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Haverfordwest: Lead stolen from pub roof
OWNERS of a Haverfordwest pub have made an appeal for information after lead was stolen from their roof.
The Bristol Trader was the target of the theft in the early hours of this morning (Dec 5).
Dyfed-Powys Police are investigating the incident.
CCTV footage of a van has been released by the pub.
A spokesperson for the pub said in a Facebook appeal: "Overnight we had lead stolen from our roof at the Bristol Trader. If anyone has any information please can you let us know or call the police on 101.
"We want to make sure these people make it on to Santa's naughty list."
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: "Police are investigating the theft of lead from the conservatory roof of a public house on Quay Street, Haverfordwest.
"The lead was stolen sometime between 11.30pm on Monday, December 4, and 9am on Tuesday, December 5."
Drone guide to limit wildlife disturbance
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY has released new drone guidance for recreational users that seeks to limit the disturbance the aerial devices can cause to protected wildlife.
As well as reiterating general safety advice from the Civil Aviation Authority's Drone Code, the guidance will help recreational users of drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to understand the impact their use could have on rare species and on other people's enjoyment.
National Park Authority Biodiversity Officer, Sarah Mellor said: "While the Drone Code focuses on safety, we have produced this simple guide to help protect the array of wonderful wildlife that attracts many people to Pembrokeshire.
"Species such as seabirds and seals are particularly vulnerable when they are breeding or nurturing their young and even low levels of disturbance can impact on them and can lead to reductions in populations.
"The guidance also highlights how livestock can be easily startled by drones, including the sheep, cows and horses that graze the coastal slopes alongside the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
"We want everyone to enjoy their visit to Pembrokeshire, so being aware of the impact drones can have on other people and the area's peace and tranquillity is also important."
The guidance has been prepared in collaboration with partners including commercial drone operators, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, National Trust, Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Natural Resources Wales and Pembrokeshire County Council.
The information will be updated as more rules and research findings are released. The document, which is available from the National Park Authority's website, can also be printed as a reference guide.
You can download the guidance by visiting www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/
Milford Haven: Cabins to appeal to glampers
FOUR new arrivals are in place at Milford Waterfront offering visitors a unique on-water 'glamping' experience.
The Floatel Cabins were transported from Amsterdam to Pembrokeshire by road before being lifted into the marina by crane yesterday. The self-contained cabins measure 9m x 4m and feature an en-suite shower room, private balcony, WiFi and locally sourced works of art. Each will sleep two people, with one designed to cater for disabled guests in comfort and another that's dog-friendly.
Over the next few weeks the cabins will be connected to the necessary utilities before fixtures and fittings are installed. Once ready, the accommodation will be managed by Quality Unearthed – a Pembrokeshire based holiday lettings agency that specialises in unusual properties.
Welcoming the arrival of the Floatel Cabins is Clare Stowell, Director of Property and Tourism at the Port of Milford Haven. She said "This is a fantastic milestone for us and I'm delighted to have a really unique attraction right here at Milford Waterfront. We plan to use high quality furnishings from local suppliers to create a quirky yet quality feel with a strong Pembrokeshire identity which I'm sure will be very popular with guests."
"Milford Waterfront is fast becoming a busy, vibrant destination with attractions to suit people of all ages and interests" Clare added. "As such, the Port is investing millions of pounds into the development over the next 5-10 years to create new hotel, retail, leisure and residential facilities to complement the existing offering".
The Floatel Cabins are part-funded by the Coastal Communities Fund. The Coastal Communities Fund is funded by the Government with income from the Crown Estate's marine assets. It is delivered by the Big Lottery Fund on behalf of UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
It is anticipated that the accommodation will be ready for letting by the end of the year. More information can be found at www.milfordwaterfront.co.uk/
Martletwy: Cat's leg shattered by air gun
RSPCA CYMRU is appealing for information after a cat's leg bone was shattered by an air gun pellet in Martletwy.
Trilby made her way back into her owner's house with a broken leg, and after taking her immediately to a vet, it was discovered that she had been shot with an air gun.
The incident happened in the small village of Martletwy on Monday, September 10.
Following the incident, which shattered the central joint in her front leg, Trilby, who is around five years old, endured a gruelling three-hour operation in a bid to save her leg and avoid amputation.
Her owner Laura Hayden said: "We had a brilliant surgeon who carried out the very complicated, three-hour long operation on Trilby. The vet intended to do a pin and plate operation but the pins and plates they would have ordered in were all too big as Trilby is a small, delicate cat.
"The vet had to improvise with pins he had in stock which were small enough and wires in two figures of eight to hold the bones together. During the operation he found a destroyed blood vessel and because this had supplied blood to a bone, with no blood flow to it, that bone had to be removed.
"We have since been quite concerned about her because she has been very low, but since her splint has been taken off she has been a bit brighter."
Laura said they have lived in Martletwy for 20 years and nothing of this nature has ever happened before.
She added: "Everyone in our road is very concerned about the safety of their animals and we will be holding a residents tonight (Monday 24 September). It is just shocking that this has happened in our small community.
"What happened to our cat is horrendous enough but this cat is a rescue cat – as are our other two cats and our two dogs – and to further blight the life of a previously badly treated innocent animal makes this even worse.
"The treatment and operation have cost us £2,000. We are lucky in that we have been able to afford this, but it frightens us to think that someone else might not have been able to. It has been, and continues to be, a traumatic, stressful and deeply upsetting experience for us. It has changed our cat's life and has had a deeply disturbing effect of our lives that I would not wish on anyone."
RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben said: "Trilby and her owners have been through such a distressing ordeal and it is just horrifying to think that someone may have have done this to deliberately inflict pain on this poor defenseless cat.
"We don't know exactly where or when this happened and if this was a deliberate attack, so we are appealing for information to try and find out what happened to Trilby. If anyone has any information, they are urged to call the RSPCA's inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018, which is in confidence."
If you wish to help RSPCA Cymru look into incidences such as this, you can donate online. The RSPCA is a charity and rely on public donations.
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text: Ok ladies, now let's talk about the Illuminati. Where did it come from? Why is it still relevant? Why are we so afraid of powerful black artists and culture-creators that we need to make up stories about them being satanists? Writer and social media whiz Olivia Duncan knows more Beyonce lyrics than you do, and she brings us the terrifying tale of the global conspiracy that's taking over our awards shows and Walkmen. Way to go Olivia!

subset: commoncrawl


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Vince Gill is no stranger to the Grand Ole Opry stage. In a recent performance at the historic venue, he invited an up-and-coming artist up to sing one of her own songs.
During Gill's Sept. 3 appearance, he introduced Logan Brill, who he described as a "newfound friend with a great heart." When Brill came out, Gill stepped aside to play the role of back-up vocalist for her.
Brill released her debut country album, Walking Wires, in 2013. The young singer is adored for her soulful, refreshing and authentic voice. Her second album, Shuteye, was released in June 2015 and hit No. 37 on the Billboard US Country charts.
Watch their beautiful performance below, in which Gill has to look at the lyrics on his phone. Hey, we're not judging him.
This isn't Brill's first time on the Opry stage, though. She previously made her debut with two other country icons — Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam.
Gill, who has recorded over 20 studio albums and sold more than 26 million, is an Opry veteran. Just a couple of months prior, he performed "The Key of Life" on stage with Charlie Worsham. Gill has been putting out new music since the '70s. Most recently, he has released a new single titled "Me and My Girl."


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History: The EMD SW1500 was a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) Diesel-electric locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new EMD 645 engine. The SW1500 replaced the SW1200 in the EMD product line, and was in turn replaced by the MP15DC.
The SW1500 was a substantially bulkier locomotive than the SW1200, with a much bulkier frame, larger cab and bigger hood. In many respects it was approaching a road switcher in abilities. While the SW1500 came as standard with AAR switcher trucks, the majority of them were delivered with the optional Flexicoil trucks which permitted speeds up to 60 mph (100 km/h). The SW1500 was, in fact, often operated as a road-switcher for branchline service, and continues in this role today.
From Wikipedia
Electro-Motive Diesel traces its roots to the Electro-Motive Engineering Corporation, a designer and marketer of gasoline-electric self-propelled rail cars founded in 1922 and later renamed Electro-Motive Company (EMC). In 1930, General Motors purchased Electro-Motive Company and the Winton Engine Co., combining the two to form its Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in 1941.
In 2005, GM sold EMD to Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners, which formed Electro-Motive Diesel to facilitate the purchase. In 2010, Progress Rail Services completed the purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel from Greenbriar, Berkshire, and others.
EMD's headquarters, engineering facilities and parts manufacturing operations are based in McCook, Illinois, while its final locomotive assembly line is located in Muncie, Indiana. EMD also operates a traction motor maintenance, rebuild and overhaul facility in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
As of 2008, EMD employed approximately 3,260 people, and in 2010 it held approximately 30 percent of the market for diesel-electric locomotives in North America.
From Wikipedia
Item Links: We found: 1 different collections associated with Rail - Locomotive - Diesel - EMD SW1500
- Collection N Scale Model Trains: 64 different items.
Item created by: Alain LM on 2018-04-17 05:07:23
If you see errors or missing data in this entry, please feel free to log in and edit it. Anyone with a Gmail account can log in instantly.


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QuarterMASTER 360°: Increase control and accountability of your assets and inventory.
Building on our core competency of asset management and inventory tracking, MCM has developed a new QuarterMASTER 360 application to help meet a common need among users in the Public Safety industry to get better control on issuing equipment and inventory out to people, locations and departments.
While our flagship, CommSHOP 360 Solution includes the capability to manage both serialized assets and consumable inventory, the new QuarterMASTER application offers a more streamlined process allowing users to create a simple transaction designed solely for assigning items to employees, agencies and departments.
QuarterMASTER is the perfect solution for the logistics counter of a Fire & Rescue department; issuing a new cadet his or her gear in a Police Department or Sheriff's Office; or even restocking inventory on an EMS vehicle. Any environment where individuals receive inventory on behalf of themselves or their department would benefit from QuarterMASTER 360.
The QuarterMASTER application can be added to an existing CommSHOP 360 solution as an enhancement module, or it can be purchased as a standalone solution to be accompanied by MCM's Agency, Asset, Inventory and Purchasing modules. This application seamlessly integrates into these other modules, allowing assets to be re-assigned appropriately when issued on a QuarterMASTER transaction and inventory to be relieved automatically as part of the transaction.
The QuarterMASTER web portal also allows end users to create a shopping cart by searching and selecting the items they wish to request via an on-line catalog with thumbnail pictures. When the user "Checks Out" after shopping, the system automates a new QuarterMASTER transaction to be created, and MCM's Alerts application can trigger email notifications to be sent for those orders to be fulfilled by the core users of the system.
Standard Functionality
- QuarterMASTER 360° can be offered:
- as a new module to an existing CommSHOP 360° Solution,
- as a second database to an existing solution,
- or it may stand alone as a new solution.
- Easily create transactions to issue assets and consumable inventory
- Automatically assign assets to a person and department/location
- Automatically adjust inventory quantities on hand
- Manage pharmaceutical expirations and dates
- Build kits to assign multiple inventory items at one time
- Increase accountability with barcode scanning and electronic signature
- Print receipts for proof of acceptance or delivery
- Easily receive and restock returned inventory
- Facilitate efficient chain-of-command processes for inventory assignment
- Historical reporting by agency, department, employee and date range
Standard Modules
Agency Module
Asset Module
Parts Inventory Module
Purchase Order Module
Reporting Module
Optional Modules
QuarterMASTER Web Portal (web ordering)
Workflow Alerts
Web Asset Manager
Signature Capture
Employee record loader/Vehicle record loader
- QuarterMASTER 360° can be offered:
Operating System
Server- Windows 2008 R2 or later
Client- Windows 7 or later
Database Platform
Server- Microsoft SQL 2008 R2 or later
Database Server- Dual Core Processor 8GB RAM, Raid 5 Drive configuration
Core Client- Client-Server environment for on-site install Citrix ICA Web Client for hosted install
Web Client
Client- HTML5
Network Speed
Server- (minimum) 10 Mb, (recommended) 100 Mb
Client-(minimum) 10 Mb, (recommended) 100 Mb
MCM Overview Brochure
Learn more about who MCM is and what we do.
QuarterMASTER 360° Brochure
An in depth look at the features, functionality, and implementation process of QuarterMASTER 360°.
Sample Screen Shots
Interested in learning more?
If you are looking for an enterprise-class solution to streamline your assets and inventory management processes and increase accountability in your organization, you've come to the right place. Allow MCM to show you more about our QuarterMASTER solution by giving us a call at (877) 626-6157 or requesting more information or a web demo by clicking the "Request a Demo" button below!


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I heard about this site along time ago and despite the fact that we here at Sick Britain are meant to be all about UK Urbex I thought I'd break tradition from (a) posting articles about forums, and (b) post a quality site from the good old United States of America. Opacity has been around since 2002 and is a personal site detailing the urban exploration of one man – Tom Kirsch (or Mr. Motts), the site is beautifully put together (all hand-coded by the site's owner) and contains an amazing amount of stunning photography, site reports and even a forum (though the emphasis of the site is clearly on the reports). I can't stress more, if you're into urbex you have to look at this site: http://www.opacity.us/.
Urbex Community: Opacity
Urbex Community: urbexforums.co.uk
After a recommending a regionalised site last week I thought I ought to return to the national stage with a community spotlight on urbexforums.co.uk, another forum site focused more on site reports than general discussion but it's quite active. There's not a great deal to say because it does exactly what it says on the tin: it's a forum about urbex in the UK and it's called urbexforums.co.uk!
Urbex Community: Mids Urbexing
Much more specific in targeting than many Urbex sites, the Mids Urbexing forum is aimed specfically at those of us from the UK's 'Midlands' region generally referring to Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and the whole Birmingham metropolis. The area has a rich history of industrial activity and took centre stage in the industrial revolution from mills to factories, sadly these days the UK manufacturing industry is in decline and that leaves a lot of places empty and open for exploration. The forum here has a good little community going on, if you're in the area or think that you might be able to make it over to the midlands for an explore then check out http://www.mids-urbexing.co.uk/.
Urbex Community: Northwest Exploration
This time I've found a regionalised community site, Northwest Exploration, aimed at the North West of England the site specifically defines itself as covering North Wales, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, The Wirral, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria (although I wouldn't personally class Derbyshire as North-West). Compared to most sites NWEX is much more focused on site reports than general discussion but if you're in the area and looking for inspiration be sure to check out http://nwex.co.uk/.
Urbex Community: derelictplaces.co.uk
One of the first sites I came across when entering the murky world of Urban Exploration was Derelict Places, a UK Urbex forum. The forums are home to a great number of users who post site reports, general chat and other stuff and the atmosphere there is nice and friendly – I strongly encourage you to visit and meet the guys over there.
P.S. The eagle-eyed of you might spot that the Google ads in the top-right contain a link to this very site, that's because Sick Britain contributor thirtyfootscrew was sent a free £50 Adwords voucher and valiantly used it to help promote this blog!


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SPRINGFIELD -- Tech Foundry, the Springfield-based workforce training nonprofit, has won a $123,808 grant from the Commonwealth Corporation's Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund.
"It will allow us to continue to expand our class size and it will allow us to increase the number of employer partners we can work to fill vacancies with," said Tech Foundry Director of Strategic Partnership Jonathan Edwards.
The grant will likely cover an 18-month contract with Commonwealth Corp., pending the signing of the contract in July, Edwards said. The grant is part of over $2 million in funds awarded by the trust fund in late April.
"The key to the success of Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund is active involvement between local businesses, community-based organizations, education and workforce development professionals," Governor Charlie Baker said in a press release. "These partnerships create opportunities for the citizens of the Commonwealth and work to strengthen regional economies."
Tech Foundry, a nonprofit that partners with organizations and corporations including Baystate Health, Crocker Communications, the Davis Foundation and the Beveridge Family Foundation, offers job skills training for Western Mass. residents trying to enter the information technology or coding fields. The program graduated its first class in June of 2015, and its second in October.
Tech Foundry has refined its focus since its launch, targeting career-focused people and community college students rather than the high schoolers who made up its pilot class, Edwards said in a January interview.
Massachusetts Sec. of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald Walker, who chairs the Commonwealth Corporation, toured Tech Foundry's Main Street headquarters on April 27, two days before the grants were announced.
"I like the model. The model is collaborative. It includes the businesses and the training directly for the jobs available, and the hands on training really makes sense," Walker said at the time.
Edwards said that Tech Foundry's focus on providing students with specific skills needed by employers was what attracted the state to further support the program.
"It is working at what employers need to grow their company, and that grows the economy," Edwards said. "We're not training some and hoping we can match them. We're knowing what the demand is from employers and making sure we train specifically to those skills."


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Christians in Pakistan meet with all kinds of discrimination, harassment and oppression. Most of these Christians are from the poorest and lowliest sections of society and they face a variety of difficulties that block their social advancement. Usually they are the ones who perform the most menial tasks, such as road sweepers or domestic helpers. Most of them would like to see their children have a better life, but their hopes are often frustrated by the fact that Muslims generally receive more favourable treatment and have better opportunities, even with the same level of education, while for the poorer Christian families even sending their children to school in the first place involves great financial sacrifice.
Most families have many children, and these children are seen as a gift from God and a sign of hope for the future. The parents are proud to see their children gain a good education, but most of them cannot read or write themselves, and so they can do little to help their children. Often mothers and older sisters have to go to work as well, in order to be able to pay the school fees.
When Christian children are sent to a state school, they often find themselves pressured to renounce their faith. To prepare for this pressure, most Christian children attend school first in their own parishes, in one of the many Sunday schools, to root them more deeply in their own faith. Here they can grow spiritually, as they pray and sing together and come to better know the Good News of the Gospel. With great enthusiasm, they re-enact some of the Bible stories as theater performances. In this way they not only enhance the beauty of the great religious feasts but also help their parents, who for the most part cannot read the Bible themselves, to better know and understand the Bible stories.
The Sisters of Saint Paul, a congregation very much involved in the media apostolate, have been active in Pakistan since 1965 and have produced a wide range of religious and catechetical literature. Now they would like to produce a little Bible for children that will contain not only Bible stories but also short prayers. The idea is to use this book in the Sunday schools and in the religious education classes of the Catholic schools.
"Once the children are well grounded in their faith, the parents are less afraid of sending them to the state schools," the Sisters report, for then there is less danger that they will be deflected from their faith. ACN has promised a contribution of $7,400 towards the cost of printing 5,000 copies of this book.
Will you give to fund the printing of these Bibles for children in Pakistan? We are sure they will remember you in their grateful prayers.
Code: 328-05-89
Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need's projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive.


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GLOBALFOUNDRIES is now delivering in volume its 14nm High Performance (HP) technology that will enable IBM's next-generation of processors for server systems.
Motorola's Moto X4 is coming to Google's Project Fi network, and it's bringing Android One along with it.
BlackBerry Ltd. is joining forces with Delphi Automotive Plc to provide the operating system for the low-cost self-driving car technology the auto-parts supplier will begin offering in 2019.
Nest today unveiled at an event in San Francisco the Nest Hello, its first-ever video doorbell, a rugged verion of the regular IQ camera, and a Secure alarm system.
Apple's new Series 3 smartwatch starts shipping this Friday but the company has already hit with issues related to its LTE connectivity capabilities - the gadget's most important feature.
Rambus today announced functional silicon of a double data rate (DDR) server DIMM (dual inline memory module) buffer chipset prototype for the next generation DDR5 memory technology.
Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC announced Wednesday that it is suspending trading of its shares on the Taiwan market from Thursday, giving weight to rumors that it will soon sell its smartphone business to Alphabet's Google.
Microsoft says that the Xbox One X standard edition pre-orders begin today at local retailers around the world, including Microsoft Store and Microsoft.com.
Amazon.com is working on a pair of 'smart glasses', the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Toshiba has decided to sell its chip unit to a Japan-U.S.-South Korean consortium for around 2.4 trillion yen ($21 billion) following months of talks involving other bidders.
All News...


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Americans set to repeat unhealthy habits this holiday season
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Heading into the 2010 holiday shopping season, Americans appear ready to repeat unhealthy eating and exercise habits, according to the latest Gallup-Healthways well-being index released Thursday.
The WBI healthy behavior sub-index — which measures incidence of smoking, eating healthy, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and exercise — slipped for the third consecutive month, falling to 63.8 in October. The percentage of respondents who exercised three or more times a week has dropped two points since July to 51.7%, while the percent who said they ate healthy and the percent consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables each day both dropped in the same time period.
The percentage of respondents who report smoking has remained consistent in nearly three years of measurement, hovering around October's 20.6% with very little variation.
Over the past two years that Gallup-Healthways has been measuring WBI, the healthy behavior sub-index dropped steadily from September through December before recovering in January, once everyone made their New Year's resolutions.
The physical health sub-index, which measures the number of sick days used in the past month, obesity, cold, flu and headaches, among other things, dropped to 76.2 in October from 76.6 in September. Daily flu incidents increased by one point, and daily cold increased by four, both very much in line with previous years. Seasonal influences and increased rates of headache likely will create a drag on the PHI through the end of the cold-and-flu season in March, Gallup-Healthways reported.
The WBI, which helps illustrate the picture of American well-being across several matrices, recently tabulated its 1 millionth survey. The WBI is a daily assessment of U.S. residents' health and well-being. By interviewing at least 1,000 U.S. adults every day, the WBI provides real-time measurement and insights needed to improve health, increase productivity and lower healthcare costs. Public and private sector leaders use data on life evaluation, physical health, emotional health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access to public services to develop and prioritize public initiatives.
"Prior to this work, how well-being was intertwined with daily life was unknown," stated Nikki Duggan, Healthways lead WBI data analyst. "We didn't know the impact elements, such as happiness, anger, stress, health status, employment status and neighborhood safety, had on the whole," she said. "Through these million people sharing their lives, we have uncovered incredibly valuable insight for our country and its people. We have heard both concern and hope over the past three years of our surveying."
The survey's inception in January 2008 provided researchers with a snapshot of America prior to the recession, and also a baseline against which to measure the impact of the stock market crash in October of that year. Within two months, overall well-being fell 2.8 points, while life evaluation index scores, the measure of people's current life perception and hope for the future fell 5.6 points within one month.
Align becomes No. 1 recommended probiotic, P&G says
CINCINNATI Even during a time when consumers are cutting back on healthcare expenditures, the probiotics category has continued to grow, according to Procter & Gamble, which announced Wednesday that its Align probiotic has become the most recommended among gastroenterologists.
"My patients come in asking about probiotics, and they want to make sure to spend money on something that will work," stated Anish Sheth, gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. "I feel good about recommending Align because it is manufactured with high-quality techniques, has published data and, most importantly, I've seen it really help my patients protect against occasional digestive upsets."
In a survey of more than 600 gastroenterologists, Align was the No. 1 recommended brand of probiotics.
Study: Weight gain among lower protein formula-fed infants is similar to breast-fed ones
MADISON, N.J. Newly published findings indicated that infants fed a lower-protein infant formula developed by Pfizer Nutrition gained weight at a similar rate to those who were breast-fed, according to a study published online Wednesday in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"This study showed that when we fed infants with a formula that contained specially adjusted levels of protein that more closely matched those found in breast milk, these babies grew at a rate similar to breast-fed babies," stated study author Rosario Capeding. "As we learn more about the importance of nutrition during early childhood, we recognize there is a critical need to ensure nutrients are received in the most appropriate proportions to support appropriate growth and development."
Added Patricia DeRusso, chief medical officer and VP Pfizer Nutrition: "At Pfizer Nutrition, we are committed to developing infant formulas that help formula-fed babies to achieve growth and health outcomes similar to human milk-fed babies. This study further supports the improved nutrient composition in our newly reformulated Gold line of infant formula, which will allow us to continue to provide growing children with the right amount of the nutrients they need during their critical early years."


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So, Apocalypse World.
It's an RPG by Vincet Baker, the same dude who did Dogs in the Vineyard which, I'm told, is incredible. I think I would really like Dogs in the Vineyard, which is to say, I didn't like Apocalypse World but I don't think it's total crap, either. What follows is both my review of the system and my re-telling of our brief campaign.
The GM hands out eleven character folios. Each player gets to pick one, so there's no doubling up on classes. I rolled up a Battle Babe to go with the Hardholder, the Gun Nut and the... Scavenger? Should've taken better notes. The guy who gets Barter as his schtick. We had a nice, well-rounded group with plenty of kill and plenty of talk, our own street gang, and our own settlement to defend. Very Walking Dead: Season 3.
For me, character creation was the most fun aspect of the game. Your characters begin play knowing one another, and you have a History (Hx) score that determines how you interact with each other, mechanically speaking. Cool idea. And since you can't double-up on classes, each player's selection brings unique skills to the game. As you level, you get options to "borrow" abilities from the other classes in play, which means you can coordinate some really quirky stuff if you've got a mind for it. (Some GMs might rule that you can borrow abilities from classes which aren't in play, which further increases your character customization).
Our first session involved choosing our apocalypse. We did this by playing a one-shot, one-page RPG similar to The Quiet Year, but whose name eludes me. (Coincidentally, I recommend playing The Quiet Year over a couple stiff drinks with some nerdy friends. Last time, we wound up defending a desert island from lusty mollusk-men. It's good fun.)
Our Apocalypse was unique - a huge climate disaster had rendered most of Earth's atmosphere un-breathable, so we were confined to underground grottoes in subways and sewers, where the survivors desperately tried to grow crops using hydroponics and heat lamps. On top of that, we faced incoming threats from the remnants of the U.S. Army, a cult called the Children of Ash, and mole-men, which our GM eventually wrote out of the story because he thought they were silly.
|Our particular setting felt very "Metro 2033"
Everything boils down to this: Roll 2d6. Add your relevant modifiers. Did you get a 10+? You succeed, exactly as you intended. Did you get a 7-9? You succeed, but the GM decides to what degree. You might kill your enemy, but be so overcome with bloodlust that you can't act next round. Or you might succeed in charming the merchant, but before he sells his secret stash to you, he needs a favor... 6 or less you fail.
There's a Doomsday Clock, too, that ticks closer to midnight with every failure. This is something I disliked - I'll go into why later. Health is handled in a similar fashion.
You level up by using your skills, but there's a twist: Your friends and your GM decide which skills will be useful in any given session, so your best stat might never get used to gain experience, while your worst stat might be the one you constantly rely on. Quirky. Anti-power-gamer technology in action, I suppose.
In our little hard-hold of New Plymouth, we have the following: Electricity, scrap, water, and guns. The rest? Well, we're hurting. That's why the Hardholder, the man-in-charge, decided to talk to the remains of the U.S. Army about getting some food shipped over in exchange for some of our people. The Colonel who showed up to represent the Army was a showy chauvinist, and he made a bold display of force by surrounding our little town with tanks. He didn't so much barter as threaten, demand, and steal. Not a good sign.
Later, that same day, after the tanks had left with a bunch of our supplies, a man calling himself Mr. Burns appeared to the Gun Nut in a vision. He was a floating skull covered in fire. He talked pretty, but everyone the Gun Nut told about the vision got real suspicious. Mr. Burns said the Children of Ash were coming, and that meant trouble for our little town.
Being a weird sort, I decided to do a little voodoo. The Battle Babe and the Gun Nut got all covered in body paint and asked questions of the Spirit World: We learned that the Children of Ash have a neat trick. First, they burn someone alive in a ritual. Next, everyone that person knows starts to burn. The closer you are, the more danger you're in. That's why, whenever the Children roll into town, they like to kidnap someone popular, someone everybody knows and loves, and burn him to a crisp. If they can nab a celebrity, they can barbecue an entire city.
The Scavenger knew a guy who had some info, so we set up a satellite phone and paid some bribes, etc, discovering that the Children were camped in a ruined gas station some five miles away. We rode out, guns blazing, and slaughtered thirty of them in a haze of blood and bullets. Turns out the Children don't need gas-masks to breathe the cloudy air. They don't even need food. They just eat ashes and turn that into sustenance. Also, those thirty? They were just a scouting party. Turns out there are millions of Children of Ash.
(OK - This is where the game started to fall apart for me. Not the system's fault, but rather our GM's. How the hell do you beat an enemy like that?)
The next day, all depressed, we woke to the sound of Mr. Burns approaching the city walls. He yelled out his demands for our leader in a fiery voice, and our Scavenger had a brilliant idea. We agreed to hand over a leader, at a set place and time, and (with a boxcar die roll) we convinced the Children it was a brilliant idea, too. Our Hardholder radio'd the Army Colonel and said, convincingly, that he'd cave to the Colonel's demands. You can have whatever you like, sir. Just meet me at this place and time. Come quiet - I don't want my people to know how badly I've failed them.
The story ended how you'd expect: The braggart Colonel meets us in the ruined town square at dusk, and a mob of ash-covered fanatics swarms him and his tankers, hoists him high, and burns him alive. A whole regiment of the U.S. Army goes up in smoke alongside him, and the Hardholder, who doesn't know the man so well, gets a bit crispy but lives to tell the tale. Our Gun Nut, though, has an ecstatic vision and very nearly finds a new religion on the spot. Something about a glorious conflagration, a holy inferno, and the Battle Babe punches him in the mouth and shuts him up.
A group of South American pirates showed up and started to posture aggressively. They docked in the harbor east of our settlement, and offered us all passage off the continent. The Hardholder wasn't hearing any of their honeyed lies. He was also getting damn sick of the Army, who had returned in greater numbers and re-established their charred campsite to the north.
After much deliberation, the Hardholder decided he was going to lead a gang to intimidate the pirates into fighting the Army. And...
This is where the game bogged down. The GM and the Hardholder had to look up rules for gang warfare, and the whole session devolved into rules lawyering and active reading. The GM ruled that the Hardholder's gang was much weaker, so the Hardholder's plan was doomed to fail. The only other major action of the session came from the Scavenger, who stole a bazooka from the pirates and used it to sink their ship, rendering the work of the previous hour completely pointless.
I missed this session and I'm glad I did. Competitive book reading is the worst.
The Battle Babe returns to New Plymouth hard-hold, her motorcycle covered in mole-man skulls. She catches up on news, then suggests the group try again with the pirates: After all, she reasons, they only sunk one ship, and with her sword skills and overall hotness added to the mix, they have a much better chance of actually persuading the pirates to fall in line.
She also suggests a suicide pact. If any one of us gets captured by the Children, that one needs to die, and not by fire. It's the only way to keep the Children from killing all of us. The Hardholder agrees enthusiastically; he confesses that he sees no way to defeat the Children, and wants to abandon his stronghold. There's nothing good left in New Plymouth anyway. Either we die to fire, or we die by starvation, or we die by tanks. Unless we get out, we're just dead.
We ride on motorcycles to the coast and hold audience with the pirates - different ones from the ones the Scavenger killed with a bazooka - and they make us an offer. South America, where the air is breathable and there are no Children of Ash. All it costs us is our barter. We all decide it's best to abandon our hard-hold and go South, and do so, abruptly ending the campaign.
How anti-climactic was that?
Finding a way out of death traps is what RPG players do best. When a game is, essentially, one giant, inescapable death trap, players will find a way out by leaving the game. In my opinion, that's a huge flaw in game design, and one of the reasons I didn't like this game overall. There's no point in playing a game nobody can win. The Doomsday Clock is a count-down to the world ending. As players fail checks, and they will fail, the Doomsday Clock reminds everyone that their characters are ephemeral and everything they're doing is meaningless. Fun.
Our GM had enough material to run a single session well, and he did. Session one was great. Session two I missed, and session three lasted about forty minutes. I'm not sure why the GM wrote a campaign ending scenario into the third session of the game, but there you have it. The Children were too powerful. The exit was too visible. There was really only one way this was going to go.
Despite my bitching about the final session and some of my GM's more baffling decisions, I have a lot of good things to say about Apocalypse World. I recommend giving it a go if one or more of the following applies to you or your group:
* You've got a large group of gamers who don't want to learn a complex system. Mechanically, AW plays really fast and isn't very complex, so you could realistically have seven or eight players at a table and still feel like you all accomplished something at the end of the night.
* You've got several die-hard post-nuke aficionados in your group.
* You're only planning to run a few sessions, and everyone is operating with the understanding that you're all going to die. So, AW could be great for something like a post-nuke Battle of Thermopylae.
* You've got a very collaborative approach to gaming; the GM borrows from players' ideas and players are constantly adding details and working together to create a cool thing. It won't work if you've got a GM who is like, "My way or the highway."
I admit, too, that my attitude is influenced by my game's totally unsatisfying conclusion and the sour attitude that crept in during the second-session rules debacle. Your mileage may vary, and honestly, I hope it does. If you GM it, here's my takeaway:
* Don't build 'campaign ending escape clauses' into your game. Your players will take them as soon as they get frustrated. They might not even realize what they're doing until you reveal that the game is over.
* Don't make enemies like the Children of Ash. While they're literary and would be really intriguing in a novel, there's a big difference between a novel and a game. 'Scary' and 'intimidating' are fun. 'Terrifying' and 'impossible' are not.
* Make rulings quickly. If you can look up a rule in under a minute, do so. If you can't, arbitrate. Don't waste a game session reading a rulebook.
Lastly, if your GM is doing any of this stuff, tell him. Good GMs like feedback, if it's presented constructively, and even the very best GMs make mistakes. Oh well, Apocalypse World. At least we'll always have session one.


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As we get in 2018, the sector is overloaded with mattress brands. The article below consists of the top 8 mattresses of 2018. They are detailed in no particular order.
If you get on the hunt for the perfect mattress, you can not go wrong if you choose one of the complying with.
Puffy Mattress
- Consumers state Puffy is without a doubt one of the most comfortable mattress they have actually ever slept on. They state it's much like resting on clouds. Furthermore, consumers experiencing pain in the back feel relief with Puffy's Adaptive Cloud Technology. With Puffy, you also obtain a life time warranty, along with a 101 evening free sleep test.
- Incredible mattress for your money. Extremely high quality mattress. Puffy is made-to-order so it does take 2 days till it's shipped to you.
- Puffy's top layer is a Cooling Cloud Pressure Relief Foam; CertiPUR-US Certified. This is what's responsible for making you really feel as if you are sleeping on a cloud. The bottom layer is consisted of a Firm Core Support Foam, which is additionally CertiPUR-US Certified. Best Mattress For Young Child
Serta Sleep Mattress
- Serta is an outstanding mattress choice. It continues to be firm for support where it is required. Yet, is additionally soft where it should be.
- If you have a little additional money to invest into a mattress, the Serta is a superb selection.
- Serta consist of a Cool Action Gel Memory Foam which is planned to maintain you cool down at night.It likewise a ComfortLast Foam with Edge Support for its lower support foam.
Purple Mattress
- The Purple Mattress is made of hyper-elastic polymer which differs from various other mattresses that are mainly constructed from memory foam. The feeling of this material is various compared to any other you have actually really felt. It also permits you to keep one's cool, and spring back very quickly.
- Purple Mattress has a restricted warranty. Its leading layer does have a bounce to it which is one-of-a-kind per se.
- The top layer includes their infamous Hyper-Elastic Polymer Smart-Comfort Gel Grid. Not only that, yet the bottom layer consists of Polyurethane Foam.
Leesa Mattress
- Leesa is without an uncertainty one of the very best cushions on the market. It is a soft bed, which makes for a fantastic nights rest. The cooling layer functions good supplying an excellent feel overnight.
- The top layer consists of Avena Perforated Foam.
- The bottom layer of Leesa is included Polyurethane Memory Foam.
Nature's Sleep
- The Nature's Sleep mattress varies from the majority of bed mattress on the marketplace, as it is made with 4 layers of foam. The 4 layers of foam provides a helping hand for much heavier set people. It also is helpful in decreasing activity transfer.
- Nature's Sleep features a layer of Vitex Memory Foam. This aids support and offers pressure relief. This aids for a good evenings rest. Best Mattress For Young Child
- The Nature's Sleep mattress comes with a 20 year warranty, compared with many mattresses having a 10 year. This mattress is much more pricey than some. This warranty, along with being made with emerald gel makes this mattress well worth the added expense.
Sapira Mattress
- The Sapira is constructed with the greatest quality 6 ″ coils. On the whole it is a 11 ″ inch mattress with 5 layers. This Sapira is a hybrid foam design mattress, integrated with superb edge support.
- Sapira is made by Leesa, and also has actually donated over 6,000 mattresses, which is well worth discussing.
- Sapira's top layer contains Avena Memory Foam. Polyurethane Memory Foam makes up the remaining 4 layers. The Sapira mattress has pocket coil springs.
Ghost Bed
- Ghost bed has a top cover which is rather plush, in addition to stretchy. The mattress is made with white textile, which offers a nice touch. The cover is zippable permitting you to conveniently remove it for cleaning.
- It deserves keeping in mind that the Ghost Bed does include latex. You will certainly experience a little bit a lot more sinkage with the Ghost Bed, compared to most memory foam mattresses.
- Ghost Beds top layer is comprised of latex. While Polyurethane Support Foam composes the bottom layer.
Nectar Mattress
- Nectar provides fantastic comfort, as well as is fairly potentially one of the most prominent mattress offered currently. The support of Nectar is excellent, and also it does not have too much sinkage.
- Many mattress brand names feature a 10 year warranty, nonetheless the Nectar has the Forever Warranty.
- Many mattress business offers a 100 day trial. Nectar provides a 365 night sleep trial.
- Nectar's top layer is comprised of Quilted Gel Visco Elastic Memory Foam. It additionally includes gel memory foam and Polyurethane Support Foam. Best Mattress For Young Child
When looking for a mattress, it is important to consider the following…
Comfort and Support
The two most significant variables when seek to acquire a brand-new mattress, is comfort and also support. When you lie down on a mattress, it must appropriately support your body, sinking and adapting around your form in the proper locations to guarantee your spine stays lined up while you rest via the night. Correct alignment from head to toe is necessary for healthy rest and also to reduce pain in the back. While being encouraging of your body, a proper mattress should provide pressure relief. The stress points on your body are what is accountable for you thrashing during the evening. The factor memory foam mattresses have actually ended up being so popular since late is due to the fact that they are outstanding at being both helpful as well as comfy.
Stiff or Soft?
This is along the same lines with comfort as well as support. A mattress ought to neither be also hard nor also soft.It should be as neutral as feasible, to maintain your body and also back in a neutral position.Too much tightness in a mattress will aggravate the stress points, triggering pinched nerves, as well as the blood to quit flowing. If you usually get up with the sensation of pins as well as needles on your body, it's most likely from the mattress being also stiff. And when the other takes place, with a bed that is also soft, you will certainly get a concaving "hammock" impact, which will certainly create neck and back pain from incorrect placement of your spine. It is important to find a mattress with a neutral feel, that will be both rigid as well as soft in the correct places. Best Mattress For Young Child
Temperature Level
One of the most often missed over features of a mattress (and also the failure to lots of lower end foam mattresses) is the breathability or temperature level neutrality of the material. One of the most effective functions of memory foam mattresses, is exactly how they conform to your body. However, the reduced layers of foam mattresses are well-known for the stove impact. Primarily, the mattress catches your temperature, triggering you to rest also hot. And occasionally, a mattress may sleep as well amazing. Although this is rare. An example of this would be water beds. The majority of mattress business these days utilize innovation to develop special materials. The purpose is to offer breathability, and to disperse heat. But, some brands obtain this best much better compared to some of their rivals.
It's no surprise that if you are looking a high quality mattress, that they do not come inexpensive. It's a large investment to make, so when you acquire one, it is essential to locate a mattress that will last you for years.It is critical to locate a mattress that was well constructed, with a lengthy life span in mind. If you are going to invest the money on a brand-new mattress, look for one that provides at least a 10 year warranty. Best Mattress For Young Child


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The 'normal' effects in LOOKS let you apply eyeliner, lipstick, blush, and other virtual makeup products. That said, the 'advanced' effects can make you look thinner or make your eyes look bigger, among other things. You can also adjust the intensity of all these effects.
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LOOKS is a simple and user-friendly photo retouching app. With it, you can try out tons of different makeup looks, right from your Android's screen.
Requires Android 4.1 or higher


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A visitor to Harpers Ferry is unable to see the scars while traveling down Shenandoah Street or peering up High Street, but soon after taking the left onto Potomac Street, the damage a devastating fire caused to this most historical town appear to be healing today following the July 23, 2015, blaze.
Harpers Ferry, though, is still able to tell an important tale about a place where three states converge along the Potomac River.
Four years before West Virginia successfully seceded from the state of Virginia, Harpers Ferry was home to a federal arsenal targeted by abolitionist John Brown in mid-October 1859. Word of Brown's ambush spread quickly, however, and he and his men were surrounded, and many were killed or captured, including the leader. Brown was convicted of treason on Nov. 2 and hanged one month later.
The blaze, however, has changed this place forever. A year and two months ago, at 3:19 a.m., first-responders received the initial report, and hours later three buildings that housed eight businesses and a pair of apartments were deemed total losses. Approximately 30 percent of this place, a destination for sightseers and history buffs from all 50 states and from throughout the world, was reduced to smoking cinders.
"And that smell," said Cindi Dunn, co-owner of the once-displaced Vintage Lady retail shop. "When you watch a fire like that, you realize it has a life and a mind of its own. And that smell. I just couldn't get that smell out of my nose. It lasted forever."
While the state's Fire Marshall's Office has not announced an official cause of the fire, evidence was discovered to indicate money was missing from the building where blaze ignited. Neither the fire nor the possible motive has deterred those in Harpers Ferry or many citizens from around the Mountain State from believing in this comeback of sorts.
"Without a doubt, the reaction was very impressive. The people in Harpers Ferry and many from throughout West Virginia reacted in a way that allowed all of us to believe that everything was going to be OK because it was very important to everyone that the recovery took place," Dunn said. "And after President Gee called our mayor, we felt that moral support, but we also saw physical support because they sent personnel here to help.
"This is a town of about 290 people, but we have thousands upon thousands of visitors every month of the year, and we do the best that we can," she said. "But then you throw in a fire like that one that took out a good portion of our business district, and it could have been a huge struggle for us. But the resilience of the people in this town has been amazing."
Amy Goodwin, the state's Tourism Commissioner, was also quick to visit Harpers Ferry, and during her stay she worked with a filmographer to quickly produce a new video for use on her department's website, (gotoWV.gov) and for use on social media platforms.
"She traveled here under the radar, and she's a very nice lady," Dunn explained. "And the video they shot and put out there didn't focus on the damage the fire caused. Instead they shot around the fire in an effort to simply promote our town and to send the message that, despite what they might have heard about the fire, there's still plenty here for people to come see."
The Village Shop at Harpers Ferry, Sophie and Bailey's, La Niche Boutique, Upstairs Downstairs Sandwich Shop, Tenfold Fair Trade, Private Quinn's Club, and a data business all were displaced by the devastation. La Niche Boutique has relocated to the Frederick, Md., area and the data business operates now not far away from High Street. While the others await the rebuilding to be completed, two businesses, Tenfold Fair Trade and The Vintage Lady, have set up shop near the area of the blaze.
"Forty-five steps, that's it. I counted it myself, and we plan to keep The Vintage Lady right where we are now because we love this new space," Dunn said. "It was a very emotional decision to make, though. It was something I definitely prayed about, but I have managed, and I have tried my best to look at everything very positively. That's why I think this is now our space and where we need to be right now.
"I think this was meant to be, and it's a great showcase for all of the West Virginia items that we sell here," she said. "When we first purchased the shop in 2004, it was thought of as a jewelry shop, but through the years we have let it evolve, and I've had a goal to purchase a lot of art directly from the artists themselves. Now, not everything we have here was made in West Virginia, but those items also were made in America."
The Dunns were fully insured, she said, and although some of the other victims were not, she believes Harpers Ferry soon will be back to normal.
"I think we are in a really good position right now," said the native of Ripley, W.Va. "Two of the buildings are now being rebuilt, and they've made great strides recently. The third building that was involved has been taken back to its original stone, and the businesses that were located in that one have relocated for now. But that owner is taking his time, and now he is shooting for next spring or summer.
"But there has been a lot of action that has happened, and it's been wonderful to see," Dunn continued. "It's very important to the people in this community to rebuild here, and that's exactly what is taking place. Hopefully by next summer the recovery will be finished so we can get things back to normal here."
The destruction and current construction have not scared tourism away from the Harpers Ferry area, and the statistics are impressive.
"We have a book in the shop, and people sign in, and right now for the month of September we've had customers from 46 states and 34 countries. And that's just the first 20 days in September," Dunn reported. "In May, June, and July, we had people from all 50 states and over 40 countries during each of those months, and in August we missed all 50 by just one state, and that was Rhode Island.
"We are always amazed by those numbers. It's shocking that so many people come to visit Harpers Ferry. That's why we started having that book in the shop," she continued. "That's why I believe the Vintage Lady represents the kind of items that we carry, and that's very important to the people who come here. We're really proud of that because we want to showcase West Virginia and the artists we have in our state."
During the 14 months that have passed since the early-morning blaze, Dunn has been contacted by media members from all over West Virginia and the East Coast. That's OK with her, too, because she lived this disaster, and she's determined to survive it, too.
"I've been very blessed, and I am glad to be the unofficial spokeswoman for Harpers Ferry concerning the fire," Dunn said. "It was brutal. My husband and I just live up the street from there, and we got there about a half an hour after the fire department got the first call about it. At first, we thought the fire might stay in the building below us, but then I saw flames coming from one of our windows and knew it just was raging and was going to do what it wanted.
"I'd never really seen a fire up close and personal, and there's nothing like it. I could feel the heat from that fire, and of course that smell lives forever. It just doesn't go away," she said. "We all take a lot of pride in our little community, and we're very proud of the historical significance of Harpers Ferry. We all work very hard to make sure everyone enjoys their visits here, and that's continued since the fire."
(Cover photo by Cindi Dunn)


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This is the description
Series "203". This series contains both U.S. and worldwide material. This is on consignment from a collector in Montana who had hoped at one time to become a stamp dealer. These lots come from a huge accumulation of dealer-type material. This material will be presented in all kinds of formats including dealer display cards, glassine envelopes, shoe boxes, etc.
Series "513". Thousands of WW Stamps from 125 packed stock pages.


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This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Lakhdar Brahimi to replace Kofi Annan as Syria peace envoy
- Arrest of minister in Lebanon may signal weakening power of Hizbollah
- For one brief, shining Olympic moment, Russians loved North Caucasians
- Relations between South Korea and Japan at rock bottom
Lakhdar Brahimi to replace Kofi Annan as Syria peace envoy
The United Nations announced on Friday that 78 year old Algeriandiplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will become the international envoy on theSyria conflict, representing the United Nations and the Arab League,replacing Kofi Annan. On the day that Annan announced his six-pointpeace plan, I wrote that it was "farcical," and this has turned out tobe an understatement. In fact, Annan's tenure as peace envoy hasactually made the situation worse, by providing cover for Syrianpresident Bashar al-Assad to continue his slaughter of civilianSunnis, and cover for the Russians and Iranians to make sanctimoniousstatements while they support al-Assad's bloody slaughter.
What I found most interesting were some of the things that I heardBrahimi say during a couple of live interviews with him that I heardon Friday. When asked why he took the job after Annan's failure, hesaid, "I'll just repeat what Kofi Annan said — that I must be ascrazy as he is." In fact, Brahimi's statements had a very differenttone than Annan's. Whereas Annan sounds pathetic and dishonest,Brahimi sounds realistic and truthful, at least so far.
He said that he took the job after promises by Security Councilmembers that they would support him — where they hadn't supportedAnnan. Unless this was just weasel words, then the only thing thatthis can mean is that the Russians are willing to agree to a SecurityCouncil resolution that at least partially condemns al-Assad. We'llsee.
The only thing that I heard Brahimi say that was truly crazy was whenhe was asked where there was still a role for diplomacy in stoppingthe Syrian conflict. As best as I can remember, he said, "Of coursediplomacy will play a role. Diplomacy is essential. No war can endwithout a round of diplomacy."
That makes about as much sense as saying that no book can end withouta back cover. From the point of view of Generational Dynamics,politicians do not determine the great events of history. Events aredetermined by masses of people, generations of people. Politicianshave nothing to do with it, except insofar as their policies reflectthe will of the masses of people. Wars don't end because somediplomat like Brahimi comes in and chats with everyone. That'sridiculous, but it appears to be what Brahimi believes. Wars end whenthe people are ready for them to end. Syria has not yet reached thatpoint, but with political support for al-Assad continuing to crumble,that point may be reached soon. And then Brahimi can take all thecredit. AFP
Arrest of minister in Lebanon may signal weakening power of Hizbollah
A seemingly insignificant arrest in Lebanon could indicate animportant change in mood. Former minister Michel Samaha, a friend ofSyrian president Bashar al-Assad, has been arrested for participatingin a plot, hatched by al-Assad, to destabilize Lebanon through aseries of bomb blasts. Not long ago, such an arrest could not haveoccurred because Lebanon's government feared the power of Syria andHizbollah. But now, the Lebanese are losing their fear of Syria, andHizbollah, which is both a political party and a terrorist group inLebanon, is keeping quiet. Reuters
For one brief, shining Olympic moment, Russians loved North Caucasians
Freestyle wrestling gold medal winner Jamal Otarsultanov (geo.tv)
The mutual xenophobia between (Orthodox Christian) ethnic Russians and(Muslim) citizens of Russia's southern (North Caucasian) provinces hasbeen growing in recent years, but it abated for a while during theLondon Olympics, when the North Caucasians became the first to wingold medals for the Russian team, and ended up winning 20 Olympicmedals, including five gold medals, for Russia. For a brief while,Russians loved their North Caucasian fellow citizens, but once theOlympic games ended, Russians returned to such slogans as, "No MoreFeeding the Caucasus." Jamestown
Relations between South Korea and Japan at rock bottom
Recent territorial conflicts over islands disputed between Japan andSouth Korea have become more contentious, and are now crossing overinto policies on economic cooperation. The Japanese, who areparticularly offended by criticisms of Japan's Emperor Akihito bySouth Korean president Lee Myung-bak, have canceled a bilateralfinance ministers' meeting, and are withdrawing planned support forSouth Korea in its bid for election as a nonpermanent member of theUnited Nations Security Council for 2013-2014. The Hankyoreh (Seoul)
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I'm a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin – Madison double-majoring in Journalism: Strategic Communication and Spanish.
I am most interested in the fields of public relations, social media and advertising. In the future, I hope to work in either music PR or fashion PR.
In this blog, I will be addressing how musicians use social media.
Follow me on Twitter: @jackiepecquex


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Rail-to-Water Transport / KCBX North terminal.
Rail-to-Water Transport (left) and American Ship Building (right).
First developed in 1872, this site was used for over a century by the Rail-To-Water Transport Company for the transfer of raw materials including coal and metal. In 1990, it was purchased by petroleum giant KCBX and used for the storage of petroleum coke, an environmentally-contaminating industrial by-product. In 2015—due to a lawsuit over toxic dust blowing into neighboring communities—the petcoke piles were relocated across the state line in Indiana. This plot of land is currently unused.
Morton Salt Pile, 101st Street (East Bank)
First developed in 1880 for use by the South Chicago Brewing Company, within a decade this site became the home of the American Ship Building Company. This company built many of the vessels that were used to transport materials in and through the Great Lakes, experiencing its heyday in the 1940s. The yard closed in 1979 and sat vacant until it was purchased by Morton in 1989. It is currently used to as a storage site for salt.
ACME Steel / KCBX South Terminal, 108th to 111th Street (East bank)
Founded in 1884, Acme originally produced barbed steel staples. Known later as Interlake Steel, the mill operated continuously until 2001, when it became the last of the area's three steel mills to shut down. The land was purchased by petroleum giant KCBX in 2012 and used for the storage of environmentally-contaminating petroleum coke. In 2015, due to a lawsuit, the petcoke piles were moved across the state line to Indiana. This site is currently unused.
Republic Steel (left) and ACME Steel / KCBX South Terminal (right).
Carmeuse Lime, E 103rd Street (East bank)
Purchased by Marblehead Lime in 1926, this tract of land was used for the storage and production of powdered lime. Later known as Carmeuse Lime, the facility operated until 2012, when serious clean air violations, due to so-called "fugitive dust," drew the attention of the EPA. The site was closed and is currently used to store materials including lime, salt, and pig iron.


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Donald Trump lauds sons's 'transparency' on release of emails
Washington, US President Donald Trump has lauded his son's "transparency" who is in the eye of the storm after releasing emails of his communications with a Russian source who wanted to pass on 'damaging information' about election rival Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, had yesterday released a chain of emails showing a Russian source offering the Trump campaign "sensitive information" about White House rival Hillary Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
"My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency," Trump said in a statement which was read out by the White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during her daily news conference. Sanders refused to respond any further question on the email communication and meeting between Donald J Trump Jr and the Russian contact during the last year's presidential
Trump praised his son for the release of a chain of emails with the Russian source. While Trump Jr in a statement hoped that by releasing these emails would bring an end to the controversy, the opposition political leaders called for investigation and claimed that this is yet another indication of the connection between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
Also Read: Donald Trump Junior met Russian over Clinton info: Report
"Donald Trump Jr has admitted and documented that he, Jared Kushner, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer with the understanding that she was a Russian government lawyer providing damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow's effort to help President Trump's campaign," said
Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
"The attempt by these top Trump advisors – to solicit the support of a hostile foreign power to win the American presidency – is unprecedented in our history," he said."The need for Special Counsel Mueller's investigation and our Congressional inquiries to continue has never been more clear.
"I have no doubts as to the Special Counsel and his team's readiness to do its part in fully pursuing all criminal investigations related to these revelations but Congress must fulfil its responsibility. Pending any investigation, no one who participated in the Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya should have access to any classified information, especially material relevant to our national security," Krishnamoorthi said.
Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the email shows that Donald Trump Jr clearly understood the intent of the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya. "Instead of welcoming information from the Russian government, the Trump team should have immediately notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation."I'm not a prosecutor, but I think this is an extremely serious issue and needs to be followed up on by Robert Mueller's investigation and the Congressional Intelligence Committees immediately," Cardin demanded.
"This episode demonstrates why it remains important that an independent commission be established immediately to look into Russia's interference in our election and identify the steps we must take to strengthen our defenses in the future," he said. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein said these emails are deeply disturbing. "They appear to show direct coordination between the Trump campaign and possibly the Russian government itself," she said.
"There are still many questions that must be answered. That's why I've urged Chairman Grassley to move quickly—this issue is squarely within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee and I believe we need to have Donald Trump, Jr, and other individuals come before the committee, in open session, as soon as possible," Feinstein said.
"There's no escaping it: the Trump Campaign's inner circle met with an agent of a hostile foreign power to influence the outcome of an American election. The American people face a White House riddled with shadowy Russian connections and desperate to hide the truth," said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
"One after another, senior Trump officials have been caught hiding secret meetings with Russian agents. The incendiary news of the meeting arranged by Donald Trump Jr is a grave development in the investigation of Trump officials' possible collusion with Moscow," she said. "In addition to Special Counsel Mueller's scrutiny, everyone at the meeting should be immediately summoned to appear under oath before the House and Senate committees investigating," Pelosi said.


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This weekend was hell for Ford Motor Co.'s public relations team. After receiving news that disturbing mockup print ads for the company's Figo model were circulating the internet, it was all hands on deck.
The ads depicted women tied and gagged in the trunk of the car. One ad displays former Italian Prime Minister driving the car with three women tied up in the trunk.
"Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot," read the tagline.
Employees at the firm that had created the ads posted them to a website to show off their creativity. Ford states that these ads were NOT commissioned by the company OR approved.
This is a public relations nightmare to say the least, but Ford did all it could to respond quickly and gracefully and really what else can be done?
Ford's statement
"We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened," the company said in a statement. "The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners. Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again."
The company clearly states to the public that they are sorry for the actions of the company. They don't place the blame, but rather they take control of the situation and explain how these ads are contrary to their standards of professionalism and similar to their agency partners.
But, Ford did make a mistake. Although they issued a public statement, the company had not issued an apology on its website or any social media platform. This becomes an issue because this is where the public goes for an inside look. They want a personal apology and what's more personal than a company's Twitter or Facebook page?
A lot can be learned from Ford's mistake. They did react in a decent time and they did release a statement taking the blame but they missed a crucial part of the process – social media.
Ford could have issued an apology on their Twitter, I mean, it is only 140 characters.
Follow this issue : http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/03/25/ford-facing-backlash-after-ads-featuring-berlusconi-with-women-bound-in-trunk-of-his-car/
Check out what others think on the company's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ford


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Marie Grace Gaffud Antonio is an Open Source advocate working with Bluepoint Foundation as Executive Director and Director of Operations. Magie and Engels are proud parents of Psylocke & Phoenix.
This cool site is powered by My Activity Journal, a simple, PHP-based, GPL'ed blog written from scratch as a spare time family project by Psylocke, Magie, and Engels Antonio.
Christmas Countdown
94 days to go before Christmas!
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~Annie Dillard
Back to Barracks!
Monday, Jun 12, 2006, 2:51 AMI'm finally reporting back.
-back from more than a week of flu
-back to prep up our upcoming seminar this July -- Happy 7th year Bluepoint!
-back from Cabiao and Paniqui, it's good to see our folks again!
-back to reply to my unanswered emails
-back from school supplies' shopping
-back to connecting with my high school buddies
-back to reading a good book
-back to clutter-free our home!
-back to Friendster
-back to update this site!
Recent Entries


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If you have young children, you know how hard it is to find age-appropriate entertainment that is both positive, educational and fun.
If you have young children, you know how hard it is to find age-appropriate entertainment that is both positive, educational and fun.
In Stockton, the Musical Chairs Concert Series wraps up its season with a concert Friday morning by Grammy-nominated recording artist Red Grammer.
His most recent album, "BeBop Your Best," is a catchy lesson in character traits - something sorely needed for today's little learners.
"Kids have no qualms about embracing character traits," Grammer said from his home in Southern California. "Realize that most people creating entertainment for kids really don't have the kids' best interest at heart. To preserve the sweetness of their souls takes vigilance. And this music is sweet, fun, playful and nurtures the soul."
Grammer, who tours the nation and is often invited to perform overseas, says that the message of his music resonates with youngsters.
"What's so interesting about these character songs is that kids just love the song I sing about integrity," he said. "It's something they really understand."
The singer and songwriter can be found on YouTube and his own Web site singing on the Great Wall of China during a visit several years ago. He calls that performance one he will never forget.
"I'll be going back in June," he said. "They brought me over two years ago in May for the launch of a virtue program in Beijing schools. If you've seen that clip, it's just astonishing. I've never played in a more awesome place."
On Friday, his stateside tour brings him to Central United Methodist Church in Stockton. He has been a regular with the Musical Chairs Concert Series, performing for preschool and young elementary students in Stockton every couple of years.
"His upbeat energy and enthusiasm is a positive counter to the unsettling times we live in," said Heidi Thumlert, concert organizer. "His joy for life comes through in his music, making his concerts upbeat, fun and at times a little zany."
Thumlert hopes families will come out Friday morning for some quality entertainment with their youngsters. Tickets for the show are still available.
And because Grammer's first name is Red, kids can get into the spirit by wearing red to the show.
Contact reporter Jo Ann Kirby at (209) 546-8256 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Bounce-back effort
Missouri bounced back from its first loss of the 2013 campaign, as it picked up a 31-3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers as 11-point home favorites last Saturday, while going UNDER the betting odds total for a second consecutive contest.
The Tigers forced three turnovers in that affair, including two interceptions—raising their season total to 17 in that particular category.
Over the last two-plus seasons, the program is 5-4 SU and 4-5 ATS in Weeks 10 through 13, with the UNDER cashing in five of those opportunities.
Back in the win column
Kentucky snapped a five-game losing streak, as it came away with a 48-14 victory over Alabama State last Saturday—winning the statistical battle for the first time over that span.
The Wildcats will likely fall back into the loss column, as they've gone 0-12 SU and 1-11 ATS as underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points over the last two-plus seasons.
Scoring points
The Tigers are certainly capable of covering this type of number on the road, considering their averaging 40.6 points per game. Missouri hasn't finished with a number over 40 in that particular category since 2008.
Missouri is extremely balanced on the offensive end, ranking 16th in rushing and 41st in passing offense, averaging 237.2 and 262.8 yards respectively in those categories.
Make sure you check out the Week 11 Betting Odds Report~
Holding onto the football
College football handicappers should anticipate the Wildcats putting up some points in this affair, as they've turned the ball over just six times, which will sustain drives against an aggressive defense.
Kentucky's 4.7 yards per rush and 11.4 yards per reception would rank in the top three in those categories over the last 10 years.[/]{"component":"oddswidget", "eventId":248590, "sportsbooksIds":[43], "LineTypeId":3, "PeriodTypeId":1}[/]
I'm going to recommend that readers play the total for their college football picks, as the OVER is 5-0 in the Tigers' last five road games.
College Football Pick: Over 56 at William Hill


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Celebrating the life of Carla J Warman
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of Carla. This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Carla Warman
Memorial services for lifelong Lamar resident Carla J. Warman will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, July 28, 2017 at the Lamar Christian Church with Ian Blacker officiating.
Carla was born on May 3, 1960 at Lamar, Colorado to Carl W. and Dorothy "Dottie" (Austin) McCaslin. She passed away on July 13, 2017 at her home with her family by her side.
She is preceded in death by her fathers, Carl Willard Warman and Bill McCaslin, her maternal and paternal grandparents, and her uncle Ronnie Austin.
Carla is survived by her daughters, NaTasha Reifschneider and Tonya (Keith) Chavira both of Lamar, six grandchildren, her mother Dottie McCaslin of Lamar, siblings, Levi Warman of Canon City, CO, Candy Hall of Lamar, Annamarie (Robert) Garcia, Donna Jaramillo, Toni (Benito) Apodaca, Connie "Mama Connie" Warman all of Rocky Ford, CO, Steve (Pam) McCaslin of Agua Dulce, CA, Scott (Lori) McCaslin of Cerritos, CA, Peggy McCaslin of Lamar and Pam English of Lakewood, CA. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousin, other family and many friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lamar Area Hospice either direct or in care of the funeral home office.
Services are under the direction of the Peacock Family.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Carla J Warman, please visit our Tribute Store.


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|You are in: UK: Politics
Monday, 21 October, 2002, 17:44 GMT 18:44 UK
Eric Pickles
Date of birth
20 April 1952
Political profile
Eric Pickles was first elected to the Commons in 1992, representing an Essex seat far from his Yorkshire roots.
He is unusual among Conservative MPs in having extensive local government experience.
He led Bradford District Council for three years up to 1991, in which time he gained renown for the zeal with which he implemented Thatcherite principles of privatisation and market-based solutions.
Following his election as an MP, his experience was put into use when he became a vice-chairman of the party with responsibility for local government.
After the 1997 election, he became junior social security spokesman, revealing a good humoured, doggedly loyal character.
After the 2001 election, in which he defeated a challenge from Martin Bell, his continued enthusiasm for private finance solutions to public service problems led him to endorse Iain Duncan Smith's campaign for the leadership.
He was named shadow transport minister in the new leader's first reshuffle, and subsequently became shadow local government and regions secretary.
Michael Howard kept him in the same portfolio, and appointed him as Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government.
Constituency office 01277 210725
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text: Judy C. Stout is a member of the Lumbee Tribe. She earned a master in School Guidance from Gallaudet University. She retired from Gallaudet University in 2014 after 28 years of service. She is a member of the Board of Directors with Communication Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CSDHH) in Greensboro, NC.


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The most wanted multi cooker, the DUO80 pressure cooker. It combines 7 appliances in 1. It is a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, a rice slow cooker, a sauté and can also be used as a food warmer. Your dishes are ready in less than half the time it takes with ordinary equipment. Perfect for busy people which count with little time for the kitchen!
This pressure cooker features 14 cooking programs; soup, meat or stew, bean or chili, poultry, sauté or simmer, rice, multigrain, porridge, steam, slow cook, keep warm, yogurt, manual mode and pressure cooking. It is as easy as selecting a mode and pressing a button.
It has an 8-quart capacity and it is made with 304 food grade stainless steel. It has no chemical coating and heat is evenly distributed in its 3-ply designed bottom. It is fully sealed to keep the flavors, aroma and nutrients of the foods being cooked.
The design of this DUO80 pressure cooker, counts with modern end technology and it is fully controlled by a microprocessor, which monitors pressure, temperature, keeps time, and adjusts heating intensity and duration to achieve your desired results every time.
The package included accessories are; a stainless steel steam rack with handles, a rice paddle, a soup spoon, a measuring cup, a condensation collector and a recipe booklet.
The design is aimed to be safe, convenient, dependable and energy saving. The safety measures incorporated in this cooker are as follows:
Pressure Regulator – Ensures working pressure below the safety limit
Anti-Blockage Vent – Prevents food debris from blocking the vent
Safety Lid Lock – Prevents accidental opening of the cooker while it is pressurized
Lid position Sensor – Monitors whether the lid is in an unsafe position for pressure cooking
Automatic Temperature Control – Regulates temperature based on the type of program being selected
High Temperature Monitoring – Avoids burning food
Automatic Pressure Controller – Keeps pressure always in the safe range
Electrical and Temperature Fuse – Cuts power if the current or temperature exceeds safety limits
Excess Pressure Protection – Releases excess pressure into internal chamber in a dangerous situation Leaky Lid Detection
Size: 8 Quart
Product Dimensions: 14.8 x 13.3 x 14.2 inches
Item Weight: 19 pounds
Shipping Weight: 19.8 pounds
Manufacturer: Instant Pot
Item model number: IP-DUO80
[related keywords="pressure cooker"][/related]


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The 1999 Legislature established the Forestry Riparian Easement Program as a result of increased buffer widths required along forest streams. Small forest landowners—those who harvest less than two million board feet of timber per year— may be eligible to apply to the Forestry Riparian Easement Program and receive some compensation for the trees they are required to retain in the riparian area. The Forestry Riparian Easement Program is administered by the Small Forest Landowner Office.
It is estimated there are 215,000 small forest landowners in the State of Washington that own and manage 3.2 million acres of forestland. To date, the Forestry Riparian Easement Program has purchased conservation easements on more than 4,900 acres of streamside forest adjacent to about 170 miles of streams that flow year round. These streamside forests protect water quality and quantity, as well as provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat along these waters. About $22.8 million has been spent to compensate landowners for 290 easements at an average of $78, 600 per easement.
The 2011 Legislature through Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1509 made changes to the Forestry Riparian Easement Program. The Forest Practices Board has begun the rule making that will implement those changes, as well as make the language more clear and the program implementation more efficient.
Proposed rule for the Forestry Easement Program would make the following changes to the program:
- Define and establish eligibility for qualifying small forest landowners for the Forestry Riparian Easement Program (for example, at the time compensation is offered for a forestry riparian easement the landowner must be a small forest landowner).
- Remove non-profit organizations from program eligibility.
- Expand the definition for qualifying timber to include forest trees associated with an approved forest practices application that cannot be harvested according to forest practices rules on areas of potentially unstable slopes or landforms. These areas include those with the potential to deliver debris to a public resource or threaten public safety.
- Limit compensation to a maximum of $50,000 per forest riparian easement for timber on potentially unstable slopes or landforms. Limit compensation to each landowner to $50,000 total for any biennial funding period.
- Require the DNR Small Forest Landowner Office to use no more than 50 percent of the funds to determine the value of the easement based on timber values on the date the complete Forestry Riparian Easement Program application is received.
- Change the date the 50-year easement term will begin from the date the forest practice application pertaining to the easement area is received, to the date the completed easement application is received.
- Expand the authority for DNR to reimburse qualifying landowners for the preparation costs to prepare a forestry riparian easement (for example, geotechnical reports, marking riparian trees).
- Require a method to collect reimbursement from the selling landowner to DNR for the full forestry riparian easement compensation if the easement land is sold to a non-qualifying landowner within the first 10 years of compensation.
It is anticipated these rule changes will minimize administrative costs and maximize easement purchases from small forest landowners committed to long-term forestry. This will:
- Encourage fewer conversions of forestlands to other land uses by providing incentives for small forest landowners to continue to keep working forests on the landscape.
- Modernize the program for these tougher economic times.