text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Michigan Religious Data, 1950 and 1960 (ICPSR 21)
Principal Investigator(s): United Presbyterian Church in the United States. Synod of Michigan
This data collection contains county-level information on churches and church membership by denomination in Michigan for 1950 and 1960. Information is given on the names of the county, presbytery, and church. Other variables provide information on the number of churches and church members for each denomination. Additional variables give the number and percentage of the state population who were 14 years and older in each county in 1950 and in 1960, the percentage of this age group who attended churches in 1950 and in 1960, and the percentage of the change in membership in each denomination between 1950 and 1960.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
Study Description
United Presbyterian Church in the United States, Synod of Michigan. MICHIGAN RELIGIOUS DATA, 1950 AND 1960. ICPSR ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor], 1998. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR00021.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR00021.v1
Export Citation:
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- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: church attendance, church buildings, church membership, counties, religion, religious denominations
Geographic Coverage: Michigan, United States
Universe: Counties in Michigan.
The data map is provided as an ASCII text file, and the codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.
church membership records
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 1984-03-18
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Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
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Your search for "(Re)Designed for Success" returned 2 possible matches.
Improving graduation rates. Making teaching more student-centered. Incorporating more instructional technology. It seems like every day, there's a new solution that surfaces in the sea change surging through higher education that aims to help institutions respond to today's world, keep costs in check and improve the educational experience.
Could course redesign help Frostburg State University navigate these uncertain waters? Here's a closer look at how FSU is taking a leadership role in making learning more effective, innovative and efficient for students and faculty.
By Transforming How Some Entry Level Classes Are Taught, FSU Is Breaking Down Roadblocks for Students
Frostburg State University
Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 21532-2303.
Emergency Info
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Media & Publications | Student Consumer Info.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Coffee Service
Music & Games
Bulk Vending
ATMs & Kiosks
Meetings & Events
Names in the News
Vend Product News
Bulk Vending and Crane Products
Small Business News
Video Content
Press Releases
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Classified Ads
Buy a Classified Ad
e-Newsletter Signup
Bookstore Sales
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Editorial Calendars
Circulation Data
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WASHINGTON -- The Energy Information Administration lowered its forecast for summer 2013 gasoline prices. U.S. drivers will pay an average 16¢ a gallon less for gasoline this summer compared with a year ago, the statistical arm of the Energy Department said in its most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook (May 7). The EIA's April forecast predicted prices would average 6¢ a gallon less than in 2012.
The agency expects regular-grade gasoline will average $3.53 a gallon from April through September, down from the April estimate of $3.63 a gallon. Diesel fuel will average $3.88 a gallon, less than the previous forecast of $3.94.
According to the EIA, lower crude prices will keep motorists' costs in check. Brent, the pricing basis for U.S. oil imports, is down 7.1% from a year ago, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, has dropped 2.2%.
Separately, AAA reported that motorists paid the lowest springtime gas prices in three years. Gas prices nationally averaged $3.55 a gallon in April, which was the least expensive average for the month since 2010. Prices dropped about 13¢ per gallon in April (3.5%), which was the largest percentage decline for the month in 10 years. In comparison, gas prices in 2012 averaged $3.89 for the month, while the average price in April 2011 was $3.79 a gallon.
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Posts Tagged weight loss
Mobile Health Design Course
Posted by Carly Machlis in Research, School of Medicine, Technology, Video on October 24, 2012
Lisa Gualtieri, Assistant Professor in the Health Communication Program at Tufts School of Medicine, taught an online course on "Mobile Health Design" this summer. The course covered trends in health-related apps for smartphones, as well as techniques for developing, designing, and evaluating new health apps. In the video below, Gualtieri speaks with Samantha Noderer, a Health Communications student who learned a lot of useful information in the course. She particularly enjoyed the group project for the course, which asked students to design a new app for weight loss management.
Watch the video here:


text: AT&T aired loads of details on its exciting upcoming 2011 lineup. Unfortunately dates or even launch windows were precious few. Most of AT&T's product announcements today revolved around 4G. Verizon is using LTE for its "4G" efforts, Sprint is using WiMax, T-Mobile is using HSPA+, and AT&T will be using a mix of HSPA+ and LTE. In a deliciously ironic twist, AT&T is calling HSPA+ "4G". Just a couple months back a company spokeperson rebuked T-Mobile for doing this, stating , "I think that companies need to be careful that they're not misleading customers by labeling HSPA+ as a 4G technology. We aren't labeling those technologies as 4G." Apparently in its bid to keep up with Verizon and Sprint's aggressive 4G deployments, AT&T has changed its mind about what constitutes 4G. In fact it announced three new handsets today, all of which its calling 4G -- which will not support AT&T's nascent LTE network and will only support HSPA+. These devices are thus quasi-4G device like the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G since HSPA+ is an extension of existing 3G wireless technology. Leading the way was the Motorola Atrix 4G, previously known as Olympus. The Atrix 4G differentiates itself by packing a dual-core CPU -- NVIDIA's Tegra 2 ARM CPU. It also comes with an usual extension -- a smart book attachment, that essentially turns the phone into an Android netbook, with a full-size physical keyboard. A dock will also be offered that allows the phone to transmit video to TVs over Wi-Fi. The Atrix 4G comes with a 1,920 mAh battery, 1 GB of onboard DRAM, and 16 GB of flash storage. It has a 4.1-inch screen with an 854x480 pixel resolution. It was shown running Android 2.2 "Froyo" (how about showing Gingerbread some lovin'?). A Motorola LTE tablet was also teased at. AT&T said that tablet would launch "mid-summer". Expect more details and possibly launch dates for both devices at Motorola's 4 p.m. press conference. Next up, AT&T announced the HTC Inspire 4G. The phone comes with a 4.3 inch screen. Those who aren't big fans of sense may want to stay away. HTC will be pushing out its "next-generation" Sense UI experience onto the phone. Among its features is an enhanced boot dubbed "Fastboot" and a smart ringer interface that senses (ha, pun) where the phone is and rings more loudly if its in a pocket or purse. The new Sense also offers phone finder technology similar to that found in the Apple iPhone. Users can locate their phone, send a message to a lost phone, or perform a remote wipe in the worst case scenario of a stolen handset. The phone finder is part of HTCSense.com, the company's new platform of "Connected Service" -- various cloud utilities. Let's hope they exercise sound password protection on the accounts as that remote wipe could be dangerous. Rounding out the lineup of "4G" HSPA+ handsets is the monstrous Samsung Infuse 4G, which was simultaneously co-announced by Samsung. The followup to Samsung's best-selling Galaxy lineup features a massive 4.5-inch "Super AMOLED" screen. While it doesn't have a dual core, it does pack a competitive 1.2 GHz clocked Hummingbird processor. The device offers an 8 MP rear-facing camera with flash, and a 1.3 MP video chat front-facing camera. The phone runs on Android 2.2. Release dates for the HTC Inspire 4G and Samsung Infuse 4G were not revealed. AT&T says it expects to announce nine other Android devices. Presumably the twelve new incoming Android devices represent the bulk of the 20 4G devices that AT&T is promising to deliver in 2011. If we had to guess, we'd say that the iPhone 5, to air in June will be HSPA+ and not LTE. Apple is traditionally slow at adopting new technologies like BlueTooth 3.0, USB 3.0, etc. so it would not be terribly surprising if Apple opts not to throw expensive LTE hardware into its iPhone. In the end Apple could likely justify this in that only a certain percentage of customers will have LTE access -- and be padding its profit margins a bit further. AT&T has not announced a breakdown of how many LTE devices it plans versus HSPA+ only devices.


text:
Awful so far. Is anyone else going to score apart from Melo?!?!
Awful so far. Is anyone else going to score apart from Melo?!?!
Will we ever win a championship again? Id like to think so!
y'know guys, if i didn't know better, i'd say we suck
It's the same thing! Down by 13, 15 at the end of 3rd! I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS!!!!
When you play porous defence thats what happens. You allow the other teams scorers to get hot and get easy baskets and then they start making contested threes late in the game.
We made evan turner and louis williams look like Jordan and Pippen.
WTF is wrong with this team? We played good for the first five minutes and then went to sleep.
We are going to get truly embarrassed by Chicago if we play like this. Think '50 point defeat by Celtics' embarrassment...
Will we ever win a championship again? Id like to think so!
I see more chemistry with guys playing pickup at the gym.
It's too many different player combinations for the guys playing to keep their head straight on what they should do.
Deep down these guys have quit on Dantoni ... Can't blame them. Guy should be screaming at these guys to put their heads in this game. We beat Philly earlier in the season
Iguodala with 75% shooting over Lamelo...
Lamelo with 38% shooting over Iguodala...
Every time I've seen Thunderstix distributed at a sporting event, it seems to make the crowd a lot quieter than it would normally be.
The Knicks have no chance.


text: Ah. Okay, well, I think that's wrong. Although it would have seemed a more solid fact in 1987. (I do think it's something fans think the general public thinks but that it's a case of projection; either J.Q. Public is receptive to the Trek brand or he isn't, it's mostly fans in my experience who would accept or reject a show based on the name of the ship.) Although in fairness, the belief in the Enterprise's necessity to any Trek pitch is still very widespread.


text:
Penney recalls Winnie-the-Pooh sets due to lead
The largest number of items recalled were 49,000 Winnie- the-Pooh play sets made in China. Each 23-piece play set included a baby doll, playpen, swing, stroller and sold for about $40, the safety agency said.
The play sets were sold from the Penney catalog and Web site during a two-year period ending in August 2007, it said.
Penney also recalled 19,000 wooden box art sets with pull- out trays containing paints and brushes. The art sets were sold for about $40 from September 2005 through August 2007, the safety agency said.
The art sets were made in Taiwan and Vietnam.
Finally, Penney recalled 2,400 Breyer stirrup ornaments featuring a prancing horse and ribbons. Each Chinese-made ornament has "2006" stamped on the rim and sold for about $18, the safety agency said.
All the items were recalled because they contain excessive levels of lead in their paint. No injuries were reported involving any of the recalled items, the safety agency said.
The agency posted photographs of the recalled items on its Web site at www.cpsc.gov .
(Reporting by Julie Vorman)
© Reuters2007All rights reserved


text:
Keiga, the Tide Star
Champions of Kamigawa — Rare
Legendary Creature — Dragon Spirit
Keiga, the Tide Star is legal in the following formats:
French Commander
Modern Duel Commander
Recently viewed cards:
Champions of Kamigawa — Rare
Legendary Creature — Dragon Spirit
Keiga, the Tide Star is legal in the following formats:
French Commander
Modern Duel Commander
TCGPlayer avg. price:
Creature — Elemental (3/4)
When Cyclone Sire dies, you may put three +1/+1 counters on target land you control. If you do, that land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste that's still a land.
Creature — Drake (5/5)
When Nephalia Moondrakes enters the battlefield, target creature gains flying until end of turn.
, Exile Nephalia Moondrakes from your graveyard: Creatures you control gain flying until end of turn.
Creature — Sphinx (4/5)
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, tap target creature an opponent controls. If that land is an Island, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Creature — Sphinx (4/4)
Whenever you cycle or discard a card, target creature an opponent controls gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
Creature — Drake (4/4)
When Angler Drake enters the battlefield, you may return target creature to its owner's hand.
Creature — Insect Horror (5/4)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, create a 1/1 blue Human Wizard creature token. Then if you control three or more Wizards, transform Docent of Perfection.
Creature — Vedalken Artificer (4/4)
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for .)
Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
Creature — Sphinx (5/3)
Whenever Glyph Keeper becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time each turn, counter that spell or ability.
Embalm (, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a white Zombie Sphinx with no mana cost. Embalm only as a sorcery.)
Creature — Serpent (5/5)
Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Creature — Vedalken Artificer (3/2)
When Dispersal Technician enters the battlefield, you may return target artifact to its owner's hand.
Legendary Creature — Sphinx (4/4)
Sphinx spells you cast cost less to cast.
Whenever Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign or another Sphinx enters the battlefield under your control, reveal the top four cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.
Creature — Human Artificer (0/3)
When Experimental Aviator enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying.
Creature — Fish (6/6)
Whenever Fleet Swallower attacks, target player puts the top half of his or her library, rounded up, into his or her graveyard.
Creature — Elemental (3/4)
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Wave-Wing Elemental gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Legendary Creature — God (5/5)
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses X life and you scry X, where X is the number of Zombies you control.
: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie.
When The Scarab God dies, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.
Creature — Merfolk Wizard (4/3)
Whenever Windrider Patrol deals combat damage to a player, scry 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
Creature — Crab (4/4)
Whenever Salvage Scuttler attacks, return an artifact you control to its owner's hand.
Creature — Leviathan (6/6)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you get (three energy counters).
Pay : Return all other creatures to their owners' hands. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Creature — Sphinx (5/5)
Sphinx of the Final Word can't be countered.
Flying, hexproof
Instant and sorcery spells you control can't be countered by spells or abilities.
Creature — Zombie Horror (3/5)
When Lamplighter of Selhoff enters the battlefield, if you control another Zombie, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
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text:
|View Poll Results: Kanon - 2006 - Episode 1 Rating
|Perfect 10
|9 out of 10 : Excellent
|8 out of 10 : Very Good
|7 out of 10 : Good
|6 out of 10 : Average
|5 out of 10 : Below Average
|4 out of 10 : Poor
|3 out of 10 : Bad
|2 out of 10 : Very Bad
|1 out of 10 : Painful
|Voters: 173. You may not vote on this poll
|Thread Tools
|2006-10-07, 18:55
|Link #101
Back and Alive! i think!?
Join Date: May 2006
Location: England
Age: 30
I don't think i would call Kanon a Harem as well. but maybe its becuase Kanon does not come from the comady area, sure there is comady in it but its more mature then other animes.
i guess i would say its up to each one own Interpretation of the anime.
i would say it is a light comady tho
however i say this is based off the first ep and the original anime, so who knows how the remake will turn out.
|2006-10-07, 19:44
|Link #104
Back and Alive! i think!?
Join Date: May 2006
Location: England
Age: 30
but some realism now and then could'nt help ,not that anything in anime can ever really be real, but sometime the events can fell belivable, thats all i ask..
anyway i agree with you, theres no way Kanon is a Harem anime
|2006-10-07, 20:20
|Link #105
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Anyway, I already explained why I was watching Kanon. I like the atmosphere of the Key visual novel adaptations. And while more realism on the girls' part might be nice, I don't really mind six year old girls, so it's not a huge issue. I'm not really complaining about it either.
I wish people would bother to read my posts before putting words in my mouth. Please don't pretend like I acted as though I hated the series or thought that all the girls MUST comform to my idea of realism in order for it to be good, because I never claimed such things. The only thing I said was that I wished, from my standpoint, that I could relate to the girls more. That would increase my enjoyment. However, I will most likely enjoy it regardless.
|2006-10-07, 20:28
|Link #106
Madlax fanboyz
Good esp from kyoani as usual. Very high brightness and contrast (not sure if it is the fansub filter or the original) but every scene I watch I got deja vu too much .. is this guy Kyon, OMG HE IS KYON, is this girl the one from ~AIR~... . The music is nice, calm, quiet and relaxing, and the instrument reminds/closely resemble "bird song" from AIR and AIR OST in general
and Minase Akiko is strong competitor in the supermom club which can rival ama...
~AIR~ is 1000th summer and it has a nice summerbreeze in it, and Kanon is winter calm.... I wonder what season does clannad represent
|2006-10-07, 20:44
|Link #107
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portland, Oregon
Age: 45
|2006-10-07, 20:50
|Link #108
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
|2006-10-07, 20:53
|Link #109
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Perhaps musouka, if you could stop indirectly referring to them as six year old girls, it would be a good start. They are idealized representations of Japanese 15-16 year old girls living in Japan. This would be similar to watching "This is a Wonderful Life". No one acts like that now, but you don't see people saying, "Gee, I wished that they would act more realistic."
Even 6 year old females nowadays aren't all that nice. It all depends on your upbringing and environment. My niece is a terror and does not act like those girls. Truly doubtful that she would ever be as nice as those Kanon girls due to her upbringing and environment.
No, tragic romances ovelap genders, but this title is squarely aimed at the Japanese male population. Catching those female viewers is an added benefit. That's why Yuuichi is nicer in this version imo and Ayu is front and center.
Yeah Mgz, I wish that snow was a foreign word too sometimes. But you know, I love nice quiet snowy nights. That's why the calm of that snow scene was so good.
|2006-10-07, 21:13
|Link #110
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Portland, Oregon
Age: 45
|2006-10-07, 21:21
|Link #111
ショ ン (^^)
IT Support
Cant express how happy i was to watch the first episode of the remake. The first that stood out for me was the animation, simply put imo it look freakin great I sware its Air 1000th summer but with a winter theme thats what i first thought at the opening the animation is so similar. Yuuichi seems a little diffrent but not in a bad way. All the charcter are super kawii which i love of course.
This is one of my favorite love animes since i think the writing makes a huge impact especially when we get to explore each girls past and how it relates to their present. Also, the mature comedic parts makes it even more enjoyable Looking forward to more i think i might have to go out and stock up on tissues to watch Kanon again LOL
Did anyone else have serious nastalgia in the first scene with Yuiichi sitting in the snow?
|2006-10-07, 21:23
|Link #112
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Relax already. I know what ages they're supposed to be. I'm just making a point, and one I don't think is particularly offensive considering it's just based on the first episode and about two characters. (One of which I actually like a lot) I'm not saying it to insult them. I've already admitted there's a distinct possibility that my initial impression is wrong. Kanon has 20+ more episodes to show me the error of my ways.
Last edited by musouka; 2006-10-07 at 21:49.
|2006-10-07, 21:52
|Link #113
Name means little...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2004
musouka, I would be in unison with you had I been watching Kanon for the first time actually... however, I would stay away from that and push a little to orion's point of view on the subject matter. If KyoAni does a good job with putting everything together and gone beyone AIR, you should see a drama behind the reasonings of the way that these characters act. I can say that right now, Kyuichi feels more mature than Yuiichi...
As munto points out, the story did not squeeze everybody in by episode 1 (well they did but in the background). To the veteran of the story, the forshadowing keep things exciting while to newcomers the distraction of such a thing would be kept down.
Kanon is not a harem story. It is written as a tragic emotional romance and started that whole heartbreaker boom that continues till this day. I don't think I will say anymore than that on the matter.
Canon D-dur... we all pointed that out actually. That and several tidbits such as the AIR reference with Rich and Pulpy.
Akiko really is incredable. I won't go into anymore than that. And as I've said before about the snow (I am rather feeling nostalgic of the lack of snow in Vancouver during the last few years really), I can see where Mgz is coming from as dealing with snow's far harder than rain. The OST is beautiful and now true to original, which is wonderful.
|2006-10-07, 23:17
|Link #114
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
I'm totally relaxed.
Totally agree with panzerfan except the watching it at the first time part. When I watched the original Kanon, none of the girls seemed like they were acting like 6 year olds. Sure Ayu was alittle immature in the restraurant in the current Kanon but she rebounded at the end of the episode. Some of Ayu's behaviour is actually central to the story, so it will all balance out in the end. In fact, the parallels were illustrated at the end of the episode as Yuuichi started to remember more because of Ayu's behaviour that day.
The rest females in ep. 1 were acting age appropriate imo.
I like snow more than rain if I'm not driving in it. A really bad rainstorm can be dangerous too where I'm at. Rain can be depressing. Snow is calming imo. But, it smells better at the end of a rainstorm.
|2006-10-07, 23:51
|Link #115
Wagering his life...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Watching this was a blast from the past.Just the first scene where Yuuichi waits for Nayuki on the bench made me feel nostalgic,as it is nearly the same as in the original anime.Here's a screen from the original followed by one from the 2006 version the original followed by the 2006 version
|2006-10-07, 23:55
|Link #116
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Miami, FL
I've watched this series at least 3x through now, and I think there were some parts in the original I liked better, but this remake is definitely worth dling. I can't wait to see how they are gonna use the extra episodes to better develop the plot line.
|2006-10-08, 00:31
|Link #117
Rewrite of the Life
In the newest one it actually looks more like the real place in Osaka. Not because of the quality but of the surroundings. Minus that tree isn't really there and the benches aren't like that.
|2006-10-08, 06:22
|Link #119
ghostly member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: just around the corner
Age: 36
Darklightz thanks for posting that, it's also nice for newbies to Kanon to compare the two versions. The 2006 looks nicer imho, but here I could be partial I agree with orion that the people in the background is a plus.
I just wanted to add in on the argument you guys had on the girls in Kanon and people watching Kanon: Sure, the show is aimed at male viewers, but there definitely are also girls enjoying the show. As one of those seemingly few female viewers I understand what musouka was getting at with her comment about the girls in Kanon and that she was not amused (I wasn't too) to hear generalisations of girls as whores , BUT I guess A) in anime sometimes reality has to stand back and B) future episodes of Kanon sure will work out the girls' characters more, so let's wait and see and have fun meanwhile with Kanon!
And enjoy Ayus ~uguu cuteness
Last edited by katsumi; 2006-10-08 at 06:24. Reason: a 'n' too much
|Thread Tools


text:
I once knew a wise man named George.
It was a bone-chilling winter's day when I saw him last. By that time, George was a mere whisper of the man he had once been. Dialysis had taken his flesh and chewed it up, leaving him as a bundle of bones wrapped in skin.
He ambled into the office that last day with a smile, as always. "Visiting family for the holidays, George?" I asked, making small talk.
He shook his head. "Kids are all out West. They've got their own lives."
"So what are you doing this Christmas?"
He grinned. "Same as always. Helping out."
Despite the illnesses that ravaged his body, despite having almost nothing in the way of material possessions, George usually spent his holidays assisting others — serving food to the homeless, for example, or volunteering at Hospice House.
"But don't you miss your family?" I asked.
He looked me straight in the eye and smiled again.
"Here's the thing: When I look at those poor folks, I think, 'That could've been me.' And I thank God that I've had love, and hope, and a roof over my head. Some of those poor folks don't have anything. Helping them makes me appreciate how lucky I am."
I said goodbye to George that day marveling at his generosity of spirit.
I never saw him again. George died in his sleep later that winter.
I learned a lesson from that kind old man. I learned that you don't have to have much to give a lot. I realized that generosity deepened the spirit and gave breadth to the soul.
And I understood a little bit more about nobility.
We have just been through a difficult election year, a year filled with divisiveness and vitriol. And yet, politics aside, many people are still out of work. Many children are hungry. Grandmothers cannot afford medication. Young men and women fleeing abuse and neglect at home don't have a warm place to stay. They are our brothers and sisters, our children, our loved ones.
They are us. We are all in this together. We are one community, united.
The United Way of the Coastal Empire was founded in 1938 as a means of supporting our local charitable organizations. Serving Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties, the United Way is the only local means of support for dozens of local agencies that help our citizens in times of need.
Charities as diverse as the Community Health Mission, the local Second Harvest Food Bank, St. James Community Health Center, Chatham County MedBank, the YMCA, the JEA, the Latin American Services Organization, and the Coastal Empire Rape Crisis Center derive a large proportion of their funding from the annual United Way campaign.
That campaign is underway right now.
Economic times remain hard. It's easy to rationalize not giving to charity. And yes, many of us are besieged by people soliciting money every day. But the United Way of the Coastal Empire is unique.
All of the money raised by the United Way goes to local charities. Not one dime goes to another community, or to some state or national organization. Every penny donated to the local United Way goes to the charities the United Way serves. The Herschel V. Jenkins Trust pays all local administrative salaries and overhead. So all of your donated money serves only those in need.
Finally, a donor to United Way can designate which charities he or she wishes to benefit. Want to fund Emmaus House? Just say so. Want to help the Wesley Community Center? Then designate it.
Think your small contribution might not make a difference? You're wrong. For just $12 a month, a donor to the United Way can provide accessibility modifications for a disabled person's bathroom, or provide 70 hot meals to children living in a shelter.
The United Way campaign ends Nov. 16. There is no excuse for any of us in the Coastal Empire who have been blessed with economic prosperity not to give back to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters. You see, that could be any of us someday. George recognized that. Although he had nothing, he gave everything.
We could all learn something from George.Give generously, for all of our sakes.
Mark Murphy, M.D., is a Savannah physician and writer. email@example.com


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More than 10 years ago while vacationing in Florida, I was given an offer that I could not refuse. "Come to this FREE two-hour seminar and you'll get two-FREE tickets to Disney World and two-FREE tickets to Universal Studios." Back then, tickets to both Disney World and Universal Studios were approximately $60 per ticket. I'm a sucker for FREE stuff. I was one of the first people in line at the seminar. It turned out that this was no seminar. It was a high-pressure sales environment for timeshares. At the time, I had no earthly idea what a timeshare was. All I knew was that the sales representative wanted me to pay $15,000 for the right to have access to a condo for one week out of the year, every year. Even back then with absolutely no knowledge of timeshares, I thought this was one of the silliest concepts ever conceived. Today, I know it is.
A timeshare is the name given to piece of real estate where a number of individuals share ownership in the subject property. A timeshare is a right to use or occupy one or more units on a periodic basis usually one or two weeks out of the year. Timeshare properties can often be found in destinations where people like to vacation.
A timeshare is the worst real estate purchase you can ever make. They're overpriced. The interest rates on these deals are as high as credit cards (17 percent). Unlike most real estate purchases that go up in value, the value on timeshares decreases. There are maintenance fees, property taxes and other hidden fees associated with owning timeshares. To make matters worst, once you figure out you've made a bad purchase they're extremely difficult to get rid of. Timeshares have gotten such negative press over the years that shrewd marketers of timeshares are selling them under different names such as vacation clubs. With industry giants such as Disney, Hilton and Marriott now in the business of selling timeshares, timeshare ownership is growing rapidly. More than 4 million people around the world own timeshares. Timeshares are the fastest growing segment of the travel industry.
Below is what savvy marketers pitch to unsuspecting buyers of timeshares and the truth about timeshares:
The pitch: You can vacation at your home resort or exchange your weeks for time at another resort.


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Photos: Pretty Lights, Paul McCartney Kick Off 2013 Outside Lands Festival
Outside Lands is currently underway in the heart of San Francisco. The music festival, which also focuses on the Bay Area's food and wine scene, features an eclectic 2013 lineup: Pretty Lights, Kaskade, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jurassic 5, Gary Clark Jr, Hall & Oats, Emeli Sande and more will take the stage this weekend. Check out photos from Day One of the festival at Golden Gate Park.
All photos by Tha-Don Bowden


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I am currently leveling a Worgen Hunter and as it is one of 4 toons I am working on I decided to take him into different areas to keep my sanity .
While questing I came across these quests that are listed in an incorrect order:
Quest "Silencing Rageroar" could not be accepted until "Back in the Fight" was completed.
Quest "Lifting the Seige" could not be accepted until "Re-take the Courtyard" was completed.


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Hi all;
Thanks to the Tutorial I can now put cool looking Windows Message Boxes into my 32-bit console applications.
I can't however get them to appear in the middle of my console window, unless I position my console in the centre of the screen all the time.
I think that I need to do something with the HWND parameter within the MessageBox function to achieve this.
At the moment my MessageBox function looks something like this...
What should I change "NULL" to in order to 'tell the message box' who its owner is?Code:MessageBox(NULL, "Program Successfully Completed", "Program Message ", MB_OK);
What other changes need to be made within the rest of the program to accomodate this?
Thanks in advance.


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Source: http://www.vg247.com/2012/03/13/microsoft-aware-of-gamerscores-and-achievement-issue-looking-into-it/Xbox Live users have reported Gamerscores and Achievement lists being reset to zero. Microsoft has said it is aware of the issue and notes: We are aware of the problem and appreciate your patience while we implement a solution.
I know the article doesn't mention it, but this particular issue also affects avatar awards.
Source: http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/x...2.aspx#1150152Hey guys, thank you all for posting in this thread. I want to let you know that we're aware of an issue with achievements, and that we're doing everything we can to resolve it ASAP. At this time, we believe the issue should be resolved. If you're missing achievements, please try signing out of Xbox LIVE, then sign back in. If this doesn't resolve your issue, then you will need to re-download your profile. Please note that this will remove any achievements you might have earned since the issue began, however, they can be re-earned


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Joelle Carter Curly Casual Half Up Hairstyle - Medium Blonde (Golden) Hair Color
Description(Added: 9th January 2013 )
These golden blonde locks are styled into loose waves through the mid-lengths to ends and left to fall over the shoulders. The top is braided and pulled back to expose the best facial features and completes the over-all look magnificently.
- Hair Category: Casual
- Hair Length: Half Up Long
- Hair Elasticity: Wavy
- Gender: Women
- Face Shape: Oval, Oblong, Square, and Diamond
- Hair Density: Thin/Medium
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
- Weight: Thin/Average/Large
- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 30 minutes
- Styling Tip: Use your finishing products to smooth down the ends and direct your hair into place.


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It's not that South Carolina's linebackers didn't have a good 2011. It's that their solid performances through a record-breaking season were overshadowed by the spectacular plays of their defensive teammates.
On a unit that finished ranked third nationally and sent two first-round draft picks and two other players to the NFL, Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens finished fourth and 10th, respectively, on the team's tackle chart. Grouped among them were fellow linebackers Rodney Paulk (third) and Quin Smith (eighth).
The entire defense was a force in the SEC, allowing a scant 267.7 yards and 18.4 points per game, but it was the contributions of Melvin Ingram, Stephon Gilmore and Antonio Allen that received the most publicity. Paulk had 57 tackles, Wilson was just behind with 52 and Bowens had 44.
Ingram, Gilmore, Allen and Paulk were leaving, so Wilson and Bowens knew that their play in 2012 was vital to USC's continued success. A pair of fifth-year seniors, the pair was going to be relied on in 2012 as the crucial bridge between a thin-in-the-middle defensive line and a secondary stocked with inexperience.
It's only been two games. There are at least 10 and as many as 12 to go.
But the No. 8 Gamecocks, and especially Wilson and Bowens, could be feeling much worse.
Through USC's first two games, Wilson (10) and Bowens (eight) are tied for second and are in third, respectively, in team tackles. Wilson has two interceptions and Bowens has forced and recovered a fumble as well.
The only two true linebackers in the Gamecocks' scheme, they've managed to have two good games against pass-first teams. Another passing offense, UAB, is coming to Columbia on Saturday and the two are simply hoping to keep themselves at the same level as the offense they're facing - flying high.
"I can get way better," Wilson said after practice on Tuesday. "I know I can do way better on a lot of things. Coach (Kirk) Botkin is still harping on me about stuff, using my hands and just being good at everything I do. I need to focus on the little things like alignment, my eyes and my technique."
"It feels good, I'm just working off last year, not really missing any games because of injuries," Bowens said. "I feel because of my conditioning, I'm getting better every week. I just think it's my last year so I've got to give it my all."
Bowens has to be feeling good about his season, after it seemed that "the most talented linebacker we have" (former defensive head Ellis Johnson) would never be able to get on the field, or stay on it if he did. A succession of injuries held him to 15 games in three seasons, mostly on special teams, but 2011 had him on the field for every contest, and starting eight.
Wilson can relate. In 2009, he led the Gamecocks in tackles but a severely pulled hamstring limited him to one game in 2010. In 2011, Wilson mimicked Bowens by starting eight of his 13 games, and had a good year, but the two were often overshadowed.
So far this year, they're standing out. While Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor likely will receive the most headlines this year, Wilson and Bowens are happy to be back of the spotlight, still making plays.
The two are in charge of the signals for each defensive snap, trading the responsibility. "We're just trying to help each other out in our scheme," Bowens said. "It's mainly me, but if I call it wrong, he'll correct me, or if Shaq gets to it first, he'll call it."
It's worked. USC's yards-allowed average is very inflated due to East Carolina posting 403 yards, but yards aren't points. The Gamecocks only allowed 10 to the Pirates, to follow the 13 allowed to Vanderbilt.
Pass or run, USC is prepared to stop whatever faces it, led by the two in the middle.
"The first thing a linebacker has to do is stop the run," Wilson said. "First, we try to stop the run and react to the pass. We've got to be good and get out on the drops and get some depth. Get lined up on the wide receivers if we need to and be able to cover.
"We just need to do the same thing we do every week. We're not taking anybody lightly."
Mega notebook from Tuesday's football practiceClick Bonus big-play breakdown from Marty SimpsonClick CBS analysts impressed with Spurrier, GamecocksClick Other popular content on GamecockCentral.com:Here to view this Link.Here to view this Link.Here to view this Link.


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I was going to call this thread "I made over 1000 long, thoughtful, content-filled posts and all I got was a lousy suspension?" But that's too long, kinda bitter, and not very on point. I've had a few invitations to come back to this board now that my suspension is over. And why not? After all, I post essays on this board the quality and length of grad school papers. Disagree? Too bad. Get offended? Call a mod.
Now the last part is the part I want to discuss. I heard tale that this board has become even more restrictive since I left. I heard like there is now an army of mods monitoring the board and signatures are getting banned left and right (pun intended). So I'm very wary of returning to this board. What do ya'll think?


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Other agents will play ball at Meetings
Genske, Kinzer, Meister among those who have star-power clients
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
Contrary to free-agent legend, there is more to baseball representation than Scott Boras Corp.
An argument can be made that the upcoming Winter Meetings actually will introduce fans to Greg Genske. He's just not as media accessible as Boras. He likes to fly under the radar and his rhetoric is dialed way down.
But he represents Sabathia, who already has received a reported six-year, $140-million offer that could rival Boras client Mark Teixeira for the biggest one tendered this offseason. Sabathia has seemingly logjammed the pitching market. Once he signs, the dominoes of Derek Lowe, Burnett, Ben Sheets, etc., are likely to follow.
The fact that Sabathia received the Yankees' offer three weeks ago and still hasn't accepted is a peek at the inner workings of agenting. Maybe he doesn't want to be a Yankee or play on the East Coast. Maybe it's a decision to be made jointly with his family. Problem is, no other club has come close to that Yankees offer, creating the possibility of Sabathia accepting a lesser one.
How is that a problem? For one thing, the Players Association hasn't become the force that it is by forging salary increases to encourage members to settle for less. Agents are certified by the union and the pressure to push the salary bar ever higher is coordinated.
Another problem is agent fees. They range from three to five percent of the player's compensation and when the player gets less, the agent gets less. In the early days of free agency, representation was generally a sidelight for a lawyer with a ballplayer for a friend. Now it's big business, with most of the medium-sized agencies rolled into behemoths through consolidation earlier in the decade.
And the agency buyouts came at boom-time prices based on projected revenues that didn't allow for a worldwide financial collapse or a player like Sabathia accepting a below-market contract that could impact every deal that follows. Additionally, below-market contracts are hard for an agent to spin when he's trying to recruit new clients, which is what occupies the bulk of a successful agent's workload.
Genske's agency, Newport Beach-based L S Legacy Sports, started out as a partnership between Leigh Steinberg and Jeff Moorad. They split, with Steinberg taking the football clients and Moorad the baseball clients. Moorad Sports Management then was sold to the Loring Ward division of Assante Wealth Management, and three years ago Genske headed a management buyout as Moorad jumped sides to run the Arizona Diamondbacks.
How did Genske become an agent? As an attorney, he helped win a $44.6 million judgment for Steinberg and Moorad against former partner David Dunn for unfair competition and breach of contract. Genske is CEO of the agency that also includes agents Brian Peters and Scott Parker.
Among the free-agent clients of Genske's agency this winter alone, besides Sabathia, are Hudson, Penny, Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn.
If you think it's hard to tell the ballplayers without a scorecard because of turnover, it's just as confusing among agents. Atlanta-based Paul Kinzer represents a top shortstop in Furcal and a top closer in Rodriguez. Los Angeles-based Arn Tellem represents a large stable that includes current free agents Nomar Garciaparra and Randy Wolf. But both agents are part of Wasserman Media Group, an integrated sports management, marketing and content operation.
WMG is run by Casey Wasserman, grandson of the late Hollywood mogul, Lew Wasserman. Casey Wasserman in 2006 purchased SFX Entertainment, which had earlier purchased Tellem's agency, and the agency run by longtime agents Tom Reich and Adam Katz.
Edgar Renteria, who signed with the Giants, is represented by Barry Meister, who also partners with Alan Nero in the representation of Randy Johnson. Burnett, one of the hot pitchers going into the Winter Meetings, is represented by former Minor League pitcher Darek Braunecker.
Safe to say that Boras won't be the only agent holding court with the media next week.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Medievalist Steven F. Kruger Presents April 24 Talk
April 17, 2012
Steven F. Kruger, a leading medievalist, will visit the campus of DePauw University next Tuesday, April 24, to discuss "The Space and Time of Religious Conversion." The talk will take place at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of the Richard E. Peeler Art Center. Presented by the departments of English and art/art history, with support from the Amy Braddock and Karen Butler funds, the program is presented free of admission charge and is open to all.
A professor of English at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and also at Queens College of the City University of New York, Kruger's books include The Spectral Jew: Conversion and Embodiment in Medieval Europe; Dreaming in the Middle Ages and the anthology Approaching the Millennium: Essays on Angels in America, which he co-edited with Deborah R. Geis, associate professor of English at DePauw.
In his talk, Professor Kruger will focus on some non-medieval as well as medieval texts and visuals to address the questions: What changes the convert's relationship to the world around him/her after conversion? How can we address this question by looking at such basic categories for organizing experience as space and time?Back


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Digital Outreach Aims to Pay Off With More Cross Sells
As the number of members using online banking continues to grow, credit unions are capitalizing on that trend by investing in solutions that have expanded opportunities to cross-sell products, increase brand awareness and enhance services.
Online banking adoption among members averages about 38% across credit unions, which is projected to increase to 48% this year, according to a Filene Research Institute report. Credit unions are also expected to increase their investment in online capabilities by nearly 6% in 2013.
The $803 million, 54,939-member USAlliance Credit Union is ramping up its investment in Micronotes, an emerging online application that conducts short, predefined question and answer interviews with members while they are on the credit union's site to determine their interest in a product or service.
In February, the Rye, N.Y.-based USAlliance said it conducted test marketing campaigns using the online tool that was introduced to financial institutions in 2009 by Micronotes of Cambridge, Mass.
The Mirconotes icon is unobtrusive yet noticeable, parked on the left side of the screen so that it doesn't interfere with members' transactions, according to the credit union. To test members' response to Micronotes, USAlliance identified 11,958 members who would likely sign up for mobile banking, online statements or apply for a car loan, mortgage or credit card.
Fifteen percent clicked on the Micronotes icon and participated in the interviews. Of those members interviewed, 50% or 1,098 members became qualified leads. Eight percent of those members applied for and received a loan product, according to USAlliance.
"The response rate was so astronomically different than traditional marketing campaigns," said Kevin Randall, USAlliance vice president of electronic systems. "We have not experienced other media that can produce that type of (response rate) result."
In downtown Tampa, Fla., the $1.8 billion, 156,451-member Grow Financial Federal Credit Union has caught the attention of many passers-by with its new branch because it features an interactive augmented reality technology that projects a virtual money machine on a six-screen HD video wall on the branch's exterior wall.
Augmented reality is similar to an electronic billboard with touch screens and motion reactive video, or sophisticated gesture-based technology, which enables pedestrians to interact with what they are looking at such as graphics, images or video that appears on the HD wall.
Grow Financial said it is using the virtual money machine as a new digital marketing tool by enticing nonmembers and members to play a video game on it and open new accounts.
Consumers can choose to either play for $25 to open a checking account, $100 for a new auto loan, or $300 for a new mortgage. Once a selection is made, money floats from the sky and the consumer catches as much as he or she can. When the game is over, the money machine collects the consumer's email address and prints out a voucher to open a checking account or to apply for an auto loan or mortgage.
Since the virtual money machine went live in late September 2012 it has collected nearly 4,000 email addresses as of early April. As a result, the credit union is following up on new business opportunities.
"We wanted the virtual money machine to bring awareness for our brand, and I think we definitely accomplished that," said Adrienne Drew, a marketing communications specialist at Grow Financial.
The only problem is that many of the interactions with the virtual money machine occurred after business hours or during the weekend when the credit union was closed so the consumer was unable to retrieve its voucher immediately, Drew noted. Grow Financial is considering opening a branch with a virtual money machine in a local popular shopping mall where there is more consumer traffic during business hours.
Another piece of the marketing equation that many credit unions leverage is to promote their attention to delivering superior services to members.
The $5.8 billion San Diego County Credit Union said it strives to stay ahead of the customer service delivery curve by tapping technologies to create a distinguishing banking experience that will make a positive impression on members and non members. To support this goal, SDCCU launched a chat service for mobile banking members several months ago, which is similar to the credit union's desktop chat service.
The live chat button, provided by vendor LivePerson Inc. in New York, appears on a SDCCU mobile site. When a consumer clicks on the icon, they are connected to an agent for a real-time conversation.
Heather Moshier, SDCCU executive vice president, said members and non-members love the new service.
"Generally, consumers visit sdccu.com to look for products, services or rates," Moshier said. "They're happily surprised that (they) can chat with a live representative without having to make a call."
Moshier said though SDCCU is not using live chat for marketing, it is helping to enhance member service satisfaction because mobile users, who are generally on-the-go, can get quick answers through live chats, which makes it easier for them to do business with the credit union.


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How can we stop the largest tax hike in History? The largest tax hike in history is due to strike the United States on January 1, 2013. Known as "Taxmageddon," it would impose $494 billion in higher taxes on the American people in the first year. So terrible would be its impact that yesterday Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that the country is headed toward a "fiscal cliff" and that Congress must deal with the impending tax nightmare, as reported by The Heritage Foundation.
Two national surveys released provided very bad news for California's 2 million unemployed workers. This on top of the fact that we have learned that the State's budget deficit will come in at $16 billion, up from a merely awful $ 9 billion.
Doesn't anyone care? If this projection short fall were made by a CEO of a major corporation, manufacturing firm or retailer, they would be handing in their resignation. Their shareholders would have forced this on them. The Governor is holding hostage our students and education system to force voters to increase taxes. He can start by cutting the number of government employees, addressing the out of hand public employee pension benefits, creating private sector jobs, revitalizing our local redevelopment agencies and reducing government regulations a few areas that can help bring the Gold back to California. The budget is broken and a rainy day fund cannot make up the $16 billion deficit. Question voters should be asking is how do we make our Sacramento representatives responsible and bi-partisan in coming up with sound solutions to dig us out of this deep hole that California is in? Another question is why do corporations have to pay tax on earnings, while union income (dues) are tax exempt?
Adding to Debt: Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County Fifth District notes that "Welfare costs for children of illegal aliens exceeded $33 Million in March. The projected Annual Cost is $625 Million". Question we ask is how much is it for the State of California? Another sacred cow that the Governor and Sacramento seems to have a hands off policy.


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It's time for a ball game tomorrow evening: the Mr Paul Aints vs the Amarillo Sox, sponsored by Minnesota Atheists. A few people in the Texas media are a bit concerned about participating in a godless game, and they've put up a poll about whether the Amarillo team should forfeit rather than throw their ball around while atheists stand around and watch.
Do you think the Amarillo Sox should still participate in the game?
Yes 58%
No 42%
To their credit, the team is not considering abandoning their responsibilities, so they'll be there. It's sad that about half the Texans would boycott us.
I'll also be there! Minnesota Atheists will be having a tailgate party beginning at 5 in the stadium parking lot. Midway Stadium is at 1771 Energy Park Drive St. Paul, MN 55108. I'll be there in my official Mr Paul Aints jersey, stroll up and say hello.


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My name is Jessica Shepard. Jessie for short. I am thirteen years old, and i live in New York City. I have three younger siblings.
My Interests include, Harry Potter, reading, going shopping, listening to music, and watching movies.
My dislikes include, skunks, any type of fish, swords, gum, my siblings, and crayons


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Note: This appeared in the print-only TV Guide of the Marshall Independent.
"Iron Man 3" is awesome. At least according to the unanimous vote of this older dad, pre-teen son, and six-year-old daughter.
How's that for broad-based appeal? My daughter is pleading to see it again.
Perhaps not so surprising. According to Marvel Comics, though fan mail from females is much rarer than from young boys, most of it is for Iron Man.
"Iron Man 3" is the culmination of a story arc that's a rollicking good adventure and a story about growing up. They clue you in on how it's come full circle when the last line of "Iron Man" is repeated at the end of IM3.
Iron Man first appeared in "Tales of Suspense" in 1963, and became part of "The Avengers" line-up the same year. The Golden Avenger got his own comic, "The
Invincible Iron Man" in 1968, and 40 years later was translated to the silver screen starring Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is Tony Stark, wisecracking genius, bold entrepreneur and perpetual adolescent, until he's matured by massive systemic shock. It takes a while though, three movies to be exact.
Well that's what it takes for a lot of us. For Stark the process starts when he gets a chest full of shrapnel and a better man dies to save him. (For most of us it's having kids.)
Iron Man is the creation of Marvel impresario Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber. Marvel pioneered the notion of the three-dimensional superhero with personal problems. And one has to wonder how much depth Downey's well-publicized substance abuse problems and his recovery contributed to his interpretation of the role.
Like the Batman, Iron Man is a non-super guy whose power comes from training and technology. His armor to be exact. It's also the thematic question of the trilogy. Is it the suit or the man inside that makes the hero? A question that might occur to anyone who takes up arms to defend those he loves.
The concept of powered armor was first fictionalized by Robert A. Heinlein in his popular and controversial novel "Starship Troopers" published in 1959, and murdered on the screen by Paul Verhoeven in 1997.
A prototype powered exoskeleton was built by Russian engineer Nicolai Yagin in 1890 (!!!) and in 1965 GE unveiled "Hardiman" as the Next Big Thing. Since Tony Stark is said to be based on Howard Hughes we can only regret the reclusive billionaire hadn't turned his attention to… never mind.
Part of the appeal of Iron Man is, you don't have to have been born on Krypton or bitten by a radioactive spider to become a superhero when you've got the suit. Of course, first you have to invent it and manufacture it in your the multi-billion dollar home lab. But there's the other cool thing, Tony Stark is really smart! From all of us science geeks, thank you Tony from the bottom of our hearts.
And speaking of hearts, Tony's is broken – literally. He's the wounded king of mythology. His suit is not just the source of his power, but of his life. His heart is kept running by a super-pacemaker thingee which also keeps the shrapnel out of it.
But aside from the over-the-top tech (armor that flies through the air and attaches itself) and the explosion-filled fight scenes, Iron Man is about the banter. Stark banters with his girlfriend, his best bud, his enemies, and his computer/valet – who gives as good as he gets.
Downey is a master of delivery. And the writers took some chances with this – remember the fuss over the "He's adopted" joke in "The Avengers"?
Stark has a perfect foil in a kid-genius (Ty Simpkins) who resembles a younger, poorer Stark. When the manipulative brat gives him his sob story about how his father abandoned him, Stark says perfectly deadpan, "Dads leave. No need to be such a ***** about it."
From a lot of single parents – thanks Tony. It's hard to comfort your kids and simultaneously tell them to buck up and move on.
They're generous with the lines. There's a villain's henchman with precisely one line that evokes loud guffaws.
There's an unexpected plot twist that seriously messes with the Marvel mythology of the Mandarin and evokes gales of laughter.
And there's a tribute to Wing Chun Kung Fu, the style Downey practices (a variation of which Your Humble Narrator also teaches) that he credits with helping him get clean, sober, and ripped for the part.
Thanks even more Tony.
The trilogy ends as Tony Stark comes full circle and answers that question, "I am Iron Man."
But there's always The Avengers 2 (2015), though Downey's participation is rumored to be stalled in salary negotiations.
You've got to come back Tony! 'Cause we're connected!


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Here is the situation. The SD card of my camera was corrupted and I succesfully recovered the pictured by using an amazing opensource freeware called Photorec(http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec).
Pb is that I recovered much much more pics than I though and that recovered files have been renamed kind of randomly.
I found a tool Exiv2(http://www.exiv2.org/) able to read the metadate of my files: output similar to :
Code: Select all
~# exiv2 -p s 1.jpg
Filename : 1.jpg
Filesize : 1285238 Bytes
Camera make : FUJIFILM
Camera model : FinePix F601Z
Image timestamp : 2005:08:07 14:31:22
Image number :
Exposure time : 1/70 s
Aperture : F3.5
Exposure bias : 0
Flash : No, auto
Flash bias :
Focal length : 6.1 mm
Subject distance:
ISO speed : 200
Exposure mode : Auto
Metering mode : Matrix
Macro mode : Off
Image quality : NORMAL
Exif Resolution : 2736 x 1824
White balance : Auto
Thumbnail : JPEG, 9612 Bytes
Copyright :
Exif comment :
I would like now to write a scipt to do the following:
for each jpg file in the folder:
1) run exiv2 to get the ImageTimeStamp
2) rename the file with the ImageTimeStamp
That would help me to then select the pics I want to keep.
If anyone can indicate me how I can do this I would be grateful.
Thank you in advance


text:
All returns have to be on the original lot-cards and in original condition. Venue for both parts is Munich. All offers in our price list are subject to being sold , subject to prior sale, errors and withdrawels of lots reserved. Part deliveries don´t claim cancellation of your order. The placing of an order constitutes acceptance of the foregoing conditions. Guarantee We provide a full money back guarantee for all lots returned within 10 days after delivery.
Shipping fees within Germany
|Without insurance, value of shipping up to 25 Euro. Letter up to 50 gr.
|Without insurance, value of shipping up to 25 Euro. Letter up to 500 gr.
|Value of shipping above 25Euro. Flat rate.
1,50 €
2,50 €
5,50 €
Shipping fees to abroad
|Without insurance value of shipping up to 25 Euro.
Letter up to 50 gr.
|Letter up to 50 gr.
|Letter up to 500gr.
|Letter up to 1Kg
|Letter up to 2Kg
|Parcel up to 5 Kg
|Parcel up to 10 Kg
|EU (Zone1)
2,00 €
4,50 €
6,50 €
10,50 €
22,- €
18,- €
24,- €
30,- €
36,- €
|World wide (Zone 3)
36,- €
46,- €
|World wide (Zone 4)
40,- €
56,- €
Die Zonen entsprechen denen von DHL:
ZONE 1: Belgien, Monaco, Bulgarien, Niederlande (außer außereuropäische Gebiete), Dänemark (außer Färöer, Grönland), Österreich, Estland, Polen, Finnland (außer Älandinseln), Portugal, Frankreich (außer überseeische Gebiete und Departements), Rumänien, Griechenland (außer Berg Athos), Schweden, Großbritannien (außer Kanalinseln), Slowakei, Irland, Slowenien, Italien (außer Livigno und Campione d'Italia), Spanien (außer Kanarische Inseln, Ceuta und Melilla), Lettland, Tschechische Republik Litauen, Ungarn, Luxemburg, Zypern (außer Nordteil), Malta
ZONE 2: Älandinseln (Finnland), Kosovo, Andorra, Kroatien, Albanien, Liechtenstein, Armenien, Livigno (Italien), Aserbaidschan, Mazedonien, Belarus, Melilla (Spanien), Berg Athos (Griechenland), Moldau, Bosnien-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Campione d'Italia (Italien), Norwegen, Ceuta (Spanien), Russische Förderation, Färöer-Inseln (Dänemark), San Marino, Georgien, Schweiz, Gibraltar (Großbritannien), Serbien, Grönland (Dänemark), Türkei, Island, Ukraine, Kanalinseln (Großbritannien), Vatikanstadt, Kanarische Inseln (Spanien), Zypern (Nordteil), Kasachstan .
ZONE 3:Ägypten, Algerien, Libyen, Marokko, Israel, St. Pierre und Miquelon (Frankreich), Jordanien, Syrien, Kanada Tunesien, Libanon, Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika
ZONE 4: Alle Länder und Gebiete, die nicht den Zonen 1, 2 oder 3 zugeordnet sind.×
General Terms & Conditions of Business of Axtner internationale Philatelie
for Business initiated via Means of Telecommunication (Status: March 2006).
Axtner internationale Philatelie GmbH, Camerloherstr. 90, 80689 München, represented by the managing director Mr. Franz Fedra (AG München, HRB 121221), operates a sales platform for stamps and accessories at the URL http://www.philasearch.com.
The sales platform at the aforesaid URL is available in the German and in the English language. After a contract has been concluded, the wording of the contract is stored by Axtner internationale Philatelie in that the order information is preserved.
For the purpose of these General Terms & Conditions of Business ("GT&C") the terms defined hereinafter, including their plural forms, shall have the meaning set out below:
Customer: Any natural or legal person or business partnership that concludes a purchase contract with Axtner internationale Philatelie.
Consumer: Any natural person who does not act for the purposes of his commercial or independent professional occupation when concluding the purchase contract.
Businessman: Any natural or legal person or business partnership acting for the purpose of exercising its commercial or independent professional occupation when concluding the purchase contract.
Purchase Contract: The contract between Axtner internationale Philatelie and Customer for the purchase of goods.
- Scope of application
These GT&C shall apply exclusively to Purchase Contracts between Axtner internationale Philatelie and Customer; deviating or opposing Customer terms & conditions shall not be accepted unless Axtner internationale Philatelie has approved them in writing in the particular case.
- Ordering, making of a contract
2.1 The presentation of the range of goods on the platform shall not be deemed a legally binding offer but qualify as non-binding information.
2.2 Customer orders the requested goods (so-called "declaration of contract") by sending the information to be entered completely into the internet order mask. Customer may review and, if required, correct his details before sending them out; promptly after sending out the information Customer will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of the order; this e-mail confirmation does not yet constitute Axtner internationale Philatelie's acceptance of the order.
2.3 A contract comes into existence only if Axtner internationale Philatelie accepts the declaration of contract by transmitting a confirmation of acceptance to Customer and requesting Customer to pay the purchase price or transmit his credit card details.
- Purchase price, due date, payment, default
3.1 Prices quoted on the platform are understood to be gross prices (incl. VAT, if applicable) plus packaging, transport (registered letter or postal package) and insurance, taxes, customs, duties (original costs).
3.2 The purchase price falls due immediately on the conclusion of the Purchase Contract. Payment of the purchase price is effected by a credit card accepted by Axtner internationale Philatelie at the time of conclusion of the contract or by direct debit or by cash on delivery.
3.3 If Customer is in default with the payment, Axtner internationale Philatelie shall have the right to claim the statutory default interest (5 % p.a. above the applicable base rate for Consumers, 8 % p.a. above the applicable base rate for Businesses in the event of remuneration claims). Nothing in this shall prejudice Axtner internationale Philatelie's right to assert an actually incurred higher loss.
- Right of revocation, consequences of revocation
If Customer is a Consumer he is entitled to the following rights of revocation.
4.1 Revocation advisory
Special regulations for private buyers within the E.U.: You have the right to revoke the contract of purchase without giving reasons either in writing (e.g. letter, fax, e-mail) or by returning the goods within 14 days after recieving them and these instructions. The 14 day period does also not start before we have fulfilled our obligation of information in line with section 246 § 2 in correspondence with § 1section 1 and 2 EGBGB as well as our obilgations in line with § 312e section 1 sentence 1 BGB in correspondence with section 246 § 3 EGBGB. To comply with the cancellation period it is sufficient to send the revokation or to return the goods in time.
Revokation of the contract of purchase has to be sent to:
Axtner internationale Philatelie, Camerloherstr. 90, 80689 München,
E-Mail: email@example.com,
Telefax: (0049) 89 21999540
No right of revocation shall exist for deliveries of goods prepared in accordance with Customer's instructions, goods which are clearly customized to Customer's personal requirements or whose quality makes them unsuitable to be returned, deliveries of audio or video recordings or software, provided Customer has opened or damaged (breaking of the seal) the sealed package, or deliveries of newspapers, journals and magazines.
4.2 Consequences of revocation of the contract of purchase:
In the case of a lawful revocation, all obligations are to be returned and if necessary any profits made (e.g. interest) are to be surrendered. If you cannot return the goods partly, completely or only in a deteriorated condition, you are obligated to compensate us accordingly. This does not apply if the deterioration is a result of testing the goods as it would have been possible in a regular store. Furthermore it is possible to avoid the obligation of compensation for deterioration of the goods by proper use, by not treating the product like your property and refrain from doing anything that would deteriorate the goods' value. Goods that can be sent as a package are to be returned at our risk. Shipping fees and costs have to be paid by you, if the delivered goods match the ones ordered and the price of the goods to be returned does not exceed EUR 40,- or if the price is higher, you have not yet fulfilled your obligation of payment fully or in part according to contract at the time of revocation. In any other circumstance we will compensate you for returning the goods. Goods that cannot be sent as a package will be picked up at your premises. Obligations of payment must be fulfilled within 30 days. For you the 30 day period starts with sending the revocation or returning the goods, for us it starts with receipt of either.
- Reservation of title
5.1 The goods delivered by Axtner internationale Philatelie shall remain the property of Axtner internationale Philatelie as reserved goods until all claims under the Purchase Contract between Customer and Axtner internationale Philatelie have been settled.
5.2 Prior to the passing of title Customer shall dispose of the goods only with Axtner internationale Philatelie's prior written consent. In the event of any third party intervention, in particular the attachment of the goods, Customer shall notify Axtner internationale Philatelie in writing without delay and inform the third party without delay of Axtner internationale Philatelie's reservation of title.
- Warranty
6.1 Axtner internationale Philatelie represents and warrants that the goods are free from defects in quality within the meaning of the German Civil Code. In the event the goods are defective, Customer shall be entitled to the statutory warranty claims unless otherwise agreed below.
6.2 If Customer is a Businessman, the following provisions shall apply additionally in the case of new goods – in the case of used goods, warranty claims of a Businessman (with the exception of claims for damages according to sec. 7 below) shall be excluded:
6.2.1 Customer shall – provided he is a merchant (in the meaning of the German Commercial Code) – comply with his duties of notification of defects pursuant to Sec. 377 HGB (German Commercial Code). Axtner internationale Philatelie shall be notified in writing of any obvious defects without delay but at the latest 7 days after the receipt of the goods. Axtner internationale Philatelie shall be notified in writing of any hidden defects without delay but at the latest 7 days after the discovery of the defect. If no notification of defects is made, the delivery is deemed free from defects and approved.
6.2.2. If Customer notifies a defect in due time, he shall at Axtner internationale Philatelie's option be entitled to claim the free-of-charge rectification of the defect or delivery of goods free from defects (subsequent performance). Axtner internationale Philatelie may refuse a specific kind of subsequent performance or subsequent performance as a whole if it would incur unreasonable costs.
6.2.3 If subsequent performance pursuant to sec. 6.2.2 fails or is refused, Customer may at his option withdraw from the contract or reduce the remuneration. Subsequent performance shall at the earliest be deemed failed after three unsuccessful attempts.
6.2.4 Any returns of defective goods to Axtner internationale Philatelie for the purpose of subsequent performance require Axtner internationale Philatelie's approval in writing. The risk of accidental loss or accidental deterioration of the returned goods shall pass to Axtner internationale Philatelie only upon delivery to Axtner internationale Philatelie's business domicile. If Axtner internationale Philatelie delivers a replacement for the purpose of subsequent performance, Customer shall without delay return the originally delivered goods. Any replaced parts shall become the property of Axtner internationale Philatelie.
6.2.5 Warranty claims become statute-barred 12 months after the delivery of the goods unless the defect has been fraudulently concealed or relates to a guarantee as to the quality of the object.
6.3 As for used goods, Customer's warranty claims become statute-barred 12 months after the start of the statutory limitation period; in all other cases, the statutory provisions apply.
6.4 Axtner internationale Philatelie shall be liable for damages only in the limits of sec. 7 below.
- Liability
7.1 Axtner internationale Philatelie shall be liable for damage caused by intent and gross negligence and for any breach of an essential contractual duty (major obligation). Axtner internationale Philatelie's liability for breaches of a major obligation by slight negligence shall be limited to damage typical for the contract and foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded.
7.2 Axtner internationale Philatelie shall not be liable for breaches by slight negligence of accessory obligations which are not major obligations.
7.3 Axtner internationale Philatelie shall be liable for cases of original impossibility only if Axtner internationale Philatelie was aware of the impediment or was unaware of it due to gross negligence, unless this concerns a major obligation.
7.4 The above exclusions of liability shall not apply in cases of fraudulent concealment of defects or if a warranty as to quality has been assumed, to the liability for claims under the Product Liability Act, and to cases of personal injury (life, body, health). This shall not entail a change of the burden of proof to Customer's disadvantage.
7.5 Any exclusion or limitation of Axtner internationale Philatelie's liability shall also apply to the personal liability of Axtner internationale Philatelie's employees, staff, representatives and vicarious agents.
7.6. With the exception of claims based on tortuous acts, Customer's claims for damages, provided Customer is a Businessman and the claims are subject to limited liability under this section, shall become statute-barred one year from the start of the statutory limitation period. As for Customers who are Consumers, the statutory limitation periods apply.
- Data protection
8.1 Axtner internationale Philatelie may use the personal data for the purpose of [____]. In the limits of its performances, Axtner internationale Philatelie shall have the right to transfer personal data to its providers of payment transaction, logistics and transportation services within the limits necessary to render the contracted services and to fulfill the contract.
- Miscellaneous
9.1 Unless otherwise agreed, any assignment of rights and obligations under this contract by Customer to a third party requires Axtner internationale Philatelie's prior written consent, which shall be withheld only for justified reasons.
9.2 Any set-off by Customer shall be excluded unless the counter-claim has been defined by final enforceable judgment, is ready for decision or uncontested. Other than that, Customer, provided he is a Businessman, may exercise a right of retention in view of claims of Axtner internationale Philatelie only if it is based on claims from the same contractual relationship which are uncontested, ready for decision, or defined by final enforceable judgment.
9.3 The Purchase Contract shall be governed exclusively by the substantive laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, with the exclusion of the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG).
9.4 If Customer is a merchant, the court at Axtner internationale Philatelie's domicile shall have exclusive jurisdiction for all disputes arising in connection with the implementation of the Purchase Contract, and Munich shall be the place of performance. The same applies if Customer has no domicile in a Member State of the European Union. In either of these cases, Axtner internationale Philatelie shall also have the right to sue Customer at any other permissible place of jurisdiction or to appeal to a court of arbitration domiciled in Munich as plaintiff. If the dispute is decided by a court of arbitration, the decision shall be final and in accordance with the rules of procedure of Deutsche Institution für Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit (DIS) (German Institution of Arbitration).×
Information for Online Disputes"Online Dispute Resolution" (ODR platform by EU regulation)
Link to EU online dispute resolution (splatform)
Information according to Paragraph. 14 of EU Regulation no. 524/2013 (ODR Regulation)
Information for online dispute resolution: The European Commission presents from 15.02.2016 an Internet platform for online dispute settlement (so-called "ODR platform") as a focal point for the extrajudicial settlement of disputes concerning contractual obligations arising from online contracts on goods or services used.
The EU Commission OS platform can be accessed at the link: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr
We can be reached via e-mail address: email@example.com
Axtner internationale Philatelie
Camerloherstr. 90
80689 Munich
Tel.:089 21 99 95 0
International +49 89 21 99 95 0
Fax:089 21 99 95 40
International +49 89 21 99 95 40
Payment Options:
Information for Online Disputes


text:
Sexual allegations against puppeteer won't dim Elmo's star power, locals say
Kevin Clash, the puppeteer and voice of the iconic Elmo character on "Sesame Street," is taking a leave from the show after allegations surfaced Monday that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.
But since the Elmo character has done nothing wrong, according to Berkshire business owners and parents, Elmo merchandise will stay on shelves, and Elmo will continue to be a staple in local children's lives and viewed separately from the controversy against Clash.
Clash has denied the allegations of the accuser, who, at 23, contacted Sesame Workshop back in June. Those allegations have now surfaced at a time when parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are already strolling department store toy aisles for Christmas gifts ideas. Just like every Christmas season since 1996, when Tickle Me Elmos were the must-have toy, Elmo toys have a presence on shelves.
For now, the Elmo merchandise at Tom's Toys in Great Barrington will still be available.
"Elmo makes people happy," said Mary Luchi, an associate at Tom's Toys. "It'd be unfair to pull him off the shelf, regardless of what [Clash] did."
Ken Gietz, one of the owners of Where'd You Get That in Williamstown, said the small stock of Elmo merchandise is a big hit with kids. He called the discussion about reprimanding "Sesame Street" or Elmo "strange."
"Elmo hasn't done anything wrong," Gietz said. "The kids come in, grabbing and holding him -- he's beloved by kids."
Elmo's iconic giggle could be heard several aisles away at the Pittsfield Walmart Monday evening. Juan Chacon was kneeling next to one of the Elmo toys on a shelf with his 5-year-old son, Sam, pushing buttons and playing with it.
Learning of Clash's controversy, Chacon wasn't fazed and said Elmo will still have a presence in their home.
"My kids love 'Sesame Street,' " he said. "They watch it all the time. He's been around for years, generations even."
Chacon added that he still prefers the Elmo character as opposed to characters like Spongebob Squarepants, a show that occasionally features more risque humor.
The minor made the allegations against Clash back in June, who was 23 at the time.
"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action," Sesame Workshop said in a statement issued Monday. "We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation."
The organization described the relationship as "unrelated to the workplace." Its investigation found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. But it said Clash exercised "poor judgment" and was disciplined for violating company policy regarding Internet usage. It offered no details.
"I had a relationship with [the accuser]," Clash told TMZ. "It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not."
Clash, a 52-year-old divorced father with an adult daughter, went on to say that he is a gay man, and though he didn't try to hide it, he felt it was a personal matter.
Sex with a person under 17 is a felony in New York if the perpetrator is at least 21. It was unclear where the relationship took place, and there is no record of any criminal charge against Clash in the state.
"I am taking a break from Sesame Workshop to deal with this false and defamatory allegation," Clash said in the statement.
Neither Clash nor Sesame Workshop indicated how long his absence might be. The show is currently in production and other puppeteers are prepared to fill in for Clash during his absence, an anonymous source close to the show told The Associated Press.
"Elmo will still be a part of the shows being produced," that person said.
Clash may not be as recognizable of an icon as his puppet partner Elmo, but he's still made a name for himself. He wrote a 2006 autobiography titled "My Life as a Furry Red Monster." He was the subject of the critically acclaimed 2011 documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey."
"The kids aren't going to know until they point him out and say 'this guy did that,' " Chacon said.
Clash started doing the voice and movements for Elmo in 1984, when he was asked to come up with a voice for the furry red Sesame Street occupant.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
To reach Adam Poulisse:
or (413) 496-6214.
On Twitter: @BE_Poulisse
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Personal and workplace pensions
Looking for a simple and tax-efficient way of saving for retirement? Our easy option Personal Pension could be right for you.
Our do-it-yourself option could be a good choice if you want to choose and manage your own pension investments. You can review and switch funds easily.
Investment returns aren't guaranteed. The value of your investment can go down as well as up and may be worth less than what was paid in.


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text:
|General Discussion
|« Previous MessageNext Message »
|Antony T Curtis
|January 1 1970 12:00am
|Re: Slower performance with LOCK TABLES
|View as plain text
Even for MyISAM tables, LOCK TABLES is not usually the best solution for increasing performance. When there is little to no contention, LOCK TABLES doesn't offer much value. MyISAM works best when you can get more work done in a statement: Instead of executing a bunch of insert statements, combine them into a single multi-row insert statement, as an example. On 22 Sep 2011, at 06:13, Hank wrote: > Thanks for your reply. I failed to mention that these are MYISAM > tables, so no transactions. And like I said, this is not a > production box nor is there any application running, so there's no > contention for the tables being locked. I'm trying to update a > database design on two tables with 200 million records each, so > anything I can do to increase the performance of these long running > queries will shorten the migration running time. > > What I was referring to was that in the documentation, that when > using LOCK TABLES, mysql does not update the key cache until the > lock is released, versus when not using LOCK TABLES it does update > the key cache on each insert/update/delete. > > see: http://tuxradar.com/practicalphp/18/2/22 > > In my testing, I'm seeing a slow down when I use LOCK TABLES versus > running the same queries without it. I'm just trying to find a > reason why that might be the case. > > -Hank > > > On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 12:42 AM, Antony T Curtis <antonycurtis@stripped > > wrote: > LOCK TABLES...WRITE is very likely to reduce performance if you are > using a transactional storage engine, such as InnoDB/XtraDB or PBXT. > The reason is that only one connection is holding the write lock and > no other concurrent operation may occur on the table. > > LOCK TABLES is only really useful for non-transactional tables and > maybe a few specialized operations where it has its advantages but > for 99.9% of cases, it should not be used. > > What does increase performance is the proper use of transactions > with appropriate use of SELECT...FOR UPDATE and SELECT...LOCK IN > SHARE MODE. > > Regards, > > Antony. > > > > On 21 Sep 2011, at 20:34, Hank wrote: > > According to everything I've read, using LOCK TABLES...WRITE for > updates, > inserts and deletes should improve performance of mysql server, but > I think > I've been seeing the opposite effect. > > I've been doing quite a bit of testing on a 64bit install of CentOS > 5.5 > installed as a guest OS on a VMWare ESXi 4.0 hypervisor on a Dell > R610. > There are no other VMs on this box, and there are no other users or > threads > running on the OS. Just me. I'm using this box strictly for testing > of > large database migration scripts. > > It seems like when I execute some of these long running statements > without > locking the tables, the code runs quite a bit faster than when I do > lock the > tables. And before testing each run, I do restart the server so > there is no > query caching and I also use FLUSH TABLES between each test run. > > All I'm asking is this: Can anything think of a scenario on a single > user-box and mysql instance, that locking tables would cause these DML > statements to slow down compared to not locking the tables? > > Thanks, > > -Hank > >


text:
CBO: Stubborn deficits to continue
New budget estimates Tuesday reflect an improved economy and slower growth in per capita health care costs but still stubbornly high deficits adding roughly between $6 trillion to $9 trillion in debt over the next 10 years.
The government is predicted to end this fiscal year $845 billion in the red. Deficits will fall for the next few years but then rise again to $978 billion by 2023 — even if threatened across-the-board cuts go into effect March 1.
Story Continued Below
The numbers underscore the persistent tension between reducing the deficit and helping along the economic recovery. Indeed, if the cuts were to go into effect on top of tax increases already enacted, it will cost the economy about one percent of GDP in 2013.
The 74-page report, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, is the most complete assessment yet of the government's fiscal outlook since the New Year's Day tax deal reached between the White House and Republicans.
That agreement allowed rates to rise for upper-income households but just as important it made permanent Bush-era tax breaks that will cost trillions of dollars, thereby widening the deficit by CBO's count.
The bright spots for CBO include a clear improvement — from past estimates — in the rate of growth in health care costs. And as the economy improves, there will be a period in which deficits will fall as low as $430 billion in 2015.
But as more baby boomers retire, the upward pressure on the deficit resumes, getting back to the $1 trillion range that has been the bitter experience of recent years.
House Republicans are sure to seize on CBO's analysis as further evidence that more savings must be found through fundamental changes in Medicare. But the report also shows the staggering challenge the GOP faces if it really intends to wipe out all deficit by 2023.
This has been a goal recently promoted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), yet the closest such scenario in the CBO report is one demanding $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years — on top of the March cuts. Since Republicans have opposed new taxes, that would mean a dramatic impact on government programs. And in the short term at least CBO predicts that economic growth will be slower and real GDP .6 percent less in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Tuesday's release comes at a critical juncture for both Congress and President Barack Obama addressed the budget picture only minutes later at the White House.
"We can't just cut our way to prosperity" Obama told reporters, and the president argued for some delay in the March cuts until a longer term solution can be found this spring or summer.


text:
I must call attention to this article on Salon.
How Google flushes knowledge down the toilet
Search engine optimization is filling the Internet with misinformation about human bathroom habits and more
In the sidebar: 5 pointless pop posts from the Huffington Post. 10 listicles from Buzzfeed. 8 more random links from aggregators Upworthy and GigaOm.
Below the article: 3 more listicles. An ad for Biblical Money Code. Pictures of Kate Middleton. "We recommend" money advice from the Bible, cheap auctions, health benefits of blueberries, etc., etc., etc.
And more! The week in 10 pics, 10 summer food festivals, you get the idea.
I know, we have annoying random ads on this site, too, but we're pathetic pikers compared to anyone who intentionally taps into the HuffPo/Buzzfeed Vortex of Misinformation.
An article marvels at the bad information infesting the internet, and all the advertising clutter in which it wallows demonstrates exactly why it's such a mess.
Maybe we need to think harder about going to a subscription model here.


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Isabel's recently introduced symptom checker is a consumer-friendly version of the U.K.-based company's core diagnostic decision support engine. The latest tool is meant to engage patients in decision making.
"We are trying to make a vice into a virtue" by giving physicians a good starting point for discussing potential diagnoses with patients, Isabel CEO and co-founder Jason Maude told InformationWeek Healthcare. He cited a British study of patient attitudes in 13 countries around the world that suggested 31% of patients were not confident challenging their doctors.
That study, from health services provider Bupa, also found that only 47% of those who search the Internet for health information always check to see if the source is credible. These findings were in line with a survey Isabel conducted in the U.K., Maude said.
[ Looking for a PACS platform to replace an outdated system? See 9 Must-See Picture Archiving/Communication Systems. ]
The symptom checker comes as a free version on Isabel's website, with a daily usage limit to combat abuse by healthcare organizations, and as an application programming interface (API) for embedding into institutional websites and patient portals. "Hospitals and institutions can use it as a patient engagement tool," Maude explained, and can also map the symptom checker to a doctor finder. It also is available as an Apple iOS app through iTunes.
In any format, Isabel is trying to make clinical decision support more accessible to patients and support what Maude called the "democratization" of healthcare.
"It's like the Bible being in Latin," he said. Before it was translated into English, "we needed priests to tell us what it meant."
With computerized tools like Isabel, there is no longer an excuse for physicians not to create a differential diagnosis whenever a nonstandard case presents itself, said Maude, especially considering the fact that the original database for professionals can be integrated into electronic health records. "The root cause of diagnostic error is not thinking about what some of the possibilities might be," Maude said. "The differential forces you to start thinking about it."
He said the consumer symptom checker allows patients to put together their own differentials, print out the results and compare their findings with the doctor's. "I hope this may be a radical change," Maude said.
Maude noted that The New York Times last week reported on Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal, a superstar diagnostician at the University of California, San Francisco. Though Dhaliwal has proven his chops in weeding through symptoms and test results to make proper diagnoses, he often consults Isabel to confirm his work.


text:
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This was found along the fenceline of my side yard by my neighbor's dog when they were out for a walk this morning. Cleo (the dog) sniffed it out and dug it out from under some bushes, so it's probably been there a very long time. I have no idea about identification of animal skulls and teeth, but a Google search led me to this website forum. I am hoping someone here can tell me what we found. As you can see from the pics, this partial jawbone is almost the length of my husband's hand (he has large hands), and each tooth is at least the width of his thumb and about 2 inches long (taking into consideration how deeply each one extends into the bone structure itself). Anyone know what this is?
This is the upper jaw of a large herbivore. In a horse if the tooth is removed it is the same width all the way into the jaw, in a Cow the tooth has roots which taper. On the left of the top photo you can see the individual root holes for a tooth which is missing, which makes this a cow. The tooth on the right of both photos does not look worn at all which means it is a young cow/calf


text: Ad side is my weak side on serving. My percentages are definitely lower. With deuce you can just slice it in out wide and it normally works fine! :razz: I was the same way a few weeks ago. Had a gnarly cold and didn't play for 10 days. Just bad all around haha! -Fuji