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I was pleasantly surprised to look out the window during my lunch break today and see two monarch butterflies nectaring on my pineapple sage. Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is one of those plants I like to include in my herb garden for both aesthetic and culinary reasons; the leaves make a yummy addition to iced … Read More →
From April 14th to 18th—just in time for National Citizen Science Day (April 15) and Earth Day (April 22)—16 US cities are asking residents to explore nature all around them and document the species they find. Help Washington DC win this friendly competition with the most sightings! To participate, download the iNaturalist app for your phone, snap … Read More →
LOVE THAT SHIRT, ROB! Spotted last week at the U.S. Arboretum during the Lahr Native Plants Sale… If you'd like to buy some great native plants to feed those pollinators, mark your calendars. There's another great sale coming up on April 15, this time in Baltimore, MD at the intersection of University Parkway and Charles … Read More →
The dark-eyed juncos arrived yesterday. I was eating breakfast when I first saw them, flapping around in the waterfall out by my pond. I wondered if they had been flying through the night to get here. About 30 of these little black and white birds seemed anxious to get a drink, take a bath, make … Read More →
Want to add some color to a small urban garden while helping out our native wildlife? Try planting some native perennials. Below are a few of my favorites. Bees need food throughout the growing season, and there are many native plants that can provide a late-season meal for pollinators. In this photo a bumblebee is … Read More →
I was delighted to find this monarch caterpillar in our garden today, munching away on some Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). We used to see monarchs on a regular basis, but in the last few years these visitors have become very rare in my wildlife garden. My own anecdotal observations match what scientists who study these beautiful orange, … Read More →
This morning commuters across the District were reminded it was Earth Day when representatives from the city's Department of Energy & the Environment (DDOE) arrived at 13 different Metro stations to hand out seed packets. "Want some seeds to help us plant pollinators?" DDOE Director Tommy Wells repeatedly asked people on their way to work and … Read More →
The Takoma Horticultural Club presents Bay-friendly Lawn Care and Alternatives to Turf Presented by Geoffrey Rinehart, U.S. National Arboretum Wednesday, March 16, 7:30 – 9:00 pm District of Columbia Library, Takoma Park Branch* 416 Cedar Street NW, D.C. 20012 Update: this meeting location will be changed due to the shut down of the DC Metro … Read More →
This week I'm posting a note/guest post from Aubin Maynard, an environmental planner at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. How would you like 5 to 25 tree seedlings at no cost to you through the Maryland Forest Service's Backyard Buffer program? This program was created to help landowners that own less than 6 acres … Read More →
I love taking flower photos in my garden, but I am not always pleased with the results! Strangely, my android smartphone seems to yield the best results, perhaps because my expectations are always low and I'm always pleasantly surprised how my relaxed attitude makes for a better pic. Either way, I wanted to pass on info … Read More →


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In the market for a new Android phone? Here are some devices worth waiting for
We take a look at upcoming Android smartphones that you should be aware before buying a new device.
Should I wait for the new Galaxy or should I get the HTC now? Is the next Nexus worth waiting another month? If I get this phone now, will I regret it next week? We've all had dilemmas like these, or, at least, we've heard others wondering if purchasing a device would give them buyer's remorse.
Everyone hates buyer's remorse, and when new devices launch every other week, it's hard to avoid the feeling that you've just spent your precious cash on the wrong gadget.
We're here to help. These are some cool Android phones coming in the next few months that we think you should know about before making a buying decision.
- The Sony i1 has been rumored to launch "soon", but we can't really tell when you can expect it to see it in stores. In other words, you better be patient!
- The Sony Xperia Z Ultra will be available in the first markets in September.
- The LG G2 is rumored to be launched in July in South Korea and in the rest of the world in August. Add at least another month for store availability.
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is widely expected to launch in early September, with availability later that month.
- The Oppo Find 7 is rumored to launch in the first markets in mid-September.
- The Motorola Moto X is expected to become available by the end of the summer, probably this month.
- The HTC One Max is rumored to launch in Q4, likely in early fall.
- The HTC Butterfly s already sells in Taiwan, is set to debut in Asia in Q3, while other regions could get a localized version.
- The HTC One Mini is widely expected to be launched in August.
Looking for the best camera?
You may want to wait for the Sony i1, a.k.a. Honami. This rumored beast of a phone will sport a camera like no other – a leaked system dump revealed a 20MP sensor, 4000

subset: commoncrawl


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Enjoying the Learning Curve
Hi all, yes I am in training in essence now. Studying methods and tools and techniques and soon to be platforms which I will use to create posters as well as poster videos. I'm enjoying it all and just doing what I feel to be most important in any given moment to move forward on this path I am on. I want to encourage you to join an online group call "The Royal Society" on Facebook which is a community of individuals helping each other to remember their inherent value and worth and dignity and encouraging one another through videos and commenting to be all they can in this life. I share many videos through this community and am also expanding beyond it, through it and into a sort of sister site called SimpleReminders.com which of course many of your know now I am employee to. I love them, I love their message, I love the opportunity and potential for growth for all. You can see my videos which are primarily informative in nature as I hope to help with people's journeys through their trials by telling of how I got through mine and what kinds of perspectives help me. I also share posters with my quotes for the same reason. I will share a couple here now but be sure to check out my FB page James Love Whitley - Creative Insights as well!
Leave a Reply.
Keep up to date about what going on in my world, creations, events and projects.
It's all HERE and NOW. You Expand, it Expresses.
October 2017


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Langley � Ahead of an emergency meeting of the Grand River Dam Authority Board of Directors on Friday afternoon to discuss the issue of Blue Green Algae (BGA) in Grand Lake, the GRDA is advising the public to stay out of Grand Lake waters.
�We strongly discourage any body contact with the water at this point,� said GRDA Corporate Communications Director Justin Alberty. �That means no swimming or any other activities that would bring you into contact with lake water.�
The reason behind this advisory is due to the rapidly changing conditions of the BGA levels and areas in the lake, added Alberty. Earlier in the week, BGA was confirmed in several locations of Grand Lake. After further monitoring, it appears there is the potential for the algae to be in all the major coves and areas of the main lake.
�Test results from late yesterday (Thursday) afternoon showed BGA toxicity at higher levels than before, and this is a situation that continues to develop rapidly. We strongly discourage anyone from getting into the lake at this point.�
BGA are microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams, usually in low numbers. However, the algae can become abundant in shallow, warm water that receives heavy sunlight. While most BGA are not toxic, toxins can be produced in some algae blooms. That is what has occurred on Grand Lake and continues to develop.
�Both the GRDA Ecosystems Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality have monitored this issue for several days, and its safe to say that it has rapidly progressed, even in the last 24 hours,� said Alberty.
The GRDA Board of Directors will be briefed on the lake conditions during the special meeting, at 1:30 PM Friday afternoon, in Tulsa. At that time, it will discuss the other alternatives for dealing with the Grand Lake BGA issue.
For more information on BGA, visit www.grda.com or www.deq.state.ok.us.


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see on the map
Kyorpev house - Kotel
Author: Л. Иванова, 599 metres From Kotel. , Адрес: Kotel, ул. Алтънлъ Стоян 5, GPS coordinates: N 42.8940764 E 26.4454650
See location..
0453 / 4 2460, 4 2315
Cultural / Exhibitions
Виж всички забележителности
0453 / 4 2460, 4 2315
Cultural / Exhibitions
Виж всички забележителности
In ethnographic exhibition "Kotel Renaissance urban life" covered in Kyorpev house and opened for visitors in 1960, can be seen a large number of articles related to lifestyle, culture and art in the eighteenth and nineteenth century This exhibition presents our distinctive national presence and traditions passed down from generation to generation. Festive folk costumes and beautiful fabrics are evidence of the ability of the Kotel to create beauty, to educate the harmony of colors and patterns. The rich ethnographic heritage here includes characteristic excellent local folk customs, special sculpture in the decoration of ritual bread, gems of verbal and vocal folk music.
The house itself was built in 1872 and bears the marks of the late Revival architecture and unique symmetrical beam-style wooden structure. She now testifies to the growth of the Bulgarian Renaissance building, especially in the second half of the nineteenth century exterior and interior architecture are authentic and represent the dwelling unit as a whole - bedroom, living room, girl's room, homespun workshop, weaving, summer kitchen, cellar, warehouses. The original exhibits reflect the reality of Kotel town house in its aspects as home, workplace and business. Collected mnogoletnoto diversity and visokoestetichesko material and spiritual wealth, ethnographic exhibition is a constant source of impact, internal feeling and conscious need for conservation and recreation legacy of ancestors.
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In Cold Blood
A True Account of A Multiple Murder and Its ConsequencesAudiobook CD - 2006
From the critics
Community Activity
CommentAdd a Comment
It's a great book if you know the history behind it before you read it. One has to appreciate that this was the first of its kind written.
I loved the book, but I think Mr. Capote became a little too sympathetic towards the two perpetrators near the end!
I remember this as being the time my parents started making sure the doors were locked at night. So did everybody else in Kansas.
I was utterly absorbed with this book and the portrayal by Capote of the two killers. The backstory of the impact this had on Capote is equally dramatic and I'd like to discover more about that. Capote manages to challenge the reader to view the killers on different levels and manages to humanise them despite the callous and vile crime they committed; and we mustn't forget, they both colluded and took part in the crime they were charged with, despite doubt about who actually pulled the trigger. The book evoked a gambit of emotions for not only the criminals but their victims, their families and the law enforcement officers that had to deal with the aftermath of a shocking event.
Many years ago I watched the movie "Capote" and decided it was time to read the book that resulted from title character's work. While the story doesn't move quickly, I still found it alluring, knowing that this really happened, and recognizing various Kansas and Kansas City area features didn't hurt. I could really place myself in the setting. I am fascinated, mystified, and horrified by the minds and musing of murderers, and narrator Scott Brick does an excellent job of capturing the vulnerability, horror, and spirit of the subject.
Age SuitabilityAdd Age Suitability
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Try searching for In Cold Blood to see if NWPL owns related versions of the work.


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Magicue App For iOS
Magicue for iOS is available on the app store now! It comes packed with features including audio and video recording, script mirroring, and VoiceTrack, which automatically scrolls the text as the talent reads!
This innovative new app from Magicue is included free with every Magicue Mobile Series teleprompter. For more information, check out all of the features in the video above.
Draco Broadcast Membership!
Draco Broadcast has launched a brand new membership program for our loyal customers. Membership at Draco Broadcast is free, and gives you access to incredible weekly deals on some of the most popular Draco Broadcast products. From lights, to teleprompters, and more, Draco Broadcast members can enjoy limited time offers not found anywhere else.
Signing up only takes a moment and you will get immediate access. Plus, as a thank you, we will send you an AXRTEC 64C On-Camera Light. Become a member here today
Chance to Win a Brand New Camlux Pro Daylight!
Last week, we introduced our brand new Camlux series to you....and now we are giving one away....EVERY WEEK!
Enter to win a Camlux ProD valued at $150.00 by submitting your entry at www.dracast.com! The winners will be announced every Friday at 10:00 am on Facebook Live on the Dracast page. The next drawing will be Friday, July 15. You may enter once per day, as many times as you like!
Reseller Spotlight: Cal Media Solutions
"California Media Solutions, Inc. is one of the largest A/V equipment and video tape dealers in the country. Media solutions prides itself in providing excellent service for the hardware and media needs of broadcast, production, government, corporation video and education markets all over the country.
California Media Solutions, Inc. is a woman - owned, certified small business. They are a factory - authorized dealer for the lines they carry. Media solutions is enjoying its 15th year in the video business and is partnered with a great company and industry leader for 34 years and boasts some of the best credit and inventory turns in the A/V world. California Media Solutions, Inc. also serves as the Bay Area's rental house for broadcast and production equipment."


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With the aim of starting 2018 in the right way, and before we commence our regular weekly activities, we have decided to commit a week to praying.
In our Sunday Services on the 7th January 2018 (10:30am Sudbourne / 6:30pm Tunstall) we will be thinking about:
- "Why We Pray" – We will achieve absolutely nothing of lasting value as a church or as individuals without God's help. So we pray that he would work through us and maybe in spite of us
- "How We Pray" – There are many examples of different sorts of prayers in the Bible and we are going to have a look at a few to see how they can help us in our praying
The sermons from these services will be available on this website from Monday 8th January.
Following on from that and through the week we will be meeting at various locations around our area to pray for a wide variety of things. In particular, that God would work in this area through His Spirit. We would love it if you could join with us.
Day Four – Thursday 11th January 2018:
Time & Location: 7:45 pm @ Dave & Charys Rushbrook's, 8 Ashton Close, Rendlesham, IP12 2GS
- Church growth
- Outreach to Children and Young People
- The village of Rendlesham
- Our daily activities


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For the second time in three years, West Friendship residents are fighting what they fear would be a pit stop for Interstate 70 motorists.
They fear that three gas pumps planned by High's Dairy Stores Inc. would pollute an adjacent creek, strain the ability of nearby land to handle additional septic waste and create traffic problems.
Rick Grimes, who lives behind the West Friendship Shopping Center property where the High's convenience store opened in June, said his concern is that the pumps would generate more bathroom stops than gas stops.


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The LKV501-V2.0 supports 5 HDMI inputs to 1 HDMI Output, with quick and effortless setup and up to a resolution of 4Kx2K @60Hz. With IR, RS232 serial and push button control this unit will fit perfectly into any scenario where you have 5 display Outputs going into 1 Input.
The front panel LEDs make it easy to see what Input is currently active at any given time, HDMI 2.0 support you will get a clear high quality image output every time. (depending on Input quality) Also features a built-in bi-directional RS-232 serial port that allows the switch to be controlled through a high-end controller PC or included remote control
Input and Output
TMDS Signal 0.5 ~ 1.5VP-p(TMDS)
DDC Signal 5Vp-p(TTL)
Audio Supports standard audio and DSD (Direct Stream Digital) and HD (HBR) audio
HDMI Resolution 480i/480p/756i/756p/720p/1080i/1080p 4Kx2K@24/25/30/60Hz
Working Temperature 0°C ~ 60°C
Power Supply DC5V/1A
Power Consumption <5W
Dimension (LxWxH) 160 x 51.5 x 20mm
Weight 230g
Colour Black


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i have one of those old school record cleaning brushes next to my turntables to get dust off my records. i use it just about every time i take my records out. i take it with me to gigs too just in case! maybe i'm weird tho ;)
i have one of those too. mine also has a little brush for cleaning your needle in a little recess in the handle. i've had it since i was a teenager and still use it every day, tho i've never gigged it!
Guilty as charged. Although mine is a lowly WHSmith version, circa 1986 - nothing quite as sophisticated as the K-Tel one


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One of the most challenging aspects of school is attaining high grades. But it gets so much more challenging when fellow students break the system and go to private tuition en masse to survive school because apparently adequate support isn't provided to them in school. I went to an English medium school, where the medium of instruction + learning was entirely in the English Language. All we kids ever did was speak English in school, during school hours – in fact, if I remember correctly, communicating in Bengali in school premises was expressively not allowed. I think this system with private tuition that England fosters is highly unfair. I know even all my mates survived it, with sheer difficulty – it certainly was no piece of cake.
I still managed to put in my best effort and did things so many kids couldn't – like getting conditional offers for Mechanical Engineering from six top UK universities, in the face of stiff local/global competition. There are only a couple of seats in each university for each subject, and thousands of children around the world, who annually strive to make it to top British universities – so, if I do the math, my head freezes over how I managed to do it.
Back in school, though, I found it impossible to cope with private tuition, post six hours of schooling, five days a week, because I also needed the weekend and school after hours to be just a kid and spend doing things more than just simply learning. Going to private tuition for me was the rarest episode because I would learn in the traditional method of going to school and coming back and working on my homework and spending plenty of hours learning for weekly tests for various subjects, as well.
I studied in one of the highest learning systems in the world, for schools, because it was an English system – naturally, if I always went to English medium schools, one after another, that's what it would always be like. I would even get private tuition because I needed 'extra help' with some subjects in school, since I couldn't understand one word of what a few of the teachers would teach in a few of the subjects, and there was no end in sight for it, after surviving school five years (from 'Year I' onwards), in the natural method.
I have the worst memories of having to incorporate learning in the afternoons and evening, as well. I just couldn't mould myself the way so many others had because after five years of following the traditional learning method of 'go to school and come back home and spend afternoons sleeping + evenings studying', I was under the impression that, that was school was all about. And it really is: it's the correct idea of schooling in England, and because I went to an English medium school, naturally my school was no different (at all) – everything was just the same. How could I expect anything else from what a school is and what it's supposed to be?
I don't understand how a kid who gets private tuition for each and every subject in school still manages to fit in time for playing, sleeping appropriately, spending time with friends or even watching the television regularly. As a kid, I know, it can do things to your morale – I know I felt it, when I saw en masse, so many kids come out with tonnes of A grades (metaphorically, speaking – they would top each year, as in come out first etc.) after practically spending all their after school hours studying in the unregulated system of 'private tuition'. How a person wants to rise in the education system at university and not opt to drop out, following that experience, is something I will never understand because when I was in school, England sure didn't care about the state of schools.


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Expedia-verified reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelSuburban hotel with full-service spa and restaurant
Collecting Nectar Points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when you check out. Your points will be credited 35 days after you return from your trip.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Popular property highlights
Guests say they love
- Quiet location
- Convenient parking
- Overall value of stay
- Clean guestrooms
Situated near the airport, this spa hotel is 0.3 mi (0.5 km) from Golden Acre Park and within 6 miles (10 km) of University of Leeds and Kirkstall Abbey. First Direct Arena and Abbey House Museum are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Hotel features
A full-service spa, a restaurant and an indoor pool are available at this hotel. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, a fitness centre, a bar/lounge and a sauna are on-site.
Room amenities
All 118 rooms offer free WiFi, room service and TVs with digital channels. Guests will also find coffee/tea makers, in-room massages and hairdryers.
Languages Spoken
- English
Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to a full-service spa, Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel features an indoor pool and a sauna. The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Wireless Internet access is complimentary.
Business-related amenities at this 3-star property consist of a business centre and meeting rooms. This business-friendly hotel also offers a fitness centre, multilingual staff and a garden. Complimentary self parking is available on-site.
Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel has designated areas for smoking.
- Express check-in
- Bar/lounge
- Lift
- Fitness facilities
- Full-service spa
- Indoor pool
- 24-hour front desk
- Business centre
- Conference space
- Turkish bath/Hammam
- Meeting rooms 16
- Express check-out
- Restaurant
- Free self parking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free WiFi
- Steam room
- Sauna
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Luggage storage
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Designated smoking areas
- Total number of rooms - 118
- Number of floors - 3
- Garden
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Languages Spoken
- English
- Catalan
- German
- Spanish
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Daily housekeeping
- Free toiletries
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Bathtub or shower
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Television
- Digital TV service
- Free WiFi
- Number of bathrooms -
- In-room massage available
- In-room safe
- Private bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Room service (limited hours)
Where to Eat
Breakfast is available for a surcharge each morning.
Arts Brasserie – This restaurant specialises in international cuisine and serves breakfast and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool, a sauna and a fitness centre.
- Golfing nearby
Spa Services
Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the hotel's full-service spa. Services include Swedish massages, facials, body scrubs and body treatments. The spa is equipped with a sauna, a spa tub and Turkish bath/hammam. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and reflexology.
- Swedish massage
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Reflexology
- Body treatments
- Body scrubs
- Facial treatments
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 15 per pet, per night.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: GBP 13.95 per person (approximately)
- Pet fee: GBP 15 per pet, per night
Hotel Name
- Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel
- Mercure Parkway Hotel
- Mercure Leeds Parkway
- Mercure Parkway
- Mercure Leeds Parkway Hotel Leeds


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About David Mannheim
As a qualified User Experience (UX) consultant focusing on strategy and conversion rate optimisation across e-commerce platforms, David works with clients to improve their website designs and increase online profits and return on investment.
With an established portfolio and experience of working with both brands and digital agencies, David holds a number of accreditations in digital advertising. During his career he has worked with a number of high profile clients spanning across a variety of vertical markets.
David Mannheim
Head of Optimisation
Manchester, UKLinkedIn
|David Mannheim
|Main locations
|Business sector
|Conversion Optimization
|Relationship started
|November 2014
David had previously used a number of visitor tracking services but was looking for a solution that would provide a better insight into how visitors were interacting with his own site.
As an independent consultant it was important for David to be able to identify the people who were interested in his services so he could develop a more accurate understanding of his target audience.
It was also important for David to be able to integrate the solution with his existing set-ups. In particular, he was seeking integration with his Gmail account so he could track the progress of email pitches and approaches to potential clients.
Try CANDDi todayBook a demo now
Get PDFDownload
CANDDi for David Mannheim
By working with CANDDi, David has been able to tailor sections of his website to meet the interests and needs of potential clients.
For example, as a consultant David found large sections of his target audience were interested in his personal profile, his methods and his experiences and was thus able to bolster these pages on his website in order to provide a better insight into his previous work and expertise.
Using CANDDi, David was also able to identify who was landing on his website and analyse the amount of time they were spending in each section. By doing this he could see that certain users required more information on the role of UX itself. This insight led to David developing a specific section detailing the different services and options covered by UX – a section that in turn has significantly increased the amount of time prospects are spending on his site researching his services.
The Benefits
The ability to identify prospective clients is essential to David's B2B business as he is often looking to approach and engage with specific decision makers within companies and agencies.
CANDDi's ability to identify the users visiting his site has meant that David is able to be very specific when it comes to approaching the right people at the right time. The ability to use CANDDi alongside Gmail has enabled David to track a prospective client's interaction with his business from an initial pitch through to all of the subsequent visits to his website.
CANDDi has also seen David develop and adapt his website content to meet the queries and needs of his perspective clients.
David continues to advise brands and digital agencies on UX and Conversion Rate Optimisation in the Liverpool and Manchester area, as well as further afield, and has seen a rapid growth of his expanding portfolio.
David Mannheim
"As a B2B business I need to identify the people who are interested in my services. CANDDi has been a lifesaver in this respect. I can now attribute around 20% of new business to the software.
"It has also given me the knowledge of what people are doing on my site and how I can tailor that content. I can segment the data I get by region, company and other demographics. My industry is all about insight and that is what it has given me. I'm constantly improving my own site and practicing what I preach!"
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"It's a nifty piece of software at a good price from a very nice and friendly company." - Susan Beastall, Director, Soutron


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Inflammation of bladder or infection of bladder in cats is common but it usually doesn't occur due to bacterial infestation. If we talk about the bacterial infections in bladder then it is rare in cats than in dogs. You are not going to see it in young cats but it might be seen in cats of old age. When cats do become victim of bacterial infection in bladder, it is usually caused by E-coli. If you possess a cat then getting to know the details about the blood in cat urine, causes and treatment is very important for the health and well-being of your cat.
If you are having confusion in understanding the functioning an importance of bladder then you must understand that bladder holds a great importance in the body as it collects urine and holds it till the process of elimination. The common bladder infection is known by the name of Cystisis, the other infections linked with bladder infection include Utethritis and Pyelonephritis.
Most of the vets are of the opinion that the bacteria surrounding anus can also result in bladder infection if it enters the urethra.
Symptoms of bladder infection:
If your cat any one or all of the following symptoms then it's time to see a vet:
- Traces of blood in the urine
- Cloudy color of urine
- Recurring urination after small intervals- your cat passes urine in small amount and always feel full
- Feel sharp twinge of pain while urination
- Licking genital more often
- Strong foul smell coming from the urine
- Not peeing inside the litter box
Diagnosing bladder infection:
Bladder infection can be diagnosed through various methods such as:
- Physical infection
- Collection and analysis of urine samples
- White blood cells and red blood cells count might be checked
- Bacterial culture-this test is administered in order to find out the kind of the bacteria present in the bladder. E-coli is seen in most of the cases, some of the other common bacteria include strep, proteus and staph bacteria
- Ultrasound- this will be administered in order to detect calculi
Once bladder infection has been detected, the vet is going to suggest various medical treatments for this infection.
- The vet might suggest a course of antibiotics that must be consumed for at least two weeks.
- If the cat is facing a bacterial infection then the culture test will be administered. This culture test will suggest that which type of antibiotics might be suitable for those bacteria.
- The next thing that you must keep in mind is to provide the domestic treatment along with the medical treatment. It's best to provide your cat with as much drinking water. Not only must you encourage your cat to drink lots of water but you must also provide your cat with wet food or food that contains high level of water.
Extra measures:
You must also keep the litter tray clean. It would also be better to keep different litter trays in different areas of the house.
If your cat has long fur then be sure to trim the fur after every few days.


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Nutraceutical International Corporation ( NUTR) today reported results for the fiscal 2010 first quarter ended December 31, 2009. Net sales for the fiscal 2010 first quarter were $44.8 million compared to $39.6 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2009. For the first quarter of fiscal 2010, net income was $3.9 million, or $0.37 diluted earnings per share, compared to net income of $3.1 million, or $0.28 diluted earnings per share, for the same quarter of fiscal 2009.
Operating cash flow for the fiscal 2010 first quarter ended December 31, 2009 was $6.0 million compared to $3.1 million for the same period of fiscal 2009. This operating cash flow, combined with net borrowings of $12.0 million, was primarily used to invest $5.2 million in purchases of property and equipment, $11.6 million in the acquisitions of branded natural product businesses and $2.2 million in repurchases of common stock.
Bill Gay, chairman and chief executive officer, commented, "In spite of a lethargic economic environment, we started off fiscal 2010 with a solid first quarter. Net sales increased significantly because of acquisitions completed over the last six months. Additionally, both domestic and international sales of our branded products grew year over year. EBITDA, cash flow and net income expanded in the first quarter as stronger sales allowed us to leverage our general and administrative cost structure."
Mr. Gay continued, "Our recent acquisitions have enhanced our offerings of liquid and powdered nutritional supplements and health and beauty products. We believe our expanded product offerings provide regional opportunities for our marketing and sales organization to gain additional shelf space and better serve our customers. Operationally, we will continue to cut controllable expenses and further integrate our acquisitions. We continue to believe that our core health and natural food store customers are regaining confidence in their businesses and we remain positive about our prospects for 2010."


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martyn20 wrote:I'm really enjoying the 'New Bill' and The Fixer starts again tonight, quality drama. I'm a big fan of cop shows and ITV make the best.
Ooh - who is in the Fixer Martyn? I agree the ITV cop shows are good.
ITV1 +1 launches October 1All about TV programmes whether you love them or hate them!
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While we now take our school pupils on trips to Versailles, and go on holiday to trudge over the seven hills of Rome that now hold only the ruins of the once splendid ancient imperial palaces, these sorts of places used to be the powerhouses of their societies. Throughout many of history's 'great' (always a subjective term) civilisations, kings and conquerors governed kingdoms ranging from tiny ones to huge empires such as Rome. Their courts often played pivotal roles as the centres where it all came together: bland administrative business; juicy power dynamics; policy- and decision-making; avenues of influence that included the royal bedroom and shady back-corridors; and lots and lots of Game of Thrones-worthy scheming and plotting. Not the cleverest position to take on if you were interested in living a long and unencumbered life, the job of ruler.
Times have obviously changed, and though there are plenty of powerful men and women to be found in the world, our modern (first, western) world likes to think it has evolved into a 'better' (another subjective term) shape. However, the appeal of power will never quite go out of fashion. Luckily, investigating court dynamics throughout history can teach us heaps about power, so I'm afraid this blog post might end up being a sort of guidebook for the home-megalomaniac. Either way, I have hand-picked some examples to illustrate this topic with. To dodge some chaos I'll refer to the rulers as male, so just keep in mind there were some female rulers as well throughout history.
In order to successfully govern one's kingdom and have all of the court's eyes focused on you it wasn't the best idea to habitually snooze through the entire day and throw incessant parties, all the while devoting no time and energy to the actual business of ruling at all. The first keyword to successfully preside over a court was Personality with a capital P. Ambition, a conscientious work attitude, and a strong backbone obviously helped your cause. A good example is Louis XIV, the Sun King of France (r. 1643-1715), who was only four years old when he became king, so first a regency council headed by his mother ruled on his behalf, with most of the daily policy being concocted by chief minister Cardinal Mazarin. Usually such a slow start is quite disadvantageous to the ruler, because all the important connections and ties are made to run through different persons and offices. However, after Mazarin's death in 1661, Louis began his personal reign and took to ruling like a duck to water by instantly announcing he could do perfectly well without a chief minister. Furthermore, Louis liked being in control: he consulted with his advisors but made sure to always have the final word, and he was determined not to let any favourites influence his decision-making. Louis' court at the Palace of Versailles was a splendid (or vomit-inducing, if you dislike the over the top baroque style, like I do) environment in which he kept the nobility close so he could keep somewhat of an eye on them, and in which he manifested himself as a powerhouse of a ruler.
Throughout history, the nobility, and other such meddlesome persons surrounding the king, could be a real drag. However hard-working and strong-willed a ruler might have been, he was always connected with, limited by, and supported by the existing courtly hierarchy. The English King Henry III (r. 1216-72), for example, became increasingly subjected to the power and will of the barons, who seized power a couple of times during his reign and scribbled down their rights in the Great Charter of 1225 and the Provisions of Oxford (1258). Henry ended up with nothing much to say at all – not exactly ideal from his perspective. At all times, the various officials who supported our kings throughout history made up the formal sphere of influence at the court, in which a ruler could be approached. For example, at the court of the (Eastern) Roman Emperor Theodosius II (r. 408-450) in Constantinople, a system of suggestiones (proposals) that could inspire imperial decisions was in place. They could come from both outside and inside the palace and varied from personal interests to stuff such as whining about church matters. Imagine someone who wanted the emperor to call a council or arrest an enemy of yours handing a proposal to an official who was in a position to pass it on to the emperor himself, either directly or through yet another pair of hands. Officials with good positions in this chain through which information was conveyed to the emperor through the corridors of the court were obviously well-placed to influence matters; as always, knowledge was power.
So much for a taste of the formal sphere; it is time to explore the informal sphere a bit. This is where all the juice is at. Holding a high-ranking office could certainly lead to a decent deal of influence on the ruler, but it wasn't the only (and not always the most effective) way. Anyone who had the king's ear could feasibly have some sort of effect on him – ranging from the far-reaching political kind to which colour pants he wore on Tuesdays. And of course, anyone who had the king's ear was valuable to outsiders seeking influence, which of course further enhanced their own positions. There are a couple of standout relations to the ruler that offered great megalomaniac potential.
Firstly, royal women – wives and their importance for securing the succession, mothers who often acted as regents for their underage sons, sometimes sisters, etc. – were usually pretty damn close to the ruler. Some of them did so well at whispering into the ruler's ear that we are now quite aware of who these women were, which is relatively rare seeing that history wasn't usually kind in recording the deeds of women. Although the accounts are most likely quite exaggerated and perhaps quite untrue altogether, ancient sources such as Suetonius describe how in the first century AD Agrippina the Younger wheedled her way into her uncle, emperor Claudius (r.41-54), his lap, became his (fourth) wife, and manipulated the hell out of him to the extent that he adopted her son, who then became his successor, the notorious emperor Nero. She also allegedly (falsely) accused those who stood in her way of things like witchcraft and incestuous relationships; her husband Claudius rather blindly followed her lead in these things and forced these people to resign from office, or had their property confiscated. To top it off, when Claudius began to favour someone else over Agrippina's son for the succession, Agrippina is said to have killed him by poisoning his food. It's an impressive bunch of conveniently bad press stemming from dynasties that came after her, but she must at least have been an interesting woman to have gained this amount of press in the first place.
Secondly, if you were an unhappy outsider stranded outside the gates of a splendid court while urgently needing to convince the ruler of something hugely important, you might approach one of the ruler's personal attendants to help your cause. Any such attendants were usually well-placed to exert some influence through their proximity to the ruler, as they could control the informal flow of information as well as control access to the ruler. It's a bit harder to figure out whether these figures personally influenced the ruler in actual political matters, though. Either way, controlling access meant you could be a power-broker, and that sounds kind of cool. Eunuchs often functioned as such; imagine high-pitched whispers from behind the inner court's curtains. Because they obviously would have had an unnaturally hard time posing any kind of threat to the royal succession, by courtesy of having (at the very least) no balls, eunuchs often had a very high level of access and could often transcend the boundaries within the court. In Achaemenid Persia (559-331 BC), for example, eunuchs functioned as intermediaries between the king and the royal women and could be employed by both to gather information and relay messages and gossip back and forth between the outer and inner courts. During the reign of Theodosius II (r.408-450), who I mentioned earlier, the eunuch Chrysaphius plotted and schemed to isolate the emperor from those closest to him, succeeding in arguably driving both the emperor's (powerful) sister Pulcheria and the empress into exile. Of course, he stepped in to fill their void and became quite the (figurative) man around the court. I'm rooting for George R. R. Martin's character Varys, from his A Song of Ice and Fire series (AKA Game of Thrones on the telly), the eunuch master of whispers, will turn out to be an absolutely pivotal character in the series, pulling at puppet strings from the shadows.
All in all, if you had a strong personality and if you were determined to micromanage the hell out of everything all by your onesies, you stood the best chance not to be overcome by trifling office holders and meddlesome wives while ruling your kingdom from the cosy walls of your court. The existing hierarchy and rules of the time, as well as the whole sometimes very shady informal sphere, could be serious impediments, of course, and if you were unsuspectingly poisoned by a seemingly devoted wife there wasn't much you could do to keep power from slipping away from you. I've portrayed the way in which both the formal and the informal sphere could gain power, but of course a ruler's connection with these spheres could just as well be to his advantage – just something to keep in mind.
A sad example of how far personality – be it good or bad – can still get you these days is the straw-haired loudmouth Donald Trump. In my opinion, he's taking a clever approach at being incredibly dumb; he shouts his stupid and angry nonsense from the rooftops because it's what stupid and angry people want to hear. And it's working. Which terrifies me.
The media obviously plays a big part in all of this modern power nonsense too. In our courts throughout history, access to information tended to put you in a position of leverage. Nowadays, information can be shared and broadcast in such a way – not only scale-wise but also with regard to the manipulation of stories – that it can destroy tables completely rather than simply turning them. I find it hilariously sad how the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was chucked out of her palace, arguably for making some political mistakes. She definitely didn't do everything entirely by the book, but everything was spun in such a way that her (more) corrupt opponents managed to depose her and take her place, all the while making it seem as if they were saving the day. Now Brazil is stuck with a ministerial squad who between them add up to an impressive sum of corruption, money-laundering and election fraud charges – if that's even the worst of it.
Whichever way you look at it, power will always create interesting circumstances and dynamics, where the underlying rules of the game are often unwritten. I'd wager that power has an incredulous amount of skeletons in its closet, and I'd sleep with two eyes open at night to keep one eye on opportunities and the other on possible threats, be they of the physical or of the informational kind. Good luck!
For further reading see for example my thesis. I also highly recommend Suetonius' De vita Caesarum (best known as The Twelve Caesars) for juice on the first bunch of Roman emperors.


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Haim Ring was born in Uruguay in July 18, 1944. He received his M.D. title from the Faculty of Medicine in Montevideo in 1973 and in 1980, he completed a 5 year residency program in P&RM at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital (LRH), which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine in Tel-Aviv University and is the largest rehabilitation center in Israel. His untimely death on September 15, 2008 was the end of a professional career of almost 35 years at the LRH. Haim Ring was father of three children – Edan, Matan and Shani. His wife Irene accompanied him to many rehab congresses and was known to many in the international rehabilitation community.
Dr. Haim Ring started teaching during his residency period and became an Instructor in the P&RM Department of Tel-Aviv University in 1980, Lecturer in 1988, Senior Lecturer in 1990, Associate Clinical Professor in 1993 and Full Clinical Professor in 2000. During his many years of teaching, he gave lectures on all aspects of rehabilitation medicine, functional evaluation and electromyography to physicians of all specialties, medical students, as well as, students from different health professions. He directed the 1988-91 CME program in P&RM of Tel-Aviv University, and various other educational programs and courses. Dr. Ring supervised eight M.Sc. research projects by students of bio-engineering, physiotherapy and occupational medicine, and eight basic-science research projects by P&RM residents.
Dr. Haim Ring contributed enormously to the advancement of P&RM in Israel and to the international recognition of Israeli achievements in the field. In 1976, while still a resident in P&RM, he was nominated Head of The Institute for Functional Evaluation at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital (LRH). In 1988, he became Director of Department C for Neurological Rehabilitation at the LRH. He held these two positions until his death. During the years 1996-2004, he served as Deputy Director of the LRH for clinical and research activities. In 1994, Dr. Ring was elected to be President of the Israel Association of P&RM, a position he held for eight years. In 2000-2004, he served as Chairman of the P&RM Department at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine in Tel-Aviv University, and in 2004 became Chairman of the National Council for Rehabilitation. During these years, Dr. Ring was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Scientific Council of the Israel Medical Association (IMA), and member of various committees of the IMA, Tel-Aviv University and the Ministry of Health in Israel.
In 1996, Haim Ring organized the First Mediterranean P&RM Congress in Herzlia, Israel. At the opening session of the 7th Mediterranean P&RM Congress in Portoroze, Slovenia, a few days after his death, Haim Ring's key role in the foundation, maintenance and development of the Mediterranean Forum of P&RM was stressed by all. Haim Ring contributed enormously to this organization from its inception in 1996.
In more recent years he was nominated Honorary President of the organization. After his death, it was decided that the rehabilitation school operating in Siracusa, Italy which gathers young P&RM doctors from all countries of the Mediterranean basin during the summer would be renamed "The Euro-Mediterranean PRM School Haim Ring". In a recently published obituary (Disability and Rehabilitation, 2008; 30(19):1409-1410), Salvatore Giaquinto pointed out that "Rehabilitation Without Frontiers" (the title given by Haim Ring to the first Mediterranean P&RM Congress) summarizes his philosophy. Drs. Ring and Giaquinto as well as the other founders of the Mediterranean Forum of P&RM contributed greatly to the dissemination of this concept far beyond the Mediterranean area.
One important aspect of this idea, as explained by Giaquinto, is that personal friendship and professional interaction between P&RM specialists in different countries, should recognize no limitation imposed by historical, political, religious or other factors of conflict between nations.
In the years 1985-2008, Dr. Haim Ring participated in a large number of rehab congresses in different countries and this exposure established his position as an international leader in the field of medical rehabilitation. Several national rehabilitation societies gave him honorary positions. He served on several editorial boards including International Disability Studies, Clinical Rehabilitation, Disability and Rehabilitation, European Journal of PM&R (Vienna), and Europa Mediciphysica (recently renamed European Journal of Physical and Rehabiliation Medicine).
He also served as a permanent and ad-hoc reviewer for many other journals. In 1994, Dr. Ring was nominated Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East of the International Rehabilitation Medicine Association (IRMA), a position he held until 1997, when he became Vice President of IRMA. He served also as Regional Vice President of the International PM&R Federation (IFPMR) during the years 1995-1999.
In 1999 he was elected to be Vice President of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), the new world organization that resulted from the merging of IRMA and IFPMR and went on to serve as President between 2002 and 2004. In this latter role, Dr. Ring chaired the Organizing Committee of the 2nd ISPRM World Congress. After his presidency period, Dr. Ring continued to hold leading positions in the ISPRM board of governors. In 2007, he was also elected to be President of the European Federation of Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR).
Haim Ring's first publication (in the year 1979) dealt with electromyographic criteria for diagnosis of early damage to the Ulnar nerve. Since this first paper, he published 145 original research papers and 6 review articles (all appearing in peer-reviewed journals). He also wrote or co-authored 17 chapters in books and congress proceedings. In his research activities, he colaborated not only with other physicians but also with rehabilitationists from all the allied health professions, as well as, with non-clinicians, on more basic aspects of rehabilitation science.
He published extensively on diagnostic uses of electromyography and somatosensory evoked potentials in rehabilitation; postural control and balance disorders; functional evaluation; stroke rehabilitation, oucome of stroke and stroke syndromes; use of advanced technology in rehabilitation; and other issues of general interest related to PRM. He will be sorely missed…as a husband, father, friend and teacher. May his soul rest in peace.
Nachum Soroker, MD
Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Loewenstein Hospital and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel


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Program Summary
CIDFAC assists California businesses by providing access to low-cost, tax-exempt industrial development bond (IDB) financing for capital expenditures. Our program allows businesses to borrow funds at competitive rates through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds either supported by some form of credit enhancement (e.g., a bank-issued letter of credit) or placed with sophisticated investors.
Eligible Facilities
IDBs may be used for the following types of projects:
- Industrial projects for assembling, fabricating, manufacturing or processing which create tangible products for sale
- Manufacturing projects which use recycled or reused products and materials for the creation of tangible products for sale
- Agricultural projects which process raw materials into tangible products for resale
Eligible Uses of Bond Proceeds
- Buildings and equipment
- Machinery and furnishings
- Land
- Costs of architects, engineers, attorneys and permits
- Costs of bond issuance
Federal Eligibility Requirements
Federal restrictions on the use of proceeds include:
- 95% of proceeds must be used for the defined IDB project.
- 2% of bond proceeds may be used for costs of issuance.
- 25% of bond proceeds may be used for land costs.
- A Tax Equity Fiscal Reform Act (TEFRA) public hearing in the community where the project is located must be held before the bonds are issued.
- To acquire an existing building, a minimum of 15% of the bond proceeds must be used to renovate the facility.
- The average life of the bond issue cannot exceed 120% of the weighted average of the estimated useful life of the assets to be financed .
- The bond maturities cannot exceed 40 years.
Federal Restriction on Size of IDB Bond issues
Federal restriction on size of IDB issues include:
- The maximum face amount of an IDB issue cannot exceed $10 million per applicant, per public jurisdiction.
- Total capital expenditures in the public jurisdiction where the project is located cannot exceed $20 million during the period that runs from three years prior to issuance of the IDB through three years after issuance. The $20 million cap includes capital expenditures financed with the IDB.
- The total outstanding IDBs by any one company cannot exceed $40 million nationwide.
California Eligibility Requirements
California's criteria for IDB projects are based on statutory requirements and on California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) public benefits guidelines. The criteria include public benefits associated with the creation or retention of jobs, participation in welfare-to-work programs, average hourly wage paid to workers and the energy efficiency characteristics of the project. Other rules establish requirements when a business relocates from one jurisdiction to another. See the IDB application and CDLAC's regulations for more information on California's eligibility requirements.
The IDB Bond Approval and Issuance Process
In California, the IDB bond approval and issuance process includes the following steps:
- The local issuing authority initiates the IDB application process on behalf of the business.
- The local issuing authority or CIDFAC recommends a financing team, which may include an underwriter, financial advisor and trustee.
- Bond counsel conducts a preliminary analysis of the project to ensure compliance with federal tax law requirements.
- Generally, IDBs will require either a financial institution willing to issue a letter of credit for the face amount of the bonds or a qualified institutional investor who is willing to purchase the bonds.
- CIDFAC reviews the IDB application to ensure it meets eligibility requirements.
- CIDFAC staff develops for the Commission a detailed staff report on the issuer�s request for Commission approval.
- Upon Commission approval and the receipt of tax-exempt allocation, the finance team, the business and CIDFAC work together to issue the IDBs.


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Tagged: future
The Future of VR
So what is the future for VR (Virtual Reality) gaming? Well there has been a lot of developed over the past few years, and even Oculus have announced they will be releasing their first VR headset in June 2015. A company called Infinity Amusements have been working over the past 18 months to create great gaming experiences for all, showing to potential and future of VR gaming. Over time they have realised that there is a huge talent pool in Australia, like Melbourne who could become 'the next big thing' for gaming worldwide. Infinity Amusement have linked themselves with Revolver … Read More »


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Quadricycles made road legal, but safety a major concern (Video)
The four quadricycles put to test by Euro NCAP are Club Car Villager 2+2 LSV, Renault Twizy 80, Tazzari ZERO and Ligier IXO J LINE 4 Places. Crash speeds stood at 50 kmph as against 64 kmph for cars with each of these models failing to toe the line. The results revealed that only performance of Renault Twizy was better than the rest due to the existence of three point seat belts and driver air bags.
Ligier and Tazzari were found to be lacking when restraint systems in frontal tests were taken into account. In the former, the upper connection of driver seatbelt proved out of structure leaving dummy open to injury. This quadricycle was given a scoring of just 2 points out of 16 in Euro NCAP ratings. Tazzari on the other hand scored a 4, but driver seatbelt broke in the testing leaving driver's head free to hit steering wheel with such impact that it could prove fatal.
Club Car Villager 2+2 LSV also scored a 2 out of 16 points with the quadricycle virtually collapsing in frontal impact while Twizy scored the best of the four with a rating of 6 out of 16 though still way below expected standards of safety.
The point of concern here is that India, which has reported the most road accident deaths in the world, has recently approved the use of quadricycles, though restricting them only for commercial use. Automakers like Bajaj, Mahindra and Piaggio have already shown interest in launching quadricycles, while Bajaj being the frontrunner. Bajaj has already displayed its RE60 quadricycle at the 2014 Auto Expo, which is expected to be launched in the coming months.
Euro NCAP's Spotlight Falls on Heavy Quadricycles
Brussels, 4 June 2014. Euro NCAP has tested four heavy quadricycles in a special safety campaign. All vehicles have performed very poorly and some have shown serious risks of life threatening injuries.
In recent years, a new class of sub-compact vehicles has emerged in Europe. Quadricycles, originally derived from motorcycles, are small and fuel-efficient vehicles used in rural or urban areas as an alternative to motorbikes or city cars. In some countries, they are also used by local government authorities and institutions which require small and environmentally-friendly vehicles. Although street-legal, quadricycles do not have to pass any of the rigorous crash tests to which cars are subjected.
The tested models were the Club Car Villager 2+2 LSV, the Renault Twizy 80, the Tazzari ZERO and the Ligier IXO J LINE 4 Places. All are fully type-approved for use on public roads, yet in frontal and side impacts at 50km/h, all showed severe safety problems. The tests differ from Euro NCAP's normal procedures and the results of the quadricycles cannot be compared with the star ratings published for passenger cars.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General said: 'It's worrying to find that, because crash safety tests are not required by law, quadricycles show a level of safety that is way below that of cars. Even though they meet legislative standards, these vehicles lack the minimum safety equipment which has become commonplace on passenger cars sold in Europe.'
While some vehicles scored better than others, all four quadricycles showed serious safety problems. The vehicles were scored primarily on data from crash dummies but penalties were also given for poor performance of the structure or restraints. The Ligier and the Tazzari had major failings of their restraint systems in the frontal test. In the Ligier, the upper connection of the driver's seatbelt pulled out of the structure, leaving the dummy unrestrained and leading to a high risk of injury. In the Tazzari, the driver seatbelt broke and the driver's head hit the steering wheel with a force that indicated a high risk of serious or fatal injury. The structure of the Club Car virtually collapsed in the frontal impact. The Renault Twizy – the only vehicle of the four tested to have an airbag as standard – scored best but its stiff structure and restraint system resulted in some dangerously high dummy readings.
'Our test campaign confirms that quadricycles generally provide a much lower level of safety than regular passenger cars. The poor results, however, urge us to ask ourselves whether consumers should really be satisfied with the protection currently being offered? As quadricycles look set to become more and more popular, Euro NCAP is calling for manufacturers and legislative authorities to ensure a minimum level of crash safety for this vehicle segment' stated Michiel van Ratingen.


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Luxury cars, boats once owned by Fla. Ponzi scheme attorney bring $5.8 million at auction
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Some of the flashier spoils of disbarred attorney Scott Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme were auctioned Thursday for $5.8 million, with the money earmarked by the government to repay investors for some of their losses.
The items sold included an 87-foot Warren yacht that went for $2.5 million, several smaller boats and 11 vehicles, including a Bugatti, a Rolls Royce, two Ferraris and a Bentley. They were seized by the Treasury Department just as Rothstein's scam was falling apart last fall.
Rothstein is scheduled to be sentenced June 9 after pleading guilty to five felony charges. Prosecutors say he orchestrated a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme by promising people fat profits through investments in supposedly confidential legal settlements that were actually fictional.
Rothstein's law firm imploded shortly after his Ponzi scheme collapsed last fall. The charges he pleaded guilty to carry maximum prison sentences totaling 100 years, but the 47-year-old Rothstein could get a lighter term because he went undercover to help the FBI arrest a suspected Mafia figure with ties to New York and Sicilian crime families.
So far, the only other person charged with a crime is Rothstein's former chief operating officer, Debra Villegas, 42, who faces a money laundering conspiracy count and is scheduled to plead guilty later this month, according to court documents.
Hundreds of investors have come forward to claim losses from the scam. The money raised through sale of Rothstein's assets, including 24 homes that have yet to be listed, will be used as restitution to the victims, said Danny Auer, chief of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigative Division in Miami.
"The effort here is to get money back in the hands of the victims who were defrauded," Auer said.
More than 220 people registered to bid at Thursday's auction, including Ira Eskow of Lake Worth. Eskow bought a cream-colored 2009 Bentley Contintental GTC for $179,000 for a senior executive at his company.
"He really wanted that particular car. If it was black, maybe he wouldn't have wanted it," Eskow said. "I guess it's a good deal. It's not new."
Some of the most spirited bidding took place over a 2008 Bugatti Veyron, one of the world's most expensive cars that retails new for upward of $1.7 million and boasts a top speed of 253 mph. The blue-and-black Bugatti once owned by Rothstein sold for $858,000.
The IRS has three days to accept or reject the bids.
Auctioneer Rick Levin, of the Chicago firm Rick Levin & Associates, said the impressive array of high-end automobiles and yachts made the Rothstein auction unusual, even for someone who makes a good chunk of his living selling ill-gotten assets for the government.
"The aren't too many auctions that have this wide of an assortment of stuff," Levin said. "There's someone in the world who's interested in all of it."
In addition to the assets seized by the government, politicians and political parties in Florida returned hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions made by Rothstein and his wife, Kim.


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Sanford Women's Physical Therapy Program has been designed to keep the specific needs of you, the female patient, in mind. We have paid close attention to the issues affecting women that sometimes go untreated, unnoticed, or have limited medical remedies.
Sanford Women's Health Physical Therapy can be a wonderful option to help you overcome the particular obstacles you face related to the following conditions:
Our team consists of 3 certified physical therapists focused on the specialized needs of women:
Sanford Women's Physical Therapy is conveniently located in the lower level of the Sanford Women's Health Plaza near 57th and Western Ave in Sioux Falls, SD.
5019 S Western Avenue
Suite 200
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
(605) 328-9700


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DNA dissolving, artwork
F018/0573 Royalty Free
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Credit: ALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.
Keywords: 3 dimensional, 3d, artwork, biological, biology, blue, cgi, deoxyribonucleic acid, destroy, destroying, digitally generated, disintegrating, dissolving, dna, dna strand, double helix, explosion, genetics, health, healthcare, illustration, medicine, no-one, nobody, particle, particles, plain background, three dimensional, white background
Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.


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SOURCE: e.Digital Corporation
September 17, 2007 07:45 ET
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - September 17, 2007) - e.Digital Corporation (OTCBB: EDIG), a
leading innovator of dedicated portable inflight entertainment (IFE)
systems and patented flash memory-related technology, announced today that
Malaysia Airlines has successfully launched e.Digital's proprietary 8"
portable eVU™ entertainment system and services. Malaysia Airlines is
providing eVUs to First Class and Business Class passengers on several of
its regional, semi-long haul A330 aircraft on North and South Asia routes.
Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, is recognized as one
of Asia's largest, flying more than 48,000 passengers to some 100
destinations across 6 continents every day. It has established itself as an
award-winning airline, having received more than 100 awards in the last 10
e.Digital's enhanced studio-approved eVU portable entertainment system
features a multi-language customizable passenger-friendly interface and an
industry-leading 20+ hours of continuous video playback from a single
battery charge. eVU is available in either 7" or 8" high resolution LCD
screen with 40 GB to 200 GB of rugged and reliable storage for many hours
of movies, television shows, music, specialty programming and games. eVU is
the smallest and lightest dedicated long play portable IFE product
available today and integrates the latest in battery safety features
through its removable "Smart" rechargeable high capacity battery pack.
"We are pleased with e.Digital and eVU's performance," said Malaysia
Airlines Commercial Director, Rashid Khan. "e.Digital's eVU system
complements our award-winning cabin service to make flying with Malaysia
Airlines an enjoyable experience."
"We provided Malaysia Airlines a customized passenger interface to maintain
fleet-wide IFE consistency," commented Will Blakeley, president of
e.Digital. "We also opened a technical support office in Kuala Lumpur to
service Malaysia Airlines and our growing IFE business in Asia. We
appreciate the opportunity to support Malaysia Airlines' portable IFE
e.Digital is showcasing its enhanced eVU mobile entertainment system and
services in Booth #1200 at the 28th Annual World Airline Entertainment
Association (WAEA) Exhibit and Conference being held this week in Toronto.
About e.Digital Corporation: e.Digital is a provider of secure portable
Video on Demand products including its proprietary eVU™ portable
entertainment system. e.Digital also owns and is pursuing the monetization
of its portfolio of flash memory-related patents. For more information
about e.Digital and eVU, please visit: www.edigital.com.
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Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. You should not place undue
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expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the
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The Committee considered the initial report of Niger (CCPR/C/45/Add.4)
at its 1208th and 1212nd meetings, held on 23 and 25 March 1993,
and adopted 1/ the following comments:
The Committee expresses its appreciation to the Government of
the State party for its report and for engaging in a dialogue
with the Committee on the implementation of the Covenant in
Niger. The Committee regrets, however, that the report, which
is extremely succinct, was not drawn up in accordance with the
Committee's general guidelines on the drafting of initial reports.
The lack of information both on legal norms and the practice
concerning human rights, in particular the new Constitution,
as well as on the factors and difficulties impeding the implementation
of the provisions of the Covenant prevented the Committee from
gaining a clear idea of the real human rights situation in the
country. The Committee nevertheless thanks the delegation of
Niger for endeavouring to reply to the questions raised and
thus make up for the report's shortcomings.
Positive aspects
The Committee notes that new developments recently took place
in Niger, which had a positive impact on the human rights situation
in the country. A process of democratization is under way; it
has been marked by the meeting of a National Conference, the
adoption of a National Charter and then a new Constitution,
the establishment of a multi-party system, the organization
of general elections, the relaxation of control over the press,
and the recent truce with Tuareg movements. Thus, there are
positive factors that should lead to the establishment of a
pluralist democracy in Niger, particularly since one can point
to other elements such as greater access on the part of women
to high-level civil service posts and the training of law enforcement
agents with regard to human rights and public freedoms.
Factors and difficulties impeding implementation of the Covenant
The Committee notes that the events that occurred in the North
of the country in 1991 and 1992 and brought the Government forces
into conflict with Tuareg movements had a very negative impact
on the human rights situation throughout the country. The representative
of Niger indicated that, owing to the continued existence of
certain traditions and customs, Niger is not fully complying
with its obligations under the Covenant.
Main subjects of concern
The Committee is extremely concerned about the cases of extrajudicial
executions and torture that occurred in the context of the disturbances
in 1991 and 1992 in the North of the country and deplores the
fact that these cases have not, to date, been the subject of
investigations or compensation on the part of the authorities.
The Committee recalls in this regard that the Covenant does
not authorize, in any case, derogations from articles 6 and
7 of the Covenant. The Committee stresses that the implementation
of articles 9, 10 and 14 of the Covenant, particularly with
regard to the duration of police custody, the conditions of
detention for persons deprived of freedom and available recourse
in cases of human rights violations is not satisfactory.
The Committee is concerned at the situation of women who continue
to be the object of discrimination. It is also concerned about
the shortcomings in observance of articles 18 and 19 of the
Covenant. It regrets that article 27 is not fully implemented
in Niger as well as the particularly low level of participation
during the recent elections, especially in the North of the
Suggestions and recommendations
The Committee recommends to the State party that investigations
should be conducted into the cases of extrajudicial executions
which were carried out in the context of the disturbances in
1991 and 1992 in the North of the country and of the torture
and maltreatment of persons deprived of their freedom. The Committee
considers that the agents of the State responsible for such
human rights violations should be tried and punished. They should
in no case enjoy immunity, inter alia, through an amnesty
law, and the victims or their relatives should receive compensation.
The Committee further recommends that the State party should
firmly endeavour to bring its domestic legislation and practice
into line with the provisions of the Covenant and, in particular,
provide full protection for the rights of women and the rights
of ethnic or religious minorities living in the country.
It is also recommended that Niger should draw up its second
periodic report and the basic document in accordance with the
Committee's general guidelines regarding the form and contents
of periodic reports (CCPR/C/20/Rev.1) and the consolidated guidelines
for the initial part of the reports of the States parties (HRI/1991/1)
and provide complete information on measures taken, both in
law and in practice, in order to implement the provisions of
the Covenant. The Committee suggests that in implementing the
recommendations contained in paragraphs 8 and 9, the State party
should request the assistance of the United Nations Centre for
Human Rights.
1/ At its 1232nd meeting (forty-seventh session), held on 8
April 1993.


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Jose Mourinho has been confirmed as the new Chelsea boss, which means he should already start focusing on his priorities in West London.
It's the move that all Chelsea fans have been waiting for, the return of the 'Special One' and the chance to regain the mantle as the strongest club in English football.
Jose Mourinho will settle back into life at Chelsea quickly but there are some key areas he needs to focus on and sort out before he can start getting his teeth into next season.
The club needs another striker this summer and there have been plenty of rumours doing the rounds.
If Romelu Lukaku returns from West Brom and isn't loaned out again then Chelsea will still only have three high profile strikers in their squad (Fernando Torres and Demba Ba included), needing an extra body to come in and complete the pack of forwards.
It's the issue of Lukaku which could be very intriguing because he's shown every indication that he wants to become a big success at the club.
The Belgian forward is a very similar player to Didier Drogba, someone Mourinho based his Chelsea side around during his first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho has a big decision to make over whether to keep him and use him or whether to send him back out on loan if he's not thinking about using him regularly next season.
David Luiz
The debate over whether David Luiz is a better centre back or holding midfield player has been going on for months.
The Brazilian was starting to play more of a midfield role under Rafa Benitez but the age of John Terry means Mourinho may push Luiz back into the heart of the Chelsea back four.
What Mourinho has experienced at Real Madrid will make him very keen to forge quick but lasting relationships with people at all levels of the club.
He will not want to get into the same position he did last time he was at the club, where he lost the trust of Roman Abramovich which forced the Chelsea owner to sack him.
Relationships means the key individuals at all levels; staff, players and the people currently controlling the club at the very top level.
The Press
Mourinho needs to ensure that he has the support of the press for the majority of his second spell in England.
He's admitted that various members of the Spanish press hated him during his time at Real Madrid and the exposure the press provides means they have to be a priority.
He doesn't need to change who he is, he just needs to forge good relationships with important journalists and figures to ensure that he gets a fair crack of the whip when it comes to how he's perceived.
What do you think should be his biggest priority?
image: © dphuonq/


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Moving With Pets
Post written by Dr. Michael Boyarin, guest blogger.
By itself, moving can be both exciting and stressful. Moving with pets, however, presents unique and specific challenges that can be met with a little knowledge and advance planning.
Most of what will ensure a smooth experience for both you and your pets can be done well in advance of the actual move.
Following are some of the most important areas for consideration:
- Microchip (& ID tags): Microchipping your pet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your pets safe return should he ever become lost.
If you have not already done this, now is an opportune time to do so.If already micro chipped, update your contact information, including your new address.
*If you are moving internationally, make sure your veterinarian implants a chip that meets The International Standards Organization (ISO) global standards.
- Health certificate: For interstate travel, the USDA requires a valid health certificate, issued by a licensed veterinarian within 30 days of travel. A physical exam & assuring appropriate rabies immunization will likely be required.
For international travel, the rules vary by the country of your destination.This can be a tedious & confusing process that often requires months of planning.Contacting the consulate of the country in question can be very helpful.
- Pet records: In most instances, medical records can be faxed or emailed to your new veterinarian. However, if your pet has complex or specific medical needs that might require immediate treatment, consider obtaining copies prior to travel.
- Pet medications: Obtain an adequate supply of any products your pet uses regularly. This will allow you to establish your new veterinary relationship in a more thoughtful & effective manner.
*While they are not routinely necessary, if you anticipate needing sedatives or motion sickness medications, don't wait to discuss this with your veterinarian.There is no "one size fits all" when using these medications.Allow time for trials and/or dosage modifications.*
- Contact the Airline: If flying, there are often specific requirements regarding cold/heat tolerances as well as cage specifications. To have your pet to travel in the passenger compartment with you, early arrangements are often necessary.
- Car restraint: If traveling by car, determine if a crate is appropriate. In most cases having your pet constrained will greatly increase his safety and reduce the risk of escape. If not, consider using a safety device designed to prevent injury in case of accident.
- Plan your stops: If traveling by car & an overnight stop or stops will be necessary, find "pet friendly" hotels/motels along the way & make reservations.
Moving day:
1. Especially if strangers are packing your belongings, place your pet in a safe, quiet & secure place so that he cannot escape.
- Water: Pack plenty of fresh water from home or bottled water. Finicky pets or those at risk of dehydration may be less apt to drink water with an unusual taste or smell.
- Check the surroundings: Insure both the inside and outside environments are safe and free from hazards.
- Acclimate your pet: The transition may lead to problems such as loss of potty training/litter box use, territorial behaviors & stress/anxiety behaviors. Of particular concern is how to reintroduce free roaming cats to the outside. There are many resources with acclimation tips:
- http://www.fidofriendly.com/blog/how-to-acclimiate-your-dog-to-a-new-home-environment
- http://www.poodlesbydesign.biz/ACCLIMATINGTOANEWHOME.htm
- http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-house
- http://www.hshv.org/site/DocServer/BP-024-Indoor-Outdoor-CatsTransition.pdf?docID=2581
- Choosing a new vet: Ask friends, neighbors and relatives for a recommendation. Visit the facility & meet the doctor(s).
AVMA: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Traveling-with-Your-Pet-FAQs.aspx
USDA: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/pet_travel/pet_travel.shtml
Delta Air Lines: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets/pet-requirements-restrictions.html
BringFido.com: http://www.bringfido.com/travel/us_regulations/
For international moves, or other moves that are significantly complex, there are companies that can greatly facilitate your move. Some examples are:
Air Animal Pet Movers: http://www.airanimal.com/
Animal Land, Inc.: http://www.petmovers.com/
AirVets Pet Relocation: http://www.airvets.com/


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Justin Bieber Jokes About His Recent Fight
Justin Bieber belts into the microphone while performing for the crowd at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night (June 13) in Calgary, Canada.
The 22-year-old "Sorry" entertainer is currently on the Canadian leg of his Purpose World Tour.
Justin recently took to Instagram to poke fun at the recent fight he got in outside of a hotel in Cleveland.
"Is that a fighting video?" Justin asks his friend. "Because fighting's not cool."
15+ pics inside of Justin Bieber performing on stage in Calgary…
Posted to: Justin Bieber


text:
The idea
The story of a stupid girl in STEM
It was the fall of 1996
I had just turned 12; it was about five or six weeks into my 7th grade year.
I remember distinctly that it was shortly after my birthday because one of my friends had given me a new black tee shirt with the F R I E N D S tv show logo on it at my party a week or so before. I remember thinking that it looked really cool.
I was sitting in my science class while my teacher was explaining matter. We had just completed a lesson on mass in the days prior. He posited a question to the class:
"What has matter, but has no mass?"
The class sat in silence.
Perhaps some students knew the answer but none wanted to take the chance to raise their hand. While I did not definitively know the answer, in my naivete, I figured it was best to make a guess, maybe to start the conversation, if nothing else — to move the class along.
"An idea," I said, proud of myself that I had the gall to break the silence, while still thinking over my justification in my head: it's definitely something that is real, but it can't be quantified in standard units of measure.
"An idea?" my teacher shot back.
My teacher was an ancient, at least to my 12-year-old self, hulking, bowling pin of a man. His giant bald head was circled by a crown of white hair. His face framed by huge, out-dated glasses peering atop his bulbous nose over his white mustache. Compared to the nice ladies I had as teachers for the many years prior, he was terrifying.
He sneered at me as he continued, "only a girl would say something as stupid as," in his most obnoxious little girl impression, "'an idea.'"
My Irish temper fired up as I attempted to confidently explain my rationale. Yet still he continued, spending the remainder of the class period, without exaggeration, railing against the inherent stupidity of girls and how he wishes he needn't have to teach them since girls would simply never understand science or math and would be a constant distraction with their dumb answers, such as "an idea."
I knew what I was confronting was without a doubt sexism. However neither my temper nor this knowledge shielded me from the tears that formed in the corners of my eyes as I tried to make myself physically as small as I was feeling in that moment. I longed for the bell to ring, to bring an end to this insane torture, the likes of which my 12-year-old self had never encountered before and was ill equipped to handle.
Finally, the flat, out-of-tune, electronic, rattling tone sound freed me. I quickly gathered my things and tried to make it out of the room without too many more people noticing my wet cheeks and red eyes. I was almost out of the room when he said:
"Oh and one more thing! What does your shirt say?"
I looked down, reading my shirt, quietly answering, "Friends."
"Friends," he scoffed. "Another girl idea."
While it seemed like an eternity, I somehow made it through the school day. After the 8th period bell, I made my way to the second floor of our grammar school where all the middle school students' lockers and classrooms were housed from the high school where my last period band class was held. I arrived to a mostly empty hallway, but could hear a few teachers talking in a classroom down the hall.
My stomach sank as I walked towards the exit, locating my science teacher's voice in the chorus from the classroom I was about to pass. I hoped he wouldn't notice me as I walked past the door, but to my dismay, I heard him say, "hold on a second," to the other teachers in the room.
He emerged a few paces behind me, repeating a chant: "Ideas, feelings, friends, emotions, thoughts."
He followed me all the way down the hall, standing at the top of the stairs, shouting at me as I walked down and finally out of the building.
My grandparents picked me up from school that day. I told them what happened. I told my parents what happened. Everyone was shocked and upset, but they knew he was a tenured teacher who had worked at that school for decades. The likelihood that there could be anything done, they feared, was next to nothing. If they did complain, they expected all that would happen would be that this teacher would continue to harass me for the next two years and my little brother for the two years following.
I had to continue being a student in his class for two more years. Prior to his class, I had loved science, and math for that matter. I had a microscope, collected rocks, kept a notebook where I would do algebra equations for fun, and my friend and I were teaching ourselves HTML.
But what I learned from this science teacher is that it didn't matter what I was interested in nor what I was good at. What mattered was that he didn't think I could be good at science and therefore I should be punished until I stopped trying. And what I learned from my parents was that even though they knew he was wrong, they couldn't stop him and I should just accept it.
It was the late summer of 2013
I was at a going away party for a coworker.
For context, I did give up on science and largely put away my early programming ambitions. I am now in tech, but only as a UX designer and product manager — my Irish temper hasn't helped me to break any glass ceilings, yet, anyway.
I found myself talking to a guest at this party, a new colleague of another former employee. The conversation turned to speaking gigs at tech conferences. He wanted to complain about not getting a spot because "some girl" got it instead, taking the opportunity to wax poetic about how unfair it is that spots like these are reserved for women and the ones who get it aren't even qualified. "It should be a meritocracy!" he demanded.
I try to keep that temper of mine in check, so I attempted to calmly posit that we would all like it to be based on merit, but until there is a truly level playing field, what we need now is exposure for young girls to see grown women working in these fields and getting respect for their contributions.
At this point, one of my co-workers tried to help my argument along by suggesting that the reforms really needed to happen earlier — in grammar school education, even.
"Yeah," I thought, "tell me about it."
Another co-worker found himself in the conversation as the guest's tone became heated while he continued to lament his own injuries caused at the hands of these undeserving women. Both of my co-workers became embarrassed and anxious, likely not wanting my temper to become an issue. They quickly tried to change the subject…to sports.
I was disgusted. Fine, maybe it's not the best party subject matter — I never was very good at that, come to think of it. But the fact that they had to awkwardly divert the subject matter to sports (this pivot was not accidental, as can there be any less gender-equality-like subject matter than professional sports?) instead of suffering the embarrassment of talking about the unfairness of women getting speaking engagements at tech conferences in front of a woman in tech was very telling.
It made me feel exactly like when my parents tried to explain that there was simply nothing they could do to seek punishment for the abuse suffered at the hands of my science teacher. It didn't matter that they knew this guy was an idiot and was being a jerk; they couldn't see a way to tell him that without compromising their own standing with this guy who was well connected and respected in the industry.
It's early winter 2013
I just watched a commercial for GoldieBlox, to whose Kickstarter campaign I contributed.
The video is now surrounded by controversy as it features a parody of the Beastie Boys' song, "Girls," but that isn't what I want to write about.
As I watched this video which was supposed to promote young girls taking an interest in science, technology, engineering and/or math (typically referred to as STEM), I had an intense reaction.
While I absolutely support the effort to get young girls interested in STEM fields and provide support to them as they age to build a career in these industries, I began to feel as though this effort was saying if young girls wanted a career for which they would be respected, they would need to learn how to do work that typically men do. If they can't handle that work, they would have to continue in the tradition of their mothers and grandmothers, doing women's work which can never be respected.
This narrative does absolutely nothing to promote gender equality.
Shanley wrote an amazing piece called Misogyny and the Marketing Chick (and countless other pieces which are all worth reading) which really helped me gain focus on this realization.
One of my most thoughtful, well-read, and compassionate co-workers shared this piece with me and another woman in our office one day this past summer. While he did not share it to our company-wide chat, I thought it was so worthwhile, more people should read it. I pasted it into our chat and shortly thereafter a small war broke out.
I don't remember the details of the debate at this point but my takeaway was that the majority of the men in our office were very uncomfortable with the accusation of this kind of subtle sexism. They don't think of themselves as sexist, and based on my working experience with them, I would agree that neither I, nor any other woman in my office, needs to fear being taken advantage of by any man on our team or fear being directly harassed.
Of the men in the office who are fathers, most only have daughters and these men are so obviously head over heels devoted to them (and it's totally adorable, by the way).
I believe that it's these kinds of men — that is, men who would never take advantage of their female coworkers, and attempt to go out of their way to not be overtly sexist, and who may have daughters of their own — who are championing the push to get young women into STEM. They are among the first generation of men in our culture to experience a new kind of respect for the women in their lives. As such, they want them to have access to the spoils their industries can afford.
While I cannot stress how much I do appreciate these efforts, I believe this represents a deep-seated cultural sexism. These men and women (yes women can be sexist, even against other women) are not trying reform their own subtle, but very real, sexism. Instead, they are trying to pave the way for the women they care about to get a pass from some of that pain, while still preserving large-scale, cultural, gender-based discrimination. Allowing some women to work in STEM fields does not make it okay to continue to disrespect women in other fields of work.
It's early 2014
I am writing my first public piece about anything of importance, ever.
I'm nervous to put this out there because while I've been passionate about gender equality and human rights since I was a very young girl, a certain science teacher in middle school has made me nervous of my own voice. I'm not a great writer and I don't have proof for any of my claims made here.
I'm just tired of feeling like this, so maybe this is a start.
Oh and the answer to what has matter but no mass?
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text:
New mural adds color to library's walls
Librarian says the county commissioned work is an attraction to all visitors
Placed prominently on three walls near the information desk, the mural is set amid an assortment of colors and features a trombone player, Mother Nature, outstretched hands, blooming flowers, flutes and a human eye all meant to pay homage to the unseen energies of sound, matter and light.
Hyattsville artist Barbara Bancroft crafted the mural, which was commissioned by Art in Public Places, a program of the Prince George's County Office of Central Services.
The three-part mural commission was $22,100, according to Lauren Glover, the director of Art in Public Places. That figure includes design, fabrication, special framing and installation.
''Look at it. Doesn't it enliven the walls? Everything is much more interesting now," remarked Mitchellville resident Brenda Colbert, the president of the Friends of the Largo-Kettering Library and one of approximately 25 people on hand for the unveiling ceremony. ''It has a life and a spirit to it. It speaks to me and I'm sure it will speak to others as well."
The Friends of the Largo-Kettering Library, which assists the library with fundraising efforts and its children's programs, pressed for Bancroft to be the one to design the library's mural after Art in Public Places determined three years ago that a mural would be commissioned for the library.
Colbert said she was a fan of a prior work Bancroft crafted for the library, a popular life-size felt bluebird sculpture installed in 2003 as part of ''Birds I View," a public art exhibit co-sponsored by the Prince George's Arts Council and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
The bluebird currently stands in the library's children's section.
''When we got this opportunity to have [Bancroft] do something else for the library, we couldn't turn it down," Colbert said.
Bancroft said she spent two years designing the piece, dying the felt and using a needle to place the felt exactly how she wanted.
''I think that hopefully [the mural] will encourage people to look more deeply at the world around them," Bancroft said. ''This is a place of learning and intellectual exploration. I hope it encourages people to wonder."
County Library Director Maralita Freeny said everyone, young and old alike, will be able to enjoy the mural and the library will be better for it.
''The uniqueness of this mural will enhance everybody's experience here," Freeny said. ''The children will be attracted to its color and imagination, and adults will be attracted to its depth."
The Prince George's County Art in Public Places program was created to visually enrich the human environment, provide opportunities for artists to work on a large scale in a public context and lead to increased citizen recognition of artistic ability, according to the program's Web site.
Created by County Council legislation in 1988, the program requires that at least one-percent of construction costs of new government buildings or major renovations of existing government buildings be designated for the acquisition and installation of artwork.
''Art is an enhancement," Art in Public Places Chair Patricia Mote said. ''It's an enricher. The more exposure people have to art, the better they are for it."
E-mail Jonathan Stein at firstname.lastname@example.com.