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Friday, December 19, 2008
Update On Me
So today I went to see Dr. Schreck for my after surgery follow up. Painful would be a kind way of describing it. Quick though another. The doctor had to remove the stitches and the splints in my nose. Ouch! The stitches came out quickly but I felt a twinge of pain as they were pulled out. The plastic splints made me sit there in awe after they were pulled out. How did they get something that big in my nose holes? One on each side. Great. The doctor said it was looking pretty good, but there was more swelling than he wanted to see. Leave it to me. He also said that there was a slight perforation (hole) that wasn't closing up. That gave him some concern. I needed a good antibiotic to help it heal and fight off infection. Problem is last two antibiotics I had taken I had been allergic to. So we are trying CIPRO. Cross your fingers for me that it works. Sounds like a fun antibiotic. I mean one of the possible side effects is hearing voices and hallucinations. What? Oh, well. We will hope for the best. Everyone pray when I go back to the doctor on January 8Th that the hole has closed please. I do get to go back to work on Monday. I'm glad it's not today. My mouth is sore. Very sore and swollen. I think it hurts worse today than it did the day after surgery. I can breath through my nose though. There is a plus. Well, that is the update. I appreciate all the emails, calls, text messages, thoughts and prayers. Thank you all so very much.
Posted by Sheila
Labels: All ME
1 comment:
glad to see the stitches came out. that is always a good thing. praying for a speedy recovery for you. love ida
- December 19, 2008 at 4:26 PM
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The Maranatha Singers end this year's programme with a Christmas Concert this Sunday at the Eros Dutch Reformed Church.
The group is an adult choir consisting of 35 experienced singers with Evy George as the choir director, it was announced.
The choir has been very active throughout this year with highlights such as an Easter Concert, a tour to the North-Western Cape and participation in two charity concerts in Windhoek and Walvis Bay.
The repertoire includes three songs from the Messiah by Hǟ

subset: commoncrawl


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Renee Zarate's Bolton House is still in New England but Renee herself has moved on to South Carolina. The days are a little different now, no garden to take care of means more studio time. Dealing with snow and blizzards will be a thing of the past but there will be new challenges. Challenges like...how will we ever carry these two chairs and this huge umbrella down to the beach? Stay tuned.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Simon Says Stamp and Show--Bottle It
7 comments:
WOW, now that is using your creativity!!! Love it...great paper stash findings!ReplyDelete
I agree with what you said... that hand on the top just really makes this fantastic!ReplyDelete
Absolutely stunning!Love to recycle too but have to say love the hand ontop just finishes it off beautifuly!ReplyDelete
Wow!!!!!!! Absolutly fantastic.Really imaginative and so unique. I think I will have to now try a spot of up-cycling. Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
What a fabulous piece! That hand is holding everything down and a bit (in a good way) creepy. Love this piece and all the work you put into it. Thanks for joining the challenge at Simon Says Stamp & Show.ReplyDelete
Very cute spool you've created out of a recycled toilet paper roll! My goodness!!! You are creative! I love the G45 Alice papers you've used to cover your spool. Love the hand at the top and all of the wonderful little embellishments you have dripping from it. I also love the little "doodads" you have around the bottom...including the vial! Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamp and Show. <3 CandyReplyDelete
WoWzA, this is the coolest! What a treasure!!ReplyDelete


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Played the Left 4 Dead Demo last night, the single player portion anyways. Very fun. My keyboard and mouse skills are still clearly not up to snuff, but I managed. The demo encompasses two areas that the survivors must traverse, and this area appeared to contain approximately a kabillion fucking zombies.
And, man, when that spitting zombie spits on you and the sputum, or whatever, attracts the horde, as they call it, wow. Fucking zombies everywhere, yo. The large zombie boss known as the Tank made for a really exciting moment as well. I go to head up an escalator in the subway station with my team, and immediately start backpedaling as he rushed down on us. Intensity.
(How's that for articulate?)


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After over a year without a more than 3% correction in the S&P 500, surely it is a matter of time before something wobbles and equity markets react. To be fair, the market has had plenty of reasons for moving into a more corrective period in recent months. Geopolitical issues appear to be much graver than in recent years, the US administration has so far failed to pass any substantive policy measures and the Fed has continued to tighten policy. To date, nothing has mattered to equity investors, with the S&P seemingly on the verge of a melt up (according to some commentators).
It seems to us that the main reason to justify buying equities is that, with interest rates so low, there is simply no alternative. When the likes of Warren Buffett assert that equities are cheap relative to bonds, surely enough said. Another reason to be positive on equities is because earnings are growing fast again, and forecasts predict growth continuing in double digits. There is some truth in these assertions, and also a lot of hope, in our opinion.
On the corporate earnings front, there are various ways that earnings can be measured. Companies naturally like to paint their performance in the best light, and so produce what are known as "pro forma" results which excludes some costs which are deemed as one off and can include some extraordinary gains/income as if they were ordinary. On the basis of what companies want us to believe, using data from S&P, trailing 12 month earnings have grown by 18% year on year. At $115.92 through the second quarter, that leaves the market on a price to earnings ratio of about 22x.
So growth looks strong and although the market looks a bit richly valued, it is not bubble like. Furthermore, as can be seen, on both a quarterly and trailing 12 months basis, earnings are an all-time high, having recovered from the energy driven slowdown in 2015/16.
Chart 1 – S&P 500 pro forma earnings
When we look at earnings as measured under generally accepted accounted principles, the profile is not that dissimilar, in that earnings are growing strongly again. However, on this basis, earnings are not at an all-time high and have not grown at all since Q3 2014. Using GAAP earnings, the market trades on a price to earnings ratio of about 25x, not so attractive.
S&P 500 GAAP Earnings
Another way to consider earnings is using the data derived from the national accounts. The quarterly GDP numbers include corporate earnings and we show this measure in chart 3 below. Although the picture is not dramatically different in terms of general profile, we would point out that there really hasn't been that much growth since 2012.
Chart 3 – After tax profits as per national accounts
So, the earnings picture is definitely improving, and yet when stepping back, the improvement is modest since 2014 when using company data, or even 2012 if using national accounts data. The real story for the bulls though is that the market performance has exceeded that justified by earnings in the last 5 years of so, as can be seen in chart 4.
Chart 4 – S&P 500 and trailing 12 month GAAP earnings
What we have illustrated above on the earnings front is well known in the market. However, we think that the real unknown for some, and what Wall Street doesn't really want to talk about, is that financial engineering has massively distorted the earnings numbers.
It is estimated that companies have bought back $3.8 trillion of their own shares since 2009. This financial engineering does not change the Dollars and Cents that a company earns, but by reducing the share count, does increase the earnings per share growth. It is estimated that this financial engineering accounts for 70% of the growth in earnings since 2012, and that earnings over the same period would have grown by about 7% rather than 24%, if we strip out the effect from financial engineering.
Given all of this financial engineering, how much trust should investors give to any earnings based market valuation technique? Wall Street may want to present the market in the most favourable light they can, and even then, the vast majority of pundits will admit that the market is expensive on these measures. So, they will then try and say that compared to low interest rates, the market is reasonable value, and if all else fails, they will say that there is simply no alternative to equities in a zero rate world.
We would also like to point out that looking at earnings alone is only part of the picture. For the last 5+ years, companies have been borrowing money to buy back their shares, with chart 5 below (courtesy of SocGen) showing how total corporate financing has exceeded cash flow.
Chart 5 – Corporates outspend cash flow
Another way of illustrating the disconnect over the last 5 years is seen in chart 6 (again courtesy of SocGen) which illustrates Corporate net debt and earnings before interest, tax and depreciation. Yes, there are some companies with massive cash piles, but actually, these are the tiny minority. The fact is that there are many companies now that have stretched balance sheets, where earnings growth is not strong (again, there is a select few that are enjoying a greater share of the corporate earnings pie), and for whom the next recession could be (will be?) devastating.
Chart 6 – Corporate Net Debt and EBITDA levels
And this is why the little wobble in credit markets in the last couple of weeks could be so interesting. A deterioration in the credit markets is a great leading indicator of poor equity market performance (see chart 7 below). Not only that, but with credit spreads driven to such tight levels as investors search/reach for yield, there is frankly little upside if financial markets remain benign, but significant downside if a recession were to occur in the next year or so.
There is a glaring anomaly in the chart below, in that the widening in spreads in 2015 and early 2016 did not lead to an equity bear market. It did cause a 13% correction, but given the deterioration in the credit market, should we not have expected a larger downturn in equities?
Chart 7 – S&P 500 and High Yield spread over Treasury yield
We think there are a couple of issues with the 2015 period. First, the deterioration in credit markets was concentrated in the energy sector which was reeling from the collapse in the oil price. Removing the energy sector would make the widening in spreads less dramatic. But more importantly, we have to remember that the central banks felt the need to intervene heavily in early 2016 to yet again back stop the system.
So where does that leave us today? Well, if you squint hard enough at the chart above, you can see a slight uptick in high yield spreads in the last couple of weeks. This is occurring at a time when the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates and embarking on balance sheet reduction (n.b. despite saying they would reduce the balance sheet by $10 billion per month in Q4, the balance sheet is actually slightly larger today than it was at the end of September – the Fed may have some catching up to do here, which could marginally impact markets). Not only that, but as shown above, the corporate sector is more leveraged than ever before, both in nominal terms and as a % of GDP, and the picture is worse if we strip out those companies with significant cash balances.
We have also shown above how companies are having to borrow money to buy back shares, and the whole situation is becoming very circular. Easy Fed policies have encouraged massive corporate borrowing to buy back shares, which has boosted the equity market. Low rates would no doubt allow this to continue, but the Fed is raising rates now. Higher interest rates will reduce cash flow for many companies and may make financial engineering less attractive, but this would also reduce share buybacks which could then remove a strong underpinning of the equity market.
We could be entirely wrong here, but our position is that, excluding the small group of tech companies that have massive piles of cash, the average company has a much weaker balance sheet than before the last crisis, and is therefore vulnerable to tighter Fed policies, and ultimately a recession. Not only would a recession be devastating for corporate cash flows and earnings, share buybacks will be dramatically reduced as companies hunker down, both financially and by cutting other expenses, such as jobs. Job losses would also be devastating to consumers (we're talking here about the majority – let's call them the 90%, and not the upper 10% who have benefitted the most during the post GFC recovery). Simply put, the US corporate and consumer sectors are massively interest rate sensitive now.
Chart 8 – Consumer credit as a % of GDP
In a worst case scenario, the Fed tightens policy too much, and we head into a repeat of 2008. In the best case scenario, global central banks ace it, and exit the extreme policies they have been pursuing since the GFC, without upsetting the financial markets whilst both the private and public sectors deleverage. Now, if the markets were reasonable value, then perhaps the potential risks of holding equities through this very delicate policy normalisation process would be a good bet, but we simply don't buy into the narrative that earnings is an appropriate way to value the market at this juncture. At the very least, sensible investors will be cross checking valuation against some non-earnings based measures.
With so much financial engineering, the earnings picture has just become too distorted, and takes no account of the increase in corporate debt since GFC. So, we prefer measures such as price to sales, which as can be seen in chart 9 is within just a few per cent of the all-time high in 2000.
Chart 9 – S&P 500 price to sales
The fact is, the US equity market has rarely, if ever, been more expensive than it is today, and the vast majority of companies are more indebted than before the last financial crisis, and therefore sensitive to rising interest rates just at the time when the Fed continues to tighten policy. The market can go higher, but this may just encourage the Fed to continue tightening in the belief that overall financial conditions remain benign. But when the turn comes, it could come very swiftly, and investors should be on the lookout for warning signs.
We said last week that we felt the canary in the coalmine would well be emerging market bonds, but the same applies to the corporate bond market as well. If this deteriorates further in the weeks ahead, it will become increasingly harder for the equity market to ignore. Furthermore, the higher the Fed raises rates, the more vulnerable the corporate sector becomes, and the potential for negative feedback loops to occur for both the financial markets and the real economy.
Ultimately, we strongly believe that now is not the time for investors to be over committing to equity markets. Soundly based models are indicating that returns over the next 10 to 12 years will be near zero in nominal terms; over the next 7 years, negative in real terms. It is also rational to expect periods of volatility in the years ahead; most likely including a bear market. We also think that it is reasonable to believe that central banks will make some sort of policy error as they try and normalise (history illustrates they always do). As always, timing the market remains incredibly elusive, but we do believe that investors should be looking at the credit and emerging market bond markets as these historically have been great leading indicators.
Stewart Richardson
RMG Wealth Management


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A child prodigy's father: what people think
We went shopping for more books, yesterday. This time it was a University bookshop.
We made a comical entrance: one baby in a pram and one young boy by our side, my wife and I entered this sanctuary of collegiate studiousness. I felt, at once, our incongruity. The shop was filled with students, of University age, and some who were older. Tiarnan and Ainan were the only non-adults in the shop.
The shop had been recommended by the Gifted Education Branch Officer, as stocking a range of University texts, among which might be something to interest Ainan. It seemed to cover all the major subjects of a University and even had a Chemistry section. It was not long before Ainan was ensconced beneath its shelving, a pile of Chemistry texts growing by his side as I took them down from the upper shelves for him to look at.
The reaction to Ainan from strangers was much more stark, this time, than in Kinokuniya. I feel it was, perhaps, because the people who shopped in that shop would be much more aware of the difficulties of the material, in question, than a typical shopper at an average bookshop - because they weren't studying it.
As they passed Ainan, they would look down at this small boy, with the big books open in front of him, and they would pause, momentarily in their movement, as if struck by what they saw. They would look down at him, at the books, then up at me, and on. They would say nothing, but their faces said everything.
It was worse when we came to the counter to pay. I set the books down and the staff began scanning them. Then I turned to Ainan beside me, whose head barely reached the level of the counter and asked: "What do you think of this one, Ainan?" It was a specialist University Chemistry text. I asked because, having seen the price rang up - seventy-nine dollars - I wanted to make sure of his choice.
The cashier had stopped in her scanning when I had turned to Ainan, as she understood who the book was for. She just stared down at him in silence. She was frozen still. I ignored her and continued to speak to Ainan.
"Is it good?"
He gave a minute nod.
"OK then..." I turned back to the assistant, who still stared at Ainan, unable to comprehend the relative size of book and boy. Slowly, she picked up her scanner and turned back to the task of scanning books, but her mind wasn't on it anymore, but on Ainan.
Ainan then did something to give her greater worries. He went behind the counter, beside her, and squatted down and started examining whatever was unseen (from my point of view) back there. He smiled broadly, as he did so. In other words, he behaved as a curious child might. This only exacerbated the contrast between the choice of book and the ostensible age of the child.
The cashier said nothing, but just stared at Ainan, quite unable to take all this in.
I called him out from there, and picked up my books.
I asked her when the shop was open. "Everyday...but closed on Sundays." She replied, automatically...but again unsure of what to make of the implication that we would be regulars.
I felt her eyes on our backs, as I left.
Interestingly, Ainan had attracted much the same kind of silent gaze, at NUS High School...but more of that, perhaps, in another post.
(If you would like to read more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged seven years and three months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, three, and Tiarnan, 13 months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, the creatively gifted, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)
Labels: Ainan, books, Chemistry, child genius, child prodigy, reactions to giftedness


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Priority Date: 06.12.13 (DE 20131020123)
Liner for a large container and method for filling a large container
- Application ID: EP14004111
- Status: █ PATENT GRANTED
no operation time available
1 office
active in Legal Services
This EP application has the IPC class B65 (CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL). Liermann Castell is specialized in B65. Liermann Castell is specialised in B65 (CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL). Here you find a list of all patent agent firms which are specialized in this IPC class. For a similar patent, they might be a good choice.
- 06.12.2013 - Priority Date (DE 20131020123)
- 10.06.2015 - Publication A2 (EP2881340)
- 26.08.2015 - Publication A3 (EP2881340)
- 08.03.2017 - Publication B1 (EP2881340)


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Sunday, June 23, 2013
Back to Columbia Road
10 comments:
- Giovanna said...
I need to get to that museum next time I go to London... fascinating. Your photo mosaics are lovely.
- June 23, 2013 at 9:54 AM
- Vickie said...
Oh, I don't think the museum sounds boring at all.
You must feel so tempted and perhaps frustrated at not being able to buy plants!!!
- June 23, 2013 at 11:38 AM
- cucki said...
Beautiful photos x
- June 23, 2013 at 11:40 AM
- Samplings from Spring Creek said...
The flower market might be a serious competitor to my stitching stash
- June 23, 2013 at 12:00 PM
- Carol said...
I've been away for the past six days and am just now catching up on my blog reading. I was thinking you would be back home in Oregon by now, but obviously not! What an amazing trip you and your mom are enjoying, Beth...
Loved all the London photos, but my favorite was of that darling thatched roof cottage from your Friday post! I used to collect David Winter cottages and it is so reminiscent of them.
Enjoyed your pointing out the blue plaque honoring Caldecott, too! I'm another childen's book collector--mainly for the illustrations :)
You really are having the trip of a lifetime--how wonderful that you've been able to blog about it each day!
- June 23, 2013 at 2:11 PM
- Margaret said...
That museum sounds fascinating to me! And I love the flower market too. Wow! So cool!
- June 23, 2013 at 7:07 PM
- Barb said...
I love that market!! It looks like this trip is a perfect one for garden lovers.
- June 23, 2013 at 9:38 PM
- Mary said...
The Gaffrey looks wonderful...we all have our style but I can appreciate all the others. I may not choose 1950 for my home but that is what I grew up and it is always comforting to see a whole room that way .Your visits to flower markets make me think just like you if I lived there every week would bring a new bouquet in the house. I am really enjoying the tour.
- June 24, 2013 at 5:39 AM
- Susan said...
I am so ready to pack up and move to London! I know, soon I'd take it all for granted but up until that time I'd have a ball!! Th museum was a great find, it's always interesting to see how things we use on a daily basis (except at my parent's - NOBODY is allowed in the living room except company and my sister's dogs - don't ask on that one it's a very sore subject with my sister and me!! 8-)) have changed. The flower market would be to tempting.
- June 24, 2013 at 9:38 AM
- Athena at Minervas Garden said...
I love seeing all the many and varied photos of all the neat markets you've gotten to visit on your travels! Also the dogs :)
- June 25, 2013 at 11:41 AM


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Monday, July 4, 2011
Anthony Trial Judge Belvin Perry: New Legal Break-Out Star! (Videos)
Who Is The New, Unintended Break-Out "Star" Of The Casey Anthony Trial?
NO! It Isn't Cold-Blooded Child Murderer Casey Anthony.
Instead Its No-Nonsense Judge Belvin Perry!
Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr.
Judicial Assignments
* 2001-2011 Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit
* 1999-2001 Circuit Judge, Orange County Civil
* 1995-1999 Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit
* 1992-1995 Circuit Judge, Orange County Criminal
* 1991 Administrative Circuit Judge, Osceola County
* 1989-1990 Circuit Judge, Osceola County
* Juris Doctor: Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (1977)
* Masters of Education Degree: Tuskegee University (1974)
* Bachelor of Science Degree, History: Tuskegee University (1972)
Professional Activities
* Member, Trial Court Budget Commission
* Member, Texas Bar Association
* Member, Orange County Bar Association
* Member, The Florida Bar
Casey Anthony Trial Update: Judge Belvin Perry calls for indefinite recess
Judge Belvin Perry called for an indefinite recess Friday morning in the Casey Anthony trial so the defense can depose state witnesses.
Perry issued a recess around 9:15 a.m. after hearing arguments from the defense over upcoming testimony in the state's rebuttal case, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
Defense lead attorney Jose Baez said the state has not provided reports of what the witnesses, a forensic anthropologist and computer analysts, will say. Before the trial, Perry issued a court order saying that all experts had to write reports containing their opinions.
It's not known if the trial will resume Friday.
Perry told attorneys for the state and the defense that, if necessary, he will hold court into the night on Friday, through the 4th of July weekend and beyond, the station reports.
"These folks are ready to return to their homes," said Perry, referring to the jury, which was not seated during the aforementioned arguments.
The prosecution planned to continue its rebuttal case Friday to attack testimony offered by Casey Anthony's mother about computer searches she claims to have made months before her 2-year-old granddaughter, Caylee, first disappeared.
The rebuttal phase of the trial comes after Anthony's defense rested without calling her to testify about the death of her daughter Caylee.
On Thursday after the defense rested, the state called their first rebuttal witness, Alina Burroughs, Orange County Sheriff's Office crime scene investigator and entered George Anthony's suicide note that he left in January 2009 into evidence.
George Anthony testified on Wednesday that in his note he asked questions about what had happened to Caylee, whose remains were found one month prior.
The defense said in its opening statement that Caylee drowned and that George Anthony, a former police officer, helped cover up the death by making it look like a homicide and dumping the body near their home, where it was found by a meter reader six months later.
The prosecution contends that Casey Anthony killed Caylee in June 2008 by covering her mouth with duct tape and dumping her body in the woods near her parents' home, then resumed her life of partying and shopping.
Anthony, 25, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Caylee's death and could get the death penalty if convicted of that charge.
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Sources: AOL, CBS News, CNN, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, People.com, Google Maps
Posted by Laurel at 11:37 AM
Labels: Black Celebs, Black Men, Child Abuse, Court Cases, Florida, Judge, Legal Battles, Murder, Orlando, trial, Verdict
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Legal Status
Document Details
Published Document
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
Notice of proposed policy; request for comments.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces the availability of proposed policy that clarifies certification policy on § 25.785(a), Amendment 25-64, for side-facing seats.
Send your comments on or before October 20, 2003.
Address your comments to the individual identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.Start Further Info
Michael T. Thompson, Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane Directorate, Transport Standards Staff, Airframe and Cabin Safety Branch, ANM-115, 601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056; telephone (425) 227-1157; fax (425) 227-1100; e-mail: email@example.com Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
Comments Invited
The proposed policy is available on the Internet at the following address: http://www.airweb.faa.gov/rgl. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can obtain a copy of the policy by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The FAA invites your comments on this proposed policy. We will accept your comments, data, views, or arguments by letter, fax, or e-mail. Send your comments to the person indicated in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Mark your comments, "Comments to Policy Statement No. ANM-2003-115-30." Use the following format when preparing your comments:
- Organize your comments issue-by-issue.
- For each issue, state what specific change you are requesting to the proposed policy.
- Include justification, reasons, or data for each change you are requesting.
We also welcome comments in support of the proposed policy.
We will consider all communications received on or before the closing date for comments. We may change the proposed policy because of the comments received.
The proposed policy memorandum will provide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification policy on the occupant protection requirements of § 25.785(a), Amendment 25-64, for side-facing seats. Specifically, it provides guidance used to establish the minimum acceptable testing and human injury criteria for obtaining special conditions for single occupant side-facing seats and an exemption for multiple occupant side-facing seats.Start Signature
Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 8, 2003.
Vi L. Lipski,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 03-23974 Filed 9-18-03; 8:45 am]


text:
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Three times, Soviet tanks crashed through the walls of the small Christian cemetery in the neighborhood called Sher Porr, or ``Full of Lions.``
Three times, the Rev. Angelo Panigati patiently repaired the damage, brick by brick.
``I think they had too much vodka, those drivers,`` said Panigati, adding in a tone of forgiveness, ``but drunk or sober, the lane is a bit difficult to negotiate in a tank.``
The cemetery is the only one of its kind in the dusty, war-scarred capital. Just as Panigati is the only one of his kind in Afghanistan.
The 64-year-old Roman Catholic priest jokingly refers to himself as the ``last of the Christian mullahs.`` He is the only Christian cleric in Kabul, and probably the last one in Afghanistan.
``There were other pastors until 1979, when things became a bit difficult,`` said Panigati, who refuses to discuss politics except in the most oblique way, such as citing a date.
In 1979, the Soviet Union intervened militarily in Afghanistan and installed a puppet Marxist government. The new regime murdered several Christian missionaries and expelled the rest.
Panigati was able to stay because of his unique status as a priest and diplomat accredited to the Italian Embassy.
The Italian government, like the United States and the other Western nations with diplomatic posts in Kabul, closed its embassy and withdrew its diplomatic staff in the chaotic days preceding the Soviet military withdrawal, which was completed on Feb. 15.
So Panigati is not only the last Christian ``mullah,`` he is the last Western diplomat remaining in Kabul.
``I was urged to leave but I felt someone should stay on to minister to the few Christians here,`` he said. ``My status may be technically that of a diplomat, but my role is simply that of a churchman.``


text: WARNING: NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BAN. ONLY YOU! (Very unlikely.) So if you use Multiman, Irisman, or any game backup launcher of your choice you will notice how some games (e.g COD Ghosts) will appear on a black screen when launched with PSNpatch. Or just in general. This tutorial will fix it for most games. There will be a list of games currently compatible at the bottom. Also if this worked for you with a game not already on the list just tag me with the game. Requirements>------ PS3 CFW Game backup launcher of your choice. Basic knowledge Multiman (Also works in Irisman, but I recommend Multiman.) Patience (Trust me the process can take a while depending on game size.) Steps>------ 1. Make sure before doing this that you select basic game launching settings such as BD Mirror and Internal. Also make sure you fix permissions and test the game. 2. If the game is confirmed not working with PSNpatch or in general then follow. 3. Highlight game in Multiman. 4. Press triangle and select create ISO. Wait... 5. Once done you can launch game with proper settings and it should work without a blackscreen. 6 (optional). Delete the non-ISO version of the game after to save space. (PSNPatch or in general) Currently Known Compatible Games Call of Duty®: Ghosts Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3 Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2 Sorry for the short tutorial, but as short as it is trust me it will come to help. Good Luck!


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5 of the Worst 'Religious' Organizations
February 1, 2011, 9:00 PM GMT

A common response to criticisms of religion is that its adherents can sometimes do good things, even if it's for irrational reasons. That's fair enough, but at the same time it's useful to remember that while some good can be mixed in with the bad, sometimes religions create institutions of pure evil. Here are a few of them:

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

You thought Mormons were sheltered human barnacles desperately clinging to a nostalgic vision of the past which never actually happened? Well, they are, but that's nothing compared to their even-more-inbred fundamentalist counterparts in the FLDS.

If you've ever asked a Mormon about polygamy, you've probably heard that the mainstream church discontinued the practice in the early 20th century, following a manifesto by then-Church President and "prophet" Wilford Woodruff. The manifesto is now considered to be prophecy -- the word of God translated by the Dear Leader of the Church himself.

Warren Jeffs was the President / Prophet of the FLDS Church, but since 2007 he's been busy tending to the matter of his 10 years to life sentence for being an accomplice to rape. Church leaders currently won't tell who is the President, probably because that would be a pretty strong indication of who's been filling the role of dungeon master / "marriage" arranger since Warren Jeffs has been in prison.

And most recently, this past week a former FLDS member testified in court that waterboarding infants to get them to stop crying is "quite common" amongst the community. They call it "breaking in," which I thought was a term usually applied to boots and horses. Look, I hate babies as much as the next guy, but you can't torture them. You just can't. No. STOP IT. But that's their "family values," you know.

Sri Ram Sene

Sri Ram Sene translates to "Army of the Lord Ram." They're a right-wing Hindu nationalist group in India which was founded by a politician named Bal Thackeray. In the late 1960s, Thackeray started a "Maharashtra is for Maharashtrians" campaign against non-Hindus migrating to Mumbai. And in 2002, he infamously called for Hindu suicide squads to fight those darned Muslims. See, America's not the only place where right-wing whackjobs get off on hating Muslims. Here's a nice quote from him in the Asia Times:

"Trouble-making Muslims should be wiped out from the country … kick out the four crore [40 million] Bangladeshi Muslims and then the country will be secure," the Shiv Sena leader said. Urging Hindus to start calling India "Hindu rashtra" (Hindu nation), he maintained that only "our religion [Hinduism] is to be honored here" and then "we will look after other religions."

Sound familiar? Unfortunately, so far Thackeray has failed to take his own advice and start up his own suicide squad.

In August of 2008, Sri Ram Sene sent some vandals to smash up an art exhibit by controversial artist Maqbool Fida Husain. They didn't like his artwork because it depicted Bharathmata nekkid and depicted other Hindu gods in a way they considered derogatory. So apparently the only thing they could think to do in response was to smash up his art, leaving notes explaining why they did it on the off chance that somebody missed the point. Even Bill Donahue has the decency to limit his anti-art fuckwittery to press releases.

In October of 2008, Sri Ram Sens activists attacked the offices of the democratic socialist Samajwadi Party. Someone at the SP had insulted a police chief the Sena liked, so they ransacked their central offices, damaging cars, furniture, and "hoardings," according to the Sena's own national general secretary Binay Kumar Singh.

This last tidbit about the Sena has a happy ending, but it starts out pretty ugly. Like the Saudi religious police (I'll get to them later), they have a real problem with Valentine's Day. Pramod Muthalik, the group's leader, sent out a memo in January 2009 claiming that they would send their goons on patrol on February 14 to forcibly marry any couple who expresses their love in public:

"Our activists will go around with a priest, a turmeric stub and a 'mangal sutra' on February 14. If we come across couples being together in public and expressing their love, we will take them to the nearest temple and conduct their marriage," he said. If the couples resisted the move, the girl would be forced to tie a 'rakhi' to the boy.

But instead of that, what actually happened was that outrage over his comments was so widespread that Muthalik and about 140 of his Sena buddies had to be taken into preventative custody on Valentine's Day, 2009. And the very best part was the international success of a Facebook campaign to send Sena members pink underwear which Indians call Chaddi. Here in the US we call them 'granny panties.'

Lord's Resistance Army

For the past few years, journalist Jeff Sharlett has been covering the notorious C Street Family whose shady dealings have, among other things, included ties to Uganda's proposed legislation which would punish homosexuality, including capital punishment in some instances.

The Lord's Resistance Army wasn't behind that. The "kill the gays" bill is too mild for them. They just want straight-up theocracy in Uganda, with laws based on a mix apocalyptic Christianity focusing on the Ten Commandments and traditional Acholi spiritualism, and they're doing pretty much everything they can do in order to make that happen.

The LRA is led by Joseph Kony, a self-proclaimed "spokesperson of God" and "spirit medium." That means he hears voices in his head and thinks that it's a deity talking to him. Under his leadership, the LRA has abducted some 30,000 children to use as soldiers, kept women as sex slaves, attacked and raped civilian populations, all of which has caught the attention of INTERPOL and the International Criminal Court. In the meantime, children find a new place to sleep every night in order to avoid getting mutilated, forced into sexual slavery or into Kony's Christian militia.

Army of God

It's so typical of the American anti-abortion terrorists on the list to be the ones with the least creative name. The Army of God is a group which even the worst doctor murderers will not normally associate with. Usually what happens is that one of them will flip out and shoot or blow up a bunch of people, and the AoG will step in and claim the perpetrator as one of their own.

When Eric Rudolph blew up an abobo clinic and a gay nightclub in 1997, it was the AoG who sent handwritten letters voluntarily claiming responsibility. When Paul Hill murdered the abortion provider John Britton and 2 of his co-workers, the AoG wrote up a statement calling that mass killing "morally justified."

And some of the anti-abortion terrorists reach out to the AoG on their own. Shelley Shannon who had tried to murder George Tiller in 1993 is one example. She is now serving a sentence for attempted murder and is projected to be released in November 2018. And in 2001, Clayton Waagner sent abortion providers over 500 letters containing white powder in the wake of the Anthrax scare that year. He had previously escaped from jail and robbed a bunch of banks, so he won't be getting out until around 2046.

Michael Bray is unfortunately not currently in prison, but he also associates himself with the AoG. If you haven't seen this interview of him, it will sum up what he's all about.

Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice

The CFPVPV is also known as the Mutaween, also known as هيئة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر, also known as the Saudi Religious Police. According to author Lawrence Wright, an imam named Turki bin Faisal Al Saud began secretly monitoring CFPVPV members after one of them insulted his sister. He found that most were criminals who were given light sentences because they had memorized the Quran.

The CFPVPV is tasked with the duties of enforcing Sharia law in Saudi Arabia. That means making sure everyone prays at the proper time, keeping men and women separate so Allah doesn't get cooties, arresting the gays, preventing the corrupt Western practice of selling cats and dogs, and that sort of totally normal thing. And that's just they're supposed to be doing. So you might imagine how bad they can get when they go above and beyond the call of duty. If you did, knock it off because I'm going to get to that next.

In May of 2007, a 28 year old man in Riyadh named Ali Al-Huraisi had a run-in with the CFPVPV. Because they believed that he possessed alcohol, they broke into his house, arrested his entire family, handcuffed him, and then beat him to death. Ta-da!

In August of 2008, a member killed his own daughter for converting to Christianity. He burned her to death. Apostasy does have a death penalty associated with it in Saudi Arabia, but as in the case of Ali Al-Huraisi the role of the organization according to Saudi law is to apprehend suspects of religious "crimes" and hand them over to the courts. Besides confiscating things which are banned and detaining people, they aren't supposed to have the power to actually carry out much punishment on their own.

And the worst of the worst of this organization's crimes has to be how they responded to a 2002 fire at a girl's school in Mecca. I'm going to have to quote news sources here because every time I try to start to write about it in my own words I worry that I'll just end up bashing my head through the keyboard and into my desk in a futile effort to dull the rage and disgust that builds up in the form of a terrible headache and violent twitches. So here's the BBC:

Saudi Arabia's religious police stopped schoolgirls from leaving a blazing building because they were not wearing correct Islamic dress, according to Saudi newspapers…
One witness said he saw three policemen "beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya"…
The school was locked at the time of the fire -- a usual practice to ensure full segregation of the sexes.

I have a question: What's more evil than that? Seriously, even in all of fiction it's difficult to find a close contender. I was against the US wars in the Middle East before they even began, but even a pinko peacenik like me would have no problem with sending some Special Ops guys over there just to specifically target these people. When you're an adult ex-con fighting girls and forcing them into a burning building because you're offended by what they're wearing, you have to lose any possibility of sympathy from anyone with an ounce of sense in them.

Josh Bunting is a Beast contributor.


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Posada Del Marques
Posada Del Marques is a fine option to stay in San Juan de los Lagos.
Many San Juan de los Lagos sights, including Basilica de San Juan de los Lagos are about 5 minutes' walk from the property. The venue is located 145 km from Ajijic.
For a comfortable stay in San Juan de los Lagos Posada Del Marques offers 15 rooms fitted with a ceiling fan, television, hi-fi and a private toilet. Bathrooms come with a shower, free toiletries and towels.
Such facilities as an elevator and a car park are available on-site.


text:
Looking for an easy, fresh & healthy salad? Look no further, introducing our take on the classic Greek Salad – top with our poached salmon and you've got yourself a meal. For ingredients and instructions click here.
*This post was originally published on LEAFtv. For more from LEAF, visit www.leaf.tv.


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Synecdoche, New York
With Charlie Kaufman in Person!
Wed October 222008, 9:30 only
Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) wrote the screenplay and makes his directorial debut with Synecdoche, New York, a story about Caden Cotard, a theater director (Philip Seymour Hoffman) from Schenectady who sets out to make his mark by staging an ambitious Manhattan production that involves creating a life-sized and self-referential replica of a part of New York City inside an airplane hangar. Mysterious illnesses and troubles with the women in his life underscore his sense of urgency and decline. When Cotard assembles his cast and attempts to direct them within his created city, the actors and the characters, and reality and fantasy, become increasingly difficult to distinguish from one another. Also stars Catherine Keener, Hope Davis, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, and Tom Noonan.
Review by James Rocchi, Cinematical
Synecdoche : n. A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword). -- American Heritage Dictionary
The directorial debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation), Synecdoche, New York is a sprawling, messy work of inspired brilliance and real humanity, a film that enthralls and affects even as it infuriates and confounds. Kaufman gives us parts, and the whole; he gives us the general and the specific. The plot is, on the surface, about a theater director, Caden (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), whose work, and life, in upstate New York have both fallen into a state of stasis relieved only by hints of slow decay. His marriage to Adele (Catherine Keener) is a qualified success: somewhat supportive, somewhat loving, somewhat successful, sustained in part by their daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein). And just as Caden's life falls apart personally -- Adele, a painter, takes Olive to Berlin for a gallery showing and never comes back -- he also earns a "Genius" grant, and embarks on an ambitious, immersive theater piece that'll be his masterwork.
But that meat-and-potatoes synopsis does not, and can not, fully explain what Kaufman covers and examines and explores and offers in the film -- partially because of the fluidity of time and space and art and reality in the story, and partially because of how Kaufman wedges every frame full of set design, side notes, visual tricks, subtext, deadpan jokes, prosthetic makeup, voice-over, post-modern inventions and old-fashioned melodrama. Synecdoche, New York veers away from reality fairly early in its journey; indeed, there's a question of if it even starts anywhere near there to begin with. Caden's obsessed with the decline of his physical body as he ages, poking at bumps, examining anomalies, concerned with disease.
His theatrical project finds a home in a huge abandoned hangar, which he fills with a recreation of the city around it, which, in the illogical logic of a Charlie Kaufman screenplay, involves re-creating a hanger within the hanger containing another iteration of the play, and then, of course, recreating the hangar (and his play) inside the hanger within the hanger. The attempt to evoke the world through art just makes a smaller version of the world, over and over again. (It's too bad that the visual and philosophical appeal of this idea is undermined by how Kaufman's occasional collaborator Michel Gondry took on the same recursive, reductive idea in briefer and better fashion with the video for Bjork's 1997 single "Bachelorette"; it would be interesting to know if Kaufman was inspired by Gondry, or vice-versa, or not at all.)
And we also see Caden's dealings with the women in his life -- his wife, his box-office manager (Samantha Morton), his leading lady (Michelle Williams), his daughter, his therapist (Hope Davis, brittle and bizarre) and Ellen (Dianne Wiest), who takes on his role as he ages and falters in the eternal rehearsals and workshopping of the hangar-play that consume years of his life. We also see Hoffman deal with the actor, Sammy (Tom Noonan), who takes on the role of Caden within the hangar, and offers Caden a distorted reflection of himself. Is Sammy's brusque, brooding behavior an inaccurate portrait of Caden, or too close for comfort? Synecdoche, New York leaps from topic to topic, year to year, loaded with possible parallels. There are some dreams where we awake perfectly clear as to how the pieces and parts of our nighttime vision matches up to our waking life, and there are other dreams where we simply blink, and dismiss them as nothing but crazy talk; Synecdoche, New York is more like the latter kind of dream, and that hurts the film. Its ideas are so fecund and fertile and promiscuously perverse that we're often left with a movie too slippery to grasp with the mind and too clever to claim with the heart.
But Hoffman keeps the film from failing to reach us; he makes Caden a slumped, sympathetic everyman, terrified of death and failure and living and success. Even as Kaufman's ideas spiral ever outward and the intricate production design becomes dizzying and overwhelming, we keep coming back to Hoffman's performance. He provides a center to the movie's manic inventions and bizarre digressions, and he makes Caden more than just the focal point of Kaufman's wonders and madness.
Much like the Toronto International Film Festival debut of I'm Not There, the Cannes premiere of Synecdoche, New York offers an international stage for the unveiling of a unique vision; even more than in I'm Not There, there's the legitimate question of if Kaufman's film represents a unique vision that can explain itself to a larger audience. There are so many things going on in Synecdoche, New York -- deadpan jokes and weird set design, perverse reversals and leaps in time, the strong possibility that our protagonist may not be living these events but dreaming them, or may not even be real, or alive -- that one can feel curiously challenged to actually care. Synecdoche, New York is the kind of movie that inspires more intellectual comparisons -- It's 8 ½ for our modern age! It's a post-Woody Woody Allen film! It's Jacob's Ladder for New Yorker subscribers! -- than emotional responses.
Synecdoche, New York, might be easier to analyze than enjoy, easier to think about than feel. And yet, as Caden makes mistakes, frets about growing old, laments losing touch with his daughter and tries to find some happiness, we do care about him; that may be more a tribute to Hoffman's work than Kaufman's. Synecdoche, New York is bolder and bigger and weirder than the movies that sprang from Kaufman's scripts for Spike Jonze (Being John Malcovich, Adaptation) and Michel Gondry (Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind); it's also colder and crueler than those films. Plenty of people were used and quizzical after this morning's press screening of Synecdoche, New York; over time, though, I think Kaufman's directorial debut is going to inspire more puzzlement than passion.
To see a trailer and read a review, visit InternationalFilmSeries.com.
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By Moses Emorinken Sometimes, life deals you a bad hand; throws punches at you and your dreams and brings you to your knees. Honestly, it will keep you permanently on your knees if you let it. Just like boxing, It's really not about how hard you hit, but about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward. Say to yourself: IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL I WIN! Read more
Valid hacks for maximizing your employees
If an organisation wants to walk FAST, it can walk alone; but if it must walk FAR, its best bet is in its employees. Once you employ a man, you employ his family. This statement holds true in any society regardless of its literacy rate, technological advancement, or economic system. This is because any person who seeks to be gainfully employed pursues, not just his own well-being, but that of his immediate family or in cases where such an individual… Read more
I am here to stay (Get Motivated!)
I am here to stay. Life is more than merely existing; it is about LIVING for something and probably DYING for what you believe in. It goes beyond the threshold of breathing; it is about breathing value and life into everything, person or group that comes in contact with you. A lot of people never get to manifest their greatness so much so that when they leave this earth nobody ever know they left not to talk of missing them… Read more
Motivation day with young models
Ace photographer, Yetunde Babaeko's Mara Agency recently held a motivation session for its models. Yetunde Oladeinde was there. Young people have a lot of energy, which they need to express to discover their skills and potentials for a better future. When motivated and engaged, the positive side of life receives a great boost. Conversely, when left adrift, they tend to end up in frustration and restlessness that may ruin their lives. The essence of positive engagement was the trust at… Read more
Six practical steps that'll make you scream – Thank God it's Monday!
By Moses Emorinken 'Oh yes! Thank God it's Monday!' I'm almost certain that is not the mantra emanating from most people because recent survey reveals that about 87% of people hold jobs that they do not like, and work for companies they care little about. It is funny, but psychologists and counsellors have found out that Monday is the most important day in the week because it sets the tone (mind-set and concretised plans) for the rest of the week. Chances… Read more
How to use reward as motivation
I WOULD like to reward my child, but I don't want to spoil her or give her the impression that every time she accomplishes something, she deserves a treat. What is the best way to do it? Also how can I use rewards to change bad behaviour? Mr. CY, Lagos Many parents like you battle constantly with crossing the fine line between providing motivation to and spoiling our children with rewards (treats and gifts). This poses an even greater… Read more
Gombe's Obioha craves Scorpions' motivation
McMarcel Obioha feels Gombe United have enough quality to challenge for honours in the upcoming season, but insists they must be properly motivated to fulfill their huge potentials. The Savannah Scorpions finished ninth in the premier league after a blistering start last season, and the central defender told supersport.com that losing focus towards the end has been the major problem since he joined the team four seasons ago. "This is my fourth year in Gombe, and we've always started well… Read more


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News Briefs
Smithsonian Revamps Controversial Atom Bomb ExhibitThe Washington Post
The Smithsonian Institution, attempting to defuse a mounting controversy over its planned exhibit on the atomic bombing of Japan, announced Monday that it would accompany the exhibit with a separate exhibition about how Americans experienced World War II.
The action comes amid increasing criticism of the atom bomb exhibit, which veterans groups and others charge ignores Japan's years of aggression in Asia and the Pacific. It also ignores, they say, the savagery of Japan's conquests, and pictures the Japanese as needless victims in a war of American racism and vengeance.
Just Monday, for example, an editorial in the Wall Street Journal found it "especially curious to note the oozing romanticism with which the (exhibit's) writers describe the kamikaze suicide pilots (as) Œyouths, their bodies overflowing with life.' Of the youth and life of the Americans who fought and bled in the Pacific there is no mention."
Other critics of the exhibit say it should place greater emphasis on the fact that the bomb was dropped on Japan to end the war without an invasion of the Japanese mainland, which would have cost hundreds of thousands more lives, Japanese as well as American.
North Says Robb Lacks ŒMoral Force' to Hold OfficeThe Washington Post
Vowing to hound U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb, of Virginia, until Election Day, rival Oliver L. North charged Monday that Robb has a "seriously flawed" character and lacks the "moral force" to hold public office.
North, appearing at an Arlington news conference with sleeves rolled up and spoiling for a political fight, vowed that Robb is "about to get an education" and for the first time referred directly to allegations that Robb has had extramarital sexual relationships. North pointedly noted "my fidelity" to his wife and family, and said, "I don't have that kind of character problem" that has plagued Robb.
In some of his most acerbic rhetoric to date, Republican North called his Democratic opponent a "near-radical" liberal and promised to attack him without let-up. "Chuck Robb is acting as though he were unstained by scandal," North said. "The voters on Nov. 8 are going to show how damaging (Robb's personal life) is. Character always counts in a campaign."
North's strongest support comes from among conservatives and Christian fundamentalists, and his emphasis on family values has been a key appeal of his campaign.
Robb has acknowledged "socializing in situations not appropriate for a married man" while he served as governor in the mid-1980s, and he has apologized for hurting his wife and family.
MCI Disconnects Plans To Create Wireless NetworkLos Angeles Times
The information highway on Monday became littered with the wreckage of yet another deal gone bad as the nation's second-largest long distance phone carrier and two partners abandoned a promising pact to build a nationwide wireless network.
MCI Communications Corp. of Washington broke off plans to invest $1.3 billion in Nextel Communications Inc., a Rutherford, N.J.-based wireless dispatch service company, and join with it and Comcast Corp. of Philadelphia to build a communications network available to about 95 percent of the U.S. population.
It was at least the fourth ballyhooed telecommunications deal to fall apart in recent months. The MCI-Nextel plan, which would have used a portion of the airwaves now employed mainly by taxi dispatchers, held special promise because it would have produced coast-to-coast competition with existing cellular services.
Its "specialized mobile radio" technology, employing hand-held devices similar to cellular phones, can be implemented quickly. But business and consumers may have to wait years for the arrival of more advanced wireless technologies such as personal communications services, which would provide wireless communications from devices as portable and unobtrusive as a wrist watch.


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Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Duck or the Egg
"Which comes first – the advertising copy or the product?"
…. Should you invent the product before you try to sell it,
Or should you try to sell it and then invent it?
I argued on the side of do the sales first …. If nobody wants
One, there's not much sense in inventing it.
Vision always comes first, even though
Thomas Edison claimed invention to be a 3-part process:
1. Get the money
2. Find the need
3. Invent the invention
Getting the money requires some sort of plan, dream, or scheme - a vision that must be comunicated to the financiers.
…. Unless it is ducks. There always needs to be more duckological thought
……..regardless of what everybody wants!
Quack, Quack!
4 comments:
for some reason this reminds me of your 2B or O2B discussion .....
it was definitely the egg.... a duck egg to be precise ...
- April 24, 2007 at 11:26 AM
Eggs are zero shaped. I even heard a teacher comment that missing a test resulted in a "duck egg - a zero".
Thus we have biblical consistency.
In the beginning there was nothing. (like zero, an egg)
Apparently it is possible to get something from nothing. That is the conundrum. How do you do that? The mathematical proof that it is possible lies in the concept of "zero factorial". Zero factorial equals 1 (one).
Yes RDG, I concur - to be, to exist, is dependent upon the pre-existence of nothing, a duck egg.
Quack, Quack!
- April 25, 2007 at 7:11 AM
- steve said...
So when my ex says I am nuthin to her anymore does that have something to do with a Duck? Or does it have something to do with the furry lime green leisure suit (much like the one modeled here) i like to wear?
- April 25, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Steve.... again, zero factorial equals one. If she says you are nothing with emphasis, ie., an exclamation mark ..... 0! = 1
What she is really saying is "You are the one!"
Dave is the only one that can get away with the lawn mower business.
Cristina never says he is nuthin to her in a mower.
Have you tried a VW van or maybe a Lexus?
Quack, Quack!
- April 25, 2007 at 8:28 PM


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What a time Elder Juzga and I had together, and will contintue having because we are both staying in our area. It has probably been my most productive transfer so far in the mission. Elder Juzga and I get along super well! It is SO AMAZING what you can do with a companion who is so dedicated to the work and wants to work in every moment. We worked hard, we were obedient, and even I have thought a lot about this transfer in regards of investigators and baptisms, I feel like we did a lot of good work in the Villa, and saw a lot of personal progress. We have definitely started working better with the ward, and I keep loving Soldati.
Some good news from this week.
So once upon a time I wrote you guys about our basically golden investigator, whose only obstacle between her and baptism was her working Sundays. We have worked a lot with her because she is just so great, and this week she has finally found someone to switch work schedules with! YESSSSS so she will be able to be baptized up here soon, and we are oh so happy.
This week we had lunch with the Cornejo family and they are now like my favorite little family here in the ward. They are a young couple with a little girl. They both were born into member families, which is so uncommon here in Argentina. Anyways they fed us and I was talking with Hno Cornejo and he told us he works in a chocolate factory! What!!! He then pulled out chocaolate and we get to test it out. I told the family then that I am pretty much chocolate's number one fan, AND HE GAVE ME A BAG OF OF CHOCOLATE. I was so happy and I just couldn't stop smiling. THESE ARE MY TYPE OF PEOPLE.
And now time to explain the subject line, an occurance that happened yesterday that was probably one of the happiest moments ever. Yesterday we were walking in the rain (newsflash it is raining gatos y perros down here) and we got a phone call. Elder Juzga answered it and it was the Elders in Pilar 2, my first area. He passed me the phone and then the elders on the other side passed it to another guy. It was the Aguirre Family, who I baptized in Pilar! I got to talk to the husband and wife and their oldest daughter who was confirmed my first week in the mission. President Ayres gave them permission to call me. Friends and family, What joy it brings to talk to this family that I grew to love as they grew to love the gospel. I was so, so happy. They are like my family here in Argentina, they even call me their son! I really did so little for them, being such a youngster in the mission and not being able to do hardly anything, but I love them with all my heart. It was such a great experience.
That's about all this week. Stay safe, and I'll see you all soon enough (like in 14 months because I completed 10 this last week!)
Elder Hardcastle
I was going to send pictures but it's not working. =(


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The only downside is the horrific headache I've had all day, which may be caffeine withdrawal, or from the argument my boyfriend and I had yesterday that ruined the whole weekend. He's actually mocking my efforts to give up soda and my struggles with the combo meals at fast food places, where it actually costs more to get the meal without soda. Ridiculous.


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For my Sellers...
For my Buyers...
|Property Address
|2318 E 5th
Washington, MO 63090
|3 Bed(s) | 2 Total Bath(s) | 1,301 SqFt
|305 Mayfield Ct.
Union, MO 63084
|3 Bed(s) | 2 Total Bath(s) | 1,300 SqFt
|125 Crestview Dr.
Marthasville, MO 63357
|other Zoning | 1.08 Acre(s)
|126 Crestview Dr.
Marthasville, MO 63357
|other Zoning | 1.39 Acre(s)