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New Cake Trend
A new lease of life for an old cutter
Happy New Year from The VV Team
The Great British Bake Off has returned at it's new home on Channel 4! Paul Hollywood has returned with new judge, Prue Leith, and new presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig plus 12 new eager contestants.
How did the newbies do and has the Bake Off changed?
New In - Cake Frame
Check out our newest product - Safety Seal by Ingenious Edibles
New Christmas products including limited edition Sugar and Crumbs, Squires Kitchen Wafer Paper, FMM Cutters and Cake Toppers. Plus new products from PME, Rainbow Dust, Karen Davies and Katy Sue. And introducing new bran LittlePod!
Check out our essentials list for cupcake making this National Cupcake Week
Please join us on the 30th of September for our all day Macmillan Coffee Morning event.
Check out our overview of the huge number of new products added this August, including great new tools as well as fantastic edibles.
From storage containers and cutters, to beautiful edibles check out this months newest products.
Congratulations to June's winner and a round up of what's up next for this year's Cake of the Month competitions.
Keep your eyes peeled this year for these top cake decorating trends - Geode Cakes, Glossy Mirror Shine Glazes, Drip cakes and Meringue Peaks!
Our round up of the top new products added to our range this month including the fantastic PME Baking Belts and new products from Quality Sprinkles, who produce "Free From" sugar strands, non pareils and sugar pearls.
We say a big congratulations to our April 2016 winner and give you an update on what you can expect from this years competitions!
Lots of new products have been added to the Vanilla Valley catalogue over the last couple of months, including products from a brand new supplier to us, Beau . Here's our quick round up.
We say a big congratulations to our March 2016 winner and give you an update on what you can expect from this years competitions!
Patterned eggs, bunnies and chocolate are the order for the season. Easter is a great time for baking treats for grown ups as well as for the kids! Here's our round up of products and baking ideas for your Easter delights.
A few ideas to help you make some fantastic St Patrick's Day cake creations.
Another week, Another exciting new product from The Vanilla Valley
Announcement of our February Cake of the Month Winner.
A guide to some of the gifts you can buy your mum this Mothers Day from The Vanilla Valley.
Try something new this St Davids Day with our huge range of Welsh themed products.
Announcement of our January Cake of the Month Winner.


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Chronicles of Canada Volume 09 - The Acadian Exiles: A Chronicle of the Land of Evangeline
Unabridged Audiobook
Written By: Arthur G. Doughty
Narrated By: LibriVox Volunteers
Publisher: LibriVox
Date: January 2015
Duration: 3 hours 36 minutes
The name Acadia, which we now associate with a great tragedy of history and song, was first used by the French to distinguish the eastern or maritime part of New France from the western part, which began with the St Lawrence valley and was called Canada. Just where Acadia ended and Canada began, the French never clearly defined. In course of time, as will be seen, this question became a cause of war with the English--but we shall not be much at fault if we take a line from the mouth of the river Penobscot, due north to the St Lawrence, to mark the western frontier of the Acadia of the French.
This volume covers the period of hostility between the Acadians and the British Crown.

subset: commoncrawl


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Appeals Court Reinstates Campaign Finance Limits
HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is reinstating Montana's campaign donation limits.
The court intervened late Tuesday less than a week after a federal judge's decision opened the door to unlimited money in state elections - during the height of election season.
Conservative groups emboldened by the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision have made Montana the center of the fight over many campaign finance restrictions.
The groups have convinced a federal judge to strike down several laws as unconstitutional, including the cap on contributions given to candidates by individuals and political parties.
The federal appeals court says the federal judge needs to file his full reasoning for that decision. A brief order temporarily stayed the decision until the court can review the full case.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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Computational Tools for Modeling, Visualizing and Analyzing Historic and Archaeological Sites
National Science Foundation Grant IIS-0121239This has been a 6 year project, begun in September 2001, and work related to the project is still ongoing. We had a number of broad research goals in this research project:
|Modeling the Cathedral of Ste. Pierre, Beauvais, France
|New York
|Modeling Cathedral of St. John The Divine
|Modeling Acropolis at Mt. Polizzo, Sicily
|South Africa
|Modeling Thulamela
|Governors Island
|Fort Jay Model
|Excavations at Amheida, Egypt
|Archaeological Visualization
|Collaborative Visualization of an Archaeological Excavation
|Databases for Archaeology
|Texture Mapping
|Building illumination coherent 3D models of large-scale outdoor scenes
|Romanesque Church Database
Contact: Peter Allen


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Mirova Core Infrastructure Fund ("MCIF") acquires 85% of the share capital of Aton per il Progetto S.r.l. ("Aton")
Paris, November 24th 2016
Mirova, the Natixis Asset Management's subsidiary dedicated to responsible investment, today informs that MCIF has completed the acquisition of a majority stake (85%) in the Italian concession company Aton. The latter is in charge of the construction and operation of a cogeneration plant station as well as a district heating network serving the Udine Hospital and north-west province of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy). The purchase agreement was concluded with Siram S.p.a, a wholly owned subsidiary of Veolia Environment in Italy, which also serves as operator for this project and will hold the remaining 15% shareholding. Signed in June 2016, the transaction has satisfied all customary closing conditions since then.
In operation since September 2015, Aton's revenues mainly come from the provision of heating and cooling services to the final beneficiaries of the concession contract: the Hospital Santa Maria della Misericordia, the University of Udine and the swimming pool of Palamostre. Besides, the company serves third-party users, mostly households, with solutions to get connected to the heating distribution system.
MCIF is Mirova's first brownfield PPP focused fund investing in Continental Europe. To date, the Fund has already committed and invested in 18 assets for a total amount of EUR 425m, predominantly in European PPP and infrastructure concessions, spanning from transportation, to broadband networks, and a wide range of social infrastructure projects.
Gwenola Chambon, Mirova's Head of Infrastructure and Fund Principal, reacted to the news: "This transaction demonstrates Mirova's ability and willingness to deploy capital across all Continental Europe on behalf of our investors; it is the second transaction realized by Mirova outside of France over the course of the year, after the acquisition of a 24.7% equity interest in the Metro de Malaga project back in June 2016."
Mirova's Deputy Head of Infrastructure funds and Fund Principal, Mounir Corm, also commented: "It was a great pleasure to work with Siram and Veolia on this transaction and we are delighted to have Siram as our equity and operating partner. This new investment is MCIF's first transaction in heating networks and in Italy, it fits perfectly with MCIF diversification strategy across sectors and European countries."
Mirova was advised by Dentons (France and Italy), Arup and KPMG on this transaction.
Source: Mirova as of 24/11/2016
Press contact
Bérengère Savelli
Tel. +33 (0)1 44 50 73
About Mirova Core Infrastructure Fund
The Mirova Core Infrastructure Fund (MCIF) is the first fund dedicated to regulated infrastructures in Continental Europe that are already operating ("brownfield"). The Fund benefits from a portfolio comprising a high level of quality seed assets. With this new strategy, the Mirova team builds on its past achievements. Mirova already has a track record on managing operating projects as well as an in-depth knowledge of Continental Europe markets. In addition, the team's soundness and reliability have been confirmed through the Fund's successful fundraising in excess of the initial objectives. While the initial target was set at €500m, the final closing of MCIF reached €700m on July 2016.The Fund's strategy is to purchase brownfield assets in Continental Europe, with a buy & hold approach throughout the Fund's 25 year lifespan. With MCIF, it is possible to funnel long-term savings toward regulated real assets with long-term yield profiles.
The Fund has been authorized by the Luxembourg Commission for the Supervision of the Financial Sector ("CSSF"). The Fund's investment objective, strategy and main risks are described in its regulatory documents. Its fees, charges and performances are also described in these documents. Investments in the Fund are mainly subject to loss of capital risk.
Reference to a ranking and/or an award does not indicate the future performance of the fund or the fund manager.
Source: Mirova 30/09/2016
About Mirova and Natixis Asset Management
Mirova, the Responsible Investment subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management, develops an engaged approach aiming to combine value creation and sustainable development.
Mirova's philosophy is based on the conviction that integrating sustainable development themes can generate solutions that create value for investors over the long term, not only thanks to a better appreciation of risks, but also by identifying favourable investment opportunities in a changing world.
Mirova offers a global responsible investing approach with a single offer revolving around 5 pillars: equities, bonds, infrastructure, Impact investing,(1) voting and engagement.
Mirova has €6.6 bn in AuM and €40 bn in voting and engagement.
Mirova brings together 66 multi-disciplinary experts, specialists in thematic investment management, engineers, financial and ESG(2) analysts, specialists and experts in socially conscious finance and project financing.
Mirova's fund range is distributed by Natixis Global Asset Management's global distribution platform and Groupe BPCE's two retail networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne, and is designed for all types of investors, both professional and non-professional.
Regulated by AMF under n°GP 02-014
Limited liability company - Share capital € 7 461 327, 50
RCS Paris n°394 648 216
Registered Office: 21 quai d'Austerlitz – 75 013 Paris
> Further information: www.mirova.com
Natixis Asset Management ranks among Europe's leading asset managers with more than 355 billion euros and 744 employees. Management at Natixis Asset Management is hinged on five major areas of expertise: Rates, European equities, Client solutions and investment, Volatility and structured products developed by Seeyond and Global emerging equities developed by Emerise
Natixis Asset Management owns also three subsidiaries asset managers: Mirova, Dorval Asset Management and H20 Asset Management.
Reference to a ranking and/or an award does not indicate the future performance of the UCITS/AIF or the fund manager.
> Further information: www.nam.natixis.com
Source: Natixis Asset Management as at 30/09/2016.
(1) Impact investing: management having a strong social or environmental impact.
(2) ESG: Environmental, Social and Governance analysis
(3) PRI: Principles for Responsible Investment; ICGN: International Corporate Governance Network.
Seeyond is a brand owned by Natixis Asset Management.
Emerise is a brand of Natixis Asset Management and Natixis Asset Management Asia Limited.
Mirova is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management.
Dorval Asset Management is a 50,1 % subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management.
H20 Asset Management is a 50,01 % subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management.
About Natixis Global Asset Management
Natixis Global Asset Management serves thoughtful investment professionals worldwide with more insightful ways to invest. Through our Durable Portfolio Construction® approach, we focus on risk to help them construct more strategic portfolios that seek to endure today's unpredictable markets. We draw from deep investor and industry insights and partner closely with our clients to put objective data behind the discussion.
Natixis Global Asset Management is ranked among the world's largest asset management firms.(1) Uniting over 20 specialized investment managers globally ($897 billion AUM(2)), we bring a diverse range of solutions to every strategic opportunity. From insight to action, Natixis Global Asset Management helps our clients better serve their own with more durable portfolios.
Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A. is part of Natixis. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, Natixis is a subsidiary of BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France. Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A.'s affiliated investment management firms and distribution and service groups include Active Investment Advisors;(3) AEW Capital Management; AEW Europe; AlphaSimplex Group; Axeltis; Darius Capital Partners; DNCA Investments;(4) Dorval Finance;(5) Emerise;(6) Gateway Investment Advisers; H2O Asset Management;(5) Harris Associates; IDFC Asset Management Company; Loomis, Sayles & Company; Managed Portfolio Advisors;(3) McDonnell Investment Management; Mirova;(5) Natixis Asset Management; Ossiam; Seeyond;(7) Vaughan Nelson Investment Management; Vega Investment Managers; and Natixis Global Asset Management Private Equity, which includes Seventure Partners, Naxicap Partners, Alliance Entreprendre, Euro Private Equity, Caspian Private Equity and Eagle Asia Partners. Visit ngam.natixis.com for more information.
(1) Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2016 ranked Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A. as the 16th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management ($870.3 billion) as of December 31, 2015.
(2) Net asset value as of September 30, 2016. Assets under management (AUM) may include assets for which non-regulatory AUM services are provided. Non-regulatory AUM includes assets which do not fall within the SEC's definition of 'regulatory AUM' in Form ADV, Part 1.
(3) A division of NGAM Advisors, L.P.
(4) A brand of DNCA Finance.
(5) A subsidiary of Natixis Asset Management.
(6) A brand of Natixis Asset Management and Natixis Asset Management Asia Limited, based in Singapore and Paris.
(7) A brand of Natixis Asset Management.


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Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
"Dancing together with Arabs? Laughing together with them? These are the people I hated my whole life," says Chava, a Messianic Jewish girl who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Israel.
Chava was part of a three-day gathering where she met with an estimated 1,000 Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian youth and young adults in Haifa. At a time when murderous kidnappings, violent riots and a developing war in Gaza are bringing racial tensions to boiling point, these young Messianic Jews and Arab Christians arrived at the conference still reeling with all the raw emotions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"These young people came carrying a lot of hurt because of all the recent violence here in Israel," says Rick Ridings, organizer of the annual Elav conference. "Many of them thought that they had dealt with these feelings, but because of the kidnappings and killings they are in pain, on both sides."
For Chava, who grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish ghetto, it was the first time to be in such close quarters with Arabs. "I used to walk with my family to the Wailing Wall and pray that bad things would happen to the Arabs," she recalls. "We have this view that Arabs are bad people. But when I saw them praying to God, and heard them worshipping in Hebrew and then in Arabic, God touched my heart. These are the lost brothers and sisters I have been looking for all my life," she says.
Ridings, who has been organizing these gatherings since 2007, was not sure that any of the young Arabs or Jews would even want to be together during such difficult times. "I didn't know if any of the Palestinian Arabs would even be able, or want to come," he says. "Yet almost miraculously, given the heightened security, about 50 Palestinian believers were able to come."
"These were some of the most meaningful times I have seen at the conference," Ridings told Israel Today. "Perhaps the situation forced these young people to get over the things that normally cause problems. This was real, not just some canned program."
For many of the young believers this was the first time they had ever had a meaningful encounter with the other side. When an Arab believer who grew up in Gaza and a young Messianic Israeli shared their testimonies, it helped others to open up and talk about what they really feel, sharing honestly about what had happened in the army, or with friends killed by terrorists.
"As I washed the feet of my Arab sister, I was able to ask forgiveness for the way my family, and my people, look at them (Arabs)," says Chava. "To hear her say that she forgives me and loves me was so healing. It was the love from Yeshua, nothing else. I never had an Arab friend. Now I have daily contact with my sisters in Ramallah, Jordan and Lebanon," she smiles.
"After hearing my story," continues Chava, "an Arab girl came up to tell me that she hated religious Jews whenever she saw them. This was her first time meeting with someone who came from an Orthodox religious background. She ran to me and asked for forgiveness and asked me to pray for her that she would have more love for my people."
Ridings says that the vision for these gatherings is "to provide a safe environment for Jewish, Arab and Palestinian youth and young adults to have personal encounters with the Lord, to wait on him through worship and prayer, to grow in unity, and to be challenged to minister the Kingdom of God into every area of society."
On the last evening of the gathering, a young Messianic Jew shared about spending three months in Syria helping war refugees. The conference concluded with a call for the young people to go and share the powerful testimony of what Yeshua can do for our broken world.
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Meals 20-25 served with Hashbrown Sticks and Choice of 16 oz Coffee, 20 oz drink or 8 oz Milk.
A full breakfast on a biscuit.
A fresh cracked egg with bacon or a ground pork sausage patty, topped with American cheese. All on one of our flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Biscuit Sandwich
A full breakfast on a biscuit.
Biscuit Sandwich
Ingredients: Buttermilk Biscuit: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Buttermilk (Cultured Low Fat Milk, Food Starch, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Carob Bean Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3), Palm Oil, Biscuit Concentrate (Leavening [Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate], Salt, Sugar, Dextrose, Bleached Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Calcium Propionate, Calcium Sulfate, Soybean and /or Cottonseed Oil, Guar Gum), Soybean Oil, Artificial Butter Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid. CONTAINS: Milk, Wheat. Liquid Margarine (for Buttermilk Biscuit): Liquid and Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Vegetable Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate (A Preservative), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor, Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin A Palmitate Added. CONTAINS: Soybean. Small American Cheese: Cultured milk and skim milk, water, cream, sodium citrate, salt, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid (preservative), citric acid, artificial color 4, acetic acid, enzymes, lecithin. Egg: Fresh USDA grade AA ex-large whole shell egg Bun Oil: Soybean oil, soy lecithin, natural & artificial flavor, TBHQ added to protect flavor, beta carotene (color), dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent added. Special Seasoning: Salt (yellow prussiate of soda added) and pepper. Pork Sausage Patty: Pork Sausage Patty : Pork, salt, natural spices, sugar, monosodium glutamate, spice extractives, BHA, BHT, and citric acid. Bacon: Precooked bacon. Smoke flavoring added. Cured with: water, salt, sugar, smoke flavoring, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, flavoring, sodium nitrite.
This Goes Great With
For Dessert
On The Side
Onion Rings
For Dessert


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You Ask, I Answer: Beets
Anything in particular worth knowing about the nutrition of beets?
I love them in salads. In the summer, it's not out of the ordinary for me to have beets every single day.
— Paula Seeley
(Location withheld)
Beets are a wonderful addition to any diet. Make sure to NOT wear white when eating them (if you think permanent marker stains are bad, wait until you get a tiny smudge of beet on you; even Tide-To-Go sticks raise a white flag).
When mass media went bonkers over the antioxidants in blueberries a few years ago, beets were treated like the redheaded stepchild.
Betacyanin, the antioxidants that gives blueberries their pigment, is also found in very high quantities in beets!
Betacyanin is a big deal because studies have found it to be super powerful when it comes to reducing inflammation (the main factor behind many degenerative diseases) and slowing down tumor proliferation.
Beets offer a one-two punch because they also contain another pigment known as betanin.
Betanin is especially effective at lowering heart disease risk because it reduces levels of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels are problematic because they damage the inside of arteries, thereby allowing blood clots to form and LDL to build up as plaque, thereby heightening cardiovascular disease risk.
A study by Israel's Agricultural Research Organization found that "a relatively low concentration of betanin was found to inhibit lipid peroxidation of membranes or linoleate emulsion catalyzed by the free iron redox cycle, H2O2-activated metmyoglobin, or lipoxygenase." Laymen translation: betanin is your heart's friend.
Apart from being a low-calorie food (like all vegetables), beets also offer folate, manganese, and potassium.
Whenever possible, aim for fresh — rather than canned — beets. If raw beets aren't your thing, roast them — along with other root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and radishes — in olive oil and salt.


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Hurricane Sandy Reliefby Representative Steny H. Hoyer
Posted on 2013-01-02
HOYER. Mr. Speaker, it was to my profound disappointment that I
learned last night that the House would adjourn the 112th Congress
without providing assistance to the victims of Superstorm Sandy.
I am joined today, Mr. Speaker, by many of my colleagues from the jurisdictions whose people received the most damaging blow. Though my district did not sustain the extreme damage that those in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut did, the President declared several Maryland counties eligible for Federal assistance from this storm, but it was minor, and my citizens are not in dire circumstances; but the citizens of some from whom we will hear today are in that condition.
Those counties joined hundreds in the 1,000-mile diameter of this storm--the largest geographically in the history of the Atlantic hurricanes. Now, at best, the Speaker has said that Sandy's victims will need to wait until the next Congress to receive assistance--Wait, they say, to millions who are in pain and in distress. We should not be waiting. We should be voting this very morning, which I tell you, Mr. Speaker, I expect to happen from my discussions with the majority leader.
As I said last night, I went with Congressman Greg Meeks to Breezy Point and the Rockaways in New York, and what I saw there in Sandy's aftermath defied description and demanded action. To those who say that FEMA has not yet disbursed all the funds it has to assist families and businesses, I would tell them that they deeply underestimate the damage in these areas and the wide range of assistance required to alleviate the pain and suffering. At Jacob Riis Park, I saw the mountains of debris that the Corps of Engineers had begun to remove from neighborhoods. That debris represents people's lives, homes, and businesses.
With this legislation, we would have provided up to $1.6 billion to the Corps to continue removing debris so that families could begin rebuilding. Would we have had to borrow that money? Yes. Just as if the furnace went out and the temperature were at zero, you would immediately replace the furnace to keep the families safe and borrow the money to do so; and, yes, we would have had to repay it, and we would.
This bill would have allocated $6 million in emergency aid for food banks to make sure that people in the richest country on the face of the Earth have some sustenance for them and their children. I saw an area of Breezy Point where more than 100 homes were devastated by fire when an electric transformer malfunctioned. The many firefighters who lived in that neighborhood could not get additional help from surrounding boroughs due to the severe flooding. They battled mightily and they saved many lives, but there is little left--indeed, none--of their homes.
I saw local businesses, Mr. Speaker, which had been there for years, completely destroyed, waiting for the $620 million in SBA assistance this bill would have provided. We talked a lot about not imposing burdens on small business by additional taxes. These small businesses are out of business without our help. We walk away today from nearly $4 billion in assistance to help reconstruct Rockaway Beach and other places, which is critical to the area's economic recovery and important to prevent further storm damage.
Finally, there is also the toll on transit and infrastructure, including inundated subway and traffic tunnels that were referred to last night. This bill would have provided up to $10.9 billion for transit and $2.2 billion for highways to help make sure that the area is not just cleared of water but repaired. If small businesses are going to be able to operate, it will be because consumers and customers can get to them and get to the schools and get to the hospitals and get to their families.
Waiting to act until later this month when Members were here and ready to vote last night is not the right choice. No Member of this House could travel to the Northeast, see the damage, and tell anyone in those areas to wait--wait for us to act, wait for us to help, wait for us to come to your aid. We cannot and we should not wait. We must not walk away.
[[Page H7568]] Mr. Speaker, I urge the Speaker of this House to reconsider and to act immediately. Now is the time to act.


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I have mixed feelings about The Amazing Spider-Man, the reboot of the Sam Raimi franchise which began in 2002 and ended just five years ago. On the one hand, it is a spectacular action film with cool special effects that is arguably more faithful to the comics (Spider-Man's web, for instance, was invented by Peter Parker rather than biological), but on the other it felt too similar to the 2002 film.
I had high expectations for The Amazing Spider-Man, and it's not just because I am a much bigger fan of the two new lead stars, Andrew Garfield (Eduardo Saverin from The Social Network) and Emma Stone, than the original duo of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. And it's not because the film is directed by Marc Webb, who was at the helm of one of my favourite movies, 500 Days of Summer. It's simply because I think Spider-Man is a cool superhero and an interesting character. And because the reboot of the Batman franchise with Christian Bale has been so ridiculously awesome and different to the Michael Keaton/Val Kilmer/George Clooney one that I expected a completely new spin on the character and story.
Unfortunately, The Amazing Spider-Man is not all that different to the film made 10 years ago. Yes, there are some major differences in the story, such as a new love interest (Stone plays Gwen Stacy — who was played by Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3) and a new villain, The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans. Both are actually upgrades on Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson and Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin. Yes, this one also has a slightly more in-depth origin story that is linked back to Peter Parker's parents (though more will probably be revealed in the inevitable sequel). But a lot of the plot points were virtually identical (without giving anything away), begging the question of why they needed to reboot the franchise in the first place.
If you haven't seen the 2002 version or it's not fresh in your mind, then you will probably have a great time. For some reason, I still remember a lot of it vividly, and as a result I kept getting a sense of deja vu. I know a lot of it was inevitable because they are core plot points in the Spider-Man origins story, but it certainly sucked the freshness out of it. I never got that feeling watching Batman Begins, which was a genuine "reboot" in every sense of the word.
On the bright side, The Amazing Spider-Man is exciting. The action sequences are clearer and more fluid than they were 10 years ago, and also very creative in the way they play out. I didn't watch the 3D version but I suppose 3D effects could have enhanced certain scenes.
Rhys Ifans makes a wonderful, tormented semi-villain, and Dennis Leary has great presence as the city's police chief. And how awesome is it to have Martin Sheen and Sally Field playing the uncle and aunt?
The new Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield, is more likable than Tobey Maguire. Interestingly, I thought Garfield looked pretty good for a high school student, but he's actually 28, and a year older than Maguire when the latter played Spider-Man in 2002. I did have a slight problem with the character in that he wasn't exactly geeky or nerdy enough. He's thin, but taller and lankier than Maguire and also rides a skateboard. And it didn't take much for Gwen Stacy to fall for him. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense for him to be bullied or ignored by girls at the start of the film.
Emma Stone is also quite good as Gwen. Strong personality with just the right amount of feistiness and teenage angst. Funnily enough, I thought she looked too old to be a high school student, even though she's five years younger than Garfield at 23.
The weakest link, though, had to be Irrfan Khan as an employee of Oscorp. He was plain bad and unintentionally hilarious at times.
I had a couple of other issues with the film's editing and tonal imbalance, but these are relatively minor. Even though the film was more detailed than the 2002 version overall, at times I felt they rushed a few key scenes, while others might have been dragged out longer than necessary. And at 136 minutes it was, as usual, about 15 minutes too long. And am I being anal when I say the music score of the ordinarily dependable James Horner was occasionally distracting?
So at the end of the day, if Tobey Maguire's 2002 version of Spider-Man is still fresh in your mind, chances are you won't be wowed by this film. For me personally, The Amazing Spider-Man, while spectacular at times and very enjoyable in its own right, was not quite "amazing."
3.25 stars out of 5


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A free designer review is included to make sure all your words look their best.
Designed for labeling all your DIY creations, Apothecary Neat keeps it simple with unadorned, homespun styling. Thin dividers neatly organize your information and make everything look balanced even when you leave areas blank. Your main text is set in condensed bold caps, reminiscent of turn-of-the-century wood type. A variety of supporting fonts complement each other perfectly. Italics add emphasis where you need it and a slightly angled retro font (in contrasting color) reads like a rubber stamp of approval. Apothecary Neat looks tidy and official but still feels warmly unassuming - just the ticket for labeling your best homemade goods. Available in 28 colors. Choose your favorite or mix and match from lights, darks, brights and neutrals - and proudly personalize your products with Apothecary Neat. Customize your Apothecary Neat birthday beer labels to celebrate your special birthday boy or birthday girl!
stock: matte paper labels — edit
|Item Code
|Sold on sheets of 6 labels
|label Size
|3.5" x 3.25"
|label Color
|label Stock
|peel-and-stick paper labels with a smooth, matte finish
Microbrew Three
Bodoni Bold
High Tower Text
Bernhard Modern
Bookman Italic
Trend Slab
Trend Slab Inline
Appareo Black
Janda Closer to Free
Sparhawk Fill
Catalina Avalon
Directors Gothic
DIN Condensed
Lulo Bold
Lulo Outline
Avenir Black
Gill Sans
Booster Next
Booster Next Black
TT Chocolates
The Treasured Years Script
Smoothie Shoppe
Thirsty Script Regular
BeachBar Script
Snell Roundhand
Flemish Script
Lily Wang
Choose the overall size for your label and upload your artwork. We will email you a proof with an outline to indicate where the cut will be. If you want to create your own cutting path, you can upload a one-page PDF with both the path and the artwork.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at email@example.com or 1-855-383-7646. We are happy to help!
This shape was designed for quart canning jars and wine bottles, and also works well on wine boxes, large tin tie bags, large favor boxes, etc. It is slightly short as a wine label, so will work on bottles that are a little shorter than standard. The illustration below is not at actual size, but it shows you how this item compares in size to a credit card.
If you are not sure this size will fit your container, draw the shape on a piece of paper using a ruler to measure, cut it out and lay it on your container.
We are happy to make small adjustments to your order at no extra charge. Your order is automatically set up so that our professional designers adjust font and/or photo styling so everything looks terrific. But if you have something specific in mind, let us know. Tell us if you want your text laid out a certain way, or the lines to break in a certain place, or add one or two more characters to a line, or the letters to be larger or smaller, etc.
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Orders with color changes are not refundable. A color change can have a profound effect on the style, and we do not know what result you are trying to achieve so we can't guarantee that you will like it. If there is an obvious problem, we will contact you.
Choose a color from another label style on our website, and tell us, in the box above, which style and which color in that style you want to match. Or, if you want to match a color of a fabric or other item, please mail us a color swatch. We will come as close as we can to your color, but cannot guarantee an exact match due to differences between our process and how the color was achieved on your swatch. Making this request WILL DELAY YOUR ORDER and THERE IS NO REFUND FOR COLOR CHANGE REQUESTS.
Mail your color swatch to:
Evermine, Customer Service color request, 45 NE Hancock Street, Portland OR 97212


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Hi friends, long time no "talk." I've been blogging weekly over at the Satisfied Cravings blog and had a draft saved about my recent obsession – baking bread – which I thought I actually posted about, so I feel like I've been blogging but clearly it's been 2 weeks since my last post.
Obviously other things are getting in the way. It's driving me insane how inconsistent I am about blogging over here and I think that may mean something.
This little blog used to be my outlet. It was a place where I shared my ventures into healthy cooking and weight loss struggles and successes. I loved the sense of community over here (thank you all so much for all your amazing comments!) and it's the reason I've been continuing to blog for all these years.
But… my life is full now. I'm learning every day about myself while trying to grow my little business. I'm learning about what's important and what's just noise in my head that drives me to do more and more until I no longer can. It's all been hard and amazing and luckily I have the most supportive husband who keeps me grounded and reminds me about priorities.
And so, I think it's time to move on. I'm not saying goodbye because that feels really final, so I'm going to say "until later!" I'm taking an indefinite break during which I will continue blogging over on Satisfied Cravings and possibly over on Russian Bites. And then we'll see if all I needed was a break or if my priorities have permanently changed.
Thank you all again! And if I don't "talk" to you soon (over on your blogs) then I hope you have a fabulous summer. Follow your heart and your dreams. And if you don't have a defined dream, keep searching until something clicks and makes you the happiest you've been. Do it. It's worth it!
PS – If you want to keep in touch, follow me on twitter and over at the Satisfied Cravings blog.
Ok, I'm signing off. Love you all!


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Farmingdale, N.Y. - The men's and women's outdoor track teams finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships held at Rowan University. Senior Mike Jang (Lynbrook, N.Y.) led the men as he won the hammer throw with a toss of 49.66m. Jang's winning toss in the hammer throw earned him First Team All-Conference honors. For the women, senior Faustine Chukwuezi (Central Islip, N.Y.) earned a third place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 10.97m and was named Honorable Mention All-Conference.
Farmingdale State had four ECAC qualifiers in five events this season. The teams opened the season at the St. Joe's Invitational and won four events. Jang and sophomore Andrew Bylicki (Deer Park, N.Y.) shared the hammer throw title, while senior Steven Renteria (West Babylon, N.Y.) won the high jump and freshman Jordan Kohlman (Wantagh, N.Y.) won the pole vault.
The women had two third place finishes at the meet - sophomore Susan Aguirre (Farmingdale, N.Y.) in the 110-meter hurdles and Chukwuezi in the triple jump. Chukwuezi also placed second in the triple jump at the Osprey Open and third at the NJ Invitational.
Junior Alix Lamarre (North Bellmore, N.Y.) won the long jump at two meets this season and placed third twice. He also took second place in the 100-meter once. Junior Daquan Grant (Copiague, N.Y.) placed second in the triple jump twice, while Renteria followed his season-opening win in the high jump with third and fourth place finishes throughout the year.
The women's 4x100m relay team of Victoria Mandat (West Babylon, N.Y.), Kathleen Clermont (Uniondale, N.Y.), Katherine Hoskins (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Aguirre took third place and moved into sixth on the all-time list.


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This is the same material as the Preschool ages 3 and 4. Order from that item.
When you're searching for faith building resources, you'll find just what you need at FHU Christian Store. Located on the campus of Freed Hardeman University, you will find a staff ready to serve you. We carry a nice selection of bibles, books, curriculum and church supplies. Your Purchases help fund the Student Scholarship Fund. Thank you for supporting our students.
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Email: email@example.com
Thank you for supporting our students and Christian Education. The profits from your purchases go to the FHU Student Scholarship Fund.


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Snowe departure exposes GOP rift
Sen. Olympia Snowe's bombshell retirement announcement brought into focus the fault line within GOP ranks: Conservatives are demanding a sharper focus on bedrock principles, and party strategists are more concerned with courting swing voters.
It is a fight that has raged inside the GOP since the rise of the tea party movement in 2009 — the "electability" vs. "real conservative" argument — and is also playing out in the nominating battle between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
Story Continued Below
The abrupt departure of the moderate Snowe could heighten those intraparty tensions within the Senate. Snowe complained that toxic partisan battles have made the Senate unworkable, and she acknowledged Wednesday that the GOP's task of winning the majority may be more challenging because of her retirement.
Some Senate Republicans — despite the fact that they have to defend only 10 seats vs. 23 for Democrats — worry that they may not win a majority this year and are concerned that Republicans have yet to offer a compelling governing vision for voters.
"I think for the Americans to trust us with big issues, we've got to prove on smaller issues that we're credible in leading again," said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), citing the lack of GOP will to derail a popular highway bill because of its high cost. "It's like people have become so desensitized and are almost forgetting that all these little examples were things that either caused people to trust us or not trust us.
"And we need to build that trust," Corker added. "And time is shortening."
How Senate Republicans do that remains a point of sharp internal debate. There is clamoring in the ranks for the party to put forth a Contract With America-style agenda to present to voters in the fall, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been skeptical of that idea, preferring to wait for a presidential nominee to present a unified agenda for the party. Instead, McConnell has vigorously attacked the White House over gas prices and is pushing for the Senate to adopt targeted House bills Republicans say would create jobs.
But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted a rank-and-file "rebellion" that would produce a more ambitious election-year agenda for their party.
Asked whether he is concerned about McConnell's skepticism, Graham said, "I think the conference is going to come up with the agenda. I think the rank and file on both sides of the aisle is getting frustrated. You may have a rebellion of the rank and file on both sides of the aisle."


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In our ever-pulsating society, a simple design is often refreshing, a welcome break from all the commotion. That is just what the Yukon Collection from Century Hardware can give you. Browse through a selection of decorative cabinet knobs and cabinet pulls that leave out the razzle dazzle, and give you just the straight up style you've been looking for. Take a look.
Smooth round cabinet knobs and understated cabinet pulls come in tasteful finishes that help to continue the theme of minimalism. A soft matte satin nickel is stylish without the fanfare, and oil rubbed bronze has always been a classy favorite. In fact, all the finishes in this Century Hardware collection are weathered, antique or matte, so you are not blinded by the glare each time you step into your house. A decorative backplate is another way to add beauty in a subtle but effective way.
Because of these tasteful design elements, Yukon cabinet pulls and knobs will look great in your bedroom, sitting room or other living areas where you'd like to shut out the noise for just a few minutes. Basic is beautiful and it shows in this fresh collection of cabinet hardware from Century Hardware. So order your own set of cabinet knobs, pulls and coordinating backplate pieces now, and add a little bit of serenity to the verve.


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Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke is part of the Paleontology & Geology Department, which also includes Invertebrate Paleontology and Micropaleontology, Paleobotany and Minerals.
The Vertebrate Paleontology Collection includes over 62,000 specimens of fossil mammals, birds, dinosaurs, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. In total, the Paleontology & Geology Department cares for more than 3 million specimens of fossil invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, microfossils and trace fossils.


text: A long time resident of Greenville, Catherine lived many years in the land of Happily Ever After. After suffering a personal tragedy, she turned to Alchemy for some levity and comedic relief. She graduated from Alchemy's Comedy Training Center in 2012 and joined the Company in 2013. Catherine loves Greenville, has been active on many boards, and is supportive of the arts. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 39. She enjoys being challenged by this amazingly social, supportive and creative art form but since comedy doesn't pay the bills, she is employed at Dixon Hughes Goodman.


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Mother and Son Battle Each Other in Mayor's Race
(DIXMOOR, Ill.) -- As many a Thanksgiving dinner has proved, talking politics with your family can get ugly. Imagine then, what it's like in the Casey family, where a mother is battling her son in the maoyr's race.
Wendy Casey, 45, and her son Randall Casey, 27, are both trying to get elected mayor of Dixmoor, Illinois. The fight is a source of tension in the Casey family.
Ahead of the April 9 election, Wendy Casey urged her son, a technician for Comcast, not to run for mayor, but he refused to step aside.
"On one hand, I'm proud of him for running for elected office," she said. "But on the other hand, I think he should have waited. It's disrespectful of him. It's like a defiance on his part. Certain lines you just don't cross."
"We're cordial, but we don't speak about politics," Casey continued. "It has been very hard for me as his parent and his mom because we do have a close relationship."
At one point, she broke down in tears when talking about the strain that the election battle is taking on her family.
While Wendy Casey initially believed that her son would agree to a joint interview at the family's house, he backed out, claiming that the family feud had become "a charade."
"My 15 minutes of fame won't help the people of Dixmoor," Randall Casey said over the phone.
Many residents of Dixmoor view the family feud as a distraction from the real issues, and likely a moot point, as incumbent mayor Keevan Grimmett is expected to win reelection.
"As a voter, it's confusing," said Fitzgerald Roberts, a Dixmoor resident. "Why would they run against each other? I tried to talk to [Randall] and get him to let his mom run. It's all about respect."
Wendy Casey's ex-husband and Randall Casey's father, the Rev. Donald Luster, won the town's mayoral election in 2001, but he was soon indicted on fraud charges. It is a subject that Wendy Casey does not want to talk about.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Virginia, Blackhawk Products Group is a major provider of tactical, military, and law enforcement equipment. All Blackhawk tactical gear is proudly made in the USA, with manufacturing facilities in Idaho, Montana, and North Carolina. We offer a wide variety of different Blackhawk clothing products, including footwear, gloves, headwear, jackets, shirts, tactical pants, and underclothing. If you're headed into a potentially dangerous situation, it's important that you're dressed the part with clothing that is functional, durable, and comfortable, ensuring that you'll be able to perform at your best.
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Arrow Seasons 1-4 DVD Boxset
Availability: In Stock
Arrow Seasons 1-4 DVD Special Features
Actors: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Emily Bett Rickards
Producers: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg
Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region Free
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 32
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: 2015
Arrow Seasons 1-3 DVD Photos
Arrow Seasons 1-3 DVD Overview
Unlike in the comic books, Queen does not initially go by the alias "Green Arrow".Arrow Seasons 1-4 DVD is an American television series developed by writer/producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg.It is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp. It premiered in North America on The CW on October 10, 2012, with international broadcasting taking place in late 2012.Primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, portrayed by Stephen Amell, who, after five years of being stranded on a hostile island,Arrow Seasons 1-4 returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.
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Featuring music by Beats Antique, Tipper, Random Rab, Phutureprimative, Kaminanda, and more.
Past News ReleasesRSS
Portland, OR (PRWEB) January 18, 2013
Promising to be the first to tell the story of a cultural phenomenon having profound influence on hundreds of thousands of lives, a new documentary webseries, The Bloom: A Journey Through Transformational Festivals, officially launched with the on-line release of its Series Preview.
The preview by series co-producers Jeet-Kei Leung and Akira Chan features footage from outdoor events filmed all over the world during the summer of 2012, deemed "Transformational Festivals" by the series creators for their focus on supporting personal and social transformation. During its initial week, the 9 & 1/2 minute preview received over 18,000 views & 9,100 combined Facebook 'likes', originating from the sharing of a single Facebook post.
"The new festival is going beyond commercial entertainment," says director and host Leung, whose TEDx talk on Transformational Festivals went viral, garnering acclaim for its lucid articulation of the subject. "They've grown beyond being simply parties to places where we're actually practicing and experiencing the world we wish to live in."
Citing the influence of the week-long Burning Man annual event in Nevada reaching the mainstream, Leung explains, "More and more festivals are going beyond their core of music and dancing to becoming increasingly immersive, participant-driven environments that integrate an extensive amount of art, workshops, and an emergent spirituality, all with the intention to support personal growth, holistic lifestyles and social transformation."
The Series recently released its global map on its website (http://www.thebloomseries.com) listing 90 such festivals on 5 continents with names such as Beloved, Earthdance, Symbiosis, Sonic Bloom and many others. "The result is that participants very often are having deeply meaningful experiences, which are altering their lives to be in greater alignment with their true purpose and passion," says Leung.
"The thesis of our series is that this new flourishing of the conscious co-created festival is actually a nascent renaissance," continues Leung. "It's a true story of genuine hope for our times, showing us ways we can make the change we need in our lives and the world, invigorated by creativity, connectivity and joy."
The series is being produced in partnership with globally-reknowned independent film studio, Elevate Films. "What's amazing about this story is that it's not something that has come and gone," says Mikki Willis, CEO of Elevate Films and creative advisor for the project, "but it's about an emerging culture which is very much mid-stream and burgeoning into its full bloom."
The series, with its first episode slated for release on March 21st, utilizes an innovative distribution strategy, coupling on-line social media with an international network of localized screening events, a strategy championed by Julian Reyes of Keyframe-Entertainment (Executive Producer of "Electronic Awakening") and an associate producer of the series. "These community-based screenings are a way to gather people together, to promote dialogue and engagement, and, as entire events are being built around the screenings, to maximize the energy around each of the episodes," says Reyes.
Alongside every episode, The Bloom will be releasing its soundtrack, produced by some of the most celebrated artists in electronic music, including Beats Antique, Tipper, Random Rab and others, through globally-recognized electronic music label, Muti Music.
"The Bloom weaves a true story of genuine hope and inspiration for our times--a new blooming of human consciousness awakening through creativity, love and joy, and an emerging culture that is pointing the way to a bright and promising future."
Jeet-Kei Leung / Director, Producer, Writer & Host
Zac Cirivello / Promotions & Outreach Director
Julian Reyes / Associate Producer & Screenings


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WORCESTER � A drug-detecting dog named Brie helped Worcester police find 100 bags of heroin in a car Thursday afternoon. Police got a search warrant for the car after the driver, Jose Lora, 20, of 18 Second St. allegedly locked the doors of his car, hit an unmarked police cruiser and drove over an officer's foot when officers approached with their badges displayed. Police eventually removed Mr. Lora and his passenger, Alexander Matias, 33, of 37 Pemberton St., Apt. 3, from the vehicle, according to a police department press release.
The 100 bags of heroin weighed approximately 60 grams, and a detective found more heroin, five bags of crack and $6,002 cash.
Members of the department's Vice Squad also searched Mr. Lora's home and seized 70 grams of heroin, drug paraphernalia, drug packaging material and more than $5,500 cash.
Mr. Lora is charged with resisting arrest, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, trafficking in heroin (100-199 grams) and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws. Mr. Mattias is charged with trafficking heroin (28-99 grams), possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws.
Contact Jacqueline Reis at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @JackieReisTG.


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Sentara joins 'Advance Care Planning Coalition of Eastern Virginia'
Sentara Healthcare, based in Norfolk, Va., will conduct its 14th annual Advance Care Planning Awareness Week from April 14 through 18, 2014. The annual observance now coincides with National Healthcare Decisions Day on Wednesday, April 16.
Sentara is also a founding member of the new Advance Care Planning Coalition of Eastern Virginia, which also includes Bon Secours Hampton Roads, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and Riverside Health System in Newport News, Va. The coalition is led by executive director David Murray, a certified senior advisor and experienced professional in aging services. The 'umbrella' agency managing finances for the coalition is the Peninsula Agency on Aging. The coalition will work to increase public awareness of Advance Care Planning among all adults over 18 years of age, and the number of people filing ACP documents.
"Patients and families make decisions about end-of-life care every day in hospitals, nursing homes and private homes," said David Cochran, director of ethics, palliative care and advance care planning for Sentara Healthcare. "Guidance from the patient through an Advance Care Plan can ease the emotional burden and reduce disagreements." These decisions can range from demanding every high-tech tool in the medical arsenal to prolong life, to comfort care measures designed to ease the passage from life to death.
"Comfort Care is an active protocol," said Cochran. "It is designed to control pain and manage symptoms so patients and families can share the highest quality time together in the time remaining." Sentara uses a format dubbed TALK. It's an acronym for:
Take time to have the conversation.
Always be open and honest.
Leave no doubt about your wishes.
Keep your documents up to date.
Advance Care Plans empower patients to direct their end-of-life care while they are able to make their wishes known. Forms include questions about pain management, IV nutrition and hydration, kidney dialysis and resuscitation after cardiac arrest, which are best answered when patients and families can discuss them. Patients can also designate an agent for healthcare decisions should they be unable to speak for themselves.
"Everyone over 18 years of age should have an advance care plan," said Cochran. "Accidents and sudden illnesses happen to everyone in every walk of life and being prepared for the unexpected helps families cope with these events."
Sentara offers free filing of Advance Care Plans with the U.S. Living Will Registry as a public service and maintains approximately 30,000 ACP documents within Sentara eCare®, its electronic medical record.
People who want to create an Advance Care Plan can come to any Sentara hospital information desk in Hampton Roads and northern Virginia and ask for a 'My Advance Care Plan' or TALK packet, which includes ACP documents to fill out. You can also arrange for assistance from a certified Advance Care Planning facilitator. To arrange an appointment call 757-252-9550.
"There's no better gift you can give your family than your guidance," Cochran said. "Patients with advance care plans have better deaths, and they leave their families in a more peaceful place."


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Perez Hilton is not sorry.
He is not sorry for trashing Miss California for saying marriage should be between a man and woman.
He is not sorry he accused Michael Jackson of faking it on the day he died ("Heart attack or cold feet?"), though he did redact his post to remove the cynical speculation.
He is not sorry he posted photos of Oscar-winning "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, avatar of gay family values, having unprotected sex with a porn actor. ("If you make a sex tape or pictures, they will get out. And I will post them!" And in this case, take them down when threatened with a privacy invasion lawsuit.)
Nor is he entirely sorry for directing a gay slur at Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am (although after getting punched in the face by the Black Eyed Peas' road manager in retaliation, he realizes it was wrong to use that word and issued a qualified apology to "the gay community" -- but not to will.i.am, who, he said, "is a moron").
Anyway, why would he be sorry?
"I've built my brand on being a bitch," said the gay celebrity blogger. "So what?"
But Hilton no longer just gossips about celebrities; he has become one. Now they gossip about him. No longer the failed actor with his nose pressed against the glass, Hilton is firmly on the inside now. He is a star in his own right, in the midst of an expansion that could secure his status as a tastemaker and entrepreneur, or irreparably dilute his brand.
Hilton's closest competitors -- popular sites such as TMZ, OMG! and Wonderwall -- are corporate owned (by Time Warner, Yahoo and Microsoft, respectively). Far less idiosyncratic in tone, none has inspired the intensely passionate love/hate reactions engendered by Hilton, who produces up to 60 posts a day with two people: his younger sister, Barbara (Barby) Lavandeira, 25, and a recent college graduate whom he declined to name. "Why do you want to know that?" he said "It's all about me!"
Increasingly, he is a force to be reckoned with in other spheres of pop culture as well. On July 21, Hilton launched his own music imprint, Perezcious Music, for Warner Bros. Records. While he is trying to come up with a fresh idea for a TV entertainment news show, he's already got Radio Perez, a daily gossip report for Citadel Broadcasting that runs in 55 markets. [Locally, it airs on KPWR-FM (105.9).] It's recorded at home, in the Pepto Bismol-pink guest bedroom he's converted to a closet brimming with free clothes and shoes. ("I love mah freebies.") This week, he is preparing to debut a second website aimed squarely at his vast number of female twentysomething fans.
Every time Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, utters the sort of outrage that would land him in prison for life if the world were governed by laws of good taste and kindness, his popularity -- and by extension his wealth and influence -- only grows. Even Hilton, a once-schlubby but increasingly lean (thanks to two trainers and a $70-a-day meal service) Cuban-American kid from Miami, seems amazed.
"In. San. Ity," he trilled, sitting in a T-shirt and sweat pants on an L-shaped couch in the living room of his surprisingly modest two-bedroom Park La Brea apartment. The room's high ceilings give an impression of space and offer plenty of room to display the many portraits of him sent by fans. During an interview, the blogger ate a low-cal salmon entree.
Henry Copeland, president of BlogAds, which handles advertising for Hilton, thinks his allure is simple and timeless. Hilton's readers -- the great majority of whom are women in their 20s -- love the way he kicks dirt on Hollywood's mythmaking machine. "Perez comes along and says everything is not the way it seems and people do not have perfect lives," said Copeland.
The schtick has not endeared him to many of the stars he picks on, nor their fans. After dissing Michael Jackson, an "unfollow Perez" campaign was launched on Twitter (though he netted new followers). When he was attacked in Toronto after tangling with will.i.am, plenty of folks were happy to see him get a real-world comeuppance. "People don't want to see you hurt," Tweeted John Mayer in an exchange with Hilton. "They want to see you experience something equalizing. . . . Today, the fourth wall came crashing down."
One Hollywood publicist who represents high-profile actors frequently in Hilton's cross hairs and didn't want to be named for fear of compromising her clients said she respects his work ethic and that he has built a business from scratch, but she doesn't worry about what he writes, invest time cultivating him or think about him when planning a campaign.
"He is literally not on my radar unless I want to go on and laugh about something," she said, adding that many of her clients find him toxic and vengeful.
"Do I think he has a genuine impact on how the world sees talent? I don't think so."
Some major celebrities have gone out of their way to cultivate him, though.
Britney Spears, whom he has never met, asked him to star as a grotesque ringmaster in the video that opens each performance of her current Circus tour. Madonna sent him a video message last year, asking him to choose between her and his 2-year-old mini golden doodle, Teddy. (". . . 'Cause I can get down on all fours," purrs the Queen of Pop. "I chase balls. And I love a biscuit.")
Replaying the Madonna video for a reporter induces in Hilton the kind of hysteria one might see in a tween girl in the front row of a Jonas Brothers concert. "Ohhmyyyygawwwwd," he screams, high-pitched, sitting cross-legged on the floor, his elbows tight against his sides as he claps in ecstasy. "I am such the 13-year-old girl!"
A music fanatic who can't sing or play an instrument, he has boosted the careers of a number of pop acts, including Adele, Katy Perry, Mika, Lady Gaga (his current passion) and newcomer Eric Hutchinson, whose album "Sounds Like This" went from total obscurity to No. 5 on the iTunes album list and became the object of a record label bidding war after Hilton posted four of his songs in September 2007.
"You grow up thinking you want a single on the radio or your video on MTV," said Hutchinson. "I never thought the way to get my music going was to get the right person on a blog to give it exposure. He put a spotlight on me at the right time, and the momentum was suddenly there."
Hilton discovered Hutchinson the way he discovers all new music: Someone -- in this case, a high school friend of Hutchinson's -- e-mailed him. "People don't know how to reach record labels, and a lot of time labels don't listen to stuff that's sent in randomly," said Hilton. "I listen to everything."
Hutchinson's success allowed Robin Bechtel, former head of new media and new business ventures at Warner Bros. Records, to persuade company chairman Tom Whalley to give Hilton his own imprint. "Everyone in the company was like, 'We have to sign Eric Hutchinson,' and I was like, 'No, we have to sign Perez,' " said Bechtel. "He has great ears. If Perez likes something, it's probably going to break."
His first artist is a slight 20-year-old French pop singer named Sliimy (pronounced "slim-ee") who has opened for Britney Spears.
Rise of a gossip
A performing arts graduate of NYU who moved to L.A. to make it as an actor and ended up working unhappily for gay magazines and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (with which he is frequently at war), Hilton launched his blog out of a Sunset Boulevard Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in 2004 when he was bankrupt and at loose ends. As he garnered attention for outing entertainers such as Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris, his readership took off.
In 2007, he moved his sister and his mother, Teresita, 56, from Miami and put them to work. Barby is his assistant. Teresita is his "professional mom." She gets a salary and benefits for making his bed, filling the gas tank of his Toyota Camry and walking Teddy, who bounds into the living room during an interview with a teensy pink purse toy clutched in his jaws.
Hilton has often said he'd like to have a child by the time he is 35, and has already investigated surrogates. Should that ever happen, Teresita will transition to "professional grandmother," he said. "No nanny for me!"
In constant demand by reporters, Hilton, who is generous with his time and doesn't bother with ground rules and minders, was recently the subject of a cover story in the Advocate and a profile in Entertainment Weekly. He was furious about the Advocate piece, in which the writer was dismissive of his intellect. ("He's not a deep or nuanced thinker and seems generally unwilling . . . to look critically at himself. . . . He doesn't strike me as all that intellectually honest," wrote Benoit Denizet-Lewis.)
"He basically called me stupid," said Hilton. "I am not stupid. I don't think I have to prove that to anyone."
Even his critics don't doubt his smarts. "Clearly he is an intelligent businessman," said the publicist who would not be named.
"I deal with an awful lot of bloggers, and a lot are smart," said Copeland. "Perez is brilliant. It's a classic success story for the post-publishing environment, in which you've got a very low overhead, and a really dynamic relationship with your readers, and advertisers get that and go for that."
Copeland would not disclose Hilton's ad revenues but said the site commands as much as $72,000 for a single 24-hour wallpaper-style ad that incorporates the banner logo across the top of the site. Nailing down traffic figures is notoriously hard because there are so many ways to calculate them. Copeland said the site gets more than 10 million unique visitors per month and 300 million page views per month (although Copeland's own website tells advertisers the site gets 246 million page views per month).
On Twitter, Hilton ranks around 20th in popularity. His 1.2 million followers make him less popular than Kim Kardashian (1.6 million) but more popular than Mariah Carey (1 million). There is no question that Perez Hilton is read by millions, is rich and is getting richer.
Reader surveys show that the typical Perez Hilton reader is a 26-year-old college-educated white woman who seldom goes to church, is a Democrat and does not shop at Wal-Mart. His new website, he said, will be squarely aimed at her, though he would not reveal more. Copeland said the new site is a response to advertisers asking for something different.
Enough suits for a rack
Hilton rises around 4 a.m. to troll the Internet and his e-mail for material. He used to post images pilfered from paparazzi agencies, which landed him in a big fat copyright infringement lawsuit in 2006 that was eventually settled out of court. Terms of the agreement were confidential, but Brandy Navarre, co-owner of X17 Inc., the first of several photo agencies that sued him for copyright infringement, said, "We were happy."
"It was costing me so much money to fight that lawsuit," said Hilton. "I became a big boy without ever meaning to, or planning to and I had to play by the big-boy rules. I pay for every single image on my website now." (He seems to thrive on combat; in 2007, he filed a lawsuit against X17 in retaliation, alleging that it mistreated its photographers. A judge found he had no standing, since he doesn't work for the agency, and tossed it.)
Hilton recently won an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit filed against him by an Ohio woman who lost her job after he posted a nasty e-mail she sent to him using her work address.
In June, Hilton filed a lawsuit alleging battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Black Eyed Peas road manager Liborio "Polo" Molina, who was charged by Toronto police in the June 22 will.i.am incident, which took place during an after party for the MuchMusic Awards. Molina has not commented on the case, but will.i.am condemned violence and the use of "hateful slurs, racial or gay" in a statement released by his publicist.
Hilton announced that if he wins any money in the case, he will donate it to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, whereupon Judy Shepard, who heads the foundation named for her slain gay son, said she would not accept a donation stemming from "Mr. Hilton's admitted use of an anti-gay slur."
So while Hilton is not sorry for the things he's done, the events of the last few months have prompted some self-reflection and brought home a few truths:
There really is no such thing as bad publicity.
Dethroned Miss California Carrie Prejean, he said, "is more famous now than the actual Miss USA winner!" precisely because he called her a "dumb bitch," although he found the ensuing deluge of angry e-mail from Christian conservatives really annoying.
Planet Earth and Planet Perez are one and the same.
Hilton blew up at will.i.am because he felt he was being browbeaten by the singer for trashing the Black Eyed Peas' latest single, "Boom Boom Pow." It never occurred to him that his provocation -- calling the singer a "faggot" -- could lead to violence. "We weren't in a real-world setting," said Hilton. "We were at an industry event!" How wrong he was: "In the real world, if you use words like that, you better believe there can be real physical and violent consequences. I learned that the hard way."
The physical suffering of others should never be mocked.
"After the Toronto incident," said Hilton, "I didn't even want to look people in the eye at the gym. The shame came from people saying I had it coming -- it was karma. Even though you may think someone is a douche, you shouldn't mock a victim of violence because that victimizes them again. I am much more compassionate now."
Unless, of course, you are one of his favorite targets. Since that epiphany, he has continued to trash Lily Allen as a "cheap ho," Prejean as a "bitch" (again), Sienna Miller as "Sluttyienna," Mischa Barton as "Mushy Fartone" and Rumer Willis as "Potato Head." Compassion is not exactly good for business.
PHOTOS: Celebrity portraits by The Times
PHOTOS: Royal visit to New Zealand and Australia
PHOTOS: 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show


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Oct. 27, 2005
The Gaucho Men enter this weekend's Big West Conference Championships with a stronghold on 2nd place over their competitors and behind #27 ranked Cal Poly SLO. UCSB will be set to go at 8am, racing over 8,000m at the UC Riverside Agricultural Operations course in Riverside, CA. Always, one of the most anticipated races of the year as they have not finished lower than 3rd since 1999, Head Coach Pete Dolan remarked that the Big West Championships are, "the most exciting time of my professional career. I sense the thrill and enjoyment that our athletes experience of the head to head competition".
Early in September the Gauchos came close to upsetting the Cal Poly Mustangs at home, but that was without top athletes Chris Ashley (Jr.) and Micah Tyhurst (So.) who will be in Saturday's lineup. However, the Mustangs have proved throughout the year that they are still the favorites for the Big West Championships with a deep squad that has earned them the #27 position in the country, although they were ranked as high as 11th in 2005.
The UCSB Men will step up to the line with a veteran squad. Mike Chavez (Jr.) led the team two weeks ago at the Pre-National Meet in Indiana and looks to improve upon his 6th place All-Conference finish in '04. He stated that Big West for him is about, "team unity and is a chance to prove ourselves. I see the team not giving up in situations where we are challenged and running the best possible race we are capable of." He finished ahead of the Mustangs in early September winning the home opener and setting a new course record of 24:29 at the UCSB Campus Lagoon.
Also aiding the Gauchos up front will be Ashley who was 4th place in 2004. One of the toughest athletes on the squad on race day, he will also be looking to break up the Poly pack. Ashley and Chavez have fed off each other the last two years leading to Chavez commenting, "We play off each other. I feel more comfortable when he is around because I know he is not going to give up, so I won't either."
Tyhurst returns to the team after taking almost a month off from racing. Plagued with nagging injuries throughout the year he may be a factor in the top-10 places at Big West. He had a standout year during the Track & Field campaign, racing to a 5th place finish in the Big West Championships 10k final and then returning the next day to finish 3rd in the final All-Conference spot at 5,000m.
In order to win the title however, the Gauchos fate will lie in their four and five spots. Junior Art Avitia, who had a fantastic race two weeks dipping under 25 minutes at Pre-Nationals has been running consistently all season and could find himself in the lead pack. Also, Seniors Scott Brandos, Alex Cardiasmenos and Scott McConville have all been stepping up in '05 and may provide the Gauchos with a race in which they could find themselves in the top 10 All-Conference spots.
Stewart Harwell (Jr.) and Mike Powers (So.) will also toe the line with the Gauchos. Both ran tough races at the Cal Poly SLO Invitational. Harwell was 7th in 26:38 over the hilly 8,000m course while Powers finished just six seconds back in 8th place.
Individually, besides the Cal Poly SLO squad, Grabow of Long Beach St. will also be an athlete who can enter the top-10. He has the top Big West 6k time in '05 racing 24:03 at the Stanford Invitational in September. Admission to the Big West Championships is free and the races begin at 8am with the Men's 8,000m race.


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Oneida Elks Club annual Strawberry Festival a tasty fundraiser
Oneida >> Strawberry lovers delighted in warm weather and succulent treats Tuesday at the Oneida Elks Lodge's annual Strawberry Festival.
Dozens of people milled about the lawn, eating strawberry sundaes and shortcake, as well as hotdogs, hamburgers and salad prepared by Elks Club members.
The Mazzullo family has been coming to the festival for years, and Elks member Michael Mazzullo was with grandkids Alexis and Anthony, who were each enjoying a strawberry sundae.
"It's like a small city gathering," said Karen Mazzullo. "You get to see different people."
Anthony said he looks forward to the event every year, and Alexis loved the strawberries.
"I love this event," said Elks member Lisa Marshall while serving strawberry drinks on the lodge's front porch. "I like seeing everyone come out and mingle. It's kind of a kick off to summer."
Brienna Tehan, 7, was volunteering her time helping Marshall with the cash box. She said she loves the ice cream and being able to help. Nickolas Smith, 14, said his favorite part was the strawberries.
They've been coming to the festival for about three years with Courtney Matteson, who was appreciative of all the Elks do.
"They do a lot," she said. Matteson said Marshall got them coming to events, and they do several activities for the Elks together.
Elks treasurer Kathy Malinowski is keeping a tradition going that her mother started about 11 years ago. The money raised at the annual event goes to support Elks Club programs for veterans and youths, as well as scholarships and combating cerebral palsy, a cause taken up by the New York State Elks.
"It's nice to see it busy again," she said. In the past the Elks had some 700 members, but she said they're now closer to 250. Even so, "they come back every year," she said, and local businesses like Hood and Tops help by donating items to the fundraiser.


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The purpose of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) at Marquette University is to review research with recombinant DNA (rDNA) being conducted at Marquette. Institutions that receive support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for rDNA research are required to establish and register an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) with the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) in compliance with the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines).
The Marquette University IBC committee is responsible for the oversight, administration, and review of all MU projects involving research with rDNA that may pose safety, health, or environmental risks. The IBC will assist and advise Principal Investigators, and other researchers in meeting their responsibilities to ensure that the biological aspects of the research are conducted in a safe manner using Marquette University established biosafety standards and principles. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety and Office of Research Compliance also are included to make sure that safe research includes worker safety, public health, environmental protection, ethics, and compliance with applicable biosafety and university standards


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Moroccan Myrrh
Shave Cream
The best shaves start with a proper shave cream. Our Moroccan Myrrh Shave Cream fits the bill. Luxurious vitamin E-enriched lather will leave the skin smooth and subtly infused with the exotic scent of myrrh and lively notes of bergamot, cardamom and warm amber.
- Protects against razor burn
- Moisture-rich for skin conditioning
Product Actions
The story of
Moroccan Myrrh
From the lush tropical region of Africa comes the most distinguished and oldest of aromatics known as myrrh. Rich in ancient lore and once valued like gold, these gathered 'tears' of tree resin were believed to have powerful mystical and medicinal qualities, and is the inspiration for our Moroccan Myrrh collection. To capture the rich, exotic past we blended the finest myrrh with verdant notes of bergamot, spicy cardamom, black pepper and smoky amber accords for a signature as mysterious as its origins.


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NGC 7252: Spiral Disk and Globular Star Clusters at the Core of a Colliding Galaxy
A NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of the core of the peculiar galaxy NGC 7252 reveals a striking "mini-spiral" disk of gas and stars, and about 40 exceptionally bright and young globular star clusters.
The visible light image was taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC) in PC mode, on October 10, 1992. The false-color image has been subject to computer image reconstruction. The strong spiral structure is 10,000 light-years across (7 arc seconds); the entire picture is 46,000 light-years across. Hubble's resolution is so good the astronomers can measure the diameters of the clusters (0.04 arc seconds, the apparent size of a dime at a distance of 60 miles). They turn out to be about 60 light-years in diameter, the same size as globular clusters that orbit our Milky Way galaxy.
The globular star clusters are concentrated near the galaxy's core. Estimated to be mostly between 50 and 500 million years old, they were apparently born following the collision of two disk-shaped galaxies about a billion years ago.
The pinwheel-shaped disk of gas and young stars has an uncanny resemblance to a face-on spiral galaxy. Yet the disk is only 1/20 the diameter of the total galaxy. The disk was probably fueled by the collision.
The globular clusters found in NGC 7252 are considered the progenitors of similar clusters that orbit our own Milky Way galaxy.
This discovery provides some of the best evidence to date for solving more than half a century of theory and conjecture about how giant elliptical galaxies form.
Credit: : B. Whitmore (STScI), and NASA
Co-investigators: : Francois Schweizer of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C., and Claus Leitherer, Kirk Borne, and Carmelle Robert of STScI.


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AN/PSC-5D Multi-Band/Multi-Mission Communication Terminal
The AN/PSC-5D provides lightweight, secure, network-capable, multi-band/multi-mission, anti-jam, voice/ imagery/ data communications capability in a single package.
- NSA & JITC certified
- SATCOM, including DAMA
- Enhanced MELP vocoder and improved LPC
- Anti-jam communications: Have Quick I/II and SINCGARS
- SINCGARS relay mode
- Embedded Tactical Internet protocols
- High data rate communications in LOS and SATCOM for imagery file transfer
- Embedded COMSEC
- Net Control Device functions (OTAR/OTAT) embedded or externally supported
- Embedded Advanced Data Controller (ADC)
- DS-101 advanced fill device supported
- 142 preset channels
- Software programmable
- Available on GSA 30 to 512MHz operation
- Advanced encryption management for 250 keys
- SINCGARS SIP and ESIP
Raytheon has released the new DAMA IW Software for the RT-1672C (PSC-5C) and RT-1672D (PSC-5D). For information on how to obtain the software upgrade, contact our Helpdesk at 1-800-545-2340 (OCONUS 260-429-4998), or E-mail email@example.com.
The AN/PSC-5D supports the Department of Defense requirements for a lightweight, reliable, multi-band/multi-mission terminal supporting critical tactical communications. The AN/PSC-5D, like the AN/PSC 5 before, is a military standard based product by design and verified through military testing that ensures interoperability and human factors operations across the spectrum of the tactical environment. The AN/PSC-5D operates in the VHF and UHF frequency spectrum and supports LOS (Line-of-Sight) with frequency agile modes, SATCOM (Satellite Communications), DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access), and Maritime operation. Voice and data operation is available in each of these modes.
Communications security is achieved via an updated embedded encryption engine. Communications integrity is maintained with SINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System) and Have Quick I and II frequency agile operation modes. DAMA protocols extend the satellite communications capabilities and a Maritime mode enables Ship-to-Shore communications. Networking is achieved with an embedded Internet Protocol (IP) stack and menu configurable network parameters.
Voice communications is significantly enhanced with the incorporation of the Mixed Excitation Linear Predictive (MELP) vocoder. This mode improves communications capabilities in noisy environments over narrowband channels. Additional MELP improvements have been incorporated and extended to ANDVT operation.
Data communications benefits an internal data controller. The internal data controller is menu configurable and may be disabled should an external data controller be utilized. Data rates up to 56, 64, and 76.8kbps can be achieved dependent upon channel and operational mode. The networking parameters facilitate tactical internet and range extension (TI-RE) capabilities supporting situational awareness (FBCB2) data via satellite.
This product meets the definition of Commercial Item as defined by FAR 2.101.
ITAR Statement
Fire Series Radios are included on the U.S. Munitions List as defined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR 120. As such, direct download of technical data referred to at this website is not authorized. Please contact a Raytheon Fires Series Radios staff member to request a copy of any document listed at this website. The requested document(s) will be sent via encrypted e-mail upon receipt and confirmation of a valid .mil e-mail address (size permitting). If e-mail transmission is not feasible, the requested document(s) will be provided on Compact Disc and will be sent only to a valid U.S. Military installation or U.S. Government contractor.


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Submitted by rc-admin on
The recent changing of the guard, as it were, at the Keats-Shelley Journal--with Peter Manning now serving as the new Editor and Jeanne Moskal taking over as the new Book Review Editor--offers an occasion for the Keats-Shelley Association of America to invite you to become a member and subscribe to the Journal. The Association supports a range of activities related to Romanticism, including conferences and awards, and members receive notices of special events and opportunities. Students are given a special low rate with a verifying letter from an instructor. Advanced categories of support are also available for established scholars and others who wish to contribute to the association. The full list of membership categories and their dollar amounts is available at the Association's Website:
or contact:
Robert A. Hartley,
Secretary, KSAA
Room 226, The New York Public Library
Fifth Avenue at 42 Street
New York, NY 10018-2788
In addition, Jeanne Moskal is looking for potential reviewers. If you are interested in reviewing for the KSJ, please send a summary of your c.v. and your reviewing interests to her at email@example.com.


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Put a price tag on your business: A guide to business valuation
If you want to sell all or part of your business, you need to have an idea of its value. This information will help you understand the different approaches to business valuation, but you may want to seek professional guidance and advice. Prospective investors will also assess its value when they consider your proposal.
The process of determining the value is called valuation. You and the buyer or investor need to determine what you feel is an appropriate business valuation because it will be the basis for negotiating:
- How much of your business the investor or buyer will purchase
- How much the buyer or investor will pay (the price of the business or of its shares)
- The return the buyer or investor can expect to earn
Ways of valuing a business
Valuation is not an exact science, and there are different ways of valuing a business. Each of these methods is based on different assumptions and financial information, which typically results in a different value for each method. For instance, you could base a valuation on the assets of a business (how much it owns) or by taking into account projected revenues or cash flows. Investors generally prefer methods based on cash flows. It's important to know about a variety of methods because they can be useful as benchmarks to check the validity of the value and the price you determine.
Earnings and cash flow-based methods:
- Discounted cash flow
- Going-concern value
Asset-based methods:
- Book value
- Liquidation value
Discounted cash flow
From the investor's perspective, this is usually the most accurate and effective way to estimate a business' value because it is based on future cash flows. These cash flow figures reflect the amount of money that is estimated to come into the business and will ultimately determine the investor's return on investment. The discounted cash flow method is used to answer three critical questions:
- Value: How much is your business worth today, based on what it will earn in the future?
- Rate of return: What is the buyer's or investor's expected rate of return, given the amount invested and your business' financial projections?
- Equity share: How much equity will the buyer or investor receive for their investment?
The discounted-cash-flow method is often preferred because it can be more accurate than other methods. Its accuracy and complexity are due to the fact that it:
- Uses cash flows: It takes into account the projected ups and downs of revenue over a period of time.
- Discounts the cash flows: It adjusts the cash flows by a rate that is acceptable to the investor to account for risk and the time the investor must wait for a return.
How it works
In this method, cash flow predictions are discounted, or reduced, to adjust for the risk the investor faces and to make up for the fact that the investor could invest their money in something else.
Investors are looking to be compensated for their risk, and their benchmark rate — or "discount rate" — will adjust for the value of money over time. They will choose a discount rate and compare your proposal against that rate.
Advantages and disadvantages
The discounted cash flow method allows values to be estimated even when your cash flow is fluctuating. A start-up or new venture may expect to lose money in the first years and then make money in later years. These changes in cash flow are taken into account by the discounted cash flow method.
If you use this method, keep in mind that:
- Its accuracy depends on the accuracy of your cash flow projections. That is why your financial data and assumptions are critical.
- It is a complex process, so you may require professional guidance.
- It can give you detailed estimates, but it is important to remember that business valuation is not an exact science — your numbers will be based on assumptions and predictions of future performance.
Value: How much is your business worth today?
Let's say financiers are considering an investment in your business, but plan to take their money out in five years. To them, your business is worth today what it can earn during those five years, plus their share of the value of the business at the end of the five years. However, future cash flow numbers and the future value of the business are unknown. The discounted cash flow method applies adjustments or "discounts" to account for those unknowns.
Using this method, the value is the total of the cash flows, adjusted or discounted, plus the value remaining (or residual value), also discounted.
Rate of return: What rate of return will the investor expect?
Investors want to calculate their rate of return. To do that they must compare the amount of the investment to the amount they will earn at the end of the investment period. But how can they know what they will earn in the future? Again, they must use the discounted cash flow projections to estimate the future value of their investment. To do so, they will need to:
- Estimate the cash flow in the final year
- Estimate the value of the business based on the cash flow
- Calculate the final value of their share in the business
- Determine their rate of return
Value, return and exit strategy
The method used to calculate values and rates of return depends on the specific exit strategy used. Commonly-used methods include going-concern value, book value, and liquidation value.
Going-concern value
The going-concern value method calculates your business' value based on its capacity to produce a stream of cash flow in the future. The greater the cash flow your business generates in the future, the higher your business' value today.
How it works
The going concern value, like discounted cash flow, compares the current investment to the future receipts (cash inflows). This method uses the revenues of previous years to project future revenues, and it assumes those revenues will not change.
Book Value
This value is the net worth, or shareholders' equity, of your business as shown in its financial statements. At its most simplified, subtracting your liabilities from your assets will give you your business' net worth or book value. Book value can be described as the historical value of an asset that, at a given time (the day it was purchased), represented the economic or market value of the asset, less its accumulated depreciation.
How it works
To determine the book value, subtract your liabilities from the value of your assets. The difference gives you your net worth or shareholders' equity. In practice, book value is seldom used in the process of securing venture capital, although it can be a realistic approach to measuring a small business' net worth.
Liquidation value
A liquidation value is assigned to a business being sold in order to satisfy its creditors. Tangible assets, such as land, usually have a liquidation value close to their market value. Inventories and accounts receivable, on the other hand, are usually valued at less than what is shown in the books.
How it works
To determine the liquidation value, all assets are assigned distressed values, and all debts are totalled at book value. Most assets sold under duress are discounted from their fair market value. The difference between the distressed value of the assets and the actual or book value of the liabilities is referred to as the liquidation value.
The liquidation value doesn't reflect the real worth of an asset or a business; in most cases, it is substantially less than the market and book values. This method is typically used only if a business is in serious financial trouble.
Should I seek a financial advisor for help with valuation?
Business valuation is a complex task, and a financial advisor with experience in business valuation can be an invaluable asset.
A professional valuator can:
- Provide the experience needed to accurately determine the value of your business
- Offer an objective view of your business' worth
- Give investors more confidence in the credibility of your valuation
There is a saying in the venture capital industry: "The value of a business is only what someone is willing to pay for it." In other words, the market, and your ability to attract investors and negotiate with them will determine the value or selling price.
Remember that many factors affect the value of your business. Seeking professional assistance can help you calculate an accurate value for your business.
- Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators
Enlist the help of an expert who can quantify the worth of your business, its securities, or its intangible assets, in whole or in part.
- What's your business worth?
Learn how to determine the value of your business and find ways to increase it.
- How to evaluate a proposed business acquisition
What is a fair price to pay for a business? Read this article to learn how to estimate the value of a business.
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