text:
Norwalk, CO (PRWEB) March 22, 2006
Vertrue Incorporated (Nasdaq: VTRU), a leading Internet marketing services company, today unveils its new international headquarters, a former tire factory transformed into an $8 million, high-tech open office environment. Vertrue moved its corporate offices this week from Stamford to Norwalk.
"Our new open office environment reflects our corporate culture and values, which includes collaborative and innovative thinking, open communication and adaptability. I believe this environment will lead to even greater creativity, faster production, and ultimately, greater returns for Vertrue," said Gary A. Johnson, co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertrue.
"We're excited to unveil this innovative workplace in Norwalk's expanding business community. We worked hard to determine the best location for our new offices and decided Norwalk was the ideal business location. It's a shorter commute for the majority of our employees," Johnson added.
Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia, who will participate in today's unveiling ceremony at Vertrue, said he is "delighted" to welcome Vertrue to Norwalk.
"Vertrue's decision to relocate their international headquarters to Norwalk is tremendous news for the city, the region and Connecticut," said Mayor Moccia. "It further emphasizes my belief that this is Norwalk's time as the presence of such an impressive corporation will clearly add to the city's rising business reputation. Vertrue will retain approximately 300 jobs in lower Fairfield County as a result of this move."
About Vertrue
Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Vertrue Incorporated is a leading Internet marketing services company. Vertrue gives consumers access to services that offer substantial discounts and convenience for important decisions in their everyday lives. Vertrue's valued services span healthcare, personal property, security/insurance, discounts and personals and are all offered online through an array of marketing channels. Vertrue is a premier marketing partner to corporate clients, and its services enable partners to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value.
For more information, visit http://www.vertrue.com.
# # #


text:
truly (post?)modern?
First, I'll quote a piece by Lance Morrow from the January 2008 version (from the future!) of Smithsonian magazine in which he quotes Norman Mailer as having quoted Virginia Woolf in Mailer's book about Marilyn Monroe:
A biography is considered complete if it merely accounts for six or seven selves, whereas a person may well have as many as one thousand.
Second, I'll start typing:
The first thing that came to mind when i read this was the nature of my thousand selves. I know now that they're there, not separate in any way. And accepting that even inside of myself I have multiple viewpoints and opinions about even the smallest thing was a huge step in learning to love life even when things didn't go according to the plans of one of my past selves. The trick is to get out of that headspace and get into a different one. Tougher, of course, the more initially unpleasant an experience is... but who knows, perhaps you could do it, mentally at least, with any given experience, no matter how terrible, if only you focus well enough.
Then gain... that sounds like a buncha mumbo-jumbo.
The second thing that ripped through my skull was the serious translation Wool's quote has gone through to land here. I wondered...
1. Had Mailer actually read the document that he quoted and understood the context? Had he violated Woolf's original intent somehow?
2. Had Morrow fully understood the context of the quote in Mailer's use? Had Morrow Fully understood the quote in Mailer's context? Did a full understanding of Mailer's usage of the quote rely on a full understanding of the work from which it was originally quoted? Had Morrow's use agreed with or contradicted those sources?
3. Did I understand Woolf's/Mailer's/Morrow's usages? How the related to each other? Their contexts? Intended meanings? Reasons for quoting? What they were each trying
to convey to me by quoting the other person (quoting the other person)?
Shit No! And now my fucking head hurts.
In part because I just thought about the notion of someone leaving a comment on this entry, quoting me quoting Morrow quoting Mailer quoting Woolf and then me responding to that comment quoting person x quoting me quoting Morrow quoting Mailer quoting Woolf.
And then I imagined the conversation dying for a while. Then the passage of time and
the blog falling into non-update land (as most websites eventually do) and then
even further into the future, someone randomly coming across it years down the
road with some google search like 'Mailer Woolf "multiple selves" deconstruction' and
quoting my last comment to her friends in an email....
And so it continues. Further removal of context.
Does it retain the same meaning? Does it lose meaning? Does it gain meanings like a snowball rolling downhill gains snow? Actually, the quote is probably exactly like that. As it gains more and more meanings layered on top of one another, the ability to fully comprehend it diminishes until you can no longer tell how big it is. And
then, if it continues for long enough, a person observing it wouldn't even be able to tell it was round...
Perhaps that metaphor went too far. But since I'm not handing in a lit paper to some snotty grad student without a sense of humor, I don't have to worry about it. I can just think on it and jot this down for later mockery. Or future quotery.
Or for nothing at all.
this is where i enter text
multiple selves and deconstruction
truly (post?)modern?
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 11:37 AM 3 comments
Labels: quotes
i often wonder...
what things people say behind my back.
and how i get described to people who don't already know me.
both assume that i'm actually a topic of conversation in the first place.
and do they think they can't tell me about those things?
and more importantly, are they right in thinking that they can('t)??
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 2:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
i dropped my thought and made a broken haiku
your today is close
-er to my four years ago
than is my today.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 11:56 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
wouldn't ever have guessed...
that improper fractions appear in real life
not that i mind them, of course, but take a gander at this dirty sonuvabitch:
i've got 11/3rds servings in this thing? so that's... 40g x 11/3 = 146.67 g. that ain't right. this thing is only 30g! i've actually got 3/4 of a serving, not 11/3rds of a serving. (3.67, for those scoring at home).
improper and wrong! cool.
the funny thing, for those of you who like your chocolate dark, is that this is waaaaaaay more than 3/4 of a serving. this is the sort of chocolate you take a tiny tiny bit of and savor for a while. more than that and it is quite overpowering.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 4:29 PM 0 comments
Labels: reality?
new yorkers walk
like others drive
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 3:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
home home (2.0)
Yes, I'll be home soon.
The day says quietly
it is almost done.
On my way,
my freedom granted again.
Mind free.
Heart free.
Soul free.
"Stone Free,
to do what i please"
that is,
until I watch my freedom fly away free from me.
Like every every every morning.
And yet…
It is me who weighs the freedom down?
Me who shackles it against its will?
Prevent my freedom from being free of me
Call it back again every evening
Miss it as it tarries too far from me
Ask of it the only thing worth asking.
"Will you give yours to me
iff I give mine to you?"
And in the answer given everyday
freedom makes its pact with me.
We do our dance to pretend
that we each are happy where we are,
with what we have,
with who we are.
And then rush to the other greener pasture.
And back.
And forth.
Free to not
to Free
to not
to Free to
not too Free.
Constrained to:
be or
not be.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 9:00 PM 3 comments
Labels: ruminations
life is a constant battle
with your own worst enemy.
Worst thing about it? When battling yourself, part of you always loses.
But the upside is that part of you always wins, too!
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 4:05 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
i LOVE it when it snows.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 4:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
i have two non-thoughts in my head:
i am nothing.
i am not anything.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 8:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
sign of something more
just like tom thumb's blues. simple. genius. nothing. a mirror (to the reader). kill the rhyme. now in time.
Bob Dylan is a genius. sometimes I forget that, and sometimes I wonder how much of a genius the guy could be, he's just a damned musician. And not a particularly classically pleasin' fellah by any stretch. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And then I hear things like my millionth time listening to "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and I don't wonder about 'lil Bobby Z for another moment.
If you skim through the lyrics and catch bits and pieces, as most people do, you hear a bunch of fantastic couplets and turns of phrases. "When you're lost in the rain in Juarez / And it's Eastertime too" "The cops don't need you / and man they expect the same" "I started out on burgandy / But soon hit the harder stuff" that's all pretty cool. They always said Dylan had a way with words. And damned if he doesn't.
Then, you listen a little closer. Maybe to a verse. Maybe on the rain in Juarez. Maybe Saint Annie. Maybe you latch onto Sweet Melinda. Housing Project Hill? The Authorities? Drinking? Is that what you then thought the song was about? A whole song about one of those characters?
They said that Dylan was smart!! Shit! I bet the whole song fits together into one long tale. One guy traveling through an experience of some kind. An epic tale! I should learn about it. Maybe it'll be like the Ballad of Billy the Kid. Everybody knows that's a dope song about a L.I.E. boy. (That is about what Dave still looks like. Only he looks more like a rockstar now, as my favorite ex-girlfriend will have you know!)
Then you hunker down and listen. Okay. It's a story about me. Me? Why would I be lost in the rain? Let's find out. Hmmm... doesn't say. Must be bad if I'm there on Easter with these hungry women. Shit. Dylan knew one of 'em and now he can't even get a shot. What kind of shot? A bourbon? A shot in the arm? A shot at Annie? Even his best friend doctor doesn't know! Wait, who's Melinda? Someone he knew after Annie apparently. That explains why I was nice. How was I kind? well, I didn't go to her too soon. How soon is too soon? I don't know, but she's got my fucking voice, dude. Which leaves me upset all night. Maybe leading me to housing project hill? Fortune or fame. Neither is what it claims. But what does each claim? Well, whatever it claims, that's exactly what it ain't, right? Yup. Well, I better get out of here before it gets silly. What does he mean by silly? I don't know, but the cops don't need us, so we better not need them for shit, alright? Yeah, even the authorities don't do nothing but boast about turning on their own, man. Who are we supposed to trust? Well, learn your lessons from Angel because he left here looking like a ghost. What does a ghost look like? Well, I don't know but seeing one will drive a man to drink. Starting of with something easy (as seen in context even if you don't know what burgandy is) but then moving on. And didn't' you know, when people say they're going to be there, they aren't always. And when I figured that out and laughed the joke was on me because I was the only one there, so nobody heard it. Damn. that's gotta be ironical or something. And who goes back to NYC when they've had enough that's backwards!
And then you read back what you just wrote down on the first run through and relize that you missed everything. Somehow. Even though you followed the narrative pretty well, you have no idea what's going on here. Is there one character? Multiple? What happens to the guy in Juarez? What about the ladies in the Second Act? What about that brush with the lowlifes on Project Hill? Or the clash with the authorities? Or when we faded away into the bottle, alone into terrible laughter?
Damn. Nothing.
What about visual cues? Are there colors? Nope. Only burgandy. And that was a beverage. Places? Juarez and New York City. I don't even know where Juarez is. I know New York, but no two people know the same New York. So, even all of those images we pictured the whole way through were not shared? Nope. They were all your images. No descriptions of the people? Nope. Let's run through this again. So we've got...
...an unknown person in an unknown place in unknown weather at an unknown time of day during easter when gravity fails and the unknown person of unknown gender is stuck out with some hungry women on a made up french-death sounding avenue. in that area i might see saint annie, but i don't know what she looks like or anything else about her aside from she left my narrator without strength to take an unknown shot of unknown anything, and worst of all, his best friend the doctor won't say what the narrator's got. not what his sickness is, not what the shot is, not what is going on, not anything. now sweet melinda enters the picture and she, though gloomy, invites me up to her room where i'm kind (of course) though i don't know what that means and i don't go too soon even though i can't speak, only howl. in project housing hill, you can have one of two things that every has their own ideas about, the catch is that while you can have either, neither is what they claim. although we don't know what they claim. and if you think this is nonsense, you better go back the way you came because the cops don't need you and you don't want to need them. nice threat. the authorities are bad too, though we don't know which authorities. just the ones who blackmailed someone to pick up an ungendered someone who was no longer the same person were when they eventually left after an unknown period of time. in fact, they looked like a ghost. but we don't know what a ghost looks like. well, that made me drink unnamed hard stuff which lead to an unknown number of people who said that they would stand behind me leave when the game got rough. which was funny because there was no one there to call my bluff, which meant i had been lying to all however many of them there were in the first place which means that when they left, they did just what they should have because i was lying to them just like they were lying to me. nor not (sic).
So... there are no details in this song. None. Every image is placed there by the mind of the consumer/listener/reader/whatever. Wow.
Then you notice that the emphasis placed on the rhyme is just there for amusement. There should be something linking those rhymed words. Some meaning. Something should be revealed there. a Relationship between the words. Something. here, there is nothing. The rhymes are pedestrian, if not the most obvious thing that would come to mind. But there is nothing to tease out. Nothing to infer.
Well damn, what can you get from this madness? Can you pick out feelings? Maybe. not the linear ones we so often hear about. Not Joy. Not desperation. Not exactly sadness. But there is a feeling of that. There is also inevitability. Passing of time. Change. Not from one particular state to another particular state, but from one ill-defined state to another ill-defined state. Not from happy to sad to happy. From imperfect to imperfect to imperfect.
Such is life. Constantly changing imperfection. Are you ever just happy? Maybe. But you can never know that you're just happy because the minute you think about being just happy, you're no longer just happy, you're thinking about being just happy. That's why the second time is never as good as the first. In anything. Until you realize that it isn't about being as good as the first. It is about being different than the first. The joy is in the change. The joy is in experiencing the contrast. It will never again be like it is now. It will only be different.
That encapsulates everything, right? Good. Now we can talk about how Dylan destroyed and mocked convention so long and so well that he became conventional. Love that guy!
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 7:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: music, ruminations
memories linger
even when you ask them nicely not to.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 2:39 AM 0 comments
Labels: quips
i didn't know the journey would be so hard
and i'm not sure i brought the right shoes.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 2:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: quips
two lessons
Gleaned from The Hold Steady experience on Thanksgiving Eve:
1. "When someone asks you if you are intoxicated, you say 'NO!'"
2. If you don't know the answer to a question, the answer is "Gonna walk around and drink some more."
Great band to see live. Goofball-literate music for the masses. Fun choruses. Above average musicianship. The band is completely into their performance. Lead singer does a dead-on Springsteen impression with enthusiasm. They're imperfect, but therein lies the glory. The do go big, until they go home.
In other musical thoughts, the new Jay-Z is solid. Unexpectedly so.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 5:17 AM 0 comments
Labels: ruminations
into the wild
The thing that struck me about Into the Wild wasn't the desperation at the end.
Nor the beauty during the rest of the movie. Although there was some serious scenery and some truly touching moments, it was something else that struck me. It was the way that the perception others (in the movie as well as in the audience) had of the main character changed depending on his surroundings. When he was in the wild, he seemed at home in terms of style. Wild hair, ever-present stubble/beard, disheveled, dirty. This is what it is like to be in the wild.
At some point, he went to a major city and I was completely taken aback at how destitute he looked. Instead of having that feeling of freedom and the scent of trial and tribulation, he had the look of someone who had been beaten down. It was not just due to his interactions, it was due to the juxtaposition (Thanks Mrs. Lipsky!) of the straight lines of the man-made world with the crooked, crazy lines of the larger world.
Nothing in the wild was straight as a board. Not even the horizon. Even it had the grace to curve. This included Alexander/Chris's appearance. There were no clean lines on his face. Everything was obscured, save for the cheek bones. And the eyes. They were always clear and clean. Piercing.
But that change from fitting in with the surrounding area in a life of slight chaos to completely sticking out past the borders provided by the tall buildings and straight roads was simply jarring. No longer at home or free, he predictably pushed away from that life once again. He didn't fit there. It didn't fit him.
He was not coloring between the lines. He was painting a broad expanse of canvas. Seemingly limitless, and the choice of which part to paint and which part to ignore was his and his alone. The trick of the movie is that you can feel that sense without feeling like you must travel to Alaska and the wild with only what you take with you. You can paint the infinite canvas of your life however you please. With whatever colors you like, without respect to the lines that other put down for you.
The trouble, as always, is determining what you want to paint and convincing yourself that you can accomplish the task.
(I'm going to read the book soon. I'm excited about it.)
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 8:07 AM 0 comments
Labels: ruminations
you don't love me
By the Allman Brothers Band, from the At Fillmore East album...
...is just as phenomenal as any other master of his/their craft. This song just tears my head and musical appreciation organ (wherever that is) in two. The style and feel with which those fellas play is incredible. It's that feeling of soul mixed with a down home countrified "we've been doing this for our whole lives" confidence.
The solos bend the mind. The smooth guitar continues. The dual lines duel and interact seamlessly. Effortlessly. But imperfectly. Just so that you know this comes easily to them. The original lineup of the Allmans is in the top five of concerts I wish I had seen. Somewhere else in the list:
Miles Davis doing anything Gil Evans related (this linked-to box set might still be my favorite gift of all time. thanks dad!)
Hendrix (duh)
Neil Young in the Live Rust days (perfect would be *that* concert)
The Doors (Jim Morrison was nuts. Love that guy.)
Those are in no particular order and with no particular thought given them, just a quick survey of the brain cells that saw fit to response at something:something on a Wednesday morn. I reserve the right to change my list and to pretend that I never, in fact, made this one.
Obviously this list is skewed toward dead people. I've seen too many concerts to have many artists I love (and have been alive during my lifetime) that I haven't seen.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 7:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: ruminations
trailer game
When you're bored and waiting for the movie to start, they run trailers.
A great game to play at this point, for my money, is the trailer game. That is, you watch the trailers, but instead of thinking of them as 5 or 10 different shorts, think of them as one big movie. Make connections between analogous characters. The girl you just saw talking calmly to her father in some sort of family drama is now the girl being scared witless by some type of monster. The monster that scared her is now a top CIA investigative agent.
Yeah, I know I'm strange, but you gotta get through the day somehow, right?
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 7:45 AM 2 comments
Labels: ruminations
if'n you got sumfin that needs writin' i might could do that.
Or I could pretend to be professional. I have rather acquired a taste for it.
That's part of the beauty of writing. You can write like whomever you please. Admittedly, If you're as idiosyncratic as I am when typing, it can be difficult, but whether the underlying style stays the same or changes, the words through which the reader sifts for meaning can be of any number of dialects/languages and still appropriately convey meaning.
It's so crazy to think about. The power of language. Especially the written/typed word. The complexities in language. The subordinate stories that word-choice tells. I really enjoy writing. Creating something not tangible, but... something that conveys ideas, thoughts or feelings. That stuff of life! Even if it is ever-so-subtle. Even if it is merely directional. AKA Commands. Like instead of "Look out!" I could yell "Heads up" or "Fore!" or "something more instructive."
Each conveys the same idea, although depending on the person to whom you are yelling, it may be ineffective.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 7:32 PM 1 comments
Labels: ruminations
what to do...
when a friend who owes you money says he will "pay you in blood?"
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 5:29 PM 4 comments
Labels: quips
Is a complete genius show.
If you don't know that, you simply didn't spend late nights in college watching reruns two-at-a-time. And that sir/ma'am, is your loss. You could buy them on dvd and watch them. I'm told you can find them on the internet somewheres, but I don't know for sure. I've got them on dvd and that's the way I likes it.
From the episode I watched today:
Bill MacNeil (Phil Hartman): Hey I here someones in the market for a few good Ted stories.Genius. In the same episode, Matthew Brock (Andy Dick) sings a random 30-verse song about Ted (mentioned twice), which is really a song about he (Matthew) hobbits, elves, vorpal swords and mythril blades. With Matthew accompanying himself on "weird vocal noises" while the Guy from above looks horrified.
Guy: Yes, that is correct.
BM: Then walk this way. Through the gates of Ted-dom into Bill's secret repository of tasty Tedbits and fond Tedmembrances. Oh and a please forgive Dave. He's wearing a mask of callousness hide his grief. Y'know what they say: Little man big emotion.
G: Never heard that before
BM: Well, I'm part cherokee.
[cut to scene of the two talking]
BM: Hell of a guy. One of the bravest sons-of-bitches I ever knew. Best man in the world to be in a foxhole with. He took bullet for me in the battle for San.... Luis Obispo.
G: anything else you remember about him?
BM: Nope.
G: Did Ted have a favorite song, movie, book anything?
BM: Nope.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 3:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: quotes
300 Beowulfs
Reading a lot recently.
Not much else to do at the moment. Fabric of the Cosmos is still blowing my mind. I love it. When I finish it, there's a chance I might read it again, this time following all footnotes and getting deeper into the suggested readings. I look forward to reading this book every day. It makes my days much better and more contemplative.
Mornings recently have been strange. Sometimes the weather is just so gray that I don't entirely realize what time it is or that another day has passed.
Sleeping on the couch mostly, even when the bed is empty. That's never really a good sign. I mean, I've always enjoyed sleeping on the couch, ever since I was a kid, so it isn't too bad, but still.
When I fall asleep I no longer have my usual boring dreams. Now I have dreams of the impossible. And even during the dreams I know that. That kinda sucks. To have a dream that you know can't happen even in the dream. That's the beautiful, terrifying power of dreams is that you believe in them while they're happening. But right now, my dreams are the type that I would will to happen if possible, but even while I'm dreaming, I know it isn't real and that it can't happen. Kind of odd, really. It's a strange feeling to be experiencing something you know to be unreal and not, actually happening. You're not tied to it, or the possible outcomes. And yet you experience it. Ups and downs all together.
This, actually, feels very similar to large portions of my life.
I've always been an observer first and a participant second (the opposite of my brother, of course). So I watch games before I play them. I want to know what happens and what to expect before I go headlong into it. This is me. It extends to just about everything. Except that once I've learned something, I love it. I dive into it.
That's the feeling I'm always after. The core of it. The thing that extends across interests and disciplines. To be somewhere somewhat familiar and yet in a place where I can explore new territory. Academics, athletics, whatever. Learn it and then work to master it. Work in a system and work to overcome the system somehow. If that makes any sense at all.
This could, in some sense, be considered a "way" in the sense that multiple eastern texts define way. As in something to dedicate yourself to. The intricacies. The details. Studying for excellence. Dedication to excellence. the classic example would be the way of the samurai, but that always feels overly dramatic. I'm no fucking samurai.
Then again, anywhere the concept of a way is mentioned, it is always made clear that there is more than one way. More than one path. Everyone can reach enlightenment. Just be dedicated to excellence. Tiny details. Lose yourself in it.
In other news, "I am Beowulf" = "This is Sparta" ??
Not sure, but those simple declarative sentences are pretty dope. Similar cadence. Forcefully delivered. If Beowulf fires me up as much as 300 did... It'll be an awesome experience, no matter how it lines up with the text I studied so many times over my academic career.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 8:11 AM 0 comments
Labels: ruminations
tao te ching 1
this blows my mind every time I read it
"Wise souls keep their part of the contract
and don't make demands on others
People whose power is real fulfill their obligations;
people whose power is hollow insist on their claims"
That's deep. "Deep like the mind of Minolta."
(Tao Te Ching Wikipedia Link)
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 1:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: quotes
test your friends!
life the universe and everything (multiple choice):
If there is an end of current scientific knowledge, what lies past that point?
a) more scientific knowledge
b) god*
c) i don't know
a = atheist
b = religious/spiritual
c = (duh-- the answer key is in the answer here)
What happens as the boundary of scientific knowledge moves to include more?
a) past that point is still more knowledge
b) past that point is still the realm of god
c) i don't know
*-I use god here as a proxy for all types of spiritual belief. Not to denigrate those without gods, per se. Nor to lump all gods in as equal. But more that the word "god" seems to encapsulate all that is completely past our notion of existence or our scientific understanding of the world. Somewhere. So, don't take offense. Or do. It's your choice really. God is in the details, after all. I just wanted to give you a glimpse into what the author intended. If you're into that. Which I'm not. Usually. But blogs are weird. Very weird.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 12:33 PM 0 comments
Labels: ruminations
i put all of my eggs in one basket.
i then left the basket locked in a room for a month with nothing but a dirty old egg-suckin' dog.
and now i'm surprised that i can't make an omelet.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 11:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: quips
past me
i can't remember who i was
before i met you
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 11:05 AM 0 comments
Labels: quips
to believe that one exists as you do
is to create the possibility of your existence.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 1:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
without infinity...
...existence isn't.
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 1:43 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
belief in a Hero is what makes us human
text entered by dusty.rhodes circa 1:43 PM 0 comments
Labels: quips
other text
- dusty.rhodes
- "He's just this guy, you know?"
previously entered text
- ► 08 (73)
- ▼ 12 (10)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Minimum requirement:
Applicant must be confident, thorough, and have strong
multi-tasking ability and attention to detail. Being a team player balanced
with strong personal initiative is expected. Must be a graduate of social
sciences, business, marketing, communications, journalism, public relations or
relevant degree in non-profit management. Has strong appreciation for
non-profit work, and is competent in MS Office, Outlook Express, and
Internet-based research.
"Thanks a lot for opening my eyes to the reality and necessity to raise funds for the parish systematically. You were right in saying that we NEED to ASK for people to give. I hope that I can consult you later on when I finalize my big dream for the parish." – parish priest


text:
Coach Stephen Hart's nationality was, curiously, listed as Canadian on the team sheets for Trinidad and Tobago's 2018 World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica last Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. Hart has lived in Canada for the past three decades, after he left Trinidad as …Read More »
Maylee explains what Warriors need: fitness, firepower and ruthlessness from the bench
Costa Rica didn't do anything spectacular against Trinidad and Tobago but they were very patient. Costa Rica played close to a walking pace in the first half, and defended with five players at the back. They were playing dead to catch corbeau alive. Trinidad and Tobago did a relatively decent …Read More »
Hart: T&T were decent but…; Los Ticos sting Soca Warriors in Port of Spain
They came, they saw and they conquered. Costa Rica's performance last night against Trinidad and Tobago was not scintillating or jaw-breaking. But the Central Americans were measured and patient in their execution at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, and now they sit atop of CONCACAF'S Hex; albeit after one game. "Los …Read More »
Sub Campbell makes the difference as C/Rica down tentative T&T 2-0 in front of 13,345 fans
The Trinidad and Tobago Senior National Team's CONCACAF Hex campaign started with a home defeat tonight as the Soca Warriors failed to make home advantage count with a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. In the Nacion's match preview, the Central America …Read More »
Soca Warriors: Civil War; Wired868 goes behind the curtain on eve of T&T/Costa Rica WCQ
From 7pm on Friday 11 November, the Costa Rica Senior National Team will grapple with their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts in Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. But who will the Trinidad and Tobago football squad be fighting? The answer would probably …Read More »
Hello and goodbye! Bostock pulls out of T&T squad again and will miss Costa Rica game
He is here. And then he's not. He is in. And then he is back out again. Former England National Under-17 Team captain John Bostock will not make his senior international debut with Trinidad and Tobago on Friday against Costa Rica, despite being granted approval to play by FIFA. Within …Read More »
Guerra gets surprise Warriors call-up; playmaker in T&T squad to face Costa Rica
Twenty-eight-year-old United States-based midfielder Ataulla Guerra will be a surprise inclusion in the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team training squad today, after he received a late-up call from head coach Stephen Hart. Guerra's return to the fold means the Soca Warriors will have 24 players available to face Costa …Read More »
Heeeere's Johnny! FIFA gives Bostock green light to represent T&T against Costa Rica
He is Johnny English no more! FIFA today gave the green light for former England National Under-17 captain John Bostock to represent his father John Bostock Senior's birthplace, Trinidad and Tobago. And Bostock, after a seven month wait, can finally put on the red, white and black strip. The deep-lying …Read More »
Hart: "Costa Rica are the best"; Warriors gamble on Kenwyne for historic WCQ result
The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team, according to head coach Stephen Hart, will be facing the best team in the confederation when the Soca Warriors open their CONCACAF Hexagonal campaign against Costa Rica on 11 November. "Los Ticos" did not lose from open play at the Brazil 2014 World …Read More »
Molino gets additional two-game ban; "Lobo" and Bostock in WCQ squad for Costa Rica
The Soca Warriors will start the CONCACAF Hex without ace midfielder Kevin Molino, who has incurred an additional two-match suspension for a breach of internal discipline. Molino, an Orlando City player, was dropped from the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team for their Caribbean Cup qualifier against Martinique and, although …Read More »
I'm sorry! Molino pledges loyalty to Soca Warriors; TTFA president commends apology
Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team star Kevin Molino has apologised for his "recent decisions" and, indirectly, threw himself at the mercy of head coach Stephen Hart in a dramatic about-turn following his latest indiscretion on international duty, two weeks ago. Last Wednesday, Molino vowed to take a year off …Read More »
Apologise properly! Kenwyne offers advice to Molino and reiterates Hart support
Soca Warriors captain Kenwyne Jones warned today that no player is bigger the game and urged 26-year-old international midfield ace Kevin Molino to "apologise properly" to coach Stephen Hart, the team and Trinidad and Tobago, so all parties can move forward together as they continue their Russia 2018 World Cup …Read More »


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Top Ten Tuesday – Board Games
Last weekend my sister and niece came to visit. I love when they come visit, and I love spoiling my niece. This weekend she got her Valentine's present from me…the board game Apples to Apples. I love, love, love playing board games, so I really like the fact that Rebecca loves playing them too. We played the game for about an hour and a half straight and had so many laughs while we played.
That got me thinking…what are my absolute favorite board games? I never really realized how many there were out there until I started thinking. I even had to pull out the card games I thought of (Skip-Bo, Uno…) – will have to be it's own post, I think!
1. Trivial Pursuit – This board game is one where you can only progress if you are able to answer general knowledge and pop culture questions. There are tons of different versions of this game (I think we own at least 5 versions in my family). Each game requires you to answer questions in different categories in order to win wedges to fill in your pie. Obviously most of the questions are really trivial (which is where they got the name), but fun nevertheless…and you usually learn something new while playing. Our family has added our own set of "family rules" and we've even gotten Rebecca playing by using her Brain Quest cards!
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Just so you all know out there…she is very good at all of them. I never could figure out how they would beat me at memory…but then I figured out their whole brain was working on memory and I was thinking of what to cook for supper, when to get the laundry done, how many papers I had to grade, etc.!
February 19, 2014 at 3:40 pm
I was robbed at Apples to Apples. There is some sort of conspiracy against me.
February 19, 2014 at 7:02 pm


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The people who have the agitation in forex trading are always engulfed by its complication and complexity. However, Greg Secker being a philanthropic Forex trader, he has freely provided published forex trading information based on his long-term experience in forex trading. Let's go straight to the main details.
Greg Secker Puts it clear that you need to keep your emotions out of a trade. You need to be aware that emotion is a great enemy when it comes to trading. It's quite easy to get angered whenever handling a loss or setbacks. The newbies in forex trading have a habit of panicking and end up making unhealthy decisions when it turns out that the trade is not in their favor. Whenever making decisions out of fear, anger, regrets, frustrations or any other form of emotion end up into disgusting results.
Another rule that Greg Secker clear states are that on a need to be realistic. If a newbie has a mind-set of becoming a millionaire on a quite modest trading budget, his disappointment I a guarantee. The fact is that it's possible to make high profits via forex trading but it usually takes a lot of time as well as your effort input. It' also a fact that forex trading might grant some of the highly lucrative options in terms of becoming wealthy. However, it takes quite a long time duration, mental torture, patience and persistence, and dedication.
Greg Secker also states that you should also have definite goals. For anyone to get to a particular destination, it's mandatory that he/she need to have a clearly defined, outlined and well-detailed plan on how to get there. This is the same case when it comes to trading. Each and every trading method has its own trading methodology, a particular degree of risk and it also calls for a particular plan to instill for it to bear fruits. A newbie in forex trading has to make decisions on a specific trading budget, a detailed plan for knowing when to exit, a daily plan of action, as well as mechanisms on how to cut losses when needed and proceed with the following trade. Greg Secker stands to be an entrepreneur as well as a master forex trader who is the founder of the Knowledge to Action Group in the year 2003. He has offices all over the world. This Group is incorporated of various companies that implement the latest updates in terms of trading software and technology.


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I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest and though ooo interesting, strawberry shortcake in cookie form. I knew I would have to try them. The original recipe was made with Greek yogurt but I did not have any Greek yogurt and I did not want to go to the store in the 4 degree weather. I doubled the butter and added an egg to help keep the cookies moist without any Greek yogurt. If you want a healthier version, you can reduce the butter to 6 tablespoons eliminate the egg and add a 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt.
I had a really good feeling about these cookies before I baked them so I decided to double the recipe. Good thing I did!! I brought 6 to my boyfriend's work and everyone took another after their first one and they were gone in two minutes! They asked me to bring more. We also had company over tonight and the cookies were well liked, each person ate about three and even said mmm while they were eating them. 🙂
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cp. cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place strawberries, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar into a small mixing bowl and toss together until well coated. Place in refrigerator and set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the remaining flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until a fine/even, grainy texture forms.
4. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Fold in the strawberry mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spoon on 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the cookies have barely started to brown on top. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
7. While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the sugar, milk and vanilla into a small bowl and gently stir together with a fork until no lumps remain. Drizzle glaze over cookies and serve or allow to set, about 30 minutes, before serving.


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Hot 97 Fights Eviction with Counter Lawsuit
After an eviction suit was filed last week in an attempt to kick Hot 97 out of its studios, the New York radio station's parent company has filed a counter suit, claiming that the eviction breaches their contract. On Friday (May 5), Emmis Radio filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in Manhattan's State Supreme Court against the New York City District Council of Carpenters Fund, the owners of the West Village building. The suit blocks their eviction by citing that six years remain on their lease, while also decrying the Fund for blocking "access to the premises by any and all of tenant's visitors." According to the Associated Press, the landlord's lawyer has said that Emmis' lawsuit is "utterly without merit. The restrictions on visitors that they are complaining about, they agreed to them in writing." The Carpenters Fund has cited several violent incidents, including the April 26 shooting of Brooklyn rapper Gravy outside the station, as grounds for an early eviction.


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The Annual Migration
The annual migration has begun here in the Gerry home. This is a phenomenon that didn't exist for the first 25 years of marriage but now is as sure a sign of Winter as frost on the proverbial pumpkin.
My wife and I slept in a double bed for most our lives together. I know, it seems positively symbiotic, doesn't it ? But it was an antique bed (for which he had to have a custom mattress manufactured) and we were very attached to it. Sleeping in a double bed means you sleep as one. You shift as a unit. There is no room for the splayer. Two people must become a humanoid jigsaw puzzle.
A couple of years ago we made the big move to a king size bed. It was like suddenly sleeping in the middle of a football field. There was room to roll and stretch and strike all four compass points simultaneously. This is was when I began to notice the annual migration.
I always go to bed first, perhaps an hour or more before The Frau. The king bed is so big (with such a firm mattress) that when she does call it a night she could hit her side with a reverse one and half somersault with three and a half twists and I wouldn't feel a thing.
But now that the weather has turned nippy she is migrating to my side. She comes for the warmth. It's too cool way over there on her hinterland. So she seeks the radiance of my being, much like a reptile in the sun, I suppose. Understand, it's not heat she's after. Heat is something altogether different and you get no information about that here.
Once she finds the warmth , she stays. I wake up in the middle of the night and she's still there. This is exactly like sleeping in the double bed again! I've lost all of my turf. I'm not complaining, merely making an observation. I like being cosy as much as the next person..except that, in this case, the next person has staked a claim where once there was a wide open field of dreams.
When I mention this she says, 'Well, just shove me over to my side'. Uh huh. Sure. I'm not about to do that.
No man should reject the presence of a soft, feminine, receptive and adjacent life form in favour of sleep.
That's not a natural trade.
4 Responses to "The Annual Migration"
Dave, I miss seeing you in the morning….I know it's been awhile since you've been on morning T.V., but I think I speak for many. At least we have this blog of yours!


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How girls feel about beauty starts from their mothers.
After the award-winning Real Beauty, Dove returns with another self-esteem spot named Legacy. With Ogilvy Paris, Dove continues to initiate real beauty, this time through their daughters.
In the video, five women were asked to write a list of things they like and don't like about their bodies. And then, their daughters were given the same set of questions, and it's their turn to list it down.
See how the mothers reacted after seeing what their own daughters wrote and be amazed. It was almost identical on what they dislike about their own bodies. And when they said about what they liked about their own, it was heartwarming.
"How I feel about myself, really affects how she feels about herself", said one mother. The end supers leave a strong message – The way a girl feels about her beauty starts with how you feel about yours.
Dove kicks off the 5th Annual Self-Esteem Weekend at the United Nations on 9th October 2014, and leaves a message for all – What's your beauty legacy?
The way we feel about ourselves ultimately affects our children.


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I love my new kitty. The place I adopted her from said she was 6 years old, but the vet said she's at least 11. Well, she's affectionate and beautiful no matter what her age.
But. With the coming of spring I could not keep up with the mats in her hair and the shedding. The vet said we should shave her and start all over. So she went from this:
To this:
I try so hard not to laugh every time she walks into the room, but she looks like a school mascot with just the head on.


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All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts…
– Jaques, As You Like It, Act II Scene VII
We're in a puzzling age of contradictions, and perhaps one of the list-toppers is a presentation called "reality television." Truthfully, how can life go on naturally when a slew of cameramen are present, filming otherwise private moments? Yet more and more people are adapting their environments to emulate this type of lifestyle. Philosophers call it hyperreality and sociologists fear it can alter the young generations into living a plastic pseudo-existence. Live in a safe, clean life safely onstage with the limelight on you. Be seen for how you want to be seen, never mind the grit of actuality. Pretend the conflict is real; fight for applause.
Bible teachers face the challenge to make students see life as real, raw, touchable, joyful and yet sometimes painful. Hyperreality puts the emphasis on the here and now. Why bother with the past? The Bible is a book of eons ago; why should I bother with the bygone era? For that matter, why worry about sin or discipline or being an example? I can make up my own universe on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…
Rayna faced life head on.
She entered my classroom almost shivering with fear.
I first noticed something odd with the way she took notes. To help you understand, let me explain that I require each student to buy a composition book and alphabetize it in order to create their own encyclopedia quick-reference guide. This will help them to be able to answer questions readily to those who ask about the Christian faith. "A" for Angelology, "P" for Prophecies, "J" for Jesus … you get the idea.
Rayna's composition book was fantastic. It was a harmonious blend of color, each paragraph a delightful hue and each page a rainbow feast for the eyes.
But this was due to a form of an autism learning disorder, her mother told me. "You might see her staring into lights for a period of time, that's one sign, " she said. "The colorful notes? That's a sign as well. She'll divide the page into colors, as you saw, because that's really the only way she'll be able to decipher her own notes."
Interestingly enough, neither Mom nor Dad asked for any special favors for Rayna. "She's got to adapt. Don't give her any special favors." They loved her but they knew life after high school could be rough. They wanted to prepare her.
In the middle of the year, it was time for speeches. I assigned a two-minute speech about one of the miracles of Jesus. Most of the students did a fine job of it; a few "uhs" and "errs" and hands-in-pocket mistakes, but problems that could be easily corrected in time.
It was Rayna's turn.
She walked halfway up the aisle, notes in hand, but stopped. I heard a distinct sob. Then I saw her back shaking. She couldn't move.
I went up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on back," I said quietly. "We can talk about this after class."
She had collected herself by the time the bell rang. She stayed back and sat down, looking at the ground.
"Rayna," I said. "I want to help you through this. I want to help you learn how to give Bible devotions, sermons, your testimony…"
Her jaw was set. "I want to do this," she said, with a spark in her voice. "I want to learn this."
I was taken aback. Truthfully, I expected a fight, but there it was: Rayna was taking it head-on. We practiced a bit between classes and once or twice after school. I saw some improvement, but there wasn't enough time for me to get full practices, and all too soon the next speech came up, this one about a Christian service the students had performed. This speech was six minutes.
It was Rayna's turn.
She marched up to the front, placed her notes on the pulpit, and grinned at the audience. "Earlier this year I went on a mission trip to Peru," she said in a clear voice. "It was a wonderful time, and I was able to help missionaries assist in many villages…"
We were all amazed. Rayna gestured, chatted, chuckled and frowned. She was passionate. She was persuasive as well as informative. The conclusion to her speech was in displaying a large cellophane bag. "I brought a treat for every one of you," she said, holding up a brightly-colored jelly candy she had pulled from the bag. "Please don't eat them during class." She handed them out as she concluded on how the Lord changed her life and helped her consider a future on the mission field. At her conclusion the class erupted in applause.
Rayna had done it. She had faced her challenges head-on. Rayna didn't want to live in a vacuum-sealed society. She wanted the cuts and bruises of reality. Proverbs 24:16 – "A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again…" Rayna was living proof of that. Bravo, my girl. You inspired me that day. You still do.
P.S. Rayna gave me two jelly candies. Such are the benefits of a teacher.


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Product 3/7
The SS120C is a 21-bit, Ultra High Resolution Signal Generator that can assist you in validating your chromatography data handling software and A/D hardware. The SS120C stores digital representations of the chromatographic patterns and outputs the patterns as an analog (voltage) signal, just like your chromatography system detector. Because the digital values do not change and the digital to analog converter is highly accurate, the same signal is output every time. The SS120C is factory calibrated using NIST traceable instrumentation, so its accuracy is guaranteed. The SS120C is portable, using battery or line power, for optimum noise immunity. The rechargeable battery is capable of four hours of continuous operation between charges.
The SS120C has four built-in patterns to test the accuracy and reproducibility of your data system. These patterns can be generated in either 1 V full scale or 10 V full scale ranges:
Gaussian full scale peaks: Tests the reproducibility of data system integration.
Gaussian/2: Tests the linearity of data system peak measurement. The first peak in a series is full scale. Each successive peak is one-half the size of the previous peak.
Stair Case, full scale: Tests the accuracy of the data system A/D converter over its full scale range. The output voltage is changed in precise increments over the selected full range scale.
Stair Case, 100mV: Tests the accuracy of the data system A/D converter over the lower part of its range. The output voltage is changed in precise increments over a 100mV range.
Virtual Peak Generator ProgramCreate any chromatogram you wish! Build a trace that relates to your analysis and download it directly to the SS120C! Then, accurately replay any instrument time and time again. You can test your integrator to the fullest by adding noise, bunch peaks and a drift. This program is remarkably easy to use. With just a few clicks, you'll be stretching your data system to the limit.
Chromatogram Testing PackageChromatograms are available to test multi-level calibrations and a wide variety of peak integration parameters. The chromatograms are in standard ANDI *.CDF format (specified by the Analytical Instrument Association & supported by the major data system suppliers). In addition, these chromatogram files can be downloaded to the SS120C Chromatogram Generator for replay to your data system, using the Virtual Peak Generator software.


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By Will Griffee For Mailonline
Published: 10:15 GMT, 1 March 2018 | Updated: 10:19 GMT, 1 March 2018
Romelu Lukaku has joined Jay-Z's management agency Roc Nation Sports.
The Manchester United striker posted three photos on Instagram and was 'welcomed to the family' in New York.iPhone transfer software
Jay-Z's talent stable orginated as Roc Nation, an entertainment company, before branching out to Roc Nation Sports and Lukaku is the first Premier League addition to the talent stable.
(L-R) Leonard Fournette, Shawn 'Pecas' Costner, and Victor Cruz welcomed Romelu Lukaku to the Roc Nation Sports family
The Manchester United forward posed alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars running-back
Roc Nation Sports is the sports management division of Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z.
The Sports branch was launched in 2013 and proclaims it's mission to aid the careers of athletes on and off the field.


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Water damage is a terrible thing to go through; however, it helps to know that Plumbers FL Services will be there quickly and efficiently when needed. Christian and Carlos make a great team. They are friendly, polite, and hard working. They are a credit to the Plumbers FL, and I'm glad they were here to help me. Thank you Christian and Carlos and the Plumbers FL crew. I always call Plumbers FL, and recommend their services to neighbors and friends. Thank you.
We have used Plumbers Florida many times in the past. The technicians are always pleasant, professional and do outstanding work. Our last experience was with William who went above and beyond our expectations. His communication skills and advise were spot on. As well as just a really, really nice man!!!
When I first saw this, I thought it was a joke. When you order a new remanufactured Jasper engine, you get a box of goodies which includes a water pump, oil filter, gaskets, and a bottle of Jasper hot sauce. At first we thought it was a new engine break in oil, but it has a nutrition label on it and someone gave it a try. He said it was not that bad.


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Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, the traditional British red telephone kiosk can still be seen in many places throughout the UK, and in current or former British colonies around the world. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot.
From 1926 onwards, the fascias of the kiosks were emblazoned with a prominent crown, representing the British government. The red phone box is often seen as a British cultural icon throughout the world. In 2006 the K2 telephone box was voted one of Britain's top 10 design icons, which included the Mini, Supermarine Spitfire, London tube map, World Wide Web, Concorde and the AEC Routemaster bus. Although production of the traditional boxes ended with the advent of the KX series in 1985, many still stand in Britain.
The paint colour used most widely today is known as "currant red" and is defined by a British Standard, BS381C-Red539. This slightly brighter red was introduced with the K8 model in 1968, but went on to be used across the estate on previous models too. Hence, for complete historical accuracy, any kiosks in pre-1968 settings should really be painted in the previous, and slightly darker, shade BS381C-Red538.
The first standard public telephone kiosk introduced by the United Kingdom Post Office was produced in concrete in 1920 and was designated K1 (Kiosk No.1). This design was not of the same family as the familiar red telephone boxes. As of 2017, there are six K1 boxes in existence, all of which have been listed at Grade II by Historic England, with two still located on British streets. The first is situated in Trinity Market in Kingston-upon-Hull, and the other in Bembridge High Street, Isle of Wight.
The red telephone box was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a kiosk that would be acceptable to the London Metropolitan Boroughs which had hitherto resisted the Post Office's effort to erect K1 kiosks on their streets.


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Time: 2:00pm Tuesday, 19th May.
Location: SIT 459
Speaker: Tim van Lieshout, TU Eindhoven
Title: New results on feed link placement
Given a polygon representing a part of a network and some point p in its interior, the task is to extend the network by connecting p to the boundary of the polygon such that the detour from p to every point on the boundary of the polygon is minimised.
Our main focus is on minimising the average detour and on placing k>0 feed links. We first show a linear time algorithm that adds one edge from p to P such that the average detour is minimised. As well as a variation of this algorithm that places k feed links optimally to minimise the average detour. Finally we show a fast (1+\eps)-approximation for placing k feed links while minimizing the average detour.


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careless words...
Monday, September 25, 2006
After a couple of early nights, I'm feeling a bit more human today so thought I'd put fingers to keys to post my first 'Pakistan' related blog entry!
What else could I blog about first other than the fall-out from the Pope's lecture delivered at the University of Regensburg on 12th September, the day I arrived in Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad (the full text of the Pope's lecture can be read 'here'). All in all, it made for an 'interesting' and somewhat uneasy final week in Pakistan!
It's easy in the West to uphold the fundamental right to freedom of speech (as I passionately do) but fail to see the consequences of exploiting that right. Just two days after delivering his speech, the Pakistan Parliament had passed a motion condemning the Pope's comments and the Key Christian leaders in Islamabad had convened in an emergency session to discuss their response, fearful of the coming repercussions for their communities. I attended St Thomas' church in Islamabad on Sunday 17th September, five days after the speech, and arrived to find a sizeable armed police presence to protect the worshipping Christians. So, was this all just overkill?
Experience shows that these precautions were necessary. After the publication of the Danish cartoons earlier in the year, several churches and Christian schools in Pakistan were attacked. In the North-West Frontier Province I visited one such school, teaching junior through to high school level, which was attacked by an angry mob of 100+ people wielding chains in reaction to the cartoons, striking terror into the young children at the school. Any perceived attack on Islam from the West is viewed in Pakistan (and other Muslim countries) as a 'Christian' attack (maybe some of the reason for this lies in our own shameful history), and so the indigenous Christian community is considered a fair target for reprisals.
Of course, the irony pointed out by Kester 'here' is not lost on me, but this is little consolation for Christian (and other minority) communities in Muslim countries, who suffer the backlash of Western 'free speech'. Yes, we do need to stand up for fundamental human rights, such as the right to free speech, and we do need to challenge violence wherever it rears its ugly head, but we also need to remember that with rights comes responsibilities. "Everything is permissible for me", wrote the apostle Paul, "but not everything is beneficial." Before we carelessly exercise our right to free speech maybe we should more carefully consider who will pay the price...


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They make these systems for all to use, yet when you come to do a simple thing like upload a very small mpeg, it all falls down.
My little clip was shortened down to 21mb but still won't load up to WP or FLIKR. Mind you the 3g dongle is affected by weather and we have had some, bloody hell we have….
Thursday after the big meeting i landed home at around one fifteen as it was just starting to rain.
I must say it was one of the biggest electrical storms iv'e seen in a long time, better half was expecting a customer so i was the dog walker for the afternoon. By two o'clock luncheon was scranned and the dog was champing at bit to be out. She hates load bangs if she is in the house, so the thunder was putting her nerves on end. By this time the deluge had been hitting us for an hour so on went the waterproofs and my brand new Aigle wellingtons along with my rather good leather western hat. Of we went, within fifty yards of the house the waterproofs failed. By the time we had reached the burn, three quarters of a mile away i was soaked to the skin, the burn had risen five foot above its normal level as i had crossed it earlier and the little tributary that feeds into the burn usualy no more than a couple of inches of trickle had burst its banks because the flow could not go under our access road bridge.
All this water and i still went on, luckily we have a footbridge to use should the fords get to high. Taking the bridge we headed into the woods to a favourite spot where normaly you can look down onto an area of the burn valley where a badger set is. As i sat in this biblical downpour with the lightening crashing all around, the dogs looking for things that live in places that only dogs can find, i watched the burn go from huge to massive in ten minutes. I fear the badgers are no more as there set was swamped.
Things found by two very wet but very happy dougals, we headed back only to find the footbridge starting to submerge, hastily we crossed to be greeted by the burn following the route of the road. Our track to the house had become it's own little river and was washing away. When we got home i found the drains had backed up unable to cope, no damage to the house though. But the thing is today we found out that some of the sheep are missing. The poor things are our tup, one ewe and two lambs caught in flash flooding. The flash flooding caused by the policy of the forestry commision to ditch before replanting the vast swathes of land they have felled here in the past few years. Thats the mentality of one government department, on the other hand you have the environment agency trying to contain the flooding further downstream by spending multi millions of our hard earned. Stupid bast##ds. Any way, i'm back at the cloud factory for the weekend and what a busy one its been so far. As you got no video in the last post, heres a little snapshot of the sanding line….
And the packs of worktops i was taking off while covering on break times
And heres a couple of pics of the surface water reed bed filtration ponds, complete with some resident waterfowl scurrying back to
Well iv'e had a wee rant so it's of to sleep, for i be working in the morning…..
Categories: Northumberland (the peoples republic of)


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If you are interested in applying for this position and you meet the requirements, please send your updated CV to: email@example.com
Due to the number of applications we receive, it's not always possible to contact unsuccessful applicants. Unless you hear from us within 14 days of your application, please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
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Line Up Aviation is a recruitment agency


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It's always a treat when I'm able to get breaking news from Facebook.
Looks like North Korea has gone gangster again as local news organizations are reporting that Kim Jong Il and his cronies have fired rounds of artillery onto the S. Korean Island of Yeonpueong near the highly disputed border.
According to S. Korea's YTN television, at least two people have been injured, with one S. Korean soldier having been killed.
Yonhap News Agency, citing a spokesman for S. Korea's Joint Chief of Staff, says S. Korea has since returned fire with some 80 rounds of artillery and has scrambled fighter jets to the island.
None of this is good, but I guess it's pleasing to read that at least the S. Korean military aren't acting like a bunch of pussies when it comes to retaliation, especially considering N. Korea has developed a new uranium enrichment plant which the U.S. is doing nothing about, aside from what it always does: "talking" about the possibility of more U.N. sanctions.
The big question: Should expats (here on teaching contracts or otherwise) be concerned?
Fuck if I know. Popular K-blogger Robert Koehler over at the Marmot's Hole, usually claims that he couldn't give two shits about the North's actions. Judging from random Facebook and Twitter banter, some seem a bit concerned while others seem content with posting links about it and poking fun at yet another N. Korea provocation. If you really care to read it (an no doubt bore the shit out of yourself in the process) here are some initial reactions from supposed N. Korean experts regarding the attack.
Me? I picked up a jug of beer and a can of sour cream & onion Pringles on my way home from work. I plan on taking in an episode of Deadwood while reports continue to roll in.
Don't worry though. If shit gets serious, I'll be sure to duck under my dinner table while covering my head with both hands.
Kimchi Dreadlocks
Related Articles
- Report: N. Korea Fires Artillery Onto Island (abcnews.go.com)
- North Korea Attacks South Korea: Artillery Shelling Reported On Island (huffingtonpost.com)
- Artillery fire on Korean border (guardian.co.uk)
- Report: N. Korea fires on S. Korea, injuring at least 4 (cnn.com)
- You: North Korea reportedly fires on South Korean island (latimes.com)


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When a public commission gave Gaddi Ben Dan the Madison and Dane County Humanitarian Award earlier this year, it was for a long list of things the busy 71-year-old leader has done in his lifetime.
Dan has long been a social justice and black rights activist who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King in the 1960s. He's a journalist who founded community newspapers like The Madison Times and the Wisconsin Free Press; most recently, he was an editor for the Ambassador Times Journal, a paper run by community leaders from across Madison that shut down in 2017.
He's also a music producer and promoter who has hosted radio shows and organized major concerts in venues like Breese Stevens Field and Warner Park.
Today, he may be best known for his work producing the youth-centric TV show called "Club TNT," which airs every Saturday morning on TVW, a subchannel with Channel 3000. The show mixes skits, interviews, cartoons and public service announcements with a mission of "increasing knowledge of issues that impact the well being of youth and families."
That doesn't even touch on the work done by his nonprofit Today Not Tomorrow, which has spearheaded initiatives from the black history project Stony the Road to community baby showers.
Let's start with "Club TNT." I'm guessing some of our readers haven't seen the show. Could you describe it?
We've been on the air, in September, 15 years. We used to say that we use the medium of entertainment to inform and educate. Back when we started the show, the music that was being played was a little more decent that what's being played now. We'd bring the kids in, have them do vignettes and skits about staying out of drugs, staying out of gangs. That was the main thing, we'd have them do skits and vignettes — stand up against risky behavior.
What is like these days?
It's about saying no to drugs and gangs, respecting your parents, respecting your community.
(We film) all over the place. You might see us out with the cameras. We're at community events, especially. Sometimes we're the only media there at the African-American events. We're very present in the community.
We have a campaign, we call it the Lock it Up campaign. We say, lock up drugs in the home, so that kids don't get drug habits.
We've got a lot of animation...we have Big Stomp and Little Stomp. It's two elephants, a mother elephant and a daughter elephant. What they do is they stomp out risky behaviors. They come out of the jungle, and they stomp out drugs, gangs, prejudice, racism.
We're going to do ride-alongs. It's going to be really exciting. It's to emphasize, how does community policing look. It's going to show the professionalism of cops. It would be interesting if we could see not just the ride along, but their personal life — show that these people are more than just a badge. We're calling it, "The Peacemakers."
We've got the chief's support. Some people talk about him, but he's a good brother, man. With the politics in this city, it's like … well, there's this vignette about Jesus. Since we've got Lake Monona here, I'll set it in Lake Monona. So, Jesus was on one side of the lake, and reporters were on the other side of the lake. Jesus tells the reporters, come on over and interview me, talk to me. The reporters say no, come on over here and talk to us. So Jesus came over and talked to them. You know what the headlines read the next day? "Jesus can't swim."
What are some of the things we in the mainstream media miss, you think?
I wouldn't say that you don't pay attention. I'd say some things are given scant attention.
There was Wanda Smith (and her fight for nonprofit funding in Fitchburg). That should have had more positive coverage. They showed the negative parts about it, but there was a lot of positive parts — the community came together and organized and talked about it in depth.
Talk to me about the role of community newspapers, which you have a lot of experience with. Do you see them as a tonic of sorts to these oversights you see in mainstream media?
Yes. But it takes money, man. That's why the Ambassador Times Journal shut down last year. See, people have to see the vision. We had leaders of the community acting as editors, from all four corners from Madison. But the project needed funding.
I consider myself — and I'm not bragging — a crackerjack marketing man. All the papers we ever started, we didn't have any money. But we'd put together a prototype and I'd go out and sell it. The problem is maintaining it. That became the problem. Someone is intelligent, and they're literate. But you say, why don't you do a column for the paper. They say, "I can't write." I say, yes you can. That's the job — to maintain those people.
Giving them a stipend, that's what we did with the Ambassador Times Journal. Once that stopped, everything fell to the wayside.
We're going to start that paper back up, man. It's a powerful concept, to have leaders of all the communities to be the editors of this periodical.
For more than 30 years, this work you've done with music, community newspapers, and television has largely been with fellow community leader Betty Banks. What has that partnership been like?
She had the revolutionary concept of her mother and her grandmother and her aunt — they were all community-minded people. The advocated for the health, interests needs and rights of people in the community. She was a direct descendant of that.
I wanted to work with her (after meeting in 1984). We started a newspaper, the Wisconsin Free Press, together. Everything, we did together. We brought national concerts here. We brought Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam here. We brought concerts to Warner Park. African-Americans hadn't had anything like that in this city.
She opened a lot of doors — she knew everybody in town.
I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about your history as an activist. How does the activism for black rights that you engaged with in the 1960s compare with the activism you see today?
It's different now, man. Back when I first got started, the issues were housing, jobs education. All of those things were out of whack. You didn't have to really encourage people to march. It was just time. You know how sometimes it's just time?
I would say, people have been quieted. Cap Times people aren't as vocal.
As in the people writing opinion pieces?
Yes. The issues are still the same. It's still about the health, interests, needs and rights of the community. But you just don't have the same kinds of advocates. People don't show.
What about the Black Lives Matter movement?
Brandi Grayson (founder of the black activism group Young Gifted and Black)? Man, Brandi is the spirit, man. Seriously, she's a Sojourner Truth. You've got to print this. She's Harriet Tubman. She's on time. Brandi is a strong advocate for the health, interest, needs and rights of people of color. Not just African-Americans, but for all people of color. She's grassroots. And that's where it starts, at the grassroots level. She's in the trenches. I respect her very very much.


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The WHO wishes countries to start out taxing sugary beverages, and make use of the income to battle medical click here problems sugar may possibly worsen.
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Street View is the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the building. In some locations, Street View may not give a view of the actual building, or may not be available at all. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.
Latitude: 54.9927 / 54°59'33"N
Longitude: -2.1079 / 2°6'28"W
OS Eastings: 393193
OS Northings: 566464
OS Grid: NY931664
Mapcode National: GBR FBQQ.F1
Mapcode Global: WHB25.LRFW
Entry Name: North View
Listing Date: 24 May 1988
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1044813
English Heritage Legacy ID: 239780
Location: Acomb, Northumberland, NE46
County: Northumberland
Civil Parish: Acomb
Built-Up Area: Acomb
Traditional County: Northumberland
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Northumberland
Church of England Parish: St John Lee
Church of England Diocese: Newcastle
(South side)
North View
House, probably early C18. Rubble; Welsh slate roof with brick left end stack.
2 low storeys, 2 bays. Centre boarded door in tooled-and-margined alternating-
block surround; C20 window beneath timber lintel on left; small renewed 6-pane
sash above.
Interior: 4 upper-cruck trusses, sawn off above collars. Unusual carpenter's
marks in arabic numerals.
Listing NGR: NY9319366464
This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.
Other nearby listed buildings