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More with Adding and Subtracting Polynomials
Lesson 3 of 18
Objective: SWBAT add and subtract polynomial expressions.
Big Idea: This lesson allows students to work together in a cooperative structure to simplify polynomials and justify their reasoning.
Slide 1
I have students work in pairs on the first part of the add_polynomials2_warmup. Students will have to understand what this problem is asking them to find MP1. They will also need to examine the structure needed to have the given polynomial represent the perimeter MP7. I give students about 3-4 minutes to make their sketches. Next, I choose several pairs of students to justify their sketches to the class using either the board or a document camera (MP3). As they present, I give other members of the class an opportunity to ask questions.
Slide 2
When we transition to the second slide, I have students think about the difference between this question and the first question (MP1). I begin by having students share ideas with a partner and as they develop a plan to solve the problem. Then, I allow each partnership to carry out their plan. Afterward, I ask 1 or 2 pairs share their responses and I allow the class to ask questions. Students should try to determine if the solution could represent the sides of a rectangle with the given perimeter.
Resources (3)
Resources (3)
Cooperative Practice
This activity is called Numbered Heads Together. Each student is given their own dry erase board. Each student in each group is assigned a number 1-4. The objective is to have all four students work together on each of the nine problems in this section. The problems are given one at a time.
I give students approximately 2 minutes to work on each problem. At the end of two minutes I choose a number: 1, 2, 3, or 4. (For this I have used index cards numbered 1-4 or you can use an online random number spinner - students tend to like this better!). Whichever number comes up is the student who needs to show their work for the group. This students work is the the only work that counts for the group. I award points to groups with correct answers, or for making a lot of progress, or showing the most perseverence, etc.
I like this activity because:
- The format encourages students to work together due to the random accountability.
- Students need to discuss their ideas MP3 and be critical about which ideas they accept to put down as the group solution. I always enforce the requirement that whichever number comes up, the student must be able to explain his/her answer. This practice dissuades students from copying one another.
- In this activity, students will need to look at each question as a "mini" problem or exercise that the group needs to understand and to make a plan to solve (MP1).
Resources (2)
Resources (2)
The add_polynomials2 ticket out the door requires students to reason abstractly about polynomials (MP2). I encourage students to explain their ideas for Question 2 as thoroughly as possible. They can use examples to explain their thoughts to make their argument more easily understood (MP3). If time permits, I allow students to swap papers with their partners so that partners can give each other feedback before handing in their exit ticket.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
Get ready for the downs
Few months ago I had a big test in my relationship. We had a big fight and all i can think (during that time) is do i still want to do this (wedding)? Is he? I read, heard and saw friends, relatives said that during the wedding preparation there must be stuffs that will test our relationship, we both might argue a lot. He want it this way, I want it that way. And the worst thing is break up could be the decision. I already told myself since the day he proposed me. Ok gricia you have to ready because not only sweets but bitter experience is upon you and you got to ready to handle them because this is happens to all relationship. You can do this! But (not so) surprisingly i almost forgot the reminder i gave to myself.
At first we (bride to be) had butterflies in our stomach, can't stop smiling thinking about we're going to build a family with the man of our life. But sometimes we didn't prepared ourself to the obstacles that will come and go and come again during the journey to the big day. I just want to tell you all bride to be out there, when you had a big fight that might or almost "kill" your relationship, of course feel free to yelling, crying and pour your heart content to him but then take some time to really really think.. Why you said "i do" at the first? Think about reasons why you love him so much, think about why you want to spend the rest of your life with him, think about why you want him to be the father for your children. Those reasons will bring back your conscious and eventually you both will back to each other. That is true love. Hey so many things needs to be settled for the wedding right. So stand up and lets do this!!
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text: MIAMI — AOL Latam has announced a strategic alliance in Brazil with Banco Itau, with the leading Brazilian bank taking a minority stake in the regional Internet company when it goes public.AOL Latam has filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission to go public, but a date for the stock offering has not been set, nor did AOL Latam specify how large a stake Banco Itau will take. AOL Latam is currently a 50-50 joint venture between America Online and Venezuelan conglomerate Cisneros Group of Companies, which has extensive media and telecom holdings. Under the agreement, AOL Latam subsid AOL Brasil will create a custom version of its service that will be heavily promoted to Banco Itau's 7 million-plus customers.


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The Best Way to Give Advice
Written by Greg Alcorn on April 2, 2012
Sometimes when we offer real suggestions to others, they take it personally. They might not understand that you're coming from a positive place. That is why you need to make sure the advice is part of a critique to make them better and not criticism to make them feel bad. Ask them first. It's best to


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Internship & Community Engagement program
The institute prides its self in developing leaders who are prepared to manage organizations efficiently through the use of blended study approaches of both theory and practice.
Through internship and community engagement all the institutes' undergraduate students are required to undertake a two months' internship within an industry based organization and attached to a work based supervisor throughout the entire period.
An academic staff is also attached to ensure that the institute's values and objectives are upheld. The community engagement program provides the institute with an opportunity to interact formally with the business community in typical business settings. Through the community engagement program, the institute has initiated business clinics for business people in which tailor-made solutions for different business sectors are found through staff and students engagement and discussions with business stakeholders.


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feeling the love.......
Comments from our customers.
Kennedy Family - Portrait - Leeds
I have used the services of Campbell's Photography a few times now for my commercial headshot for my business, a charity calendar and more recently my fabulous family portraits. It is such an amazing experience! Kate and Pete both make the whole experience fun and one to remember. The studio is a cosy little hideaway and a lovely place to relax and have your portraits. Kate was amazing with my two children who felt completely at ease in front of the camera and the end results were simply stunning! Thank you Campbells, with love The Kennedys xx - Rachael Kennedy
Ada's First Birthday - Portrait - Leeds
Kate did my photo shoot for my little girl! So friendly and welcoming! Gorgeous little studio for my little girls photo shoot. So happy with the photos too will definitely be returning. - Emily Pursglove
Brayfield Family - Portrait - Leeds
Thank you so much for producing such amazing photos of us all, you really are both brilliant at what you do. The boys really love you and warm to you which is what makes the photos so good. Thank you so much for having us we would never go anywhere else. - The Brayfields
Emmy's First Birthday - Cake Smash - Leeds
The pictures are absolutely amazing, thank you so much !! Andy is working tonight so I can't wait to show them all to him in the morning. He is going to love them just as much as I do! - Abi
Ali & Dave Archbold - Wedding - Leeds
Hey both, thank you so much for everything you have done (and are doing) for us. We had such a great time yesterday and a lot of that was down to you lovely people. You were incredibly helpful, patient and professional. What a day we had! We can't wait to see the photos. See you both soon, and thank you again! X - Ali & Dave
Jones family - Portrait - Leeds
They are amazing photos thanks again for doing them, I can't wait to give these pictures as gifts - Emma
Jody & Andy's Family Portrait - Leeds
Thanks again for the photos, you really are very good at what you do, they are gorgeous. xx - Jody
Rachael Kennedy, Olio Projects - Corporate headshot - Leeds
Just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU for the headshot you have done Kate, you are so super talented and i love them! - Rachael
Cathrine & Alex - Portrait - Leeds
Thank you both so much, it's been an absolute pleasure to spend time with you both. We love our photos and cannot wait to get started on our album. - Cathrine
James McDevitt - Du Vin Hotel - Harrogate
I appreciate the good work and quick results. It really made my life a lot less stressful trying to pull the piece together. - James
Alix Bell - Cake Smash - Leeds
Absolutely amazing work by both Kate and Pete! Such a warm and friendly couple, and made the session fun for our daughters cake smash. They had nursery rhymes playing and toys to entertain her throughout the whole session. The photos turned out fabulous and both my husband and I really struggled to narrow down the photos! We wanted them all. Definitely will be returning in the future! - Alix
Gemma White - Portrait - Leeds
We had a family photo shoot done with Pete and Kate and it was fantastic, we had a super time, they made us feel really welcome, even the kids had a super time and my 5 year old doesn't like his picture taking, you wouldn't think that looking at Pete and Kates work. Lovely couple would definitely recommend. - Gemma
Becki & Rick Smith - Wedding - Leeds
We love all our photographs 💕. Thanks for being a part of our special day xx - Becki
Louise Wilson - Pamper Party - Chocolate Beauty Spa, Leeds
What a lovely experience! The photos are fab! So so happy with them, we were all made to feel comfortable and relaxed and it was a great fun day and we have the pictures as memories thank you so very much. - Louise
Angela & Graham - Wedding, The Old Barn, Esholt
We can't thank you enough for making our big day even more special. Can't wait to see our pictures. I'm writing this review at 4am because we leave for our honeymoon today and I can't sleep. Thanks again. We shall be recommending you to everyone!! - Angela
Tracy Kirrage - Portrait Leeds
What a wonderful couple who made us feel relaxed and at ease throughout our photo shoot What a fun morning, thank you Kate and Pete xx - Tracy
Emma Topping - Portrait - Leeds
Hi guys!
These photos are absolutely amazing! I'm going to have a hard time choosing the ones I want!
Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon, making Evie feel so at ease and producing some fab results! - Emma
Kath Procter - Portrait - Leeds
I hated having my photo taken - that was before I met you guys! at our family photo shoot, you put us all at ease, was great fun from beginning to end & the pics are superb -I will treasure them. A huge thank you to you both. - Kath
Abi Bradley - Wedding - Baildon
We would just like to say a huge thank you to Pete & Kate for doing our amazing wedding photographs yesterday. We are both so excited to see them. You were great! Xx - Abi
Lisa Stebbing - Pamper Me - Leeds
A brilliant photographer.You both made my daughters party a day to remember and the pictures are fabulous. Thank you both very much.Highly recommended. - Lisa
Emma Mallender - Portrait - Leeds
Thanks so much Pete and Kate! We had a fab day and love the piccies! Just struggling to choose which ones to get! X - Emma
Graeme Hunter - Portrait - Leeds
What a fantastic time me and the boys had yesterday, truly brilliant. I always take the lead on how happy my boys are as to how much fun things are, so the fact they never stopped smiling says everything you need to know. See you again soon, keep up the great work :-)
"Dear Pete & Kate,
Just wanted to say thank you so much for the photo book and photo shoot you did for my family. It was lovely to meet you both and I love the results, the photo book is beautiful.
Look forward to having more photo shoots with you both in the future."
Love Jenny and Amalie
Natalie and Greg - Portrait - Leeds
"Wow what can I say Greg and I had a fantastic time. You both made us feel so special. We loved the fact that spent researching the site where we had the photo shoot before we went. You spent time asking what we wanted.
The photo shoot was great fun and the time went really quickly.
The photo you posted on the website were lovely, capturing everything about Greg and I.
You both were fantastic and we can say thank you enough."
Nat & Greg
Emma and Mark - Wedding - Leeds
"Hi Pete & Kate
Just to let you know that we absolutely love the pictures that you have done, thank you so much!
Especially the collages!
Thank you again, it was a brilliant day." - Emma
Riley - Baby to Toddler Portraits - Leeds & Huddersfield
"It was pouring with rain outside but what a warm friendly relaxed environment we entered.
Our baby was treated like the star he is and was comfortable throughout which for a parent is all you can ask for. A fun photo shoot with a baby who was refusing to smile. Peter and Kate did everything to get the shots they wanted, and boy did they come out lovely. Gorgeous photos to remember this special time and family and godparents were thrilled to receive as Christmas presents.
I would highly recommend to anyone and the package is perfect and we cannot wait for our next shoot when our baby turns 1." - Sarah
Kirsty and Nick's Portrait Photographs - Leeds
"We had such a fab time at the shoot. We cannot believe how great you made us look!! Our families have been so pleased to get photos of the couple that refused to be photographed. We've had loads of requests from others for pictures. Pete you're a miracle worker!" - Kirsty
Mitchell/Watley Family Portrait - Leeds
" I just want to thank you for making our recent sitting so enjoyable. It's not easy three kids and a dog, but we all had a great time and the time flew by!! The pictures are amazing and I have had so many comments from friends and family about how lovely they are. I must have passed your number onto at least 7 people after they have seen them." - Caroline
Fozia & Bilal - Wedding - Bradford
"A huge thanks for capturing all the key moments on my big day, making it extremely memorable. The pics were great!!" - Fozia
Mexborough Ladies Evening Ball - Elland
"I would just like to inform you of how delighted Steve and I are with the photos took at our Ladies evening.
Your passion and love of photography really shines through in your work.
You both captured the moments very well-you just melted into the background and caught some fantastic natural shots!
Once again thank you." - Christine


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Charge-Coupled Device
Revision as of 19:58, 16 October 2013 by Administrator1 (talk | contribs)
This article is a stub. You can help the GHN by expanding it.
United States. On 29 January 1970, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, of Bell Labs, submitted a paper on their invention of the CCD (charge-coupled device) to the Bell System Technical Journal. The device has been adapted to many uses, espcecially in electronic image sensors.


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I wrote about the opening of Frankie's Tiki Room a few months ago for the Las Vegas Weekly. It's a neat hipster place that is nice instead of purposefully junky. However, it's always been a little too smoky for my tastes. Imagine my joy when I got this email from owner P Moss:
P Moss sent a message to the members of Frankie's Tiki Room.
Subject: CLEARING THE AIR AT FRANKIE'S
"A smoke eater has been installed at Frankie's Tiki Room, which should clear the air and make the escape just a little closer to paradise. Mahalo"


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LAND FOR SALE IN WILCOX CO, Georgia PRICE REDUCED. Call for more info- 229-425-1957 320 acres more or less 9 acre pond, 68 acres in CRP Longleaf Program 121 acres in Cropland, 122 acres in Hardwood Bottoms Excellent Deer And Turkey Hunting. Easy access, road frontageSold 320 Acres
Price Reduced, Land, Pond
Abbeville : Wilcox Co : Georgia


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A Vermont man says he built a special seat on his lawnmower for his dog because she never likes to leave his side.
Henry Ilsley created the seat for his dog, Mia, to ride in using a child's lawn chair, foam for comfort and wire ties to keep Mia secure.
"When I went to mow, with the lawn mower, she wanted to be right between my legs," Ilsley said. "And that wasn't a safe place, so that's why I got the kids' lawn chair and rigged that up so she would have a safe place to ride."
Ilsley deals with chronic pain and says Mia is a type of therapy dog. He's had her since 2007 and says she's a trustworthy companion.


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The Harvest for the Hungry campaign, involving businesses throughout the Baltimore area, kicked off a campaign this week to collect non-perishable foods through the end of the year for Maryland's needy.
Despite a poor response to this year's Bags of Plenty campaign, which collected less than half its goal of 650,000 pounds of food, Harvest for the Hungry organizers are optimistic that their network of business people will succeed in reaching its goal of $350,000 in food and money.
Larry Adam, who oversees the campaign, said participants include the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors, the Anne Arundel Board of Realtors and the Cecil County Board of Realtors.


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text: ETR:1COV - Covestro Stock Price, News, & Analysis Sign in or create an account to add this stock to your watchlist. Get Started €77.84 +1.12 (+1.46 %) (As of 08/20/2018 04:00 PM ET)Previous Close€76.72Today's Range€77.06 - €78.1252-Week Range€61.95 - €96.32Volume461,704 shsAverage Volume917,794 shsMarket Capitalization$16.86 billionP/E RatioN/ADividend Yield2.64%BetaN/A Company ProfileAnalyst RatingsChartHeadlines Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare on StocktwitsPrint this articleShare by Email Covestro AG develops, produces, and markets polymer materials for various industries worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Polyurethanes; Polycarbonates; and Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties. The Polyurethanes segment offers precursors, such as flexible polyurethane foam primarily used in the furniture and automotive industries; and rigid foam used as insulating material in the construction industry and in refrigeration chains. The Polycarbonates segment provides high-performance plastic polycarbonates in the form of granules, composite materials, and semi-finished products for use in the automotive, construction, electrical and electronic, medical technology, and lighting industries. The Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment offers raw materials for coatings, adhesives, and sealants, as well as specialties. It offers polymer materials and aqueous dispersions for use in automotive and transportation, infrastructure and construction, wood processing, and furniture applications. The company markets its products through trading houses and distributors. Covestro AG was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. Receive 1COV News and Ratings via Email Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for 1COV and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter. Industry, Sector and Symbol Stock Exchange ETR Industry Specialty Chemicals Sub-IndustryN/A SectorBasic Materials SymbolETR:1COV CUSIPN/A Webwww.covestro.de Phone+49-214-60092000 Debt Debt-to-Equity RatioN/A Current RatioN/A Quick RatioN/A Price-To-Earnings Trailing P/E RatioN/A Forward P/E RatioN/A P/E GrowthN/A Sales & Book Value Annual SalesN/A Price / SalesN/A Cash FlowN/A Price / CashN/A Book ValueN/A Price / BookN/A Profitability EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)N/A Net IncomeN/A Net Margins13.96% Return on Equity40.11% Return on Assets18.41% Miscellaneous EmployeesN/A Outstanding Shares202,500,000Market Cap$16.86 billion Covestro (ETR:1COV) Frequently Asked Questions What is Covestro's stock symbol? Covestro trades on the ETR under the ticker symbol "1COV." What price target have analysts set for 1COV? 19 brokerages have issued 1-year price targets for Covestro's shares. Their predictions range from €66.00 to €126.00. On average, they expect Covestro's share price to reach €94.00 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 20.8% from the stock's current price. View Analyst Price Targets for Covestro. What is the consensus analysts' recommendation for Covestro? 19 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Covestro in the last year. There are currently 2 sell ratings, 9 hold ratings and 8 buy ratings for the stock, resulting in a consensus recommendation of "Hold." View Analyst Ratings for Covestro. Who are some of Covestro's key competitors? Some companies that are related to Covestro include Evonik Industries (EVK), Symrise (SYIEF), Brenntag (BNTGF), Symrise (SY1), CLARIANT AG/ADR (CLZNY), Brenntag (BNR), Orica (ORI), Johnson Matthey (JMAT), Croda International (CRDA), Lanxess (LXS), Lanxess (LXS), OCI N V/S (OCINY), Victrex (VCT), Synthomer (SYNT) and Elementis (ELM). Who are Covestro's key executives? Covestro's management team includes the folowing people: Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO & Member of Management Board (Age 48)Dr. Klaus Schäfer, CTO, Labor Director & Member of Management Board (Age 56)Dr. Thomas Toepfer, CFO & Member of Management Board (Age 46)Ronald Kohler, Head of Investor RelationsDr. Joachim H. Wolff, Head of Polyurethanes Bus. Unit (Age 66) Has Covestro been receiving favorable news coverage? News articles about 1COV stock have been trending somewhat negative this week, Accern reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Covestro earned a media and rumor sentiment score of -0.15 on Accern's scale. They also gave media headlines about the company an impact score of 41.11 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company's share price in the next several days. View Recent Headlines for Covestro. What is Covestro's stock price today? One share of 1COV stock can currently be purchased for approximately €77.84. How big of a company is Covestro? Covestro has a market capitalization of $16.86 billion. How can I contact Covestro? Covestro's mailing address is Kaiser-Wilhelm-Allee 60, LEVERKUSEN, 51373, Germany. The company can be reached via phone at +49-214-60092000. MarketBeat Community Rating for Covestro (ETR 1COV)Community Ranking: 2.6 out of 5 ( )Outperform Votes: 202 (Vote Outperform)Underperform Votes: 194 (Vote Underperform)Total Votes: 396MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Covestro and other stocks. Vote "Outperform" if you believe 1COV will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote "Underperform" if you believe 1COV will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. This page was last updated on 8/20/2018 by MarketBeat.com StaffFeatured Article: What is the Book Value of a Share?


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Comedian Lewis Black's cultural saturation is such that, for many of us, the opening chords of AC/DC's "Back in Black" instantly call to mind his indignant news commentary on "The Daily Show."
But Black, 64, is more multifaceted than his sometimes Kinison-esque delivery suggests. Trained as a playwright at the University of North Carolina, he's had various plays produced over the years, even while doing 200 stand-up dates a year.
Now he's home in New York for a new Broadway show, "Running on Empty," playing from Oct. 9 through the 20th at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The Post caught up with Black for a preview.
What rants can we expect this month?
It's the only time in a long while when I really come down on an issue: There is global warming. There's nothing to discuss. And if we want to get things rolling, we have to listen to our scientists. There's a thing going on now where people treat scientists as if they're a coven of witches. These people, they work with Bunsen burners. You have to start to trust them. And also, we're watching the separating of one of the polar ice caps. There was a huge chunk of polar ice that just fell away. Just because we don't defrost our refrigerators anymore doesn't mean you can't remember what that means.
What's your take on social media?
I was told I have to have a Facebook page, so people would know to go to my Web site. Now I'm on Twitter to tell people to go to my Facebook page. It's really unbelievable. For all the talk about social media and it making the world smaller, it's decimated my ability to tell people I'm coming to town. It was easier when I first starting touring. When I came to a town, people knew. Now, I walk down the street — I'm in Austin today, and I went to this taco stand here that's kind of famous, and the woman who owns it came out and said, 'What are you doing here in town?' I said I was performing last night. She said, 'I can't believe it, I had no idea.' It gets lost in the volume of information. I'm in the midst of competing with 2,000 other events. I don't know how you reach people anymore!
In addition to your Broadway show, you've got a play running — how different is it from your stand-up?
"One Slight Hitch" is going on simultaneously at the George Street Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. It's a play I started writing 30 years ago, and now, hopefully, I'm almost done with it. It's a romantic comedy. It's kind of old-fashioned. I had a soft spot for that when I started, and if I didn't write something people liked, I would die of hunger. There still seems, to me, something very sad about it. But basically it's an upbeat ending. I kind of want audiences to leave happy.
Are you secretly an optimist?
I am optimistic about the future. The bulk of the country is in the middle, not at the extremes. I'm even optimistic about the present. I wake up every morning thinking it's gonna get better. And then by eleven I know I'm wrong.
Did you go to the conventions this year?
I won't go anymore. I'm way over those. It's like getting too close to radiation. You don't want to walk into it and be near its core.
And the election in general?
The Democrats, they're incapable of speaking English, so I don't really know what they're saying. And they want everybody to feel good, which is exhausting.
And it's just astonishing what's going on with the Republican party — it started off socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Now it's become socially less liberal and fiscally deranged. Their favorite word is entitled. Which used to have to do with the wealthy, and they've turned the word around on the poor. Who are getting handed bags of s- -t. You can't call that an entitlement. You have to come up with another word.
And the attacks on reproductive rights — those have been so weirdly extreme as to seem kind of absurd.
All that stuff about women — you're allowed to think those things, because it's a democracy, but you don't get to say them. You have to keep that s – – t to yourself, because it's nonsense. What's really disturbing to me is these guys are my age. It's really offensive. They've continued to follow this old-school nonsense horses – – t. It's like they're still in the '50s. They're still wandering around disturbed that women can vote.
What local issues get you worked up?
At some point New York and New Jersey need to get together and figure out about cars. There has to be a tipping point of what makes it really livable. I [take a cab] out to Newark at like 10 a.m. and there's still bumper to bumper traffic. I was in Hong Kong, where if you put all the cars end to end there'd be half a mile of roadway left. Eventually that will happen here. The cars will be stacked up and we'll say, "I wish we'd worked on this."
You've been doing the "Back in Black" segment since "The Daily Show" first started. How has it evolved?
It started off as just yelling about stuff. We didn't even have an audience. I'd do it three times, on the fly. Then when Jon came, and we got an audience, it was really tightly scripted. Now we bring it out when it's necessary for someone to bellow like a loon.
Have you been surprised at the enduring success of the show?
Five million hours of news without any real information kind of helped us come to the fore. Jon really knew what he wanted to do. I mean, [Steve] Carell, [Stephen] Colbert, [John] Oliver — it's turned out some great people. And it's a terrific group of writers. I don't think they get their due sometimes, but my hat's off to them. A lot of the time they write me better than I do.
In your Grammy-winning 2006 Carnegie Hall special, you did a bit about candy corn. This season they've come out with a candy corn-flavored Oreo. Have you encountered it?
Yeah, there's an Oreo limited edition. You can't limit it enough! I think that's a crime against nature. It really makes my skin crawl.


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Yesterday, September 1st, I walked through a rental property in South Austin that had been vacated the day before. I had my Flip Mino Video Camera with me so I decided to make a short video of the walk-through and share a few things about what I look for when walking a vacant rental property after a tenant move out.
The result is one of the worst videos I've ever seen. I have no idea what I'm doing, or how to make a good video. I move too fast, muddle my words, don't hold the camera steady, etc. I look like a dork and sound stupid. My Inner Critic is telling me to forget it, don't post it. It's terrible. Learn some video editing first. But if I wait until I know what I'm doing, it will never happen.
I have the camera mainly for vacations and recording family stuff, but I've thought for a while now that it might be fun to start making some video blogs, so this is what I'm starting with, for better or worse.
Here goes …
If you wonder what it's like being a landlord, you'll find it interesting (if you just watched the video) that the tenant emailed me the same day, after not following the instructions provided for returning keys, and stated in the email, "I spent a lot of time cleaning the house. I hope it was up to your standards."
This is why I don't allow tenants to walk through properties with me, or meet them for move-out walk-throughs. There is too big of a disconnect between what I observe and what a tenant deems to be acceptable. For more on that, read my past article "Why I Never Do Move-out Walk-throughs with Departing Tenants"
Back to video making and why I decided to go ahead with my first rough draft right out of the gate.
Read more …
I recently had a tenant express frustration over the fact that I wouldn't come meet him to conduct a final move-out walk-through at the rental property. I've been moving tenants in and out of Austin rental homes since 1990, and I've learned a few lessons in doing so. One is that there is no upside for a landlord in conducting a final walk-through with a tenant. Only bad outcomes can occur.
Namely, the tenant is going to want you to affirm or state that everything looks "ok" and that they'll get all of their deposit back. Nowhere in Texas Property Code is this sort of "instant accounting" required. You'd be a fool to agree to say something like that, because a lot of possible damage is not discernible on a cursory walk-through.
Just a few examples off the top of my head are fleas that haven't hatched yet, carpet stains that were scrubbed invisible that morning but will re-appear tomorrow, the dirty A/C filter your HVAC guy could find sucked up into air intake cavity (as I encountered last month), pet odors that are masked at walk-through but which return in a couple of days, the cat hair blanketing the refrigerator coil, and a long list of other possibilities.
Therefore, even if I wanted to, even if the place appeared to be in great condition with no visible problems, there is nothing I could or would say to a tenant with regard to whether the home "passes" inspection or not. The reason the tenant wants the walk-through – to receive assurances – simply can't and won't be provided.
And then, as I learned in the old days when I thought it made sense to do a move-out walk through, an argument ensues. So I just don't go there anymore.
To better and more fully see my position, there are a few things one must understand.
Read more …


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Over the years America has waged war with countries, forcibly occupied territories and murdered millions of men, women and children. Dropped nuclear bombs on Japan, destroyed Vietnam's ecosystem with Agent Orange, and has created such an atmosphere in Iraq that radiation levels have been compared to twenty five thousand bombs used in Nagasaki.
As I take you on this journey through pain and suffering, we shall see an insight into American wars, why is there war and what are the benefits of war? More importantly we will run through the effects of war on the common citizens of the country.
I am letting you know now that this article may not be something that you may want to know as it can cause a deep state of sorrow. I started doing research for this post, more than two weeks ago. I did not want to proceed writing the article then, as I did not want my outrage to mess with the facts.
Agent Orange in VietnamBoy affected by Agent OrangeThe first case I shall start with is the case of Agent Orange in Vietnam, Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in an attempt to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain where they could hide. America dumped more than twenty million gallons of this chemical in the south of Vietnam, no one knows what is the total amount of chemicals dumped in the whole of Vietnam.
A Vietnamese Girl affected by Agent OrangeThe chemicals used in agent orange produces dioxins that are harmful to not only the environment, but causes diseases like cancer and genetically transfer from one generation to the next causing massive deformation in babies. In 1984, chemical companies that manufactured the Agent paid $180m to the United States veterans who are suffering due to their contact with Agent Orange.
Originally posted by geobro
you even adopted the helmets


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What Are Your All-Time Favorite xoVain Articles?
It's gonna get sappy up in here.
For those of you who missed my original BB creams article from over the summer, I congratulate you, because it was f—ing silly, with too much mania and capitalization and exclamation points. No! I actually mean read it right here and now before you read this article.
No dice? Fine, I will excerpt it for you. It was, incidentally, the post from which these ridiculous photos came:
Oh heyyyy. Here I am vamping at an art gallery in Chelsea with a bunch of BB creams. I was at an event by the Korean dermatologist Dr. Jart+, who is basically the master of them. And boy, it is true -- they make your skin wonderful. GLOWY. CLEAR. YOUTHFUL-LOOKING. With LESS WRINKLES. AND LESS ACNE.
YES, BB creams treat both. And – AND !!! – it's makeup! And sunscreen! The most wonderful tinted moisturizer ever. Well, for a lot of skin tones, and by a lot I mean lighter skin tones. No, they are not for darker people, though the black makeup artist at the event was using it as highlighter. So there you go!
(They are all one shade you see: biege and translucent-looking, almost ... yet somehow they cover beautifully, too.) And maybe – just MAYBE, because you know I don't say this unless I REALLY am telling the truth, guys – BB creams make your pores look a little smaller. YUP.
Here's how you apply them: Just put two or three pumps into your palm and then smear it all recklessly over your face! You barely have to blend it -- it goes on seamlessly, and then YOUR face looks seamless.
So it's like tinted moisturizer, and a sunscreen and a moisturizer with skin treatment properties: a beauty balm. BB!
I would add to all this now that BB creams were originally used in Germany by dermatologists to help laser surgery patients protect and soothe highly sensitive skin (while still getting light coverage); then Korean film stars found them, declared them the "perfect" beauty product, and they soon became known as the "Korean film star beauty secret." And then they hit the States (for a while, you could only get BB creams here off of Ebay!).
And now there is a drugstore version -- by Garnier, a brand that only started making skincare products a few years ago but have been slaying the game ever since (I am particularly fond of their Skin Renew Clinical Dark Spot Corrector).
Now I have included an uncharacteristically "natural" looking beauty shot at the top of the article (forgive me for looking so sullen in it; I'm not feeling well today) to illustrate just how lovely this new Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector sits on the skin.
I applied it right after I woke up, no moisturizer underneath, and without a mirror -- just with my hands, and rubbed it on everywhere, with extra attention around my chin (where I break out) and under my eyes and around my nose (where there are shadows).
The effect, as you see, is not greasy at all, or particularly matte, either. Your skin looks like your skin but better, and the whole thing is basically effortless. Best of all, I am protected (moderately) from the sun, an idea that bores me but which I am making an effort to commit to more and more as I grow older, because Garnier's BB Cream has SPF 15.
How is this different from the Dr. Jart+ I previously endorsed? Well, it's cheaper -- only $12.99, about $20 less than Dr. Jart+. And it's dewier, and less pale. And it's available in light/medium and medium/dark.
(Do note that more expensive BB creams generally have higher, better SPF and also better acne-fighting ingredients, if that's a concern for you. SEE: Dr. Jart+ and Boscia.)
Important: this stuff is in the SKINCARE aisle of the drugstore, not the makeup aisle -- so shop accordingly. It's there because it's proven to brighten skin tone, hydrate, and protect. It's also full of mineral ingredients and Vitamin C.
That said, this is probably the first drugstore foundation-type think I've ever heartily endorsed. Woooo!
Have you tried BB creams yet -- and what did you think? And do you use drugstore foundation, ever? How about skincare? Do tell.
Cat's on Twitter, giving out more free beauty advice...once every 50 tweets or so.


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Smoking J's Fiery Foods are growers and producers of a wide range of peppers and pepper related products. We offer for sale a large diversity of seasonally fresh peppers as well we produce original hand crafted hot sauces, barbecue sauces, salsas, and blended dry rubs.
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jam, preserves, hot sauce, salsa
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text:
Charenton, LA (PRWEB) July 09, 2014
Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel made a major announcement this morning about its entertainment lineup for the second half of 2014.
Boz Scaggs will headline in The Pavilion on August 15. He gained fame in the 1960s as a guitarist and lead singer with the Steve Miller Band, and in the 1970s with several solo Top 20 hit singles in the United States, including the well-known hits "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle." He is also widely known for creating the iconic love song "Look What You've Done For Me" from Urban Cowboy.
.38 Special will appear on October 24. Influenced heavily by Southern Rock, .38 Special first became known for their song "Hold On Loosely" (1981). They followed it with hits "Caught Up in You," "If I'd Been the One," "Back Where You Belong" and "Teacher Teacher." .38 Special has toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr.'s, Trace Adkins, REO Speedwagon and Styx.
Tickets are now on sale for both shows at Bizzute Gifts at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel and Ticketmaster.com. Showtime will be at 8:00pm. Doors open at 7:00pm.
About Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel
Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel is located in Charenton, Louisiana off of US Highway 90 and features over 1300 slots and more than 30 tables including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Mississippi Stud, and 3-Card Poker just to name few. Phone 1-800-234-4386 for more information, or visit the website at http://www.cypressbayou.com


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Don't forget to visit Material Girls for the awesome
Monday, September 15, 2008
Au Revoir ~ Journey to Egypt and Jordan with Mom
Don't forget to visit Material Girls for the awesome
Posted by Alkemie at 12:00 AM
Labels: Contest, Egypt and Jordan, Travel
29 comments:
- M.Kate said...
Hello Karen, I am jealous and envious :D Pack me along...I'll lose some weight haha..
YOu have a lovely trip, to the places that I am dying to go..
much love and hugs, M
- September 15, 2008 at 1:45 AM
- Laura Ingalls Gunn said...
Have a wonderful trip!
- September 15, 2008 at 6:50 AM
Lovely Trip , maybe you will find out that the first alkemist were born there !
- September 15, 2008 at 8:46 AM
- P said...
You have such a treat in store for you! I lived in Cairo for two years and spent a lot of time travelling around the Middle East - including Petra. So many beautiful things to see (and buy). Treasures everywhere. Have a lovely time.
- September 15, 2008 at 11:57 AM
- viera said...
What a great trip. Have a safe holiday ,take lots of pictutes to share with us.
- September 15, 2008 at 3:08 PM
- Teal Chic said...
Hi Karen, hope you have a wonderful trip. I can't wait to see the pictures. Also thank you for posting this contest. I've decided to do my room in pink (shock of all shocks), and I must have these lamps!!!! :) Have a great day.
- September 15, 2008 at 3:22 PM
- Marnie said...
bon voyage - you will have a quote for coffee bean boards upon your return - got busy so did not get it off before your trip
- September 15, 2008 at 5:37 PM
- Yoli said...
Karen I am so thrilled for you and your Mom. What an amazing adventure you will be on girl!!!!! Have a wonderful trip and will be checking for updates.
- September 15, 2008 at 5:41 PM
- Suzy said...
I'm incredibly jealous...they are both high on my "to go" list stil...have a fantastic time...can't wait to see your pics!
- September 15, 2008 at 9:44 PM
- Mélanie said...
You are very lucky for 2 reasons :
you are going to Petra and it is a wonderful place
and you are travelling with your mum.
Have a good trip
- September 16, 2008 at 2:12 AM
- Villa Anna said...
Bon voyage Karen! Ahhhhh I am squealing with envy! I wish you and your mum a truly wonderful time and I CAN'T WAIT to see your pics! See and buy heaps!
Anna :)
- September 16, 2008 at 4:04 AM
- Visual Vamp said...
Bon voyage mon ami! Like Villa Anna and the rest of us, we look forward to your posting about the trip.
Travel safe!
- September 16, 2008 at 7:01 AM
- kay* said...
oh how lucky of you! i have a slight facination with egypt and finally visited for 2 weeks by myself last year...i loved every moment and can't wait to go back. i would love to go to petra as well.
can i leave you a tip? if you visit khan-al khalil, one of the most popular bazaars in Cairo go to the NON-touristy side (which is on the opposite side of the street than the main bazaar). It's not as nice looking...there aren't really much tourists on that side but you can get an authentic inlaid, camelbone box from the guy who makes them for a great price. truly beautiful. most of the ones on the tourist side are fake.
- September 16, 2008 at 11:06 AM
- Porchlight Interiors said...
Hope you have a great trip! The views from the Marriot look spectacular. Looking forward to some pics when you get back. We are about to go camping for 9 days with lots of kids - don't be too jealous - your trip will be fun too. Tracey
- September 16, 2008 at 6:50 PM
- Fifi Flowers said...
ENJOY! I have traveled with my mothr on several occasions... it is such FUN! Can't wait to hear all about it!
Oooooh... I so want one of these libraies... need to move kids out of their tv room and remodel!
- September 16, 2008 at 7:53 PM
- annechovie said...
Sounds like an exciting adventure to an amazing place! Hope you and your mom have a very safe and wonderful trip together!
- September 18, 2008 at 8:13 AM
great photo's, have a wonderful trip!
- September 23, 2008 at 6:59 AM
- house decor said...
These photos look truly amazing i hope you had a great time
- September 23, 2008 at 10:51 PM
- mindyourstep said...
hello. im new to this whole blogger thing but stumbled upon your page.
I am soon headed to the middle east as well. im doing a tour of Jordan and Isreal. Very exciting stuff. And, its my first time over seas. haha. my mum quite typicaly said "why cant u just go to Eurore like everybody else'. haha. I hope your trip is great
- September 23, 2008 at 11:43 PM
- MEADE DESIGN GROUP said...
Please take lots of pictures of Petra for us to see. I have to admit that I am having trip envy (lol)
- September 25, 2008 at 9:44 PM
- porter hovey said...
This just reminds me how much I need a vacation!
- September 29, 2008 at 7:52 AM
- qerat said...
I just discovered your blog today. I wish I did before your trip to Jordan. I am from Jordan!!!
You did not post about your trip after your return, I just hope you had a good time in our country.
Great blog by the way. Love your posts and photos.
- October 16, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Down Comforter said...
What a fun post!!
- October 23, 2008 at 11:16 AM
- Quoizel said...
I am so jealous. I have always wanted to visit Petra. It looks absoulutely beautiful with the lights in front of it. I am also definetly going to put in for the lamp giveway. Thanks for the wonderful blog.
- April 13, 2009 at 2:30 PM
- Quoizel said...
I am so jealous I have always wanted to vist Petra. It looks so beautiful with the lights in front of it. I am also definetly going to put in for your lamp giveway. Thanks for the wonderful blog.
- April 13, 2009 at 2:34 PM
- Mcmanusrxlg said...
What a great trip. Have a safe holiday ,take lots of pictutes to share with us.
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Lord Boyd-Carpenter asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern):My Lords, the net expenditure on legal aid in 1994-95 was £1.299 billion. The largest single item of expenditure identified in that year was a payment to solicitors of £4.57 million made in respect of a lead case in a childhood leukaemia multi-party action. However, the largest single item of expenditure relating to a single case was a payment of £1.02 million to solicitors acting on behalf of a defendant involved in a fraud trial which arose out of the investigation into the BCCI banking fraud.
Lord Boyd-Carpenter: My Lords, I thank my noble and learned friend for that extremely interesting, if depressing, Answer. Can he possibly tell the House whether steps are now being taken to reduce the expenditure on legal aid?
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, steps are being taken to control further expenditure on legal aid. I have already indicated some of those to your Lordships. The most important is the possibility of taking into account the circumstances of those who may assist persons applying for legal aid to maintain a lifestyle which seems higher than the assets and income that they possess. The second aspect is a new unit to investigate in more detail the circumstances of those whose financial affairs seem to be complicated and who are applying for legal aid.
Lord Irvine of Lairg: My Lords, can the noble and learned Lord confirm that his department's latest estimate is of an underspend of £65 million this year on the legal aid budget? Can he further confirm that that is the third consecutive substantial underspend against the estimate's provision and therefore any assertion that the legal aid budget is out of control is without foundation?
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, legal aid expenditure is rising. However, it is true that the forecast that we made to date this year indicates an underspend on this year's figure. That is a sign that the controls are effective; it does not mean that the budget itself is in any way being reduced. I believe that the efficacy of the control system is being demonstrated.
Lord Ironside: My Lords, can my noble and learned friend say what proportion of that total was spent on
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, I do not have the precise figures to mind. But quite a high proportion of the expenditure in personal injury actions is recovered by the Legal Aid Board because success is normally attended by an order for costs. As I mentioned in my original Answer, the largest single item of expenditure was in respect of a childhood leukaemia multi-party action which is in the nature of a personal injury action of a special type. However, that case was unsuccessful and therefore would not have given rise to a costs order and recovery.
Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos: My Lords, does the noble and learned Lord agree that when legal aid was introduced over 40 years ago the object was to help the poorer sections of the community? Now that objective has completely vanished and in many cases it is helping extremely dubious people.
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, the intention of the scheme is still to help those from the poorer sections of the community. The same rules are applied to everyone. However, experience has shown that in some circumstances a fuller investigation of some people's financial affairs is required before a final determination is made. The object of the scheme remains very much as the noble Lord described it.
Lord Strabolgi: My Lords, in view of the noble and learned Lord's proposal that legal aid should be denied to people who own a house worth more than £100,000, does that figure include the mortgaged element? Also, will the noble and learned Lord reconsider that figure since in relation to house property in southern England it appears to be quite unrealistic?
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, it is a question of whether it is right across the country to have a figure of that sort. The £100,000 refers to the equity in the house. I should have thought that a figure of £100,000 as a disregard is reasonable as a way of trying to ensure that the legal aid scheme serves the interests of those who need assistance.
Lord Boardman: My Lords, is not the main sufferer in the legal aid system the successful defendant who all too often is unable to recover any part of his costs?
The Lord Chancellor: My Lords, this is a matter that I have addressed in the Green Paper because it is seen as a cause of injustice that a successful defendant may not be able to recover his costs. The normal way in which this is applied means that, where there is no contribution, on the whole there is no cost. Yet the person in question might have a house of substantial size. This issue requires to be re-examined and the consultation on the Green Paper will enable that to be done.
Lord Ezra asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish): My Lords, the Government's latest forecast is set out in the November Financial Statement and Budget Report, and shows the economy growing by 3 per cent. in 1996.
Lord Ezra: My Lords, I note the optimistic tone of the noble Lord's response. However, will he accept that the present rate of growth is not at that level, and if this rate is to be achieved over the year as a whole, there will have to be a surge in growth in the latter part of the year? Will he also accept that it is unlikely to be export-led, as our main export markets, particularly on the Continent, are going through a difficult economic period? Moreover, will he accept it is unlikely to be investment-led because of cut-backs in government capital investment and manufacturing and construction investment, and therefore it is likely to be consumer-led? Will the noble Lord accept that in those circumstances, we will be running the risk of once more seeing some overheating in the economy?
Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish: My Lords, the noble Lord will have to decide whether we shall hit the 3 per cent. growth target or whether we shall overheat the economy. Of course our GDP growth has slowed down, as it has done elsewhere in Europe; but the fundamentals are in place to ensure that good growth will continue. I am sure the noble Lord read Saturday's newspapers where he would have seen the very encouraging headline in the Guardian:
Viscount Chandos: My Lords, does the Minister not also recall a headline from today's Financial Times in which the Government are referred to as having apparently abandoned their safety first policy on inflation in their interest rate reduction in order to achieve the projected rates of growth about which so many noble Lords on this side of the House are sceptical?
Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish: My Lords, I am not entirely sure how one satisfies the Opposition or indeed the Shadow Chancellor. Week by week they call for lower interest rates; but the moment my right honourable friend the Chancellor lowers interest rates, they then complain. We are in no doubt that the level of inflation is set to continue its current trend which is well within the targets set out by my right honourable friend the Chancellor. The cut in interest rates on Friday is a sensible way to help everyone in the economy, particularly house owners.
Baroness O'Cathain: My Lords, can my noble friend confirm that growth can indeed be led by both investment and consumer expenditure through this prudent, managed and consistent reduction in interest rates?
Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish: My Lords, my noble friend is quite right. A number of factors will help this year, including the reduction in taxes which will come into play in April and the fact that TESSAs will be maturing. In particular, as a result of the three interest rate cuts by the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England, the payment for an average mortgage of £33,000 will have fallen by £150 a month since the high point in October 1990. That represents a great deal of extra consumer spending.
Lord Brabazon of Tara: My Lords, as well as having the lowest interest rates, and particularly mortgage rates, for very many years, can my noble friend tell me how unemployment in this country compares with unemployment in the countries of some of our European Union colleagues?
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By Del. Terry Austin
19th District
We just wrapped up the sixth week of the General Assembly's seven week legislative session, but things are still in full swing. We still have over 100 bills that the House and Senate must act on before we adjourn on Saturday. Though I'm looking forward to returning back to the 19th District, we will continue to work hard here in Richmond.
By Sen. Steve Newman
23rd District
In a week that included the lowest ever recorded temperature in our district and in Richmond along with significant snowfall, the 2015 Session of the Virginia General Assembly didn't miss a day and has seen over 2000 bills work their way through the legislature this year. So far, we have been able to protect many of our shared values of faith and family, support for Constitutional government, ethics reform and requiring government to live within its means.
The second to last week of session is ordinarily one of the busiest. Both House and Senate Committees have to finish work on the bills that have been assigned to them during this week, to ensure there is sufficient time for legislation to be debated in the respective chambers and – if there are differences – negotiated by committees of conference.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is getting most of the attention lately as various Republicans position themselves to be a candidate for president in 2016.
This would be the third Bush of his clan to seek the presidency, giving rise to some strong feelings one way or the other about dynasties in politics.
Meetings are often really boring affairs. The one Bedford County's Republicans held two weeks ago, however, was certainly anything but boring. I love a good political fight and these guys did not disappoint me. It was a truly entertaining gathering.
I usually don't go to political party meetings, but the Republicans have held a couple in the last six months that were significant. I went to this one because they were going to choose the method of selecting Republican nominees for local offices in this fall's election.
By Congressman Robert Hurt
As I travel the Fifth District listening to those I represent, it is clear to me that Virginians recognize that the status quo is unsustainable. Our nation has borrowed $18 trillion, and Washington continues to borrow nearly 20 cents on every dollar it spends. Parents are gravely concerned about the impact of our national debt on their children's futures.
Some have called it a "well-intentioned flop" while others say it's an anti-competitive government mandate, but whatever you call the ethanol mandate, or Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), it's clear this policy has caused many negative consequences for American consumers.
By Delegate Terry Austin
19th District
Last week, the General Assembly was in full swing as we approached the midway point of the 2015 session. Both the House and Senate must complete their work on legislation before "crossover" on February 10. After that, we will begin work on legislation sent over from the other Chamber.
This weekend the Senate Finance Committee released their new state budget. The measure was presented to the sub-committee chairmen and approved by the full Senate Finance Committee on which I am honored to serve. It represents the Commonwealth's budget for the next two years.
With more than half of this year's General Assembly session behind us and with the legislative halfway mark, crossover, looming, this week in Richmond was filled with action on bills and resolutions.
Copyright © 2018
The Bedford Bulletin is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Bedford County and Bedford, VA and the surrounding area.


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FDA approves Boston Scientific atrial fibrillation device
The FDA approved Boston Scientific's non-valvular atrial fibrillation device after the company spent years trying to secure an approval.
The Watchman is "a left atrial appendage closure device" that can be used as an alternative treatment to blood thinners.
The device is only approved for warfarin-eligible candidates who "did not have an appropriate rationale to seek a non-pharmacologic alternative to warfarin," Medpage Today reported.
The Wall Street Journal noted in an October 2014 story following an advisory panel's 6-5 endorsement that the Watchman is a one-inch plug that is meant to keep possible blood clots from making their way into arteries and causing strokes. Cowen Group analyst Joshua Jennings told the Journal at the time that the device was important for investor sentiment and that a US approval could move sales from $41 million in 2014 to $170 million by 2018.
The device has had varying levels of endorsement. Forbes reported in June that the FDA told Boston Scientific the Watchman would have to go through a third advisory panel vetting. An FDA panel recommended the device in 2013 but some panel members expressed concern about the device and the potential for overuse, Forbes added. This is in addition to a 2010 complete response letter from the FDA asking for additional safety and efficacy data.


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Currently I'm working on a project at a customer where we are integrating a new ASP.NET MVC application into an existing ASP.NET WebForms application. Due the complexity of the legacy system (70+ projects) I decided to start a brand new solution for the new development and put this into a nuget package. Every time a new version of the ASP.NET MVC needs to be published, a new version of the nuget package gets installed on the existing legacy system.
To automate this, I started by adding a post-build event to the ASP.NET MVC Project that got triggered every time I was building a release build. So far, so good.
Next step was configuring the TFS Build so I could push the package to a share, this way every any of the team could install the package and I could use package restore. This way I no longer needed to check-in the package folder.
Note: Don't use 'enable Nuget Package Restore' function on the solution, but enable it on 'Tools > Options > Package Manager > General' on this tab page you have a group box called Package Restore. Check both checkboxes. More information about this can be found on this blog by Xavier Decoster.
This is where the hell began. Building the project succeeded, but the build failed on packaging the nuget package. One of the issues I had was that nuget looked for was looking for the bin folder to copy the dll's, but a TFS build doesn't place the dll files in the bin folder after build, but to a binaries folder at solution level. A possible fix was changing the output path for a release build to '..\..\Binaries' on the properties of the project file (Build tab). But this is rather a workaround then a good solution. So I looked further for a better solution.
Next I started to take a look at the nuget.targets file that gets added when you use the 'enable Nuget Package Restore' on the solution. I know I just told not to use this, and you shouldn't, but this targets file also contained a task for packaging nuget packages. So the next thing I did was copying the content of the .nuget folder to my own folder and modified the NuGet.targets file.
If you thought this would solve all my problems, think again. The problem of the packaging looking for the bin folder of the project was solved by adding –OutputDirectory "$(OutDir) " to the pack command. Note the space after the $(OutDir). This must be present and is necessary to handle the double slashes that occurs when packaging on TFS. This results in something like 'bin\ \package.nupkg'. Not nice, but seems to work. Next problem I had was the fact I was using the "-IncludeReferencedProjects" option. This was still using the output path configured for this project instead of the binaries folder.
After some googling I found a helpfull comment on a nuget issue. (The last comment by athinton). So by adding -Properties OutputPath="$(OutDir) " to the pack statement, I solved the issue and packaging after a TFS build finally worked with the in"-IncludeReferencedProjects" option.
But … this broke the packaging inside visual studio. For making it work in VS, the -Properties OutputPath="$(OutDir) " must be removed, so that is why I'm using an MSBuild task to define all this rules.
The NuGetToolsPath must be change to the path where the nuget.exe file is located. (Note that it appears 2 times)
Extra options for packaging the nuget package can be added to the buildcommand element.
Last but not least, don't forget to import this file in your project file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<SolutionDir Condition="$(SolutionDir) == '' Or $(SolutionDir) == '*Undefined*'">$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\</SolutionDir>
<!-- Property that enables building a package from a project -->
<BuildPackage Condition=" '$(BuildPackage)' == '' ">true</BuildPackage>
<!-- Download NuGet.exe if it does not already exist -->
<DownloadNuGetExe Condition=" '$(DownloadNuGetExe)' == '' ">false</DownloadNuGetExe>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(OS)' == 'Windows_NT'">
<!-- Windows specific commands -->
<NuGetToolsPath>$([System.IO.Path]::Combine($(SolutionDir), "Nuget"))</NuGetToolsPath>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(OS)' != 'Windows_NT'">
<!-- We need to launch nuget.exe with the mono command if we're not on windows -->
<!-- NuGet command -->
<NuGetExePath Condition=" '$(NuGetExePath)' == '' ">$(NuGetToolsPath)\NuGet.exe</NuGetExePath>
<NuGetCommand Condition=" '$(OS)' == 'Windows_NT'">"$(NuGetExePath)"</NuGetCommand>
<NuGetCommand Condition=" '$(OS)' != 'Windows_NT' ">mono --runtime=v4.0.30319 $(NuGetExePath)</NuGetCommand>
<PackageOutputDir Condition="$(PackageOutputDir) == ''">$(OutDir) </PackageOutputDir>
<OutputPath Condition="'$(BuildingInsideVisualStudio)' == 'false' " >OutputPath="$(OutDir) "</OutputPath>
<OutputPath Condition="'$(BuildingInsideVisualStudio)' == 'true' " ></OutputPath>
<NonInteractiveSwitch Condition=" '$(VisualStudioVersion)' != '' AND '$(OS)' == 'Windows_NT' ">-NonInteractive</NonInteractiveSwitch>
<!-- Commands -->
<BuildCommand>$(NuGetCommand) pack "$(ProjectPath)" -Properties "Configuration=$(Configuration);Platform=$(Platform);$(OutputPath)" $(NonInteractiveSwitch) -OutputDirectory "$(PackageOutputDir)" -IncludeReferencedProjects</BuildCommand>
<!-- Make the build depend on restore packages -->
<BuildDependsOn Condition="$(BuildPackage) == 'true'">
<Target Name="BuildPackage">
<Exec Command="$(BuildCommand)"
Condition=" '$(OS)' != 'Windows_NT' " />
<Exec Command="$(BuildCommand)"
Condition=" '$(OS)' == 'Windows_NT' " />


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Hi, thank you for visiting my website on couples, dating and relationships. My name is Megan May and I'm just a person who has had a lot of experience with romance and love. I have always yearned for that special someone, but it has taken me almost two decades to finally find him. But in the process, I have learned so much about the heart and about how to share as much of yourself as you can while getting just as much back in return. If you are struggling to find love or if you have any other problems with your relationships, this is the website for you!
Thanks to the wide availability of licensed adoption agencies, like A Child's Dream, children who need a
A memorial chain of love is a homemade paper chain that lists all the ways that the deceased person was l


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Well, here is what would've been my entry for the Fortnightly Flash Fiction contest. I worked all week on it, and it turned out to be over 500 words than the contest allows. Since I didn't really feel like editing my story, I just decided to post it as is and see what people think of it.
Prisoner of the Red Star
"What is your name?"
"Why do you want to know"?
"Because my colleague and I have the right to know."
"Who gave you that right?"
"We gave it to ourselves."
One of the two Kestora in the shadow-filled room laid his clawed hand on the shoulder on the prisoner. The newcomer, whose hands were restrained by chains to the back wall of the room, had suddenly appeared days ago. His body had been severely damaged from what appeared to be a fierce battle. The Kestora managed to heal the prisoner of all his life-threatening injuries, but they left the nonfatal ones alone, so that he would be easier to subdue in case he decided to tried to attack someone.
"Tell you what," the Kestora went on. "If you answer our questions, we will treat all of your injuries and make sure you fully recover. Of course, you most likely know that they alone will not bring you death...."The Kestora smiled. "But I assure you that they will cause you great pain until they are completely healed if left to themselves. So what do you say?"
The prisoner looked up at his captors, knowing deep down that they were telling the truth. And he did remember others of their kind treating his fatal wounds a day or two ago...
"The name's Gaardus, if that truly means anything to you," Gaardus said quietly.
"Good," the Kestora said flatly. "Now, exactly what are..."
"Before I answer any more of your questions, you will answer some of my mine," Gaardus interrupted. "Like who or what are you two? And where am I? And how exactly I'm still alive?"
"You don't have the right to ask us questions," the second Kestora said in a offended tone. "Here, only we have that right."
"But... I remember dying!" Gaardus cried out in frustration. "I died! I remember lying on the ground after being attacked by my enemy. He had used a Cordak Blaster to blow a hole through my chest! I remember...pain, anger, resentment against that monster! And then he walked up to me, aimed the blaster at my head, and pulled...."
"Okay, that's enough details," the first Kestora said, clearly a little sickened by Gaardus's graphic details of his final moments. "But to satisfy your curiosity, my colleague and I call ourselves Kestora. And you, my poor friend, are in the Red Star."
"Hey!" the second Kestora suddenly snapped. "Why did you tell him that! That information is only for chosen residents to know!"
"There is no harm in quelling his curiosity," the first Kestora replied. "He's trapped here, same as the others. And as long as our home is offline, he won't be going anywhere."
"This makes no sense," Gaardus said, more to himself than to the Kestora. "How did I end up here? Am I dead, or was I pulled here before I passed on?"
"Oh, you did die, my friend," the first Kestora said. "In fact, just about every being that has died in your universe has arrived here after death. Or at lease, all the ones that actually arrived here..."
The Kestora snapped the first behind the head, bluntly showing his disapproval of Gaardus learning more about the Red Star.
"Wait, so does mean that I'm..." Gaardus started to ask, but the second Kestora raised his hand to silence him.
"Enough." he stated. "As I said, we have the right to ask the questions. Now tell us what exactly are you?"
Gaardus slightly tilted his head, as if to taunt his captors. "And if I don't?"
The second Kestora leaned in close to Gaardus and spoke into his ear in a frightening whisper. "Well, my fellow colleagues need to know if you're someone who plays nicely with others, or if you're someone who doesn't. If you don't answer this question, or any of the following questions we have, we might come to the conclusion that you fall in with the latter group, and toss you in their cage with them. And trust me, they will make your currently nonfatal wounds fatal."
The purple and black armored creature took a few steps away from Gaardus and gave him a friendly smile. "But if you do answer them, we will keep our word and treat you. So ask yourself, what do you have to lose?"
Gaardus led his captor's words sink in for a moment. He didn't know his captor was telling the truth or was bluffing. But even if he was lying, Gaardus knew he was in no condition to defend himself. And if they could help him recover, then maybe...just maybe...
"Well, I used to be a Ta-Matoran," Gaardus said after spending a few moments in thought. "Though I wouldn't call myself that now."
"And what would you call yourself?"
Gaardus looked into the eyes of his captors and simply said "An Abomination."
Gaardus then went on and told the two Kestora his tragic history. He told them about his previous life, which was the only time he had known of the concept of peace. He told them how a group of exiled Nynrah Ghosts kidnapped him and performed experiments on him to make him a 'living weapon.' He even told them how he had broken free of the Ghosts, and had been hunting each of them down and killing them for their actions.
"The being that killed me, the being that I spoke of earlier, was the last one," Gaardus said, not even trying to hide the rage that his story had re-awoken in him. "He is the reason that I stand before both of you now."
Both Kestora now stood in front of Gaardus, going over his answers to their questions in their minds. Finally, they both retreated to the other side of the room talk privately among themselves.
"There are no lies in his story," the first Kestora stated quietly.
"Agreed," whispered the second.
"So, what do we do with him?" asked the first. "He has not only openly admitted to us that he has killed other beings out of revenge, he has stated that he is a living weapon! He also clearly has some mental issues, though who wouldn't after what he went through?"
"That shows that he could be a danger to our kind, as well as the others here," the second added. "We may need to keep him with the more savage residents that we keep here. He clearly doesn't sound like someone with the best intentions to me."
"We will inform the other Kestora what we have learned," the first said. "And together, we will decide what his fate will be. For now, we will keep our word and treat him. We are civilized beings, after all."
Their private meeting done, one of the two Kestora knocked on the door that led into the room. A second later, three more Kestora entered the room with a stretcher just big enough for Gaardus."We thank you for your honestly," the first Kestora said to Gaardus. "We will now release you from your chains and take you to be treated for your injuries like we agreed on. Will you comply and not give us trouble?"
Gaardus nodded his head. Satisfied, the Kestora freed him and helped him onto the stretcher. The other Kestora then lifted the stretcher up and began to transport the weakened Gaardus to their infirmary. There, he would be treated for his injuries and restored to full health. And after that, his placement in the Red Star would be decided by the Kestora.
At least, that is what the Kestora planned to do with Gaardus. The former Ta-Matoran, however, had his own plans....He would show the Kestora that he was someone with the 'best intentions' and obey their requests, doing wherever they asked of him after healing him. He planned to do this until he got a better idea of what this 'Red Star' was, and where it was located. He would use his enhanced senses and teleportation powers, which he had not told the Kestora about, to get this information. The former power, which gave him enhanced hearing, had already allowed him to be able to overhear the two Kestora in their private meeting in his cell. He could definitely use it to overhear the Kestora talking at a distance when the need arose for it. He could also try to befriend one of these Kestora creatures. One of them had already proven to have an open mouth. He could try to learn more about them, like what their strengths and weaknesses were, and learn more about what happened to himself after 'dying' in his universe.
Of course, these were all just plans. Long shot plans at that. Gaardus was definitely uncertain if he would be able to pull them off. But he was going to try regardless. He had to. For in his mind, there was no other option.
There are two things I do know for certain. Gaardus thought as he and the Kestora reached the infirmary. One is that I'm somehow still alive, for I would not be needing treatment for injuries if I was dead. The other is that, despite what these creatures say, there is a way off this star. There has to be. And I will find it, return to my universe, and get my revenge on that Nynrah Ghost!
Thanks to everyone who reads my story. Comments and criticism are welcomed!
Edited by Toa Smoke Monster, Aug 22 2015 - 01:04 PM.


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Hi, my name is Vicki!
I was born and raised in the greater Seattle area, spent 12 years in California where I met my husband, and moved back home to Seattle last August.
I'm a new mommy to an amazing daughter, Dixie Pearl, and am super passionate about photography.
I specialize in portraits: High School Seniors, Families, Headshots, and Engagements in the Greater Seattle area.
I'm an avid Big Brother fan, champagne enthusiast, and brunch lover.
I'm excited to meet you! Thanks for stopping by!


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The following was written on January 2nd, 2009:
So following my last post on the recently completed Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER, I went for a drink with my friends Derek and Gary, and we shot the shit about the series over beers. I have to say I feel a lot better about the ending having bounced my thoughts off of a couple of smart, well-read comics fans.
So, Spoilers.
Essentially, I wasn't sure if all of the plot threads that had been developed had actually woven together in the end. My biggest problem was that the exact nature of the lessons were never really revealed. We even got to see into them at one point, but it seemed to be mostly recitations of a few songs and books… I ended up filling in the gaps, realising that the same sort of subliminal manipulation that Johan had been using throughout the series is the same way that he was manipulated, that the books/songs were part of that… but considering the volume of… data… dumped on the reader in the last few volumes, it would've been nice to get more than a peak through a partially-opened door. But yeah, I made my peace, and the theme of tearing down society being repeated from small to large (Johann manipulating individual children, the orphanage, the cartels, and finally a whole town) helped put all of it into perspective.
The other thing that bothered me was the cross-dressing. It was immediately obvious to me that Nina and Johann were switched during the scenes with the children being taken away to the Rose Mansion the first time, that it was Nina that was "awakened" and that Johan was fucked up in other ways, but I don't understand why they were both dressed as girls as children. I suppose it's because their mom would've gotten kicked out if she had two children rather than one? I don't remember that being addressed though, and it just struck me as a little "surprise for surprise's sake."
Finally, I had a general sense of unease about the very ending, the conversation between Tenma and the twins' mother, and the 'conversation' between Tenma and Johan. Essentially, I thought the former should have been more explicit, and the latter seemed like a cheat. My friend Derek put forth the theory that the conversation between Tenma and Johan really didn't happen, and instead, Tenma's dream was actually the content of his conversation with the mother. Johan wouldn't have known about the mother's decision. That kind of works, for me, but it requires some logical leaps that aren't really in the story. I'm inclined to be more foregiving because I enjoyed everything up to the end very much, MONSTER is really a fantastic page-turning read, but I also feel it's the kind of series that, because it turned on its plot reveals, needed an ending that was really conclusive and put all of the toys back in the box. Abhay has the right idea in the comments section:
"I was really disappointed with Monster's ending when I read it, but having looked at it again since, I think it's an okay set of chapters on its own terms, that just suffers just in terms of the expectations that are built going into it, based upon 17 previous books with more at stake. On its own terms it's as thoughtful and entertaining as any previous episode– just as an ending, I felt disappointed." – Abhay
…and then I stopped writing. I got distracted by the site re-design, and my manga industry posts, and tenthousand other things. And now it is February 16th and I have something to add.
Since beginning to write a follow-up on my reaction to Monster, I've had a chance to really ruminate on the series and discuss it with people. A good number of my customers read this site now, and so they'll come in to the store after reading something I've written here and ask me questions like "So you didn't like Monster's ending… should I keep reading it?" and my gut reaction is "Yes, of course." Not because I'm a salesperson (heh) but because when I think about the time I spent reading Monster, I realize that I really, really enjoyed it. My disatisfaction with the ending was for what I thought were very specific reasons, but the ending very clearly didn't ruin my enjoyment of the rest of it. And! And the more I thought about it, the more I really enjoyed it.
Okay, I'm going to stop talking in bold.
So, I went back and read the comments to my last post on Monster a couple of times and I think that, really, there are different readings of the series and some of them work and some of them don't. Myk, one of the commenters, said this:
Well, it's been something like two years since I read Monster, but I always thought that, as much as it is a riff on the classic "innocent fugitive wants to prove his innocence" theme, it is also an allegorical take on the creation process of an author.
Case in point, the huge role that books play in the second half of the series, how theMonster is created and all that. I saw Tenma and Johann as the two main forces an author has to fight with, when creating a work of fiction.
Tenma – the good guy – as the author's side that is necessarily in love with the characters he created, who wants to preserve them, save them and keep the safe from harm.
Johann on the other hand as the destructive force, that knows that there must be destruction, tragedy, to propell the story forward to a conclusion.
So is Monster just an author's extended internal monologue on how to treat his creations? Might be. Might be I'm reading too much into it. But at the very least I think people are not giving Urasawa quite as much credit as would be due. – Myk
And that's fair. And the more I think about it, I do think that judging the series entirely on how it sets up, and then follows-through, on the plot is maybe not entirely fair to the work. Or as Myk said, extending enough credit to the author. I know that in the one comic I've written in the last 20 years, the plot wasn't nearly as important as emotion and resonance, and so maybe I should extend the same consideration to the author?
Further, as you can see above I really was starting to come around on the plot, that most of my initial problems with how it came together worked themselves out once I was able to start a dialogue about the work. Sort of like an impromptu book-club, discussing the work to see if it succeeded or not. In short, I think Naoki Urasawa's Monster is a successful series (though not without its problems), and I feel a lot better about it now then after I read the whole series in a single day (surprise, surprise). I've got no problem recommending it to folks, and I'll be keeping copies of all 18 volumes on my bookshelf, to be re-read again sometime (maybe with a bit of a break between volumes though…).
Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their thoughts on the series both in the comments and at the store!
– Christopher


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Washable, reusable, cotton bags with tie string. These bags are great for cooking, bath potions and of course a tea bag. Five bags come in each package, and measure 3" x 3 3/4".
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