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The funeral will be Saturday, Nov. 17.
Edna Beryl Rognlie, age 99, of Crookston, MN passed away on November 10, 2012 at the Villa St. Vincent in Crookston. Edna was born on December 9, 1912 at Climax, MN to Claus Magni (C.M.) and Ragna (Stortroen) Davidson. After graduating from Climax High School, she continued her education at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN and Interstate Business College in Fargo, ND. Edna married Lloyd Rognlie of Halstad. MN in 1932 and had three children. She worked in Fargo, ND at Broadway Pharmacy, for a furniture store and a hardware store; then owned and operated the Viking Café in Climax, MN; and ended her bookkeeping career with the Crookston Dental Clinic at Crookston, MN.
Edna enjoyed spending time at her lake cabin, playing cards, solving crossword puzzles, reading, knitting, garden clubs, her membership in the Climax Band Mothers, and traveling to visit friends and family throughout the United States, as well as, overseas. She was always ready for a new adventure. Edna was active in Climax Lutheran Church Ladies Aid and other church activities, and later continued her spiritual life as a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston.
Edna was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Walton and his wife, Luella (Coauette) Davidson, sister, Doris and her husband Philip Hovander, and daughter-in-law, Marge Rognlie. She is survived by her children: Kay Kelly of Fargo, ND, David Rognlie of Bernardsville, NJ, and Lola (David) Monson of River Forest, IL; eight grandchildren: Patrick (Kathy) Kelly of Crookston, MN, Kimberly (Daniel) Mickelson and Lisa Kelly of Fargo, ND, Michelle Kelly of Hopkins, MN, Michael Kelly of Edina, MN, Rebecca Monson, of Chicago, IL, Deborah (Jim) Flight, of Boulder, CO, and Heidi Rognlie (Jean Raphanel) of Paris, France; and four great-grandchildren.
The funeral service for Edna Beryl Rognlie will be held at 10:30 am, Saturday, November 17, 2012, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston, MN, with The Rev. Greg Isaacson, officiating. Visitation will be at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home in Crookston on Friday from 5-7 pm, with a 7 pm prayer service, and also at the church for one hour prior to the funeral. Interment will be at the Sand Hill Lutheran Cemetery, rural Climax, MN.


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I'm not gonna lie, I have never heard of this character from a show called SheZow nor have I ever heard of SheZow either. I just wanted to fill some more requests that folks have been asking for. Here is "how to draw Guy Hamdon", step by step. I guess the show follows a twelve year old kid who inherits a relative ring and super powers. Once he puts the ring on he can't seem to get it off. He gets the help from a few friends like Maz, and his sister Kelly as they journey through the She-lair. If you are one of the members that asked for this lesson on drawing Guy Hamdon, I hope you enjoy the tutorial.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!

subset: commoncrawl


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|ASUS GeForce GTX-465 Video Card
|Reviews - Featured Reviews: Video Cards
|Written by Olin Coles
|Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Page 3 of 21
NVIDIA GF100 GPU Fermi Architecture
NVIDIA's latest GPU is codenamed GF100, and is the first graphics processor based on the Fermi architecture. In this article, Benchmark Reviews explains the technical architecture behind NVIDIA's GF100 graphics processor and offers an insight into upcoming Fermi-based GeForce video cards. For those who are not familiar, NVIDIA's GF100 GPU is their first graphics processor to support DirectX-11 hardware features such as tessellation and DirectCompute, while also adding heavy particle and turbulence effects. The GF100 GPU is also the successor to the GT200 graphics processor, which launched in the GeForce GTX 280 video card back in June 2008. NVIDIA has since redefined their focus, and GF100 proves a dedication towards next generation gaming effects such as raytracing, order-independent transparency, and fluid simulations. Rest assured, the new GF100 GPU is more powerful than the GT200 could ever be, and early results indicate a Fermi-based video card delivers far more than twice the gaming performance over a GeForce GTX-280.
GF100 is not another incremental GPU step-up like we had going from G80 to GT200. While processor cores have grown from 128 (G80) and 240 (GT200), they now reach 512 and earn the title of NVIDIA CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) cores. The key here is not only the name, but that the name now implies an emphasis on something more than just graphics. Each Fermi CUDA processor core has a fully pipelined integer arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and floating point unit (FPU). GF100 implements the new IEEE 754-2008 floating-point standard, providing the fused multiply-add (FMA) instruction for both single and double precision arithmetic. FMA improves over a multiply-add (MAD) instruction by doing the multiplication and addition with a single final rounding step, with no loss of precision in the addition. FMA minimizes rendering errors in closely overlapping triangles.
Based on Fermi's third-generation Streaming Multiprocessor (SM) architecture, GF100 doubles the number of CUDA cores over the previous architecture. NVIDIA GeForce GF100 Fermi GPUs are based on a scalable array of Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), and memory controllers. The NVIDIA GF100 implements four GPCs, sixteen SMs, and six memory controllers. Expect NVIDIA to launch GF100 products with different configurations of GPCs, SMs, and memory controllers to address different price points.
CPU commands are read by the GPU via the Host Interface. The GigaThread Engine fetches the specified data from system memory and copies them to the frame buffer. GF100 implements six 64-bit GDDR5 memory controllers (384-bit total) to facilitate high bandwidth access to the frame buffer. The GigaThread Engine then creates and dispatches thread blocks to various SMs. Individual SMs in turn schedules warps (groups of 32 threads) to CUDA cores and other execution units. The GigaThread Engine also redistributes work to the SMs when work expansion occurs in the graphics pipeline, such as after the tessellation and rasterization stages.
GF100 implements 512 CUDA cores, organized as 16 SMs of 32 cores each. Each SM is a highly parallel multiprocessor supporting up to 48 warps at any given time. Each CUDA core is a unified processor core that executes vertex, pixel, geometry, and compute kernels. A unified L2 cache architecture services load, store, and texture operations. GF100 has 48 ROP units for pixel blending, antialiasing, and atomic memory operations. The ROP units are organized in six groups of eight. Each group is serviced by a 64-bit memory controller. The memory controller, L2 cache, and ROP group are closely coupled-scaling one unit automatically scales the others.
NVIDIA GigaThread Thread Scheduler
One of the most important technologies of the Fermi architecture is its two-level, distributed thread scheduler. At the chip level, a global work distribution engine schedules thread blocks to various SMs, while at the SM level, each warp scheduler distributes warps of 32 threads to its execution units. The first generation GigaThread engine introduced in G80 managed up to 12,288 threads in real-time. The Fermi architecture improves on this foundation by providing not only greater thread throughput, but dramatically faster context switching, concurrent kernel execution, and improved thread block scheduling.
What's new in Fermi?
With any new technology, consumers want to know what's new in the product. The goal of this article is to share in-depth information surrounding the Fermi architecture, as well as the new functionality unlocked in GF100. For clarity, the 'GF' letters used in the GF100 GPU name are not an abbreviation for 'GeForce'; they actually denote that this GPU is a Graphics solution based on the Fermi architecture. The next generation of NVIDIA GeForce-series desktop video cards will use the GF100 to promote the following new features:
Benchmark Reviews also more detail in our full-length NVIDIA GF100 GPU Fermi Graphics Architecture guide.
Then, the HD5770 is not 256-bit but 128-bit!
I count 5 clear wins for the 5850, 3 for the 465 and one wash (Resident evil 5). From the 465's point of view, thats a staggering 67% more wins for the 5850!!
And by the way, I don't count the two parts of 3D vantage as separate tests.
So not only is the 5850 the faster card with over half the tests won, more importantly, it also offers the most bang for your buck! All according to your own figures!
At least to me, this would count as a clear win for the 5850, but that is hardly what I see in the summary.
Also worth mentioning i think: Having been on Newegg on a few occasions, $305 seemed a bit steep for a 5850, and for aspiring customers for a graphics card, I can tell a 5850 can be found for $285. Only $5 more expensive than the price for the 465 you are quoting, and with that small difference I think the value numbers throughout the test would look a bit different.
You should also check your math on the cost per FPS, because the GTX-465 beats the Radeon 5850 in nearly all of them.
I thank you and congratulate you for your response to the commenter.
I sit here absolutely STUNNED. I can't believe that somebody didn't just "take it" and nearly agree with the ati fan fraud.
My faith in humanity has been renewed.
Believe me, I really, really appreciate it.
Sincerely sick of the rampant red bias,
Did you just report the AC Power differnence between no graphic card in the system and with the Graphics card installed? Did you try to take into account the PSU efficiency?
Power supply efficiency is not taken into consideration for any of our reported results. Only the motherboard, processor, memory, SSD, and video card are drawing power. The math is simply idle/load result minus baseline.
And I don't get your pricing figures. I found a 5850 for $285 and another for $305 in Newegg... the ones you mention beyond $325 include special cooling designs.


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Infernal Affairs: The Complete Trilogy Mini Review (UK - BD RB)
Chris takes a post-Christmas look at the BD release of the Hong Kong flicks...
It's pretty rare that a BD release slips under my radar, but I had absolutely no idea that Palisades Tartan had brought the Infernal Affairs trilogy to these shores in high-definition until I received an email from the distributor offering the chance to review the release. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to look at the set until recently because of the Christmas break, so I've opted to go for yet another one of my patented 'mini reviews', which will focus more on the technical side of things than the films themselves (reviews for those are available on many other sites if you're so inclined). Anyway, let's get on with the business at hand.
The three films in the trilogy sport 2.35:1 widescreen transfers (1080/24p AVC). Each is presented on a BD25 disc with fairly low file sizes for the main features, and even though they look pretty good for the most part one can't help but wonder if higher bitrate encodes on BD50 discs might have yielded better results given that blocking is occasionally visible. Visually the films are probably best described as a mixed bag, with the original looking the worst overall. That's not to say it's a complete wash out, just that it suffers more from the apparent application of DNR than the sequels. The biggest problem is that image quality is highly variable throughout, with some fantastic looking scenes bookended by some less than impressive shots. It's disheartening when you see a detailed, gritty close-up, complete with great facial textures, turn soft and mushy before reverting to the sort of quality you'd expect from an HD release. I wouldn't say the image quality ever dips to SD levels, but it is disappointing at times. Colour rendition is pretty good, and although flesh tones appear a little off the bright neon of the night-time scenes looks great, as do the prominent steely blues. Black levels are also decent and I was pleasantly surprised by the absence of film artefacts and the natural film grain whenever DNR was absent. As previously stated the sequels are more consistent across the board, although they still suffer from the negative effects of too much filtering. All in all the films don't look too bad, but there's definite room for improvement.
The first feature is accompanied by Cantonese LPCM 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks, while the two prequels/sequels come with Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 (the specs erroneously list Dolby Digital 5.1 EX tracks as well). All three films include optional English subtitles, although annoyingly you have to manually select them. The quality of the soundtracks is pretty solid, with plenty of surround action (lots of sweeping pans and spot-effects) and well-prioritised dialogue. Music is also well-represented on all of the tracks, although I personally found it a little incongruous with the on-screen action, sounding either too aggressive or overtly mawkish. I actually found the first film the most aurally impressive of the bunch, probably because it has the most action, but all three should satisfy, if not amaze.
I mentioned the English subtitles earlier, well they seems to be reasonably well-translated (not that I understand Cantonese), although I spotted a few rudimentary grammatical errors. They weren't enough to spoil my enjoyment of the films though, and it was pretty easy to work out what the words/meanings should have been. Even so, it's a pity that one has to go to the trouble.
The set also includes a pretty healthy collection of bonus material. The first film is supported by a a making of featurette, outtakes, an alternate ending, theatrical and English dubbed trailers, and a subtitled commentary track. The second film doesn't fare quite as well, but it does include a 'making of, 'Confidential Files' (raw on-set footage), deleted scenes and a trailer. The third film comes off worst, including only a making of and a trailer. Although the bonus material gets progressively 'worse', I was actually pleasantly surprised by the amount of extras included in the set. It's a pity that the alternate ending isn't available seamlessly branched into the film as with the old Media Asia DVD release, even if it's not my preferred ending.
Although I had previously watched the original film on DVD, this marked the fist time I'd seen the sequels. I'd be lying if I said that they rank among my favourite Asian movies, but they are solid, entertaining films that are definitely worth checking out. Having read some reviews of the Mega Star set (with accompanying screen captures) it would seem that Palisades Tartan's release is taken from the same source, and as such we're unlikely to see a better version in the near future. Obviously fans of the series won't need an excuse to pick them up in high-definition, but even so they should be fairly happy with the step up in audio-visual quality over the DVD releases and the extras.
* Note: The images below are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Chris Gould
Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 27th December 2010
Discs: 3
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 2.35:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: LPCM 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 Cantonese, Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Extras: Audio Commentary, Alternate Ending, Outtakes, Making ofs, Confidential Files, Deleted Scenes, Trailers
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Kelly Chen, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Sammi Cheng, Leon Lai, Chen Dao Ming, Carina Lau,
Genre: Crime and Drama
Length: 338 minutes
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It's a bountiful harvest for the Sitorius family
Sitorius family turns garden space into thriving produce business.
The corrals and outbuildings on the Sitorius acreage south of Brady sat barren for quite some time. The hogs were long gone and the weeds had pretty much taken over the canyon.
Jobs, children and grandchildren monopolized the lives of Lyle and Charlotte Sitorius.
Last March, that all changed.
"We had an acreage sitting here with no income," Lyle said.Oldest son Raymond and his wife Mary, who live at Wray, CO, had a brilliant idea.
"They said, 'Why not clean this place up and grow some vegetables?'"
By the end of April last year, Charlotte said they were planting onions and from there a family business bloomed.
On seven acres nestled in the hills, the Sitorius family grows nearly every vegetable imaginable for their business Hometown Produce.
There are 900 tomato plants, 900 pepper plants, 4,000 onions, 2,000 leeks, three 110-foot rows of cucumbers, plus some of the burpless variety.
They have planted a half-acre to pumpkins with a whole magnitude of other veggies including squash, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, asparagus, potatoes, okra and egg plant, just to name a few.
But that's not all. Lyle and Charlotte decided to try their hand at fruit too so they planted some raspberries, plums, choke cherries, strawberries and other wild berries.
"It's a lot of work," the couple admits. "An awful lot of work."
Last year's produce began from seedling plants the couple purchased. This crop all started from seeds planted in their greenhouse back in January.
"I kept reading that seed sales were up this year," Charlotte said. "I got a little worried how the market would go."
It turns out there was little to fret over. The garden has been spared Mother Nature's wrath this season and plants are producing plenty. Charlotte said sales at farmers markets have been more than any of them anticipated.
"A lot of people start a garden," she said. "Not so many finish it."
Because the work involved in weeding, watering and harvesting can be overwhelming, many gardeners give up long before frost hits.
Not the Sitoriuses, though. They just pull more family members into the process.
"Everybody gets involved," Charlotte said, "right down to the great-grandkids picking up potatoes."
It also takes everyone when it comes time to sell the produce at farmers markets.
Raymond and Mary come from Colorado every weekend to help out at the Saturday market in North Platte. Daughter Rebecca Stearns, who has worked all summer, hauls goods into Brady on Wednesdays and they take turns at the Gothenburg market on Thursday afternoons.
The couple couldn't manage the operation by themselves. Lyle said it is a full-time four- or five-person business.
"We're limited by the number of hours in a day."
Hometown Produce has not only expanded the varieties of fruits and vegetables offered from last year.
The Sitoriuses have added other goods as well.
With the certification of a kitchen licensed by the state, the business can sell jellies, jams, pickles, salsa and other canned goodies.
"Rebecca has been making jams and jellies all summer," Charlotte said. "It's an added value and people love things that are homemade."
The salsa, made with all fresh ingredients grown on the plot, is a recipe of Mary's perfected with each canning.
"We've been selling a lot of that," Charlotte said.
With a walk-in cooler and freezer, the Sitoriuses can keep what doesn't sell for canning over the winter.
And while the hours are long and the work is sometimes difficult, the rewards are many.
"When people walk away with a smile and I hear them say, 'That was the best or most delicious,' that's what's satisfying to me," Lyle said.
Most customers, Charlotte said, seem to appreciate the effort involved.
"It's a business," she said, "but there's a beauty about it. It's amazing to watch how nature takes care of itself. You get where you kind of feel in harmony with the plants."
The Sitoriuses have already started planning next year's garden.
"We're always up for trying something new."
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Recall Details
Honda recalled certain 2000-2002 Civic and Insight vehicles due to a low beam headlight issue. On affected models, the low beam terminal on the headlight switch wiring harness could overheat, causing the loss of low beam headlight function. Low beam head lamps that fail to operate can lead to a higher risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect the headlight switch and wiring connector for signs of heat damage. If damage is present, the dealer will replace the switch and wiring connector. If no damage is present, the dealer will replace the headlight switch and one of the terminal pins in the wiring connector.


text:
By David Alexander
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer said on Thursday that steep, across-the-board budget cuts have left American armed forces out of balance and less prepared to meet new security threats, a problem that can only worsen with new reductions on the horizon.
Army General Martin Dempsey, speaking to a Senate panel considering his nomination to a new two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said one of his key jobs was to ensure U.S. forces are ready and balanced to address any challenge, but "so far we are getting it wrong."
"We are already out of balance due to the magnitude and mechanism - not to mention the steep descent - of budget cuts," Dempsey told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He urged them to help relieve the department's budget uncertainty.
Dempsey's remarks came as the Pentagon is facing nearly $1 trillion in cuts to projected spending over the next decade, including $37 billion in across-the-board reductions that were imposed earlier this year as the department was already months into its fiscal year.
The cuts, for which the Pentagon had not initially planned in its fiscal 2014 budget, have forced the department to cancel or delay ship deployments, ground air wings and cancel or postpone training. Some 680,000 civilian defense employees began taking 11 days of unpaid leave last week.
Dempsey told lawmakers that if the across-the-board cuts, which are known as sequestration, continue as required by law at a pace of $52 billion a year for the next decade, it would continue to erode military preparedness.
"We will not be able to find the money we need to achieve the level of sequestration cuts without a dramatic impact in our readiness," Dempsey told lawmakers.
He said reductions in the size of the military force eventually would help lower costs and enable the services to improve their readiness. But at that point "you're dealing with a smaller force ... I think too small."
Dempsey's remarks came a day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel returned from a three-day visit to military bases across the southeast, where he delivered the sobering news that he expects the Pentagon to face another $52 billion in across-the-board cuts next year.
Hagel said reductions of that magnitude will inevitably force the Pentagon to begin eliminating jobs. He also announced that he and top military leaders would cut spending 20 percent on the offices of the secretary of defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the headquarters of the military combatant commanders.
The Pentagon said those reductions, which would take place between 2015 and 2019, would save $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually.
The Budget Control Act of 2011 directed the Pentagon to cut $487 billion in spending over a decade. The act ordered another $500 billion in defense cuts over a decade unless Congress and the White House could agree on a compromise package of alternatives.
So far no deal has been reached, and the cuts, known as sequestration, went into effect in March for the first time.
(Reporting by David Alexander; editing by Jackie Frank)


text:
Dig and excavate the skeleton of a Stegosaurus.
This kit includes a plaster block and a specially designed digging tool to help
excavate the skeleton. Provides hours of fun for you as a paleontologist!
Assemble the skeleton to form a Stegosaurus model (8 inches long)! Pose and
display it. It's so cool!
Look for fun facts inside the kit and challenge your friends with the KidzQuiz
included. (10 sets of questions and answers)
Ages 7+ (not for children under 3 years old due to small parts)
Box size: 6.5" x 8.5"


text:
2 Racine schools dismissing early due to power outage
2 Racine schools dismissing early due to power outage
RACINE, Wis. —
Two Racine public schools chose an early release day Thursday after a power outage left their schools in the dark for a little more than an hour.
The outage was reported around 9:20 a.m. on Grange Street and affected 2,300 customers in the Washington Park area.
Racine School District officials announced at 10:15 a.m. that students at McKinley Middle and Park High schools would be released at 10:30 a.m.
We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said high winds caused a tree to fall on electrical lines.
Manthey said power was restored shortly before 10:40 a.m.
Despite power being restored, students have been dismissed from Park and McKinley schools.


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Horoscopes for week of March 13, 2003
Want to explore the coming week even further, Aries? Dig deeper? Feel stronger? Consider tuning in to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
Want to stay sane and healthy in the coming weeks? Then get up-close and personal with the animal that rules your sign. It won't be enough merely to gaze at images of bulls, though that would be good for starters. But if I'm reading the astrological omens correctly, you need to be in the actual presence of a robust, full-grown bull. To commune with his primal energy will be strong medicine. It'll awaken in you instinctual powers that have gone to sleep, and will galvanize you for the mysterious challenges ahead. Feel like going in search of a pasture where your teacher is waiting?
What greater adventure is there than exploring the enigmas of your unique destiny, Taurus? For more hints about the week ahead, listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
Before he died in 1992, avant-garde composer John Cage wrote the score for "As Slow As Possible," a piece of music designed to be played continuously for a long time. No one has ever actually tried it until recently, when a group of musicians and philosophers in Germany began a performance they hope will last for 639 years. Make them your role models, Gemini, as you launch your own long-term project in the coming weeks. It's the ideal astrological time to commit yourself with strategic patience to a labor of love that could take you all your life to master.
How much do you want to know about your destiny in the coming week, Gemini? How far do you dare to go? For more insight into your shimmering, undulating fate, tune in to your Expanded Audio Horoscope for the coming week. The reading costs $6.
I once knew a talented writer who had four planets in Cancer. With his fertile imagination, nurturing intelligence, and articulate artistry, he embodied the best of our tribe. With his narcissism, hypersensitivity to criticism, and habit of bearing a grudge, he also had some of our sign's well-known liabilities. It was always a risk hanging out with him; I never knew which facet would be ascendant. I haven't seen the guy for years, but I hope his sweet genius has found a way to tame his evil twin. If not, the coming weeks will be an ideal astrological time for him and for all of us Cancerians to win the war within us.
No one knows you better than you do, Cancerian. But maybe you'll be inspired to dig up even more self-knowledge in the coming week if you tune in to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
When I ran for president back in 1992, one of my campaign promises was an affirmative action program that would make a majority of Americans celebrities by the year 2005. Though I wasn't elected, I'm pleased to see that my idea may still come to pass. With the growing popularity of reality TV, from "Joe Millionaire" to "American Idol," increasing numbers of average citizens are getting the chance to bask in the limelight. Your special moment could very well arrive in the next few weeks, Leo. There've rarely been more favorable astrological aspects for you to become famous or notorious. You will at least become more widely known, or be gossiped about outrageously.
Hungry for more inspiration, Leo? Curious about the unfolding mysteries? For more juicy details about your destiny in the coming week, check out your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
Darien is a 45-year-old woman who had a near-death experience when she was 26. "My NDE was exactly like a rebirth," she told me, "so I have wondered for many years whether I really have two charts, one for my original birth and one for my rebirth. And if so, which should take precedence?" I congratulated her on how lucky she is to have such a rich mystery to work with, and I urged her to treat both charts as equally true. I mention this, Virgo, because although you won't have anything as dramatic as an NDE in the coming weeks, you will most likely experience what amounts to a resurrection. You might consider having another astrological chart drawn up for the official moment of your relaunch.
Your destiny is a gorgeous mystery, Virgo. Your soul is awakening more every day. The secrets of life are ripening right in front of your eyes. For more clues, consider checking out your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
"Dear Dr. Brezsny: Why do you sometimes refer to God as 'He'? You of all people know very well that God is both a 'He' and 'She.' Furthermore, 'He' has hogged the God references for 2,000 years. The only way to correct the distortion is to always refer to God as 'She' for the next 2,000 years. It's payback time, don't you agree? -Libra SuperWoman." Dear SuperWoman: You're absolutely right. From now on, God will be "She" in my column. But let me caution you not to take this as license to hate or demean the masculine aspect, either in God or in yourself. Especially now, as pathological expressions of macho run berserk in the world, we need to nurture beautiful forms of virility. In the coming weeks, it will be particularly important for Libras of all genders to reinvent and regenerate their inner male.
Life will bring you entertaining revelations in the coming week, Libra. To explore even deeper, dive into your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
Is it global warming? This winter has been even milder than usual in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. As a result, the roses in my backyard have been blooming nonstop since last April, failing to take their usual sabbatical between October and February. I like it, but it's also a little freaky and creepy -- and definitely not a healthy approach for a human being to emulate. So don't be like my unnatural roses, Scorpio. As relentlessly glorious and fascinating as you've been lately, you need to take a break.
Want more clues, Scorpio? Need further insight? I discuss your coming week in greater depth in your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
In a commercial for a new dream interpretation show on the SCI FI cable channel, a middle-aged man is planted on a couch, gobbling an oversized sandwich and gazing blankly into a TV. His wife, clad only in black bra and panties, saunters into the living room astride a massive white stallion. The man looks up at her briefly, then returns to his vegetative trance. A voiceover suggests that this is a dream about the wife having needs that the husband is not fulfilling. I predict that you will have a comparable dream in the coming week, Sagittarius. Both the man and the woman will symbolize aspects of your own life.
Where do you want to go in the coming week, Sagittarius? Who do you want to be? For more clues, tune in to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
I'm not one of those astrologers who insist on stereotyping you Capricorns as compulsively cautious, staid, and obsessed with order. In fact, some of the most imaginative and dynamic people I've known have been members of your sign. Still, the current astrological omens strongly suggest that it's time for me to remind you to take yourself less personally, less seriously, and less literally. Here's a quote, courtesy of novelist Tom Robbins, that you should put on your bathroom mirror for the next ten days: "Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature."
What greater adventure is there than exploring the enigmas of your unique destiny, Capricorn? For more hints about the week ahead, listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
You will soon have the power to see what has been invisible and to decipher codes that have been impenetrable. You'll shed a belief that has been crippling your intelligence, and you'll lose a "friend" who has been undermining your understanding of yourself. And that's not all, Aquarius. Just in time, you will shake yourself free of a curious numbness, allowing you to tune in to feelings that you desperately need to experience. And you will finally find the words to name truths that have been dangerously fuzzy.
Need a few more whacks applied to your mental blocks in the coming week, Aquarius? A few more caresses administered to your growing edge? Cruise on over to your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6.
One of the most enduring stories from ancient Greece has been the set of events that legend says occurred at Troy, on the coast of Asia Minor. Yet this epic place, site of Homer's The Iliad, was a village covering only seven acres. Keep that factoid in mind in the coming week, Pisces. I believe it'll serve as the perfect metaphor for events that are currently unfolding in your own life. A humble patch of ground may become the scene of a mythic turning point. An experience that begins small may be the seed for a story that will achieve monumental importance for you in the years to come.
Got enough clues to chew on for a while, Pisces? If you need more, give yourself the luxury of your Expanded Audio Horoscope for the coming week. The reading costs $6.
|Missed a week? Check the horoscope archives.
© 1995-2013 -- Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved


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Twins and Triplets Baby Shower Themes
Celebrating twin babies means double fun with a twins baby shower. And triplets? Well, that is certainly cause for an impressive event. We have a unique selection for baby showers that honor these special Mommies of multiples. Our original twin and triplets baby shower themes reflect an adorable assortment of characters, including monkeys, puppies, owls and elephants, all pictured in groups of two or three so that your guests will know just how many babies they are celebrating. Whether the lucky Mommy-To-Be is expecting all boys, all girls or a few of each, our twin and triplet baby shower themes include the perfect decorations for her special day. Best of all, our Design Experts are able to personalize just about everything. Every baby shower party theme we offer comes with matching twins baby shower decorations, including invitations, thank you cards, banners and favors. We even offer tableware that coordinates with our themes. Baby showers for multiples should be extra special - without extra stress. Let us help with our unique twins baby shower ideas.


text:
Friday Roundup: September Seasonality, The Gold Index, Commodities Action
Seasonal cycles do not cause market moves, they simply reflect tendencies.
We have harped about the pending weak seasonal period during September. The market did well during the August period of positive seasonal heat, but the real test will be the action going forward into mid-October:
The above chart of the NASDAQ 100 index shows that a rally often occurs in August. September, however, is most often a time of weakness in which seasonally lasts into mid-October. Seasonal cycles do not cause market moves, they simply reflect tendencies. It is quite possible for markets to move contrary to seasonal cycles – when they do, it is a sign that spot factors are strong enough to outweigh seasonal factors.
The EBB (Erlanger Big Barf) indicator measures the momentum of the VIX relative to the momentum of the S&P 100 Index. The higher the EBB, the more bullish are option traders. Divergences following extremes are set-ups for contrary moves. The strength in August is unconfirmed by the EBB – a move above the blue lined channel (see chart) would be constructive. A break below the "zero" line would trigger an indication for a pullback phase.
Gold and Other Commodities
The Gold Index rallied off of its long-term trendline and has etched out a tightening pattern of consolidation that began in January. The Gold Index is trying to break above the key 150 resistance level:
Gold and base metal prices continue to consolidate. Energy prices are holding around the $70 level for crude. Livestock is at the high end of a two-year long channel, while agricultural commodities continue to grind higher.
Light Sweet Crude, having failed to break above the $80 level, is now testing the $70 level as support.
- 1
The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.
Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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text: Whitecaps capture championship title - Burnaby Now October 15, 200812:00AM PDT Previous Next Alfie Lau Burnaby has another champion. The Vancouver Whitecaps won their second United Soccer Leagues first division championship in three seasons by defeating the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 at Swangard Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The hero of the day was striker Charles Gbeke, who headed in two second-half goals to offset Puerto Rico's lone goal by Sandy Gbandi. Gbeke's first had a definite Burnaby and New Westminster flavour as former Alpha Aztec Alfredo Valente's corner was nodded on by New Westminster-born Jeff Clarke to the far post. Gbeke rose above the orange-clad Islander defenders and beat Islanders' keeper Bill Gaudette in the 55th minute. Gbandi tied it in the 68th minute, but, five minutes after that, the Whitecaps' Justin Moose whipped in a cross that Gbeke headed into the net again for the game winner. "The two biggest goals of my career, and it feels great," said the striker who came to Vancouver in a midseason trade from Montreal. Gbeke, who's in his fourth tour of duty with the Whitecaps since 1998 - he has also played in France, Brazil and Denmark - was too much to handle for the Islanders. "I'm very disappointed," said Islanders' head coach Colin Clarke. "We didn't do a good enough job on set plays." Clarke, who wears the captain's armband for the Whitecaps, couldn't be happier to win a title before a jubilant and adoring home crowd. "Our fans are joining in it with us, and it's just a wonderful feeling," Clarke said of their second title. The first was won in Rochester in 2006. The Whitecaps weren't expected to be this good this fast because they had relieved Bob Lilley of his coaching duties last off-season and hired Iceland international Teitur Thordarson, who beat out Burnaby native Nick Dasovic for the job. Thordarson instituted a more offensive style of soccer, but with only Eddy Sebrango able to score consistently early in the year, the Whitecaps had to trade dependable midfielder Tony Donatelli to Montreal for Gbeke. "You trade for a guy like Gbeke," explained Clarke, "(somebody) who steps up in a game like this." The game at Swangard - an announced sellout of 5,822 although there appeared to be a lot of standing room attendees - was the biggest game since last summer's FIFA u-20 World Cup, a game between Spain and Brazil, won by the Spaniards 4-2. The Whitecaps have also finalized their submission to Major League Soccer for an expansion franchise that they hope will be accepted for the 2011 season. © Burnaby Now 2008 Previous Next


text:
GREENVILLE, Ill. -- The Greenville men's basketball team suffered a defeat at the hands of Spalding 81-61 on Saturday.
Greenville was led in scoring by Alex Mumphard who scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Mumphard also recorded 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the Panthers.
Simon Martin was the Panthers' leading rebounder with eight. Todd Albertson added 7 rebounds and 2 assists for GC.
Spalding jumped out to a 43-22 lead at halftime and never relinquished control the rest of the game.
Jametrius Brasher was the high man for Spalding, posting 16 points and six rebounds. Cody Cutsinger was right behind him, with 15 points.
With the loss, Greenville falls to 8-14 (3-10 SLIAC) on the season. Spalding improved to 16-7 (13-1 SLIAC). Greenville returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 12, when they host Principia at 8 p.m.


text:
THE SKULL – the heavy doom-rock band featuring original and former TROUBLE members – have debuted two new singles recorded with acclaimed producer/engineer Billy Anderson (MELVINS, NEUROSIS) via Tee Pee Records. You can now stream the songs "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" and "The Last Judgment" at either of the links below.
The Obelisk – http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/04/08/the-skull-sometime-yesterday-mourning-stream
Tee Pee Records – http://teepeerecords.com/index.php
The "limited edition" white vinyl replica CD featuring "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" (side A) and "The Last Judgment" (side B) is available today at Tee Pee Records (http://shop.teepeerecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-skull) and downloads of the singles are available at your favorite digital retailer.
"Sometime Yesterday Mourning" is a doomy metal song written by Keller, Holzner and Wagner that showcases the genre pioneers' distinct style while "The Last Judgment" is a "revisiting" of the classic TROUBLE song of the same name that originally appeared on the classic 1983 "Metal Massacre IV" compilation album.
"I think "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" is the perfect song for THE SKULL to lead with and there's a reason why it was the first song we completed as a band," commented Wagner. "It's about coming to a point in life when it's just time for a new beginning, a fresh start if you will, and finally coming to terms with the past.
"Being that it is the 30th anniversary of the release of the song "The Last Judgment" — the first song we ever released — we thought it fit perfectly for the B-side and considering what "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" is about, it made sense to me. You have to go through your past to get to your future."
THE SKULL has confirmed the following three shows.
May 09 – Cleveland, Ohio – The Grog Shop
May 10 – Chicago, Illinois- Reggies
August 29 – Montreal, Canada – The Wings of Metal Festival
The Wings of Metal Festival will be a headlining performance consisting of two sets. The first set will be a performance of TROUBLE's 1984 debut album "Psalm 9" in it's entirety. The second set will include a performance of their newly recorded songs as well as TROUBLE classics.
THE SKULL will follow the release of the new songs with its debut full length LP, tentatively slated for release this autumn.
THE SKULL is:
Eric Wagner – vocals
Jeff "Oly" Olson – drums/keys
Ron Holzner – bass
Lothar Keller – guitar
Chuck Robinson – guitar


text:
Graduate Medical Education offers a comprehensive stipend and benefits package.
Stipend Rates
A total of 12 stipend checks are issued each academic year and trainees are encouraged to participate in the direct deposit program. Stipend rates are reviewed annually in April/May of each year.
Interns, residents and fellows registered through the Graduate Medical Education Office have access to a variety of insurances (including, but not limited to medical, dental, disability and liability insurances), paid leave, free on campus parking, and access to the employee discounts to local vendors.


text:
The Yoga Sutras
An Essential Guide to the Heart of Yoga Philosophy
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Deepen Your Yoga Practice
We know there's more to the yogic path than asana, or physical postures, but how do we access the deeper wisdom of yoga philosophy? More than 2,000 years ago, the legendary master Patanjali answered this question in 195 pearls of insight known as The Yoga Sutras.
Now Sanskrit and Ayurveda teacher Nicolai Bachman offers The Yoga Sutras, a complete course with a fresh new approach to working with Patanjali's seminal text for guidance and inspiration on your own journey toward clarity and happiness.
Illuminating Wisdom for the Serious Yoga Student
Why do we react the way we do in certain situations? How can suffering be an opportunity for growth? Why are nonviolence and truth important to a student? Patanjali's sutras offer an illuminating perspective on these questions and more.
To help integrate this wisdom into our modern life, Bachman offers a unique approach. Instead of reading each sutra sequentially from beginning to end, he focuses on and discusses 51 key concepts. By exploring these principles with him and learning to chant the sutras in Sanskrit, the essence of yoga philosophy is revealed—helping us open to its heart and soul.
The Yoga Sutras invites you to discover a variety of practical tools and heartfelt insights for transforming your practice, including:
- A 336-page color-illustrated workbook with a concise history of yoga and the sutras, in-depth explanation of key themes, translation of all 195 sutras, and a complete glossary of Sanskrit terms for quick reference
- Six sessions full of insights to further your learning about yoga's essential principles
- A guided reading on CD of the complete sutras with pronunciation instructions for following along
- Fifty-one study cards to encourage reflection of each concept and inspire action
When you immerse yourself in Patanjali's sutras, the heart of yoga—and what yoga means for you personally—will unveil itself in new and profound ways. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or a student looking to go deeper with your practice, this essential course offers a treasury of teachings to help realize the "outer joy and inner happiness" of yoga.
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Customer Reviews
- Terrible translation of Patanjali Review by Fabien
I've had this package for years, skimmed over it but never really studied it because I thought it was somewhat over-complicated. Recently, a friend of mine visited me. He's a raja yoga master and has taught tens-of-thousands of people. When I showed him the book, he was absolutely horrified ... He thought that this work is poorly misinterpreted, extremely misleading, and missing the point entirely. There are so many errors! He advised me to burn it and instead purchased a copy of the 1970's Authentic Yoga by P.Y Deshpande (if you are lucky to find one, currently out of print). Deshpande was fed up with the poorly rendered translation and decided instead to go direct to source, the original Sutras of Patanjali in Sanskrit. He spent 30 years meditating on its meaning.
(Posted on 12/18/2016)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Rhonda Jewell Curtis
This is one of the best resources I have found in my three year in-depth study of the sutras. The entire package is amazing. A friend of mine purchased it after showing him my copy. We are looking into having a sutra study group and use Nicolai Bachman's research as a the foundation.
(Posted on 9/5/2014)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Al D
In 20 years of practicing yoga, this is the most clear explanation of the Yoga Sutras I have ever heard and also the most simplistic and practical advice I have received on how to begin applying the teachings to your life.
(Posted on 6/9/2014)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Linda S
I am enjoying The Yoga Sutras. Bachman has made them easier to understand and his commentary is very helpful. So glad I got this.
(Posted on 4/10/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by jane v
As a yoga teacher, I love this study aid to the Sutras. I listen to the cds in my car and find it a great way to deepen my understanding. Nicolai is very knowledgeable, thorough, and is easy to listen to. He makes the Sutras very accessible and practical. The book is great to have to refer to and the cards are a nice addition to allow you to focus on certain sutras, but the cd's are what I bought this for and they work really well for me. After receiving my copy, I bought a copy as a gift for my niece who is in a 200 hr teacher training program. Needless to say, she was thrilled with it! I got both on sale and am completely satisfied with the purchases.
(Posted on 4/9/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Gregory P
I have just begin the journey through his teachings of the Sutras. I will say it is very difficult for me to follow, between Sanskrit language and English and to try to connect them and follow along. (I learn slowly). It has not stopped me at all, All the teachings of the Sutras are so very connected to almost ALL religions, ALL teachings, ALL forms of though on the higher level of thinking or Higher power of thinking. It will take me a very long time to get through this, but I am learning. I will take my Atha very seriously. (That means a commitment to focus on the teachings of Yoga). These are the words I can recall, Citta, Purusa, Viveka Kiyati, Abyhasa and.....Yoga as Noroda, and I know there is one more, but I cannot recall it at the moment. But, I don't think it is about memorizing the words and their meanings, it is about taking the essence of life and the how they can help one create a more beautiful life. It is a guide where you can take what you want and leave what you do not want a the moment. He does a very good job at the teachings and I would highly recommend if anyone has an interest in the Sutras, this would b a good way to learn their depth.
(Posted on 4/7/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by kelly m
outstanding. a must-have for every yoga instructor.
(Posted on 3/30/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Jan C
This teaching is AWESOME! I just can't say enough. It has given me the background to deepen my yoga practice so much. Thank you!
(Posted on 3/29/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Anje V
This is a GREAT GREAT study guide that my boyfriend and I are listening to together. It's bringing us closer together. :)
(Posted on 3/28/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by A Master Piece
This is an amazing course. It is beautifully presented and "easy" to follow. What I mean by "easy" is that you have to take time and not let "ego" jump to conclusion and obscure everything. Thank you Nicholai. I took advantage of the 75% discount. A bargain!
(Posted on 3/11/2013)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Katrien Vanassche
This is excellent! I am very happy with 1) the way it is set up around key concepts and 2) about the questions around every concept.
Rather than reading through the sutra's, I study one key concept a week and then try to apply what I have learnt during that week with the help of the questions. Thank you Nicolai and Sounds True.
(Posted on 2/19/2012)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Richard Saylor
It is great. Make the impossible possible to learn.
(Posted on 12/12/2011)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by joy medders
Although I've been studying the Yoga Sutras through intensive, multi weekly sessions for the last five years and am a seminary student of yoga philosophy it was refreshing to climb the same mountain to the summit from a different perspective. The use of important sanskrit terms defined several ways throughout deepened comprehension and awareness in my consciousness. I could not put down Nicolai's book The Yoga Sutras which inspired me to purchase the course.
(Posted on 10/28/2011)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Jurgen
Excellent kit which makes it fun to study the sutras. Having the book, cards and CDs really allows one to go at one's own pace. Haven't come across anything better. Thanks, Nicolai & Sounds True!
(Posted on 9/4/2011)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Patricia Beattie
Beautifully presented. I intend to work with it over at least 6 months so can't say more at this time.
(Posted on 2/27/2011)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Janet
This is a fantastic resource for those wishing to explore Yoga Philosophy more deeply. Nicolai's approach to the teachings is modern, while also respecting the ancient wisdom which he teaches about. This is a very beautiful resource, which I am thoroughly enjoying working my way through. Thanks Nicolai. Namaste.
(Posted on 2/25/2011)
- Review for The Yoga Sutras Review by Kate K.
I am in the middle of this course right now, and I find myself listening to the CD's multiple times in order to soak in all of the information. I love how the material is presented in audio as well as written form. This appeals to different learning styles and is so helpful in comprehending the proper pronunciation of the Sanskrit terms. I highly recommend this product if you are a serious student of the philosophy of yoga.
(Posted on 6/28/2010)
Home Study Course
Contents 7 CDs (420 minutes); 1 workbook (319 pages); 51 cards Date Published March 01, 2010 ISBN-10 1-59179-760-8 ISBN-13 978-1-59179-760-9 Dimensions 8 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches Product Code HH01395D


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Idaho Public Television presents The Idaho Homefront: World War II
. . . we honor those twentieth century Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: a nation conceived in liberty and justice. Inscription at the WWII Memorial
It was a golden era, an American time. An innocent time of happiness amid a Great Depression. And then America shattered as the first bombs fell. She shattered, but America didn't fall to pieces. This is the story of those times and those people.
The Idaho Pillar at the WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.
They were our fathers, our mothers, our friends. They were sent into a world they had only heard about. They came back different. Changed. And some times, they didn't come back. Those who fought the battles on this Homefront were changed as well. And America has never been the same.
The memories live in families and in scrapbooks. They live where people come together, and remember. We remember them. On Memorial Day, we remember. On Veteran's Day, we remember.
It was a time for the ages. For those who were there, the time of their lives. For those of us who remember, a time to hold and cherish. And those who are gone live on, in our memories and in our hearts.
A lot of people have contributed to the production The Idaho Homefront. We'd like to thank those who have made it possible.


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The Laurentides (or Laurentians) are a popular touristic destination and a range of mountains in Quebec.
A country with a fascinating history as grand as the wide-open spaces of the Laurentians themselves, it's a rich territory that has always been coveted. A wealthy land of a thousand different aspects, it unfolds slowly to the visitor and will conquer the heart of the most fervent city-dweller with its broad peaceful lakes set among immense forests of maple and pine. The Laurentians is 22,000 square kilometres of pure delight just north of Montreal. The great diversity of its ecosystems opens up ever-new horizons, providing an outstanding natural experience to suit visitors of every ilk.
The region takes its name from the chain of mountains which runs down its northern side, and is part of the great Canadian Shield, which covers most of Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River. Its lively and picturesque villages offer visitors a warm and lasting welcome. The Laurentian region is also a meeting place for sports men and women who come to practice their favourite sporting activity all year round. Visitors come from far away to enjoy the many attractions, and over the years the region has forged an enviable reputation to the extent that it has become Quebec's premier four-season holiday area.
Get in
Only an hour of drive from Montreal.
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (airport code: YUL), formerly called Dorval Airport - a name still in use by many locals, in the City of Dorval serves all international and domestic passenger traffic. Trudeau airport is approximately 20 km from downtown Montreal.
For more information on the airport, check out the Airports of Montreal homepage.
Get around
Indeed, visitors come from around the world to be charmed by the beauty of its unique landscape and tourist attractions.
In each season, nature transports the traveller into a unique universe, so much so that the Laurentians is a place to rediscovered over and over again: it's always a pleasure to return. So come and find your special corner of the Laurentians to which we are sure you'll want to keep coming back: it's one of North America's true natural paradises.
Fine regional produce and innovation combines with the know-how of Laurentian chefs to bring out the very best in what the region has to offer to gourmets: a simply delightful experience by any standard.
Further informations
If you want to learn more about the Laurentians, you can check the Tourisme Laurentides official bilingual website, by clicking here : [[1]]


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Tastemakers Hair Beauty Salon was a previous business that was bought and redone by the new owner. Since then, It has expanded. Adding manicures, pedicures, spray tanning, facials and body work. We're a trendy one stop shop. We believe in creating a relaxing rejuvenating environment for our clients. We want you t experience the difference here at Tastemakers.
Wellness in a pot.
Take note, ladies.
A jaw-dropping announcement, to say the least.
Happy 21st birthday, Malala!
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Wellness in a pot.
Take note, ladies.
A jaw-dropping announcement, to say the least.
Happy 21st birthday, Malala!
That face. OH that face. 😭
By Ciara Sheppard and Carolina Nicolao
Dimples that slayed a thousands Directioners, hair that made headlines when it was chopped off, and a style comprised of embroidered, flared suits that only he could make look hot; Harry Styles is a man of many admirers... and we 100% get it.
Harry's come along way since his baby-faced One Direction days and since he's started his career as a soloist, no one can deny his sex appeal is advancing at record rates.
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Each time Ben Carson prepared to cut into a human brain, the neurosurgeon, who was the first to separate twins conjoined at the head, said a prayer. He would scrub his hands, close his eyes and ask for God's help. "Lord, you be the neurosurgeon," he has described himself thinking. "I'll be the hands."
Since packing up his scalpel and becoming a Republican presidential candidate, Mr. Carson has not shied from talking about his Christian faith and sprinkling policy pronouncements with prayer as he travels the country talking to voters in his blunt but soft-spoken style. So far it has worked — he has overtaken Donald J. Trump in a new national poll of Republicans and is beating him in Iowa, the crucial caucus state.
But Mr. Carson's religion has been cast in a harsher light in recent days, as Mr. Trump, whose support among evangelicals is falling, suggested that the doctor is not a mainstream Christian because he is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
"I'm Presbyterian," Mr. Trump proclaimed at a rally in Florida last Saturday. "Boy, that's down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don't know about."
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Someone I know is boycotting Wal-Mart. I would not be able to boycott Walmart myself, as I never shop there in the first place. My absence from Wal-Mart does not have any effect. I believe I've stepped inside the store twice in the past decade or longer, and I don't remember why. The basis for avoiding the store came from visits long ago, while I was in college, and was reaffirmed by at least one of those visits in the past decade.
The stores are designed like bazaars, the people I encountered were rude and sometimes dirty, and the prices were no better than those I could find elsewhere. That's enough to keep me away. The fact that the company does not respect its employees is another reason to avoid the retailer, but beside the point of my personal experience and preference.
Again this year, Wal-Mart stores featured brawls and arrests as people fought their way for a limited supply of marked-down items like iPad Minis. The store, and other stores like it, are not completely to blame. Yes, retailers manipulate the market to induce high demand and short supply, and this creates hysteria.
Why stores are open on the holidays.
Which comes first? Are stores, like those that open on Thanksgiving, forcing retail employees to spend less time with their families on this holiday, just responding to consumer demand? Or has the retail industry created this monster by hyping up materialism as a piece of American culture since the late 1940s through advertisements (including product placement in entertainment), changing how people living in the middle and lower classes expect to live their lives? Or has the public in the United States simply accepted this type of commercial messaging without wide criticism of behavior or philosophy?
That we've ended up with people trampling and killing others at Wal-Mart, like the incident in 2008, is a sad commentary on the state of American culture. The reasons that got us here are complex and intertwined. No, this type of activity, the mass hysteria surrounding the ever-expanding Black Friday time period, is not representative of everyone in the United States, however bad it looks to the outside world.
I not concerned that my not wanting to shop at Wal-Mart, for the reasons I cited above, makes me seem "elitist." I also don't shop in stores on the other end of the consumer spectrum, so I'm confident in the sensibility of my tastes.
"I pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving."
This year, a popular campaign spread through social media: "I pledge to not shop on Thanksgiving. If I'm shopping, someone else is working and not spending time with their family. Everyone deserves a holiday." A Facebook friend of mine responded to this campaign by welcoming the retail industry to the world he already lives in as an emergency responder. He, like doctors, firefighters, and police, work on holidays, but that's understandable. If you're in the business of saving lives, the calls can come at any time. Retail workers do not save lives. Do they deserve to be home with their families more than first responders do?
Others are calling for the government to intercede and force businesses to keep their doors closed on holidays. It's an interesting concept; states and local governments have often historically required businesses to remain closed on Sundays. Officially, the reasons for these laws tend to be so employees can remain home with their families once a week, but you can't ignore that the concept stems from a religious influence on government.
If shoppers led the way by refusing to shop on holidays, businesses would see no choice but to remain closed. But because every shopper wants to believe they're scoring a deal, enough will take advantage of every opportunity. There will never be the a popular protest large enough to force stores to remain closed, but there will also never be the support for laws to do the same thing. We are headed towards a society where the retail industry will be open 24 hours a day around the holiday frenzy season.
Maybe working on holidays won't be considered to be such a social problem in the future, if retail workers are replaced by robots (and if assaulting a robot becomes a punishable offense — there are many variables to consider). The prevalence of online shopping has probably prevented the adventures in brick-and-mortar shopping from being more deadly than it has been.
But isn't "saving money" good for Americans?
It's amazing that with all this focus on so-called saving money, Americans aren't in better financial shape. Spending with discounts and bargain-hunting is far removed from "saving money." Of course, it's not amazing at all, because the prevalence of advertising and a culture of bargain-scouring results in more spending, not less.
As an individual, and certainly as a shizennougyou reader, you may be able to exercise some control. You're more likely to wait for only the best deals, buying only what you need, but overall, this approach to promotions, including advertising Black Friday deals and opening early, benefits the retail industry more than the purchasing public.
If these deals didn't make tons of money for the retail industry, the shopping season would not be getting more intense every year. At the same time, a healthy retail industry is supposedly one of the keys to a booming economy. Then again, what worked in the years after World War II may not be as effective today. Retail profit margins are thinner than ever. Much of the profit goes to the manufacturers who are likely to be based outside the United States.
Can "Small Business Saturday" help?
Over the last few years, American Express has tried its own marketing campaign, supposedly to aid the economy. The company's Small Business Saturday encourages Americans to spend money on the Saturday following Black Friday — after all their money has been spent, anyway — by patronizing local businesses. These are the businesses who can't discount prices on the same merchandise found in large stores, but can perhaps offer products you can't find elsewhere.
Small Business Saturday is however just an excuse to get consumers to use American Express cards more often, so the large financial corporation can increase its profits on swipe fees. Many small businesses do not accept American Express cards because the swipe fees (fees the retailer pays to credit card processing companies for each transaction) are higher than those for Visa and MasterCard, but then again, premium Visa and MasterCard credit cards, like those offering rewards and concierge services, can rival American Express in terms of high swipe fees.
So if you really want to help your local business and local economy, shop from small business as often as possible, and use cash.
How did you handle shopping through this year's Thanksgiving holiday? Did you go shopping and did it take time away from your families? Did you use a Black Friday outing as a way to bond with your family like Erin did? Are you planning to shop locally on Saturday? Does Cyber Monday exist this year? What can society do to change today's consumerism-focused situation, if you believe it does need to change? Can boycotting accomplish anything?
Regardless of what you've done on the consumer side of your life, I hope you — all shizennougyou readers who celebrate Thanksgiving — had an enjoyable and thankful day.
Photo: Flickr/jbhthescots
Published or updated November 29, 2013.