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Five Things You Need to Know: Kiwi Surprise; Oh, THOSE Rising Interest Rates; Runaway Bull Market?; NAR Warns Now May Not Be Such a Great Time to Buy a Home After All; President Bush Appoints Czar Czar to Oversee Growing Number of American Czars
What you need to know (and what it means)!
Minyanville's daily Five Things You Need to Know to stay ahead of the pack on Wall Street:
1. Kiwi Surprise
In the high-flying world of global central bankers, only one plays the game the way it was intended when James Naismith nailed a peach basket to the wall of a Springfield, MA gymnasium in 1891. It's the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's world. We're just living in it.
- The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offered a bit of a surprise this morning, raising the official cash rate to a record high 8% while warning of upside risks to inflation.
- New Zealand's dollar is the best-performing of the 16 most- traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg over the past 12 months, gaining 20% against the U.S. dollar and 28% against the yen, the news service reported.
- New Zealand's currency has been a favorite target of the carry trade, where investors can borrow in a cheaper currency, such as the yen, and invest in a country like New Zealand where they can receive a higher yield.
- Ok, but what's so special about New Zealand's Reserve Bank?
- Unlike the United States Federal Reserve, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand does not have elements of private ownership.
- The Reserve Bank does not have shareholders and is not a government department.
- It is 100% owned by the New Zealand Government, with any extra revenue that the Reserve Bank makes going back into the Crown accounts.
2. Oh, THOSE Rising Interest Rates
This morning with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury jumping well above 5%, the Financial Times helpfully pointed out that in the U.S. bond yields were rising because of "growing evidence of the resilience of the U.S. economy."
- True, rising bond yields may to an extent reflect the re-pricing of interest rate expectations given the rate hike in New Zealand and the European Central Bank's hike on Wednesday, but there is also another not-so-small matter to consider.
- We are conditioned to expect rates to move higher as the economy grows, a natural response to an increased demand for credit.
- But what if interest rates were to actually increase as the economy slows?
- Could that happen?
- What if the predominant owners of U.S. debt - Asian Central Banks - were to find themselves with less money as a result of a slowing U.S. economy and consequently a consumer cutting back and purchasing fewer cheap (or not cheap, see yesterday's Five Things on Chinese labor) Chinese goods?
- Absent a new buyer of U.S. debt, the net result would be a slowing economy with rising rates, would it not?
3. Runaway Bull Market?
The Time for Honoring Yourself Will Soon Be at an End
The difficulty in equities since 2003 has been having the discipline to remain involved. The point and figure bullish percent indicators have been helpful to some extent, but even those indicators for the S&P 500, NYSE, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 have occasionally reversed to negative (even if only briefly) and the challenge has been transitioning back into a more aggressive equities posture when they have reversed back to positive.
For example, the S&P 500 bullish percent since reversing to positive in March 2003 has reversed to negative eight times. It's currently at 78%. Moreover, of the 50 months that have transpired since March 2003, this bullish percent has spent at least 28 of those months above the elevated risk level of 70%. And it's never once fallen below 48%.
One of the common themes I hear is that "this market continually makes me feel foolish." Indeed. I can relate. But why? Why is it that this market makes so many feel so foolish? I have at least a partial answer.
Take a look at this chart. It's a percentage-based (I used a scale of 3%) point and figure chart of the S&P 500 going back to 1999.
There are a couple of things to take away from this chart.
1) There have been no pullbacks (using the 3% scale) for this chart since January into March of 2003. None. Zero. Nada.
2) This move off the 2003 lows has been unprecedented.
The "why?" of this chart is certainly something interesting to consider, but is knowing, for example, that this "unprecedented run" is concurrent with an "unprecedented run" in M3 any consolation? I doubt it. The time for this market honoring itself will one day be at an end. It is inevitable. The question is the timing of the inevitability. For now, there are few signs that time is anywhere in the immediate future. The reality is that demand remains firmly in control of this market.
4. NAR Warns Now May Not Be Such a Great Time to Buy a Home After All
The National Association of Realtors woke up this week and discovered that something may be amiss in the U.S. housing market.
- The NAR said yesterday the trade group now expects sales of existing homes to drop 4.6% this year, more than double the percentage decline they predicted just two months ago.
- New home sales are expected top decline 18.2%, compared to expectations of a 14.2% decline just two months ago.
- And prices? The group said it now fears the median price of existing homes, which comprises 85% of the market, to fall this year for the first time since the 1960s when the group first began tracking it.
- The group expects the median price for existing homes to drop 1.3% this year, to compared to April forecast of a 0.7% decline.
- Lawrence Yun, NAR senior economist, was valiantly unbowed, however.
- "Home sales will probably fluctuate in a narrow range in the short run, but gradually trend upward with improving activity by the end of the year," he said while quickly hitting the Windows key and simultaneously holding down "M" on his keyboard to hide the browser window on his monitor that was searching Monster.com for new jobs.
- "It's important to keep in mind that all real estate is local," he added while strategically moving the coffee cup on his desk to cover up the Washington Post Help Wanted ad pages with the Financial Analyst/Economist Wanted ad circled.
- "Many markets are expected to have higher sales and strengthening prices during the second half of this year," he noted while pretending to accidentally knock a stack of his newly-printed resumes off his desk.
5. President Bush Appoints Czar Czar to Oversee Growing Number of American Czars
President George W. Bush on Thursday appointed a "Czar Czar" to oversee the growing number of American Czars.
- The appointment of Czar Czar, if approved by the Appointment Czar, would create a position to oversee the many policy czars now involved in a wide range of public administration.
- in May the White House announced the creation of a new War Czar to oversee the war in Iraq.
- The new War Czar, however, will report to the Czar Czar if the position is approved, which makes the position possibly redundant, according to the Government Waste Czar.
- Also reporting to the Czar Czar would be the Drug Czar, Trade Czar, Education Czar, Energy Czar, Food and Safety Czar, Transportation Czar, Terrorism Czar, Homeland Security Czar, Intelligence Czar, Treasury Czar, Privacy Czar, Health Care Czar, AIDS Czar and Subprime Mortgage Czar.
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The Debt and Asset Trading Corporation (DATC) may increase its charter capital to VND6 trillion ($273.2 million) from the current VND2.48 trillion ($113.8 million).
The move was outlined in a draft circular on regulations governing the company's organization and operation, which is expected to replace Circular No. 79/2011/TT-BTC dated June 8, 2011.
Established in 2004 with charter capital of VND2 trillion ($94 million) from the State budget, the DATC is recognized as a special State-run company. It aims to deal with the bad debts and unused assets of State-owned groups and corporations to improve their financial circumstances, promote restructuring, and transform them into joint stock companies.
The DATC can settle debts by directly retrieving them, acquiring collateralized assets, selling debts, and changing debts into capital contribution.
The corporation is able to review and settle debts by delineating and extending debts or by adjusting the interest rate on the debt.
As for purchased assets, DATC can sell them or use them to contribute capital to joint ventures, lend or convert them, or repair or upgrade assets for sale, lease or conducting business.
Direct asset sales are implemented after auctions or offers for sale as per the regulations.
In the first half of the year DATC earned total revenue of VND900 billion ($41.2 million), including revenue from debt trading of VND700 billion ($32.1 million), an increase of 1.47 times compared with the same period last year.
The corporation dissolved the debts and assets at 33 enterprises for VND62.4 billion ($2.86 million) in total, five times higher than the corresponding period last year.
It also contributed VND68.3 billion ($3.13 million) to the State budget.
The draft circular stipulates regulations on asset disposal. Specifically, asset valuation to clarify the starting price for selling or for negotiations on share contribution, joint ventures and conversion will be done per regulations for businesses in which the government holds 100 per cent of charter capital.
The draft states that the DATC would be able to buy debts and assets that debt owners wish to sell, including land use rights, bonds, and debts. It also contains different rules for the disposal of debts and assets.

subset: commoncrawl


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Robert Mac Donald Wins National Writers Competion
Waimarama's Robert Mac Donald Wins National Writers Competition
Robert Mac Donald, Owner/Director of Waimarama Maori Tours, is one of six in New Zealand selected for the Huia Publishers Te Papa Tupu Programme - an incubator programme that accepts six writers every two years to work on their manuscript for six months with the possibility of having their work published.
Mentors for Te Papa Tupu are experienced within the publishing industry, whether as writers or editors and akonga (students) are matched with mentors based on style or genre.
The Maori Literature Trust, with the support of Creative New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri and Huia Publishers, offers an opportunity every 2 years for six talented Maori writers to participate in Te Papa Tupu.
"The excitement of the news is still with me." Said Robert MacDonald, "My stories are an accumulation of my lifetime and my ongoing concern was that if I didn't write them down they would be lost forever."
"I have always loved writing and if I track back through the years there are so many examples of it: the blog and facebook posts for Waimarama Maori Tours, my time as the chairman of the Waimarama Committee, the family farm, and I have written submissions, applications, reports, references and letters of support all my life."
In 2013 Robert was one of the 19 finalists for the Pikihuia Awards for Maori Writers in the Best Short Story in English Category. Of the record 321 entries received, only 47 were selected as finalists across the five categories of those Awards.
"I think that life is a balance between 'expectation' and 'circumstance' and one is very dependent upon the other. My 'circumstances' changed years ago when I met wonderful people who gave me impetus to change my 'expectation' and a reason to be thrilled and excited about what is ahead."


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Are you interested in knowing a little more? Drop me a line and someone will get back with you promptly.
Why not start learning now? Click below to get a free video on how to search title like the title companies.
Want to be kept up to date on tips on changing laws and investing strategies?


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Christmas Cheer!!
1 hour ago
Your beer mat has a lovely vintage feel to it. Thank you for joining the Craft Barn Song Challenge xx
You have chosen a delightful image for your entry. I keep thinking I must have the entire Crafty Individuals catalogue but no, this one has escaped my collection.
Perfect stamp and stamping for that mat Lesley


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Darryl Mason
Your New Reality
Monday, February 22, 2010
Glenn Greenwald of Salon uncovers a brutal mindfuck of gruesome pro-civilian bombing positive influence in the pages of the New York Times. A defence corporation employee demands the US blow more money terror bombing the civilian populace of Afghanistan.
New York Times column excerpt :
So in a modern refashioning of the obvious — that war is harmful to civilian populations — the United States military has begun basing doctrine on the premise that dead civilians are harmful to the conduct of war. The trouble is, no past war has ever supplied compelling proof of that claim. . . .
[A]n overemphasis on civilian protection is now putting American troops on the defensive in what is intended to be a major offensive. . . .
Of course, all this is not to say that the United States and NATO should be oblivious to civilian deaths, or wage "total" war in Afghanistan. Clearly, however, the pendulum has swung too far in favor of avoiding the death of innocents at all cost.
General McChrystal's directive was well intentioned, but the lofty ideal at its heart is a lie, and an immoral one at that, because it pretends that war can be fair or humane. . . .
Wars are always ugly, and always monstrous, and best avoided.
Once begun, however, the goal of even a "long war" should be victory in as short a time as possible, using every advantage you have.
She means unleash the Flying Killer Robot drones, the ones with very expensive bomb payloads.
Greenwald :
Does anyone need it explained to them why causing large civilian deaths through air attacks in Afghanistan is not only morally grotesque but also completely counter-productive to our stated goals?
But those bombs and missiles have to be dumped somewhere, so the warehouses and new orders can be filled and re-filled, over and over again.
Stephen Walt At Foreign Policy Responds


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Am 15.10.2013 08:20, schrieb Petri Hintukainen: > On ma, 2013-10-14 at 19:53 +0200, Vidar Tyldum wrote: >> On 13. okt. 2013 23:30, Torsten Mohr wrote: >>> These cards worked fine in my previous VDR, i never experienced problems >>> there. >>> >>> But on the other hand, what cards would you recommend? A double tuner would >>> be preferred (DVB-C). >> >> I am very satisfied with my SAA7146-based cards, although they only have >> a single tuner. > > +1 > > I've been using SAA7146-based Technotrend cards for ~10 years 24/7 > without any problems. That's almost 90 000 hours without driver or HW > failures (well, all other parts of the system have been replaced during > the years). The hardware and drivers seem to be very robust, but > compared to modern adapters those produce lot of heat and take quite > much room (and PCI slots). > I've tried also several DVB-C/T USB adapters, but those all performed > rather poorly ... signal problems, lost recordings, requiring reboots > etc.
Here are doing two Satelco EasyWatch (KNC One clones) their job for years, but since my new vdr hasn't got any PCI slots anymore I switched to the cards from Digital Devices/Linux4Media. A (dd)bridge and two Flex modules (=> 4 Tuner) are working for some months now. You just have to compile the driver from the media-build-experimental repository of Oliver Endriss - if you use Ubuntu/yaVDR there is a DKMS package which makes installation easy. They are a bit more expensive than other cards but have advantages: the dual tuner module just needs one cable and it's no problem to connect a second module with a short cable from the antenna output of the first module. And since they are small cards it's just a matter of the slot bracket if you want it full or low profile. Regards, Lars. _______________________________________________ vdr mailing list email@example.com http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/vdr


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Imagine a loved one undergoing the tragedy of losing a child soon after Baptism. What comfort would you extend to the grieving parents? No doubt you would say something like, "Thank God, your child was baptized into Christ's death and resurrection. Now he rests with his Savior." Few Lutherans would leave room for doubt that the child was in heaven, would they?
But change the chronology a few months. The child dies just prior to Baptism, while still in the womb. Here, for lots of Lutherans, even pastors, the water becomes a lot murkier. Maybe the child is saved, goes the thinking of lots of Lutherans. God is gracious, after all. Perhaps the baby received the gift of faith in Christ through pre-natal exposure to Bible readings and sermons. Or perhaps the mother's reception of the body and blood of Christ has some salutary effect for the unborn child, others can be heard to say.
In reality, there is ground for certainty about the salvation of infants of Christians in both cases, and for the same reason. We are not certain of the salvation of the baptized infant simply because he or she is baptized, any more than we are certain of the salvation of a baptized adult at his funeral based solely upon the fact that he is baptized. A baptized adult, after all, may have fallen away from the faith, rejecting the promise of his Baptism. Are children any different?
Yes. We have a special promise about the salvation of infants and small children: Jesus' command, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:16). We have a firm and certain promise here that all such children as are brought to Jesus—by others, no less—will be given the kingdom of God. Thus when infants and small children are brought to Christ in Baptism we have a certainty regarding their salvation that we don't have in the case of adults, who bring themselves.
But what about infants who are unable to be brought to baptism—such as those still in the womb?
They cannot be brought to Christ through the ordinary means of Holy Baptism. Does this mean that Christ's promise—" the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"—does not apply to them?
That would be a strange turn of events. The Son became an infant in the womb in order to redeem unborn children as well as all others, didn't He? Should unborn infants be denied the kingdom of heaven simply because they can't be brought to Christ in Baptism, even though the parents would gladly bring them if they could?
Many Lutherans try to get around this problem by suggesting that exposure to the Word of God before birth is a way of bringing infants to Christ. But this opens another can of worms. Are we suggesting that infants understand sermons or Paul's argument in the opening chapters of Romans? Or are we saying that the Word of God works faith even when people don't comprehend it? And if that's the case, why bother translating the Scriptures into English, or preaching at all?
There is another answer, and that is the one that was held by orthodox Lutheran theologians such as Luther, Johannes Bugenhagen, Johann Gerhard, and others. They held that infants prior to Baptism were saved when they were brought to Christ in prayer.
Johannes Bugenhagen, Luther's pastor, wrote:
Yes, I say more still on the basis of this promise of Christ, that the parents or others who are there may and should commend the little child with thanksgiving to Christ while it is still in the womb. They should bring or offer the child to Christ with this or similar prayers: 'I thank you, dear heavenly Father, that you have blessed us with the fruit of the womb. Dear Lord Jesus, let this little child be yours, as you have said: "Let the little children come to me, and forbid them not, because of such is the kingdom of God." Upon this your promise we bring this little child to you with our prayers. If it will be born and come into our hands, we will gladly also bring and carry it to you in baptism,' etc.
The prayer may well be made with other words; nothing depends on that, so long as it proceeds from the promise of Christ concerning the little children. So we should believe with certainty that Christ takes the child up [receives the child], and we should not commend it to the secret judgment of God.[1]
Johann Gerhard, the great Lutheran dogmatician of the 17th century, expressed the same thoughts:
One should not wantonly damn or exclude from the fellowship of eternal life the children of Christians who, before they can be brought to Baptism, die in the mother's womb or are ripped away through an unexpected accident. What pertains to children who die in their mother's womb is obvious, as follows…through the prayer of their parents and the Church (which in public prays for all the pregnant women), such children have been commended to God the Lord. Therefore, you need not doubt that God (according to His gracious promise about answering prayer, which He has demonstrated throughout Scripture) has heard you in this matter. And what could not occur through the ordained means of Holy Baptism, He has accomplished for these children in an extraordinary manner without means through His Holy Spirit. That He can do this He has demonstrated with the example of John the Baptizer, who was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb, Luke 1:15, and who testified to Christ by jumping, v. 41…
God the Lord is not bound to means in the same way that we human beings are so that He cannot help through His divine power without means. For in the same way as we humans are bound to means as pertains to the external affairs of this life, so also in matters pertaining to eternal life we are bound to the Word and the holy Sacraments; contrarily, as God the Lord is not at all bound to means in outward matters (since He can maintain the life of man without food [and] give health again without physicians) so also in matters pertaining to eternal life, He is not bound to the means which He Himself has ordained. Thus, He can make a person saved without [using] them.[2]
Martin Luther, in discussing how infants receive the faith which they confess at their baptism, writes the following:
…baptism avails for nobody and is to be administered to nobody, unless he believes for himself…For the faith must be present before or at least in the baptism; otherwise the child will not be delivered from the devil and sins.
Therefore if their [the Waldensians] opinion were correct, all that is done with the child in baptism is necessarily falsehood and mockery. For the baptizer asks whether the child believes, and the answer for the child is: Yes. And he asks whether it desires to be baptized, and the answer for the child is again: Yes. Now nobody is baptized for the child, but it is baptized itself. Therefore it must also believe itself, or the sponsors must speak a falsehood, when for it they say: I believe…
…Therefore we here conclude and declare that in baptism the children themselves believe and have their own faith, which God effects in them through the sponsors, when in the faith of the Christian church they intercede for them and bring them to Baptism…children are not baptized in the faith of the sponsors or of the church; but the faith of sponsors and of the church prays and gains faith for them, in which they are baptized and believe for themselves….[3]
In other words, according to Luther, children are given faith before or baptism through the prayer of the sponsors, who bring the child to Christ in intercession. Luther's thinking along these lines extends also to unbaptized infants who die in childbirth, as can be seen from his "Comfort for Women who Have Had a Miscarriage":
For this reason one ought not straightway condemn such infants for whom and concerning whom believers and Christians have devoted their longing and yearning and praying.
Nor ought one to consider them the same as others for whom no faith, prayer, or yearning are expressed on the part of Christians and believers. God intends that his promise and our prayer or yearning which is grounded in that promise should not be disdained or rejected, but be highly valued and esteemed. I have said it before and preached it often enough: God accomplished much through the faith and longing of another, even a stranger, even though there is still no personal faith. But this is given through the channel of another's intercessions, as in the gospel Christ raised the widow's son at Nain because of the prayers of his mother apart from the faith of the son. And he freed the little daughter of the Canaanite woman from the demon through the faith of the mother apart from the daughter's faith.10 The same was true of the king's son, John 4 [:46-53] and of the paralytic and many others of whom we need not say anything here.[4]
What conclusions can we draw from this?
First of all, we can rejoice in the great comfort this gives us regarding the infants of Christians. Parents who have lost children in miscarriage need not labor in doubt concerning their children but can rejoice that they have been brought to Jesus in prayer, whether their own or that of the church. Parents who should lose their infants prior to baptism can also be comforted that their little ones have been brought to Jesus, and they are not lost because they were not immediately baptized upon leaving the womb.
Secondly, we can rejoice in the great privilege afforded us as Christians, that we are not only permitted to bring our infants directly to Christ in prayer, but also everyone who has been committed to our royal priestly intercession. While we do not have the same promises for all people that we do regarding the little children, we have the promise that God hears us.
And this is what we call the power of alien faith: not that anybody can be saved by it, but that through it as an intercession and aid he can obtain from God himself his own faith, by which he is saved. It may be compared to my natural life and death. If I am to live, I myself must be born, and nobody can be born for me to enable me to live; but mother and midwife can by their life aid me in birth and enable me to live. In the same way I myself must suffer death, if I am to die; but one can help bring about my death, if he frightens me, or falls upon me, or chokes, crushes, or suffocates me. In like manner, nobody can go to hell for me; but he can seduce me by false doctrine and life, so that I go thither by my own error, into which his error has led me. So nobody can go to heaven for me; but he can assist me, can preach, teach, govern, pray and obtain faith from God, through which I can go to heaven.[5]
[1] Johannes Bugenhagen, quoted in Karl R. Hess, "The Faith of Unbaptized Infants in Bugenhagen's On Unborn Children," Logia vol. 23 no. 2, p. 38.
[2] Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (1610) Trans. The Rev. Elmer Hohle. Malone, TX: Repristination Press, 2000, pp. 173-175.
[3] Martin Luther, "Sermon on the Gospel for the Third Sunday after Epiphany", Church Postil, 26-28, 31, 34. http://www.lutherdansk.dk/Web-Fastepostillen%20AM/index.htm
[4] Martin Luther, "Comfort for Women who have had a Miscarriage." http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lcms.org%2FDocument.fdoc%3Fsrc%3Dlcm%26id%3D533&ei=Br4HVKfOFo6LyASJ_4HABw&usg=AFQjCNE1CPMMcuz_HGASTvUHyGfXGHV3OQ&sig2=iL–fQBqADrxXNJGj9rbLg
[5] Martin Luther, "Sermon on the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany," Church Postil, 31. http://www.lutherdansk.dk/Web-Fastepostillen%20AM/index.htm


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Need help getting a bank loan?
Submitted by hornbeam on Mon, 19/06/2017 - 14:14
Last week HSBC announced a fund of £1billion available to lend to small businesses. When asked by a Radio 4 presenter why applicants are unsuccessful the HSBC Manager replied that people sometimes aren't clear what they want the money for and secondly they are uncertain about the payback.
I will simplify that "if you want to borrow money from a bank, the better your business plan, the more likely you are to succeed".
And what is true of borrowing money from a bank is equally true of obtaining money from a business investor.
Hornbeam are good at producing professional business plans and offer a package of services and innovative payment terms** especially for start-up and growth business.
Call 01603 720424 for a free impartial chat
** note
- normal business terms - fixed price or hourly rate
- only paid if and when the funds are forthcoming - normal terms plus 50%
- only paid when business success targets (such as growth) are met - normal terms plus 100%
- take a percentage of the business equity in exchange for a fixed value of accountancy, mentoring and business support services


text: Anyone have these files for a WRT54GS V 1.1 and V 4 routers. I have two that when down during a storm.. Each acts differently. i am hoping I can revive one of them with JTAG.. I cannot DL anything from the flash chip but Otherwise it looks ok. It does respond to Jtag .. Thanks for any help.. Jerry


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The recent Broomfield County Oil and Gas Forum was another indication of the broken system by which the state of Colorado regulates (or fails to regulate) oil and gas production. The state wants to earn revenue and support a local drilling company. I understand that. But it shouldn't happen at the expense of Broomfield residents' health.
Extraction Oil and Gas, while claiming to be community-friendly, gave a disrespectful and disingenuous presentation. The speaker joked that most of the fracking slurry ingredients can be found around your household — leaving out the fact that the ingredients also include toxins like Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide. He also compared emissions for the planned fracking sites to those of a bakery, despite the fact that the chemicals emitted aren't the same. That comparison is of the apples-to-hand-grenades variety.
The relationship between Extraction and Broomfield residents is an antagonistic one. There is no substantive dialogue or respect. They are not seeking our consent to experiment in our community, even where residents own their own mineral rights. There can be no understanding, negotiations, or compromise without the community's ability to say "no." If this "community-friendly" company doesn't get its way, it will sue until it gets what it wants by legal force.
I am an engineer. I believe in science. I'm not the type to chain myself to a tree. All parties at the forum agreed that the science simply is not in on the system Extraction wants to build in our residential areas. The COGCC representative said regulations about the distance wells must be set back from homes or drinking water sources were created without taking health risks into account, due to lack of data.
To not wait until we have that data is callous and places corporate interests over the health and well-being of local residents.
Justin Berger


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Foxglove with japanese aralia
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Monday, February 18, 2013
Busy Bees
It's a good thing for dads. When it comes to any sort of physical play and pushing our daughters' physical abilities that has all been thanks to dad. Point in case, the above photos are from the park this past Saturday. I could hardly believe it. She wanted to do the monkey bars just like big sister and dad found a way. She was hanging on so well and for 20-30 seconds at a time! I posted a pic on instagram with the caption, Look ma! No hands! (follow me on instagram at thislittlemiggy).
It's project central around here. In addition to doing a makeover on the desk in our bedroom, I'm mapping out a quilt for our new bed (mercy...what am I thinking?) and then there's the small matter of a birthday party this weekend for a certain almost 6 year old. A unicorn birthday party. As much work as kid parties are, I think it will be a lot of fun... more pictures to come.
I asked the husband to be in charge of the pinata. Just cut it out of cardboard, I said... Make it easy... Nope. He busted out the balloons, newspaper and cornstarch. I rolled my eyes and told him I think he was biting off more than he could chew.
When am I going to learn not to underestimate this man?
It's a busy week, but aren't they all? I'll try to drop in a few times...
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The appointment follows a four-way pitch including Omnicom Group's Optimum Media Direction, Grey's Media Buying Services and Bates Zenith, which previously held the media buying business only. Neither the budget or the name of the incumbent on media planning were disclosed.
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text: On Fri, 30 Aug 2002, Torsten Landschoff wrote: > But now I wonder if there is some established procedure for doing > so. I know many users will not have a key signed by verisign or Nope. We should do so, and have it added to the ca-certificates package I think. Right now, every TLS-enabled package tries to screw it up in new and never-before-tried ways. -- "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh


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Headway University - UAE
How to improve your communication skills by listening?
You must have heard someone saying, listening is a good exercise. Actually the key of mastering communication skills is listening. It plays a vital role in building communication skills and also in conflict resolution.
In this article we will throw some light on how to improve your listening and thus your communication skills.
If you want to improve your communication skills you should start training your mind to interpret what is being said. Because at most times you only listen, you do not interpret, which causes a malfunction of the information. If you listen properly, interpret accordingly you will acquire the key to effective communication skills. In case you find difficulty in interpreting things, you should ask for clarifications from the narrator immediately so as to avoid any miscommunications and false interpretations.
Listening with cultural diversity:
Cross cultural communication may present barriers to communication but can be overcome with knowledge and respect for all differences. With teams working across the globe in different time zones and in different cultures, it is important to hone your listening skills with cultural diversity in mind. It is not only the difference in cultural communication differences but the language barriers which might present obstacles to listening and communication process. What the other person said was perhaps not what he exactly meant or was able to get across since the language of communication was not his/her native one. In such situations it is important to restate what has been said and clarify effectively to ensure what you are listening is 'correct'.
Reading between the lines:
To listen well you need to be smart enough to interpret both spoken and non spoken words. Gestures are also an important part of listening. By watching the speaker speak, you can assess what can be a possible aspect of the narrations. You should pay special attention to the body language of the speaker. If the mode of communication is non visual than you can always get help by listening to the tone of voice and choice of the words of the speaker to interpret the context correctly.
Student Reviews about Headway University:
Hello, I am Jorge Moore. I am 35 years old right now. Earlier I had completed my high school diploma only and started working right after graduating from the high school as my family was short on finances and I had to support my dad in looking after us all. Naturally as work prevailed I had to let go my education. But not much time passed when my company started evaluating employees for appraisals. I was evaluated as well but despite of scoring good marks I was not approved for a promotion. As I got to know the news I was really tensed, down and depressed. I felt as if I have wasted all these months working with this company as I wasn't even considered for a pay raise. I went to my boss to talk about it. He being a good guy told me that since I lacked a professional degree that's why I was disapproved for a promotion. He suggested me to get in touch with an online university because online universities offer degree programs that can be completed with hampering the work schedule. I goggled and got in touch with Headway University, one of the premium online universities of the globe. I enrolled in their bachelor's degree program majors in accounts and finance. As soon as I graduated, my company not only offered me a pay raise but also a managerial position. They then told me that the act was to induce me to get a professional degree as they considered me a valued employee already and wanted to remove obstacles that I might face in future regarding promotions. I am so happy I opted for Headway University. Thanks Headway University, I couldn't have done it without you.
Online education, a key to empower education:
Every now and then I get to hear some news or get to see or hear a public service message being broadcasted on the national television of my state. Ok, I admit the fact that I am an inhabitant of a third world country rather calling my country a developing country would make it much respected. The last announcement that I came across was of a small girl named Aditi, who was forced to work in a very early age as she belonged to a very poor family and a big number of siblings did not let her continue education. She was forced to work in fields along with other inhabitants of her town, along with that she looks after her young siblings after returning from work and does the household chores that included cooking and cleaning. Her fate changed when an NGO came to her town, asking the families to put their girls into their schools. The school timings were managed by the NGO as the poor people of the vicinity could not survive without working. Seeing their kids getting education in front of their eyes and working at the same time did not let any of the family raise issue against the setting up of schools. After some time as the literacy graph increased it was observed that the young girls started in home along with their families that actually earned them more money than that of the tedious job.
Another effective mode of education that I want to suggest to such NGOs is online education. There are a number of online schools and universities around the globe that offer accredited online education. Education that provides the same amount of knowledge as that of any other traditional education institution. This also allows education with work of people living in developing economies. The NGO would want to invest in providing these people with a computer and an internet connection only.
Children Rights:
Human rights that are devised with particular attention on the rights of children with special care provided to the young are known as the children rights. In the children rights, attention is also provided to the association with biological parents, child's identity, human identity as well as their basic need of food, shelter, education, health care and protection against crimes. Through the implementation of children laws, states strive to bring in prosperity in a way that allows children to live abuse free and mentally and emotionally balanced life.
Last fifty years have made the children rights much clearer. In a publication by Hillary Clinton in 1973 who used to be an attorney that time stated that children rights are like a slogan which is yet to be defined. They are defined as a point in which the child's life is intersected by the state's law. Adolescent crimes, appropriate rehabilitation of such children who were found involved in drug addictions in the state. It also ensured education for every child residing in the state irrespective of the age sex and race of that child.
Following types of children rights are there:
Provision: all the children residing in the state have the right to lead a standardized life, acquire education, playing and recreation. It also included a nutritious diet and sleep as well.
Protection: Children have the right to stay protected against all sorts of criminal acts going on in the society. They also have a right to be protected against child labor, child abuse and any other form of abuse relating to children.
Participation: children have a right to participate in societal programs and functions. This includes their involvement in libraries and community services programs as well.
Economic, social and cultural rights: Related to the conditions necessary to meet basic human needs such as food, shelter, education, health care, and gainful employment.
Get your weapon against bullying:
Bullying is an imbalance in the power of children at schools/universities. It involves names calling, making fun of the bullied, teasing, taunting, threatening, sexual abuse and so on and so forth. Too often I came across parents who are worried about their children being bullied at school or universities. Bullying not only destroys the personal confidence of a child but can also lead to hazardous results, suicide even. Bullying has rose as a big social issue across the world in few previous years.
Bullying can happen at every place possible but mostly cases were reported of bullying inside the educational institution premise in America. Not only that the person being bullied is affected but bullying also affects the person who is doing it. it is important to talk to your kids about any such stuff even if you are sure that your child is not becoming a victim of bullying. This helps your child builds confidence and he/she might tell you about a possible bullying case at their educational institution.
In order to know if your child or any other child in your vicinity is bullies, look out for these possible signs:
· Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
· Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
· Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
· Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
· Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
· Unexplainable injuries
· Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
· Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
· Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
Nowadays there are ways to prevent in school bullying. The very easy and convenient way to stop bullying is to opt for online education for your child. Online education is gaining pace throughout the world with phenomenal speed. Now not only children suffering from bullying are opting for online education but also working adults, house wives and military men as well. Online education equips you with equal skills you are likely to learn at a traditional educational center. Headway University is one of the accredited online universities that offer accredited degrees in industry preferred majors. Now you can help your child in acquiring education from the safety of home, away from the menace of bullying by enrolling him in an accredited degree program at Headway University. To learn more about safe and convenient degree programs at Headway University log on to their official website.
Choosing Headway University for my higher Education is the best decision of my life!
Headway University has made my online learning experience wonderful. The flexibility of the online classes allows me to finish my degree requirements, while still being able to fulfill my familial and professional responsibilities. It has allowed me to continue my education, work full time, and raise a family, on my schedule. As a wife and mother of two children, Headway University allows me the flexibility to study, complete assignments and collaborate with my online classmates during a 24-hour period, Monday through Sunday. Another important benefit especially in this economy is that Headway is highly affordable! The course availability is outstanding, the interactive tools are easy to use, and there is always some sort of help available at the click of a mouse or the other end of a phone line. For those who had to choose a career over school, Headway University has answered those needs and gone beyond expectations. I am a proud student at Headway and look forward to continuing on to the Master's degree programs and I highly recommend this university to all those people looking for quality education.
Higher education + successful careers = Headway University
Today, higher education has become a prerequisite for success in any field. To stay competitive in the workplace, you must have at least a college degree. For all those working adults who think that it is impossible to study while you work, Headway University has turn as a blessing. Headway University is one the most prestigious and accredited online institutes that offer a wide variety of majors that are specifically designed for professionals and working adults. Taking online courses at Headway can be a great way to earn a degree and achieve your career goals. Headway University offers an extensive range of online degree programs in many of today's most in-demand fields. Some of the best degrees are offered in the most comfortable and flexible learning format that makes this type of learning a desirable option for everyone.
Busy professionals who want to advance their education for brighter prospects can take advantage of distance learning programs at Headway. In fact, all the study programs at Headway are an opportunity for all those people with tough schedule to complete their education without sacrificing their personal or professional obligations.
At Headway, both faculty and students work together to bring a positive change in our society by imparting valuable knowledge across the society without any discrimination. Headway University has made quality education affordable and accessible to everyone by offering a number of grants and scholarships.
The different educational programs offered at Headway University can give you proficiency in many areas designed to enhance your worth in the job market. The high quality of professional education can serve as a catalyst in career progression. These are skills that may secure your place in the organization or open doors for a new career with better growth prospects. It is important that you continuously enhance your skill set as this is the only sure path to success.
9 Steps to Secure a Job:
As the current job market continues to show its fierce side to thousands of job seekers around the globe and competition becomes an ever growing thing, here we bring to you ways that will help you secure a job in a job interview.
Ones you get an interview call begin with start researching about the company on the internet. Go through their website, take down notes that will help you recall points that you have memorized earlier about the company. Knowing even a little bit about your prospective employer would convey your interest in acquiring the job to the hiring manager and secure your chances of getting this job.
It is also good to know the people who will be interviewing you. Ask the telephone operator who informed you about your interview about the interviewers. Probably their names and their role in the company. Addressing them with their name will give an unpatrolled advantage to you.
Also look for social media pages of this company you are scheduled to give interview. You will find some vital information regarding the latest happenings in that company on its social media pages. Take this information as points on a note book. After jotting down the points do a trial run of your interview. Ask any of your family member or a friend to act as an interviewer and ask typical interview questions, which can be about your personality traits, your strengths and weaknesses or where do you see yourself in future and things related to this. This trail run will help build up your confidence. Such questions normally pop in the initial minutes of the interview and if you are able to answer these questions in a good way, chances are that the rest of your interview will be pleasant as well.
After your interview is finished, do not forget to shake hands firmly with your interviewer and thank them for their time. As you return, do leave a hand written note for the interview panel, thanking them that they have considered you for this job. This leaves a good, corporate impression on them. Also do not forget to thank the front desk officer that informed you about your interview.
Following up with them after a week of your interview will help you get a clearer picture of whatever that is going to come to you. Be positive, if you have given your interview by following the above mentioned points, your chances of getting employed on this job are very bright.
Benefits of Online Education:
As the inflation is rising throughout the world, people have started looking for alternatives of almost everything. When it comes to education, an easier and relatively less expensive alternative that we have is online education. The rise of internet technology has given rise to online education. Flocks of students are now enrolling themselves into accredited online educational institutions around the world. This not only helps them to equip themselves with education but in a way lesser money that they will have to spend in a traditional brick and mortar university. In this article we will talk about some of the benefits of online education:
Online education is self paced. In an online educational institution, students are allowed to come and study on online classrooms at the time of their convenience. They are provided with personalized areas that allow them to register more courses, access course material and also check their results.
Online education provides a student centered teaching approach. Every student feels at ease on an online classroom to discuss openly and freely the issue he/she is facing in any course. Audio and visual aids are provided in online education.
24 hours accessibility of your course material is provided in online education. Since half of the world is asleep when the other half is awake therefore online education provides you with the liberty to access your course material at the time of your convenience.
Online instructors come with practical knowledge and may be from any location across the globe. This allows students to be exposed to knowledge that can't be learned in books and see how class concepts are applied in real business situations
Over 75% of colleges and universities in the U.S. offer online degree programs, with online degrees as respected as "on the ground" degrees.
Students often comment that online learning lets them attend class when fully awake and attend in increments of convenient time block, rather than rigid 2 or 4 hour stretches once or twice a week
An online educational institution also provides you with authentication of their degrees. Positive accreditation status of online educational institution assures students that they are making right choice by opting for online education for their desired diploma/degree program.
One such accredited online institution is Headway University. Headway University allows students to study on their own pace according to their convenience. Degrees from Headway University are widely accepted by leading employers of the globe. Also provided by Headway University are scholarships and free student and alumni services that benefit our students even after their graduation at unprecedented levels.
An Alarming Situation For Developed Economies – Youth Violence
As we enter the New Year let us take a glance back and see what is that we were unable to address and solve in 2011. Ideally talking, the world is full of issues that are yet to be looked after but one issue that has been identified years ago and especially in the developed economies of the world, which is gaining strength as a raging bull is the teen violence and fear. Teen violence and fear is just one of the issues that teens are facing today. In this article we will talk about teen violence and fear, its reason for existence and share some techniques that will address the issue of teen violence and fear effectively.
Violence is just another issue of teens of our society. We get to see so many of the teens involved in drinking, drinking and driving, sexual abuse, peer pressure and many other things. But somehow all of the said things lead to violence. Either a teen is doing it or it's done on them. Whatever the case be, violence is an outrageous act carried by some disturbed minds. Now minds can disturbed of several reasons. These reasons are to be looked after as well, but we will discuss those reasons in another article. Here I would want to specify that violence which mainly occurs at the educational institutions is not only creating a very bad rapport for our education system but also parting our youth from education. For our youth who is disturbed and intimidated from the bullying or violence being carried and who do not want to attend further education at a traditional campus based university because of the possible threat of being bullied or harassed ones again, we have a brilliant solution for them. Through our proposed solution such troubled youth will not only be able to acquire accredited professional education from a world class university but also from the safety and comfort of their home.
Headway University is an accredited, globally renowned university that offers all its degree programs and courses online. This means you don't have to go to the campus physically. Just log on your personalized student area using your i.d. & password and study towards a bright future without any hassle. Online education promises you absolute safety without any fear of violence or bullying and provides you with recognized degrees that are not only accepted globally but also provides you with a high paying job.
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Accuview's outdoor TV series is designed specifically for semi-outdoor locations. While it is recommended to use it in a place without direct sunlight, it will work perfectly fine in a place with direct sunlight. This series includes an IP65 Water Proof front, IP54 backcover and lastest high brightness technology brightness running up to 1500nits. It can operate from temperatures of 5°F to 122°F. (Optional addition of heater lets it operate at -25°F), making it viable for a range of industrial and architectural applications such as factories, courtyards, pool areas, sports stadiums, amusement parks, zoos, ski resorts and clubs.
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Stoke City 0 Chelsea 4: Magic Morata hits hat-trick
Alvaro Morata continued his stunning start to life at Chelsea with a hat-trick as the Premier League champions sealed an impressive 4-0 victory away to Stoke City.
Chelsea scored from their only two shots in the first half, Morata putting them in front after just 82 seconds before fellow Spain international Pedro netted his second goal in his last three games.
Stoke increased the pressure after the break, but former Real Madrid striker Morata doubled his tally with a brilliant solo goal to end home hopes of a revival.
And Morata then made it six goals in as many Premier League appearances for Chelsea as he sealed his hat-trick with eight minutes remaining.
Antonio Conte's side remain three points behind the two Manchester clubs at the top of the table as they continue the defence of their title.
Stoke took four points from two home games against Arsenal and Manchester United, but this heavy defeat leaves them with only one win from their opening six fixtures.
17 - Alvaro Morata is the 17th player to score a @premierleague hat-trick for Chelsea - only Arsenal have had more (19). Collection.-- OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 23, 2017


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I gave a talk to the Romford Embroiderers Guild last Saturday - and lo and behold I remembered to take some photos. I am going to try and do that with every event I go to this year so that I have a complete record. I always take the camera but nine times out of ten am too busy rushing around to get it out!
These are a selection of the samples and finished pieces I take along with me to a talk.
After the talk I usually give a very quick demonstration and then let the audience (?) come and have a go themselves. At the moment I am demonstrating the Lutradur and Xpandaprint technique which I love. These are some of the ladies of the EG having a go.
While I was downloading these photos I found some still on the card which I had taken at an ArtVanGo workshop last October. It was called 'Fragments to Artefacts' which will also be repeated April 10-11 this year.
We made 'memory shrines/keepers':
Don't they look wonderful?


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Children can easily become caged by their social circumstances as the Fundacion Padre Hurtado campaign sadly shows. They are often at the mercy of their guardians' lifestyles since they either don't have the courage to seek help or, more likely, don't understand that life could be any different. Through this foundation, however, that could all change.
Executed by Prolam Y&R, an ad agency based in Santiago, Chile, the Fundacion Padre Hurtado campaign portrays these mistreated children as being caged by their circumstances. Although each image looks like a hopeless case, the ad states simply, "You're the key," implying that with a person's help, they can free these children and others like them from their unfortunate confines.
The Fundacion Padre Hurtado campaign was art directed by Sergio Araya.
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- By: Meghan YoungJan 9, 2012
References: prolam.cl & ibelieveinadv
References: prolam.cl & ibelieveinadv


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A SCOTTISH Labour grandee has declared he will vote for independence next year, insisting that the referendum is "not a time for party politics".
Alex Mosson, who was Lord Provost of Glasgow between 1999 and 2003, said he will back a Yes vote because he believes that Westminster is "holding us back".
He said the historic vote next September is "not about the SNP, or Labour or any other political party". A Yes vote would help boost Scotland's self confidence, grow the economy and make society fairer, he claimed.
YesScotland leaders last night said Mosson's decision would bring other "converts" to independence, amid hopes that traditional Labour voters opposed to the coalition government's policies can be persuaded to back the cause.
Mosson's announcement, together with a similar declaration by former Labour council chief Sir Charles Gray, will sound alarm bells in the pro-UK camp, amid warnings that complacency is setting in over next year's result.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael declared yesterday that the race "can still be lost" for the pro-UK side, despite consistent polling showing opposition to independence. He said that, at a meeting of the UK cabinet later this week, he would be putting "the fear of God" into David Cameron not to take a victory next year for granted.
Labour last night described Mosson's decision as "disappointing".
Mosson, an official in the former TGWU union, became a Labour councillor in Glasgow in 1984. He was Lord Lieutenant of the city of Glasgow and remains the city's deputy Lord Lieutenant today.His appointment as Lord Provost also created controversy after it emerged that he had a criminal record and an alcoholic past dating back to the 1960s.
However, he said at the time that he had managed to overcome his previous problems, and used his experiences to assist people in similar positions, as a councillor.
In a statement released today, he said: "We have in Scotland a huge wealth of skill, expertise and goods and we have the potential to compete and succeed on the international stage.
"But it is clear that the Westminster system is holding us back and not allowing us to fully realise that fantastic potential as a forward-looking, progressive nation."
He added: "This is not a time for party politics – the decision we'll be making next September is too important for that. People need to realise that this is not about the SNP, Scottish Labour or any of the other political party."
Independence would rekindle an interest in democracy, he said. "But first we need to find our self-confidence and become a successful, more prosperous and fairer nation. I am totally convinced that only a Yes vote will get us to that point."
He says he has not become a supporter of the SNP despite his conversion to independence.
In 1992, after revelations about his personal life emerged, the SNP claimed his appointment was a further example of "Labour cronyism" in the city.
Mosson's announcement follows a similar conversion by the former Labour head of Strathclyde Regional Council Sir Charles Gray who also publicly voiced his support for independence.
Both are a boost to the Yes campaign, with evidence suggesting that Labour identifying voters hold the key to pushing support for independence over the 50 percent mark next September.


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|With Flash
|Direct Sunlight
|Outdoors in the shade, see those gold flecks... yummy!
|close up with flash
|My Freaky Blue look I came up with after a midnight session of playing around with my makeup, I made the blue lipstick out of some loose mineral shadow, it's not something i'd wear out in public. it wore off some by the time I took this pic.
|Close up of the eye makeup, I did the whole eye black and then put white over the black and it turned an interesting silver. Finished it off with a liquid blue eye liner and blue pencil liner on the bottom
|I got rid of the blue and put on some regular lipgloss, which made this look more normal and not as creepy.


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Quick Reference
n. the group of symptoms caused by deficiency of riboflavin (vitamin B2). These symptoms include inflammation of the tongue and lips and sores in the corners of the mouth.
Subjects: Medicine and Health.
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WikipediaRead full entry
Epipactis helleborine
Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved Helleborine) is a terrestrial species of orchid. Its nodding flowers vary from greenish pink to purple, and it prefers shaded woodland environments.
Epipactis helleborine grows to a height of 80 cms has broad dull green leaves which are strongly ribbed and flat. The flowers are arranged in a long drooping racemes with dull green sepals and shorter upper petals. The lower labellum is pale red and is much shorter than the upper petals.[3]
It is widespread across much of Europe and Asia from Portugal to China, as well as northern Africa.[1][4][5] In North America, it is widely naturalized mostly in the Northeastern United States, eastern Canada and the Great Lakes Region, but also in scattered locations in other parts of the continent.[6][7][8]
Found in woods and hedge-banks.[9] Eight varieties of Epipactis helleborine in central Europe (Lower Silesia, Poland) had their nectar studied and they were found to contain naturally occurring oxycodone (as well as another narcotic like opioid) in minute amounts.[10]
A rather long list of names have been proposed for subspecies, varieties and forms of Epipactis helleborine, far too many to list here.[2] This is not unusual for such a widespread species. At present (June 2014) only the following are accorded international acceptance:[1]
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. bithynica (Robatsch) Kreutz - Turkey
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. degenii (Szentp. & Mónus) Kreutz - Greece
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. densifolia (W.Hahn, Passin & R.Wegener) Kreutz - Turkey
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. helleborine - widespread
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. latina W.Rossi & E.Klein - Italy, former Yugoslavia
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. leutei (Robatsch) Kreutz - Austria, Czech Republic
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. levantina Kreutz, Óvári & Shifman - Turkey
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. molochina (P.Delforge) Kreutz - Spain
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. neerlandica (Verm.) Buttler - Great Britain, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. orbicularis (K.Richt.) E.Klein - Austria, Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Baltic Republics
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. schubertiorum (Bartolo, Pulv. & Robatsch) Kreutz - Italy
- Epipactis helleborine var. tangutica (Schltr.) S.C.Chen & G.H.Zhu - China
- Epipactis helleborine subsp. tremolsii (Pau) E.Klein - France, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, Italy, Algeria, Morocco
- ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Species, Epipactis helleborine
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Epipactis helleborine subsp. helleborine, synonyms
- ^ Webb, D.A., Parnell, J. and Doogue,D . 1996. An Irish Flora. Dundalgan Press (W. Tempest) Ltd. Dundalk.ISBN 0-85221-131-7
- ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Elleborine comune, Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz
- ^ Flora of China v 25 p 180, 火烧兰 huo shao lan, Epipactis helleborine (Linnaeus) Crantz
- ^ Flora of North America v 26 p 586, Epipactis helleborine (Linnaeus) Crantz
- ^ Biota of North America Program, county range map
- ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families".
- ^ Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 04656 4
- ^ "Why do pollinators become 'sluggish'? Nectar chemical constituents from Epipactis helleborine L. Crantz Orchidaceae". Applied Ecology & Environmental Research. 2005;3(2):29-38. Jakubska A, Przado D, Steininger M, Aniol-Kwiatkowska A, Kadej M.


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Happy Friday! Not only is it almost the weekend, we're giving away another prize!
But first, yesterday's winners of the Staple Dress pattern and The Riding Peplum & Party Dress pattern are Derenda L. and Debra M.! Watch your inboxes for your prizes!
If you're just joining us, Sew it All TV season 8 begins airing on PBS at the end of September, and we're celebrating by giving away a prize a day plus a sneak peek into the new season! Check pbs.org for your local station schedule. If your local PBS doesn't carry Sew it All, email or call them to request it!
Also, every day you enter for the next 13 days, you'll be entered to win the Grand Prize, a copy of Sew it All TV season 7 on DVD!
Today's prize is a super cute ampersand print tote from season 8 guest Kim Davis.
Kim blogs at ohsweetjoy.com and in her episode, teaches us how to make a cute peplum top out of an old T-shirt (or by using an existing tank top as a pattern).
Full instructions and patterns for each new episode will be available at sewitalltv.com on September 1st–get a sneak peek and be prepared with all the supplies for when the episode airs!
Instructions and patterns for ALL past seasons are available for your reference and inspiration! Like this episode from our very own Beth Bradley, where she teaches you to make an infinity scarf using knit, sheer or woven fabric! Make a trendy scarf and pair it with your trendy peplum tank for a fabulous look!
To enter to win an ampersand tote, answer the following question in the comments section below: Do you like upcycling old garments?
Breathing new life into old duds is thrilling for some, but other crafty people would rather make their garments from scratch. Tell us your thoughts and you'll be entered to win not only the ampersand tote, but also the Grand Prize: Sew it All TV Season 7 on DVD!
Head over to the Creative Machine Embroidery blog on Monday to hear the winners of today's prize, plus another great prize and a sneak peek into another new episode!
Good luck and happy stitching! Have a great weekend


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Well, we were a little depressed that we didn't get to see Bosco last time around but that's all changed now that we've played through the fourth episode in the current season of Sam & Max. Chariot of the Dogs focuses from start to finish on the whereabouts of our paranoid inconvenience store clerk, revealing not only the very credible evidence that he's not simply delusional but also a fair bit of information on how he turned out the way he did in the first place. Best of all, it's all done with a sharp sense of humor and a series of challenges that are really just part of one giant puzzle centering around your attempts to rescue Bosco.
Now with most Sam and Max episodes, we've been able to at least dance around the story elements in our discussion of the humor and puzzles that are the real motivation to play these games in the first place. We can't really do that here, simply because so much of the humor of the situation revolves around what's happened to Bosco and what you need to do to save him from the completely ridiculous circumstances he's found himself in.
Let's just say that the whole episode involves Sam and Max's attempts to rescue Bosco from the clutches of the nefarious, and heretofore assumed to be imaginary, T-H-E-M. Naturally a good bit of the motivation to rescue Bosco arises out of the fact that Sam and Max just so happen to have found themselves shanghaied as well, but let's not cast aspersions on their altruistic motivations just yet.
We have to reveal that the bulk of the story involves plenty of visits to the past and the future, which gives you a chance to meet younger and older versions of familiar characters, and even to meet the parents and grandparents of some of the regulars. There are definitely some standouts here, but the best performance is delivered by an Alzheimer's afflicted, future Sam. His lines alone are worth the price of admission here. When you start adding in the number of paradoxes and illogical exchanges that this time-bending episode generates, it's easily one of the funniest episodes to date.
The new characters definitely fit in well with the overall spirit of the series, and the new, sometimes substantial, revelations and enlargements of existing characters provides the opportunity for some truly side-splitting story moments. Sam and Max's interactions with all their past and future selves are particularly inventive and completely true to my own idea of who these characters were, are and are going to be.
One of the most satisfying aspects of this game is that each and every puzzle contributes to your efforts to get Bosco out of the terrible circumstances that he's found himself in. From the very first grade-school science experiment to the soul-snatching shenanigans at the end, the puzzles here have a sense of cohesiveness and purpose (at least by Sam and Max standards), that we just haven't seen before. It makes the story so much enjoyable and meaningful when you can see how each and every little challenge contributes to your overall goal. The player never feels like they're just trying to get through A just to get to B just to get to C. Instead, it feels like you've always got your sights set on the goal and are just knocking down a long line of connected challenges that stand in your way.


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UDELL email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-01-17 published
UDELL, Daisy (née BURNS)
(Retiree of Bell Canada after 39 years)
Peacefully, at the Scarborough General Hospital, on Monday, January 16, 2006, in her 81st year. Daisy UDELL (née BURNS,) loving wife of Clarence for over 52 years. Sister-in-law of Rena SMITH, John and Gladys ALLCHURCH, and Lillian BURNS, and all their families. Special aunt of Ross THAYER, Judy, Michael, Selina and Julia, and Ron and Helen NOBBS, Ed and Cheryl. Daisy will be fondly remembered by her many family and Friends of the Rebekah Lodge 350 and the Legion Branch 258. The family will receive Friends at the McEachnie Funeral Home, 28 Old Kingston Road, Ajax (Pickering Village), 905-428-8488, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Thursday. Funeral Service in the Chapel on Friday, January 20, 2006 at 11: 00 a.m. Interment - Erskine Cemetery. Should family and Friends so desire, donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.
U... Names UD... Names Welcome Home
UDELL - All Categories in OGSPI
UDERSTADT firstname.lastname@example.com_county.london.london_free_press 2006-10-21 published
UDERSTADT, E.H. "Henry"
At Victoria Hospital, London on Thursday, October 19, 2006, E.H. "Henry" UDERSTADT of London in his 91st year. Beloved husband of Gerda C. (SCHOLZE) UDERSTADT. Dear father of Christel MORTON and her husband Robert of London, Gerd UDERSTADT and his wife Ketty of Fergus and Axel UDERSTADT and his partner Helen SCOTT of Ajax. Also loved by his grandchildren, Brent MORTON, Jenna and Peter SCIVENER, Christian and Leslie MORTON, Kristine and Dave THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON, George and Karen UDERSTADT, Mark and Laura UDERSTADT and Jennifer Scott, and his 6 great-grandchildren. Friends will be received by the family 1 hour prior to the funeral service being conducted in the chapel of the A. Millard George Funeral Home, 60 Ridout Street South, London on Monday, October 23rd at 1: 00 p.m with Reverend Sheldon W. DYCK officiating. Interment in Woodland Cemetery, London. Friends who wish may make memorial donations to the charity of your choice. On line condolences accepted at www.amgeorgefh.on.ca
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UDERSTADT - All Categories in OGSPI
UDOVIC firstname.lastname@example.com_county.london.london_free_press 2006-10-31 published
UDOVIC, Karel (November 4, 1924-October 28, 2006)
Surrounded by loving family, peacefully, he passed into the Lord's hands after a brief illness. Beloved husband of Frances, cherished father of Marcia NEILANDS (Leonard) and Frank UDOVIC (Giavana.) Loving grandfather of Steph, Angela, Christopher and Shaun. One of 13 children born in Slovenia. He is survived by Maria FIDEL of Winnipeg, Drago (Vera), Ludvig (Paula) and Joe of Cleveland, Danica of Australia and Milka of Slovenia. Fondly remembered by Tony MIKULETIC (British Columbia) and Meri SEDMAK, Australia. Missed by many nieces and nephews on three continents and Friends in London and Toronto. A kind, loving man with a warm smile, a joke or story, he loved to sing, dance, polka and play the accordion. He was staff at University of Western Ontario. Visitation will be held at the John T. Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo Street at King Street, London, on Wednesday, November 1st from 2-4 and 7-9 o'clock with prayers to be held at 8: 00 o'clock. Funeral Mass will be held at St. George's Catholic Church, 1164 Commissioners Rd. W. on Thursday, November 2nd at 10: 30 o'clock with interment to follow at Saint Peter's Cemetery. Donations may be made to either St. George's Church Building Fund or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. The family would like to thank the ACE Unit at London Health Sciences Centre, Victoria Hospital for their kind care and all who prayed for him. Sleep gently, dear Father. Spavaj Slatko, Dragi Tata. Boh.
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UDOVICICH email@example.com_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-18 published
UDOVICICH, Alexander Branko
Peacefully in the presence of his family on Sunday, April 16, 2006 in his 84th year. Deeply missed by his dear friend John GOUDY. Sorely missed by his brother Anton and his wife Luba, nephew Darko and his wife Dubravka and their children Monica and Tony of Croatia. Predeceased by cousin Bogdan KRAVOS, sadly missed by his wife Amalia and their children Marina and Nerio and his wife Egizya and their families. Alexander will always be fondly remembered by his family and Friends in Canada and Europe. Friends may call at the Turner and Porter Funeral Home, 436 Roncesvalles Avenue, (at Howard Park) from 2 p.m. on Saturday April 22 2006, for a Memorial Service at 3 p.m. Thank you to the doctors and nursing staff of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Palliative Care Team of Saint_Joseph's Health Centre, the Toronto Community Care Centre and a special thank you to Doctor Christa JENEY and Nurse Rosa BORG for their wonderful homecare. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of choice.
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UDOVICICH - All Categories in OGSPI


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May 25, 2010
The Unleading of a Swan
A long road back to recovery
Roberto Aguilar, DVM
The male mute swan came to the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Mass., on a bitter cold day last December. He had been rescued in nearby Plymouth by an Animal Control officer, who came across the anemic and underweight bird being chased by another swan.
Weakness prevented him from raising raise his wings off the ground or lifting his head, which he rested on his neck. He acted starved in spite of having food in his crop, a sack-like pouch that grain eating birds fill to digest later.
Medical Mystery
When we first examined him, we were at a loss of what could cause these clinical signs. Blood tests revealed the problem: he had a very high level of lead in his system – nearly enough to kill him. He probably ingested the lead from an old lead fishing sinker lying on the bottom of a waterway. Lead sinkers are banned, but still persist in the environment.
The lead in his system was chronically poisoning the swan. We immediately started chelation therapy with Calcium EDTA, an agent that binds to lead and helps eliminate it. It was less expensive than some alternative forms of therapy, and less invasive since it can be given orally. Most lead elimination methods require multiple injections.
The twenty rounds of chelation – five days on and two days off, took almost four months and cost roughly $1,500. Eventually, the signs of poisoning disappeared and the swan started moving around and eating normally.
Lead in the Environment
As this case shows, lead poisoning is a serious problem for wildlife. Lead is a basic element that doesn't rust or change. Once in the environment, lead remains there for centuries. It poisons the animals that ingest it, as well as animals farther up the food chain.
Lead has affected some species severely. In the case of the California Condor, it has compromised the reintroduction of the species back to the wild. The effort has literally cost millions of dollars. Some evidence suggests that lead may have been a factor in the near disappearance of the California condor in the first place.
Bald eagles, mourning doves, geese and numerous waterfowl are severely affected when they ingest lead particles. Loons may have been wiped out from parts of the Northeast by ingesting lead in fishing tackle. The fact that once in the environment it stays there unchanged makes its effect on wildlife in general even worse.
Dr. Aguilar is veterinarian at the Cape Wildlife Center.
Help animals at Cape Wildlife and others helped by The Fund for AnimalsDonate
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Domestic equities gained significant strength in mid-morning trades, with benchmark Sensex scaling to a one-year high after investors showed strong appetite for automobile, banking and banking stocks.
Taking positive cues from other Asian market peers, the benchmark Sensex surged to a 52-week high of 28,837.88, up 306 points.
Besides the stock market indices, domestic currency market, too, witnessed sharp appreciation amid selling of the US dollar by exporters and banks amid strong foreign fund inflows.
The rupee surged by 31 paise to 66.51 against the dollar in early trade.
Other Asian indices, too, held on to gains, albeit marginally higher, as traders maintained caution with steady optimism in the absence of fresh triggers.
At, the 30-share BSE S&P Sensex was at 28,831.31, up 299.20 points of 1.05 percent over previous close. Similarly, the broader 50-stock CNX Nifty was at 8,895.20, up 85.55 points, or nearly 1 percent higher.
Among the leading gainers amongst the Sensex pack, Axis Bank led the chart rising 3.3 percent to Rs 618.90.
Other top performers such as Tata Motors rose 3 percent to Rs 566.55, Gail advanced 2.2 percent to Rs 403, Maruti gained 2.1 percent to Rs 5,269.90 and ICICI Bank was up 1.8 percent at Rs 266.15.
Asian Paints, HeroMoto Corp, SBI, M&M, NTPC, Tata Steel, ITC, Infosys, L&T and HDFC Bank were up around 1-2 percent each.
However, telecom stocks lingered in negative territory since the last week after Reliance Jio announced its 4G launch last week. Analysts fear the aggressive data pricing and free voice calls undertaken by Reliance Jio could trigger another round of tariff war and put a dent on the earnings of the incumbents.
Extending the fall, Bharti Airtel stock dropped 1.6 percent to Rs 313.75, Idea Cellular fell 0.8 percent to Rs 83.40, Reliance Communication was down nearly a percent at Rs 48.75 and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) eased nearly 2 percent at Rs 6.01.
Updated Date: Sep 06, 2016 11:14 AM


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Preview: Mafia II
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A GTA clone, and one of little merit. I played the first one and just felt completely let down. It left me with a sense that it had all been done before by other games (and done better). You make a game like this to capture the audience who have finished with the game you are trying to copy and to grab a few sale before the next instalment of your 'inspiration' franchise is released. I guarantee you that if GTA 5 were coming out next month, then this title wouldn't even be on the radar. I'm not saying that it's going to be a bad game, but I can guarantee you that it will be forgotten soon after it's released.
I really liked the sandbox mode of mafia. i just sat on the side of the road shooting people as they drove by with a shot gun then watch them crash... too bad the actually game play was super tough so i never got too far.
It's really not that bad... it just feels differently that grand theft auto... i like it more... probably because it does not make me feel like a doucher like gta
Which bit's the GTA clone exactly? And little merit in terms of what?
This isn't a sandbox game - it may be open world, but that's not the same. The game's ultimately about a strong linear narrative (as was the first) with a more serious approach to life as a criminal. GTA is about (now boring and overdone) satire and having a rocket launcher to blow shit up with in a sandbox.
No, maybe Mafia 2 wouldn't be recognised if GTA 5 was coming out at the same time. But tell me, what else would?
Going into Mafia expecting GTA (and subsequently labeling it a poor clone) is like going into a Chinese restaurant and expecting them to serve Mexican food. Sort of.
I'm a huge fan of Mafia 1. A sequel seemed like a distant dream for so many years, but after seeing this? Bring it on! :-)
I'm also very glad that the writer of the original wrote this one as well. I hope the delivery will still be top-notch...
The game's NOT a GTA clone either, it was in production way before GTA3 was released. Kinda like the coincidence that happened with the Infamous and Prototype releases...
I really hope this game is great. I've been following it on and off since it was announced and it's always looked fun. I was a fan of the first game even though I never completed it. One mission I'll always remember is stealing a race car, getting some guy to mod it and then you compete in that race. Don't know why, just found that mission really fun for some reason. The atmosphere was also great, especially given the tech of the time and considering what can be done now. There's a Steam deal now where you buy the second game (pre-order, obviously) and get the first one free to download instantly.
And yet in a recent preview of Mafia 2 (on Eurogamer I think, who coincidentally gave the first game 4/10 and said it was a poor GTA-clone) they said the first was strongly influenced by GTA.
It really does make me angry, but at least it's forgivable for people to not know each game's development times; you'd think the fact that each game is going for a totally different experience would be a bit of a hint though.
It makes me mad too. Mafia isn't trying to deliver the same type of experience as GTA, it's a much more realistic and less 'toonish' sandbox. GTA clone? Like hell.
Ah well, at least the game still has a solid fanbase despite the type of stupidity you just mentioned.
Sounds awesome indeed, can't wait to start playing this game. I loved the first one, I played it on an ancient 300Mhz PC on the lowest settings possible, and couldn't get enough of it :D.
I'm not sure I've read a review recently, or perhaps ever, that's got me as excited for a game than this one. It just seems to tivk all the right boxes.
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Gaelic History
Are you interested in information on Gaelic history? The Gaels originated in Ireland and spread out from there to the Isle of Man and Scotland. They spoke one of three Gaelic languages: Irish, Manx, or Scottish Gaelic. Read on for more about their history and culture.
About Gaelic History
The history of the Gaelic language is pretty short. About 300 BC the Gaels were in Ireland and soon spread to Scotland and the Isle of Man. The language broke into the two groups of Irish and a combination of Manx and Scottish Gaelic. After time, the Manx and Scottish languages separated and the three languages were distinct by the 17th century.
A Gaelic political order existed in Ireland until 1607. It consisted mostly of many kingdoms of various sizes spread over the land. When the Normans invaded in 1169, Norman lords controlled large portions of Ireland, but Gaelic Ireland still continued in the other parts of Ireland. Of course there were many battles between neighboring lords but by 1541, the Kingdom of Ireland was established. Then the English began a conquest of Ireland and in 1607, many earls left Ireland for the mainland and that was the end of Gaelic Ireland.
Gaelic history needs to include information on religious practices. Before Christianity was introduced to the Gaelic regions, their religion would be considered pagan or polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods and goddesses. A major part of their religious beliefs included animism, meaning all parts of the natural world contain spirits and humans can communicate with them.
Trees were particularly sacred and the beginnings of the Irish language used the Ogham alphabet, which has names of trees associated with each letter. The Gaelic Irish and other Celts believed in life after death and buried various objects with the deceased, like food and weapons. Their four major holidays were celebrated on these days: February 1st, May 1st, August 1st, and October 31st to November 1st, which marked the four divisions of the year.
Gaelic Society
The society and culture throughout Gaelic history is also interesting. Society revolved around the clan, or "fine", and of course there were many disagreements and wars over the years. Laws were passed down orally and were mostly concerned with the payment of fines for any harm done by someone's actions. Of great importance were bonds among clansmen and social norms concerning hospitality and other responsibilities. Cultural traditions and folklore were also passed down orally, with storytelling, poetry, and the arts being held in high regard.
Social Structure
There were four divisions in Gaelic society. These levels were not exclusive and a person could move from one to another.
- At the top were the nobility, which included lords, kings, and chieftains.
- Next were the professionals, like doctors, craftsmen, lawyers, poets, historians, and even druids and clairvoyants.
- On the third level were people who owned land and cattle. Under them were the slaves and serfs.
- A group that lived apart from society was the bands of warriors called "fianna". They usually did not settle in one particular place.
People sustained themselves with livestock like sheep, pigs, cattle, and horses, and by fishing. The main crops grown were barley, wheat, and oats with flax being grown to make linen. The main exports were animal hides, wool, cloth, and fish. The main imports were things not found in Ireland including salt and wine.
Houses were round and built with stone, wattle and daub, wood, sods, clay, or a mixture of materials. The conical roofs were either composed of thatch or sods. After Christianity began making its way into society, monastic settlements sprang up and later turned into towns.
Art in Gaelic society consisted of carvings, pottery, tableware, jewelry, and illuminated texts. Music was lively and two favorite instruments were the harp and the tabor, which is like a snare drum. There were also stringed instruments, fifes, various horns, castanets, and bagpipes.