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Once the Seq2Logo server has finished running the job you submitted it will show an image file containing the logo. This logo describes the information content of the alignment file you submitted.
There are multiple logo types which influence the visual output. Click to show these different outputs here:
There are also a few methods which influence the visual output. These different outputs are shown here.
An alignment with gaps is handled by ignoring the gaps when calculating frequencies, and by shrinking the width of the stack according to the gap percentage.
The Shannon Logo
The Kullback-Leibler Logo, this logo type is the default of Seq2Logo. It gives a clear visual image of the conserved and variable regions, while also depicting depleted amino acids.
The Weighted Kullback-Leibler Logo, focusses on providing more information about the amino acid enrichment and depletion, instead of the probability, by altering the height of the individual amino acid to correspond to their log-odds score.
The Probability Weighted Kullback-Leibler Logo, this logo is a mixture of regular Kullback-Leibler and Weighted Kullback-Leibler, where the height of the amino acids corresponds to their probability times their log-odds score, which is also the information contribution of the amino acid. This logo really emphasizes the important parts.
The PSSM Logo, this logo type depicts the scoring matrix directly as it is, with no regards to the information centent. This logo has the advantage of clearly visualizing amino acid depletion at unconserved regions, and can be usefull to locate specific depletions such as the N-linked glycosylation sites with motif N-X-S/T, where X can be any amino acid but proline.
The Raw Logo, this shows a clean Kullback-Leibler logo without use of neither sequence weighting nor pseudo counts.
This logo is the same as the raw logo, but the redundancy in dataset has now been reduced by the use of the Hobohm 1 algorithm (sequence weighting method).
This logo is the same as the sequence weighted logo, but a pseudo counts method has been applied to correct for the lack of occurrences, due to a small dataset.
This logo shows the effect (shrinks the width of the stack) of gaps starting with 0% gaps and ending up with 90% gaps. In advanced options the user has the ability to set a minimum stack width. If this is set to 1 it will disable the shrinking effect. The default value is 0.5 (50%).


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Just in time for Mother's Day, The Huffington Post interviewed Maya Angelou about her mother, whom she writes about in her new book, "Mom & Me & Mom."
The 85-year-old literary legend, who wrote 1969's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," said her mother gave her the courage to pursue her dreams.
She actually said, "Mary McLeod Bethune, Eleanor Roosevelt and my mother," - she said, "You're in that category." I was 22 years old! She said she was too mean to lie. [laughs] And she was very intelligent. So I thought, suppose she's right? Suppose I do have something? Suppose I am going to be somebody?
"I became unafraid because of Vivian Baxter," Angelou continued.
I mean, if you were the President of the United States or the Queen of England - you couldn't have a person who would be more protective than my mother was for me. Which meant really that I could dare to do all sorts of things.
When Angelou became pregnant at 16, she said her mother "liberated" her from the feeling that she shamed the family.
Angelou received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from Barack Obama in 2011.
You can read more of Angelou's interview with The Huffington Post here.

subset: commoncrawl


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For John Brackett, business isn't all that bad. He's at his vacation home in Mexico with a margarita in one hand and the phone in the other. In such a setting, relaxation would be the order of the day. But not for Brackett, who's sounding off on the sorry state of the independent broker-dealer industry; sales of "toxic" investment products, lawsuits, firms shuttered with little or no warning and reps set adrift. He's not happy.
"I've got 30 years invested in this business," he says. "You've got guys who are just as hard-working as I am and have diligently built up their businesses. They suddenly find themselves out on the street for something that was not of their doing."
Brackett is a regional director with Financial Network Investment Corporation and a partner with BAR Financial in Pleasant Hill, Calif. He's certainly experienced his share of stress and business uncertainty in the preceding three decades, but the manner in which he and his Financial Network colleagues have handled it serves as a model for other firms and reps experiencing similar issues. It's one reason he can enjoy the aforementioned (and well-deserved) margarita, even at a time like this.
Founded in 1983 and at various times run by legendary figures like Miles Gordon and John Simmers, Financial Network Investment Corporation was sold to Aetna Financial Services in 1997. Aetna was then acquired by ING in 2000. When the financial crisis hit in 2008, ING (like many financial services companies) found itself in trouble, and quickly shed what it considered to be its "noncore" assets, its broker-dealer book among them. In stepped Lightyear Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, which purchased Financial Network and its sister broker-dealers; Multi-Financial Securities Corporation and PrimeVest Financial Services. Lightyear then announced the broker-dealers would be rebranded as Cetera Financial Group, headed by Valerie Brown.
"Throughout its many corporate incarnations, Financial Network has remained independent, committed to client-centric services and the independent broker-dealer business," the firm says on its website. Which is good, because attempting to keep up with its "incarnations" will give you whiplash.
Today Financial Network is largely a "field-owned" broker-dealer with 2,400 reps. Each of the firm's branch offices is independently owned and operated, and is supported by the national organization.
It was the seats at the table that advisors like Brackett and Dave Hubbard—a regional director in the Chicago area—were able to negotiate early on that lead to the smooth and orderly transition reps experienced with each sale. Now, young guys like Kurt Opella and Scott Wallace, co-regional directors with Financial Network in Texas, are learning the lessons and reaping the benefits at a time when so many of their peers and competitors are starting over.
"We have a regional director advisory council," Hubbard, who runs Exemplar Financial Network, explains. "We elect five people to represent the regional directors. We sit down with the management and we talk about every part of the company. The home office cannot decide to take a left turn and change things that affect the lives of our advisors unless they have us on board."
The benefit, he says, is the consistency it allows "to protect our advisors' interests. I feel like I'm independent, but not alone."
For the Lightyear deal in particular, Hubbard and Brackett were two of seven regional directors who were voted in to represent the reps. They pooled their money and hired a Wall Street law firm (one of the biggest, according to Hubbard) as well as their own investment banking firm.
"We went and sat down with ING management and said, 'You need to involve us in this process or you're not going to have anything to sell,'" Hubbard says.
"We met with every single potential suitor," Brackett, (left), adds. "One guy came in and didn't even bother to put on a tie. That killed it before the meeting even started. We were able to have frank discussions with Lightyear about our business before the deal was consummated so they had a good understanding of us and we had a good understanding of them."
If only this was the norm in times of industry flux, rather than the exception. Ameriprise Financial filed an 8-K statement with the SEC on April 21 announcing that it would pay $150 million to settle arbitration and lawsuit claims against its independent broker-dealer subsidiary, Securities America, over the sale of certain private placement notes from Medical Capital Holdings and Provident Royalties LLC.
In late April, boutique broker-dealer Omni Brokerage Inc. filed notice with FINRA that it intended to cease business operations as a registered firm. According to SEC filings, the South Jordan, Utah-based Omni was the subject of numerous arbitration cases for its involvement with DBSI Inc., a commercial real estate investment company based in Idaho that sold Tenants in Common (TICs) investments.
Most recently, just before press time, San Diego-based WFP Securities also notified FINRA of its intention to close. It too was the recipient of lawsuits related to private placement issues involving Medical Capital Holdings Inc. and Provident Royalties LLC.
When asked about what's to be done, Hubbard, (left), isn't at a loss for words.
"It's due to a change in the way the companies [perform] their due diligence," he says. "A lot of firms hired out due diligence to third parties staffed with attorneys that looked at legal issues as opposed to business issues. Those products are now wiping out their net capital and, seemingly overnight, reps are being released. They've spent their career building up an independent practice that has value. They've invested in employees; they've got overhead and now have to scramble to find somebody else who will take them. We've been able to jump in and help them. We've been able to get a handle on what their issues are, bring them on board with our firm and help them not skip a beat."
OK, but if they act too quickly, won't they sacrifice the quality of the due diligence process, potentially exposing themselves to the type of risk from which they are now supposedly rescuing other advisors?
"We have great networks among the industry," Hubbard says. "A lot of it comes through the product wholesalers that are out there. They tend to know the reps with which they've had good and bad experiences. I'm involved in a lot of associations where you know people's reputation on the street. I have full-time recruiters and full-time transition people. If I'm sitting down with somebody and they're even remotely thinking about joining us, we have a whole process to quickly look at their business. We don't look at their clients and of course we respect privacy issues, but we look at their business from the products they've sold and perform the necessary background checks."
The West Point-educated Hubbard makes one final point.
"I have a military background, so having a contingency plan is always important. In military operations, they're always looking at a contingency plan and asking themselves, 'If things don't go right, how do we make them right?' We're able to do that for our advisors."
Young Guns
Landmark, the firm operated by Opella and Wallace, is really the culmination of three separate regions within Financial Network, according to Opella. Their primary offices are in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio with just under 100 representatives in five states. One of the unique factors about Landmark is that both the Dallas and Houston offices are founding offices of the firm.
"Scott and I are both succession planning recipients for those founding regional directors," Opella, (left), says. "And, coincidently, we specialize in two things; one is business building and the other is succession planning. This is where we spend the bulk of our time with our existing reps and any potential advisors we're looking to bring on board."
He actually started out with John Brackett, but says even though he was part of Brackett's region, he was able to work across regional lines. He got to see how a number of great offices were operated. When he returned to Texas to take over that region, he had a broad range of experience from traveling the country "way too much for way too many years."
"About five or six years ago, the two co-regional directors at the time were interested in calling it a career," Wallace adds. "The individuals who wanted to take over for them were not well-received by the other reps within the region. There was a fear that the region may crumble based on the new 'owners,' if you will. So we stepped up to the plate."
What the negative industry news (and resulting broker-dealer closings) has done is to cause people "to stop talking and start moving," says Wallace. They were having conversations prior to any of the recent headlines, but the sense of urgency has caused reps to act.
One well-known case, in particular, illustrates the point.
"Here in Houston, we are two streets down from Allen Stanford," Wallace, (left), says, with a rueful laugh from Opella. "When Stanford closed his doors we had a lot of reps flood our door. We weren't able to help them, with the exception of one. He was in the process, the poor guy, of going from Merrill to Stanford. He hadn't moved his book, so he hadn't yet done any business with Stanford's firm. I mean he showed up, everyone was ushered into the conference room and the doors were basically locked and he was told to stay put until we were able to help him."
Somewhat surprisingly, Opella feels recent events have changed recruiting for the better. In past years, the recruiting environment was one in which people were "sold" on a broker-dealer. They were handed a brochure, given the highlights and if they agreed to the payout amount it was "pretty much a done deal."
"I really believe those days are over," he says. "They have to do their own due diligence and look beyond the brochure to see what's really underneath the hood."
The first place too many advisors go, says Opella, is the payout. He notes Financial Network historically has never been one of the higher paying firms. If that's the first question the prospect raises, "the meeting's over," Wallace adds.
"I'm actually stealing this quote from somebody else, but it goes to the culture of the firm and why it's so important," Opella concludes. "The whole idea of why the relationship with its advisors is so successful and about having a seat at the table in negotiations; that's not simply an accommodation, it's in the culture."


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A just-released report from the bean counters at the Congressional Budget Office is getting lots of attention because the bureaucrats are now admitting that Obamacare will impose much more damage to the economy than they previously predicted.
Of course, many people knew from the start that Obamacare would be a disaster and that it would make the healthcare system even more dysfunctional, so CBO is way behind the curve.
Moreover, CBO's deeply flawed estimates back in 2009 and 2010 helped grease the skids for passage of the President's failed law, so I hardly think they deserve any applause for now producing more realistic numbers.
But today's post isn't about the Obamacare fiasco. I want to focus instead on some other numbers in the new CBO report.
The bureaucrats have put together their new 10-year "baseline" forecast of how much money the government will collect based on current tax laws and the latest economic predictions. These numbers show that tax revenue is projected to increase by an average of 5.4 percent per year.
As many readers already know, I don't fixate on balancing the budget. I care much more about reducing the burden of government spending and restoring the kind of limited government our Founding Fathers envisioned.
But whenever the CBO publishes new numbers, I can't resist showing how simple it is to get rid of red ink by following my Golden Rule of fiscal restraint.


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When I first approached the editor of The Finch and Pea about possibly reviewing The Unfeathered Bird, he suggested I send three copies and he would ask his colleagues to assist him with a new experiment — a review in three parts. The review(s) have just now published and they were well worth the wait. Calling upon experts in three areas — art; ornithology; and, well, book-reading and curiosity–The Finch and Pea has created a lovely, intertwined reading experience that (fortunately) is also positive about the book being reviewed.
"Daddy, what is this book about?"
"It's a book about birds. It shows you the insides of birds so we can learn how they work."
In the "layers" portion of the review (though it really is the curiosity, good-parenting, reading part of the review) Josh Witten describes his 4 year-old catching a first glimpse of The Unfeathered Bird. Subsequent conversations ranged over ostriches at the zoo, penguins, finches, robins, and every other bird a 4-year old might want to discuss. But, as Witten describes:
A book like The Unfeathered Bird is more than pretty pictures and informative prose. It is a resource – a bridge – to knowledge and curiosity. What let's that hummingbird hover at your feeder? Page 80. How does that vulture find the roadkill? Page X. Our lives are filled with everyday events that make us wonder, "How does that work?"; and we so rarely get the answers. What could be more compelling than those creatures that have mastered the air?
Next up, Michelle Banks approaches the book from an artist's perspective, which initially makes her a bit skeptical:
I approached this book as a visual artist and a decidedly non-expert reader, and I will admit an initial bias against it. I love color. I was convinced that a coffee-table book of birds drawn without their feathers was like producing a book on ice cream that featured only the cones.
Though after a few days with the book, skepticism is pushed aside:
The cream-colored pages, sepia-tinted pencil drawings, and hand-drawn fonts give the book the look of a timeless classic….The book is full of visual delights. If I had to pick a single image that sums it up, Van Grouw's rendering of an ostrich skeleton (p 229) is a tour de force, both exquisitely detailed and powerfully dramatic. The Unfeathered Bird is itself a unique specimen. While it's sure to be treasured by bird-lovers, it has much to offer to readers who don't know a grebe from a loon.
Lastly, Rebecca Heiss puts her hefty ornithology education credentials to work assessing the avian content of the book — the devil is in the details after all. Early on, Katrina decided to use a rather traditional system to categorize and group birds, a departure that Heiss describes:
Nodding to Linnaeus, the godfather of modern classification systems, van Grouw charges into the meat of her book, pairing species by anatomical features that appear to be common between the species. As it turns out, many of these features actually evolved independently through a process known as convergent evolution. In recent years, we have tended to reject groupings based on morphology in favor of grouping that reflect a species evolutionary history determined by DNA sequence. The old school naturalist in me, celebrates this throwback to the days where morphology was king and features were classified and compared based on functional similarity. Apologies to all my molecularly focused colleagues, but van Grouw's pairings simply work for a book of this nature. It may be my bias as an organismal biologist, but focusing on functional similarity is the "right" way to organize species when your goal is teach people about the mechanics of birds. It also allows van Grouw to highlight the interesting and confusing aspects of convergent evolution.
Which image most caught Heiss's eye?
To me, the power of this section was represented by the Secretary Bird. An intimidating image of a majestic, tall, and powerful bird, glowering beneath overhanging "eyebrows", dominates a page while the accompanying text details its unique hunting habits. Those long, powerful legs are not just for show. The Secretary Bird uses them to literally stomp and kick its prey to death. Of course it does. Just look at the picture.


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This noble, multi-tiered fountain has a timeless grandeur that will create a natural focal point for your garden.More Details >
Henri Studios has been making fountains for over 40 years. It all began when Tuscan sculptor Eneri Prosperi came to America and began combining traditional sculpting techniques with stone casting technology. Cast stone is special blend of cement with coarse and fine minerals, color pigments, and water. It is a highly dense, simulated stone with a texture similar to limestone. The specially made finishes convey vivid natural stone highlights and subtle organic tones. Please note that this fountain ships for free, but because of its size and weight it may require freight curbside delivery. Each fountain is made to order so please allow 2-3 weeks of extra time for delivery. Since each fountain is custom made, there may be slight variations.


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U S v. RABINOWICH(1915)
[238 U.S. 78, 79] Assistant Attorney General Warren for plaintiff in error.
[238 U.S. 78, 81] Messrs. William R. Harr and Charles H. Bates for defendant in error.
Mr. Justice Pitney delivered the opinion of the court:
This is a writ of error, taken under the criminal appeals act of March 2, 1907 (34 Stat. at L. 1246, chap. 2564, Comp. Stat. 1913, 1704), to review a judgment of the district court sustaining, on demurrer, a special plea in bar to an indictment for conspiracy found June 24, 1912, and based upon 37 of the Criminal Code of March 4, 1909 (35 Stat. at L. 1096, chap. 321, Comp. Stat. 1913, 10,201), formerly [238 U.S. 78, 84] 5440, Rev. Stat. The indictment embraces six individuals, including defendant in error, and contains two counts, of which the first recites that three of the defendants, K., R., and F., were doing business as copartners, and had on hand a large quantity of goods; that they and the other named defendants contemplated and planned that the copartners should commit an act of bankruptcy, an involuntary petition in bankruptcy should be filed against them, they should be adjudged bankrupts, and thereafter a trustee in bankruptcy should be appointed; and avers that, under these circumstances, the defendants named, including K., R., and F., conspired and agreed together that K., R., and F. should conceal, while bankrupts, from the trustee of the estate in bankruptcy, certain specified property belonging to said estate in bankruptcy. Overt acts are alleged. The second count differs in its recitals, but does not differ in any respect now material in setting forth the conspiracy. In each count the conspiracy and overt acts are stated to have taken place in March and April, 1911, more than a year before the finding of the indictment. Neither count avers a continuing conspiracy. The plea sets up the alleged bar of the statute of limitations contained in 29d of the bankruptcy act (30 Stat. at L. 554, chap. 541, Comp. Stat. 1913, 9613), in that the indictment was not found within one year after the commission of the alleged offenses. The district court held, upon a construction of the applicable statutes, that the prosecution upon the charges contained in the indictment was limited by the section thus invoked, and not by 1044, Rev. Stat., Comp. Stat. 1913 , 1708
The pertinent statutory provisions are set forth in the margin. 1 Section 1044, which of course antedated the [238 U.S. 78, 85] bankruptcy act, declares that no person shall be prosecuted for any offense (with exceptions not now material), unless the indictment is found or information instituted within three years next after such offense shall have been committed; while 29d of the bankruptcy act limits to one year the prosecution 'for any offense arising under this act.' The narrow question presented is, whether a conspiracy having for its object the commission of an offense denounced as criminal by the bankruptcy act is, in itself, an offense 'arising under' that act, within the meaning of 29d.
It is apparent from a reading of 37, Crim. Code ( 5440 Rev. Stat.), and has been repeatedly declared in decisions of this court, that a conspiracy to commit a crime is a different offense from the crime that is the object of the conspiracy. Callan v. Wilson, 127 U.S. 540, 555 , 32 S. L. ed. 223, 228, 8 Sup. Ct. Rep. 1301; Clune v. United States, 159 U.S. 590, 595 , 40 S. L. ed. 269, 271, 16 Sup. Ct. Rep. 125; Williamson v. United States, 207 U.S. 425, 447 , 52 S. L. ed. 278, 290, 28 Sup. Ct. Rep. 163; United States v. Stevenson, [238 U.S. 78, 86] 215 U.S. 200, 203 , 54 S. L. ed. 157, 158, 30 Sup. Ct. Rep. 37. And see Burton v. United States, 202 U.S. 344, 377 , 50 S. L. ed. 1057, 1069, 26 Sup. Ct. Rep. 688, 6 Ann. Cas. 362; Morgan v. Devine, No. 685, decided this day [ 237 U.S. 632 , 59 L. ed. 1153, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 712]. The conspiracy, however fully formed, may fail of its object, however earnestly pursued; the contemplated crime may never be consummated; yet the conspiracy is none the less punishable. Williamson v. United States, 207 U.S. 425, 447 , 52 S. L. ed. 278, 290, 28 Sup. Ct. Rep. 163. And it is punishable as conspiracy, though the intended crime be accomplished. Heike v. United States, 227 U.S. 131, 144 , 57 S. L. ed. 450, 455, 33 Sup. Ct. Rep. 226, Ann. Cas. 1914C, 128.
Nor do we forget that a mere conspiracy, without overt act done in pursuance of it, is not criminally punishable under 37, Crim. Code. United States v. Hirsch, 100 U.S. 33, 34 , 25 S. L. ed. 539, 540; Hyde v. Shine, 199 U.S. 62, 76 , 50 S. L. ed. 90, 94, 25 Sup. Ct. Rep. 760; Hyde v. United States, 225 U.S. 347, 359 , 56 S. L. ed. 1114, 1123, 32 Sup. Ct. Rep. 793, Ann. Cas. 1914A, 614. There must be an overt act; but this need not be of itself a criminal act; still less need it constitute the very crime that is the object of the conspiracy. United States v. Holte, 236 U.S. 140, 144 , 59 S. L. ed. 504, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 271; Joplin Mercantile Co. v. United States, 236 U.S. 531, 535 , 536 S., 59 L. ed. 705, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 291. Nor need it appear that all the conspirators joined in the overt act. Bannon v. United States, 156 U.S. 464, 468 , 39 S. L. ed. 494, 496, 15 Sup. Ct. Rep. 467, 9 Am. Crim. Rep. 338. A person may be guilty of conspiring, although incapable of committing the objective offense. Williamson v. United States, and United States v. Holte, supra. And a single conspiracy might have for its object the violation of two or more of the criminal laws, the substantive offenses having, perhaps, different periods of limitation. (See Joplin Mercantile Co. v. United States, 236 U.S. 531, 547 , 548 S., 59 L. ed. 705, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 291, for an instance of a conspiracy with manifold objects.)
It is at least doubtful whether the crime of concealing property belonging to the bankrupt estate from the trustee, as defined in 29b (1) of the bankruptcy act, can be perpetrated by any other than a bankrupt or one who has received a discharge as such. Counsel for defendant in error refers to 1, subdivision 19, of the act, which gives the following definition: '(9) 'Persons' [238 U.S. 78, 87] SHALL INCLUDE CORPORATIONS, EXCEPT WHERe otherwise specified, and officers, partnerships, and women, and when used with reference to the commission of acts which are herein forbidden shall include persons who are participants in the forbidden acts, and the agents, officers, and members of the board of directors or trustees, or other similar controlling bodies of corporations.' But the circuit court of appeals for the eighth circuit has held that this does not broaden the interpretation of 29b (1) and that present or past bankruptcy is an attribute of every person who may commit the offense therein denounced. Field v. United States, 69 C. C. A. 568, 137 Fed. 6. And see Kaufman v. United States, 129 C. C. A. 149, 212 Fed. 613, 617.
But, if there be doubt about this, we are not now called upon to solve it. For, as appears from what has been said, the defendants here accused include six individuals, only three of whom (not including defendant in error) were the owners of the property that was to be unlawfully concealed; and the conspiracy, as alleged in each count, was that these three, and they only, should, while bankrupt, conceal the property. Of course, an averment that the others were parties to the conspiracy is by no means equivalent to an averment that they were to participate in the substantive offense. And so we have the typical case of a conspiracy that is in every way distinct from the contemplated crime that formed its object.
Defendant in error, while conceding, for the purposes of the argument, that the conspiracy and the substantive offense are separate and distinct, insists that the question still remains whether such a conspiracy offense as is here charged 'arises under' the bankruptcy act, within the meaning of the special statute of limitations contained therein. The argument is that this bar is not by its terms limited to offenses enumerated or fully defined in the act, but extends to all offenses 'arising under' it; that without a law creating the substantive offense of [238 U.S. 78, 88] 'concealing,' etc., a conspiracy to do the acts contemplated by the present defendants would not be a crime; and hence, that it is this law, rather than the conspiracy statute, which 'gives rise' to the conspiracy offense.
The argument is ingeniously elaborated, but it has not convinced us. We deem it more reasonable to interpret 'any offense arising under this act' as limited to offenses created and defined by the same enactment. In reaching this conclusion, we have not merely had regard to the proximity of the clause to the context, but have attributed to Congress a tacit purpose-in the absence of any inconsistent expression-to maintain a long- established distinction between offenses essentially different,-a distinction whose practical importance in the criminal law is not easily overestimated.
We cannot agree that there is anything unreasonable, or inconsistent with the general policy of the bankruptcy act, in allowing a longer period for the prosecution of a conspiracy to violate one of its penal clauses than for the violation itself. For two or more to confederate and combine together to commit or cause to be committed a breach of the criminal laws is an offense of the gravest character, sometimes quite outweighing, in injury to the public, the mere commission of the contemplated crime. It involves deliberate plotting to subvert the laws, educating and preparing the conspirators for further and habitual criminal practices. And it is characterized by secrecy, rendering it difficult of detection, requiring more time for its discovery, and adding to the importance of punishing it when discovered.
United States v. Hirsch, 100 U.S. 33, 34 , 25 S. L. ed. 539, 540, is in principle quite like the case at bar. There the indictment contained four counts, of which the first and second, drawn under 5440, Rev. Stat., charged a conspiracy to defraud the United States out of the duties on certain merchandise theretofore imported and thereafter [238 U.S. 78, 89] to be imported. The other counts were drawn under 5445, and charged the entry of goods at the customhouse by fraudulent invoice and false classification. The question was as to the validity of a plea that the offenses charged had been committed more than three years before the finding of the indictment, and this turned upon whether 1044 (Comp. Stat. 1913, 1708), applied, or 1046 (Comp. Stat. 1913, 1710), which prescribed a limitation of five years for a prosecution 'for any crime arising under the revenue laws.' This court held that, with respect to the first two counts, the three-year limitation prescribed by 1044 was applicable, saying (100 U. S. p. 35): 'Specific acts which are violations of the laws made to protect the revenue may be said to be crimes arising under the revenue laws, as are those in the third and fourth counts; but a conspiracy to defraud the government, though it may be directed to the revenue as its object, is punishable by the general law against all conspiracies, and can hardly be said, in any just sense, to arise under the revenue laws.' This was said in spite of the fact, pointed out in the opinion, that 5440 was originally 30 of the act of March 2, 1867 (14 Stat. at L. 484, chap. 169, Comp. Stat. 1913, 10,201), which was a revenue law.
It is not necessary to extend the discussion. In our opinion, a conspiracy to commit an offense made criminal by the bankruptcy act is not of itself an offense 'arising under' that act within the meaning of 29d, and hence the prosecution is not limited by that section.
Judgment reversed, and the cause remanded for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.
Mr. Justice McReynolds took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
[ Footnote 1 ] Section 37 of the Criminal Code is as follows:
Sec. 37. If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such parties do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Section 29 of the bankruptcy act, so far as material, is as follows: b. A person shall be punished, by imprisonment for a period not to exceed two years, upon conviction of the offense of having knowingly and fraudulently (1) concealed while a bankrupt, or after his discharge, from his trustee any of the property belonging to his estate in bankruptcy; . . . d. A person shall not be prosecuted for any offense arising under this act unless the indictment is found or the information is filed in court within one year after the commission of the offense. Section 1044 of the Revised Statutes as amended April 13, 1876 [19 Stat. at L. 32, chap. 56, Comp. Stat. 1913, 1708], is as follows: No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense, not capital, except as provided in section one thousand and forty-six, Comp. Stat. 1913, 1710 [referring to the revenue laws] unless the indictment is found, or the information is instituted within three years next after such offense shall have been committed. But this act shall not have effect to authorize the prosecution, trial or punishment for any offense, barred by the provisions of existing laws.


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Alessandra Ambrosio in a White Bikini | Pictures
Alessandra Ambrosio Juggles Bikini Time With a Pumpkin Patch Playdate
Alessandra Ambrosio Juggles Bikini Time With a Pumpkin Patch Playdate
Alessandra Ambrosio kept busy yesterday with a bikini session in Malibu and an afternoon stop at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in West Hollywood — see all the celebrities getting into the Halloween spirit! The whole family — Alessandra, her fiancé, Jamie Mazur, and their kids, Anja and baby Noah Mazur — joined in the hunt to find the perfect pumpkin. Jamie did most of the heavy lifting while Alessandra carried Noah.
At the beach, Alessandra changed into a white bikini for a game of volleyball. She gave us a sneak peek of the fit frame that we'll see more of when this year's Victoria's Secret Holiday Fashion Show airs on Dec. 4. She'll reunite with her fellow Angels Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel, as well as musical guests Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Bruno Mars.


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Thomas Andrews, (born December 19, 1813, Belfast, Ireland—died November 26, 1885, Belfast), Irish chemist and physicist who established the concepts of critical temperature and pressure and showed that a gas will pass into the liquid state, and vice versa, without any discontinuity, or abrupt change in physical properties. He also proved that ozone is a form of oxygen.
Following studies in Britain and Paris, he received a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh (1835). He was appointed vice president of Northern College in Belfast in 1845 and helped to prepare it for its reorganization as Queen's College, Belfast (1849). He was professor of chemistry there from 1849 to 1879.


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Forged in the hard rock proving grounds of Minneapolis, MN in late 2004, 3 Pill Morning could be described as trial by fire. Simply put, music was never a question for lead vocalist Jeff Stebbins, and failure was never an option. While other musicians were moving from project to project, and band to band, Stebbins took a different path, consistently growing and evolving 3 Pill Morning from an angst ridden rap-rap-core act, into an anthemic rock band no one can deny.
It took the better part of 5 years, over 500 shows, and a hand full of member changes to finally click. Nothing would stop the evolution of 3 Pill Morning. Early on, Stebbins found a natural chemistry with guitarist Ryan Walch and he quickly became a key member of the band's core. As the pieces fell into place, the final line up came into focus with the addition of bassist Charlie McCoy and drummer Trent Laugerman. The band forged on, hitting the road, solidifying their sound, and cementing their spot as a national touring act sharing the stage with the likes of Sevendust, Framing Hanley and NonPoint. Through 3 Pill Morning's consistent mile grinding and road warrior focus, the band has built an inspiring fan base with die hard supporters nationwide.
After a chance introduction in a city better known for honky-tonks and banjos than gut-wrenching riffs, the band found a creative match with Nashville based producer Jon King (Augustana, Throwing Gravity, Future Leaders of the World) . They quickly went to work writing, recording, and re-vamping songs and ideas to take that next sonic step. In 2012 the band signed a recording contract with King's Page 2 Music and New York based A2Z Entertainment. "We were really intentional with everything this time around" comments Stebbins, "as a band we had a specific vision for what we wanted to do, and that really set the tone for everything from the writing process down to the artwork and suits we wear live".
Two months and weeks of all night recording sessions later, the band emerged from the studio with a renewed vigor and a slick concoction of fist pumping riffs, infectious melodies, and an energy that can only be described as relentless. 3 Pill Morning's label debut Black Tie Love Affair pegs all the dials and pulls no punches. The band's lead single 'Rain' immediately raced into the top 100 Active Rock songs and their sleek video capturing the underdog story 'Skin' has lit up youtube viewers worldwide. All signs are positive that this band's determination and fan-centric demeanor will keep them on the radar for years to come.


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I installed the KDE graphical interface to run alongside GNOME for my 10.10 installation. For the most part, it seems to work well, and the extra eye candy is appealing. However, there is one thing that is bugging me, and that is color inversion.
In GNOME, all I have to do is press the Win-N keys and the application window inverts colors. This is especially useful when reading text, since I find it much easier on the eyes to read white on black text.
However, this combination doesn't work in Kubuntu. Is there a hack or workaround existing so I can have this functionality in both window managers?


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Computer Classes for Adults
Registration is required.
Registration for classes begins the first of every month for the following month. (For example: Sign up begins November 1 for all December classes; January 1 for February classes, etc.)
Additional information about the classes is available by clicking on the class title.
To Register:
- Available classes are indicated with a "check box"
- Check off all classes you would like to attend
- Click Register button at the bottom of the page
- Follow the instructions to complete your registration
To Join a Waiting List:
- When the class is full a waiting list is offered and the number of people on the waiting list will be displayed in the color coded circle.
- To join the waiting list, follow the steps above for class registration.
- The day before the class, please call your local library to determine if your registration has moved up the list.
You can inquire about your class registration or cancel your registration on the Check Registration Page.
|Color key:
|- Number of Students per Class (Class Size)
|- Number of Registered Students
|- Number of Students on Waiting List


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Windows Registry
From ForensicsWiki
Revision as of 23:52, 4 April 2012 by Hydrocloricacid (Talk | contribs) (adding Forensic Registry EDitor (fred))
File Locations
The Windows Registry is stored in multiple files.
Windows NT 4
In Windows NT 4 (and later) the Registry is stored in the Windows NT Registry File (REGF) format.
Basically the following Registry hives are stored in the corresponding files:
- HKEY_USERS: \Documents and Setting\User Profile\NTUSER.DAT
- HKEY_USERS/DEFAULT: \Windows\system32\config\default
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SAM: \Windows\system32\config\SAM
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SECURITY: \Windows\system32\config\SECURITY
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE: \Windows\system32\config\software
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM: \Windows\system32\config\system
Windows 98/ME
- \Windows\user.dat
- \Windows\system.dat
- \Windows\profiles\user profile\user.dat
Open Source
- Forensic Registry EDitor (fred) - "Forensic Registry EDitor (fred) is a cross-platform M$ registry hive editor" by Gillen Dan
- reglookup — "small command line utility for reading and querying Windows NT-based registries."
- regviewer — a tool for looking at the registry.
- RegRipper — "the fastest, easiest, and best tool for registry analysis in forensics examinations."
- Parse::Win32Registry Perl module.
- python-registry Python module.
- Registry Decoder offline analysis component, by Andrew Case
- RegDecoderLive live hive acquisition component, by Andrew Case
- Yet Another Registry Utility (yaru) Free tool that can be run on Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X. If run in admin mode, allows viewing of registry hives on live system.
- Windows ShellBag Parser Free tool that can be run on Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X.
- Abexo Free Regisry Cleaner
- Auslogics Registry Defrag
- Alien Registry Viewer
- NT Registry Optimizer
- iExpert Software-Free Registry Defrag
- Registry Undelete (russian)
- Windows Registry Recovery
- Registry Tool
- Using ShellBag Information to Reconstruct User Activities., Yuandong Zhu*, Pavel Gladyshev, Joshua James, DFRWS 2009
- Recovering Deleted Data From the Windows Registry. Timothy Morgan, DFRWS 2008 [paper] [slides]
- Registry Examination, by Paul Davies
- Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry in Memory, Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, DFRWS 2008 [slides]
- Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry, Peter Davies, Computer Forensics: Coursework 2 (student paper)
- A Windows Registry Quick-Reference, Derrick Farmer, Burlington, VT.
- The Windows Registry as a forensic resource, Digital Investigation, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2005, Pages 201--205.
- Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry, Lih Wern Wong , School of Computer and Information Science, Edith Cowan University
- The Windows NT Registry File Format, Timothy D. Morgan
See Also
- Windows Incident Response Articles on Registry
- Windows Registry Information
- Wikipedia Article on Windows Registry
- Push the Red Button — Articles on Registry
- Windows Forensics Mailing List
- kregedit - a KDE utility for viewing and editing registry files.
- ntreg a file system driver for linux, which understands the NT registry file format.
- Security Accounts Manager
- http://www.opensourceforensics.org/tools/unix.html - Open Source Forensic Tools on Brian Carrier's website.


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Need Inspiration for Christmas?My lovely friends and watchers,
Christmas is coming soon. I love it, it´s a wonderful atmosphere, I love the german christmasmarkets, we have an trditional one here in Frankfurt, I like to drink "Glühwein" and to eat all sorts of sweets You can see a Video from it below. I´m in real Christmas mood after making this feature. Hope you after looking, too
We :iconcd-stock: :iconevelivesey: :iconybsilon-stock plan a wonderful Contest with a lot of prizes (points, exclusive-stocks, features) So please participate in our first combined contest with a wonderful Winter/Christmas Theme. We will start in December and the announcment is coming soon. So stayed tuned . If you like to donate something, you are so welcome, everthing is welcome (exclusive-stockpacks or a feature). :iconsanta-glompplz: :iconsantalaplz:
:iconchristmascandyplz: :iconsparklesplz: :iconsparklesplz: :iconch


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Happy Hallowomp: A Dubstep Celebration
So Halloween's on a Monday this year, which is kind of a bummer, but that's no excuse not to have a good time. Here's a few songs to help you guys get your Hallowomp on.
DJ Bahler – Get Some Brain || Download
Sampling Halloween, The Legend of Zelda, Designer Drugs, and the Bloody Beetroots among others, Bahler throws Three 6's classic "I'd Rather" acapella to make a crazy Halloween fueled womper. Spooky sample at the beginning, digging it.
Michael Jackson – Thriller (Aylen Remix) || Download
I posted some Aylen the other day, and he just dropped this new one for Halloween. With a crazy, pounding bass line, Aylen mixes just the right amount of high notes from Thriller to make a certifiable club anthem. He just throws down on this song, Aylen's got crazy potential.
Ghostbusters – Ghostbuster Theme (Mikro Housebrothers VIP Mix) || Download
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters. Everyone loves that shit. Womp.
Urban Assault – Halloween || Download
That piano riff from Halloween scares me to death whenever I hear it. Like, to a strange extent. Gives the heebie jeebies know what I'm sayin? Urban Assault throws some ridiculous drums and synth into this mix and just goes ham.
Beetlejuice – Beetlejuice Theme (Figure Drumstep Mix) || Download
The fact that someone made a dubstep (or "drumstep") remix of Beetlejuice is hilarious to me. Figure goes all out with the wobbles on this one, using a lot of cool samples from Beetlejuice that remind me of watching that movie back in the day.
Dream Big
D Prep || Follow on Twitter


text: Back on the road: Traffic on a 10-mile stretch of I-405 in Los Angeles started flowing on Sunday, nearly a day earlier than planned. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images The Two-Way 'Carmageddon' Isn't The End Of The World July 18, 2011 Much like The Rapture that didn't happen on May 21, the much-publicized "Carmageddon" in Los Angeles over this past weekend seems to been much ado about nothing. But be warned: It's all going to happen again next summer. "Carmaggedon II," anyone?


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Making art from men's neckties
Labels: art
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Maramures is all that, a starkly conservative culture that survived the communist era by withdrawing into a domestic fortress of folk ritual and custom, rendered virtually impenetrable to outsiders by a lucky combo of wretchedly bad roads, a thick dialect, a tradition of class and economy based on barter rather than cash, and the inability of visitors to live for months on end on nothing but corn meal mush mamaliga and sheep cheese. But change has definitely come to Maramures. Since Romania entered the EU in 2007, Romanians have gone abroad in droves to work in agriculture and construction in countries like Italy, Spain and France. The local mountaineers – Morosani in the local dialect – have an international reputation as hard workers, earned by farming the poor soils of the Carpathians where it takes double the work to produce half the potatoes of any other region. The money they sent home is evident in the building of new homes and the sprouting of new small businesses in villages that used to have nothing but a bar and a general store (usually in the same location.)Add to that the growth of a well developed agro tourism industry and one can feel the sea change in the local culture. Maramures is heart-stoppingly picturesque, and and until recently only the most adventurous tourist would cross the mountain passes to visit, but about a decade ago the region became a magnet for French eco-tourists and one transplanted Frenchman, Bernhard Houlihat (now the director of the Institute Francaise in Cluj) began working locally with village mayors and peasants to set up a network of local homes that could accommodate the flood of tourists.The results are an open secret to informed tourists: where else can you stay and be fed for about EU 25 a day? Agrotourism pensions have sprouted everywhere in Marsamures. For a culture that, until very recently, lived on almost no cash the sight of tourists is welcome indeed. We stayed at the home of a fiddler I had met previously in the village of Poenile Izei named Ion Ilieş, well known as a musician by the name of Ion de la Cruce.For no extra charge, Ion also gets dressed up in his local folk costume, calls over a neighbor to play the zungora (the local version of a cross tuned guitar) and presents an after dinner fiddle party with his wife singing and pouring out copious shots of the local home brew. Thinking of making fun of the funny little hats? Don't. The "clop" is a symbol of Maramures male identity, and until about a decade ago it was still everyday wear for huge, beefy, easily antagonized truck drivers and lumberjacks. No, you do not make fun of the funny hats around here. Ion's house has been set up with spotlessly clean guest rooms and modern bathrooms, and his wife cooks local Maramures food from the produce of Ion's own farm and animals.Now, I have been on a pretty stern diet for the last half year, but there was no way I was going to refuse my host's meals. No. I did not eat the cute bunnies. I wanted to - cuteness always tastes good - but my hosts had other things in mind. Pancakes. Donuts. Fried bread. All the things I have avoided for the last half year. And you know what? Carbohydrates taste really, really good. After a half year of nibbling on the occasional Wasa rye cracker I got to wake up to this.Home made clatita (thin pancakes) served with home made plum jam. Everything was served with fried bread, called placinta, which was like a Hungarian langos but less greasy and filled with a light cheese, green onion and dill mixture (just to add to the confusion, in Hungarian the pancakes would be called palacsinta.)Later there would be dinner of ciorba de perisoare (sour soup with meatballs) and the ever present mamaliga. Mamaliga is one of my favorite foods, often described a "polenta" but in fact much more robust and filling. My father grew up eating this during the depression in the USA, when my Moldavian born Grandmother had to feed four kids while my Grandfather was ill and unable to work. We called it "Jewish cement."The Romanian version here is usually layered with cheese and fried bacon bits, it is something I dreamed about and will probably obsess about while I go back on my weight loss regimen, but I am glad I got to slake my hunger on a bowl nevertheless. But wait! There is oh so much more! Homemade donuts! Yes!Called pancovi in Maramures, gogoaşa in most of Romania, these were just what the diet doctor did not order. You could split one open and fill it with a spoonful of jam or just eat them plain, cramming them into my mouth as fast as my greedy hands could manage. For months I had been dreaming about donuts, waiting for a visit to Cluj, Transylvania's capital city, to get my hands on a Gogoasa Infuriata ("The Angry Donut") at the city's signature donut stand, only to find that my beloved Cluj donut has disappeared. Either gone out of business or going into some kind of franchise hell, I considered myself lucky to jump on a donut feast in Maramures rather than pin all my hopes on the now lost fried dough of the lowlands. Of course, all this eating can create a thirst. In Maramures, this is easily solved by drinking horinca – which astute readers will know from the URL of this very same blog. Horinca, the nectar of the Gods, or at least of their Romanian speaking lumberjacks and shepherds is thrice distilled fruit brandy. Ţuica is single distilled, palinka is brandy that has gone through the still twice, but horinca cashes in well over the 100 proof mark and is usually so clear and pure that it is more like fruit vodka than brandy. Which means less of a hangover to worry about, a good thing since the Morosani here drink quite a lot of the stuff on a very regular basis, poured fresh into the ubiquitous plastic Coca Cola bottles from two gallon plastic jugs.Most homes make their own from their own fruit trees, although by EU laws they are supposed to have it distilled for them in a village EU designated still. I had promised Fumie a bottle of horinca (with strict instruction by her not to accept any inferior twice distilled palinka) and had let it slip my mind until we were actually on the road out of Maramures. I asked Jake to stop in the village of Sacel, where there is a weekly market, and walked around looking for a suitable underground moonshine contact. Walking up to a big Maramures peasant guy selling axes and other lumberjack tools, I asked if he know where we could get any horinca. "Yes. From me." Five minutes later his wife was pouring 110 proof goodness out of a blue plastic vat into one liter cola bottles.So if you haven't made any summer plans for travel, consider Maramures. Heading into Maramures is best done by car, but there are now a lot more village bus services that can get you from the main town of Sighet Marmatei and into the countryside on a regular schedule. Just about every village offers "cazare" (accommodation) in both official guest houses as well as in regular village family homes. Certain web sites such as can make reservations for you, but I actually just called Ion from the outdated website that started the rural tourism business, and got his information right here.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Asa bea' oamenii buni: How the Good Folk Drink
6 comments:
- Ivan said...
Great post. We were there in 2007 and loved it. Now I know the differeces in the homemade hooch. Noone had explained it quite so right before.
- Richard said...
I love this post. You have a great way to write about genuine.
- Gadjo Dilo said...
Oh yes indeed, Maramures is quite the nicest place to take a holiday :-) Have you been on the mocanita? And have you heard the violinist from Oas, Joachim Fat? Sometimes plays with Grupa de Iza (I think they're called). Quite quite excellent, in the tradition of Fratii Petreus (though he doesn't seem to have made it to YouTube yet).
By the way, Dumne, I'll be going to Mera tomorrow for their annual village day; it should be a lovely day out, with some prime gulyás, and I expect I'll meet some of Feri Bacsi's family who'll be asking after you :-)
- Geny said...
Thank you, you have a wonderful way of describing it! I'm going back this summer, and I can't wait! Is there any festival/folk event you know about at the beginning of August?
- rental mobil said...
Very nice, thanks for sharing.
- jaring bangunan said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.


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Polish Speaking Team Secretary / PA
- Location
- England, London
- Salary
- £25000 - £35000 per annum
- Posted
- 11 Jan 2019
- Closes
- 17 Jan 2019
- Ref
- Contact
- Language Matters
- Job Title
- Secretary
- Industry Sector
- Medical / Healthcare, Public Sector
- Contract Type
- Contract
- Hours
- Full Time
My client, a large EU organisation based in a brand new office in Canary Wharf, are looking for a Bilingual Polish Speaking Team Secretary/PA to join them in a long term temporary role.
This is a rare opportunity to join an EU Institution that provides a truly international working environment where everyone is passionate about public health.
You will be supporting a team of scientific staff with their administrative work and duties will include:
- Drafting, formatting, circulating and proofreading large, complex documents
- Dealing with internal and external enquiries
- Organising meetings
- Taking minutes at meetings
- Liaising with delegates and stakeholders
- Travel and Diary management
- Preparing reports
- Providing the team with full secretarial support
- Proven international secretarial experience as a PA, Team Assistant, Administrator or Secretary
- Proven experience working within a healthcare, scientific, governmental, pharmaceutical or regulatory environment
- Excellent document formatting skills
- Advanced MS Office skills
- Fluency in English and Polish
- Ability to cope with a demanding workload to strict deadlines
- Experience of working in a multicultural environment
- Immediate availability
Fluency in English and at least one other EU language -Spanish, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian, English, French, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Slovakian, Finnish, Swedish, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Norwegian, Icelandic
To apply, please send your CV in Word format to Jessica Lara. If you have applied for any other languagematters vacancy there is no need to re-apply, as your CV will be considered for all vacancies that match your language skills and work experience.
We work constantly to provide equal opportunities for all, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, disability or sexuality.
NB: Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK or hold a valid work permit. Please note that we contact successful candidates within 3-4 working days. Language Matters is acting as an employment business in relation to this vacancy.
Not what you're looking for? Get headhunted for relevant jobs.
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I'm a freelancer based in New York City, with clients all around the world.
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Rio de Janeiro State in detail
Accessible Travel
Wheelchair users don't have an easy time in Brazil, but in the large cities there is a concerted effort to keep people mobile. Problems you'll encounter include immensely crowded public buses, and restaurants with entrance steps. It pays to plan your trip through contact with some of the relevant organizations.
Rio is probably the most accessible city in Brazil for travelers with disabilities to get around in, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. The metro system has electronic wheelchair lifts, but these aren't always operational. The streets and sidewalks along the main beaches have curb cuts and are wheelchair accessible, but most other areas do not have cuts. For transport around Rio, contact Especial Coop Taxi. In São Paulo, contact the the government's Central de Atendimento do Táxi Acessível (11 3740-5544).
Most newer hotels have wheelchair-accessible rooms, and some cable TV is closed captioned.
Useful Organizations
Turismo Adaptado (www.turismoadaptado.com.br) São Paulo–based travel agent specializing in accessible tours and itineraries.
Centro de Vida Independente Can provide advice for those with disabilities about travel in Brazil.
Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality Resource for travelers with disabilities. Another website to check out is www.access-able.com.


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On the eve of March Madness, we could do something creative like pit clothing items against each other in a fantasy tournament for style supremacy. (Our money would be on the Tennessee Raw Denims. Or maybe the Michigan Wolverine Boots.) But corny jokes aside, we'd rather just remind you to get your college basketball predictions in order, because brackets are due tomorrow (Thursday, 3/21) by 12:15 EST.
While betting actual US currency amongst your friends, family, and office frenemies is of dubious legality, wagering for a year's worth of bragging rights is not. And, despite our better judgment (because it will reduce our own chances of winning), we'll also encourage you to visit our friends at Shipley & Halmos, where you can enter their March Mayhem Challenge for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree.
Below are a few classic photos of college players to inspire you while you ponder your bracket picks. Good luck, and may the best team win. (We'll be pulling for home-state heroes Gonzaga. Go Zags.)
Michael Jordan
Charles Barkley
Jerry Lucas
Larry Johnson
Oscar Robertson
Allen Iverson
Julius Erving, aka Dr. J
Clyde Drexler
Lew Alcindor (before he was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
"Pistol" Pete Maravich
David Robinson
Artis Gilmore
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Patrick Ewing
Wilt Chamberlain
Michigan's infamous "Fab Five":
Ray Jackson, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King.
…And fill out your bracket, invite friends to compete and more at ESPN.com.
[First photo: Earvin 'Magic' Johnson vs. Larry Bird in the 1979 Championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State, by James Drake via Sports Illustrated. Remaining photos via GQ.com, except Michael Jordan via, Larry Johnson via, Allen Iverson via, David Robinson via, Patrick Ewing via, Michigan Fab Five via. Individuals pictured do not endorse Nordstrom.]


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Find hotels & motels in Winfield using the list below. Find discounted hotel accommodations in or close to Winfield, IL for your personal leisure or group travel. Explore the most favored Winfield, Illinois hotel and motel rooms. Browse the Winfield area hotels to find the perfect lodging! Please use the provided map of the Winfield hotels.
The Winfield center is around the area of Central Dupage Hospital and 5 miles southwest of Stratford Square Mall.
How should we direct your call?


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Next Gallery
Los Angeles Angels -- with two ex-Marlins on the field -- throw no-hitter after death of teammate Tyler Skaggs | PHOTOSLos Angeles Angels -- with two ex-Marlins on the field -- throw no-hitter after death of teammate Tyler Skaggs | PHOTOS
Marlins All-Stars through the years | PHOTOSRighty Sandy Alcantara became the 31st player named to the All-Star Game while a member of the Marlins. Here are the Marlins' all-time All-Star picks, with multiple-selection players listed first:
Featured Photos
- Talento is one of the new Italian reataurants on Las Olas | PHOTOSTalento restaurant is one of three new Italian restaurants on Las Olas Boulevard, Talento Restaurant (which opened in June), Tuscan Prime (which opened in May) and Piazza Italia (which opened earlier this year). Each offers similar menus of pastas, steaks, veal, seafood with slight variations.
- See the latest CBD products available | PHOTOSVendors, buyers, and industry experts gather at the USA CBD Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It is the largest expo of its type in the country with thousands of vendors displaying their newest products.
- Check out these hunks in trunks at Bruthaz LGBTQ eventThe LGBTQ summer event Miami Beach Bruthaz moved to Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors this year. The four days of partying July 18-21 included a men's swimwear fashion show at the Grand Resort and Spa on Fort Lauderdale beach.
- New splash park opens at Lion Country Safari | PHOTOSSafari Falls Splash Park, Lion Country Safari's newest water attraction, covers over 10,000 square feet, with interactive elements, including water cannons, water slides and a 550-gallon dump bucket.
- Shawn Mendes at American Airlines Arena | PHOTOSShawn Mendes sells out American Airlines Arena. Alessia Cara opens for Mendes.
- Mixology Ice is taking ice to another level | PHOTOSMixology Ice in Hialeah, makes and supplies so-called "clear ice," a fancier version of ice that melts slower, has no impurities and resembles clear glass. It's used in high-end cocktail drinks, and Mixology Ice has big clients who use this fancy ice, from the Broken Shaker in Miami Beach to the Breakers in West Palm. Some of the ice cubes are infused with edible flowers and fruit.


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A US university which is storing an oral history of the Northern Ireland Troubles - part of which was relied upon by police to quiz Gerry Adams about an IRA murder - could be sued by former paramilitary prisoners.
Last year the PSNI won a legal battle to force Boston College to hand over sections of the archive that related to the killing of Belfast mother-of-10 Jean McConville.
Former IRA prisoner Richard O'Rawe is among more than 40 people active during the conflict who gave interviews to the college on the understanding that accounts would not be released without their permission or until after their deaths. That undertaking was undermined by the US court ruling.
O'Rawe's solicitor Kevin Winters said he had suffered intimidation following recent events. Graffiti appeared in Belfast following the Sinn Fein president's arrest aimed at those who gave interviews to Boston College.
Mr Winters confirmed: "We will issue a letter of claim setting out the case and about 14 days later we will issue a writ."
Mrs McConville, a 37-year-old widow, was dragged, screaming, away from her children in the Divis flats in west Belfast by a gang of up to 12 men and women after being wrongly accused of informing to the security forces.
She was interrogated, shot in the back of the head and then secretly buried - becoming one of the "Disappeared" victims of the Troubles. Her body was not found until 2003 on a beach in Co Louth, 50 miles from her home.
After his release from custody without charge following four days of questioning, Mr Adams claimed that most of the evidence detectives presented to him was based on allegations levelled by interviewees who had given accounts to the oral project.
Former IRA members Brendan Hughes and Dolours Price, both now dead, claimed in the tapes that Mr Adams had a role in ordering the murder of Mrs McConville in 1972.
Mr Adams, 65, vehemently denies any involvement in the crime or that he was ever a member of the IRA.
Of more than 80 interviews contained in the Boston College archive, the court decision saw police obtain sections of 11 tapes.
Amid concerns about the status of the remaining interviews, the college has now indicated its willingness to hand back the tapes to those who were interviewed.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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I found it cool that Cara finally stepped up and told Jaime to shut up
Quote from: cdfe88 on April 27, 2009, 05:23:57 AMI found it cool that Cara finally stepped up and told Jaime to shut up cdfe88, that's only for one small part of one episode. Since it will be a major issue next week, do you expect Cara to step up again?
just finished watching tonight's Beijing episode... and the cheerleaders had me ROFLMAO. from the foot massage torture... to the snide remarks... to the breathless race to the (fake) pitstop only to find out it's a TBC... priceless! These two should have a show of their own. If BVM doesn't submit this episode for Emmy consideration, then he's insane. BEST EPISODE EVER!!!! Hat's off to the editors... they really made this a great show. They are true masters of their craft.
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Microsoft engineered Windows Phone to be social and communicative from the get go, with Windows Phone 8 they have pushed that concept even further. Aside from Rooms, Emails, Text Messages and Social networks there are other ways to chat with your friends. One of those ways it to use the free IM app called WhatsApp, a messaging platform that has gained fairly widespread adoption.
We reported a few days ago on an imminent update and good news is that they have just pushed out version 2.8.10 onto the Windows Phone Store. This will update existing Windows Phone 7.x devices whilst also bringing Windows Phone 8 compatibility to the table.
In case you haven't heard of WhatsApp here is what they say about their app:
"WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Noki9a and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends.
In addition to basic messaging WhatsApp users can create groups, send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages."
So WhatsNew in WhatsApp? Aside from the fact it now works on Windows Phone 8 devices we're not seeing any big changes. Upon installing onto a a device here everything looks very much as we'd expect, setup on a Windows Phone 8 handset was normal and no new options are present. In fact the version on Windows Phone 7 is actually 2.8.8 so this is a very minor update.
We're glad to see the app has been updated to support Windows Phone 8, we only wish that notifications and the integration of these types of apps could be improved. It would be great to see the messaging hub allow for deeper integration of other messaging platforms and better background persistence. For now the app will endeavour to push notifications for messages via the normal route which is fairly reliable.
Grab the update or download it fresh from the Windows Phone Store or scan the QR code below.
We'd like to hear from you if you notice anything new or simply have something to say about this IM app. Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks jgreen_0515 for the tip!!


text: Before you fork over the big bucks for high-ticket software titles, it usually makes sense to check for alternatives. A quick look at what's available from the open source community can often reveal a hidden gem in a sea of costly closed apps. They might not always be free, but open source solutions often are, and sometimes they do more than the real McCoy. Here's a look at 10 open source products, any one of which might help save some time, some cash or both.


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Study: In-Store Marketing Guides Most Purchase Decisions
Nearly one in six brand purchases are made when a display with that brand is present in store.
Big news for those who print P-O-P and other types of retail displays: A recent study conducted by the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) indicates that 76% of purchase decisions are made in store.
POPAI's 2012 Shopper Engagement Study used EEG, eye-tracking technology, and in-store shopper interviews to arrive at that figure. According to POPAI, nearly one in six brand purchases are made when a display with that brand is present in store. POPAI also notes that effective marketing captures buyers' valuable attention and, in doing so, converts that interest into purchases.
Published findings report that 13% of eye fixations were made on in-store displays; 66% of all observed grabs resulted in a purchase, which POPAI says underscores the importance of capturing the shoppers' attention and getting them engaged with the product.
The study involved the use of auditors who took inventory of in-store display materials present in each store each morning prior to the start of interviewing. Data included display type, location, placement, other variables, category and brand the display is advertising, static vs. motion, product vs. no product, whether it is interactive or not, and whether it has video or audio.
"Even as other emerging mediums and technologies alter the path to purchase landscape, this study underscores the importance of planning the in-store experience to win over shoppers where it matters most—the point of purchase," says Richard Winter, president of POPAI.
For more information about the study, or to view complete findings, visit www.popai.com/engage.


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The wonderful freedom of speech enjoyed more in our nation than anywhere else cannot be allowed to obscure the fact that some historical certainties are not debatable.
To put these absolute certainties up for debate, as if what happened was a matter of words and the rhetoric made from them rather than undeniable actions, is to make a mockery of people's real lives and their witness to history.
In our time, the greatest human tragedy has been the Holocaust, the pogrom against the Jewish people — as well as against homosexuals, Romas and others — engineered by Nazi Germany that killed 6 million Jews in Germany and throughout Eastern Europe before and during World War II.
There isn't any question about this. In nations with less of a commitment to free speech than ours, that's why Holocaust denial is literally a crime.
Heinous libel that it is, it will never be a crime here. But that doesn't mean that practicing Holocaust denial as a rhetorical exercise in, say, an eighth-grade writing class is anything but an abomination.
But that very assignment was made to eighth-graders in the Rialto Unified School District. It's the latest debacle in a district that is increasingly out of control, and it can't be ignored or apologized away. The end result of an investigation into the assignment needs to be not wrist-slapping but the resignation or firing of every teacher and administrator involved. Then there will be no denying that RUSD's management ranks have been properly purged.
The story, as exclusively reported by the Los Angeles News Group's Beau Yarbrough: Eighth-graders in the district, appropriately learning argumentative writing, were instructed: "When tragic events occur in history, there is often debate about their actual existence, For example, some people claim the Holocaust is not an actual historical event, but instead is a propaganda tool that was used for political and monetary gain."
Uh, sure. And "some people" claim that the moon landing in 1969 was staged by NASA on a Hollywood backlot. Because there are paranoid crazies extant in this world, does that mean our schools need to give their views credence?
The language of the instructions to students is especially troubling and increasingly perverse. Students are then told to craft an essay "in which you explain whether or not you believe the Holocaust was an actual event in history, or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain."
"Scheme," "public emotion," "gain"? Could Rialto have come up with words more calculatingly straight from the worldwide anti-Semitic playbook?
Rather than reacting with indignation, administrators and elected officials actually defended it. School board member Joe Martinez called the debate a "thought process" that "creates the foundation for a good education. The progression is within district board policy and also supports the district's student-inspired motto: 'Today's Scholars, Tomorrow's Leaders.'"
There is no moral relativism possible about killing 6 million souls. Two school board members facing recall, a former accountant charged with embezzling nearly $2 million in lunch money, top officials acknowledging risk management and business services documents have been destroyed without authorization, and now this? Rialto must be rebuilt from top to bottom in order to survive.


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The Inn at Rose Harbor (Hardcover)
Ballantine Books, 9780345528926, 352pp.
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Other Editions of This Title:
Digital Audiobook (8/13/2012)
Mass Market (7/30/2013)
CD-Audio (4/8/2014)
Paperback (3/25/2014)
Paperback, Large Print (8/14/2012)
Compact Disc (8/14/2012)
Paperback (6/5/2018)
Paperback (8/1/2012)
Pre-Recorded Audio Player (8/14/2012)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes the first book in a new series set in the beloved Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove.
Also from Debbie Macomber: watch the new original series Cedar Cove on Hallmark Channel, Saturdays at 8:00/7:00c, starting July 20.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.
Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.
Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua's high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it's least expected.
The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother's wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn't come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.
A touching novel of life's grand possibilities and the heart's ability to heal, The Inn at Rose Harbor is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.
About the Author
Praise For The Inn at Rose Harbor…
"No one tugs at readers' heartstrings quite as effectively as [Debbie] Macomber."—Chicago Tribune
"Debbie Macomber is the reigning queen of women's fiction."—The Sacramento Bee
"Charming . . . warm and serene . . . a wonderful novel."—Bookreporter
"An appealing milieu of townspeople and visitors."—The Seattle Times
"[An] emotionally charged romance."—Kirkus Reviews


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The European Central Bank can not compensate for a lack of capital in the banking system, or for a lack of reforms by euro zone governments, ECB President Mario Draghi said at a press conference on Thursday. "The buck does not stop with the ECB," he said.
Draghi said the central bank would keep monetary policy accommodative "for as long as needed", after the ECB announced it would keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.75 percent.


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Hi Cubic
I have been running one of your jelly tanks for about 3 months now and I thought it was about time I posted some pictures so here we go!
The jellies have been doing well and the only change I would recommend making is adding a air bubbler to the back of the tanks the same as Spomgebob has done in his/her thread. I did this to and it made a world of differerence to the health of the jellies


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Looks like you are using an old version of Internet Explorer - Please update your browser
All facts are created facts which can be properly understood only when given the interpretation the Creator intends; as such, all facts demonstrate the truth of Christianity.
Here then is how the presuppositional (transcendental) method of defending the faith would proceed once the preliminary discussions and clarifications have taken place with the unbeliever.
Apologetics is no mere matter of "intellectual jousting"; it is a serious matter of life and death—eternal life and death.
It is one of those embarrassing historical ironies that modern science could not have arisen except in the atmosphere of a Christian world-and-life view.
No results found in .
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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Housing AccommodationsPage address: https://www.mnsu.edu/access/current/accommodations/housing.html
Requesting Accommodations in the Residence Halls
In compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Minnesota State University, Mankato students with documented disabilities may request special housing accommodations. These requests will be evaluated within the context of current housing policies, students' needs, and available facilities.
In addition to submitting an on campus Housing Application and $250 prepayment to the Department of Residential Life, students desiring housing accommodations for disability related needs should have their health care provider or another appropriate evaluating professional complete the [DOC] Health Care Form for Students Requesting Housing Accommodations. (303 KiB)The completed form should be returned via fax (507.389.1199) or mail to Accessibility Resources (Memorial Library 132).
The Accessibility Resources Director works closely with The Department of Residential Life to accommodate students with housing needs as they relate to their disability. For full consideration, requests for special accommodations based on medical need must be received by:
· May 15th for housing beginning Fall Semester
· December 1 for housing beginning Spring Semester
· April 1 for Summer Session housing


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Since the 19th century, Mount Vernon has been a top destination for intellectual and cultural stimulation within the city. Located a few blocks from the financial district and 10 blocks from the , residents and visitors seek solace in its gardens, fountains, fine architecture and museums.
| The Walters Art Museum helps make Mount Vernon Baltimore's Cultural Center. (Photo by Jessica M. Garrett, Special to SunSpot)
Mount Vernon has attracted Hollywood crews and luminaries from around the globe. Francis Scott Key died here. F. Scott Fitzgerald drank here. Mother Teresa prayed here. When Key had pneumonia, his daughter Lizzie took care of him at her mansion until his death. Lizzie was one of Mount Vernon's first residents; her father-in-law was Colonel John Eager Howard, a Revolutionary War hero, Maryland governor and U.S. senator who owned the land that is now Mount Vernon. The 700-acre property was then called Howard's Woods.
When the citizens of Baltimore wanted to build a monument for George Washington, Howard donated land from his woods as a tribute site. He died one year before its completion in 1829. After the public gardens were finished in 1931, Howard's family divided the woods surrounding the monuments into lots. The new development was named Mount Vernon. Lots were purchased by wealthy residents who wanted to escape the heat and pollution of the city. They built mansions, attended important meetings and held society balls. Charles Howard, the son of John Eager Howard, built the first mansion with a view of the monument.
A monumental tour
| It's a winding trip up 228 narrow steps to the top of the Washington Monument, but the views are worth it. (Photo by Jessica M. Garrett, Special to SunSpot)
After you descend the monument's narrow staircase, you may be interested in exploring more of the neighborhood's architecture. To see a Mount Vernon mansion, visit the Hackerman House, now a part of the Walters Art Museum. The house features an impressive collection of Asian art and has a spectacular view of the monument and surrounding gardens.
Another house not to be missed is the , owned by the Engineering Society of Baltimore. This 40-room mansion was once the place for elite parties hosted by socialite Mary Frick Garrett Jacobs, who married the heir to the B&O Railroad fortune. Now, the mansion hosts a variety of soirees, including wedding receptions and private parties. Brad Pitt dangled Bruce Willis over the railing of its spiral staircase in "12 Monkeys." Scenes from "Accidental Tourist," "Diner," "Her Alibi," "Clara's Heart" and "The Bedroom Window" were also filmed here. Tours are by appointment only and require a group larger than 10.
With five tiers of carefully preserved books that rise to the skylight above a black-and-white tiled floor, the combines the serenity of a great cathedral with the style of an M.C. Escher drawing. When you enter the library, you get the impression you are in a place of worship, reverence and great beauty. H.L. Mencken often reserved a table here, as the library is open to the public.
| A statue of George Peabody, the namesake of the cathedral-like library that was a favorite of H.L. Mencken. (Photo by Jessica M. Garrett, Special to SunSpot)
Walking along Charles Street, you'll find a large selection of ethnic restaurants ranging from Nepalese to Japanese. , an Afghani restaurant known for its baby pumpkin appetizer, is one of Baltimore's best. Menu items are inexpensive and the service, food and wine list are top-notch. , a restaurant with a counter and a few tables, is a unique place to quickly grab no-fuss Thai food. If you're in the mood for American food, offers fulfilling sandwiches and gourmet cafe fare. For upscale dining, is a Baltimore tradition.
and are two of the best places to share a drink with friends. Go to The Brewer's Art for a "Resurrection Ale" microbrew made on the premises. If you prefer a "Heavenly" martini, go to the Red Maple. Another popular neighborhood hangout is the . You can drink a domestic beer, play darts and drop your peanut shells on the first floor, then go upstairs to to enjoy contemporary art and good wine.
| In addition to drinks, you get a great view of the city from the 13th floor of the Belvedere Hotel. (Photo by Jessica M. Garrett, Special to SunSpot)
Along with restaurants and nightclubs, Charles Street boasts some of the best and most diverse shopping in Baltimore. Although many of the boutiques are pricey, it's still an adventure to explore what's new and what's not. is the best place to buy reasonably priced vintage clothes. and have impressive collections of modern furniture. specializes in classical and jazz CDs. The has original vintage prints and paintings from Baltimore and around the country. is a smaller gallery with select contemporary paintings.
| Nouveau sets up displays of its furniture, like with this green chair, to give customers ideas. (Photo by Jessica M. Garrett, Special to SunSpot)
Mount Vernon's strong sense of history has helped create a culturally diverse neighborhood. With contemporary plays, fine art, classical and jazz concerts and 1st Thursday events, there is an activity to satisfy most interests. It may be difficult to do it all in one day, but the neighborhood will make you want to keep coming back to appreciate all it has to offer.


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The Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the area's largest hotel, will be put up for public auction next week as its lender seeks to recoup about $113.7 million owed on the property.
DAYTONA BEACH — The Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the area's largest hotel, will be put up for public auction next week as its lenders seek to recoup about $113.7 million owed on the property.
A circuit judge issued a foreclosure judgment late last month in favor of U.S. Bank, the trustee for the property's lenders against the owners of the 744-room hotel. LNR Partners, the special servicer acting on behalf of U.S. Bank has set an online auction for July 31 at 11 a.m. to try to sell the hotel property at 100 N. Atlantic Ave. for $113.7 million.
That's far more than the hotel's assessed value of $43.5 million on the Volusia County Property Appraiser's website.
Jason Reader, the Hilton's general manager, said he expects that "business-wise everything stays the same" and a new ownership group will take over the property. The Hilton is on pace to have its best year ever in terms of room occupancies and revenues, he said. The hotel employs between 400 and 500 workers.
Several local officials said the foreclosure judgment could actually be a blessing for the hotel by freeing it from its "huge mortgage."
Reader said he expects his company, Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group, to continue to manage the hotel, barring the possibility that a surprise party steps forward to make an "astronomical bid." Pyramid would retain its minority ownership of the property, but with U.S. Bank or some other entity as the hotel's majority owner, as opposed to former majority owner General Electric Asset Management.
"What it really does," Reader said of the foreclosure judgment, "is it gives Pyramid a chance to find another capital partner" with the ability to make a much-needed major investment to upgrade and modernize the hotel.
He added that his company is continuing to make plans to begin a major renovation of the hotel in the fall of 2014 that he estimates will be in the range of $20 million.
Local industry watchers agreed that it is unlikely a bidder would emerge willing to pay the bank's asking price.
"It's actually good news for the property and it's good news for Daytona because it clears the way for a new investor to come in and invest in the property," without being saddled with the enormous mortgage held by General Electric, said Volusia County Councilman Doug Daniels.
General Electric paid $142 million to acquire the hotel in October 2007, according to Volusia County property records.
"It would be very unlikely for someone to come in and make an investment on a property with a huge mortgage against it," added Daniels, a local attorney who in the past has done work for the Hilton, but no longer represents the hotel. He recently was hired to become a consultant to the city on efforts to create a beachside entertainment zone, or e-zone, in the area that includes the Hilton.
Jeffrey Hentz, president and chief executive officer of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, offered a similar assessment.
"Even though it may look like a negative, it may actually be a real positive," he said, adding the foreclosure was "necessary to get them (the hotel) healthy and strong again."
Hentz said he hopes the new owners — whether it is U.S. Bank or another party — will retain Pyramid as the hotel's operators.
Laura Roth, chief deputy clerk and general counsel for the Volusia County Clerk of the Court, said the foreclosure judgment was "consensual" on the part of all parties, including the lender, General Electric and Pyramid. That could indicate an agreement may be in place that would allow Pyramid to continue running the hotel.
"In this case, most likely the market value (what outside bidders are willing to pay) is not going to meet what's owed," she said. "You can essentially bank that the property will go back to (U.S. Bank)."
Reader said even if the hotel were to be sold to an outside bidder, which he said he believes is an extremely remote possibility, there's an "over 90 percent certainty that we will still manage the property."
Daniels likened what happened with General Electric and the Hilton property to what happened with "so many homeowners around here" who bought at the height of the housing market. "The bubble burst and tourism dropped off the charts," he said of the Hilton.
The foreclosure judgment says U.S. Bank is owed $94.7 million in principal, plus interest, fees and other costs. The judgment comes after a global rating agency, Fitch Ratings, deemed the hotel in "imminent default" in October 2011.
"Can you imagine trying to make payments on a $94 million mortgage?" Daniels asked. "There's a lot of homeowners that can relate to that."
The July 31 auction will occur online at volusia.realforeclose.com. The foreclosure judgment states that U.S. Bank as the "noteholder" would be willing to sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, but that it could decide to submit its own bid and that it reserves the right to cancel the scheduled auction even as late as that morning.
Editor's note: U.S. Bank is the trustee for the lenders of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. The special servicer of the property, Miami-based LNR Partners, acting on behalf of U.S. Bank, is the party involved in deciding whether to hold the auction.


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