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3 a.m.: According to numerous reports, comic Dave Chappelle arrived at Pioneer Courthouse Square about 1 a.m. to entertain those still on hand.
Thousands of people had packed the square late Tuesday and early Wednesday, hoping to catch site of Chappelle at was thought to be a midnight show.
As late as 12:30, there was still no sign of the comedian and actor, and some who had hoped to see Chappelle had begun leaving the square.
But some observers later reported seeing Chappelle arrive around 12:55 a.m. According to some bloggers and e-mailers who sent messages to The Oregonian, he didn't seem to have a suitable sound system, but was trying to find equipment to put on a show.
And at least one said the show he did present was worth the wait.
1:30 a.m.: Thousands of people packed Pioneer Courthouse square late Tuesday and early Wednesday, hoping to catch site of comedian Dave Chappelle.
But as of 12:30 a.m., (Editor's note: An earlier version of this story erroneously said Chappelle had not appeared by 1:30 a.m.) there didn't seem to have been any sign of the popular actor and comic.
"Seem" is the operative word because the crowd was so dense and loud that Chappelle could have been standing in the center of the square and few would have known it.
The massive turnout was prompted by messages that went out on the Internet, many on Twitter, saying that Chappelle had decided to do an impromptu show at midnight. But the hour came and went without him appearing.
Still, the event clearly illustrated the ability of the Internet to summon thousands of people to one place, even if only on the chance of seeing, or taking part, in some sort of special event.
Even when the event isn't as advertised.
While no official estimate of the crowd was available, it was shoulder to shoulder in most places. Drawing on estimates done by The Oregonian during timber-related protests almost 20 years ago, such a gathering at the square could have reached close to 10,000 people.
At least twice around 12:20, loud shouts and cheers began boiling up from the throng, seeming to signify that Chappelle had made an entrance. But neither time was there any sign of the man who became well known as the star of the "Chapelle Show," a sketch comedy heavy on social and cultural satire.
Chappelle's Web site made no mention of any appearance in Portland, but one man on the edge of crowd claimed to know that Chappelle had requested sound equipment for the show and that he had helped obtain it. But he didn't seem to have any further knowledge - except to say that Chappelle was staying at the nearby Heathman Hotel.
Police presence was heavy. Patrol cars and police motorcycles surrounded the square, often called Portland's living room.
However on this warm evening it looked, sounded -- and smelled --like Portland's favorite bar - a bar in the days before smoking was banned.
One officer who chased some of the crowd off one of the structures at the southwest corner of the square said he didn't know much, either - only that rumors of Chappelle's appearance had led to the call-out. But he, and other police, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, if in a reserved fashion.
While the crowd was boisterous, and prone to climb anything that might lend a better view, there was no sign of any serious problems through 12:30.
By then, some people were beginning to leave the square, talking about the fact that the whole thing was taking on the feel a hoax.
Many others, however, did not seem upset; instead, they seemed to be enjoying the fact that they were part of a huge, impromptu "flash mob" - the sort of event that can happen in the age of instant messaging, Twitter and other social networking sites.
As of 1:30 a.m., the KGW video camera that looks down on the square showed that the crowd had diminished some, and Twitter feeds indicated that Chappelle had still not arrived.
But a short time later, other feeds began to appear, indicating the Chappelle had arrived.
-- John Killen; firstname.lastname@example.com


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Welcome to Twitter, Michael Mauti
The Penn State Twittersphere just got a lot more interesting as Penn State's former leader Michael Mauti (@Michael_Mauti) joined the fun yesterday.
Hello Twitter! Officially on the wagon
— Michael Mauti (@Michael_Mauti) July 8, 2013
Although the account is not yet "verified" as of this morning, Mauti's brother Patrick confirmed that the account was indeed the beloved former linebacker.
The time has finally come, the real @michael_mauti officially has a twitter. Everyone give him a follow #familylove #bro
— Patrick Mauti (@Pmauts84) July 9, 2013
If the account's first day is any indication, Penn Staters could be in for a real treat. Mauti has already tweeted about Wings Over and made fun of Matt McGloin for wearing a bowtie. And, he'll be giving away signed photos for every thousandth follower.
Every thousanth follower from now ill send a personalized signed picture from me! Just ask #5000 @ArnoldiPSU #MAUTIGRAS
— Michael Mauti (@Michael_Mauti) July 9, 2013
Although it would have been great to have this account during the 2012 football season, it's better late than never, and it's our pleasure to welcome Michael Mauti to Twitter!
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subset: commoncrawl


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(OMAHA, Neb., January 25, 2016)— Catholic Charities today announced that Steve Davidson, partner at Baird Holm, LLP., has been elected president of the organization's board of directors for 2016. Davidson has served as a board member since 2012.
"We are extremely grateful for Steve Davidson's dedication to Catholic Charities and those we serve," said John Griffith, Catholic Charities executive director. "Our organization will greatly benefit from his leadership skills, vision and numerous connections in the community."
The organization also appointed the following new members to its board of directors: Deacon Trung Nguyen, retired OPPD nuclear engineer and deacon at St. Leo the Great Parish, and Greg Van Dyke, chief financial officer at Tenaska.
"We are blessed to have such incredible leaders join our Board of Directors," said Griffith "Their support and guidance will continue to move Catholic Charities forward as we seek to continue to identify innovative and effective ways to serve our most vulnerable neighbors."
About Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities ministers to the greatest and most fundamental needs of our community. People affected by domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, unplanned pregnancy and other emergency situations can find sanctuary in times of overwhelming hardship, while opening doors for promising futures. Catholic Charities has a rich tradition of serving and advocating for more than 100,000 voiceless, hungry, addicted, abused and forgotten individuals and families annually throughout the Archdiocese of Omaha. For more information on Catholic Charities, visit www.ccomaha.org.


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Property Description
Coxford Lettings are pleased to be offering this unfurnished one bedroom flat available for rent.
This one bedroom apartment is available now and situated right in the heart of the City Centre, opposite Houndwell Park.
This property benefits from having a lounge, kitchen, and a double bedroom, with bathroom.
The flat is ideal for a couple or a single person and located close to shops, schools and parks in the City Centre and West Quay. Ideal for bus routes to all parts of Southampton, and a short walk from Solent University.
This is a perfect location for anyone working or studying in Southampton.
We would highly recommend an early viewing to appreciate the property that we have available.
No Pets or housing benefit applicants.
Key Features
- Un-Furnished or Part-Furnished
- Well presented throughout
- Located close to good transport links
- Close to local shops, schools and parks
- Located right in the City Centre
- Available Now
Information about fees and deposits relating to this property
|Agency Admin Fee:
|£125 for the first person, £75 for each additional person.
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Please check out our guide for tenants, for additional and helpful information on renting properties. We also have other properties available – please check out our properties page.
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vancouversun.com, January 15, 2010
B.C. court rules Vancouver's Insite safe injection site can stay open
The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed a federal government appeal, which means InSite, the Vancouver supervised safe-injection site that was the first of its kind in Canada, will remain open.
The federal government is expected to appeal Friday's split 2-1 ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson reacted by saying he strongly supports the ruling and the continued operation of InSite to improve the lives of drug addicts.
"With this second consecutive decision in favour of InSite, I hope the federal government will drop its legal efforts so that we can go back to focusing on InSite for what it is -- a harm reduction facility that saves lives and improves health outcomes for those living with addictions," the mayor said in a statement.
Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen also praised the ruling and predicted similar safe-injection sites will appear in other Canadian cities.
"We're going to have half a dozen of these across the country," he told a cheering crowd of Insite supporters gathered outside the Vancouver Law Courts.
"It improves public health and improves public order," said the former mayor, an original supporter of a safe-injection site for drug addicts in order to reduce overdose deaths caused by intravenous drug use and the spread of AIDS and other infectious diseases.
InSite was originally allowed to operate under a temporary exemption to federal drug control laws. When the temporary exemption was due to expire, the facility went to the B.C. Supreme Court and won a permanent exemption.
Dr. Julio Montaner, president of the International AIDS Society, called Friday's court ruling "a tremendous victory for us involved in the Downtown Eastside. It sends a very clear message to [Prime Minister] Stephen Harper and his draconian policies."
Vancouver East MP Libby Davies told the rally that federal government should not waste further time and money on an appeal.
"They need to think about common sense here," she said.
InSite opened in 2003 in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside under a temporary exemption from national drug laws.
The exemption was extended twice and was scheduled to end in 2008, but a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that InSite should remain open because it provided a needed medical service.
The federal health minister and attorney general of Canada appealed that decision.
In Friday's appeal court ruling, two judges of the three-judge panel ruled against the federal government.
The decision was greeted with applause from InSite supporters crowded in the normally staid courtroom, where Chief Justice Lance Finch read a summary of the ruling.
The court also found that "The supervision of drug injection comes within the province's powers over health under Section 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867, and the province has exercised those powers in a number of statutes related to the operation of InSite. As a result, the provincial and federal exercises of power overlap."
Direct link to this page:


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FORDS — Students in Renee Cusick's first and second grade gym classes at Our Lady of Peace School in Fords played a new game called "Gym bean bag shuffle" last week. The game is set up on a hop scotch like board and students slide beanbags trying their best to score the highest points. It incorporates math into physical education class as the students need to add and determine high and low scores. (Photos courtesy of Our Lady of Peace School)
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This is something I was playing with for some time.
Fatum Eurydicae (Eurydica's Destiny)is a name for arty-farty cafe+giftshop, elite yet a bit kitchy. I was trying to achieve some kind of baroque feeling.
I was fooling around with some of my favorite typefaces — Garamond, English and Bull. Your opinion, please.
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Fatum Eurydicae
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This is something I was playing with for some time.
The "v"s used as "u"s confuses me. Am I naive? Is this a practice used in some circles that would make it obvious to your target? I don't read it at all.
Scott, the V would be latin for U. But, I agree, it's OK to cheat here and use a real U for readability's sake.
I like the logo, btw, though "FATVM" seems to be floating a bit too much there.
I like the name and the direction you're going with combining a script and a text face. What sort of identity will this be for? Just a window sign? Or napkins, menus, gift bags, etc?
I think if you're going to use the Latinized spelling of FATVM, then you should use an "obvious" Roman stonecut font, like Requiem or similar. You might want to spell 'Eurydice' in the modern fashion to avoid people seeing Every Dice.
Also, I think the 'ae' ligature looks a bit much like an 'oe'.
The two words seem completely disconnected. I would try nestling "fatum" between the E and d.
I don't mind the placement of Fatum offset to the left; actually, I think it looks pretty good in that general vicinity. The changes you've made certanly improve readability. Is there another lc Y you could use to avoid/minimize that hole between 'r' and 'y'?
I think this marque is great for printed materials, but you might have some translation issues when going to clothing or vinyls for a window. The size difference between Fatum and Eurydice would make the former very small on an embroidered shirt or apron, and the 'grunge' face might not be easy to cut out of vinyl.
Good progress.
I know you liked the grungy sans font, but have you checked out Fell Type? Might also work with the design, it's serif but still "old".
1. I don't think the Garamond is working here. The italics just don't look consistent enough to be used at display sizes.
2. I Think you need to consider the historical implications of your typefaces. The average member of the populace won't know that Garamond is a Renassaince face, but the subconscious association is probably there nonetheless. If you're doing something with historical meaning, why not consider a face from that period?
If you're stuck on the sans/serif combination, you might try a lapidary like Sophia or Lithos with a display Roman like Trajan.
Hylas, I think the execution here could be improved by
some customization.
fatum: the left arm of the u/v has a notch that heightens
the confusion as to what the letter is supposed to be.
E: the script E seems too much like
a stock E out of a generic Copperplate face
… you could redraw this with some
different flourishes to make it yours.
A redraw would also allow you the opportunity
to fit the u with the E. As is, they seem much
too far apart.
ae: the bowl of the e appears too small.
d: the looped ascender looks like it was cut
and pasted on. Could be the .gif. The specific
angle doesn't seem to work, imo.
Some flourishes might give this more of a Baroque flair.
There is always "flourish opportunity"
in ascenders or descenders.
hope I'm not too harsh, but honest feedback
is why you brung it, I think.
I agree with BJ, if you're going for a Baroque feel, you should work in some custom flourishes on the curved ascender of the D and perhaps the descender on the Y. Perhaps even "tail" the E portion of the ae lig.
Actually, you could connect your flourish on the Y to the end of the uppercase E for a nice complete look.
It seems a rather long name for a cafe/bookstor etc. It would be simpler to brand if it was called "FATVM".
But then again, I am always leaning towards less is more (looks at name), and us antipodes usually cannot read past a few syllables.
FATVM sounds so rich and simple. That second one would make me feel like I was reading a Latin Novel… All I want is coffee!
In my opinion Eurydicae is not working. The E is heavy and of a completely different nature than the rest. The d is throwing off the rythm. I think it will want to be right leaning, perhaps with a loop that curls around and crosses itself moving back toward the E.
See if you can find lettering to work from. Or a better drawn font. BJ has rightly pointed out some issues with this one.
Something like this?
Maybe Bickham Script
"It's a place where you dress yourself as if you're going to Ascot race, drink some lousy coffee and buy some over-priced books."
Glad to see you have a high opinion of the place


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My name is Michael Swartz and I have been deeply involved with LSO since 1971 (believe it or not). I played with the LSO in my senior year in high school before I left to attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester New York. I spent several years away but returned in 1980. I have been principal bass in the orchestra since 1983 (if memory serves). For the last 29 years I have been the Captain of the SAIL Music Camp–an educational institution unique to Lincoln Nebraska.
My thrust has always been in education. I began teaching in the Lincoln Public School system as an itinerant music educator in 1983 and retired in 2014. I taught strings students from grade 4- 12. I was a leader for the Lincoln Youth Symphony for 20 of these years and am proud to have received the Yale Distinguished Music Educator award in 2013. I have been very successful as a private instructor of double bass students as well. My students have won the international society of bassists international 14 and under competition (Erik Higgins) The American Strings Teachers Association national competition (Erik Higgins and Amish Mitra) and both of these students have appeared as soloists with the LSO. I currently have a high school senior (Thomas Graul) playing regularly with the orchestra.
If you believe in music education as central to human development as I do–you can help to make a difference in Lincoln. You can donate to the LSO and designate your donation to go into the education program. You can also donate to SAIL Music Camp at http://sailcamplincoln.org/
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Lincoln has one of the most dynamic music education programs in the United States! (I learned this from my visit to Yale and collaboration with teachers from all over the country). Let's work together to keep it growing!


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UPPER PROVIDENCE TWP., Pa. - June 27, 2013 --Two firefighters were injured in a crash on Thursday after their fire truck collided with a tractor trailer.
The crash happened at 8:41 a.m. along Egypt Road at Black Rock Road in Upper Providence Township.
The firefighters were not seriously injured.
Traffic was still getting by the scene as police investigated.
There was no immediate word on what caused the crash.


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TUNICA, Miss. (AP) -- In cotton country a couple miles east of the Mississippi River, just off a road known as the blues highway, fourth graders at Tunica Elementary School are exploring the Delta's homegrown music to learn about rhythm, rhyme and chord progression.Their teacher is also using the new Mississippi Blues Trail Curriculum to help the children absorb information in unexpected ways.Chevonne Dixon is one of the first teachers in the state to incorporate the blues into science, math, social studies and English lessons. So far this school year, the 9- and 10-year-olds in her class have written blues songs about the weather. They've composed short ditties about the travails of being a kid. And they've read classic blues lyrics to learn the challenges of growing cotton."It makes them recall information, especially with that slow, melodic sound," said Dixon, who leads her classroom with a calm demeanor that brings out a quiet, respectful manner in the children.Tunica Elementary sits near a milo field just off of U.S. Highway 61, the blues highway that meanders south out of Memphis, Tenn., and down through the cotton and soybeans
uh huh...and how well do these children read and write??
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The Easy, Super-'90s Way I Keep Grown-Out Bangs out of My Face
Bangs, fringe, breakage — whatever you call it, it'll fit in some butterfly clips.
I'm roughly two weeks into my #90daysofcurls and it's already been a very eye-opening experience. I love my curls, but keeping them nice day after day is trickier than I thought, and I'm trying to avoid daily curling iron touch ups as much as possible.
For this reason, I'm taking tips from everywhere I can get them, and trying new goodies whenever possible. Bed Head just made a really user-friendly curly hair tool that I couldn't wait to try, and I nearly tore up the box like a velociraptor when it came. Victoria highly suggested R+Co Aircraft Pomade Mousse, and Marci was sent Marc Anthony's new Sexy Beach Waves Mousse, which I promptly smuggled out of the XO office.
Y'all know I love experimenting with hair product cocktails and beachy hairstyles, especially when it's too humid to sustain a perfect blowout. Mousses are an old standby when it comes to holding curls. Modern mousses are conditioning and curl-boosting, as they use polyquats, glyercin, and oils to hydrate and add shine and polymers for memory. So trying these two very different and very awesome mousses gave me even more insight on how to keep my curls looking their best.
Marc Anthony Sexy Beach Waves Extra Volume Mousse
Just soooooo intriguing! Super cheap at $7.99, this mousse goes where no mousse has gone before by adding salt into the mix, so you get conditioning, memory, and texture. That's quite the multitasker!
It was pretty good, but frankly not as good as just mixing a mousse with a bit of salt spray. It gave me volume and texture, but things were a bit dry on day two. The good news is when I re-misted my hair on day two, I got the texture back, and the crunch was nothing a dab of cream or drop of oil couldn't remedy. Great for diffusers and ploppers, not as good for knotters and braiders.
Your mileage may vary, but I would wager fine to medium is better off because it could use the extra volume, whereas thicker textures are good without it.
This came with rave reviews, and I had to crack it's code!
When I used it in wet hair before styling, I found it to be too heavy. But on my dry, second-day hair: priceless. I think this is better for dry hair and especially day-two re-do's, which actually helps my needs since I have more trouble with re-styling rather than initial styling.
It smells amazing, has conditioning and holding ingredients, and would be perfect for anyone who wants to add shine, texture, and separation to a look without killing volume in the process. A small squirt gave the more matte extension hair on the bottom a perfect sheen and added some bounce to the curls when they were frizzing out on me.
I would love to test this on a men's pomp look or a pixie cut as I think it would work gorgeously without screwing up hard-won volume.
Bed Head Curlipops Tourmaline Ionic Diffuser Dryer
Snap-on diffusers for traditional dryers are great and all, but I won't lie: holding a standard right-angle blowdryer is sometimes too awkward when diffusing and hurts my hard-workin' wrists. I was really excited to try this dryer because it's affordable ($34.99) and really seems convenient to use without contorting your body in the process.
I actually used this dryer to test both mousses as a bit of a control for the experiment, and both times I liked its performance despite mixed feelings until I got the product quirks right. The dryer is lightweight and allows you to get volume and curl definition without bending over or twisting around. It has multiple setting and a cool shot, under 40 bucks!
I will def be taking this traveling, as I am also one to skip blowouts on vacation so I can bring everything I need in my carry on. Suck it TSA!
As the summer progresses I can't wait to see what new and exciting curly tips, tricks, and products come about, and I want y'all to continue to share your advice. I love trying people's recommendations—it's one of the most fun parts of my job! I've been experimenting with cream cleansers, co-washing, plopping, knotting, twisting, and scrunching, and there's still so much for me to learn about my hair (and every other curly babe, too).
Photos: Darnell Scott


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ftc rules for bloggers
CMP.ly – Shortening the FTC Rules the Easy Way
If you have a blog or website where you publish product reviews, you'll be interested in this. Here at Rev2, we obviously do reviews and so the new FTC rules will apply to us. Those rules, under the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, material connections to the products mentioned have
Read More…


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Santa Ana College Library Technology Program Scholarship
Provided by: Orange County Library Association Scholarship
March 28, 2011
The Santa Ana College Library Technology Program Scholarship is open to continuing students studying library technology at Santa Ana College. You must be an Orange County resident or employed in an Orange County library. You must also have completed at least two core courses in the program with a grade "B" or better and be in good standing with the program to qualify for this award. Selection is based on academic achievement, number of classes completed, essay, professional and/or community activities and contributions to the library profession. This scholarship is awarded on odd years.
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text:
Passion and expertise
- Our passion comes from working with you, whether your expertise is commercial strategy, operations or technical management – whether you're a new business, a growing SMB or an established mid-size enterprise.
Strategically aligning with your goals
- Unlike most providers we don't regard your projects as pure technical problem-solving – it's more than fixing something that's broken. Your investment in ICT should be positive, forward-looking, and strategic – it should enable development and efficiency in your organisation – so keeping an eye firmly on your goals is a key driver in our working methods, and critical to project success.
Unique coverage of technical solutions
- Air-IT can uniquely cover projects for telecoms and IT solutions so we're a true direct provider of ICT, meaning a single point of call, breadth of expertise, true integration – of your telephony, communications and IT infrastructure – and the ability to pass the benefits of costings and experience straight to you.
Close connections with manufacturers and developers
- We identify new and industry-leading solutions. Once we're satisfied and we've proven them to work, we partner up with the manufacturers and developers. These close relationships help ensure that issues can be dealt with quickly, and ensures that potential problems are kept to a minimum. It also ensures our IT support packages have unique value.
Accredited Technical knowledge
- We're also committed to training, and have all the relevant accreditations and certified technical staff. We also apply tough criteria when recruiting new members of the technical team, and look for genuine passion.


text: Back to results Scroll Items 13174 of 13466 Main view Sizing Unfilled view Product Details Our photo folder in black, accent with foil THANK YOU FOR CELBRATING message. The design is hot stamped (imprinted) onto the front of the folder as shown. Use as is, or personalize by adding your company name, event, organization and/or logo. Overall size measures 6" x 8 1/8" (when closed) Picture opening measures 3 5/8" x 5 5/8" (for 4" x 6" photos) Lightweight smooth finish paper Foil hot-stamped design on front cover Holds one photo on the inside Side-load construction Available for vertical (see below) or horizontal (here) prints Shipped flat, not folded Envelopes available separately - See Suggested Accessories below (not required). Optional foil imprinting available Crafted expressly for SendAFrame. Foil THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING WITH US Black Cardstock Paper Photomount 4x6 Single Frame Model #52053995 $19.00 ( set of 25 / $0.76 ea ) This item can be expected to ship by 08/28/2018. Order now by clicking ADD TO CART (below); you are only charged when we actually ship. Or, Click here to be automatically notified when it comes back in stock. Your Price Match is Active Your request for a price of $0.00 for a minimum quantity of has been accepted. You have [time] left to purchase this item for $0.00 Find a Lower Price? We BEAT All Authorized Retailers [?] Shipping details Min. Order: 25 Displays: 4"x6" Orientation: Vertical Only Material: Card-stock Display Type: not applicable n/a Color: Black SHARE THIS ITEM View more items Suggested Accessories Same Size, Different Look Tags - Similar Searches Suggested Accessories Same Size, Different Look Tags - Similar Searches 4"x6" - matching white envelope - $0.27 Clear Folder Sleeves - $0.31 4"x6" - (horz) THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING - $0.76 hinged


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Shaving with an Obsidian Razor
(Video Link)
Some of you sissies are still shaving with sharpened shovels. But Mike Cook does it old school--as in using Stone Age technology. Watch him knap a slice of obsidian off a block and then shave his face with it.
Cook refers to obsidian as "the sharpest substance known to science." I don't know if that's true, but at the link, you can see electron micrographs of a surgical scalpel and an obsidian blade. The obsidian appears to have a sharper edge.
Newest 5 Comments
Yeah, it is true - the sharpest thing we have discovered is actually ancient tech - until we discover how to make a nanotube blade, I think we have the best we can use in obsidian. Sort of cool. Copper is also making a comeback in the operation theater as it has natural antimicrobial properties...
Well, obsidian is like the hardest material in minecraft... not too hard to imagine a real life blade :P
I may be 31, but I'm open to this guy adopting me!
I'm not sure about this shaving technique, but I'd like to try a straight razor shave someday. There are a couple barbers in my local shop who offer the service.
No John, straight razors are terrifying.


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I'm currently in Chicago and while I was out at the "Bean", there was a bridal party taking pictures. My eyes were instantly drawn to these red shoes and the red flowers in her hair. I can only guess that she is the Maid of Honor. Honestly, my eyes kept going straight to her shoes and hair. What do you guys think about the Maid of Honor grabbing so much attention?
1 comment:


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|This is a discussion forum powered by Afghanistan's Web Site. The purpose of this discussion forum is to engage people for the benefit of Afghanistan. Please register to make your voices heard. Silence will not make the world a better place!
5 children lost their dads in an attack
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Posted: 13-Jun-2017 at 1:36pm
5 children lost their dads in an attack that killed 3 US soldiers that were in Afghanistan training people to take care of themselves.
The bodies of the three US soldiers killed in an apparent insider attack in Afghanistan returned to American soil on Monday.
Their flag-draped caskets were brought off the plane at Dover Air Force Base as Vice President Mike Pence attended, standing with his hand over his heart.
The three men belonged to the 101st Airborne Division and were all in their 20's.
The Pentagon identified them as Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland; Sgt. William M. Bays, 29, of Barstow, California; and Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge, 22, of Youngsville, North Carolina.
They were shot during an attack on Saturday when an Afghan army commando opened fire, in what's known as a "green-on-blue" incident, according to US officials. This is when members of the Afghan security forces turn their weapons on US and other NATO soldiers who are training them and fighting along their side.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying that an "infiltrator" had joined the Afghan army and attacked the American soldiers, according to its spokesman.
"I feel betrayed," Chris Baldridge, who was mourning the death of his son, Dillon Baldridge told WTVD. "(Dillon's) over there training people to take care of themselves and then they turn on us."
Three US troops were killed Saturday in Achin District.
The attack occurred during a joint US-Afghan military operation in the Nangarhar province, officials said. It was in the Achin District, where US and Afghan troops have been carrying out an offensive against a local affiliate of ISIS, officials said.
Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25
Sgt. Eric M. Houck
Houck, of Baltimore, had left for his first overseas deployment and was due to come home next month, his father Mike told CNN affiliate WBAL.
He joined the Army in 2013.
Houck married his high school sweetheart and they had two children, ages 5 and 3. He enlisted as a way to support his family and to serve his country, Houck told the Baltimore Sun.
"He grew up to be a tremendous human being, just a great father, loving son, husband," Mike Houck said of his son. "He was very compassionate, caring, and was concerned about people. He fought for the underdog. He was just a tremendous young man."
"He is a hero," he told the TV station.
The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and Army Commendation Medal with a second oak leaf cluster for his end of tour awards.
"Our sincere prayers go to his wife, Samantha, their children, and all of their family and loved ones in this time of grief," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan posted on Facebook.
The governor said US and Maryland flags would be at half staff when Houck is laid to rest.
Sgt. William M. Bays, 29
Sgt. William M. Bays
Bays hailed from Barstow, California, and joined the Army in 2009.
He was an infantryman in the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was also a squad leader, according to the Army.
Bays leaves behind a wife and three children, reported the Stars and Stripes.
The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge and Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster for his end of tour awards.
Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge, 22
Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge
Baldridge, of Youngsville, North Carolina, was due to return home this summer after deployment.
Family members told CNN affiliate WRAL he went to Afghanistan in October and was set to be back in August.
Baldridge had always dreamed of being a soldier, his father told CNN affiliate WTVD.
"He'd be up at five in the morning watching the Military Channel on TV. What kind of kid does that?" said his father, Chris Baldridge said.
"I was always impressed by Dillon. He was a motivated kid. Whatever he wanted to do, he was going to do it."
Baldridge graduated from Franklinton High School in 2012, said Russell Holloman, the principal.
"He made an early commitment to the military during his high school career and maintained that focus and selfless dedication after graduation," Holloman said in a statement. "Our community has truly lost a hero."
What is going on in Afghanistan? 01:48
Baldrige joined the Army in 2013 and was assigned a squad leader.
His father told WTVD that Baldridge was a top soldier in his class and turned down an offer to become a Ranger to join his team in its deployment to Afghanistan.
"My chest was just out a little higher that day, beaming with pride," Baldridge told WTVD.
The Army posthumously promoted Baldrige to Sergeant and awarded him the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge and the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster for his end of tour awards.
Edited by MateenK - 13-Jun-2017 at 1:45pm
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Interview with Steve & Chiara Rosenblum
When and how did you start collecting contemporary art?
Steve Rosenblum: About 15 years ago, we started to collect African art (masks, shields, musical instruments and fabrics). 8 years ago, we started to develop an interest for contemporary art and started to acquire works. But our collection really took off over the past four years, when we started making increasingly important acquisitions at a faster and faster rate. We don't always know what to do with some of the works we acquire and end up having to stock them, like Christoph Büchel's container, which we acquired at the FIAC in 2006: it was quite a radical start, as a lot of people have told us!
How did you come up with the project of opening a venue to showcase works from your collection?
Steve Rosenblum: The starting point of this project was our desire to show the works, to share our personal favorites, and to support the artists whose works we enjoy. The idea is also to change the way we look at art. Most of the time, people have to go to museums, galleries, or art fairs to look at art. We came up with a new way to get people to access art, in a context that makes art easier to approach, in a modest venue that is a great location to hang out with your friends.
We designed this new space with conviviality in mind. We want everyone to have a great time, meaning the venue will not only be about discovering new artists, but also about hanging out, relaxing, having dinner, and it will also be possible to bring your kids, because they'll have a special area just for them.
Chiara Rosenblum : We wanted to create a space that favors warm, generous interactions. We would like the visitors to stay a bit after they've looked at the artwork; we'd like them to get comfortable, and perhaps start talking.
This new space will be called Rosenblum Collection & Friends, what does that mean?
Steve Rosenblum: Over the past three years, the internet and more specifically the social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr) have completely changed the way people interact with each other. The term "friend" doesn't necessarily entail a long-term relationship; it can apply to a "connection" between two individuals, and even to a "virtual connection". The network that emerges from all of these connections constitutes a "social network of friends" that can continue to grow with multiple online interactions.
Drawing from what's going on throughout the world on the internet, our project consists in facilitating the development of a social network in which the artists whose works we collect act as the connectors between all our friends. In this space, Chiara and I will exclusively display works from the artists who've made it into our collection: our friends will provide additional works from these artists to complete the exhibitions. However, we have sworn not to ask for any loans from other galleries and institutional collections.
Which means that your network is bound to grow with time, and that, thanks to this Parisian space coupled with the publications you expect to launch and the website you're setting up, you'll be able to reach a great number of art lovers and collectors from around the world…
Steve Rosenblum: That's what should happen ; that's what we're hoping for.
For us, this space was created to accommodate friends (our friends) just like we do at our place. The space will have a warm, friendly atmosphere because it will be the actual extension of our apartment. It will be organized around a living room, with a library, a dining room, a kitchen, and a kids' area.
Chiara Rosenblum : Many people around us are intimidated by the apparent complexity of the art of our times. Our project puts forward the notion of abolishing the distance one can feel when looking at a work of art in a museum. In presenting the works in a "domestic" setting, we wish to facilitate access to contemporary art by offering the viewers a new approach to contemporary art. Drawing from this pedagogical approach, we would like to offer frames of reference to facilitate the understanding of the works of art, so we will also hire some knowledgeable people, in the role of mediators, who will be there to talk with the visitors.
This idea of direct contact is very much linked to the way you collect art, since it's crucial for you to meet the artists and to establish an ongoing relationship with them…
- Chiara Rosenblum : Establishing contact with the artists is crucial to us, which is why we only collect the works of living artists. Every time we're interested in a work and we start looking at a body of works, we make sure we meet the artist, we talk to him, and we follow his various projects.
How is the "Rosenblum Collection & Friends" space going to work?
Chiara Rosenblum : The space will be open to the public one to three times a week and can welcome groups of around fifteen people - who will have booked in advance - guided by a mediator. We invite people to check out our collection's website, www.rosenblumcollection.eu, to sign up and book their visits. The collection will be permanently open during major Parisian cultural events, such as the art fairs, the Fashion Week, the Nuit Blanche… During these events, we will be hosting various events of our own, such as dinners and encounters with artists. We expect the space to host one to two exhibitions every year. For each exhibition, we plan to publish a book that will mostly focus on the most crucial elements of our project and we invite everyone interested in contemporary art to sign up and become our "friends". The website will become an important communication channel that will help document the exhibitions - with interviews of the artists - and archive documents that can for instance show the different steps in the creation of the works we specifically ordered from the artists. It's also on the website that people can sign up to come and see the exhibition. Once again, we want the website to be a lively place, a place where people can share, in the image of this project as a whole.
You mentioned a library that is set to become one the most important elements of this new space.
Steve Rosenblum : It is indeed a crucial element of the project. We're going to ask each of the artists whose works are on display to fill up the library with books, films, and musical works that have played a role (or are still playing a role) in the construction of their world… It could be art books but also Sci-Fi novels, or even the Star Wars DVD… This library, which is probably going to seem a little empty at first, will grow with time and with every new exhibition. All the items in the library will be made available to the visitors: they will be able to sit down and flip through the pages of a book, watch a movie, listen to music… In our eyes, it's a different way to access the world of an artist, a different approach that helps understand the artist's work.
In addition, we've asked the artists to contribute to the kids' area by donating an object that belonged to them when they were kids. The kids' area is also a space that will bring generations together thanks to the "family guides" designed with the artists' collaboration, which will help parents explain the works on display in a fun and didactic way.
Your first exhibition, entitled "Born in Dystopia", outlines a panorama of our recent history, from the post-war period to the present day. It's a panorama that draws on the views of artists who tackle political, economic, social, and environmental issues… It's an ambitious project.
Steve Rosenblum : We're starting with this politically loaded exhibition, because September 11 has become a common point of reference for our generation and has triggered our hope to appropriate art as a means to represent or express our concerns. Political and social issues permeate the works of the collection. In my eyes, the artist is a witness of his times who transcribes them with his own sensitivity, and often does so with great relevance.
Interview conducted by Françoise Claire Prodhon and translated by Thomas Isackson
Paris, June 2010


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Due for release this autumn, LEGO The Lord of the Rings will let family members of all ages relive the unforgettable tale of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. And that story includes many enemies, from the lumbering Cave Troll to the haunting Nazgul, as can be seen in the brand new key art released for the videogame.
I just want a open world LotR game that is actually a good game. An RPG perhaps would be nice with large scale battles and exploration.
It needs to be made. So far every LotR game was a letdown.
im buying this from day 1 for my vita! it looks like the best LOTR game ever! i just hope they confirm cross-buy..


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The Hills Recap: The Tears of a Clown
The penultimate episode of the series is a bit of downer.
Things are beginning to wrap up here, readers. The Champagne is finished, the keg is tapped, and all that's left of the pretzels are the little salt particles at the bottom of the bowl. The party is definitely over for these people, about whom we've written faithfully, week after week, for years and years. Some are getting engaged, some are moving away, most are still giving each other unhelpfully stupid advice. We are tired. Tired of watching Stephanie's face, tired of hoping to catch a glimpse of Speidi, tired of Brody's revolving door of fake girlfriends. Mostly we are tired because we didn't sleep well last night. Upon waking up at 5 a.m. after a nightmare featuring John Stamos (why?), we lay in bed wondering what to do with our Tuesday nights now that we won't be tethered to the TV. Will we speak on the phone with our out-of-town friends? Will we take up baking? (We've had the same, hopeful bag of brown sugar in our cabinet since we graduated college — it comes with us from apartment to apartment, looking lonely and full.) Will we finally get to writing our book, a compilation of funny essays about a girl who has to watch reality TV for a living? The depressing thought crept into our exhausted brain that we'd most likely just find another crap TV show to watch like a zombie until bedtime. Any suggestions? Pretty Little Liars is not too bad, actually.
Oh, yes, The Hills. The penultimate episode of the series was bleak, though at least some plotlines moved forward, ending the stagnant five- or six-episode run since Heidi and Spencer disappeared. Lo, Holly, and Stephanie are out to lunch, and we learn that Holly and Heidi's mom, Darlene, is coming to visit. "A mom never gives up on her kids," says Lo, which is probably true, though apparently, according to this article, kids makes you stressed and unhappy, like, all the time. Something to look forward to! Lo talks about her one-year anniversary with Scott, which maybe we'd care about if we'd ever seen any part of their relationship, and then they discuss Kristin and Brody. "She acts like it's a game, but it really means more to her. He knows that she's in love with him," says Lo. "It's not cool," adds Steph, who has coordinated her orange sweater to match her Sunkist skin color. Just 'cause you own a personal tanning bed, doesn't mean you have to use it every day!
Credits. For the second-to-last time EVER. Oh well.
Brody and Frankie visit Taylor at his car shop, and talk about Kristin. If some girl rejected Brody, "I'd be like 'damn, that sucks,' but I wouldn't go cry about it," he says. "Girls are more emotional," explains Frankie. Who is Frankie? Why is he always around? What does he do? Who does he hook up with? Is he gay? Questions to think about when you wake up in the middle of the night after dreaming about Uncle Jesse.
So now comes the story of Stephanie and Josh, a motorcycle racer from birth, who sweeps Steph off her feet at a club called Colony. "I've been in my little world. I race motorcycles," he says to Stephanie mysteriously when asked where he's been all this time. She is entranced by his tattoos and disproportionate body (his torso looks to be about three times the length of his legs — perhaps that gives him a racing advantage, à la Michael Phelps's freakish wingspan? Regardless, for everyday stuff, it looks weird). "Is Stephanie cool?" Josh asks Brody. "She's got some issues. I'm serious," he replies. Brody is a dick, but rarely does he lie. Josh seems intrigued by Stephanie's danger, and possibly her breasts, who knows. So he walks her outside to her car and asks for her number, which is a brave act. Meanwhile, Brody ignores Kristin, who pouts.
Later on, Josh and Stephanie meet for a drink at a bar, though neither one of them drinks. That's funny, right? Because they both thought the other would want to drink. It's like a zany sitcom, except with no laugh track and no happy endings. And more drunk driving. They discuss their upbringings and interests (motorcycles, DUIs), and Stephanie notes that she has "real good parents," which, as we know, can't possibly be true. She is dressed for a black-tie wedding and he looks like he's been living on the streets, which we assume is de rigueur for L.A. His black ski cap must signal it's a date, because that makes his outfit dressier? As always, this show makes us happy to live in New York (though we have been noticing a steady influx of fedoras in our local eateries. Don't people know that they look stupid? No? They do.)
Lo and Scott have a romantic anniversary dinner, and it's all happy and cute, but we can't bring ourselves to care. We told you, we're tired, and in no mood for sappiness and talk of moving in and engagement, especially when the guy in question, Scott, isn't really a character on this show. You can't just make us interested in him now, producers! Plus, he looks like an alien that kind of resembles a frog. Lo loves him very much, but has a rule about not moving in with someone until she's engaged. "Too many of my friends move in with guys and then it ends," she says, loudly, to Stephanie during a (formerly quiet) yoga class. Shhhhh. It's a pretty good rule, though we've broken it ourselves, and nothing bad has come of living with our boyfriend except for the fact that he insists on talking over The Hills when we're trying to take notes, saying things like, "OMG, Adriana and Bobby are, like, so amazing!" in a fake valley-girl accent. He's trying to be funny, but it's annoying, because, like, this is our job. But otherwise, living together is fun.
And so we come to Darlene and Holly, which lends a tragic aspect to this episode, because they're really genuinely upset that Heidi has been brainwashed by Spencer. Holly can't even reach Heidi; she has to get her number from (we're assuming) an MTV producer, and they can't get through to her on the phone. We're not really going to comment on this plot, since it's way too real and disturbing. Here's what Darlene has to say about it: "I haven't slept for months. I had to go get a prescription for sleeping pills, to the point that I didn't even know how I'd make it another day. I've been mourning the loss of a child. And it hurts; it hurts more than I thought I could hurt. I can't live like that. I have to know in my heart that I did everything I thought I could do." Ugh.
On to Kristin and Brody, whose tragedy pales in comparison, though for Kristin, relatively, it's a big deal. She and Brody have a sit-down during which she finally, honestly shares her feelings for him. Brody: What do you want? Kristin: Um, I don't know, I guess I kind of want to give things a shot with you. I want a boyfriend. I would be willing to really try. [Brody sighs.] Brody: Why were you playing games with me the whole time? Kristin: I wasn't. When we went out, you were the only person I was looking at. [Brody sighs again.] Brody: Part of the reason why I've been so distant is because I've been hanging out with someone else. And I kind of want to see where it would go. [Kristin tears up.] Kristin: Good luck with this somebody else. Brody: Maybe I should go. End scene! End friends with benefits! End Kristin's run as girl who has never been rejected! People always say how it's really hard, also, to be the one who does the dumping, but you know what? It's always worse to be the dump-ee.
Kristin cries to Lo about it, who tries to be comforting while wearing curiously brown-ish lipstick (probably from Smashbox, and definitely unattractive. We did the brown lipstick thing in ninth grade, and we're never going back.) "It's the one time I really put myself out there and gotten completely shut down," says Kristin. "You have always been this girl who guys crawl on their knees after, who girls desperately want to be," says Lo, in a line out of a teen soap. "The guy that I love doesn't want me," concludes Kristin sadly. We've definitely been in that feeling-sorry-for-yourself-over-getting-rejected-by-a-loser-boy mentality, and while it's tough for a moment, our advice to Kristin is to move on quickly, kiss some more bartenders, and perhaps go for a guy who's not getting paid to create drama on the reality-TV show that is your life.
And now, our unequivocal Hills reality index!
As real as two annoying girls chatting during your yoga class:
Lo's relationship seems real. And her conflict over moving in with Scott is genuine. Is she really going to get engaged next week? Wouldn't we have read that in Us Weekly?
Darlene's misery. Real and depressing.
Poor Kristin! She actually got rejected by Brody Jenner, massive tool, who's now dating Avril Lavigne; how mortifying.
As fake as a face-to-face, final good-bye with someone you've been hooking up with:
Josh and Stephanie's orchestrated date. We liked Stephanie better when she was a maniac, this whole "Stephanie finds love" plot is so forced and un-fun.
In real life, there's no way Brody would have gone over to talk to Kristin about their nonexistent relationship. Boys aren't that thoughtful, unless they're being filmed.
Clearly, The Hills flew Heidi's mom in to up the drama. That said, she'd probably come on her own at some point, anyway. Though why she allows MTV to film her in the process of trying to rescue her daughter is beyond us. It's kind of creepy.
See you next week, for the series finale!


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2018-01-24 (202 Days Old)Total Views: 47 | Last 7 Days: 1
Excess global debt is a major concern for J.P. Morgan's international chairman.
Jpost: Gaza's Kerem Shalom crossing could open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday
Jpost: Malta: Aquarius humanitarian ship can dock, migrants to be shared
WashingtonPost: How Saudi's Stake in Tesla Could Help Musk Go Private
FOX: Twitter responds to Massachusetts mayor boycotting Sam Adams beer after brewery co-founder thanks Trump
FOX: The Latest: Archbishop defends himself amid critical report
FOX: Alabama high school quits playing 'Dixie' at football games
FOX: Video of baby's excited reaction to doll resembling military dad goes viral
FOX: New York subway riders attack conductor after announcement train would be making only express stops
FOX: Michigan church apologizes after breastfeeding mom accused of 'lustfulness'
CNN: Golf's hot property and the struggle to be famous
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CBC: TIFF 2018: Outlaw King to open Toronto film fest; Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy to close
CBC: Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto ranked in top 10 of world's most livable cities
BBC: Fans set to return to Egypt league for the first time since 2012
ABC: More flooding possible in Northeast as stormy summer continues
Los Angeles Times: This hike has panoramic views and a Cold War missile system. Picnic table included
Los Angeles Times: La Habra defensive back Clark Phillips III brings versatility to the game
USA Today: Man proposes via crop circle
USA Today: Wave of arson attacks targets scores of cars in Sweden
USA Today: Tesla board committee to weigh Elon Musk's plan to go private
USA Today: Designer uses blood and sweat to decorate clothes
USA Today: 'Heathers' crew recalls cult classic on 30th anniversary
USA Today: Man proposes via crop circle


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Hot Air Balloon Rides
Hot Air Balloon Rides in South Africa
The Ultimate Adventure
There's something magical about the notion of hot air ballooning. Cruising across the landscapes with a panoramic view, wind in your hair and the ground far beneath you. Hot air ballooning is something to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.
Breathtaking Location Johannesburg
Air to Air Africa is located west of Johannesburg in Gauteng. Situated in the Cradle of Humankind, this area is well-known as a World Heritage Site, having held the famous discoveries of ancient fossils. Ideally, Air to Air Africa is situated in an area that hosts a Game and Nature Reserve, on the picturesque banks of the Crocodile River.
Hot Air Balloon Rides in Johannesburg
Our hot air balloon rides take off from Glenburn Lodge, a private game reserve located in the Cradle of Humankind. Close to Lanseria and about 35km from Johannesburg. Due to safety precautions, hot air balloon flights in Gauteng only operate in the early morning. Read more about that here. We ensure the safety of all our passengers, and guarantee the adventure and skyline cruise of a lifetime.
Have a look at our pricing and launching times here.
No matter what the occasion, hot air ballooning is a great activity to do with friends, family or even colleagues. Opt for an early morning team building session up in the sky with our 16 man hot air balloon. Spend your anniversary, Brithday or even get engaged to your loved one. Or simply come to enjoy the excitement of a hot air balloon flight.
Making Memories
Whilst surrounded by the beauty of nature, our hot air balloon rides. Upon landing, guests enjoy a glass of traditional sparkling refreshment, a French custom that we practise after each and every flight. Head off to a buffet breakfast after your flight, which is all included in your pricing.
Unfortunately a balloon cannot transport you to a destination of your choice & for the safety of our passengers we only fly at Sunrise
Watch Our You-Tube Video
Take a peek at what is in store for you on a hot air balloon ride – you will be pleasantly surprised!
Thank you to all the passengers who participated in the video on the Balloon Flight of 3 August 2014.


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Riverside Restaurants
Flowing along Bucks County's eastern border, the Delaware River has played an important role in the area's history. Today, the Delaware River is one of Bucks County's biggest attractions. With picturesque views and abundant wildlife, the river makes a beautiful backdrop for an unforgettable dining experience at any of Bucks County's riverside restaurants.
Dine al fresco on the spacious river deck of the Black Bass Hotel. Whether you crave a four-course brunch, or simply want to sip a cocktail in the Lantern Lounge, the Black Bass is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a delicious meal. The restaurant offers a mix of eclectic and international menu options, including vegetarian and gluten-free dishes to cater to every palate.
Wine and dine along the riverfront at the Bridgeton House on the Delaware in Upper Black Eddy. You can stay in this romantic Inn complete with French doors, private balconies and cozy fireplaces.
Full of rich history, the Bridgeton Mill House earned the title of official "Country Inn" in 2003 with the opening of its full service restaurant in addition to the already standing inn. Located in Langhorne, the restaurant has two dining rooms, two private dining rooms, the Great Hall, Main Dining Room and a seasonal outdoor patio. Bridgeton Mill House offers American Continental cuisine.
- Feel the breeze as you indulge in a selection from the menu at the Centre Bridge Inn. The restaurant's garden terrace provides beautiful views of the river and the namesake bridge that connects Bucks County to Stockton, NJ. In the cooler months, diners can enjoy a fine meal in front of a three-century-old fireplace for the ultimate romantic dinner.
- Along the Delaware River & Canal, you can experience casual fine dining at Golden Pheasant Inn. Listed on the Registry of Historic Places, the Golden Pheasant Inn offers the ideal setting for a meeting or event for groups desiring a country-side escape.
- Established in 1681, King George's Inn II is on the National Historic Registry as the oldest, continuously operating inn and is the top rated restaurant in Bristol. Enjoy an exquisite meal while dining on the Delaware River surrounded by historic Bucks County charm.
- Enjoy the natural serenity of the Delaware River when you dine at the historic Lambertville Station. Located just across the river from Bucks County in Lambertville, NJ, this renovated 19th century train station provides a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Enjoy al fresco dining with a riverfront view or wander into the wine cellar to taste more than 50 boutique wines.
- Nestled in the heart of New Hope, The Landing offers the entire dining package: exceptional cuisine and service, ambiance and natural scenery. Experience dining under the open sky on their riverside terrace. In the colder months, cozy up with fireside dining.
- Pull up a chair and dine at Martine's River House Restaurant in New Hope along the banks of the Delaware River. Pair one of their seasonal American dishes with one of their signature Riverhouse Cocktails while enjoying the beautiful view.
- If character is built by historical struggle and strife, then the Yardley Inn Restaurant & Bar is the star of the show! The building's history dates back to the early 1800s, but the current restaurant was opened in 1979 by Bob and Robin Freed. They offer charming American fare with a great view of the Delaware River.


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Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Lincoln Center, NYC
words/backstage images Judith Ecochard
|Farah Angsana
"For that sophisticated woman that travels and falls in love with the culture and a man..." was NY Based designer Farah Angsana's inspiration for her "The Glamazon" collection.
Brazil---and the Amazon in particular---inspired much of the hand beaded/embroidered details (done in India) ---and exotic prints---for this luxurious collection of cocktail and evening dresses.
"I want women to look beautiful and not make an 'artistic' statement...some designers want to make weird statements..."
SO TRUE...as Angsana's dresses are all fitted perfectly to enhance a feminine silhouette---not to make some kind of statement about geometric proportions that we see a lot in fashion editorial---i.e. this Fall's oversized coat trend---with some that would take up half a subway car.
But we digress...
Other notable highlights include Angsana's wonderful flair for bold colors and black and white---and the quality of the fabrics used...stunning, including silk chiffon, silk crepe, silk satin organza...and tulle, often embellished with sparkling crystals.
"I am always taking pictures, " she noted..."even of hotel walls..." that color-wise, serve as inspiration.
|Christo-busy guy-namesake salon ---hub of activity for Fashion Night Out and as go to glam spot for hip/hop rapper EVE
"...a sleek high ponytail -with height and movement" he added... was the desired look.
AND, a great way to show off all those ornate beaded necklines, imo without competing with the attire.
Products used include Christo's Shaping Spray, which contains sunscreen agents to provide volume, lift, and hold without ever flaking and Glow & Shine for just that--- added shine.
|Polished, clean...sleek---un-fussy hair for ornate clothes
|backstage fav...Make Up Forever evens the skin tone out
Christo's team also did the makeup---with the emphasis on a bold-bright red lip using Chanel lipstick.
|highlighter on eyelids, under brow add glow, flirty eyelashes and soft pinky apple on the cheeks softly balance out a strong lip color that's the focus here.
|Backstage, Susan Sidor-Production Manager instructed the gals---"...think of something that makes you smile...no dead stares..."
|Japanese sumo 'do-shaved sides and a top knot- on a stylist backstage...very cool
Nails-by the ever busy Patty Yankee for Dashing Diva---pretty pail peachy pink shade...Purgasm.
|Nails-by Patty Yankee for Dashing Diva---Purgasm ----
Color-FX appliqués are new...
|silk floral jacquard organza strapless cocktail dress
|Tangerine silk chiffon belted caftan with beaded neckline
|Blush silk crepe with beaded sleeves
|silk floral jacquard organza w/ 3/4 sleeve cocktail dress
|crystal embellished neckline
|beaded neckline of royal blue silk chiffon evening gown
|Rose pink silk crepe strapless embroidered cocktail dress
|Yellow silk chiffon beaded empire bodice evening gown
|nulti-colored tribal sequin strapless cocktail dress
|embroidered salmon sleeveless shift dress
|beaded cap sleeve, ivory tulle and silk crepe gown with crystal embellishment
|hair pony tail---high with some height at the crown-universally flattering look
|glittery stacked platform heels...
|sign backstage---missing the "alcohol" part---but we never saw any of that anyway---New York-Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is all business at this locale...


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This summer, I have thoroughly enjoyed running in the early morning. From about April onwards, I have risen with the lark and run varying distances through morning air laced with jasmine, then roses, then fennel as the seasons have changed. I have felt utterly happy and really quite smug.
However this week it has become apparent that my stretch of morning running is under threat. I am NOT good at morning running, I am NOT good at getting up if the sky is dark and already it's dark at 6am!! Because I'm the Stay At Home Mum to just one child, I have the utter luxury of liberty with my time and I can choose to run later most days if I need to.
So I have an alternative to morning runs…stroller runs.
Stroller runs are not my favourites. They are hard work, so much harder than non-stroller runs. I don't enjoy them. But this week I have realised that I prefer stroller runs to early mornings in the dark. So I'm going to build them into my regular running weeks. I'd like to do one stroller run every week, building gradually up to one hour and maybe even a 10k. That's assuming I can keep the Dude on board with the plan.
Today we went out for our first official training run together. We ran four miles in three sections. The first was a straight three miler and I was tired at the end. We ran to the park. We will be running to a lot of parks in the next few months together.
Then we ran about half a mile to the supermarket where I added a gallon of milk, some salmon, some ginger paste and an apple turnover for the Dude to my load and then we ran about half a mile home. On the home stretch, my legs were feeling it. I'm confident that stroller running will make me stronger!!
We run with a bog-standard Bugaboo stroller. I have a Jeep three-wheeler which I've run with in the past. I like it in many ways (we found it immaculate in the dumpster outside our house) but it's ridiculously heavy so we've reverted back to the Bugaboo. I dream of a Bob, but it's unnecessary – I'm a firm believer that you can run with any type of stroller, especially when your child is no longer a newborn.
So that's it. There will definitely still be early morning runs, but stroller running is back for the Autumn. Me and my new running buddy are ready!


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Hilary Gentile
EVP and chief strategy officer for North America | McCann Health
What would you be if you didn't work in healthcare?
A psychologist. In my current job I deal with psychology on a societal level. As a psychologist I would be dealing with psychology on an individual level. The insight of how people approach problems in their personal lives is fascinating, especially in contrast to my current responsibilities.
Talk about the last time you experienced a truly fist-pumping victory moment.
My family is so important to me as I know they make me a better person. My victories are helping my kids navigate peer pressure, deal with defeat, and truly enjoy every moment.
What are your words to live by?
Honor. Trust. Trust is the foundation and gateway to productive relationships. It seems so simple, but I've realized that trust drives everything. To be successful you have to connect with people, which requires building trust.
Face challenges head on. What's the worst that can happen? Failing? How you fail is the real question. Failure is a first attempt at learning. You can't get to a solution unless you fail. I've learned that it's necessary to fail sometimes in order to learn, that learning leads you to success.
What would you tell your 20-year-old self?
Vulnerability is your friend. It's OK to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is human and it opens connections with people. Connecting with people is not about being powerful or pretentious. It's about being authentic and curious. Curiosity is an indispensable asset. As humans, we're often too quick to judge people.
What is one thing you would tell young women starting their careers in healthcare marketing?
Don't be afraid to embrace the attributes of womanhood that you will bring to your career. Don't feel that success in a "man's world" means that you need to approach your career from a non-feminine perspective. Your feminine attributes like empathy, insight, and compassion are strengths that you bring to every situation in both business and life.


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first MLive.com user to add photos or videos of Franklin Township Hall
Franklin Township Hall is located in Tipton, MI. This business specializes in Entertainment Venues and Government.


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Upcoming Events
A fully comprehensive Tree Care company, for all your arboricultural needs, from tree removal, trimming, pruning, chemical treatments & new installation. Certified Arborist consulting, risk assessmen
Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce
PHONE | 843.546.8436 TOLL-FREE | 800.777.7705531 Front St, Georgetown, SC 29440 © Copyright 2011 Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. site by ChamberMaster


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Fetish Network FootdomVideos.com Videos
November 27, 2014
Description: This guy had no idea that you don?t have to be in the BDSM dungeon or basement in order to play foot worship games. Lorena is about to teach him a lesson in toe sucking and he better gets ready to put his hurricane tongue to use. At least she hopes that it is a hurricane tongue and that he knows what he is doing in order to make her totally horny and happy. She looks even more attractive while wearing her sexy sunglasses and that is what makes him even hornier and his cock super hard. All the time, this dude was thinking about banging that sweet tanned round butt, but the truth is that he is not going to have sex tonight, that is for sure. Maybe if he does a good job pleasing her and licking her toes, but it is a long shot. Lorena is showing off her amazing tanned bottom which is more than ready for some spanking and pounding, but too bad she is not ready for that at the moment, but her only goal is to get off after some foot sucking, all night long until the morning.


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At Tompkins Point, we are dedicated to improving the lives of the farmers and factory workers that produce our garments. A core component of this mission is our corporate policy of donating 25% of our profits to those who produce our product.
Our first donation was made in the spring of 2011, and the press release announcing our donation is below:
May 10, 2011 - Wyckoff, NJ - Tompkins Point Apparel (www.TompkinsPoint.com) announced that it has started its charitable activities, which are focused on improving the lives of the farmers and factory workers that produce its clothing. Tompkins Point donated $500 to its factory's worker welfare fund, and the proceeds will be used to help finance the factory's education program. This program ensures that every factory worker can send his/her children to school.
Scott Leeder, Founder of Tompkins Point stated, "Tompkins Point was created to help those that produce our clothing." He continued, "We were excited to be recognized as the first brand in America to receive fair trade certification for apparel, and now we're thrilled to go a step further and help make sure that the children of the factory workers that make our clothing go where all kids should - to school."
Tompkins Point's contribution was made per its corporate policy of donating 25% of its profits to the workers that make its products. The donation was made in addition to the fair trade premium that was previously paid to the factory's worker welfare fund, per fair trade requirements. For more information on Fair Trade USA's apparel program and its requirements, please see http://www.transfairusa.org/products-partners/apparel-linens.
About Tompkins Point Apparel: Tompkins Point Apparel is a fair trade and organic menswear brand dedicated to putting class back into the classics. It creates traditional American garments while using its business to improve the lives of the farmers and factory workers that produce its clothing. Tompkins Point launched in 2010 with a line of fair trade and 100% organic cotton men's polo shirts. For more information on Tompkins Point, please visit www.TompkinsPoint.com.


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Top News Links: Friday, Feb. 17
Alabama part of GE Aviation's $4B investment
Ohio-headquartered GE Aviation announced its investments in U.S. operations have exceeded $4 billion in a five-year period. With a record production of jet engines, engine components and aircraft systems, the company's investments have reached $4.3 billion since 2011. The investments helped to establish five new plants in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and Indiana -- totaling about two million square feet of new manufacturing floor space is being created. – Aviation Pros
Hargrove starts renovation of former WALA building
Hargrove Controls + Automation has begun renovations on the former WALA building at 208 Government Street in downtown Mobile. The City of Mobile and Mayor Sandy Stimpson held an unveiling of the architectural rendering on Thursday, February 16, in conjunction with Hargrove, Cummings Architecture and the Downtown Mobile Alliance. – News release
Alabama One off conservatorship but legal battles remain
The Alabama Credit Union Administration said Wednesday it terminated the conservatorship of the $582 million Alabama One Credit Union, which has been at the center of widely publicized controversies and lawsuits since 2013. The Alabama regulator took control of the Tuscaloosa-based credit union in August 2015. The end of the conservatorship, however, does not mean the end of Alabama One's legal troubles. – CUTimes.com
Alabama products we can hang our hat on
If you ask residents of Illinois what product that state is best known for, the answer might be farm equipment. Illinois, after all, is the home of John Deere. Kentucky might point to Bourbon Whiskey, and Wisconsin is the headquarters of Harley Davidson motorcycles. At the Alabama Makers event, you'll learn Alabama has a few homegrown products you didn't know about. – APR
Farmers in 10 states suing Monsanto over herbicide
On behalf of several farmers in 10 states, including Alabama, a law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against Monsanto. The main allegation is that the agriculture company knowingly sold a crop that did not have any approved herbicide to go along with it in 2015 and 2016. As a result, farmers who planted Monsanto's Xtend cotton and soybean seed used Dicamba, an illegal spray, to avoid damage to the crops. – KBIA
NASA awards five crowd thinkers for poop solutions
On Wednesday morning, NASA rewarded five members of the public — two doctors, a dentist, an engineer and a product designer — for their creative ideas for how to poop in a spacesuit. Sure, it sounds funny. But unmet toilet needs could have life or death consequences for an astronaut in an emergency situation. – APR.org
Work under way to enhance Patriot missile system
Raytheon Company recently began work in Alabama and elsewhere on enhancements to the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System that will make the system more capable. The contract was funded by the 13 nations that rely on the system for their defenses, which include the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Taiwan, Greece, Spain, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. – HomelandPrepNews


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Center for Tourism and Leisure
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) – the agency mandated to manage the development of the Cagayan Freeport – is empowered to operate, directly through license, joint venture or lease various tourism and gaming-related activities such as casinos, horse racing, dog racing, and all forms of gaming without having to pass through any national government agency, even the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), which is the government agency tasked to operate and maintain gambling pools, whether on land or sea, within the territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines.
Center for Eco-Tourism Activities
The Cagayan Freeport is endowed with 125 hectares of land with white sand beaches and a diverse forest environment. 12,129.81 hectares are of old growth area, rich in ecological heritage including diversified flora and fauna; 19,406.43 hectares are of second growth area; 220 hectares of mangrove; 598 hectares of brushland; and 2,089.24 hectares of grassland. There are over 20 rivers and 3 watersheds.
The area is an ideal site for eco-tourism activities set amidst a serene and pleasureable landscape. Sports enthusiasts can also look forward to a host of indoor and outdoor sports activities including game fishing, waterports, and the like.
Investment opportunities in eco-tourism include the development and operation of a casino resort, an 18-hole golf course, a theme park, and other recreational and tourism amenities


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LONDON--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global industrial boiler market size is projected to reach USD 14.7 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period.
"The market for paper, especially packaging paper is on an upward trend, driven by rising awareness about green practices and their benefits. Paper producers are investing in energy optimization programs by upgrading or replacing their boilers, thereby driving market growth"
This research report titled 'Global Industrial Boiler Market 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This market research report also includes up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.
APAC is forecast to be the leading regional segment, generating highest revenue and maximum incremental growth through 2021. The healthy
food and beverage and petrochemical industries in the region are responsible for the dominance of the market segment.
Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=56518
Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.
Based on end-users, the report categorizes industrial boilers into the following segments:
- Food processing
- Chemical and petrochemical
- Paper and pulp
- Oil and gas
- Power generation
The top three revenue-generating end-user segments in the global industrial boiler market are discussed below:
Food processing
"The global population is continually on the rise, along with the increase in average life expectancy as well. This is creating a high demand for food and food products and related accessories such as boilers," says Gaurav Mohindru, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for unit operations research.
The world cereal, grain, and milk production is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, driven by the increasing demand for food from the large population. This growth in the consumption and production of essential edible commodities will provide sufficient thrust to the market for industrial boilers.
Chemical and petrochemical
Oil refineries and chemical plants produce petrochemicals through fluid catalytic cracking or steam cracking process. Petrochemicals find applications in major end-user industries such as construction, packaging, textiles, and transportation. There is an increasing demand for petrochemical byproducts such as ethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene from a variety of industries. The rising overall production of chemicals together with the growing demand for petrochemicals will augment the market for industrial boilers in the chemical and petrochemical industry.
Paper and pulp
"The market for paper, especially packaging paper is on an upward trend, driven by rising awareness about green practices and their benefits. Paper producers are investing in energy optimization programs by upgrading or replacing their boilers, thereby driving market growth," says Gaurav.
Another trend in the paper market is the procurement of low-cost pulp by countries such as India, China, and South Korea from Latin American countries. Such practices are resulting in increased production of paper at lower price points. Also, the demand for packaging and labeling from various e-commerce portals is also adding to the flourishing pulp and paper industry. This increasing demand for paper and pulp processing will contribute to the rising demand for boilers in this industry.
The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's research analysts in this report are:
- Alfa Laval
- Amec Foster Wheeler
- GE Steam Power
- Mitsubishi Hitachi
Browse Related Reports:
- Global Industrial Biomass Boiler Market 2016-2020
- Global Biomass Boiler Market 2016-2020
- Global Boiler Water Treatment Market 2016-2020
Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like construction, engineering tools, and test and measurement. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently.
About Technavio
Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.
Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, resellers, and end-users.
If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Out of stock
Only 0 left in stock
— Pretty Green X The Beatles
— Soft cotton jersey
— Cut in a slim fit
— Classic crew neck
— 'All you need is love' artwork
— Iconic Beatles lyric
— Screen printed
— Printed back neck detail
— Includes co-branded label and a limited-edition sticker
— Model is 6'1" and wears a size medium
Composition —100% Cotton
Machine washable


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Why T-Pain is the perfect Web 2.0 pop star.
T-Pain, the star R&B crooner and producer from Tallahassee, has body issues. T-Pain sings almost exclusively about fleshly desires, with a degree of detail that marks him as a gourmand. "I'm addicted to the way she makes her stomach roll/ 5'6/ She thick," he coos in "Yo Stomach," from his latest album, Epiphany. In nearly all of his songs, T-Pain plays the part of an awestruck ogler, marveling at women's bellies, thighs, hips, hair, and, when he's really feeling romantic, secretions. He's less a poet than a reporter, leaving little—OK, nothing—to the imagination. A new song about oral sex is helpfully entitled "69," but lest you miss the point, T-Pain spells things out. "She was sucking on me," he sings. "And I was licking on her."
That's fairly standard sex-addled R&B, but T-Pain's act has a twist. While his songs are awash in the muck and musk of the body, T-Pain's physical self is half-erased from the proceedings. T-Pain sings using a talk box, or some synthesizer-simulated version thereof—a gizmo that transforms the human voice into a kind of robo-drone. (T-Pain has been vague about the specific device he uses, and it remains a much-debated point on gearhead message boards.) The talk box, and its cousin the vocoder, have a rich pop history, powering hit songs by Peter Frampton, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and, more recently, 2Pac and Kanye West, via Daft Punk. The most dedicated practitioner of the art was Roger Troutman, the leader of the '80s band Zapp, who explored the erotic merging of man and automaton in talk-box-spiked funk numbers such as "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "Computer Love."
Troutman never broke through to full-fledged mainstream stardom, but T-Pain has taken the talk-box sound to the top of the charts. Epiphany entered the Billboard Hot 200 seven weeks ago at No. 1. To date, T-Pain has released four solo singles, "I'm Sprung" (2005), "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" (2006), "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (2007), and "Bartender" (2007). All of them have cracked the Top 10. Like Akon, the other ubiquitous new soul man, T-Pain first landed on the radio airwaves singing refrains for rappers, and he continues to do booming business in that capacity. (The day may not be far off when every American pop song features either T-Pain or Akon—or, like the current hit "Bartender," both.)
In short, T-Pain has emerged as the single most successful cyborg in music history. The question is: why, and why now? What exactly do R. Kelly, Bow Wow, Plies, Fabolous—and, if you believe T-Pain, every exotic dancer south of the Mason-Dixon—like so much about this Floridian with Wyclef Jean's dreadlocks and C-3PO's voice?
The simplest answer is sonic novelty. Three decades after Frampton Comes Alive, the sound of a singing droid still carries a futuristic frisson. T-Pain's innovation is overkill. Whereas most robo-pop tunes are one-offs—think of Cher's 1999 smash "Believe," with its computer-enhanced vocal trills—T-Pain follows Troutman in using the talk box in song after song, turning a stunt into a style. Troutman, who died in 1999, was ahead of his time, but T-Pain had the good fortune to arrive in a hip-hop-dominated pop climate, when minute production innovations explode into viral styles and new stars are minted overnight. A few years back, at a time when antique soul music samples were déclassé, a Chicago record producer had a brainstorm: Why not speed up the samples to create a kind of Stax Records-on-helium effect? Soon the producer, Kanye West, was the hottest thing in hip-hop, hailed as the godfather of "chipmunk soul." T-Pain has followed a similar path, securing a distinct, very lucrative niche as the Man With the Robot Voice.
It's also a sound that speaks to the zeitgeist. The "Computer Love" that Troutman and Zapp sang about in 1985 is a lot less theoretical today, and in T-Pain, Web 2.0 has found its romantic balladeer, a disembodied voice for an age of virtual hook-ups, "sexting," and cam-to-cam chat. With James Brown, you could practically hear the sweat coursing down the microphone stand. But T-Pain really sounds like a sex machine.
T-Pain's voice is hardly without feeling. There is an ache in his computerized coo: He isn't just horny, he's lovelorn. But T-Pain represents a kind of symbolic severing of African-American music from its traditional emotionalism, from its fervent gospel roots—and not just because he rhymes "the church and deacon" with "licky leaking shit." During "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" and "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')," the impassioned melismas that have powered black popular singing for decades are smoothed into synthetic gasps. In T-Pain's music, the last traces of Sunday morning's church service have been deleted from Saturday night's club anthem.
In the end, T-Pain's robo-shtick may be little more than a lark. It's a good lark, though. One hesitates to ascribe wit to the author of "69," but I can't help hearing a topical joke here: At a time of rampant Auto-Tune usage, when the tone-deaf routinely punch up perfect pitch, isn't T-Pain being cheeky by disappearing into his circuitry? If Paris Hilton can use a computer to impersonate a singer, what's left for a singer like T-Pain—and he can sing—but to impersonate a computer?


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Advice giving: A theory of advice formulation
Samantha Lee
What motivates advisors in the formulation of their advice? People seek advice so as to improve the quality of their decisions. But is the advice provided of a consistent quality in all circumstances and if not, what are the factors that may influence advice quality? These are the questions that formed the impetus for, and drove the direction of, this thesis.
We suggest that advice formulation is a selective process and the quality of advice given to a decision maker, far from being consistent, is shaped by a number of factors such as the personal characteristics of the advisors, extent of information and/or knowledge asymmetry between advisors and their clients, the complexity of the advisory task, the future/history of the advisory relationship and the presence of incentives. This theoretical model of the determinants of advice quality is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the factors that may influence advice giving and advice quality. The limited research literature on advice giving means that the work done in this thesis is very much of an exploratory nature and the theoretical model presented in this thesis represents the first, initial list of potential determinants of advice quality. It is expected that future empirical work may lead to a modification or expansion of this model.
A research model that empirically examined three of these possible factors - personal characteristics, knowledge asymmetry and task complexity - is presented. The personal characteristic construct utilized for the research model is: social value orientation. Three experiments, representing the first, initial empirical investigations of the research
model, were conducted. Results of these experiments indicated that advice quality was not influenced by advisors' social value orientations, with prosocials and proselfs exhibiting similar patterns of behavior; advisors were influenced by knowledge asymmetry, providing more optimal advice in asymmetric knowledge contexts than in symmetric knowledge contexts; and task complexity affected advice quality, with advisors providing more optimal advice as task complexity increased.


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A week after the infamous hacker known as "Sabu" was granted a six-month reprieve for cooperating with the FBI, another member of the now-defunct LulzSec faction of Anonymous has been indicted in connection with the May 2011 attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.
20-year-old Raynaldo Rivera of Tempe, Arizona, also known online as "neuron," "royal" and "wildicv," surrendered to the FBI on August 28th, 2012 and was taken into custody, according to a press release from the FBI Los Angeles office. Rivera had been charged on two counts – conspiracy and the unauthorized impairment of a protected computer – in a sealed indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on August 22, 2012. The indictment was unsealed Tuesday.
The FBI press release outlines the details of the attack on Sony Pictures:
The indictment alleges that in order to carry out the attack, Rivera allegedly used a proxy server in an attempt to mask or hide his Internet protocol (IP) address. The indictment alleges that Rivera and co-conspirators, including defendant Cody Kretsinger, who was indicted in September 2011 in connection with the same intrusion, obtained confidential information from Sony Pictures' computer systems using an SQL injection attack against its website. An SQL injection attack is a technique commonly used by hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and steal information. The indictment alleges that Rivera and his co-conspirators distributed the stolen information, including by posting the data on LulzSec's website, and by announcing the attack via its Twitter account. Kretsinger pleaded guilty in April and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25 by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.
In March and April 2012, a number of prominent arrests, court appearances, and unsealed indictments revealed the progress that federal authorities have made investigating and prosecuting numerous related hacking incidents. Specifically, previous indictments were issued against Ryan Ackroyd (a/k/a kayla, lol, lolspoon), Jake Davis (a/k/a topiary, atopiary), Darren Martyn (a/k/a pwnsauce, raepsauce, networkkitten), and Donncha O'Cearrbhail (a/k/a palladium) in connection with the Sony hacking, as well as other numerous attacks on other targets. Also previously indicted in connection with the Sony attack was Cody Kretsinger, who changed course earlier this year and entered a guilty plea in court. That indictment document for Kretsinger can be found here. The indictment document for Ackroyd, Davis, Martyn and O'Cearrbhail can be found here.
The Electronic Crimes Task Force (ECTF) in Los Angeles — a task force that consists of FBI agents, the United States Secret Service, the United States Attorney's Office, the California Highway Patrol, and officers and officials from the Police Department; Sheriff's Department; and District Attorney's Office in Los Angeles County — led the investigation that resulted in Rivera's indictment, with assistance from the Phoenix office of the FBI.
Rivera is expected to appear in Los Angeles on September 14, 2012 and faces a maximum sentence of up to fifteen years in prison.