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The Grain and Grain Processing Information Site
As a new safety director for a small group of elevators some 10 years ago, Dave Nicewicz found himself faced with an inspection by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at one of the company's facilities. His first reaction was to ask why OSHA was "picking" on them.
But after the inspection, Nicewicz was embarrassed by the poor safety procedures in place at that facility. Specifically, he remembers an employee whose job it was to spray an insecticide inside a grain bin. The respirator the employee was wearing that day was not only not the proper one for the job, but it was dirty, missing a valve and one of the straps was ripped and hanging by threads.
The employee didn't know the respirator was not adequate for the job. The plant manager didn't know he was exposing one of his employees to a serious health hazard.
"No one knew because they were not properly trained," Nicewicz recalls.
Today, Nicewicz keeps that unsafe, inadequate respirator hanging by his desk to remind him that serious problems may result when employees are not properly trained.
"The least of my problems that day was OSHA," Nicewicz told an audience of grain operations professionals at the Grain Elevator and Processing Society's annual technical conference earlier this year in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. "We needed to make sure that everyone knew their jobs and how to do them safely. We shouldn't have to ask our employees to give up their health or safety for the sake of the job."
Nicewicz has compiled a resource document that summarizes safety areas required by OSHA to be reviewed annually as well as those areas that require periodic training. (For a copy of Nicewicz's safety training resource, and safety review areas, contact World Grain at firstname.lastname@example.com.) He also addressed how to plan for training and develop effective training skills.
PLANNING FOR TRAINING. Each grain facility should develop a lesson plan, Nicewicz said, that includes a list of basic safety areas to review during the training session. He recommended also including areas to make the training more site-specific, such as specific work rules and other unique requirements.
"The main thing is to plan what you want to cover during training for each subject by writing it down," Nicewicz said. "You can then refine or change your plan as employees or facility conditions change."
How the training is presented is almost as important as the content, Nicewicz said. A person who is asked to read the training material may only retain 10% of the content, while those who hear someone else read the material will retain about 20% of the material. About 30% of the content is remembered by watching a video, but up to 50% is remembered from a demonstration. These types of training are known as "passive learning."
A person who participates in the discussion is likely to remember 70% of the content, and up to 90% of the material can be retained if the person actually participates in the training. This is called "active learning."
Nicewicz said it was important to be well prepared and to know your subject but to understand other factors that affect the training session. "Analyze your audience," he said. "Review a list of who will be attending the training meeting. If they do not know each other, you might want to provide introductions and name tags.
"Determine what they already know about the subject and focus on new material or review materials where it is obvious that rules are not being followed."
Dress appropriately for your audience. Don't wear a three-piece suit to make a training presentation to workers in the plant, Nicewicz said. Make eye contact and plan for questions and comments.
Always start the training by having a goal in place of what information you want the employees to know, then focus the training on ways to achieve that goal. It is not normally adequate training to simply watch a video. Videos can make some points clearer, but should not be the entire content of the training meeting.
Nicewicz uses five methods when conducting a training session: subject presentation and discussion, demonstrations, partial subject training meetings, guest speakers and skits.
Subject presentation and discussion. The presenter leads the discussion by talking about, not reading, the main issues. Start with an agenda that includes all items that need to be covered. Include examples from your own plant or past experiences.
Encourage group discussion by asking pointed questions about the subject. Show a short video that makes the point you are trying to make.
Ask for questions at the end of the training and give a short quiz (10 to 15 questions) to see if the audience understood the material. Don't make the questions too hard or too tricky. Discuss all of the answers after everyone is finished taking the quiz.
Demonstrations. Conduct the training in an area of the plant that can be used to show the technique being discussed. Demonstrate the proper procedures for doing the task, such as locking out a complex piece of equipment, safe procedures for entering a confined space, safety precautions to take before doing hot work, approved lifting procedures, housekeeping inspections or proper use and maintenance of a fall protection system.
After the demonstration, go to another part of the plant and ask one or two persons in the group to demonstrate the technique to see how well they learned the procedure. Testing should include watching each person perform an assigned task properly and completely.
"Demonstrations, when done properly, are excellent ways to really make an impression upon the class," Nicewicz said. "Just be prepared before the class. Try out the procedures to make sure you can do it properly, have all the necessary equipment on hand and make notes of the points you want to emphasize."
Partial subject training meetings. Sometimes there is not enough time to conduct a training session over a complete topic. You may want to cover parts of the training at each session and complete the topic in two or three sessions, each one 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
Lockout training, for example, might be broken down into three sessions. The first would review the procedures to apply a lock, test a machine, and remove the lock. The second session would review the group lockout procedure, how to assign the primary authorized person and his or her responsibilities. The final session might cover when to use a tagout, limitations of tag use, how to switch locks during a shift change and information about a contractor's lockout program.
Although there is little free time during a month, a thorough review of a procedure could be completed by a well-prepared training, Nicewicz said. "Weekly meetings can be very habit-forming and become a useful part of the operation," he said.
Guest speakers. Guest speakers can bring a different perspective to a subject. For instance, bring in a respiratory equipment supplier, a forklift service technician, a bobcat dealer, a safety specialist or industrial hygienist, fire extinguisher service technician, a professional welder or a company executive.
Always make it clear to the speaker exactly what material you want them to cover. Provide any props and set a definite time limit on the presentation. And always have a back-up plan in case the speaker does not show up.
Skits. Another way to add variety to your training is to act out a skit. These can be fun and entertaining and will make a striking memory.
CERTIFICATION. When certification is required, it generally maintains that employees have attended training and understood the material presented. Some type of testing is needed to measure comprehension.
Documentation of the training should include the date that training took place, the name of the trainer, the topic of
the training session (one topic per
document), the starting time and a list
of items to cover during the session.
Training documentation also should list the resources used during the training and any videos used. Note that employees were asked if they had any safety concerns and list any that were brought up and the status of any previous concerns that had not been resolved. Finally, note the time the training ended, quiz scores and have each employee print and sign their name.
There are many ways to document a training meeting. One is an individual record: "On this date, (the employee's name) has been trained and is qualified to (perform which task) based on the proficiency review results achieved during the training session. As the trainer for this material, I certify that the employee named above is properly trained and competent in this area." The trainer then signs his name and dates the documentation, listing a summary of the training involved and the method used to determine competency.
A group training record summarizes the material covered and includes the name and signature of each employee participating, in addition to the method of competency.
A personal safety training record summarizes the training received by a specific employee for a variety of topics over a number of years. This form lists the month, day and year of each specific area of safety training.
The effect of a successful training program will be reduced accidents and more efficient operations by a well-trained, safety-conscious workforce, Nicewicz said. "The benefit of your efforts of training is made to the whole organization,"
he added.
1Cargill's annual earnings increase 6%
2Bunge adds to board of directors
3Ingredion to trim corn wet milling as part of cost savings plan
4Egypt drops key wheat supplier
5Ceres Global Ag expands into organic grains
( more )
1Nibulon secures $80 million loan
2Cargill's annual earnings increase 6%
3Tri-State Crush, Redwood form strategic relationship
4Ceres Global Ag expands into organic grains
5China grain output falls
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Product part number: SDSDQM-016G-B35A
Product reference: 17109
This tiny SanDisk 16GB transflash Micro SD memory card is perfect for storing photos, music and video.
"Needed memory card for ages!"
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**Based on SanDisk internal testing
ملحقات الهاتف المحمول

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|The weather had now turned cloudier, but it was still warm, and there was only the odd swift shower of rain. I passed this abandoned hilltop farm . . .
|. . . and this duckpond . . .
|. . . before diving into a wooden hut to read about the rare Lincoln Longwool flock at Risby Grange . . .
|After a few ups and downs through a deer park . . .
|. . . I came to the disused church of All Saints, Walesby, also known as the Ramblers' Church. I'd been there before. In the Lady Chapel there's a stained glass window showing Jesus with a group of walkers and cyclists.
|I forged on, via Normanby-le-Wold, Lincolnshire's highest village, to Caistor. This was one of the prettiest parts of the whole walk, and the views from the Wolds were outstanding.


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The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms . Lìqiū or Risshū is the 13th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 135° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 150°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 135°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around August 7 and ends around August 23.
Liqiu signifies the beginning of autumn in East Asian cultures.
Monday, September 8, 2008
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text:
Massacre in Rome (1973)
1973's Massacre in Rome is a surprisingly artful Euro co-production concerning the Ardeatine Caves massacre in 1944. The film calls to mind a later, more acclaimed film concerning a list. Except, in this instance, the list means death, not life.
As a reprisal for the murder of 33 German soldiers by partisans in Rome, Hitler orders the execution of 330 Italians. The orders are carried out, though they prove to be a logistical nightmare. Much of the film consists of the routine compiling of this list of names; the interminable squabbling between jurisdictions; the swapping of responsibilities between ranks; and the eventual swelling of the names from the rolls of the usual suspects - petty criminals, communists and Jews. And then locating a site of execution which would also serve as a burial ground. All of this takes place in the beautiful and elegant surrounds of high art and architecture, and director George Pan Cosmatos misses no opportunity to provide brutal contrasts between human frailty and human potential. Much of the film's visual palette is an attempt to capture these contrasts, and at times it is spectacularly successful, particularly during the ambush sequence in Via Rasella.
At the centre of it all is a splendidly robotic performance by Richard Burton as Kappler, the SS Officer with responsibility for the executions, whose self-pity degenerates into a self-serving fatalism that he wears as a badge of duty. It is a sympathetic portrait swaddled in diction and middle-distance, and one of Burton's finer moments. It should be noted that this portrayal of Kappler departs from the historical truth - he was in fact an ardent and zealous Nazi. Leo McKern plays his hot-headed superior, happy to delegate the dirty jobs, but less interested in their details. His ravaged one-eyed face is perfectly evasive in this instance, happy to see and not to see as it suits. Marcello Mastroianni handles the difficult role of Father Antonelli with some sympathy; he is less successful appealing to Kappler's conscience than he is organising his frocks around Vatican indifference. In the end it is the German appeal to self-interest, with the Americans at the gates of Rome, that has more sway in determining the list.
Where Massacre in Rome falters is in its production values, which are those common to Euro co-productions during the 70s (dubbed minor parts), and in a fairly blunt script which introduces an unnecessary melodramatic twist to the end-proceedings. Still, it is full of memorable scenes, perhaps the most striking of which is Kappler instructing his officers on the task of close-range execution by picking out a junior by way of demonstration. If Massacre in Rome is remembered at all today it is perhaps that of an understudy to Schindler's List; but it tells a darker truth - that most lists mean death, not life.
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*AWGV - Assistant Web Guide Volunteer
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Durris: one wood, two stories...
*AWGV - Assistant Web Guide Volunteer
14 comments:
Bertie, Ouch and I don't know what to say. I tend to believe you as that warning was in order for that machine approaching. I do not do well with little people and I understand the situation. I can only assume you were just trying to be friendly and give her loveys. I am sure Gail misunderstood.ReplyDelete
Loveys Sasha
Well you of course mate! At the mere suggestion that the child is possibly as cute as you is ridiculous! Deccy xReplyDelete
That little girrrrl is REALLY CUTE.. Fur a Little Peep that is.ReplyDelete
I (Frankie Furter) Totally believe what YOU say about everythingy. Couldn't allow that THINGY to make a Flat Kate.
Stella and I both believe Gail's version since we are sure Kate's Mom is well able and willing to take best care of her. Was Kate getting a little too much attention for you?ReplyDelete
Zkhat is quite concerned that you are ever off leash except in your own home.
Uh, you know, Bertie, you did ask for our opinions!
Jo, Stella and Zkhat
Oh dear Bertie, in the dog house!!! my take on this is, ok you got excited, us dogs do when little peeps are around we pick up on there energy, but you have to be careful.ReplyDelete
Sometime's mom will give the girl or boy my treats I then have to sit and wait until they let me have them. What you don't want is wee Kate to end up being frightened by dogs.
So you see you and Kate are both young enough to learn from each other. Lets face it you are used to having the walks all to yourself :)
Have a good week
See Yea George xxx
PS by the way glad none of you ended up under the roller!!
hey Bertie,ReplyDelete
Ouch! Reading Gail's version hurt!
Kate, the little one, is super adorable! And super brave. Very impressive that she was off on her own, doing her job as an AWGV. She might just give you a run for your money! :->
I absolutely believe you Bertie. Us dogs stick together! You should be rewarded with a placque for saving Kate from being a Flat Kate. Humans always seem to misinterpret our behavior. Hope things go better for you on your next job. And I hope that short lead disappears.
p.s. The last pic of you and Gail is pawsome!
She is cute, but you are cuter, and heroic as wellReplyDelete
urban hounds
Bertie, I think you are being unfairly judged. The humans would surely be angry with you if that wee one had been flattened by the machine!ReplyDelete
Nubbin wiggles,
Bertie, we are sure you just trying to see what yummers the little girl had in her backpack. We definitely would not have liked to see a flat Kate though. Good job saving her. Could possibly have been a flat Gail too. Doesn't bear thinking about. Well done mate. No worries, and love, Stella and RoryReplyDelete
Oh my goodness, little humans are adorable!ReplyDelete
Benny & Lily
Goodness, the Wisdom of Solomon is called for in this case. We're sure you meant well and were very clear in your communication with Kate. Perhaps, being a bairn, she is just not fluent in canine communication yet. Does she have a doggie in her own home to teach her?ReplyDelete
As a practical matter, Gail controls the leash so it behooves you to carefully consider her views in this case. Perhaps it is incumbent upon Gail to provide you with more contact with bairns in a controlled environment, so you can learn to adjust your natural exuberance in a manner acceptable to humans? Sadly, it is their world we must inhabit.
Good Luck!
Jed & Abby
That little one sure is a cutie. As for who I believe, well...it is YOU fur sure!! I told Addy and she agreed You without a doubt. Addy says you were just trying to be helpful geezzzzzReplyDelete
That's a tough one. But I am going to believe YOU Bertie. A flat Katie would not have been a good thing. Good job you were there.ReplyDelete
Love and licks, Winnie
Oh dear, Bertie, I'm sorry to hear this. I believe you of course as we must all stick together. I think sometimes we are just very misunderstood (I'm often 'spoken to' because I LOVE little ones and like to tell them this by running over to them and licking them!!) .....ReplyDelete
BTW, the woods look like a great place to for a walk!!


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Generally there are two different methods of preparing accounts relating to the consignment of goods. These are (1) Cost Price Method and (2) Invoice Price Method. These two methods are described as under:-
1. Cost Price Method
Under this method, entries relating to consignment in the books of consignor are passed with the actual cost of goods and amount spent or expenses incurred by him.
2. Invoice Price Method
Invoice price implies when the consigned goods are invoiced at higher than actual cost price. Sometimes the consignor sends a proforma invoice to the consignee. In a proforma invoice goods are generally priced at higher than actual cost say cost plus 20 percent. This may be done with any of the following objectives:-
- Not to disclose actual cost of goods to the consignee.
- Suggesting the consignee a minimum cost price which already includes some profit margin.
- To ensure a minimum amount of profit on consignment.
- To provide for all the expenses and consignee's commission in the invoice price.
To encourage consignee from starting competing business.


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Together, we've grabbed Golden Lions at Cannes Film Festivals and global carbon market awards. We've been recognized not just as a top government contractor, but as an esteemed employer, period. As a leader in customer loyalty, ICF's superlatives don't represent just the quality of our services, but by our dedication to our clients.


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Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai 2nd January 2017 Written Episode Update
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai 2nd January 2017 Written Episode, Written Update on TellyUpdates.com
Vaibhuti on call at tea stall says I'm topper at Chhapra university I won't work as peon,get lost, prem comes with Gulfamkali and says hi, Vibhuti says hey how are you,prem says I'm good but Gulfamkali sprained her leg, Vibhuti asks how come,Gulfamkali leans on Vibhuti and says he lifted me and lost balance, Vibhuti says please behave and says prem why do you have to do such cheapness look your excitement will not let her preform for 15 days,how will she earn now, prem says even I'm at loss now, Dubai big business man is here to see Gulfamkalis dance and will sign my deal only if he is entertained and so tell me do you know any lady,Vibhuti says I have no such contacts,Gulfamkali says even my musician is ill ,Saxena says I can help you sister Gulfamkali I can play
Vibhuti sees anguri dancing on classical music,a crow shits on him,he goes and cleans himself,Vibhuti walks to anguri in admiration,anguri gets scared, Vibhuti says bhabhiji oh my god, you are very good,anguri says actually I'm trances classical dancer,Vibhuti says great I could see the delicate moves and the rhythm in your dance,the style, anguri says I don't know all this I just get lost in music when I dance,Vibhuti says let the world see your talent,I will help you try in movies, anguri says no Tiwari won't allow, Vibhuti says talent has no boundaries and if kept in one the artist should break one so finish Tiwari,anguri says what,Vibhuti says give him divorce, anguri says he is my husband and I will never do any work that upsets him and leaves.
Anita looking for job vacancies in newspaper and finds a waiter job with 10000 salary, Tiwari walks in and asks share some news with me too,Anita says just looking for some Job for Vibhu, Tiwari says that's useless,I mean I'm sorry but he will never work,Anita says you are right but we need to do something and awaken the urge in him to work,Tiwari says tell him that you no longer earn as much as you use to and so to run the house you need vibhutis help,Anita says great idea,Vibhuti walks in,Tiwari says how will you manage bhabhiji,Anita says yes Tiwariji,Vibhuti asks what's wrong baby,Tiwari says will you help anyways,Anita says my grooming classes are in loss and my income is half I used to,Vibhuti says oh god, Anita says now please start earring or else we will be on streets, Vibhuti says yes I will work I won't let us be on streets Anu.
Prem with Dubai business man, Saxena plays music,Shaikh says where is this Gulfamkalis dance, gufamkali says sorry I can't my leg is injured,Shaikh says Orem you cheat your deals cancelled,a voice come Shaikhji here's Masakali for you,all are surprised to see A new dancer in Darbaar,Shaikh says mashala beautiful, happu walks in,and seeing Masakali gets very excited,and says who this new dancer is, Masakali says I'm here to spread love, and flirts with happu.shaikha says Masakali I can't wait anymore please being your performance.Vibhuti as Masakali perfor,s for Shaikh.happu singh joins Masakali,and gets very close to her, bouncers throw him out.
Masakali says Shaikha I'm tired I will perfor, tomorrow now, shaikha says prem I'm impressed all your deals finalised I will like to see her tomorrow as well, prem says sure sure,Gulfamkali make sure this Masakali stays here, Gulfamkali says she is mine now I adopt her,prem and Shaikh leave.saxena says sister I shall take your leave now and leaves.
Gulfamkali says Masakali well done, where were you,Masakali says I was lost and then saw a ray of light and found it was from this bar and for my income choose it, Gulfamkali we deal here with fun and not body,Vibhuti says yes I know, Gulfamkali says Vibhuti you, Vibhuti says I'm he due to financial issues we will share the income it's a secret between us, Gulfamkali says done deal.
Pre cap : Vibhuti tells anguri that he is offered a role in movie and asks angrui to teach him classical dance on Sheila ki jawani, anguri dances for him.
Update Credit to: Tanaya


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1. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?the_wine_snob Mar 18, 2013 1:37 PM (in response to Gary4554150)
Welcome to the forum.
The Frame Size for the Project will be what you chose, at New Project.
Now, you have several options:
You could create a New Project in 4:3, Import those Clips, and end up with a 4:3 output file.
Leave the black bars (Pillarbox).
Create a colored, or abstract background, so that the black bars are not so jarring. *
In the Widescreen 16:9 Project, use the Fixed Effect Motion>Scale to Scale them up to fill the width of the 16:9 Frame Size. However, this will effectly crop off top and bottom to accommodate (one can use the Fixed Effect Motion>Position to crop off pixels from either the top, or bottom). Note: and Scaling will diminish the Clip's quality, but it might be acceptable.
Good luck,
* If you do go the abstract background route, this article might be of help: http://forums.adobe.com/message/2471303#2471303
2. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?Gary4554150 Mar 18, 2013 3:04 PM (in response to the_wine_snob)
Thanks for the suggestions, but these outcomes are not what I'm going for. It's interesting that it seems so simple a problem (crop out the black bars on the left and right sides of the frame), but so far it seems impossible to accomplish.
3. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?the_wine_snob Mar 18, 2013 3:06 PM (in response to Gary4554150)
Those black bars are not really part of the Clip - they are showing that there is nothing in the areas besides the Clip. There is nothing to Crop out.
What exactly do you want to see, in place of black bars?
Good luck,
4. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?Gary4554150 Mar 18, 2013 3:14 PM (in response to the_wine_snob)
Actually, they are part of the clip.
This clip started out as a super8 home movie that a family member had scanned and placed on a blu-ray disk. The super8 is basically 4:3, but the video file that was given to me is 16:9. I guess the scanning company automatically defaulted to 16:9. So the black bars are now part of the file. OK, I can live with the black bars if I have to, but being slightly OCD, it bothers me that they are there.
5. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?the_wine_snob Mar 18, 2013 4:27 PM (in response to Gary4554150)
OK, in the case of a poor telecine, you are correct - they ARE part of the Video.
Now, Crop WILL remove them, but as you have seen, what you get looks exactly the same, as there is nothing below, so it will just appear as black.
You could add a Color Matte, say a light beige, or unobtrusive color, below that Clip, and then when you Crop, you would see that.
The concept of the Abstract Background, is how news networks handle 4:3 Source Footage, in their Widescreen feeds. Some, like FoxNews, will Duplicate the 4:3 footage, on the Video Track below, then Scale that up to fill the 16:9 Widescreen Frame. A drop in quality is not meaningful, due to the next two steps. Then, they both Blur that duplicate, and "ghost" it back to about 10%. What one ends up with is the same Video playing "behind" the 4:3 material, but it's Blurred and also ghosted. A lot of the material that they receive, and especially from overseas IS 4:3, and that is how they handle it.
Good luck, and sorry that telecine house went 16:9 with 4:3 footage. However, if you Import and use that faux 16:9 footage in a 4:3 Project, the 4:3 Frame Size will effectively Crop out those black bars, but then you are in 4:3, which is not a bad thing. The choices here are really more aesthetic, and related to what you want the footage to look like, when you Export/Share/Publish it.
6. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?the_wine_snob Mar 18, 2013 4:32 PM (in response to Gary4554150)
but being slightly OCD, it bothers me that they are there.
I completely understand. I follow my maids around with my bubble level, correcting every piece of artwork - at least I do not carry my level to my friends' houses, but when things are off, they bother me too. Spent a half-hour in my hotel room at the Four Seasons last week, trying to get all of the artwork straight...
Often, I live with black bars, but feel, just as you do, and that is why I wanted to give you a bunch of options to handle them. Many just let 'em go, but others (like me), want more and better, but there are limitations.
Good luck,
7. Re: How do I crop a 16:9 video clip to 4:3?Gary4554150 Mar 18, 2013 9:00 PM (in response to the_wine_snob)
Thanks for your suggestions.
I tried importing into a 4:3 project (Sony XDCAM EX 720p). That resulted in bars all around. However, zooming in got the image to fit perfectly into the frame.


text:
A Ruby example of
str = "Oh, this is a pen."
p str[/this is a (\w+)\./, 1]
The result is "pen". Since
String#[] is just an alias of
String#slice, (*1)
p str.slice(/this is a (\w+)\./, 1)
The result is completely same.
in Vim script
Vim script version needs two separate processes; getting the list of first-matched string itself and containing sub matches, and then getting the specific item.
let str = "Oh, this is a pen."
echo matchlist(str, 'this is a \(\w\+\)\.')[1]
(Added at Sun Jun 12 09:26:44 PDT 2011) thinca suggested that
matchstr() with
\zs and
\ze is very handy, particularly because of the different behavior in the case when it didn't match.
let str = "Oh, this is a pen."
echo matchstr(str, 'this is a \zs\w\+\ze\.')
in Haskell
Haskell version needs three separate processes with
Text.Regex.Posix.=~; it's almost same to Vim but the default
=~ behaviour is to assume the regex object has "global" option, so you have to pick which match.
import Text.Regex.Posix ((=~))
main = do
let str = "Oh this is a pen."
print $ head (str =~ "this is a ([a-zA-Z_]*)" :: [[String]]) !! 1
(Added at Sun Jun 12 12:54:01 PDT 2011) The following code is another example; it's safe in runtime and also this supports Vim's
\zs and
import Text.Regex.PCRE ((=~))
import Data.String.Utils (replace)
import Safe (headMay, atMay)
import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
matchstr :: String -> String -> String
matchstr expr pat =
let x = replace "\\zs" "(" $ replace "\\ze" ")" pat in
fromMaybe "" $ headMay (expr =~ x :: [[String]]) >>= \y -> atMay y 1
main = print $ matchstr "this is a pen" " \\zs\\w+\\ze"
in Clojure
(Added at Thu Mar 22 17:49:40 PDT 2012)
((re-find #"this is a (\w+)\." "Oh, this is a pen.") 1)
; "pen"
- (*1) Precisely no. Try and check the differences between them without the second argument.


text:
Processing sketches (PDEs) are translated from the processing syntax to pure Java and are compiled and packaged into executable JARs. Is it possible to by pass the packaging step and go straight from the Java code to your own compiled class? Yes it is!
NOTE: Apart from your source and compiled class file, you will need the Processing "core.jar" binary to compile the class as well as run it.
- Use Processing to create a sketch file (.pde) and use the "Export" capability to export it to your native enviornment
- Open the generated export folder and navigate to the "source" directory. Inside here you will find the Java source file
- Compile the Java source file via:
javac -cp "core.jar" SOURCE_FILE.java
- Run the compiled class via the following command:
java -cp "core.jar:." CLASS_FILE


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Just months after America's worst oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico a much higher than normal seasonal appearance of newborn and still born dolphins are washing ashore in at least four states.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the recent dolphin deaths "an unusual mortality event," with today's numbers topping 80 animals discovered so far.
Is this a byproduct of heightened regional monitoring after a major ecological disaster, or a harbinger of things to come for the Gulf?
As top order predators regional dolphin populations are the quintessential "canary in the coal mine," the first to signal accumulated toxins in the food chain. Dolphins may have gorged on weakened fish and shrimp last summer, or may have become immune compromised passing through sub sea plumes of oil and Corexit.
Or this may just "an unusual mortality event," with no causal effect at all.
Unfortunately there is very little hard data on seasonal fetal dolphin deaths in the region. Most dolphin census data or studies look at population groups and mass strandings see example.
Hopefully the cause of fetal and calf dolphin deaths in the region can be uncovered by researchers, but as we read over at the Deep Sea News Blog from Dr.Bik last week:
Then there's the money. Or rather, there isn't the money. Only $50 million of BP's promised $500 million in research money has been doled out; a scientific board has been set up to distribute the remaining $450 million, but it seems like they're still writing ethical guidelines and drafting up an application process. Which means, probably another year before any scientists will be able to use money from this pot.


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There are two occurrences in life that are 100% guaranteed: being born and the other is dying. When a person dies or passes on from earth, the remaining people (family, friends, and associates) go through different phases or levels of grief. The grieving process can consist of physical, emotional, and spiritual responses. Your response will not be the same as another person. God created all of us in His image. We have different dreams and goals in life. We have different responses to stress and situations.
As a medical professional, I experience first-hand how the body functions and preforms on a daily basis. God's masterpiece, the human body can sense and respond different depending if the stimuli are positive or negative. The word of God is our compass and direction in life. When my family proceeded through the grieving process ONLY God supplied peace, joy, and a renewed mind in Him.
My book is titled, " Sunday Grief, M.D. I will share my family's journey to resting in God's arms. The word of God will encourage and strengthen us along life's pathway. God is the ONLY refuge when trials and tribulations come. God is the antidote to going through the grieving process. God will comfort and give confidence. Yes, God had already made the way to proceed through the grieving process.
Sunday Grief, M.D. displays my love for my brother, Junior. I'm transparent in revealing the process of grief through my eyes of being his sister and an anesthesiologist. God has given me this mission to express wisdom and guidance to inspire others to trust God throughout the grieving process.


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It is said Ramadan is the best time for family and friends to break fast together. What better way to enjoy the breaking of fast this Ramadan with a wide array of local and international dishes for only RM85++ per person at Cafe Boleh, The Pacific Sutera Hotel.
Now, you can save more with our Ramadan Early Bird Promotion! The booklets are available for purchase at Cafe Boleh, The Pacific Sutera Hotel.
Hurry, promotion ENDS on JULY 8, 2013!
For more details, call +60 88 303 679 or +60 88 303 671.


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Honestly, I have thousands of back-up plans. Most of them include humor, which has helped me escape a few hairy situations. Not that I've ever feared my profession, just the monkey business that has sometimes been the objective of my pupils.
Humor, whether it is sarcasm, spontaneous, or purposely included in the lesson plan, has always been a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, it is also my Achilles heel. You see, monkey see, monkey do. And monkeys doing silly things might make for great youtube videos, but it does not help one pass mandated state tests; because state test proctors have the sense of humor of Kristen Stewart (sad, I just used one of their punchlines--how unfunny).
|Annoying is not a style of
comedy: look at the career
of Pauly Shore.
They say that comedy is the hardest form of writing to master, and to some extent whoever "they" are, is right. I've gone back and looked at some of my humor columns over the years. Most are about as funny as a barrel of monkeys. Not the proverbial saying, but an actual barrel of the red plastic monkeys. Amusing maybe, but not funny. Much like my student's humor. Much like this article; or the one below from my past.
|I found this immaculate copy of my 1997 article about cloning for the Eugene Register Guard.
Like the newsprint it was printed on, my humor did not age well.
|"For the love of God, kids--SHUT UP, PLEASE,
and let me DRIVE!"
So maybe it's karma that now I have to deal with these fledgling comedians. Kids inspired by my own idiocracy, trying to throw a monkey wrench into my lesson plans. Trying to one-up me on the humor set list. "Don't you know I'm a Jedi, kids? You're all just nerf herders." Do you think Stormtroopers ever looked at each other and said, "I don't know, DKN-2420, that one with the Harry Potter robe got's a light saber, maybe we shouldn't engage him in combat?"
|The lonely life of a Nerf Herder.
Humor, besides in relationships, isn't really valued in society. Maybe at the highest levels of creativity, like movies, television, etc., it has value, but to the average Joe, how often has your boss enjoyed your sarcastic comment? How did that prank go over at the construction site Port-A-Potty? (I still remember the co-worker who got fired at Jerry's Home Improvement for picking up the Buck's toilet with his forklift after our yard supervisor went inside...the fired employee thought it was worth it, though). Reality is, most of us spend most of our time holding in that funny innuendo, that gem of a humorous observation, or that hilarious word play joke, because we've learned that it only gets us in more trouble.
|"Is Edward here today? No? what-
ever, just do questions 8- 243."
And to me, that seems like a shame.
So my questions are, am I doing my students a disservice by teaching them comedic timing in speech and writing? Is it worthwhile to know how to observe the world from a slightly less serious side? Is humor, like a decent singing voice, a skill that has almost no real-life application other than making life briefly happier? Should I even be concerned with their happiness, and focus solely on state standards and universal knowledge truths? Because if that's true, than I'm going to have to work on my Kristen Stewart "serious" sneer; and I'll be a monkey's uncle before I allow the muffled Twilight jokes snickers of students while I lecture away about the overuse of idioms in bad writing. Sometimes, a teachable moment, is crushing their idea of funny, by SHOWING them a better, more laughable future.


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I have to confess, right at the moment?
I'm mildly distracted.
Mostly where I've got last night's episode of Gotham: series 2 started on Channel 5.
I've got it on in the background, as I write.
Yes, I know it's airing at a later date the in the US: but Channel Five have told us it will be aired in one complete go.
Something I'm happy to hear.
I'm also watching several of the inmates break out of Arkham. Including Jim Gordon's ex, Barbara.
It's looking like one HELL of a hairy opening … !
But let's move on, shall we?
Yesterday's Teaser saw both Debbi* and Olga† putting in their answer: both scoring five out of five in the process.
Let's see how everyone does with today's questions, shall we?
Q1) Fifty years ago, today, 12th January, 1966, saw the US TV debut of which Caped Crusader?
Q2) More to the point, the character originally appeared in comics from which publisher: Marvel, IPC or DC?
Q3) Five years later, All in the Family premiered on US TV: on 12th January, 1971. The show's creators took their inspiration, in part, from which BBC show?
Q4) All in the Family followed the life of Archie … who?
Q5) A decade after All in the Family aired, 12th January, 1981 saw the first airing of Dynasty. The show focused on Blake and Krystle whom?
Q6) Finally … One of Dynasty creators, Esther Shapiro, claimed to have been inspired to create the show by which Derek Jacobi series?
Here's yesterday's questions and answers …
Q1) 11th January, 2015, saw the death of actress and model, Anita Ekberg. In which 1960 film had she found prominence?A1) Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita.
Q2) 11th January, 1972, saw East Pakistan rename itself. What?A2) Bangladesh.
Q3) 11th January, 1787, saw William Herschel first observe Titania and Oberon. The two are moons of which planet: Uranus, Saturn or Jupiter?A3) Uranus.
Q4) Enver Hoxha assumed power as his country's dictator: on 11th January, 1946. Which country was it: Albania, Bulgaria or Croatia?A4) Albania.
Q5) Finally … Surgeon, Sir James Paget, was born on 11th January, 1811. Paget's disease, named after him, is a disease of what: the heart, kidneys or bones?A5) Bones.
I'll leave you with this thought …
"I do not live for what the world thinks of me, but for what I think of myself."
Jack London, January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916.
And this tune …
Enjoy your day!
* I have to admit, Debbi, I've gone and bought Blackstar, as a result of his death. I've not heard it, yet: I'm trying to set up Bruce, my old Mac Mini, so my Mum^ can use it.
† I'd worked out what had happened, as soon as I switched the news on, yesterday, Olga^: that many photos of one person usually isn't good! Your right, though: Bowie was both unearthly, and a fixture: and going to be much missed.
^ Actually, my mum bought my the 7", back when it was re-released in the early 1970s. Gives me an excuse to play it …


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- 133 Mpixel, 60 FPS image sensor
- Low power global shutter SOC imager
- Family of sensors for dental X-ray
- Small size endoscopy sensor
- High-speed global shutter sensor
"We joined TowerJazz's Design Center Program several years ago and have seen significant efficiencies since we've aligned our business processes to meet the time-to-market requirements of our customers," said Barmak Mansoorian, Forza Silicon President. "This partnership is a natural complement to our business model of providing end-to-end design engineering and manufacturing services from circuit design through to production testing."
"We are excited to work with partners such as Forza Silicon who have proven to be true innovators in the CMOS image sensor field," said Avi Strum, VP & General Manager, CMOS Sensors Business Unit, VP Sales, Europe. "Forza Silicon's great depth of talent and proven ability to work closely with a customer on an idea, collaborate on a design, and follow through to volume production is critical to deliver advanced solutions."


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The objective of this course is to stimulate a life-long engagement with Africa. We seek to appreciate the joys and dynamism of African life as well as understand the sources and histories of suffering and miseries that are emphasized in media coverage of the continent.
We begin by surveying some of the history, geography, politics, economics, and culture, of the continent and its peoples. Next we examine some exemplary scholarship in African Studies, both classic and contemporary. Throughout the course, we engage with current issues and events in Africa by reading African news media online.
Assessment will consist of two mid-term exams (20% each), one final paper (40%), and class participation (20%).
Required Texts:
April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon, Understanding Contemporary Africa (4th Edition) (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2007).
Adam Ashforth, Madumo, A Man Bewitched (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2000).
Note: this is a reading intensive course. In addition to the required texts, extensive reading materials will be made available online at the c-tools site. Students are expected to choose a country or region of Africa for particular attention through self-directed research.


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Democratic Strategy for 2014 Elections: Focus on Obamacare
With the upcoming mid-term elections, Democratic politicians are in their usual predicament: Voters agree with them on most of the issues, but they're more likely to vote for the Republican candidate instead. Yes it sucks, but what're you gonna do?
At a recent three-day retreat for Democratic VIPs, Joe Biden told the audience:
"On every major issue, the American people agree with the Democratic Party. I can't think of a time when the issues that most affect the American people, most affect the middle class, overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, they support us."
He's right. Income inequality, a higher minimum wage, infrastructure spending, gun control, immigration reform, abortion, same-sex marriage — for that matter, the entire rightwing Biblehump agenda that Republicans keep trotting out — the public is with the Democrats on all of these issues. That and four dollars will get you a cappuccino at Starbucks.
If agreeing with the public on the issues was any sort of guarantee, the Democrats would be assured of winning the House and strengthening their control of the Senate this November. And Jimmy Carter would have trounced Ronald Reagan in 1980.
A Republican consultant responded to Biden's comments with:
"Biden's comments reflect a 50,000-foot view rather than political realities on the ground in key states that will determine control of the Senate."
He's absolutely right, like it or not.
In a recent survey, 52% of the public named the Affordable Care Act — whether pro or con — as the most important issue. Therefore, what should the Democrats be focusing on?
Obamacare. This is what Democratic candidates need to talk about — the Affordable Care Act, with all its good and bad points. Talk about the millions of previously uninsured Americans who finally have health insurance; people with pre-existing conditions who, for the first time in their lives, can NOT be turned down by an insurance company. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to cancel your coverage AFTER you've gotten sick. Talk about this! Shout it from the rooftops.
And since millions of voters are pissed off about Obamacare — acknowledge this. Listen to their complaints and explain how it happened and what you'll do (or have done) to fix the problem.
The GOP is planning to sweep the 2014 election by hammering away at Obamacare — the millions of glitches and crashes, people's genuine fears of losing their current coverage or having to pay more for less coverage, the evils of socialized medicine, etc. Democrats can NOT let the Republicans frame this debate.
If the Democrats try to avoid talking about Obamacare and instead just bask in the glow of "the public is with us on the issues" — we're looking at a Republican Senate next year.
Labels: 2014 election, Affordable Care Act, Obamacare


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Where do I start? well... ok then, here goes.
Diamond District- Group consisting of myself, XO & YU. I produced 10 of the albums 12 tracks. It was download twelve thousand times in it's first month and has received nothing but love from fans an artist alike. The physical version of the album will be for sale some time in the fall with two additional songs & the instrumentals
Rocking with The Roots- I took a trip to NYC and ended up on stage with The Legendary Roots crew at their weekly NYC jam session. Earlier that day Peter Rosenberg got me into the super sold out Drake show, what a day!
Mental Liberation- Compilation I dropped on Mello Music Group featuring J-Live, Invincible, Finale, Black Milk, Trek Life & many more
New Money- My remixes of Trek Life's "Price I've Paid" album
Odd Summer EP- Free Download instrumental EP I put together to welcome the summer. People love it, Try it with your friends. ;)
Oddisee Music- These days I've been focused on releasing my own projects. Instead of chasing down placements I've decided to work with up and coming artist to bring fresh, new & innovative music to Hip-Hop & R&B.
Over the next few months I'll be introducing the world to Stik Figa & Tranqill . I'll be reintroducing the world to Olivier Daysoul, Trek Life, Diamond District.
Even though my focus has been on full projects I've still managed to place a few beats & rhymes on projects.
Outasight- Exclusive
Fresh Daily- Universal Medicine
Super Friends- Super Friends
Mic Legacy- Different World
Finale- Pipe Dream & a Promise
JR&PH7- Fast Lane Speeding
Trek Life- New Money
and more...
and Without further ado, lets get back to some posting shall we!


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We are excited about your interest in becoming part of our organization. Please complete the following internship application to be considered for one of the available positions. You can download the MENTEE APPLICATION to complete and submit it at a later date. If you have additional information or documentation to submit, please email it to email@example.com. Thank you!
Fill out my online form.


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The Times Online
On Saturday night the radio sprang to life in the kitchen. It was my father-in-law. "There's a chanting mob outside the pack-house," he said.
My heart was throbbing already. I pushed the transmit button: "OK. Keep us informed," I replied.
Laura, my wife, went to try to phone people and get them to pray. Why had our workers not told us about this pungwe, I thought? It must be a mob from outside our area. I could hear them chanting a mile down the road from our house. I wondered, as I had done so many times before, if this was it.
The mob moved on towards us and then past. We were given another night's grace.
Last weekend we had a big pungwe - a political indoctrination meeting - on the farm. It was after Mugabe had come to our little town of Chegutu, southwest of Harare, and addressed the crowd with threats of "war". A pungwe starts when the shadows lengthen and the sun goes down and darkness falls over the land. It does not stop till after the sun has risen again.
All our workers had to go, as well as all their wives with babies and any children over the age of 12. Some of them didn't go; so the mob sent little bands of chanting youth militia with sticks to fetch the absentees, drag them out of their houses and beat them for non-attendance. Through the night we heard the chanting and the slogans and the re-education speeches ringing out into the cold darkness for hour after hour after hour. On and on it went, striking fear into my heart. I got up and paced around in the cold night, listening.
When the first birds began to sing, I thought: "How can these birds sing after such a night as this?" Then the birdsong was drowned out. There was a terrible noise like a swarm of bees. I knew the beatings had begun again and I listened helpless, tormented, in fear but praying fervently.
I spoke to our workers later. "Mount Carmel workers were all made to stand to one side," Amon said. "We were shaking because we were so afraid of what was to happen to us. Those that had been polling agents for MDC had water poured over them."
It was a frosty morning. "The major [Major Tauye, brought in from the Army to run pungwes in Chegutu district] was waving his gun around everywhere," he went on.
I learnt that the MDC polling agents were made to put their forehead on the ground and lift their whole bodies up on their toes and then hold the position as they shook in the cold. After some time they were given sticks and had to beat each other.
The Major then said: "You say we beat you! We don't beat you! You are the ones that beat!"
"Will the people vote?" I asked.
"We are in pain but we cannot speak because we do not know who will tell. Even if we make a report the police will not help," Amon said.
I had seen the hope for a better future draining out of him. He had been kicked off one farm already and I sensed he was worried we would throw in the towel too.
"I will not leave," I said. "They must shoot me if they want me off."
I remembered another friend whose workers were sobbing when she was forced to pack up a couple of weeks ago after three generations on the farm. They knew they were on their own then, voiceless in the wilderness.
On Friday morning I went to see James Etheridge. He had been evicted in the darkness earlier in the week by Senator Madzongwe's men and the local hit man, Gilbert Moyo, with a large mob. James was in a borrowed shirt because all his clothes had been stolen. We were trying to see if there was anything that hadn't been looted left in the houses.
We drove through the gate and down the drive. Straight ahead there was a line of large rocks blocking the road. As we got closer, men wielding sticks got up and started coming menacingly towards us. Our presence had the effect of a stone thrown into a hornets' nest. Soon the rocks started to fly in our direction. I saw figures running through the bush to try to get around behind us and cut us off. "OK, let's get out of here," I said and reversed as fast as I could.
Between the Etheridges and ourselves we have spent nearly 30 hours at the police station this week making reports and failing to get a reaction.
Yesterday we finally saw our first observers. We met them at the police station. Having the observers there worked like magic: police reacted and even moved quickly after we reported that all the Etheridges belongings - the ones that had not yet been stolen - had been dumped on the side of the main road.
When the observers left to come to my house, James's wife Kerry and his brother were ambushed and started getting beaten with sticks. The police stood by because they had not brought bullets for their guns and the senator's men were armed. They had to run for it and managed to get away.
While I was on the way back to my family with the observers, our workers were rounded up by youths with sticks going to the pungwe. They started demanding that Laura come out of the house and they beat one of our dogs with a stick at the gate. Then before I got there they headed off again, running across the veldt like a pack of wild dogs seeking their next prey.
The observers didn't know about pungwes; and they have been advised not to go out after dark, so I suppose they will never see them. Almost all Mugabe's campaigning goes on after dark. The pungwes have spread like a great cancer even to town.
Owen, one of our workers in Chegutu, said he has had to go to all-night pungwes for the past three nights.
"Will you be an MDC polling agent again?" I said to Lorence, another worker, this morning.
"Ah no." he said. "We are too afraid for that. We need to get out of here before the pungwe tonight because they are going to beat us."I got them into town and gave them fifteen billion dollars each for their bus fares to a "safe" house 80km away.
As I went around town I talked to people. It was tense. They were full of fear and terrible stories about atrocities taking place; but we were together. I could sense a strong undercurrent of solidarity in the common load of suffering that we are all bearing.
None of us knows what will happen next. Dictators like Mugabe do not step down. Like Hitler, they go on till their country is in ruins and their people are in rags. World leaders tut-tut as the crimes against humanity go on unhindered; but their perpetrators live on and travel the world with impunity.


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Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment 2017 application form
Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment 2017 News: Check Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment 2017 online as in this portal we will give all new alerts on TN Post Office jobs in 2017 in coming months, till you may view previous orders. Earlier Tamil Nadu Postal Circle invites applications for 107 Posts of Postal Assistant (PA), Sorting Assistant (SA), Postman, Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) Jobs in pay scale of 5200-20200/-. Candidates have to submit application on or before 22 September 14 (over). Get online advertisement of Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment is given at official site www.tamilnadupost.nic.in. Guys before submitting applications for PA/ SA/ Postman/ MTS recruitment must read all instructions carefully. The complete needed details of Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment 2017 regarding posts, salary, qualification, application fee, how to apply etc are mentioned below..................
Details of Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Vacancy:
The Tamil Nadu Postal Circle came into existence in 1961. Currently this government department issues Job notice for 107 multiple posts. The department has its official site i.e. www.tamilnadupost.nic.in. In this page we will provide all information regarding Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment. Candidates can check all information regarding the same from here...
>> Looking For More Jobs for 10th Pass
For the Post of PA/ SA Assistant
Total Posts- 49
The candidate should be 10+2 Standard or 12th class pass from recognized University/Board of School Education Board of Secondary Education with English as a compulsory subject.
For the Post of Postman
Total Posts- 24
The candidate should be Matric Passed from a recognized Board / University.
For the Post of Multi Tasking Staff (MTS)
Total Posts- 34
The candidate should be 10th pass or ITI from a recognized Board
Salary- INR 5200-20200/- with Grade Pay of Rs 1800/ 2000/- PM
Location- Tamil Nadu (India)
Last Date of Submission Application- 22/09/14 (now close)
Application Fee- Rs 100/-
How to Apply?
The interested and eligible Job seekers have to complete application along with fee at the address mentioned in notification:-
>> Check Tamil Nadu Postal Circle Recruitment Notification click here>> Application Form TN PA/SA/ MTS Jobs click here


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Christopher Golden has edited a new anthology of never before published zombie stories by today's top writers (genre and literary). Called 21st Century Dead,won't shamble into stores on 7/17, but it already has a starred review in Publisher's Weekly. I just placed the order for our library's copy today.
The crime fiction blog Criminal Element, which has been doing a great job covering horror recently, ran this roundtable discussion about the allure of zombies with many of the contributing authors.
Click here for the full text, and for a chance to win your own copy of 21st Century Dead.
There are a bunch of comments on the post too, with lots of good zombie reading and watching suggestions.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Questions for Zombie Writers
Labels: short stories, zombies
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After a slow start in the contest, San Antonio Spurs guard Marco Belinelli beat Kevin Love, Damien Lillard and Steph Curry in the west to advance to the finals where he would beat Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal to become the 2014 Foot Locker three point shootout champion. Check out footage of Marco Belinelli during the event .
© 2014, Eldorado2452. All rights reserved.


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|Yeah, this picture (below) of Kathryn isn't posed at all. She is always smiling as she edits. (Subtext in her eyes: Get outta here and let me get back to this line edit, ta.)
|Hey! Directly across the hall from Kathryn, where's Dana, see below?
|And, no, I am not holding onto the door frame for support. Even though so many many hours editing our beloved authors is killing my spine…whine…it's all good!
Hey, how did Dianne Moggy sneak into my office? She's kitty corner far away from me… Photobomb! (Plus, how am I reading anything with my readers on top of my head. Hm: fake.)
If Claire stood up and looked over the cube divider on her right, what would she see? Editorial Assistant Deirdre McCluskey, clutching her stash of Heartwarming books hot off the press, see below!
Before I pack up my purse and make a run from Paula's wrath, I quickly headed to the end of the hallway, past photobomber Dianne Moggy's cozy corner office…
… to guest Harlequin Heartwarming editor, Adrienne McIntosh. Now, be forewarned, Adrienne is very dramatic. And she's got a big workload…AND all she really wants to do is work with Heartwarming author Pamela Tracy all day long, but alas, she has to sometimes work on Harlequin American and Blaze. Poor, Adrienne!
|Stop emoting, Adrienne, you're the end of my tour for today and I've got to hop a bus and get outta town before Pamela Tracy posts this blog and Paula sees it!!!
Hope you enjoyed this little tour of romance editors in their natural (unnatural?) habitat. We skipped some of our species for space, so stay tuned to more pictoral adventures at Harlequin in the future!


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My Favorite Flirts is a feature that lets you reach your favorite Flirts easily from My Account or on 1-800-TO-FLIRT.Manage My Favorites
(0 Reviews)
Confess Your Sins To Me
Have you been naughty?
Did you do something you weren't supposed to do?
Do you need to get something off your chest?
Once you have made your confession, I will give you pennance and your sins will be absolved.


text: Oregon State Oregon State Scientists Discover Fourteen New Pollution Compounds By Jes Burns • Feb 20, 2014 Jes Burns The South Willamette Valley consistently ranks high nationally for levels of air pollution. According to the American Lung Association, Eugene-Springfield was the 14th worse in the country for "short-term particle pollution" in 2013. Air pollution is a complex mixture of chemicals and particulate matter –so complex, scientists still don't know exactly what's in the air we breathe. But now they're one step closer. Ducks and Beavers Roll on a Rainy Saturday By Jes Burns • Sep 29, 2013 KLCC In the pouring rain last night at Autzen Stadium, The University of Oregon walloped California 55 to 16. The game was essentially decided in the first quarter, when several Cal mistakes allowed the Ducks to open up a 27-0 lead. The rain caused miscues and turnovers on both sides. Oregon fumbled once – it was the first turnover by the ducks the entire season. Oregon State was also victorious yesterday at home, defeating Colorado 44 to 17. It was a day for the record books for Beaver quarterback Sean Mannion, who threw six touchdown passes and set a school record.


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Southerners Go Crazy for Snow Cream
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – As the people of the Tennessee Valley were sledding, building snow creatures or participating in epic snowball battles many of them were also concocting a winter favorite: snow cream.
Many of us at the station recently learned snow cream is definitely a regional phenomenon: mention the sugary slurry around northerners and you get one of two responses – blank stares or shoulder shrugs.
Those of us born and bred in the south were shocked to learn many of our friends who hail from north of the Mason-Dixon had never heard of snow cream in their lives.
The cream-based variety of Snow "cream" is of old lineage. It is known in continental Europe at least as early as the late 15th or early 16th century.
It has been suggested that "snow" may be even older than that.
Common ingredients for the snow-based variety are a dairy based ingredient, usually milk, sugar and a flavoring agent, typically vanilla extract.
Some people choose to use sweetened condensed milk instead.
Viewer Christi Parker posted on Facebook that she went the adult route with her mixture, adding in a little Kahlúa to taste.
Others added cocoa powder or syrup for a chocolate treat.
There are really no rules when it comes snow cream, except one very important one: you need freshly fallen, virgin snow. Contaminants, environmental or otherwise, are not recommended.
But you better hurry. The chance to enjoy a first or a favorite are quickly melting away in the Tennessee Valley.
Share your snow cream recipes and memories with us in the comments section below.


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Monday, October 20, 2008
Music Catch, a Flash-based Game
Check out Music Catch on Kongregate. It's a simple little game (yellow is good, red is bad, purple is awesome), but the music is quite memorable and strangely addictive. My highest score to date is
1,085,918 1,890,989 2,409,490.
Posted by Chris Foley at 11:00 PM
Labels: Just For Fun
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Community Giving, Philanthropy, & Volunteering
Cousins' philosophy regarding the importance of community giving and engagement is perhaps best exemplified by the success of our founder, Tom Cousins, and the East Lake Foundation in transforming the East Lake neighborhood in Atlanta and in creating new opportunities for the families in that community. The efforts of the East Lake Foundation and Tom continue today, particularly through the support of the Charles R. Drew Charter School, a very successful public charter school serving the East Lake community and more than 1,200 students in Pre-K through ninth grade.
We remain committed to the importance of community involvement through our company charitable efforts that include substantial engagement in the United Way annual campaigns for Metropolitan Atlanta. In addition, recognizing that employee involvement needs to be local for the greatest impact, we sponsor volunteer and giving opportunities for all of our employees. In Atlanta, we had tremendous employee participation in a recent "planting day" along the Atlanta Beltline with Trees Atlanta.
In each of the last three years, through a combination of our private foundation and the voluntary direct giving by our employees, Cousins has contributed an average of more than $400,000 annually to local charities within our communities, including more than $100,000 annually to United Way of Greater Atlanta.


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re: Guardian Editorial: Little Richardjohn – 544th post – 30 Dec 2004 15:45
Exactly, there is no such thing as unhappiness, only Otherappiness. Being Otherhappy is as nice as being Happy.
We're AAALL happy ALL the time because nothing is real.
It's all a wonderful dream put here for our Othermusement by a wonderful nonexistent value-free All-Seeing Non-Concept.
Why we silly little specks of dust worry our little heads about Suffering and Pain when both are just an illusion created by the mind-intellect has always been a mystery – or Quasi-truth as we must now call it.
Nothing really matters.
Anyone can seeeee.
Nothing really matters….
To meeeeee.
Keep saying it until you believe it. [reply] [Complain about this post]
re: Guardian Editorial: Cahen_k – 1956th post – 30 Dec 2004 17:08
That is what is prescribed in a foreword to the Ashtavakra Gita:
Much like the Zen koan
Touch base.
Otherwise the mind is sitting on one side of the divide [Truth/ Reality].
Much like the Buddha's:
"In your seeing , there should be only seeing; in your hearing nothing but hearing; in your smelling, tasting, touching, nothing but smelling, tasting, touching; in your cognizing, nothing but cognizing. When contact occurs through any of the six bases of sensory experience, there should be no valuation, no conditioned perception. Once perception starts evaluating any experience as good or bad, one sees the world in a distorted way because of one's blind reactions. In order to free the mind from all conditioning, one must learn to stop evaluating on the basis of past reactions and to be aware, without evaluating or without reacting."
This is the end of my sermon for today. [reply] [Complain about this post]
re: Guardian Editorial: Little Richardjohn – 545th post – 30 Dec 2004 17:30
Exactly. All mysticism is simply a way of blocking out the world and thereby never having to think about how to deal with it. or bettter still, never think at all.
That has always been the attraction of mysticism to fascists throughout the ages. The reassurance that things are destined always go on and on and on the same. That nothing really matters, nothing really matters nothing really matters, nothing really matters.
You can see how someone unable to accept the concept of progress might wrap themselves up in the comfy duvet of Asiatic Death-Worship. The cyclical universe in which everything that is going to happen has already happened a thousand times over (correct me on the exact figure). It also makes things very convenient if, because of the repetition, you can therefore actually predict what is going to happen next.
Only, because nothing exists, there are no things to happen and therefore none to predict. The only things that matter come from the godhead. Who, in the world the rest of us live in, has always been the person willing to kill the most people to get to that position. And their word has got to be worth something. Obey to stay alive and stay alive to obey, and endless circle of slaveru and submission to the greater ideal.
At this level, the whole charade becomes nothing more than a huge dose of vallium for the Philosophical Bored Housewives of this world.
It says it means nothing. And I believe it.


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October, vacation month of the year, right? At least for wedding vendors it is one of the potential vacation months. And for homeschoolers, any month is a potential vacation month.
We have the cutest little beach house ever for our little get-away. It is old and tiny, smells like my grandmother's house did in 1969, and it's painted in bright colors of sun, sand, sky and sea. The adorable little kitchen is bright yellow with white wainscoting and a black and white checked linoleum floor. The dishes are turquoise melamine, just like my grandma had. Get the picture? Cute and beachy!
I slept just fine in the tiny sea green bedroom until the rascal boys I brought with me decided to begin the day at 5:30 ay. yem. They want to get the most out of the day but I want to get some long morning sleep! I will need to define "vacation" for them again. I checked the tide tables and later today when the tide is low we will venture out to find some tide pools with starfish and urchins.
But until then, this is where I am.
Could someone please bring me a Mai Tai?


text:
As conference tournaments begin to get underway, adidas has unveiled their Made in March collection of uniforms that select teams will during tournament season.
adidas' goal is to provide each team with the most advanced uniform system and basketball apparel technology available. Following the increasing trend of sleeved jerseys, Baylor, UCLA, Cincinnati and Louisville will wear short-sleeved jerseys for the postseason. Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Wisconsin will wear the more traditional sleeveless jerseys.
The Made in March uniforms feature the quick-drying jersey technology currently found in today's NBA uniforms. The shorts come equipped with a functional perforated print pattern along the leg of the stretch woven short to enhance breathability and ventilation.
All jerseys have school-realted mantras printed on the inside color, as a means of school spirit. Schools like Baylor, UCLA and Indiana will be outfitted in alternate colors exclusively designed for March Madness.
The Made in March collection will make its on-court debut the conference championships and are available on adidas.com.
RELATED: Breaking Down the Most Popular Team Shoes in the NCAA this Season
RELATED: Northwestern Basketball Reveals New One-of-a-Kind Under Armour Uniforms


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This recipe for rolled single serving lasagna was originally posted in May 2005. Interestingly, I haven't prepared the dish since. My plan was to prepare it at a Dutch oven cookoff, but plans changed.
16 cremini caps, cleaned and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups part skim ricotta
8 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (12 to 14 minutes)
2 cups prepared marinara sauce
8 slices mozzarella cheese
In a 10-inch Dutch oven over moderate heat, saute mushrooms, chopped onions, and garlic in oil until mushrooms give off their juices and darken and onions are tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; the salt will help draw water out of the vegetables as they cook.
Add dry chopped spinach to the pan and heat through for 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Add ricotta and stir into mixture to heat cheese through, 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat but leave in the warm skillet. Place lid on Dutch oven and place about 5 hot coals on lid to keep warm.
Heat marinara sauce in a small pan over moderate heat. Place cooked lasagna noodles on a large work surface or cutting board. Spread lasagna noodles with a layer of spinach-mushroom filling. Leave the last inch of surface free of filling. Roll up pasta and arrange the 8 bundles in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Pour warm sauce over roll-ups and top with mozzarella.
Place lid on Dutch oven and bake at 350-degrees (17 coals on lid and 8 under oven) for 15 minutes or until heated through. At the last minute place about 10 extra coals on lid. Watch closely and remove from heat when cheese starts to brown.
Southern Classic Fried Green Tomatoes
7 hours ago


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I'd like to take a moment to interrupt my rewriting of thieving skills, which I shall be doing for climb walls and pick pockets this week, in order to write on something that has only just occurred to me.
I'm sure many of you are aware of the 'Peter Principle.' The following is from Wikipedia:
"... a belief that in an organization where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit, that organization's members will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability. The principle is commonly phrased, "employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence." In more formal parlance, the effect could be stated as: employees tend to be given more authority until they cannot continue to work competently. It was formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull in their 1969 book, The Peter Principle."
The idea isn't new, but it is still relevant. Three times in the last three days I've been in some circumstance where the subject of the principle has come up - usually the number it takes for me to start deconstructing something I take for granted.
I think, generally, the principle to be true. I work in business, I have for some time, and I can attest to it's presence there. I've also worked in theatre, and it certainly helps explain how sometimes an individual will rise to playing a part in a play for which they have no competence. I also think the principle is evident in D&D games ... and I know just saying that will be enough to get DM's thinking.
A regular discussion that is had in business is how to circumvent the Peter Principle. The Wikipedia page has an overview of the more common 'solutions' ... they're worth reading through. I note, however, that an assumption is being made, which is always made - and that is, that every person HAS a level of incompetence.
I do not think that is true.
I do not mean that there are people who are competent at everything, or that there are people who are perfect. The Peter Principle does not describe people in a floating sea where any activity or job is possible in a given day. It describes people in a hierarchy, which is in turn dedicated to producing a limited set of results. From that, it MUST be true that a small percentage of possible workers, promoted and promoted, are never promoted into a job which they cannot do. It is possible to be a competent, capable and effective C.E.O. - and since said individual cannot be promoted higher, that individual cannot be affected by a further manifestation of the Peter Principle.
Moreover, for periods of time, all the persons under that particular C.E.O. cannot rise into the C.E.O.'s position because that position is not available. This means it is possible for ALL the positions under the C.E.O. to be occupied by people who are themselves competant at their jobs. However brief the moment in time, perhaps this explains why, for no evident reason, a company like Apple or Research in Motion or Zynga explodes on the scene, blowing past all their competition and changing the face of their industries. Those companies might collapse later, when the next head that's promoted fulfills the principle again, internally collapsing the company ... but for as long as the competant structure lasts, the company is unstoppable.
This could be applied just as directly to creative artists like John Ford, David Lean, Mike Nichols or Billy Wilder - directors who, for as long as they had control over their product, produced brilliant work without fail. A director is at the top of the game where it comes to making a picture - 'producer' is a sideways move into another profession (believe me). So long as the director is fully competant, its possible to create a competant technical and creative crew. It is time, not the Peter Principle, that eventually changes the rules. All those brilliant directors got old, and couldn't work at the top of their game once in their 60s. Direction is an exhausting vocation.
Let's talk D&D. This is an interesting situation since the hierarchy is flat. The DM is only one "promotion" above player. Some DMs are competent - others are not so much. Sometimes an incompetent DM wallows in the role, forced there by the circumstance of a lot of players who are all incompetent ... and it is often the most competent player that gets chosen.
If the DM is competent, it does produce a good game, even if many of the players are not. An especially competent DM, supported by especially competent players, can make the experience for less competent players rich and meaningful, when the goal is friendship over success. At the same time, a DM can be competent and yet mean-spirited; he or she can godmod other players, who themselves lord their positions over more recent, or less competent players. The hierarchy can be pronounced and harsh, depending on the table.
Moreover, D&D is a fluid game. It changes and advances, not just in terms of the rules but in terms of what the players are able to accomplish. As they do more damage and cast more spells they take on more complicated, less easily mastered monsters. The very act of levelling compels the presentation of the Peter Principle, since being a higher level is in effect risking being promoted past your abilities.
Perhaps the reason the so-called 'endgame' is considered unrealistic is because many DMs and many players are simply not able to play at that level. It's one thing to kill some orcs, investigate a tomb or even pick and choose from a variety of strategies as you level up. It is another when the adventurer must manage an accounts book to cover the men, equipment and property the player now possesses, or for the DM to make something like that interesting and emotionally profitable. If neither the DM nor the player has any experience with authority over the masses, or the intricacies of geopolitics, or the temperament to understand magic & physics on a complex, intuitive level ... how in heaven's name do you expect any of them to be competent at making a GAME of it?
Eventually, as the player's experience piles up, the DM will be pushed towards the creation of adventures the DM simply hasn't the ability to create. Most times, this means a ridiculous Monty Haul game which becomes sillier and sillier, such as those run by the dweebs I seem to meet in real life. The incompetence reaches levels of delusion ... producing the kind of game only the cognitively dissonant can play.
Perhaps that's the reality for most of us. I have never played at the highest possible level of complexity this game could arrive - I'm moving, right now, into an adventure in the autumn that will certainly be the most complex I've ever played. Hopefully, I will manage it well ... but even if I do, it will only mean the party will advance in level, and an even more complex event awaits me in the future.
It would be nice if I could hire a secretary by then.


text:
iTunes stuff...after bashing through "Girl Anachronism" by the Dresden Dolls (see previous post for the video), I couldn't bear to hear stuff from my old band, Ahltyrra. "Doctor Brown" by the Original Fleetwood Mac came up...knockoff of Sweet Home Chicago, pretty much.
Okay...we're hitting on five weeks. The past several days my lack of focus has led to me causing myself more issues than I had at the beginning, isn't that funny?
I'm generally clumsy when cleaning...I'll make more of a mess than when I started, and have to do that, too. Mindfulness training does not always work when your mind cycles, and you are trying to get things done, and you just plow into everything.
I'm glad for spellchecker...my fingers don't type well, even with years of training. I took typing before it was fashionable and necessary, and there were few boys in my typing classes, believe me.
Anyway, my fingers don't always adjust to my laptop here, and then they don't go back to the keyboard on my PC, either here or at work.
Crank these normal things up by about 100 times, and you know what I'm dealing with.
"Warboys," Queen/Paul Rodgers...this has been considered a horrid album, and Queen purists hate it. I do agree that while Freddie could sing some of those songs, some are not fitting with him. But Freddie's dead...the other guys have a right to do music, damn it. I think some of the songs are very good.
I managed to kill my PC; well, it was having its own issues, and I compounded the error by inserting the wrong reclamation disk. Guess what happened.
I got it back last night, not from the Geek Squad (losers) who left numerous things unplugged from the last time (NO WONDER MY HEADSET MIC DIDN'T WORK, AND I COULD NOT HEAR A FUCKING THING...THANKS, LOSERS!); there's a local chain that for very little money worked it up.
Of course, I tried to plow ahead and re-fix things that I wanted on there, to which nothing occurred right.
Alice is coming tomorrow to fix it up, and get it to run the way it should, so I can do my writing, my on-line stuff, and my new endeavor eventually.
Also have to hope we can save the iTunes. I'm running off my laptop account, which is not the same, thanks to the Cloud issues.
"Suspicion," by Asia. Arena rock time, folks!
My iPod has all the music uploaded that had once been on the PC...now, can we transfer it from the unit to the computer w/o losing it all and starting all over again?
The worst can happen...it often does. But that is a habit I must quit on.
The writing thing is also troubling me...I feel it very hard to trust certain people, where it is concerned.
To explain: the first book of the Sweet Dreams Series is being worked by my agent. There has been some interest, but no deals. Two publishers are looking at it, but I'm not sure what they think.
Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere came a request for the manga portion. Two point five years after approaching, they're back...well, I have had to again push my collaborators to provide me something.
I can't go into all that. Suffice to say, Jen has provided some pencil sketches that look quite interesting. There'll be more, plus my six-page proposal outlining the grand scheme.
Well, that is almost ready; a little more to add.
They want to see it, now.
A bit of "Karn Evil 9," from a live ELP recording of some 20 years ago. So we're getting this together...and here comes the paranoia.
This was sent to me by Alice: http://indiereader.com/2012/06/how-amazon-saved-my-life/
Very tempting, to just cut loose, but then I have the contract with my agent, the issues surrounding it, and the possibilities of all that could go wrong.
The mainspring inside me gets tight...real tight.
"Dirty Little Thing," Velvet Revolver. Yes! Feels just like that!
I see it all going to shit, even though I know this will not happen. I've not signed any rights away; no one has taken anything yet. AND THEY WILL NOT.
Here's the thing that pisses me off about traditional publishers. They, like record labels and TV execs, look for what fits a market. But they don't always know.
The author of the above, Jessica Park is right: WRITERS WRITE FOR THE READERS, NOT FOR A PUBLISHER.
You want another fucking knockoff of Twilight, do you? Just look at your slushpile; there must be a hundred of them there! Who cares if one of them sucks balls, the stupid people will buy them.
And they do.
Record labels sign their version of the NEXT BIG THING. Prepare for the onslaught of Justin Bieber/Carly Rae Jeppsen brats who can't fucking sing, but look cute.
I am not part of that. My stuff on the surface is not terribly difficult to digest, but if it is marketed toward Young Adult or YA, I am afraid of the Big C.
"In the Air Tonight," hmmm...despite all claims of the YA world being open minded and shit, they are not. Swearing, sex, drugs and especially homosexuality is right the fuck out at a lot of 'em.
Well, Book 1 isn't so bad. Book 2, well...
...I dare not sign an agreement for more than the first book because I know what will happen...or I think will happen.
They will tell me that I have to change characters, change the relationships, the sexual whatever they find or it's not marketable.
My stories are NOT offensive; at least I don't think they are. I did my best to create the world I wanted to see, with some feet on the earth kind of thing. The characters are not perfect, because we're not. They make mistakes, they do and say dumb things, they err. We all do.
Believe me, these are good stories or I would not be typing like this right now. I have never felt so confident in my entire life about any fucking thing I have done. This includes 27 years in radio, many years in theatre, and what I've done musically. This is fucking it.
I am probably wrong in a lot of my assumptions. When you feel like this, it takes you down.
Now...all of this having been said...I am finding again a way to as we'd say in Moonsong, 'ground and center.'
"A Change is Gonna Come," Shannon McNally. Kind of a deep, resonant singer; Bonnie Raitt, and Lou Ann Barton are two voices I think of. It's good stuff.
Weird how those titles pop up. Alice's email tonight explained what she saw, and as usual she's brutally honest. I did face the issue, and I worked through it today, as I have. I know I have, and I have to keep doing it.
Most of what I fear is not going to occur, probably. I have to hope that the publisher that wants to see the manga will put that forward. That would be great; it would be excellent to give the book version of SDS-1 a push. It would grant credits to Riz for all her help, and get Jen a platform to show the world how talented she is. All down the road.
Bookwise, I've considered self-publishing. Vanity Press, they call it; that label has changed, though.
If you pay a company to print copies of your book, that's a VP. No editing, no promotion, no help but for your writing, and you're saddled with a thousand copies you have to hawk if you want your money back.
"Angel Eyes," Kenny Burrell...a guitarist I've always admired. Great stuff.
Vanity publishing is a dangerous thing. I've seen too many people sitting in bookstores with a table full of badly-produced books, smiling in the vain hope that someone comes to buy their stuff.
They usually leave with the same amount of books they came in with. Sad, but true.
What struck me (and I learned this) was that these folks didn't give talks about their works; they didn't read from them, they didn't take questions from a small audience. How else do you get the point across, and sell what you've got to sell? You may have a wonderful story; but if you don't present it, what have you got? Not much.
My friend Don Chase is on Amazon.com with a Kindle deal, of the kind that's talked about above. He does not get as many sales as Ms. Park, but he has done pretty well for an unknown author with just one title (I think) out. Don was also very kind with his advice and his time; he helped sound it all out for me.
I could do this, with other books I've written. I will think about it; not yet. The time is not yet right.
I need to be patient.
"Hold On Baby," old track from JJ Cale. Another real good one.
I must see how the manga publisher takes it. I feel good about it.
The others that are interested in book form; I will hold on, and see.
My contract with the agent runs into early 2013. I don't regret working with her; she's worked hard and I've had her back when others have questioned her skills, experience, even her competence and motives.
She has my back, I have hers. Fair is fair.
We'll see...more time is needed to think, and get the ideas in shape.
Tomorrow it could all be different.
Sometimes I feel like this:
This is the last segment of "Stephen Fry: the Secret Life of a Manic Depressive." It is an award-winning documentary on Bipolar Disorder; I am not bipolar, but I urge you to go to the beginning of this on Youtube and watch it.
It will explain so much.
The young woman in the image arrives at about the six-minute mark. Some of what she deals with I feel deeply. In fact, Stephen's own battle is well-chronicled here; and that of other public figures, and some not well known.
This video has helped me a lot; it has given a face to the terrible bouts of depression and what seems like madness.
I've written about this in my story Parasite Girls, and it pops up here and there throughout my writings. The clip catches Stephen in one of his up moods, and you see what others deal with. The girl above has it bad; not as bad as some, but I know the feelings all too well.
It is painful to watch at times, but one must.
Nearly lost this blog a while back. "We the People" by Guitar Shorty is on...
So yeah...here is where we are now. I again must pull back and not let these things tear me apart. Without the Zoloft, I am at times wracked by the stress and the insane feelings that should not matter but do. This is war.
I am optimistic that the manga publisher will like what will be proposed. I aim to have all the parts tomorrow night to send away to the agent and the publisher.
We shall see. Meanwhile, for now I must wait on the other. But I can lay groundwork for the other things I'm doing.
And trying to stop and look back, and forward too w/o expecting myself to perform miracles.
Other things...job hunting in the radio biz is never fun, especially of late. It's a dying industry it seems, but we are survivors. I have a bit of work Friday, a bit next week, and after that, who knows?
I have no specific prospects at this point; again, wait and see.
And try not to go too crazy with worry, or with sudden boundless optimism that takes away my better judgement.
This is how it is.
I end on sad notes...my friend Aimee Johnston is hospitalized after being hit by a car outside her home. She has suffered terrible injuries, and faces a long road of recovery.
Then even worse: my old high school class and bandmate, Brian St. Cyr was found dead on Sunday. We don't know for sure yet what happened; I suspect health issues, but I do not know.
I wish only good for them, and their spirits.


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Wednesday, December 22, 2010
A Yuletide Heart from Fantasy Kingdoms
Created by my friend Cherie, Harvest Moon and Rune Factory veteran, a Yuletide Heart in Fantasy Kingdoms fashioned from Pointsettias and Rainbow and Autumn Dryad Trees. Exquisite bit of landscaping...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Traditional Christmas Spirit in Games
Any player of Harvest Moon is familiar with the Starry Night Festival and throughout the series, there have been traditions in Harvest Moon that are similar to Christmas traditions, such as the Stocking that must be knit by another Character and then placed on the wall to be filled in the middle of the night, usually by the Mayor acting as Santa's agent. Christmas per se, however, is not one of the traditional Harvest Moon festivals...
Some of the Animal Crossing games include Christmas revelries. Jingles is a character beloved by almost all Animal Crossing fans and one can enjoy the annual hunt for him, tricking him into giving extra gifts by changing clothing and headgear.
For gorgeous opulent Victorian depictions of Christmas and Yuletide, one cannot do better than to play Fantasy Kingdoms on Facebook. It is a total fantasy fulfillment for any one who delights in magic and who has gazed at Victorian illustrations wistfully, wishing that one could surround oneself with that type of enchantment and beauty during the Yuletide season.
The artists who work on Fantasy Kingdoms have created a real Winter Wonderland, complete with Magical Reindeer, Sleigh and all the other traditional symbols of Yule. Gifts can be exchanged with Neighbours and the fairly new option of Spellcrafting now allows one to craft special Limited Edition buildings, including an Ornament House and Gingerbread House.
Farmville may have more Holiday activities, including snowball fights and gift-wrapping, but it cannot compare with Fantasy Kingdoms for sheer breathtaking beauty. Furthermore, Fantasy Kingdoms always tends to be more 'giving' in its rewards for players who spend time and energy on the game.
Fantasy Kingdoms should appeal to any one who appreciates the philosophy at the heart of every Harvest Moon and Rune Factory game as it is based on the concept that power is derived from the acts of tending to the land and living in harmony with it.
Mana is the 'currency' upon which Fantasy Kingdoms is based, although Kingdoms Cash is a secondary currency that can be used to purchase special Items. For the most part, however, players can earn Mana by conjuring and gathering magical Crops, harvesting trees and empowering and gathering from Artifacts. The Crops that have been released for the Christmas season are extraordinarily beautiful and enchanting. They consist of Holiday 'Candy' and Ornaments. The various stages of growth of any magical Crop in Fantasy Kingdoms are distinct and the ability to 'freeze' Crops at any stage allows players to landscape their Kingdoms in different ways.
There are four different types of 'Christmas Trees' this year and each will change as it grows until it is ready to be harvested. One Tree displays pinecones. Another has lit candles. There is a Green Tree heavy with gorgeous ornaments and decorations and another 'trimmed' White Tree. Both of these will have gifts beneath them when they are ready for harvest.
One cannot compare a game like Fantasy Kingdoms with Harvest Moon or Rune Factory in terms of depth and gameplay. Fantasy Kingdoms basically is a method by which players can create their own works of arts, bringing their visual fantasies to life. It is landscaping for the most part, but it can be as detailed and as challenging as the player desires. Changing perspectives as well as creating patterns from objects are very much a part of Fantasy Kingdoms. If one is not interested in this, however, one can create a simple landscape that is beautiful and satisfying artistically.
It may be difficult for most people to find any time during the busy holiday season to play any games, but I do urge all lovers of traditional Christmas images and symbols to explore Fantasy Kingdoms a little. It is a free game and definitely worth the effort, for gamers and non-gamers alike.
For those who find themselves alone or unable to socialise in the real world during this season, games like Fantasy Kingdoms offer a very fulfilling way to celebrate the Spirit of Christmas and to interact with others who share the same sense of enchantment and magic.
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