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Students, in partnership with faculty and administration, are continuing to focus on improving female academic performance at HBS.
Are men and women equal at HBS? It's a question that has been front of mind at HBS in recent weeks. In a recent staff meeting, HBS professors as a group discussed ongoing discrepancies in male and female student performance for the first time in history. Last month, a Crimson article addressed the lack of tenured female professors on the HBS campus. Meanwhile, across the business school, numerous EC independent student research (ISR) projects, field studies and class projects are touching on issues of gender, academics and career.
One of these many efforts is a field study that focuses on analyzing and addressing the current differences between the male and female academic experience at HBS. As The Harbus published in a Fall article, "WSA Academic Initiative Survey," there is a marked discrepancy between male and female academic performance: though comprising 38% of the Class of 2010 student body, female students make up only 23% of first year honors recipients and an estimated 55% of the students asked to take leave from HBS after the RC year in 2009. Females in past years with similar class compositions have comprised 11-14% of Baker Scholars.
This semester, a group of ECs partnered with faculty and HBS administration to understand some of the root causes driving these trends. The study was completed through three workstreams. First, a series of focus groups was conducted with a variety of students – men and women, honors recipients, sectionmates and non-sectionmantes – to try to identify root causes of grading inequities and generate a catalog of academic best practices that could be helpful to future students. Second, interviews with faculty explored academic root causes of underperformance from the faculty's perspective and identified potential areas for improvement. Finally, all these efforts coincided with a data-focused workstream that included analysis of publicly available honors, class card and other information to understand if certain factors such as relationship status, age or work background play a part in determining male and female performance.
Preliminary findings on root causes have been grouped into five areas to be examined in another field study this fall.
Comment Frequency and Delivery
Survey and focus group results, along with faculty feedback, confirmed previous findings that women feel less comfortable speaking in class. Women also speak less frequently and with less confidence. Most notably, they are less willing to potentially offend or challenge classmates than their male peers are.
Section Dynamics
Some sections reported better female performance (i.e. many more female honors recipients, fewer females asked to take leave) than others, suggesting that the social and academic tone of a given section could impact men and women differently. Data analysis also showed that a much higher percentage of female honors students than average are married, suggesting further underlying social dynamics at work. Given this information, directed focus groups attempted to illuminate the role of social dynamics in predicting performance across genders. It seemed clear from focus groups that students take into account their social relationships with section peers when deciding whether to speak and what to say. Furthermore, focus group feedback indicated that dramatic in-class bonding experiences, Skydecks that avoided personal attacks, and engaged officers (leadership & values representatives, education representatives and presidents) all played a role in setting the tone for a positive learning environment for both men and women.
Potential Unconscious Faculty Biases
There is a body of research that shows that male and female comments are unconsciously processed differently. Focus group and Fall survey data further suggest that people perceive that women are raising their hands less and consequently getting called on less than men. Professor interviews exposed a wide range of faculty opinions on this unconscious bias issue; some professors care deeply about performance of different minorities and actively manage calling patterns and in-class interactions, while other professors feel they do not have any biases to manage. Faculty, for the most part, admitted that unconscious biases may exist and in turn asked for help in identifying these biases.
Admissions Differences:
Focus group feedback showed some students thought differences in grades might be explained by differences between men's and women's backgrounds and admissions profiles. Admissions data cannot be used for purposes other than admissions, but preliminary analysis using the classcards and honors list statistics of four representative sections yielded some interesting results. People with backgrounds in consulting and/or finance made up 84% of the honors list. In the four sections studied, women were actually more likely than men (70% women versus 60% men) to come from these finance or consulting backgrounds. On the flip side, first year honors recipients from the sections studied had a little more work experience than average while women across the four sections on average had fewer years' work experience than men. Follow-up research in the fall will look into this issue further.
Lack of Female Role Models
Fall survey and focus group data highlighted female discomfort with the current lack of female professors and case protagonists. Psychology research supports the notion that women could be at a disadvantage from not seeing more female role models at HBS.
Summary of Findings and Next Steps
While HBS is still a long way from achieving grading parity, much has been accomplished through this field study and other ongoing efforts around this issue. Detailed analysis of grade and classroom data is helping the administration to better understand what factors contribute to performance. This May, HBS professors will have the opportunity to attend one of two sessions with Harvard psychologist Mahzarin Banaji to understand how implicit biases affect how males and females are perceived differently in class settings. Efforts are underway to have next year's RCs see a case that directly addresses gender dynamics in the workplace. In addition, extra sessions on class participation with Professor Frances Frei will be opened up to all students. Future students will receive a Survival Guide with updated information on difference between male and female academic performance. In addition, a series of recommendations ranging from opening analytics to all students to sharing EC exam grades and more detailed mid-semester RC participation feedback has been presented to the HBS administration.
Finally, a large part of this effort has been focused on keeping a dialogue open on issues surrounding female academic performance. An important study (Shih, Pittinsky & Ambady, Psychological Science, 1999) showed that Asian women performed better on math exams when their ethnic identities were activated than when their gender identities were activated by a series of questions at the start of the test. There was an internal implicit bias that made these women do worse when they self-identified as women than when they self-identified as Asian. A second study (Kray, Thompson & Galinsky, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2001) showed that when this tendency to underperform was made explicitly known to test-takers in advance, the effect completely disappeared. One of the most important goals of the ongoing Women's Initiative is to make explicit the underlying factors that can lead to grade disparity at HBS so that women can knowingly work to overcome them.
While there is some question as to whether or not HBS prepares women best for the "real world" by mirroring existing social conditions or by implementing changes to be "better" than the norm, the administration tends to come down on the side that says HBS should be a leader in the business community that sets, rather than follows, the larger social tone. The question for the HBS administration seems to be not whether to do anything, but what can be done to best ensure equality in grading. In the meantime, student movements like the Women's Initiative will seek to help women understand the existing issues and try to give all students better tools to succeed both at HBS and in the workplace.
This important work will continue next semester with research, dialogue with administration and students and tangible actions (workshops, curriculum changes) to improve the situation. If you would like to be involved in the continued research, please contact any of the authors of this article.
Akmaral, Alex, Julia, Julie, Jung and Paayal are EC students who love HBS and care deeply about making it a more supportive environment for all students.


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Yep, while we've been focusing on all the actual *cake* wrecks, bakers have been industriously wrecking just about every other item in the bakery, and then some.
How else can you explain "The Brownie Ball?"
I kid thee not.
Now, do I want to eat this?
Of course I do.
Does that make it excusable?
No, it does not.
Hey, just because *I* don't have any self-respect doesn't mean bakers shouldn't.
Or, if you prefer your giant ball of icing rolled in sprinkles and served on a cookie platter:
It's not all sugar and sprinkles, though. Hoooo no. See, unfortunately, the deli guys decided to get in on the "decorating" action, too.
Billy Bear Bologna:
The world's cheesiest gingerbread man:
Yes, that's really a cheese "ball." Decorated with icing.
Because cheddar & buttercream = Gouda upchuckin' fun!
Pineapple upside down shrimp "cake:"
[Update: the final "cake" has sparked a lively debate in the comments, so perhaps this video instructional on making a "Smörgåscake" (submitted by Marcus B.) will help.
Just kidding; it won't. But if you want to see a guy yelling instructions in "Swenglish" and violently throwing ingredients around, then it's pretty funny.]

subset: commoncrawl


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"Online is clearly taking share from brick and mortar…this is likely to continue"
–International Council of Shopping Centers
America has too many malls.
I've recently blogged that many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are being threatened with "economic destruction" by their advantaged online competition. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, anchorwoman Nicole Lapin asked about the implications of this dynamic on retail real estate. I said I hadn't studied it, but I thought the ramifications would be very big and very negative (I believe the phrase "apocalyptic" was used).
I've since had the opportunity to spend some time looking at this issue, and I believe we're seeing clear signs that the e-commerce revolution is seriously impacting commercial real estate. Online retailers are relentlessly gaining share in many retail categories, and offline players are fighting for progressively smaller pieces of the retail pie. A number of physical retailers have already succumbed to online competition including Circuit City, Borders, CompUSA, Tower Records and Blockbuster, and many others are showing signs of serious economic distress. These mall and shopping center stalwarts are closing stores by the thousands, and there are few large physical chains opening stores to take their place. Yet the quantity of commercial real estate targeting retail continues to grow, albeit slowly. Rapidly declining demand for real estate amid growing supply is a recipe for financial disaster.
There are very few thriving physical retailers these days outside of the daily consumables markets. I did a quick analysis on the high-level health of the National Retail Federation's list of the Top 100 retailers in 2012, focusing on merchandise retailers that would likely be located in malls (removing grocery, drug, restaurant and online retailers). I looked at three measures of retailer health: total sales growth, comp store sales growth and number of stores.
The analysis doesn't paint a very pretty picture regarding the health of the leading physical retailers in the United States. Total sales growth is mixed and is negative for 20% of the sample. Comp store sales growth—arguably the key measure of retailer health—is also mixed and a quarter of the sample is negative. And note that many of these sales results include the retailers' online segments, so the picture for their physical stores is even worse. Lastly, store counts are simply stagnant—about as many top retailers shrank their store count as expanded it, and precious few are expanding aggressively. The largest retailers in the U.S. do not look very healthy. And if they're struggling, it's likely that their more marginal physical competitors are struggling even more.
I went back to the Top 100 retailers in 2007 to see how that crop had fared five years later and found that four of these top retailers had already gone away through Chapter 11. Interestingly, the picture of these four doesn't look that different than the 2012 list.
Source: Stores.org Top 100 Retailers
This declining retailer health is directly impacting malls and shopping centers in the form of very high vacancy rates and sluggish rents—exactly what you'd expect to see where supply exceeds demand. Both factors deteriorated quickly during the economic crisis of 2008-09, but they've shown virtually no improvement since in spite of improved economic conditions. The recession was the catalyst, but competition from online retailers can only be the continued driver. The mall business isn't very healthy either.
These trends are hitting the market capitalizations of most of the largest owners of retail real estate. Simon, General Growth, DDR and Kimco between them own over 600 MILLION square feet of U.S. retail real estate, according to nreionline. Simon's stock has performed strongly, but the other three stocks have created virtually no value over the past decade.
Source: Yahoo! Finance
Most real estate professionals understand that profound changes are afoot. Don Wood, CEO of Federal Realty Investment Trust, says "there is too much retail supply in this country." The Wall Street Journal reports "Green Street Advisor, an analysis firm that tracks REITs, has forecast that 10% of the roughly 1,000 large malls in the U.S. will fail within the next 10 years and be converted into something with far less retail. That's a conservative estimate; many mall CEOs predict the attrition rate will be higher". And Daniel Hurwitz, president and CEO of DDR, observes, "I don't think we're overbuilt, I think we're under-demolished."
I agree with the above perspectives, although I believe they likely understate the eventual impact on malls. A report from Co-Star observes that there are more than 200 malls with over 250,000 square feet that have vacancy rates of 35% or higher, a "clear marker for shopping center distress." These malls are becoming ghost towns. They are not viable now and will only get less so as online continues to steal retail sales from brick-and-mortar stores. Continued bankruptcies among historic mall anchors will increase the pressure on these marginal malls, as will store closures from retailers working to optimize their business. Hundreds of malls will soon need to be repurposed or demolished. Strong malls will stay strong for a while, as retailers are willing to pay for traffic and customers from failed malls seek offline alternatives, but even they stand in the path of the shift of retail spending from offline to online.
This in turn creates further opportunity for online commerce. If I were thinking of starting a new retail brand right now, I would unquestionably start it online. And many very talented entrepreneurs are doing just this! I personally shop at Bonobos for pants, J.Hilburn for sweaters, Ledbury for shirts and Warby Parker for eyeglasses. All of these brands design and source their own goods. They historically would have started in the mall but they now are starting online, a trend that will undoubtedly continue. There clearly will be fewer new offline retailers to take the space vacated by the disappearing brick-and-mortar chains, further pressuring malls.
And in an ironic turn, many of these online brands are experimenting with offline stores—but typically with some important twists. Bonobos and Warby Parker have built showrooms in their New York offices where consumers can come in and try on samples. But if the consumer wants to purchase items, then the companies fulfill the product from their warehouses—they don't stock inventory in their "stores". Bonobos has expanded this concept into a few additional locations, but not mall locations. Instead, they are selecting lower cost, non-mall locations and using emails to their online customers to drive folks to these locations. They do this because a consumer's purchasing typically expands after a visit to their physical store, and the costs are not high given the lack of inventory and lower rents and staffing costs. If this trend expands, it will provide further challenges to malls.
In researching this post, I came across a fascinating (and slightly morbid) website called deadmalls.com, a site that chronicles the tales of hundreds of already or soon-to-be dead malls. Co-founder Brian Florence writes, "I started deadmalls.com with my friend Peter Blackbird in 2000 when we both realized that Pete had mountains of data about dead and dying malls stuck up in his head. Why keep this information to yourself? And, realizing the burgeoning power of the Internet and its ability to draw in more information, the site was created to harness stories of woe and merriment from others. It's been a great success."
Unfortunately for mall owners, the content on deadmalls.com is about to expand substantially. There just are too many malls in America, and this will only get worse.


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About this blog…
"This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque 'salon' with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West "saloon" with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven." – Fr. Z
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TheCavalierHatherly on Daily Rome Shot 1052 – St. Benedict Medal info: "The other religious orders get a lot more "air time," in my opinion, but the Benedictines truly are the cornerstone…" Sevens Dad on R.I.P. Al Kresta: "That is indeed sad news. I hope you will offer a Mass for him. I will. I will miss him.…" Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on Daily Rome Shot 1051: "My solution was 43. Rd5 Nf3 44. Rd4 Nf2+ 45. Rxf2 Bxf2 46. Bxf7… My opponent resigned on move 62" Imrahil on Daily Rome Shot 1051: "Let's play it safe. d4 would've looked very, very good for the knight, but we can't afford that black captures…" Sue in soCal on 14 June – Elisha, Old Testament Prophet: This bears attention!: "I saw what you did there, Fr. Z. ; )" pestolover on Daily Rome Shot 1051: "I'd move Knight to G3 with an eye to capture the pawn on H4, offering C3 to black." ProfessorCover on 14 June – Elisha, Old Testament Prophet: This bears attention!: "Question: Does Elias (or Eliam as written) in the Latin collect mean Elijah? Isn't that the collect for July 20?…" adriennep on 14 June – Elisha, Old Testament Prophet: This bears attention!: "The Asquith book deals mainly with the imagery and messages within the plays. Pearce has the more intriguing connections within…" hwriggles4 on Daily Rome Shot 1045 – Wherein Fr. Z rants about confession times.: "The parish I regularly attend (and registered) has three priests and is in a central part of the city. Confessions…" Gianni on Daily Rome Shot 1049: "If you are looking for a book about chess, you will be disappointed. If you are interested in good and…" tzabiega on Daily Rome Shot 1049: "It is a little strange to promote a book that repeats a typical stereotype promoted by anti-Catholic media that the…" Kathleen10 on 13 June: St. Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor: "We say "St Anthony, St Anthony, something's lost and can't be found; St Anthony, please look around!". I can't tell…" Gregg the Obscure on 14 June – Elisha, Old Testament Prophet: This bears attention!: "Two coincidences: (1) the NO's first reading for Mass on this day this year is the introduction of Elisha in…"pAlban on 14 June – Elisha, Old Testament Prophet: This bears attention!: "The Latin collect seems to be about Elijah, the English translation about Elisha."
- The most evident mark of God's anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds.
St. John Eudes
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"Until the Lord be pleased to settle, through the instrumentality of the princes of the Church and the lawful ministers of His justice, the trouble aroused by the pride of a few and the ignorance of some others, let us with the help of God endeavor with calm and humble patience to render love for hatred, to avoid disputes with the silly, to keep to the truth and not fight with the weapons of falsehood, and to beg of God at all times that in all our thoughts and desires, in all our words and actions, He may hold the first place who calls Himself the origin of all things."
- Prosper of Aquitaine (+c.455), De gratia Dei et libero arbitrio contra Collatorem 22.61
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"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops."- Fulton Sheen
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"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
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Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
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Tag Archives: Italy
Of Priesthood, Vomit and Italian Cruise Ships
In the matter of the Italian cruise ship… oh how I hate this story… I don't want to post on this, but … o no…. >gluck< … I am going to anyway. "I struggled with this, but …" I feel … Read More
Italy Appeals Crucifix Ban
Before his election as Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict wrote a good deal about the soul of Europe. He was and is concerned that Europe will lose its identity because Europe will reject the Christianity which is at the very … Read More


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Mobile Commerce Brings Opportunity And… Cyber Crime
Mobile payments adoption can gain a significant boost if customers are sure that it is secure, but increased adoption will also create new opportunities for fraudsters, which banks - and customers - must be prepared for.
One of the biggest areas of growth for 2013 is shaping up to be in mobile commerce, with the consumer becoming increasingly receptive to new, ever more convenient ways of shopping, banking, stock trading, and so on. But right alongside all the new conveniences will be many new opportunities for cyber crime. Some of the risks that come with mobile commerce and payments are phone-based fraudulent communications such as text message scams, security/accessibility issues, with human nature playing a cameo role within these various scenes.
Those of us in the mobile payments space need to help consumers understand dangers that lurk in the new payment methods: is that payment text message really coming from your actual bank? Is that app the genuine bank app? Is that link a genuine link? As online consumers, we tend to act without forethought. Click first, think later. And we want to be trusting souls, so fraudsters easily play to our gullibility. Or we're apathetic, so we don't check first. New payments methods simply create more opportunities for criminals to prey on our human frailties.
In the case of mobile offers and payment forms, exploitation of the devices and operating systems is actually executed by the user, even though it's driven by the criminal. Would-be fraudsters need to somehow trick us into installing or accessing something we shouldn't. The Eurograbber Trojan recently affected those European banks that use two-factor authentication with the use of SMS message codes to allow users to conduct online banking. And therein lies the apathy characteristic – the banks' customers thought they were using a cutting-edge level of security – whereas in fact they were being compromised, and millions of dollars were stolen. The success of the criminal campaign hinged on the user blindly following instructions without question and doing something they shouldn't have, such as clicking a phishing email, installing a desktop Trojan and later being duped again into installing a smart phone "security upgrade," which in reality installed the smart phone Trojan. So, unwittingly, now you have an infected desktop and smart phone -- and the criminal is all set.
Security is always counterbalanced by accessibility. To make something ultra-secure you have to make it pretty much inaccessible, which is why Apple's platform is widely considered more secure than Android's -- simply because it is less accessible, opting for a closed operating system and a walled garden App Store versus an open operating system and web-based app marketplace.
The Near Field Communications (NFC) platform, with its much-touted inherent security, also seems to offer an exciting range of new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. But again, that means a parallel range of opportunities to exploit our curiosity and desire to use new forms of technology. Sideloading – the passing of data from device to device – could become a new threat if the user has downloaded a malicious app, for example – and one where you may unwittingly have sat down right next to the criminal in a coffee shop!
In addition to helping them become more aware of the risks, those banks not already doing so, should be providing some practical advice for how to increase their vigilance against these threats. Probably the most important piece of education is that the bank will not ask for any personal information before the customer is fully logged into the bank itself, and that there'll be a multi-factor login to get the customer to that point. At one point or another, we've all received emails or text messages from scammers pretending to be your bank, asking the customer to change passwords or requesting personal information. Customers should know that these communications are almost certainly scams.
Mobile and online consumers can stay one step ahead of the fraudsters by asking themselves a few questions and exercising some common sense. Is this a genuine email or a phishing email? Does my bank usually send me SMS messages for any reason? In addition, customers should be sure to download the bank's mobile application (app) to be sure they are visiting their own bank and not a fraudulent site. Online banking sites should not be set to automatically log in – if the mobile device is stolen, the thief could potentially access the account and transfer funds or make payments. Banks should advise their customers to be suspicious. If something apparently valuable is "free," ask yourself why -- and if you have even the slightest suspicion, don't download! Always exercise caution: our advice is "if something appears too good to be true, it almost certainly is."
Notably, we are entering a new chapter of the Internet, wherein the new gTLDs (generic Top Level Domains), that is, the domain name suffixes, can serve as a form of trusted platform or venue. Customers who bank with a financial institution that has applied for a gTLD that bears its own name, such as .chase, will have that much more reason to trust going to any .chase domain, no matter what. In the U.S., Chase has applied .chase and Bank of America has applied .bofa. Correctly applied, these gTLDs will give Chase and Bank of America significant leg up in terms of trust online, and in turn could become a key trust differentiator.
In sum, banks will only see a rise in adoption of mobile commerce when their customers are better able to address their account holders' very understandable fears around security. The best way to speed up the adoption cycle so that everyone benefits from the convenience of mobile banking, is to make it as difficult as possible for the scammers to get the better of your customers. That boils down to helping them, customer by customer, know the difference between a scam, and the real thing. Otherwise, the adoption curve will likely remain slow.
Luge Pravda is Senior Vice President at NetNames USA, which specializes in protecting online brands from cyber crime.


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Product Description
We recommend our customers to review our Sizing Guide for general recommendations for measuring your pet and finding the right size. The Product Size Guide below are specifications for this product only.
Need assistance with finding the right size? Please contact us and we will be happy to help.


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We're always looking!
We may not be actively searching to fill specific positions right now, but we will always make room for the right people. Feel free to let us know what you can bring to the table. If you have talent and the drive to succeed in an ever-evolving industry, we want to hear from you. Don't take this as a missed connection, take it as a chance to shine.
Are you looking for an automotive job in Redwater Dodge? Join our winning team at Redwater Dodge!
Please speak with our trade advisor for more information.


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1.) What was the first CD (or record or cassette) you ever purchased? Write about the way that particular album made you feel then. Write about how it makes you feel now. writersdigest.com
2.) You were recently laid off. Instead of moping around, you've viewed it as a chance to start fresh. Pick a new career and write about your first day on the job.writersdigest.com
3.) List your five most recent favorite things.
4.) I'm hungry. Share your very favorite recipe!!
And I chose:
What else? My five most recent favorite things.
I've had a cell phone for years. But for the past few, it hasn't done me a whole lot of good. Where we lived in Oregon I didn't get reception at home, and most areas I frequented had patchy service as well. Then we moved here, and I just couldn't be bothered worrying about keeping it on my person, or even charged for that matter.
When Jeff bought me this phone for Christmas I was a bit skeptical. Did I really need a phone with a full keypad? Internet access and a pretty large display screen?
That would be heck yes. I use it constantly. I can check my email from my phone. I can text. I had never texted before. Ever. I can check the traffic. And movie times. I can find the cheapest gas prices and make restaurant reservations. I can *gasp*....go on-line.
Let's just say it's my new best friend. I think I need to name him/her. Any suggestions?
My Oreck vacuum has been my pal for a long time. But, since we've moved here it's really been good to me. See, I'm a little OCD about stuff on my carpet. The carpet in this house is a dark, solid color. Every little fleck shows up. I vacuum a lot. Like more than once a day.


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Adam Lambert captivated America in 2009 when he almost won American Idol. Lambert was brash, likable and glamorous, but he soon became better known for being the first openly gay Idol contender.
Though Lambert finished as the runner-up, his popularity and talent won him a recording deal. He released his second studio album, Trespassing, this week — just a few months after his 30th birthday.
"I think, for the majority of my twenties, I was always so concerned with what I didn't have, or what I still wanted," Lambert tells NPR's Guy Raz. "It was always about a chase and going after something. This year I've focused more on being thankful for what I already have — being content with what I've already accomplished, or who is already in my life, not what I've yet to find or get."
Trespassing's second single, currently making the radio rounds, is the glam-pop throwback "Never Close Our Eyes" — written by fellow pop star Bruno Mars.
"Nowadays in pop, there's not a lot of men that are singing big and loud and high — it's not as common as it once was," Lambert says. "So I got this track from Bruno and I thought, that's a great melody, great lyric — I know how I want to sing it. I want to sing it big."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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7 Best Practices for Employee Mobile Device Rollout
Only a few years ago, financial institutions were looking at the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement with trepidation because of concerns that their carefully constructed information security infrastructure would come tumbling down as loan officers and other employees tapped their way to needed data. Today, many banking organizations are not only tolerating employee use of smartphones and tablets but embracing it.
The shift in attitudes spans institutions of every size. Examples of adoptees include the National Banks of Central Texas, which has rolled out a mix of iPhones, iPads and Android devices to its 10 branch offices, and UK-based banking giant Barclays, which last November purchased 8,500 iPads to facilitate face-to-face customer interaction beginning with a new app enabling fast market-wide searches for mortgage loans.
Today, financial services organizations represents the highest mobile device adoption of any industry sector, accounting for 24% of all enterprise mobile device deployments and 30% of iPad activations.
The challenge is to manage both bank-owned and employee-owned mobile devices with the robust device, data and application security controls required to address the stringent governance, compliance and asset protection needs of the banking environment. Also critical is the ability to save money on recurring mobile expenses by monitoring device usage for voice, data or text overages.
Achieving these objectives requires admins to set mobile device policies as well as utilize tools like mobile device management (MDM) services to enforce them. Here are seven building blocks that banks can use as a foundation of a secure and cost-effective mobile program.
1. Determine which apps will be allowed and banned.
Core business apps like mortgage loan, business loan and wealth management programs clearly need to be accessible to mobile users, but some public apps should be off-limits on employee devices to avoid compromising security, productivity and/or legal or regulatory compliance as well as to reduce the risk of device infection by malware or other malicious code. Admins can dictate what's allowed – and what's not – by utilizing the whitelist and blacklist functions of the bank's preferred MDM solution.
Whitelists should include all private in-house apps, which will be pushed to smartphones and tablets by IT staff; customer service apps like Salesforce CRM that are used by the bank; email and other applications from office suites like Microsoft Office and Google Enterprise; and other tools and databases that should be installed on the device for business use.
Blacklists might include social networks, gaming and movie/TV streaming services, apps with sexually suggestive or other objectionable content that might expose the bank to legal action, and unauthorized cloud storage apps that can cause data leakage. Admins may also want to restrict the use of some apps that come pre-installed on the mobile device. Blocking Apple's iCloud storage service, for example, will prevent bank employees from backing up bank information to their personal cloud.
Blacklists can typically be configured in MDM software simply by checking boxes with unwanted categories and specifying additional undesirable apps by URL or keyword. While the ability to stop users from downloading blacklisted apps varies depending on the mobile OS, the MDM solution can issue a warning, lock the user's email access or even selectively or completely wipe the affected device if it detects installation of an unwanted program.
2. Control app access by location.
Access control can also be enhanced – particularly in the case of employee-owned devices where admins have limited control over users' app habits – by preventing employees from using certain apps on bank premises. Admins might want to disable device cameras inside the bank to eliminate the risk of mobile users taking a screenshot of a customer's account; bar the use of game apps or media streaming at bank locations; and so on.
This can be accomplished by using the MDM solution's geofencing capabilities to activate or deactivate mobile features and apps within specific geographic boundaries. The same geofencing functionality can also be used to automatically switch the mobile device from the carrier network to the bank's WiFi connection as users enter the bank zone, helping reduce data bandwidth costs.
3. Establish device locking and user access control policies.
Whether the device is bank-issued or employee-owned, an important but often overlooked step is to establish user authentication controls via strong password policies. How frequently should they be changed? How many invalid logins should be permitted, and how long a period of inactivity, before the device is locked? And who can access what data using what mobile apps from what kinds of devices? Banks may want to limit mobile access to critical banking applications because of the higher risk of a data breach over unsecured mobile communication channels and potential infection by malware or rogue apps.
Once established, device locking policies should be deployed over-the-air (OTA) for easy mass distribution, and for easy on-the-fly changes of details such as password length, strength, complexity and reuse. (Policies that are stricter than those provided with the mobile OS will supersede the OS rules.) Admins should also be able to remotely reset forgotten passwords, and override passwords for lost or stolen devices in order to erase sensitive information.


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The Story: Don't eat the fruit in the garden, Eden,, It wasn't in God's natural plan., You were only a rib,, And look at what you did,, To Adam, the father of Man.
Continue Reading...
The Story: You smell like goat, I'll see you in hell
The Story: All the b***h had said, all been washed in black
The Story: And my blunt is my ho now
The Story: At home, drawing pictures, Of mounds of tots, With ham on top
A B C Song
Adelaide's Lament
Auld Lang Syne
Australian National Anthem
Away In A Manger
Calon Lan
Camptown Races
Carol of Bells
Cotton Fields Back Home
Davy Crockett
Deck the Halls
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
Erie Canal
Feliz Navidad
For He's A Jolly Good Fellow
Frere Jacques
Frosty the Snowman
Funicul�, Funicula
German Bombers Song
Gloria Patri
God Is Great (prayer)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
God save our queen
God Save the King
God Save The Queen
Hail Mary (prayer)
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Havah Nagilia
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Here Comes the Bride
Holly and the Ivy
I Walk By Faith
I Was There to Hear You Borning Cry
I've Been Working On The Railroad
Jesus Loves Me
Jimmy Crack Corn
Jingle Bells
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Joy to the World
Li'l Liza Jane
Little Drummer Boy
Lord's Prayer
Mary Had A Little Lamb
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
My Country 'Tis Of Thee
O Christmas Tree
O Come all Ye Faithful
O Tannenbaum
Oh Canada
Oh, Susannah!
Onward Christian Soldiers
Oscar-Mayer Weiner Song
Pledge Of Allegiance
Rain, Rain Go Away
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Sing Glad Hosanna
Skip To My Lou
Skye Boat Song
Strawberry Fair
Sun Beam
Take Me Out To The Ball Game
The Cat Came Back
The First Noel
The Garden
The Holly and the Ivy
The Lord's Prayer
The Old Grey Mare
The rattling bog
Twelve Days of Christmas
Up On The Housetop
We Three Kings
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
What Child is This
Winter Wonderland
You Are My Sunshine
Zippity Doo Dah


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UFC Store
CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – This week, it's the Wild Card fight on The
Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos.
More blogs by TUF cast:
Tony Ferguson for SBNation
Ramsey Nijem for MMAFighting
Charles Rader for Around the Octagon
Clay Harvison for USA Today
Javier Torres for MMA Valor
Len Bentley for MMA DieHards
Ryan McGillivray for Top MMA News
Shamar Bailey for Heavy
Zach Davis for MMA Weekly
Chris Cope for MMA Junkie
Chuck O'Neil for Bleacher Report
Lew Polley for MMA Junkie
CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – Chuck O'Neil and Javier Torres have received a second chance to stay in the competition as Wild Card picks on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos, and both are fired up for the opportunity.
Also fired up is the one fighter many considered to be the favorite for one of the two Wild Card slots, Team Lesnar's Len Bentley. Disappointed by being eliminated, he asks UFC President Dana White to fight the man who decisioned him, Ryan McGillivray on the season finale card if the Team dos Santos member doesn't make it to the finals.
"Why didn't you tell me this before we picked the Wild Card," asks White. "Nobody felt like you wanted this thing bad enough. If you grabbed me two hours ago, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
Even back at the house, Bentley is inconsolable when it comes to the Wild Card picks, and he's getting on his housemates' nerves. So when McGillivray tells Bentley that he heard coach Brock Lesnar questioned whether his knee would be ready for another fight, it just adds fuel to the fire. So at the next practice, Bentley confronts Lesnar, and the former heavyweight champion points to the knee as the main reason for him not being picked, which seems to finally calm things down.
And there is no place for drama on the football field at Bishop Gorman High School, where Lesnar and opposing coach Junior dos Santos meet for this season's Coaches Challenge. After trying out for the Minnesota Vikings, you would assume that Lesnar has the immediate edge, but dos Santos is an athlete and can never be counted out.
The competition includes high knee and side step drills, the pushing of a blocking sled 15 yards, a field goal kick, a pass through an Octagon-shaped target, and then a catch of a pass followed by a 100 yard run. The first coach to make it back to the end zone wins $10,000, and each member of his team wins $1,500.
The two are neck and neck throughout the course until they hit the field goal portion, where dos Santos takes the lead after a couple misses. It's all the advantage he needs as he pulls away to beat Lesnar to the end zone and win the challenge.
"I think we both sucked," smiled Lesnar. "He just got luckier than I did."
Dos Santos was a gracious winner, giving some of his winnings to members of Team Lesnar, including the coaching staff.
"Everybody got paid, except for Brock," laughed dos Santos. "He doesn't deserve it, he lost."
Lesnar has his chance to get even in more than more ways than one on fight night though, as a win by O'Neil over Torres will not only move his fighter to the second round, it will tie the final first round score between the teams at four.
And O'Neil delivers, parlaying a solid first round effort into a finish in round two, as he gets Torres to the mat and sinks in a fight-ending D'Arce choke.
"Chuck executed the things that we wanted him to do, and he did a phenomenal job," said Lesnar.
The win finishes up the first round, and the quarterfinal matchups are as follows:
Clay Harvison vs. Ramsey Nijem
Chris Cope vs. Shamar Bailey
Chuck O'Neil vs. Zachary Davis
Tony Ferguson vs. Ryan McGillivray
Here's how the teams look heading into the quarterfinals:
Team Lesnar
Len Bentley – Eliminated on episode three by Ryan McGillivray
Charles Rader – Eliminated on episode four by Ramsey Nijem
Tony Ferguson 1-0
Clay Harvison 1-0
Chuck O'Neil – 1-1 Eliminated on episode six by Zachary Davis. Returned for Wild Card bout and re-entered the competition
Chris Cope 1-0
Nordin Asrih – Eliminated on episode one by Shamar Bailey
Team dos Santos
Shamar Bailey 1-0
Ryan McGillivray 1-0
Javier Torres – Eliminated on episode two by Chris Cope. Returned for Wild Card bout and was eliminated by Chuck O'Neil
Ramsey Nijem 1-0
Zachary Davis 1-0
Mick Bowman – Eliminated on episode five by Clay Harvison
Justin Edwards – Eliminated on episode six by Tony Ferguson
For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.
Power Slap


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Creator: Utrecht University
Category: Software > Computer Software > Educational Software
Topic: Health, Psychology
Tag: approach, brain, development, factors, organization
Availability: In stock
Price: USD 49.00
In this course, we dive into the topic of child development. You will learn that child development is complex and is influenced by a surprisingly rich number of factors at many different levels of organization. You will see that development can be studied in various domains and at various levels of understanding, from different angles and disciplines. Importantly, you will come to understand that processes within and between the various domains and levels of organization continuously interact to shape development. This implies that understanding development requires taking an interdisciplinary approach.
In order to help you organize your thinking about this complexity you will learn more about the developmental systems approach and theories related to that. We will look, amongst other things, at the brain and motor development, cognitive, language and social-emotional development and all the factors that have an influence on development. To illustrate how an interdisciplinary approach helps to understand child development you will see how researchers from various disciplines and backgrounds study child development at Utrecht University. These scientists will give a look in their field of knowledge and their collaboration with colleagues, to illustrate how the theory you will learn translates to practice.
Interested in what the future will bring? Download our 2024 Technology Trends eBook for free.
In sum, we invite you to follow us on a journey to understand child development from synapse to society!


text: Education is in a state of flux – transitioning from traditional architectures and practices to new ecologies of teaching and learning influenced by the tremendous social and technological changes of our times. What changes are afoot today in workplaces, civic life and everyday community life? What are their implications for education? What are the possible impacts of contemporary social transformations on teaching and learning - including in the areas of technology, media, globalization, diversity, changing forms of work in the "knowledge society", and, in these contexts, changing learner needs and sensibilities? This course explores three pedagogical paradigms: "didactic", "authentic" and "transformative" learning. It takes an historical perspective in order to define the contemporary dimensions of what we term "new learning". It prepares participants to make purposeful choices and link particular theories/instructional approaches to individual and group learning goals.


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Metal Work in Bozeman, MT
For Bozeman, MT Metal Work projects, call 844-329-5952 to receive the professional guidance and help you'll need. Hiring Metal Work Authority is the best strategy to make sure that your job will be successfully and professionally accomplished within the financial budget you have allowed. You have a lot to consider when looking for the right company for all your Metal Work requirements. We're going to give you a hand by offering the information that you need to make the best decisions. We can even assist you to evaluate the costs with different alternatives and solutions.
Benefits of Integrity
If you're not familiar with what you're buying, it can get a little scary when questioning what you're actually paying for. However, whenever you let our company's Metal Work professionals assist, there's no need to be concerned as they'll show you precisely what you're going to acquire and offer a comprehensive explanation of why they suggest taking the specified route.
Our Organization's Products are Easy to Maintain
Consumers love our products as they're very durable, and they're also very easy to take care of. This is wonderful if you're not a person who desires to waste lots of time making repairs or having to pay a Metal Work business to do so for you. For more information on the easy maintenance associated with our organization's products, call us at 844-329-5952 today!
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Through the years in business, we've discovered that many Bozeman, MT Metal Work professionals utilize their knowledge to almost belittle customers. Our specialists understand that this isn't how folks want to be treated, which is why we always take note of your ideas before supplying feedback.


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The American Red Cross issued an emergency request for platelet and blood donors of all blood types to roll up a sleeve and give because fewer donations than expected were received in June and the first week of July.
"We are counting on generous volunteer blood and platelet donors to step up and give now," said Jerry J.K. Tillery, chief executive officer, Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region. "Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Each day donations come up short, less blood is available for these patients in need."
Nationwide, donations through the Red Cross were down approximately 10 percent in June, resulting in about 50,000 fewer donations than expected. The shortfall is similar to what the Red Cross experienced in June 2012.
June can be among the most challenging months of the year for blood and platelet donations as regular donors delay giving while they adjust to summer schedules. High school and college blood drives account for as much as 20 percent of Red Cross donations during the school year. Donations from those who usually give at these drives drop by more than 80 percent when school is out for the summer. In addition, a mid-week Independence Day holiday reduced the number of blood drives scheduled in early July. Many sponsors, especially businesses, were unable to host drives because employees took extended vacations.
The Red Cross urgently needs donations to ensure an adequate blood supply is available for patients all summer long. Each day, the American Red Cross Southern Blood Region needs approximately 1,200 donors to step forward and give blood. Eligible donors with types O negative, B negative and A negative blood are especially encouraged to give. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh positive or negative patients.
There is also an urgent need for platelet donations. Platelets — a key clotting component of blood often needed by cancer patients — must be transfused within five days of donation, so it's important to have a steady supply of platelets on hand.
How to donate blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.


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Loading Map....
Date(s) - 15/10/2016
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Orangebrook Golf & Country Club
Saturday Junior Golf Clinics (Ages 6-13)
Every Saturday beginning at 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM
Begin with stretching and instruction at the golf range, a quick break and refreshments, then putting and chipping activities at the practice green. Kids may practice on the golf course to supplement their learning. Kids learn golf with friends and have a lot of fun!
Only $20 each week.


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Classes are resuming today at Chardon High School in Ohio, where three teenaged boys were killed Monday when a gunman — identified by witnesses as a fellow student — opened fire in the cafeteria. Two other students were wounded.
Thursday, as Eyder reported, 17-year-old T.J. Lane was charged with three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated attempted murder and one count of felonious assault. He's being prosecuted in juvenile court.
But we want to focus on the story of assistant football coach Frank Hall, who witnesses say saved lives by chasing the shooter out of the school. On Thursday, Hall delivered an emotional statement.
He told the victims and their familes, "I'm sorry."
"I don't know why this happened," Hall said. "I only wish I could have done more. I'm not a hero. Just a football coach and a study hall teacher."
The Associated Press has video of his remarks.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Preschool and Elementary Education Resources for the busy teacher looking for music and movement based activities in literacy, music, math, science, social studies, classroom management and physical education.
Showing 46–60 of 407 results
© 2022 Sing Play Create. All Rights Reserved.
SALE! June 19-21 World Music Essentials 70% OFF! Dismiss


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Comcast made a $65 billion bid Wednesday for Fox's entertainment businesses, setting up a battle with Disney to become the next mega-media company.
The bid comes just a day after a federal judge cleared AT&T's takeover of Time Warner and rejected the government's argument that it would hurt competition in cable and satellite TV and jack up costs to consumers for streaming TV and movies. The ruling signaled that Comcast could win regulatory approval, too; its bid for Fox shares many similarities with the AT&T-Time Warner deal.
Comcast says its cash bid is 19 percent higher than the value of Disney offer as of Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal and others reported earlier that Comcast had lined up $60 billion in cash to challenge Disney for media mogul Rupert Murdoch's company. Disney's offer was for $52.5 billion when it was made in December, though the final value will depend on the stock price at the closing.
"This is a golden offer that will put considerable pressure on (Disney CEO Bob) Iger and Disney to step up their game on another bid," GBH Insights analyst Dan Ives said. "This is even higher than the Street thought, which speaks to Comcast really wanting these key assets."
The battle for Twenty-First Century Fox comes as traditional entertainment companies try to amass more content to compete better with technology companies such as Amazon and Netflix for viewers' attention — and dollars.
If the Comcast bid succeeds, a major cable distributor would control even more channels on its lineup and those of its rivals. That could lead to higher cable bills or make it more difficult for online alternatives to emerge, though there is not yet evidence of either happening following other mergers. For Disney, a successful Comcast bid could make Disney's planned streaming service less attractive, without the Fox video.
Content is becoming more important as ways to deliver content proliferate. Cable companies like Comcast are no longer competing only with satellite alternatives such as DirecTV, but also stand-alone services such as Netflix and cable-like online bundles through Sony, AT&T and others.
U.S. & World
Disney already started its own sports streaming service and plans an entertainment-focused one late next year featuring movies and shows from its own studios, which include Marvel, Pixar and "Star Wars" creator Lucasfilm.
With the Fox deal, Disney would get more content for those services — through the studios behind the Avatar movies, "The Simpsons" and "Modern Family," along with National Geographic. Marvel would get back the characters previously licensed to Fox, reuniting X-Men with the Avengers.
Comcast, meanwhile, has been leading the way in marrying pipes with the entertainment that flows through them. It bought NBCUniversal's cable channels and movie studio in 2013 and added Dreamworks Animation in 2016.
The Philadelphia company has been tinkering with the traditional cable bundle, offering stand-alone subscriptions for some types of video along with smaller bundles of cable channels delivered over the internet. Comcast has said it will add Netflix to some cable bundles.
With Fox, Comcast would expand a portfolio that already includes U.S. television rights to the Olympics and comedy offerings such as "Saturday Night Live."
Whichever company prevails would also control Fox's cable and international TV businesses. That's key for Comcast, which currently doesn't have an international presence. The Fox television network and some cable channels including Fox News and Fox Business Network would stay with Murdoch's family under either deal, as with the newspaper and book businesses under a separate company, News Corp.
Fox shareholders are set to vote on the Disney bid on July 10. Despite Comcast's higher offer, it's not immediately clear whether Fox's board would entertain it. According to regulatory filings, an unnamed company, widely thought to be Comcast, previously made an offer for Fox. But Fox went with Disney because of concerns it would face more regulatory scrutiny with the other company.
That was before U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled in AT&T's favor and rejected the government's argument that its takeover of Time Warner would hurt competition in pay TV and cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars more to stream TV and movies. The government worried that AT&T, as DirecTV's owner, could charge Comcast and other rival distributors higher prices for Time Warner channels like CNN or HBO. In turn, that could drive up what consumers pay. AT&T and Time Warner argue they're simply trying to stay afloat in the new streaming environment.
Disney wouldn't face the same issues because it isn't a television distributor as the way Comcast and AT&T are. But if Disney gets Fox, the combined movie studios would account for 45 percent of worldwide box office revenue, according to BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield. That could raise regulatory objections. A larger studio could use its power to keep its movies in more theaters longer, dampening competition from rival studios.
Disney and Comcast had already been at battle in the U.K. over Sky TV. Fox has a 39 percent stake in that company and has been trying to buy outright, with the intention of selling the full company to Disney as part of that deal. U.K. regulators have given the OK to that offer if Fox sells Sky News. Regulators there also have cleared Comcast's $30.7 billion offer for the 61 percent of Sky that Murdoch doesn't own.
In addition to the $35-per-share cash offer, Comcast agreed to pay a $2.5 billion termination fee if the deal doesn't pass regulatory muster. It also agreed to reimburse Fox for the $1.5 billion-plus break-up fee it agreed to pay to Disney if their deal doesn't go through.
Disney and Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of this station


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The Flavor Apprentice - Espresso
The Flavor Apprentice
Hurry! Only 0 left at this price!
This product is currently sold out.
This is a flavour concentrate intended for DIY mixing. It is not a ready to vape eliquid and must be diluted before use. To find out more about mixing your own eliquids, check out /r/DIY_ejuice on reddit.
Please note that due to import and labelling restrictions, we are not able to supply concentrates in their original drip tip bottles. All product photos are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the packaging we use for this flavour concentrate. All flavour concentrates available through Vapoureyes are rebottled under license from bulk sources provided directly by the manufacturer in our clean room bottling facility using 30ml (or larger where available) flat cap bottles with thermally printed labels.
A rather unique espresso flavor which is really nice on its own, but is also a great enhancer of tobacco flavors.
- Packed in a 30ml flat capped bottle
- Recommended percentage (single flavour): 3 - 7%
What's in the box:
- 1 x 30ml The Flavor Apprentice Espresso


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AEO 2014: African countries need to tap global markets more effectively to strengthen their economies
Empowering people through investments in skills and technology needed to boost development
By participating more effectively in the global production of goods and services, Africa can transform its economy and achieve a development breakthrough, according to the latest African Economic Outlook, released at the African Development Bank Group's Annual Meetings.
Produced annually by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the OECD Development Centre and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this year's report shows that Africa has weathered internal and external shocks and is poised to achieve healthy economic growth rates.
The continent's growth is projected to accelerate to 4.8 percent in 2014 and 5 to 6 percent in 2015, levels which have not been seen since the global economic crisis of 2009. Africa's economic growth is more broad-based, argues the report, driven by domestic demand, infrastructure and increased continental trade in manufactured goods.
Africa's economic growth
Note: (e) estimates; (p) projections. Source: African Economic Outlook 2014.
"In order to sustain the economic growth and ensure that it creates opportunities for all, African countries should continue to rebuild shock absorbers and exercise prudent macro management. Any slackening on macro management will undermine future economic growth," said Mthuli Ncube, Chief Economist and Vice-President of the African Development Bank.
"In the medium- to long-term, the opportunity for participating in global value chains, should be viewed as part as part of the strategy for achieving strong, sustained and inclusive growth," he added.
The report argues that more effective participation in regional and global value chains – the range of activities in different countries that bring a product from conception to delivery to the consumer – could serve as a springboard for Africa in economic diversification, domestic resource mobilisation and investments in critical infrastructure. In order to do so, however, the continent needs to avoid getting stuck in low value-added activities.
For instance, Africa's exports to the rest of the world grew faster than those of any other region in 2012, but they remain dominated by primary commodities and accounted for only 3.5 percent of world merchandise exports in 2012.
Avoiding that trap involves investing in new and more productive sectors, building skills, creating jobs and acquiring new technology, knowledge and market information. These interventions require sound public policies, as well as entrepreneurs that are willing and capable of helping achieve these gains.
The report uses the example of South Africa, which achieved a remarkable turnaround in its automotive industry by removing obstacles and providing incentives for component producers and assembly lines. It also shows that the development of agribusiness value chains in countries such as Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia has contributed to economic growth and job creation.
"African economies have a great potential to build on their demographic dynamism, rapid urbanisation and natural-resources assets. The challenge now for many of them is to ensure that greater insertion into global value chains is achieved and has a positive impact on people's lives," said Mario Pezzini, Director of the OECD Development Centre.
"Public policies need to be articulated in a targeted strategy that promotes more equitable economic and social transformation and an environmentally sound development," he added.
The African Economic Outlook shows that there has been remarkable progress in human development, with lower poverty levels, rising incomes and improving rates of school enrollment and health coverage.
Further achieving real human development gains requires empowering people and ensuring environmental sustainability, so that economic growth can yield benefits for all. In order for value chains to effectively integrate the poor and marginalized, often including women, targeted public policies and inclusive business models should facilitate access to productive assets such as land and financing, enhance productivity, and improve the resilience of small producers.
"As engagement with global value chains deepens, the appropriate measures need to be in place to mitigate the risks which they can bring about, such as volatile prices, unfair competition and increased vulnerability," said Pedro Conceição, Chief Economist at UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa.
"While regional and global economic networks present immense opportunities, women, men and communities must be able to compete from a position of strength."


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Brushwood fencing is also known as brushbox, broombush or brush which is a common growing shrub in most of the areas in Australia. It grows without any extra or particular treatment. That means it is a free available material in Wills that you can use for fencing purposes.
As compared to most of other materials, brushwood fencing is resistant to harsh weather conditions. Fences are usually build in open areas hence the material should be tough in order to face the rain, snowfall and sunshine and brushwood fencing certainly qualifies for all those conditions.
Proper brushwood fencing installation in Wills requires an insured and licensed contractor by the Department of Fair Trading (DFT). The license should clearly specify the contractor is allowed to construct and install brushwood fencing. The contractor should have liability insurance for property and accidental damage when carrying out construction of the fence.
Traditionally, brushwood was used as a source of fencing material which was handpicked by on-site Wills fencing contractors. However, today machines have been invented to make brushwood into fencing manufactured panels.
Brushwood is used in a number of landscape applications including spa enclosures, gates, or pool sheds in Wills. Other brush uses include basket making and garden shade house, furniture and ornaments. Brushwood panels are among the few fencing materials that are natural and blend into the background of your landscape. The panels are hard and durable which can last for more than 20 years.
"The level of service we received was very refreshing. We would recommend them to other customers. Keep up the good work."


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The Visit of the Magi.* 1When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod,* behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star* at its rising and have come to do him homage."a 3When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.* 5b They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
6'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
7Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." 9After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11* c and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt. 13* When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,* and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." 14Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. 15* He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophetd might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
The Massacre of the Infants. 16When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. 17Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
18* e "A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more."
The Return from Egypt. 19When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said,f "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."* 21He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod,* he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. 23* g He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."
* [2:1–12] The future rejection of Jesus by Israel and his acceptance by the Gentiles are retrojected into this scene of the narrative.
* [2:1] In the days of King Herod: Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. Magi: originally a designation of the Persian priestly caste, the word became used of those who were regarded as having more than human knowledge. Matthew's magi are astrologers.
* [2:2] We saw his star: it was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler's birth. Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that "A star shall advance from Jacob" (Nm 24:17), though there the star means not an astral phenomenon but the king himself.
* [2:4] Herod's consultation with the chief priests and scribes has some similarity to a Jewish legend about the child Moses in which the "sacred scribes" warn Pharaoh about the imminent birth of one who will deliver Israel from Egypt and the king makes plans to destroy him.
* [2:11] Cf. Ps 72:10, 15; Is 60:6. These Old Testament texts led to the interpretation of the magi as kings.
* [2:13–23] Biblical and nonbiblical traditions about Moses are here applied to the child Jesus, though the dominant Old Testament type is not Moses but Israel (Mt 2:15).
* [2:13] Flee to Egypt: Egypt was a traditional place of refuge for those fleeing from danger in Palestine (see 1 Kgs 11:40; Jer 26:21), but the main reason why the child is to be taken to Egypt is that he may relive the Exodus experience of Israel.
* [2:15] The fulfillment citation is taken from Hos 11:1. Israel, God's son, was called out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus; Jesus, the Son of God, will similarly be called out of that land in a new exodus. The father-son relationship between God and the nation is set in a higher key. Here the son is not a group adopted as "son of God," but the child who, as conceived by the holy Spirit, stands in unique relation to God. He is son of David and of Abraham, of Mary and of Joseph, but, above all, of God.
* [2:18] Jer 31:15 portrays Rachel, wife of the patriarch Jacob, weeping for her children taken into exile at the time of the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom (722–21 B.C.). Bethlehem was traditionally identified with Ephrath, the place near which Rachel was buried (see Gn 35:19; 48:7), and the mourning of Rachel is here applied to her lost children of a later age. Ramah: about six miles north of Jerusalem. The lamentation of Rachel is so great as to be heard at a far distance.
* [2:20] For those who sought the child's life are dead: Moses, who had fled from Egypt because the Pharaoh sought to kill him (see Ex 2:15), was told to return there, "for all the men who sought your life are dead" (Ex 4:19).
* [2:22] With the agreement of the emperor Augustus, Archelaus received half of his father's kingdom, including Judea, after Herod's death. He had the title "ethnarch" (i.e., "ruler of a nation") and reigned from 4 B.C. to A.D. 6.
* [2:23] Nazareth…he shall be called a Nazorean: the tradition of Jesus' residence in Nazareth was firmly established, and Matthew sees it as being in accordance with the foreannounced plan of God. The town of Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and no such prophecy can be found there. The vague expression "through the prophets" may be due to Matthew's seeing a connection between Nazareth and certain texts in which there are words with a remote similarity to the name of that town. Some such Old Testament texts are Is 11:1 where the Davidic king of the future is called "a bud" (nēser) that shall blossom from the roots of Jesse, and Jgs 13:5, 7 where Samson, the future deliverer of Israel from the Philistines, is called one who shall be consecrated (a nāzîr) to God.
c. [2:11] Ps 72:10–11, 15; Is 60:6.
g. [2:23] 13:54; Mk 1:9; Lk 2:39; 4:34; Jn 19:19.
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Macquarie University
The second course of the specialization EVALUATING PROBLEMS will show you how humans think and how to utilize different disciplinary approaches to tackle problems more effectively. It advances your knowledge of your own field by teaching you to look at it in new ways.
EVALUATING PROBLEMS is constructed in the following way: Week I. "Thinking about Thinking" – How problem solving evolved in nature, how the mechanics of our brains work, and the psychological biases that can emerge when we think. Week II. "Philosophy, Science, and Problem Solving" – How humans have historically approached problem solving, from ancient times to the present. Week III. "Approaching Problems in the Natural Sciences" – How people in the natural sciences deconstruct problems. Week IV. "Statistics and Problem Solving" – How statistics can be used to evaluate problems and think critically. Week V. "Approaching Problems in the Humanities" – How people in the social sciences and humanities deconstruct problems. Week VI. "Evaluating the Anthropocene" – How to evaluate the problems of the Anthropocene.
Specific details
Category of Education
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Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 6, 2013
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Barrett Jones was definitely not going there.
Alabama's All-American offensive lineman has spent five seasons with coach Nick Saban and he knows better than to talk about stuff like legacies and the Crimson Tide's place in history.
"Do you know what would happen if Nick Saban watched this interview and heard me say the D word?" Jones told a reporter who tried to lure him into the forbidden zone.
The D word would be dynasty and it is definitely off-limits around Alabama. But make no mistake, if the Crimson Tide can beat No. 1 Notre Dame on Monday night it will become the first team to win consecutive BCS championships and join a select list of college football programs with three national titles in four years.
In short, Alabama will lay claim to one of the great runs in history.
"I think what we're really focused on is what we have to do in this particular game," Saban said moments after Alabama arrived in south Florida. "Michael Jordan always says it doesn't make any difference how many game-winning shots I've made in the past. The only one that matters is the next one."
Since The Associated Press started crowning a college football champion in 1936, a team has repeated as champion 10 times, including Bear Bryant's Alabama teams twice.
No team has won three straight titles in the poll era. The standard is three out of four, and only two teams have done that. Notre Dame won AP titles in 1946, '47 and '49. But that's ancient history. Back then the final poll came out before the bowls were even played.
The other three-in-four-year champion was Nebraska, which won back-to-back AP titles in 1994 and '95, and capped a remarkable run with a perfect season and coaches' poll title in 1997, Tom Osborne's final season as coach. Michigan was voted No. 1 in the final AP poll that year.
Over that four-year period, Nebraska went 49-2.
Alabama's gone 48-5 since 2009, fueled in large part by the recruiting class of 2008. That group has already produced eight NFL draft picks, including 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and star receiver Julio Jones.
Four members of that class are still with the Tide, all starters: Jones, the two-time All-American, safety Robert Lester, defensive end Damion Square and tight end Michael Williams.
Linebacker Nico Johnson and guard Chance Warmack from the class of 2009 are the only other current players who have played for the two previous Alabama championship teams.
"I respect all the guys that came in in 2008," Lester said Friday. "(Alabama) just came off a … 7-6 season."
It seems hard to believe now, but not everybody was convinced Saban would turn Alabama into a juggernaut at that point. The Tide had been down a while and Saban was not far removed from two unimpressive NFL seasons. But he proved he hadn't lost his touch in recruiting with that class.
"For those guys to believe in the system and to come in and help turn it around, it speaks wonders for those guys," Lester said. "We're down to the last four of us, playing in the national championship down in Miami, going out like this, there's nothing more you can say about it."
Certainly not the D word, right?
"I don't want to use that and call us something that we might not be," he said.
Good point.
The last time the D word was getting tossed around freely in college football was the 2005 season.
The last team to go back-to-back was Pete Carroll's Southern California squad in 2003 and '04, though even that one comes with a "but."
In 2003, USC was left out of the BCS championship contest, despite being ranked No. 1 in both the AP and coaches polls at the end of the regular season, and LSU beat Oklahoma to take the BCS title. The Trojans were the AP's champs after beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush went into '05 as overwhelming favorites to become the first major college football team to three-peat. Vince Young and Texas stopped all that talk of the Trojans being the greatest of all-time in the Rose Bowl.
There hasn't been a similar buzz around Alabama this season, though it's no surprise the Tide have reached this point. Alabama started this season ranked No. 2, and spent more time at No. 1 than any other team.
Maybe the Tide haven't earned the same kind of hype because they've had some good fortune the past two seasons. Alabama lost to LSU last year and got a second shot at the Tigers in the BCS title game. This season, 'Bama lost in November at home again, but got the benefit of the doubt from poll voters ahead of other one-loss teams such as Oregon.
"I don't believe they should have been in the national championship game last year. You lose one time to a team you shouldn't get a second bite of the apple," said former Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, who works as an analyst for Sirius XM Radio.
Maybe it's because this Tide team doesn't have the star power that USC team did. The Trojans had two Heisman Trophy winners. The face of the Tide now is Jones, a center.
While the Tide's signature defense is ranked first in the nation yards allowed per game, the consensus is that it's not as good as last year's version.
"Alabama is not what it was when it comes to having guys that can do everything," said ESPN's David Pollack, a former All-American defensive end for Georgia. "This is the worst defensive talent Alabama's had in at least four seasons. But their system is so strong and so precise. Now he's got everybody Sabanized."
Don't think Pollack was knocking Alabama.
"Ridiculous," was how he described the Tide's latest national championship run, with only nine senior starters. "That's not right. That's not human."
It's Saban. He's the constant and with one more championship he'll have four, tying Notre Dame's Frank Leahy for second-most among coaches. Only the Bear, with six, has more.
And when they start asking if you're better than the Bear, then there's no avoiding the D word.


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Garlic scapes or the green tops of the garlic plant are often cut off while they are still immature to encourage the bulbs to grow larger. The garlic scapes are edible and generally have a milder flavour than the garlic cloves themselves. I first heard about garlic scapes last year but I had just missed them and I have been patiently waiting to try them since. This weekend I was lucky enough to spot some and I immediatly picked them up. While I was thinking about what to do with the garlic scapes the first thing that came to mind was a variation of one of my favorite dishes, scampi , with the garlic replaced with fresh chopped garlic scapes. Scampi is shrimp dish served in a garlic, butter and white wine sauce. Normally when I make scampi I toss the shrimp and sauce with pasta but this time I decided to serve the shrimp with some crusty bread to soak up all of the buttery, garlicky, sauce. I had heard that cooking garlic scapes would reduce their flavour or make them milder so I changed the recipe up a bit and added the garlic scapes closer to the end to try to retain as much flavour as possible. The garlic scapes did not disappoint! They had the garlic flavor that I enjoy so much but it was some how fresher and it went well in the scampi with the shrimp. With my first experiment with garlic scapes such a success I am looking forward to trying something else with them.
Garlic Scape Scampi
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pinch red chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1/4 cup garlic scapes (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan.
- Add the red chili pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp and saute until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan.
- Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the liquid until reduced by about half, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic scapes and simmer until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the butter, wait for it to melt and turn off the heat.


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Verbal pre-game decorum rarely prevails in the Apple Cup rivalry, regardless of whether Washington and Washington State are ranked or wretched or both. The tradition of rivalry trash talk dates to Nov. 27, 1900, or three days before UW and WSU engaged in the inaugural scrum.
On that day, WSU State coach William Allen provided the first bulletin board material in the rivalry by predicting that WSU would romp by a score of 30-0. That WSU fell considerably of Allens prediction the teams played to a 5-5 tie on Nov. 30 hardly ushered in an era of diplomatic oratory.
For more than 100 years, the Huskies and the Cougars have traded zings, barbs and insults, with the Golden Age of Apple Cup gum flapping starting in the 1980s. The following represents the best Apple Cup trash talk by a Cougar.
Nothing in my job not the Rose Bowl, not the Holiday Bowl, nothing is more important than beating the University of Washington. — JIM WALDEN, WSU coach, before the 1982 Apple Cup
"There are four important stages in your life. Youre born, you play the Huskies, you get married and you die." — DAN LYNCH, WSU offensive lineman, explaining his view of the rivalry in 1984
Everybody needs something to hate. The Huskies make it nice. — JIM WALDEN, WSU coach, before the 1986 Apple Cup
Ill count every one of them. Im going to ask myself, What did I do as a football coach today to beat the Huskies? — DENNIS ERICKSON, WSU coach, after the 1987 Apple Cup, referring to the 365 days before the next Apple Cup
Theyve got a lot of great dancers on their team. Too bad they cant hit as well as they dance. — TIMM ROSENBACH, WSU quarterback, before the 1987 Apple Cup
Id rather beat them all the time than go to a bowl. We and the UW will never get along. — TONY SAVAGE, WSU defensive tackle, after the Cougars defeated Washington 32-31 in 1988
This is the potatoes, gravy, stuffing, peas and everything. — MARLIN BROWN, WSU defensive end, after the Cougars 32-31 victory over the UW in 1988
One game doesnt make a season, but the people who say that havent participated in the Apple Cup.– MIKE PRICE, WSU coach, before the 1991 Apple Cup
Ive really grown to hate em. I cant stand to look at them, talk about them or anything. — ROBBIE TOBECK, WSU center, before the 1992 Apple Cup
Their O-line is the weakest thing they have on the team, and our D-line is the best thing we have on our defense. I watched how (Ohio States) Big Daddy Wilkinson abused them. Just killed them. Im hoping Damon Huard is in the game, hopefully starting. I cannot wait for the first play I see him. — CHAD EATON, WSU defensive tackle, before the 1993 Apple Cup
I thought we could pick on him and the corners. Maybe they thought that was a little snotty thing to say by a little freshman, but somebody had to do it. — RYAN LEAF, WSU freshman quarterback, on why he hurled pre-game barbs at Lawyer Milloy and other Husky DBs before the 1995 Apple Cup
"It doesnt matter if you have a 1-10 season. Beating the Huskies is everything."WILL DERTING, WSU linebacker, after the Cougars defeated the Huskies 26-22 in the 2005 Apple Cup