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(i've only sent this to the group, to avoid multiple copies.) this is only a partial response to mark and richard, whom i thank for their comments: i'll digest them and respond in due course. one thing bothering me is the meaning of system compliance. i was assuming a definition along the lines of "System X will accept input containing SSML, and will do something sensible and predictable with it", which would serve the goal of consistent cross-platform output. what mark and richard seem to be saying (Mark: "it seems highly likely that high-level elements like 'break' will result in highly variable output across different synthesizers, and that will seen be as normal and perfectly compliant behavior. " Richard: "in the current situation what you have is a system that will not necessarily be able to implement what you want to hear.") is that compliance will be defined as "System X will accept intput containing SSML, but there are no guarantees as to what it wil do with it" - this would make many HTML parsers SSML-compliant immediately. i realise that complete consistency of implementation cannot be guaranteed across different synthesisers. are there any plans to ensure that compliant systems actually respond appropriately to SSML tags, or will they be free to do nothing with the tags as long as their parser doesn't complain? alex. > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Sproat [SMTP:firstname.lastname@example.com] > Sent: 20 January 2001 17:25 > To: email@example.com > Cc: email@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com > Subject: Comments on Mark Walker's comments > > > While I agree with much of Mark's response to COST 258's, Alex's and > my previous comments, a couple of points seem in need of further > clarification. > > With respect to the following two points: > > ****This is a significant issue and one that I was completely unaware of > until you raised it. Obviously, the early days of the SSML requirements > phase were dominated (apparently) by firms possessing synthesizers > modeling > intonation with the former approach. I would welcome any proposal that > expanded the ability of the low-level elements to specify intonation in > a > less theory-biased manner. > > ****In answering Richard Sproat's specific concern about long-unit > synthesizers, I will propose that the decision by any synthesis engine > provider to support the SSML specification is probably ultimately driven > by > economics, not technology. Long-unit synthesizers like AT&T NextGen for > example, are very large and are deployed in tightly confined application > environments like voice portal providers. The synthesis text authors > are > likely to be employed by the portal itself. The text is authored > specifically for the portal engine, and the authors are likely to be > very > familiar with the performance of the system. Finally, the enormous size > of > the concatenative database means that much of the ability to produce > very > specific and expressive speech sequences already resides in the system. > The > economic benefits of implementing SSML are therefore probably minimal > for > engine providers of this type. > > The points are actually closely related. > > Let's start with the second point, and let's grant for the sake of > argument that Mark is right when he says that "the ability to produce > very specific and expressive speech sequences already resides" in > large unit synthesizers. > > So let's say that you want to synthesize a particular utterance with a > particular prosody. Will the particular desired prosody be the one > that comes out of the system? Chances are it will not. So what are you > supposed to do about that. Obviously one thing you could do is simply > accept the output of the system, assuming (again for the sake of > argument) that it sounds "natural" and "expressive". But if you really > don't want it said that way, then you have a problem. Presumably, in > that case, you still want a markup scheme to be able to control the > output. > > Large database methods provide a couple of possibilities here: > > 1) With luck the alternative you want may be in the database already, > and you just have to squeeze it out somehow, presumably with the > use of markup. > > 2) The system may allow runtime modification of the output in which > case the same kinds of controls that are already present in more > traditional approaches to synthesis will be available. > > At the present state, developers of large concatenative unit systems > seem to be putting their faith in (1), which will be perhaps > reasonable for restricted domains, not reasonable for unrestricted > domains (e.g. independently authored material). Option (2) is > deprecated largely because once you start fiddling too much with the > prosody, things tend to degrade: the AT&T NextGen system, with > *complete* control of prosody using the old AT&T > (Liberman-Pierrehumbert) intonation model sounds only marginally > better than the earlier AT&T system it supplanted. (I know this > because I have heard it.) That's of course a worst-case scenario, but > other attempts to impose a synthetic contour may lead to output which > is to some degree degraded. No doubt this situation will change as > people figure out ways to improve prosody modification, but in the > current situation what you have is a system that will not necessarily > be able to implement what you want to hear. > > Once again, the system's rendition may well be perfectly natural (or > not), but it may equally well not be what you want. > > I don't understand Mark's claim about systems such as AT&T NextGen > being deployed in "tightly constrained" environments such as voice > portals. Even now the system is being used to read e-mail for AOL and > Yahoo. E-mail can hardly be called a tightly constrained environment > (and this fact shows in the renditions you get). I see no reason why > systems such as NextGen should not be offered in services where one > wants to produce custom output for text of the user's -- not the voice > portal provider's -- choice. And in such situations, developers who > don't work for the voice portal will want access to sensible markup > possibilities, just as random individuals currently have access to > HTML for customizing their own web pages. > > Turning now to the first point, while it is technically accurate that > the early design was proposed by people whose bent was strongly > towards the Pierrehumbert camp, I don't think this changes the point > that you want to have controls of certain aspects of intonation > independently of the theory you adopt. While terms like "topline" or > "baseline" may have no meaning in some approaches, one would still > like some way of implementing the idea that a particular passage of > text should be rendered within a certain pitch range. Presumably most > theories of intonation can accommodate such notions, and given that, > it seems to me that it is largely a matter of implementational detail > whether or not they actually have primitives such as "topline" or > "baseline" in the system. The reason this first point is related to > the second is that if some implemented models of intonation do *not* > allow this kind of modification, then this again becomes an issue of > whether or not a markup scheme such as SSML should accommodate such > models, by effectively weakening what one has control over. > > I would also welcome a concrete proposal to deal with tone > languages. > > Tone specifications are part of phonetic transcriptions: there are > standards for transcribing tone as part of the phonetic transcription > for any language for which this is relevant. The issue here, as Alex > points out, is how to specify only the tone, without having to specify > the rest of the phonetic details. One way to do this would be to allow > a modifier attribute for a phonetic transcription that says that the > transcription is only a tone transcription. So, to specify a 1-2 tone > sequence for a Mandarin disyllabic word, one might have something > like: > > <phoneme ph="1-2" type="tone"> > > > In languages with well-developed morphology, such as Finnish or Spanish, > the > pronunciation of numbers and abbreviations depends not only on whether > they > are ordinal > or cardinal but also on their gender, case and even semantic properties. > These are often > not explicit, or even predictable, from the text. It would be advisable > to > extend the > <sayas> tag to include an optional "morph" value to hold such > information. > > > ****I am open to proposals in this area, but there would need to be > substantially more data on it's potential usefulness. I agree with > Richard > Sproat that successful utilization of such a tag might require > linguistic > expertise that would not likely be possessed by portal and web text > authors > who I believe constitute the majority of potential users of this > specification. I would also wonder why markup would be required to > resolve > ambiguity in the specification a property that would likely be already > embodied as a part of the default knowledge base of a Finnish, Spanish, > etc > synthesizer. > > I think the only way to do this and have it be usable by > non-specialists is going to be to allow users to spell out the way > they want to say a particular, e.g., number if the system doesn't get > it right. This is invariably going to happen: a system for Finnish or > Spanish certainly would have this kind of info as part of the > knowledge base, but it is going to make mistakes, and users need to > have some way of correcting those mistakes. > > -- > > Richard Sproat Human/Computer Interaction Research > firstname.lastname@example.com AT&T Labs -- Research, Shannon Laboratory > Tel: +1-973-360-8490 180 Park Avenue, Room B207, P.O.Box 971 > Fax: +1-973-360-8809 Florham Park, NJ 07932-0000 > ----------------http://www.research.att.com/~rws/----------------------- > >Received on Monday, 22 January 2001 05:23:18 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:07:34 UTC


text:
Dear Homebody,
You and hubby are so good at getting away that I figured you would have a good tip on a romantic, chill, place where the two of us can go, sans baby, for one or maybe two nights while we are in Los Angeles. Any ideas?
[Pasadena-bred gal, now a resident of Zimbabwe on diplomatic business, so a bit out of practice with the local stuff (But Zimbabwe! How cool is that?!)]
Dear Pasadena Bred,
Oh my gosh, yay. Romance and vacations are two of my favorite things. I totally got this one. Here are three (of so very many wonderful) ideas for weekend trips within driving distance of Los Angeles:

subset: commoncrawl


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Ingredient spurs firm to recall two sports supplements
Sports supplement company Physique Enhancing Science (PES) is recalling certain lots of Alphamine and Enhanced because they contain aegeline, an ingredient flagged by the FDA.
Another sports supplement company is recalling products containing an ingredient flagged by federal regulators as lacking evidence of safety.
Physique Enhancing Science, also called PES, this week launched a recall of certain lots of Enhanced, a pre-workout supplement, and Alphamine, which is sold as a fat burner.
Both products contain aegeline, an ingredient flagged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during its investigation of an outbreak of dozens of liver injuries linked to a weight-loss supplement made by a different company: USPlabs' OxyElite Pro. Health officials have said it's not clear whether aegeline or something else in OxyElite Pro is the culprit. USPlabs launched a product recallthis month.
PES officials have not responded to USA TODAY's repeated requests for interviews since Nov. 14 about the company's use of aegeline in its products. PES' website last week said Enhanced was "currently under reformulation" with a new formula expected in January. After the newspaper's calls, the Enhanced webpage was changed to say: "This product has been discontinued."
In the recall notice posted on the PES website, the company said it's requesting customers return certain lots of Enhanced distributed between Feb. 4 and Nov. 5, and certain lots of Alphamine distributed between Sept. 9 and Nov. 12. Details are on the company's website: pescience.com/recall.
"PES has received no serious adverse events from either of these products, but out of an abundance of caution we are requesting their return," the notice says.
The company says the recall is happening because the products contain aegeline, "an unapproved New Dietary Ingredient according to the FDA."
It is unclear whether the FDA played a role in the PES recall, given no notice of it has appeared on the agency's website. FDA officials were not immediately available for comment.
The PES recall notice is dated Tuesday but wasn't posted on the firm's website until sometime late Wednesday.
The products are sold through a variety of online retailers.
"GNC has received and issued the recall of the Alphamine and Enhanced products per the vendor's instructions. Any further questions concerning these products or their recall should be addressed to the vendor," GNC spokeswoman Laura Brophy said in an e-mail after USA TODAY inquired about the recall Wednesday morning.
The FDA sent a warning letter last month to USPlabs notifying the Dallas-based company that it deemed OxyElite Pro and another supplement, VERSA-1, to be adulterated because they included aegeline as an ingredient. The FDA said it considers aegeline, a compound found in an Asian tree, to be a new dietary ingredient that lacks a history of use or other evidence of safety in the United States prior to 1994, a key regulatory date.
USPlabs has said that aegeline has been consumed safely for centuries. Still, the company told the FDA in a Nov. 4 letter that it was discontinuing use of the ingredient in the United States because of the negative publicity and that it had destroyed its distribution center inventory of supplements containing it.
To report adverse events involving dietary supplements, call the FDA at: 800-332-1088.
To read more articles in USA TODAY's "Supplement Shell Game" series, go to supplements.usatoday.com.
Follow USA TODAY investigative reporter Alison Young on Twitter: @alisonannyoung


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Your browser does not support iframes.
The temperatures may be rising into the nineties this week but Joan Brown, known to many locals as the Road Kill Chef, isn't slowing down in her garden.
"Sometimes I have to tell myself, Joan slow down you can't work like you used to," she said with a smile.
But those years of hard work are being recognized.
Powdery mildew is probably the most common garden fungus around. It is not too terribly picky about where it spreads, it likes humid weather, thrives in the heat of the summer and is hard to control once it has started.
The trick here is to prevent it from happening by proper plant selection, spacing, pruning and treatment before it spreads.
Several different fungi cause powdery mildew. I won't bore you with their names because they all act the same way.
It seems that we have been spoiled: a decade of mostly mild winters has led us to believe that all those border line hardy plants would never get knocked back by a cold winter.
Well, I have seen quite a few crape myrtles, figs and French hydrangeas that are struggling to come back on old wood. Fear not, however, because these plants are root hardy and will sprout new growth from the roots.
Birdwatchers, gardeners and backyard enthusiasts are busy filling their red plastic feeders with sugar water as summer approaches in hopes of attracting a large selection of the swift, speedy, allusive hummingbird.
The species include the smallest bird in the world – the bee hummingbird – and they can fly up to 30 miles per hour. When diving, their wings can flap 200 times per second, and they can travel at over 60 miles per hour.
Hummingbirds hover, fly sideways, backwards and have even been known to go upside-down.
While the youth rabbit show kicked of the Shelby County Fair on Monday, the bulk of the 4-H, youth and open animal shows begin today.
Many of the animal shows will require a good deal of preparation, but Walt Reichert, the horticulture technician at the Shelby County Cooperative Extension Office and avid chicken and rabbit shower, says there isn't as much preparation required in the small stock shows as there might be with the larger animals.
The Shelbyville City Council approved on first reading Thursday a text amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow distilleries on property zoned Agriculture but not without a lengthy discussion.
The second reading of the ordinance will be at the council's next meeting on June 26. The June 19 meeting has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
The proposed changes were originally set to allow distilleries in areas zoned Limited Interchange (X-1), Commercial (C-4), and Agricultural (A) as long as the property had a minimum of five acres.
With hemp seeds just getting into the ground, farmers around the state, including in Shelby, still have a lot of questions about the possibility of growing industrial hemp.
Sen. Paul Hornback (R-Shelbyville), chair of the Agriculture Committee, said he's had some feedback from farmers who say they aren't quite sure what would be involved.
"We will have some meetings about it later on," he said.
Shelby County Farmer Ray Tucker said he had done some research online about growing industrial hemp and he has some concerns.
For the first time in more than 20 years, a Shelby County woman has been inducted in the Kentucky Master Farm Homemakers Guild.
"It's a big deal. It's very exciting," said Shelia Fawbush from the Shelby County Cooperative Extension office and a member of the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association.
Hawkins, a farm homemaker, farmer's market vendor and vice president and loan manager at Citizens Union Bank, was recognized and honored as the newest member to the guild at the state MFHG meeting last month in Bowling Green.
Every year about this time I write about carpenter bees.
We live in a wood house and they love us. And this year they have really pushed the limit of reasonable bee behavior.
I absolutely do not approve of killing bees, but I will have to make an exception this year. Most bees are welcome around the farm especially since the nation's bee population is in a bit of a crisis with the suspected cause being the use of pesticides, notably neonicotinoids.
Comer cheers launch
of UK hemp pilot program
LEXINGTON, Ky. —The University of Kentucky launched its industrial hemp pilot program Tuesday when hemp seeds were planted at Spindletop Farm, marking another milestone in the drive to restore industrial hemp production to the commonwealth.
Copyright © 2019
The Sentinel-News is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Shelby County and Shelbyville, KY, and the surrounding area.


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Apps Integration White Papers
How to Buy a Phone System
Considering a new phone system for your business? The Phone System Buyer's Guide from VoIP-News provides you with all of the information you need to make a more informed decision. The Guide helps you understand:
- What features every business should look for from a modern phone system;
- How these phone systems are helping businesses improve productivity; and
- Whether, as some vendors claim, it's possible to reduce your phone bill by up to 60%.
Oracle Magazine
Oracle Magazine contains technology strategy articles, sample code, tips, Oracle and partner news, how to articles for developers and DBAs, and more. Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit their Web site at http://www.oracle.com. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners....Read More
Sales Force Automation Comparison Guide
Businesses of all sizes can benefit by automating all aspects of their sales processes with an SFA (Sales Force Automation) solution. But due to the sheer number of features that most SFA solutions contain, researching your options can be a time-consuming task. We've done a lot of the work for you by comparing the features and costs of 15 top SFA solutions from vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, Sage Software and Entellium. Whether you work for a small business, a medium-sized enterprise or a huge corporation, there's a solution that will fit the bill....Read More
Which CMS Is Right For Me?
If you're wondering which CMS is the right one for your organization, this comprehensive guide will take you through the various options available, detailing the pros and cons of each. Download "Which CMS is Right For Me?" and learn:
- The importance of knowing your requirements
- What to look for in a CMS solution
- Head-to-head evaluation of custom, open source, installed and SaaS solutions


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Officials say an icicle broke off and hit a power line, causing an explosion under a bridge over railroad tracks in North Philadelphia.
Chief Inspector Joseph Sullivan of the city police homeland security department called it a "thermic reaction." Sullivan says there was no evidence of the presence of explosives.
The explosion left a 2-foot deep crater.
Officials say two people were hurt when debris hit their car when they were driving by.
The tracks are along the Northeast Corridor system connecting cities from Washington D.C. to Boston. Officials are checking the bridge for possible damage.


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Alcohol and Drug Use
e-CHUG: Electronic Check-UP to GO
This is an interactive web survey that allows college and university students to enter information about their drinking patterns and receive feedback about their use of alcohol. The assessment takes about 6-8 minutes to complete, is self-guided, and requires no face-to-face contact time with a counselor or administrator.
If you are interested in seeing how your alcohol and drug use may affect you.


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It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
Would you like to experience the Orient? Book flights to Tehran and stroll through the ancient streets of the bazar or admire Persian crown jewels in the National Jewelry Treasury. There is plenty more to explore outside of the city. Travel to the salt plains of Garmeh or sleep under the stars in the desert. A visit to Iran takes you to the world of the Arabian Nights.
Read more
Read less


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Job Information
Deloitte Summer Assoc (Cons.) - Strategy & Operations, MHA, Consulting - Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Strategy & Operations
Join our Strategy & Operations (S&O) team this summer to enhance your education and accelerate your career. As a Summer Associate, you ll work side by side with innovative and strategic thought leaders and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving world of business. You ll get the training to be confident and prepared to help tackle some of our clients most complex business issues. When you become a member of our team not only will you experience our supportive work culture, but you ll also receive first-hand insights into the day-to-day challenges and opportunities faced by our consultants.
Work You ll Do
As a Summer Associate, you ll work with diverse global clients across a wide range of industries.You will have a variety of client-facing responsibilities such as analyzing issues, interviewing staff, formulating and making recommendations, and helping clients implement proposed solutions. During your time with us, you ll sharpen your consulting and networking skills by taking part in social outings, office-wide team meetings, and community service events.
Supply Chain Networks
Summer Associateswill work with teams on activities such as the following:
Assist in creating policies, practices, and procedures to improve and enhance complex global supply chains in a wide variety of industries.
Help create and implement strategic objectives for clients operations departments and develop ways to measure operational performance.
Architect enterprise, customer and operating model strategies
Advise clients on how to grow their business and achieve target cost structures
Help clients innovate and transform their current business models and customer experiences, to create sustaining competitive advantage, that leverage emerging digital and cognitive technologies
Transform the heart of the business and advises clients on standardized procedures and tools for global operations.
An MBA or MS in Logistics, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain
Strong academic track record (minimum GPA of 3.5)
2 years of relevant work experience; preferably in a large company
Experience in one or more of the following areas:Supply Chain Strategy/Planning, Sourcing & Procurement, Product Development, Logistics & Distribution, or Lean Operations
Experience prioritizing tasks and managing assignments in a collaborative team environment
Technical proficiency in MS Excel and MS Access
Ability to travel 80-100%
Finance & Enterprise Performance
Summer Associateswill work with teams on activities such as the following:
Advise CFOs, CIOs, and COOs on how to enhance their organizations, systems and processes
Define our clients organizational, financial, innovation, and growth strategies
Tackle our clients most pressing issues within talent, cost, performance, technology and real estate management
Enhance client s business performance, productivity, and long-term profitability by designing and implementing our clients roadmap to the future.
Lead our clients exploration and application of emerging digital technologies, such as Blockchain or Machine Learning
An MBA, MS in Finance or related degree
2 years work experience in consulting for corporate finance and/or a relevant industry
A solid understanding of finance organizations and/or processes
Proficiency in MS Excel, MS Access, MS Visio and other presentation/analysis tools
Ability to travel 80-100%
How you ll grow
During this exciting and challenging learning experience, you ll gain first-hand insights into technical skills, critical professional behaviors, standards, and mindsets to help you expand on your previous experience, knowledge and skills. You ll work with a wide variety of talented strategic leaders and learn how to develop, implement, and measure innovative strategies, tackle real-world business issues head-on, and experience what it s like to be a part of our work culture.
Deloitte s culture
Our positive and supportive culture encourages our people to do their best work every day. We celebrate individuals by recognizing their uniqueness and offering them the flexibility to make daily choices that can help them to be healthy, centered, confident, and aware. We offer well-being programs and are continuously looking for new ways to maintain a culture where our people excel and lead healthy, happy lives. Learn more about Life at Deloitte.
Corporate citizenship
Deloitte is led by a purpose: to make an impact that matters. This purpose defines who we are and extends to relationships with our clients, our people and our communities. We believe that business has the power to inspire and transform. We focus on education, giving, skill-based volunteerism, and leadership to help drive positive social impact in our communities. Learn more about Deloitte s impact on the world. at http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/deloitte-corporate-citizenship.html
Recruiter tips
We want job seekers exploring opportunities at Deloitte to feel prepared and confident. To help you with your interview, we suggest that you do your research: know some background about the organization and the business area you re applying to. We also suggest that you brush up on your behavioral and case interviewing skills and practice discussing your experience and job history with a family member, friend, or mentor. Check out recruiting tips from Deloitte professionals. at http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/careers/topics/recruiting-tips.html
Category: Management Consulting
About Deloitte
As used in this document, Deloitte means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable law.


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While net migration is forecast to fall to 140,000 next year, from around 180,000 at the end of last March, it is likely to rise again in 2014, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said.
The decline in net migration will be driven by lower numbers of international students from outside the EU, but this is likely to be short-lived, the IPPR said.
A crackdown on foreign students will see UK Border Agency officials conduct interviews with student-visa applicants from "high-risk" countries, while a new inspection regime to ensure colleges are genuine has already led to 150 closures.
International students are included within the Government's target to get annual net non-EU immigration below 100,000 and it has faced criticism for damaging business and universities by making it harder for non-EU nationals to come to the UK to learn.
IPPR associate director Sarah Mulley said: "Although net migration will fall next year, the Government is fast running out of options for further restricting non-EU immigration in any significant way.
"This may leave future progress against the net migration target dependent on patterns of EU migration and emigration, both of which are unpredictable and largely outside Government control. The net migration target is leading to bad policy decisions. It is keeping out migrants who make a significant economic contribution and are not the focus of public concerns."
The IPPR said the next two years will show the "limits" of Government action on net migration as it runs out of ways to significantly reduce numbers further. It wants the focus to shift away from migration to integration, the impacts of migration on housing, work, and public services and better cooperation at European and international levels.
The think tank warned that final figures for 2014, when it expects net migration to rise again, will not be available until after the 2015 general election. In 2013, it expects further significant falls in non-EU student immigration and steady declines in non-EU immigration for work and family reasons.
It also expects a modest increase in immigration from the EU and a small increase in asylum claims. Higher net emigration by UK nationals is also predicted.


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GOP confident of Senate takeover
At, an annual gathering of Republican bigwigs in Florida a year ago, a top GOP strategist was chided after he gave a presentation about how his party would win the Senate in 2014, including a handout that blared "MAJORITY" in red.
"Stop saying majority," donors, consultants and even some senators told National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Collins, he recalled in an interview. "Just say you're going to be able to pick up a few seats."
Story Continued Below
Fast forward to early this month, when the annual event took place again at the same posh Palm Beach resort. Far from preaching caution, many of the 400 donors in attendance openly mused about what a Republican Senate would bring, and Collins was the one trying to keep expectations in check.
( PHOTOS: Senators up for election in 2014)
After 15 months in the doldrums, Republicans feel like they're finally getting their mojo back.
Emboldened by the president's weak poll numbers, the botched Obamacare rollout and a still-sputtering economy, GOP donors and operatives are increasingly bullish about their prospects in the midterm election — most of all capturing the Senate. Seats that a year ago looked like sure bets for Democrats now have the makings of real races — in states such as Michigan, Virginia, and, if former Republican Sen. Scott Brown runs, New Hampshire.
Worries last fall that the party would pay a heavy price at the ballot box for forcing the government to shut down have faded as quickly as attention has shifted to frustration with the health care law.
No one is saying that the party has solved its underlying problems — deep distrust between the establishment and tea party wings, and the disconnect with young and minority voters that was on display in 2012. And Republicans were similarly optimistic in 2010 and 2012 about retaking the Senate until poor candidates blew winnable races.
( PHOTOS: Governors' offices up for grabs in 2014)
But there's a palpable sense of optimism that 2014 will be the GOP's year.
"People like to hang out with winners, and it feels right now as though Republicans — unlike the early part of last year — have found their sea legs and have a bit of wind at their back," said New York investment banker and major GOP donor Jeffrey Berenson.
After getting outraised by $16 million last year, the NRSC announced recently that it collected just slightly more money than its Democratic counterpart in December. Leaders of the major conservative outside groups say that skittish donors have started to open their checkbooks with the new year after a lackluster fundraising haul in 2013.
And in a huge boon for the Republican effort, Americans for Prosperity, the group funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, has spent tens of millions of dollars already targeting vulnerable Democratic incumbents on Obamacare. That's an unusually high level of engagement so long before Election Day.
( PHOTOS: Republican 2016 contenders)
Even with the improved environment this year, the party's chances are still roughly 50-50, according to several election handicappers. And there is concern that contentious primaries — in states such as Georgia, Iowa, Alaska and North Carolina — will again yield nominees who can't win a general election.
"While the mood has changed, we still have significant work to bring that about," said NRSC Chairman Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas.
"We could still blow it and end up hurting ourselves in some way," added Collins. "But after last year — a rough fundraising environment, the shutdown and disagreements on the right — now people from all sides are starting to come around. … We've just got to go out and earn it."
Democrats say Republican candidates haven't put up the kind of eye-popping fundraising numbers that back up the rhetoric about a party on the march. They also caution that the election landscape is too unsettled to forecast big GOP gains; it remains to be seen whether Republican candidates in key battlegrounds such as Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina have what it takes to unseat incumbents.
( PHOTOS: Who's leaving Congress?)
"This is exactly what they said two years ago, and once again Republican mentality and reality are two very different things," said Matt Canter, deputy executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "The additional problem for Republicans this time is that voters understand that a Senate bought and paid for by the Koch brothers is not one that is good for their family."
It's hard to overstate how burned major GOP donors felt after Mitt Romney's defeat and the party's loss of Senate seats in 2012.
The poor morale continued through last year, hitting bottom during the two-week government shutdown in October. Donors were aghast at how party leaders acquiesced to the tea party wing of the GOP led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Once the shutdown ended and attention shifted to Obamacare, though, the mood brightened. But it wasn't just the health care law that lifted the party's spirits.


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The Library: Initial Findings - Academic
After two years of planning, consultation and research, the Count Me In Too Project published its preliminary findings in 2007. This academic report set the scene for further analysis of the data, which took place during the following two years. This further work brought together a wide range of stakeholders to engage with and learn from the rich and extensive data collected by the project.
As well as providing detailed, up-to-date statistics, the project was designed to explore the perspectives of LGBT people from marginalised groups as well as specific issues and identities within the LGBT communities. Count Me In Too gathered information from a total of 848 local LGBT people using focus groups and a large scale routed questionnaire.
documents to download
- Academic Report (PDF 705k) 114 pages - June 2007


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How to Create a Hirens Boot CD Usb Thumb Drive
Occasionally I get a PC in my shop which has a broken or non working cd drive. One of the mail tools I use is a disk called Hirens Boot CD. Yes I know its considered Warez however it is by far the best collection of tools for a PC tech around so I use it all the time. I will leave finding the actual disc up to you however once you have it you may want to create a USB drive with Hirens for situations when you dont have your cd or the cd option is unavailable.


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Reds' skid reaches six with loss to Brewers
MILWAUKEE -- Add up the accomplishments the Reds achieved during their post-All-Star break road trip to New York and Milwaukee and the sum is zero.
Zero wins in six games.View Full Game Coverage
MILWAUKEE -- Add up the accomplishments the Reds achieved during their post-All-Star break road trip to New York and Milwaukee and the sum is zero.
Zero wins in six games.View Full Game Coverage
A forgettable trip concluded with the Reds taking a 5-1 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon to finish a sweep at Miller Park. Combined with being swept at Yankee Stadium as well, Cincinnati's season-high losing streak is now at six, while the club has dropped to 5 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the National League Central.
"Anybody that watches our six games on this road trip would understand we're not playing as we were leading into the break," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're not scoring a lot of runs. We're not getting terribly efficient starting pitching. And we know we're a better club than we've represented in the last six games."
Still missing Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips and lacking production from Jay Bruce, the Reds have scored only 12 runs over the last six games. Pitching wise, they have gotten just one quality start while the rotation has gone 0-4.
"Offensively, we averaged two runs a game. That's not going to cut it," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "We depend on our pitchers, and they're pitching great. When we depend on them, we have to also produce. I just think we made some mistakes and couldn't produce offensively in these first six games. We just need to keep battling and understand that we're good hitters."
The last time the Reds had been swept in a series by the Brewers was Aug. 6-8, 2012, also at Miller Park. This season, Cincinnati had won all three of the previous series over Milwaukee.
"They've given us some problems all year," said Brewers first baseman Mark Reynolds, who hit two home runs in the game. "It probably helped us that we missed Johnny Cueto and Alfredo Simon, but their other pitchers are really good, too. I think it's good getting some confidence, knowing we can beat these guys, and now really have that in the back of our heads that they've been wearing us out all year."
Reds starter Mike Leake allowed four earned runs and a season-high-tying 11 hits over six innings, with no walks and four strikeouts.
For only the second time during this road trip, the Reds took a lead when they scored the game's first run in the fifth inning. Against Kyle Lohse, Skip Schumaker hit a leadoff single and Ramon Santiago walked. The rally yielded only one run, however, on Billy Hamilton's sacrifice fly to right field.
Milwaukee responded quickly with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Lohse lined a one-out single to left field and scored when next batter Carlos Gomez's drive near the right-field line was missed by a diving Bruce. Gomez reached third base with a RBI triple. Ryan Braun's two-out infield hit to second base scored the go-ahead run.
Leake surrendered a leadoff double to left field by Rickie Weeks in the sixth. There was one out when Reynolds made it a three-run game by pulling a 1-1 fastball over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. Reynolds added a solo shot in the eighth against reliever Jumbo Diaz.
"They hit a few balls hard and a few balls that weren't hard that found holes," Leake said. "Really, the Weeks double and Reynolds home run were the two I would like to take back. I still felt like I threw the ball pretty decent. Unfortunate stuff, and I missed a couple of spots."
The Reds, who have also dropped a season-high nine road games in a row, haven't begun the second half of a season with six straight losses since going 0-8 following the 1991 All-Star break. They hadn't gone winless on a road trip of at least six games since July 20-26, 2009.
Heading into this year's break, the Reds won eight of 11 and trailed Milwaukee by a 1 1/2 games. The July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline falls in exactly one week, which Leake thinks could potentially benefit the club.
"Don't get me wrong. We're all trying. We're all working hard," Leake said. "We have two of our best players, if not the two best players, that are rehabbing right now. It's tough on us. We either have to pick it up or get help. There's only one of two ways to go about it. We'll see what happens."
The Reds will get a day off on Thursday before another task begins. They will open a homestand with a three-game series against the Nationals -- another first-place team.
"I think a day off is good," Frazier said. "Clear the mind and hopefully we can get back on track where were against Pittsburgh, coming back in games. When we get guys over, we have to score. Offensively, it just wasn't clicking."
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon.


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(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As we head into the heart of the back to school shopping season, it's time to start saving money. After all, consumers will spend an average of $688 on back to school related expenses, compared to about $600 last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Here's what you need to know before you hit the stores:
1. Say No to Department Store Credit Cards: Even though you'll receive a 10-15% discount when using a store credit card, these cards have very high interest rates, sometimes 20-30% and are usually littered with hidden fees. Keeping a balance on the card for just few weeks will erase any savings from the card's store discount. Plus, opening too many credit cards within a short period of time will damage your credit score.
2. Discounted Gift Cards: You can purchase a $100 gift card to various stores for only $80, by visiting sites like PlasticJungle.com. PlasticJungle is now selling a $130 gift card at JC Penney for $110 - that's a 15% savings. The website will mail you the gift card - always free shipping.
3. Coupons from Twitter: Major retailers are posting exclusive coupons on Twitter. It can be difficult to find deals with the millions of tweets posted every day. CouponTweet.com aggregates the best deals from Twitter (over 25 million of them) and puts them onto one convenient site. You can search for coupons/deals from Twitter by category (computers, clothing, shoes, restaurants, etc). You don't even need to be on Twitter to use the site!
4. Stick to a strict shopping list, but not necessarily to the supply list the school provides: Sometimes the school supply lists that schools give to the parents are excessive. Carefully review what is on the list and anything that seems redundant, don't buy. And check out Walmart's new "88-cent" section that's featured in many locations - where various types of school supplies (notebooks, pencils, folders) are on sale for 88 cents!
5. College Textbooks: Incoming college students will have to spend hundreds, if not a few thousand dollars on textbooks! Use HelpSaveMyDollars.com's free Textbook Search Engine - simply type in the name of the book or the book's ISBN number and the search engine will find the retailer or online site that sells that book for the lowest price.
Follow HelpSaveMyDollars.com on Facebook and Twitter.
Read more posts on Help Save My Dollars »


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Marcus Camby is back where he enjoyed playing the most — on the Garden stage.
The 7-foot defensive specialist out of Hartford will get the chance to be a Knick again, for at least two seasons. The Knicks won the Camby sweepstakes last night, but lost a big chunk of their Las Vegas Summer League team in a sign-and-trade with the Rockets for the center.
Camby, 38, agreed to terms on a 3-year, $13 million deal, according to an NBA source. Only $10 million is guaranteed.
In the sign-and-trade, the Knicks gave up young centers Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan, rookies last season, Toney Douglas' expiring pact and two future second-round draft picks. The geriatric Knicks are going for it all next season.
A person close to Camby, who played for the Knicks from 1998-2002, told The Post: "He's always been a Knick at heart. His favorite years in the NBA were with the Knicks. He's back to his favorite place.''
Camby last night tweeted,"NY'', in announcing his decision.
The Knicks needed a backup center to Tyson Chandler and wanted to keep Camby away from the Heat and Nets. Chandler told The Post he felt he never had a true backup "five" last season.
The source said Camby had a strong desire to rejoin former Nuggets teammates Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith and former Clippers teammate Steve Novak.
A source said Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald's presence was key. Grunwald was with the Raptors when Toronto drafted the shot-blocker with the second overall pick in the 1996 draft.
"They had a great relationship in Toronto,'' the source said. "And [Grunwald] made a compelling presentation.''
Miami's bid fell short, as Camby couldn't see himself playing with the Heat as a former Knick.
Camby was shipped from the Knicks in 2002 after a solid if injury-prone stint in New York as part of the ill-fated trade with the Nuggets for Antonio McDyess. The Knicks have regretted the move ever since, and for the past four years, have tried to deal for Camby at the trade deadline.
As reported exclusively by The Post, the Knicks will match Jeremy Lin's $28.5 million offer sheet from the Rockets. Jason Kidd will join Lin for the $3.09 million midlevel exception because the Knicks may not have leftover pieces to execute a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks to get Kidd's salary to that level.
The Knicks are still busy looking to add a shooting guard, but also inquired about power forward Kenyon Martin and have talked to Jared Jeffries about a return.
Douglas, Harrellson and Jordan were named to the Knicks' Summer League team hours before the sign-and-trade. Douglas wanted to shake off rust after being mostly exiled to the end of the bench from February on. The summer team begins practice here tomorrow.
Harrellson was a late second-rounder in the 2011 draft. A strong post defender, he had a good rookie year. Jordan was a project, but the 7-footer showed glimpses of what he could do if gets stronger.
The Knicks' starting Summer League point guard now could be Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's brother, who went undrafted out of Louisville.


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State lawmakers in Rhode Island could decide whether the nation's smallest state becomes the 10th to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.
Following months of review and debate, the state Senate is set to vote on gay marriage legislation on Wednesday afternoon. The bill easily passed the House in January and has the support of independent governor Lincoln Chafee.
Gay marriage legislation has been introduced in Rhode Island's general assembly for nearly two decades only to languish on the legislative agenda. Heavily Catholic Rhode Island is now the only state in New England that does not allow same-sex couples to marry. Gay marriage is law in nine states and the District of Columbia.
Wednesday's vote comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 Tuesday to forward the legislation to the Senate floor. Dozens of supporters cheered and cried following the vote. Ken Fish, a 70-year-old gay man from Warwick, said he watched the committee vote with a mixture of disbelief and elation.
"It's almost unreal to think we're here, after all these years," he said. "I wasn't sure we'd ever get here."
If the bill passes the Senate it must return to the House for a largely procedural vote on small changes made to the bill on the Senate side. House Speaker Gordon Fox said a final vote could come as early as next week.
Support for the bill has grown since it passed the House in January. On Tuesday, the Senate's five Republicans announced they would all support the legislation, further improving the bill's chances.
"We've got one more step, but I expect it to pass with overwhelming support," said senator Dawson Hodgson.
Opponents aren't giving up on efforts to turn back the legislation. Senator Harold Metts said he planned to fast and pray ahead of Wednesday's debate.
"Culture may change, but God has an immutable character," he said. "I'll be praying all night."
Chafee encouraged supporters to contact their senators ahead of the vote but signaled that he thinks the bill will pass, saying in a statement that "I believe that when the roll is called, marriage equality will become law in Rhode Island."
The Senate has long been seen as the true test for gay marriage in Rhode Island. Two years ago, gay marriage legislation languished after it became apparent it would be defeated in the Senate. Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed opposes the bill but has vowed not to obstruct debate.
The Rhode Island legislation states that religious institutions may set their own rules for who is eligible to marry within their faith and specifies that no religious leader is obligated to officiate at any marriage ceremony. While ministers already cannot be forced to marry anyone, the exemption helped assuage concerns from some lawmakers that clergy could face lawsuits for abiding by their religious convictions.


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The art of the cheap shot
It's hard to dispute that Rick Perry's he-hired-an-illegal-immigrant attack on Mitt Romney was a cheap shot.
It's even harder to dispute that it worked beautifully.
Story Continued Below
Put aside the fact that Perry's broadside was recycled, and barely relevant to the debate. Just focus on the raw politics of it.
The Perry campaign went into the debate well aware that it needed to accomplish a number of objectives, including rattling Romney, displaying toughness and turning the coverage away from scrutiny of Perry's stumbling — sometimes bumbling — debate performances.
Mission accomplished.
It wasn't pretty, but by taking a health care question and spinning it into a surprise attack on whether Romney knowingly employed illegal immigrants for lawn work, Perry achieved all three objectives. Just look at the numbers.
* A Google news search turns up more than 7,000 mentions of the exchange.
* On Fox, the favorite of GOP primary voters, Sean Hannity opened his post-debate segment with the accusation. The charge echoed the next hour on Greta Van Susteren's show, where Sarah Palin was the guest. Over the next 24 hours, the charge was mentioned in more than 40 segments across cable.
* Last night, the exchange was mentioned on the CBS, NBC and ABC evening news, with ABC's George Stephanopoulos telling "World News" viewers that Perry's accusation was "the most important exchange of the debate."
"Some of the slick washed off Mitt Romney," Perry press secretary Mark Miner said. "It clearly caught him off guard. He became very agitated and confrontational. It highlights the mistrust that primary voters have for him and shows he is not comfortable with his own past."
Romney advisers called Perry's comments an obvious effort to distract from his own problems on the immigration issue. They contend that the story will be short-lived — of more interest to reporters than voters.
Kevin Madden, an informal adviser to the Romney campaign who was national press secretary in 2008, said the media "will always obsess over conflicts like this — it was definitely their favorite part of the debate. The question is: Will voters, when their No. 1 issue is the economy?"
Madden called the widespread coverage of Perry's charge "emblematic of the divide between what reporters think is the story coming out of the debate and what voters are focused on."
Time will tell.
The frenzy stems from an old story from 2006: that Romney's lawn maintenance company had illegal immigrants working on his property. The Boston Globe reported this to Romney and then in its pages — and he promised to look into the matter. A year later, the Globe found the company continued to employ illegal immigrants who were tending to Romney's yard.


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Lew Hill is in just his fifth season as an assistant coach on the Oklahoma staff, but is a Big 12 Conference veteran.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native was an all-state performer at Mount Vernon High School. After graduating from Wichita State in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, he played professionally in Germany for one season before beginning his coaching career. Hill and his wife, Renee, have two children: a son, Lewis Jr., and a daughter, Elle. Hill also has three other daughters (Sierra, Erica and Asya).


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Feel brand new with the B. skincare range, formulated to target the specific skincare needs of different age groups including the B. Nourished selection. B. Skincare uses organic ingredients and is completely vegan, so you can look fantastic – guilt free.
No results found
Each phase represents the different age groups, which have been carefully researched and created to be more efficient for each group's skin requirements. Gentle on the skin with adorable smells to match, this wholesome range will be perfect for you.


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Your personal information is never passed or sold to anyone outside of Monster Stuff aside from information which either the courier or postal service requires in order to deliver your goods
© MonsterStuff 2011. All rights reserved. Monster Press Releases
Site Designed by Victoria Bailey Creative and Dynamik Creative. Site Optimised by White Label SEO


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Virginia is brilliant for fall getaways as 15 million acres of foliage burst into spectacular color.
Your 48-hour fall getaway will be one for the memory books. Experience farms transformed into playgrounds with apple picking, harvest festivals, corn mazes, and hay rides through pumpkin patches. Or perhaps fall leads you to the coast, where migrating fowl are the only crowd you'll find. Whatever you choose, Virginia's scenic roadways will show off the striking natural beauty along the way.


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Norwegian Star Mid-Ship Inside Stateroom IA
Floor Plan
Size: Approximately 142 sq. ft.
Occupancy: 4 guests standard some accommodate only 2
Amenities: A bedroom/living area with two lower beds that convert to a queen-size beds additional bedding to accommodate up to more guests TV safe refrigerator and a bathroom with separate shower.
Wheelchair Accessible Staterooms: 10211 and 10711.
Please Note: Smoking is not permitted in staterooms or on balconies.
Mid-Ship Inside Stateroom IA Cabins:
Mid-Ship Inside Stateroom IA cabins can be found on:
Mid-Ship Inside Stateroom IA Cabins - Inside
Other categories for Inside cabins include:
Find a Cruise on Norwegian Star
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency, and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners (travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on external web sites.


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Following AZ Immigration Ruling, Fox's Starnes Warns Of "Mexican Invaders," Flirts With Secessionism
Fox News Radio reporter Todd Starnes reacted to the June 25 Supreme Court ruling striking down several parts of Arizona's immigration law by warning about "Mexican invaders" and questioning whether Arizona should consider secession.
Starnes' comments on secession came in a series of tweets about the ruling. From Starnes' Twitter feed:
Starnes added to those comments during the June 26 edition of his "Fox News and Commentary" radio segment. In the form of an open letter to Mitt Romney, Starnes asked the Republican presidential candidate why he wasn't "down on the border ... vowing to defend American soil from the Mexican invaders" :
STARNES: Justice Scalia says Arizona is under siege -- lives are in jeopardy.
Now is not the time for wishy washy statements about giving states more latitude.
Now is the time for tough talk, sir.
For leadership.
Why weren't you down on the border with a bullhorn in hand, Sheriff Joe and Governor Brewer by your side, vowing to defend American soil from the Mexican invaders?
Fox's Starnes Equates Obama Immigration Statement To "Declaring Martial Law"


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14k yellow gold bracelet
length: 19 cm
In stock
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Email address:
Dear customers, we are taking a summer break, Sorry for the inconvenience but we are tuning in on family time and making new memories. We a shipping out parcels again from 22 AUGUST. Have a great summer. Big kisses, LockStock ❤


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BOSTON, Mass. – As one of their many on-going community service initiatives, members of the University of Massachusetts Boston softball program helped to raise money and awareness during the National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk. The day-long event was held at Lake Quannapowitt, in Wakefield, Massachusetts and raised more than $346,000.
Head softball coach Natalia Ardagna brought her team to the event as a way to help raise money for not only a family friend, but for the entire organization. Players got a chance to talk with volunteers and families who have dedicated their lives to helping the National Down Syndrome Society.
UMass Boston athletics pride themselves in having an active involvement both on campus and in the community. All of the teams take part in some type of special event(s) throughout each academic year, and have become a staple in many different organizations, whose sole purpose is to educate and help those in need.
For more information about the Buddy Walk or to make a donation visit http://mdsc.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=471136.


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Newberg VitaFelt Traveller HatHiking hat anthracite€179.00Tax incl., plus shipping
Delivery time: 2-3 Tagebrowngray
Newberg VitaFelt Traveller HatHiking hat anthracite€179.00Tax incl., plus shipping
Delivery time: 2-3 Tage
Caps - peak style!
But if you prefer an elegant hat for a more exquisite appearance, look no further than the flat cap – a dashing hat with a long tradition. The flat cap originated in Northern England and were worn by many men in the early 1920s. Thanks to the return of 'heritage' fashion, the flat cap is now a stylish accessory that adds a hint of nostalgia to an elegant look. Stetson offers different types of the flat cap, from a subtle style that can worn on a golf course to the leather flat cap that is suitable for any weather. Stetson also provides flat caps in denim for a more laid-back look and cotton for warm summer days. In North America, the flat cap is associated with newspaper boys, which is why there is a style similar to the flat cap which is called the newsboy cap. It is rounder than the flat cap and was popular with many people in the early 20th century. The newsboy cap is great for winter outfits and layered outfits if you want to add some sophistication to your look. At Stetson.eu, newsboy caps come in many styles, such as tweed for a classic appearance or in corduroy for a more relaxed look.
718 products


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The NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory was formed in the 1960s to conduct scientific research on the Earth's atmosphere in an effort to better understand and predict its behavior. That perhaps unfamiliar name — "aeronomy" — has Greek origins and means "the study of the atmospheres of planets." The Aeronomy Laboratory focus is, of course, on Planet Earth. Specifically, the Aeronomy Laboratory's mission has been the study of the chemical, radiative and dynamical processes of the Earth's atmosphere, in order to improve the ability to predict its behavior. Today, the Aeronomy Laboratory's research focuses on the following three atmospheric issues:
For all three areas, one hallmark of the Aeronomy Laboratory is its overarching efforts to relate scientific findings to the information needs of decisionmakers, via leadership and participation in state-of-understanding assessment reports on the topics. Approximately 110 scientists, engineers, computer specialists, postdoctoral and student researchers and administrative support staff are engaged in these endeavors at the David Skaggs Research Center in Boulder, Colorado.
Understanding Atmospheric Processes:


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VMware's market-leading server virtualization solutions can help you transform the value of your existing IT investments:
VMware, the global leader in virtualisation and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery. Leveraging VMware vSphere, the most widely deployed foundation for cloud computing, VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware's approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control.
Cisco and VMware have joined forces to help you take advantage of the full power of data center virtualization to significantly improve data center and software utilization, boost infrastructure agility, and simplify operations. Sharing a common vision: to accelerate virtualization in the data center through powerful technology platforms specifically designed for virtualization.
Key Solutions
Enabling Pervasive Virtualization
Cisco Unified Computing System in tandem with VMware vSphere software brings unprecedented support for virtual environments enabling rapid application deployment with heightened security, availability, and performance leading to increased business agility, return on investment, and lower total cost of ownership.
Learn more on Enabling Pervasive Virtualization:
Virtualizing the Network
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Series is a full-fledged Cisco® NX-OS Software switch, which gives network administrators the same features, capabilities, and management functions that they have on traditional hardware-based switches, but now delivered with virtual machine–level granularity.
Learn More about the Cisco Nexus 1000V (Video - 5:25 min)
Virtualizing the Desktop
Only VMware View and Cisco Unified Computing System bring a new level of control of data, infrastructure and long-term costs to the corporate desktop environment, while enabling near-native user experience and access at anytime from anywhere.
Learn more on Virtual Desktop
View Validated Designs and Best Practices
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The Board expects that the first quarter 2014 interim dividend will be US$0.47, an increase of 4.4% over the US dollar dividend for the same quarter in the previous year. The first quarter 2014 interim dividend is scheduled to be announced on May 1, 2014.
RDS provides eligible shareholders with a choice to receive dividends in cash or in shares via a Scrip Dividend Programme ("the Programme"). For further details please see below.
Details relating to the fourth quarter 2013 interim dividend
It is expected that cash dividends on the B Shares will be paid via the Dividend Access Mechanism from UK-sourced income of the Shell Group.
|Per ordinary share
|RDS A shares (US$)
|RDS B shares (US$)
Cash dividends on A Shares will be paid, by default, in euro, although holders of A Shares will be able to elect to receive dividends in pounds sterling.
Cash dividends on B Shares will be paid, by default, in pounds sterling, although holders of B Shares will be able to elect to receive dividends in euro.
The pounds sterling and euro equivalent dividend payments will be announced on March 7, 2014.
|Per ADS
|RDS A ADSs (US$)
|RDS B ADSs (US$)
Cash dividends on American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") will be paid, by default, in US dollars.
ADS stands for an American Depositary Share. ADR stands for an American Depositary Receipt. An ADR is a certificate that evidences ADSs. ADSs are listed on the NYSE under the symbols RDS.A and RDS.B. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares, two A Shares in the case of RDS.A or two B Shares in the case of RDS.B. In many cases the terms ADR and ADS are used interchangeably.
Scrip Dividend Programme
RDS provides shareholders with a choice to receive dividends in cash or in shares via a Scrip Dividend Programme.
Under the Programme shareholders can increase their shareholding in RDS by choosing to receive new shares instead of cash dividends, if approved by the Board. Only new A Shares will be issued under the Programme, including to shareholders who currently hold B Shares.
Joining the Programme may offer a tax advantage in some countries compared with receiving cash dividends. In particular, dividends paid out as shares will not be subject to Dutch dividend withholding tax (currently 15 per cent) and will not generally be taxed on receipt by a UK shareholder or a Dutch corporate shareholder.
Shareholders who elect to join the Programme will increase the number of shares held in RDS without having to buy existing shares in the market, thereby avoiding associated dealing costs.
Shareholders who do not join the Programme will continue to receive in cash any dividends approved by the Board.
Shareholders who held only B Shares and joined the Scrip Dividend Programme are reminded they will need to make a Scrip Dividend Election in respect of their new A Shares if they wish to join the Programme in respect of such new shares. However, this is only necessary if the shareholder has not previously made a Scrip Dividend Election in respect of any new A Shares issued.
For further information on the Programme, including how to join if you are eligible, please refer to the appropriate publication available on www.shell.com/scrip.


text: Robert Robbins carries his wife over the finish life at the 2012 North American Wife Carrying contest in Newry, Maine. Apparently the more the wife weighs, the more prize money the couple gets, so at least there's that? I personally think it'd be a lot fresher, if more cumbersome, to have the wife pointed forward, like the figurehead of a ship. Or Kate Winslet?


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Were these the easiest things EVER! Can't wait to see how this turned out for everyone!
18 thoughts on "Tuesday Chatter"
Thanks for choosing me to co-host these.
Great popovers everyone! Have a nice week.
Very easy and I will make them anytime with some variations (maybe cheddar cheese and a bit of bacon and chive). I should have used my silicone muffin forms instead of my ramekins. Despite my coating them with Baker's Joy, the popovers still stuck to the insides…
I had a lot of fun converting this recipe with a gluten-free flour mix – I've made these gluten-free before but with a store-bought blend and they had an after taste. My homemade blend worked much better – no after taste and still puffy. I used a popover pan instead of the muffin tin.
I altered my favorite popover recipe to make 6 popovers. The batter fills a standard popover pan perfectly. But I had to post using my iPad and had a really hard time with the WordPress app. Anyone else using an iPad?
I'm on vacation without a commuter, really roughing it!
Opps, meant computer.
I grew up eating this with roast and gravy. I am enjoying seeing all the varioations to the popovers. Never thought of using sweet honey or fruit with them.
These were good! I thought that mine were a little blah without jam/butter/honey…etc. Is that how they are supposed to be? Maybe I need to be more generous with the salt in the batter next time?
Can I ask a sort-of-baking sort-of-food-blogging question here?
I used to edit my photos in Piknik on Flickr (cropping and adding text for my blog) but it's no longer available. What's a good free editing program you all use for your pics (for a non-photoshop savvy lady!).
Picasa by Google…easy to use and it helps you sort your photos too!
Picasa by Google. Love it!
Saw this online…I used it only twice. It might be worth a look.
Thank you all! I will try all of the above and see which works best for me. :-)
PicMonkey is a lot like Piknik. I miss that app too. PicMonkey is a lot of fun though.
Hi, I was considering ordering the Popover Pan (the black one) in the UK and let it delivered to Switzerland.
I've read some reviews and people do complain that the paint inside the popover pan peels of.
Somebody having issues with it?
Thank you
Has anyone used a popover pan for the recipe? I have one and am deciding if I should buy another one, make the recipe in 2 batches, or use the glass cups for the 2nd batch. From your experience, what is the best pan to use?
Also, thinking ahead to the Whole Wheat Loaves, I am having a hard time finding malt extract. Is it in powder form or wet? Does it go by another name? What type of store can I buy it? The local beer brewery sells a malt extract in both forms but I am not sure which is the correct one.
Thanks for your help!
Libby, all my batter fit into one popover pan….it worked wonderfully. I preheated the cast iron pan before baking and they rose perfectly.


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I keep getting popups about internal system errors (see screenshot below) on irregular intervals (several times a day), that I don't know what to do about. If I continue through the dialog and try to report the error back to the Ubuntu project, I get a message stating that development on this version of Ubuntu has been completed, and that I should ask for help here if I don't know what to do about it.
I don't.
If I show the details of the error message, the "executable path" parameter shows
Is this a bug I should report to Launchpad, or just a configuration error somewhere? If it's a bug, how do I collect the data I (and the devs) need?
Update in response to comment: I am running an ASUS N53SN, sporting an Intel Core i7 2630QM CPU and an NVidia GeForce 550M GPU.


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News Releases
/ Water supply forecast shows record snow in northern parts of West, parched in s
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WASHINGTON, April 14, 2014--March storms increased snowpack in the northern half of the West but didn't provide much relief for the dry southern half, according to data from the U.S Department of Agriculture's National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) in its April 2014 water supply forecast.
According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Washington, most of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and northern parts of Colorado and Utah are expected to have near normal or above normal water supplies, according to the forecast. Far below normal streamflow is expected for southern Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah and western Nevada.
Early April is commonly regarded as the transition from snow accumulation to snowmelt, making the April 1 water supply forecast of key importance for planning, according to NWCC hydrologist Cara McCarthy.
"Many water managers, reservoir operators, irrigation districts and hydroelectric power companies make significant strategic decisions based on the April forecasts," McCarthy said.
In states where snowmelt accounts for the majority of the seasonal water supply, information about snowpack serves as an indicator of future water supply. Streamflow in the West consists largely of accumulated mountain snow that melts and flows into streams as temperatures warm. NRCS scientists analyze the snowpack, air temperature, soil moisture and other measurements taken from remote sites to develop the water supply forecasts.
For the second consecutive month, many snow telemetry, or SNOTEL, sites in Montana, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon received two to three times the normal amount of precipitation. The Cascade Mountains in Washington went from extremely dry in January to a normal snowpack currently and Montana and Wyoming snowpack is now at record levels.
"There's flooding potential in the Missouri River basin," McCarthy said. "These areas will be most vulnerable if snow melts rapidly during a hot spell, or if there's extreme rain while the streams are swollen with snowmelt."
NRCS' streamflow forecasts are one of the tools used to assess drought conditions. USDA is partnering with western states to help mitigate the severe effects of drought on agriculture.
USDA co-leads the National Drought Resilience Partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In collaboration with state and community planners, this new partnership will coordinate resources for both short-term relief and long-term drought preparedness and resiliency.
Other federal partners in this effort include the Department of the Interior, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.
Since 1939, NRCS has conducted snow surveys and issued regular water supply forecasts. Since the late 1970s, NRCS has been installing, operating and maintaining an extensive, high-elevation automated system called SNOTEL, designed to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the western U.S. and Alaska.
The center will continue to monitor and forecast water supplies for the next two months.
View the April Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecast map or view information by state.
Other resources on drought include the U.S. Drought Monitor. For information on USDA's drought efforts, visit USDA Disaster and Drought Information. And to learn more about how NRCS is helping private landowners deal with drought, visit NRCS' drought resources.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Policy and Links| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov


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Oracle's Advice for 24th February 2019
Oracle's Advice - Tomorrow
Things to Be Careful About
Auspicious Activies to Do
24th February 2019
20th February 2019
Feng Shui for Beginners
Feng Shui (pronounced 'foung shway') is an ancient Chinese art of understanding the relationship between one's surroundings and how it affects personal health, wealth, and harmony. The physical placement and location of your dwellings, interior layout and landscape combined with the flow of chi can be harnessed to one's personal gain. Many might mistakenly categorize Feng Shui as geomancy, but upon closer inspection: one would realize they are tw...
Read Introduction to Feng Shui in Full
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text:
Caroline isn't turning 8 until December, but it's July and she is already wanting to plan her big day!
She decided she'd like to have a Pajama Party. Not just any pajama party, a very chic and grown up pajama party complete with champagne glasses and silk pajamas. Well, that's not going to happen until she's much older, so we settled on a Shabby Chic theme for the party!
Is there any fabulous things out there that would be perfect for this party that I need to know about?
Please email me at ally {at} allysonjane.com


text:
I'm getting to the money
The money nice to meet ya
They sleeping on me baby, time to make 'em a believer
All my women right, they run to me on sight
A hundred bottles of champagne, we popping those all night
Not to mention, I'm out here representing
I need pretty sh*t around me, put them models in my section
All my women right, they run to me on sight
A hundred bottles of champagne, we popping those all night
[Verse 1]:
My pockets swoll up
Haters done try stop me- no luck
I'm c*cky- so what?
My life's like one big party rolled up
Look how I'm smoking
Shorty don't and she still choking
I'm talking potent. That secondhand got her open
I'm always frozen
Louis bags to put my clothes in
I'm back to posing. Make her woozie from my mac explosion
Traffic open, I'm running through my rack of Trojans
New money, new girls, even brought back my old one
The street crown I'm rocking, I'll beat down your top 10
Heat round, they watching how I rebound like Rodman
Out in Beantown I'm popping, 103,000 options
Put the weed down I put the hops in with the Queens style I'm boxed in
Savage with that hot flow, everything I do is macho
Walking around with that Yak on, still gotta get that yacht dough
She ain't hot, she got go. She going deep, Flacco
I'm too ready, pronto
These shoes heavy, potholes
I'm hanging out the window with my music up, rude as f*ck
We don't play boy
You getting money? Get your shooters up
Everyday I'm moving up, liquor got me torn down
f*ck with baby, I got that dope you been needing
I got the soul you can feel, it's something you can believe in
I got a pretty selection, I switch 'em up by the seasons
Lloyd Banks' voice is way too raspy and difficult to understand; some of these are probably wrong


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text:
The virtual archive Monasterium is the largest archive for medieval documents, containing more than 250 000 documents (as of Apr. 2012), as plain text, image or both.
The project Monasterium took off in the Austrian province of Lower Austria, which is rich in monasteries. From their founding in the high Middle Ages, these monasteries have stood without interruption, so that this region can boast an unbroken archival tradition. As a result of their great historical meaning, these archives guard the better part of the tradition and history of this country from the Middle Ages and early Modern Period. The strong historical relations between the monasteries and throughout the surrounding country establish the ideal conditions to realize the possibility of a virtual retrieval system of these broadly distributed sources. Spreading out from the St. Pölten episcopal archive, work on this project began with the energetic support of government and the monasteries themselves.
From project to institution The logical consequence of the project with the Lower Austrian monasteries was reaching out to the other Austrian provinces and the countries neighboring Austria. With the support of the Austrian State Ministry for Education, Art and Culture (Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur) and the European Union, Monasterium has succeeded in finding the financial support to manage a further out-reach effort. With this, the many already existing connections between the archives could finally be merged in June 2006. The Memorandum created for this has since then presented the underlying basis for collaboration in the Consortium. However, the Consortium did not intend to stand on this document permanently, and has striven to further develop itself. This lead to the November 2007 creation of a basic declaration of intent, in which the emerging network and its connected virtual archive established a more enduring common union in ICARus (International Centre for Archival Research).
Content and originality
The virtual archive Monasterium contains more than 250 000 documents (as of Apr. 2012) from more than 98 European archives. The documents are organized in 540 archival fonds and research collections. The content of the virtual archive depends on the decisions of the participants. It can vary from archive to archive, from collection to collection. Each document (mostly charters) have at least minimal metadata such as shelf mark and date and abstract. Each institution can download on Monasterium's servers:
- digitized images (387 000 images as of Apr. 2012, since more than one image can be related to one document)
- full text (22 000 charters)
This platform specific features are:
- Technical
- Mutualized infrastructure and development for many institutions,
- Hosting of digital images
- Long-term preservation
- Scientific
- Collaboration & crowdsourcing
- Scientific moderation through qualified experts
- Administrative
- Large scale visibility of local and small archives
- Free of charge for participating institutions
The development is done at the University of Cologne for ICARUS (International Centre for Archival Research), which gathers more than 130 members in 25 countries in Europe and the Canada.
Crowdsourcing tool
Users have the possibility to transcribe the documents and to correct the plain text or descriptions. The system is moderated (expert users have to review the transcriptions before the publication) The editing tool currently is migrating from Java to Ajax (Apr. 2012).
The software behind the platform (the "Monasterium Collaborative Archive" MOM-CA) is open source. You can find the documentation at [1].
Source(s): Crowdsourcing tool