patient pursuit of holiness in the circumstances of our daily lives. Whenever we feel weary or discouraged along the journey of faith, let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant us the gift of fortitude, to refresh us and to guide our steps with renewed enthusiasm.


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Pages: 1
i compile xfce-4.4rc1 from source and it is very good
but i have to problem:
1-home icon in the desktop same like desktop icon how can i change this.
2-xarchiver extract any arciver with error.
i install tango icon themes and it is great and solve home icon problem
but xarchiver still have same problem what i can do.
1. Make sure you have the hicolor (dummy) icon theme, since this will solve a
lot of icon problems.
2. Make sure you're running the latest version, and if so: post the error and/or create
hi Nick,
i have hicolor-icon-theme-0.9
and all icons good but only home icon in desktop looks like desktop icon
that because it is want (/usr/share/icons/Rodent/scalable/filesystems/user-home.svg)
not (.../gnome-fs-home.svg)
or (/usr/share/icons/Rodent/scalable/places/user-home.svg) path which tango icon themes is used
so you can make link (from gnome-fs-home.svg to user-home) or install tango
it is a bug in xfce-icon-themes may be.
and xarchiver extract any arciver with error but when i chose (extract------>extract files with full path) it
extract right
it is xarchiver-0.4.0 bug .
Pages: 1


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Regardless of the type of house you are going to rent, location is important. That can be quite a lot to choose from. If you're on a tight budget and are looking for cheap houses for rent, make your life easier and set up a maximum price filter in the top menu. You may be renting on a budget and 1 bedroom duplexes will do just fine or you may be able to spend a bit more and are looking at 4 bedroom single family homes for rent. Either way, choose wisely. Don't fall for the impeccable lawn or a pool. Although these things are nice to have they aren't worth a penny if you're not able to enjoy them because of loud neighbors or a lack of time. Speaking of lack of time…
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But if you have children there's so much more to consider. A resource we all seem to lack: time. Avoiding a nightmare commute may be more important than deciding between a 2 bedroom or a 3 bedroom house. Although you could spend several hours in the car with your children and count it as family time, it'd be much nicer to spend this time around the dinner table. When you're browsing through our rental homes, keep in mind the dreaded morning kindergarten-school-office Bermuda Triangle that is swallowing precious time out of your life. Draw a radius or a polygon around the school or the kindergarten you've chosen in Weehawken, NJ and explore all the homes for rent located close by. Finding a house close to your kids' school will drastically cut down your commute time. It will also help you see other things in your life more clearly, generally speaking. After all, choosing from 2 houses can be complicated and you've managed just fine.