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In "Pynk," a single from Janelle Monae's third full-length computer, "Dirty Computer," sings, "Pink beyond forest and thighs / Pink as the secrets you hide, maybe." Her video is an audacious celebration of lady parts, the broad percussive pop hymn is the closest thing that Monae has come to decoding figures about her sexuality. (To that end, she recently came out as "a queer black woman in the United States … open to learning more about who I am")
So far, the singer's production has been more accurate than provocative. Monae, elegantly androgynous and charmingly extroverted, wrapped up her albums ("The ArchAndroid" of 2010 and "Electric Lady" of 2013) in a disconcerting Afro-futuristic story built around an alter-ego, the revolutionary robot Cindi Mayweather. The artist would have benefited from the creative editions, but the sheer joy of his genre-jumping tendencies (doo-wop, funk, soul, hip hop) proved to be a fertile distraction from the fatigue of the concept. This has also made her a kind of artistic artist: although she was not yet a great creator of success, for "Dirty Computer" Monae recruited collaborators such as Fan ("Make Me Feel"), Brian Wilson (who sings impressive harmonies in the title song), Stevie Wonder (the spoken word "Stevie & # 39; s Dream"), Grimes ("Pynk"), and Pharrell Williams ("I Got The Juice").
"Dirty Computer" and its generously budgeted "Emotional Film" – a 45-minute dystopic film that is visually dazzling but largely acts as a framework for the four music videos on the album (see here ) – also sometimes doubles under the weight of his great ambition. But this time Monae has essentially rephrased Mayweather as herself, which is what makes "Dirty Computer" satisfactory.
The emphasis on self-expression along with evocative visual effects has invited comparisons with Beyoncé's "Lemonade". It is a flattering analogy, although reductive; the black female experience is not monolithic. Monae's work may be about empowerment, but her verses are not about navigating the male gaze but rather about closing it. The assertive rap "Django Jane", for example, offers delicious jabs, on the face like, "Remember when they used to say it seemed too manly? Black magic, can not stand it / You can not ban it, like a bandit." [19659002] Monae can be challenging, but her kind of resistance manages to continue to affirm life. For example, in her follow-up notes, Monae designates "I Like That" as a replica of "shitty kids everywhere (from the tropics to the White House) that make the lives of brown girls so hard." Actually, "I Like That" is an R & B ballad to feel good that makes clever use of their crystal clear voices.
None of this would matter much if the songs did not work, and at its best, "Dirty Computer" weaves racial and gender politics into a double helix of liberated lyrics and skillfully oblique musicality. "I should know by the way I use my compression," he sings about the funky "Make Me Feel", courtesy of his synthesizer from his mentor Prince, the song a nod to his creative peak before the '90s. "That you have the answers to my confessions." In "I Got the Juice," a call and response with Williams on top of a "Milkshake" -lite bass groove (Williams co-produced both), states, "You tried to grab my pussy / This pussy got you".
Even minor offerings, such as "Crazy, Classic, Life" and "Screwed", do not disappoint in the one-line department ("I just want to find a boy, and I hope she loves me too" and "You've ruined the world, we will go back down ", respectively), even if they pale in contrast to the sonic abandonment of the most ambitious songs on the album.
In "Django Jane" Monae threatens to "start a pussy riot". Is on the way. This is the new Monae – speaking her truth, subverting sounds, wearing trousers – and we are there with her.
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After a controversial push from resident advisers to form a union last year, RAs will work under a new agreement starting this fall.
Officials in the Center for Student Engagement issued the new RA agreement in November, which no longer refers to RAs as "employees," despite a federal ruling in April declaring that RAs are legal University workers with collective bargaining rights. RAs said the new agreement could be a tactic on the University's behalf to prevent future unionization efforts after last year's drive abruptly ended, but officials said the document is regularly updated to best reflect the RA role.
The new deal also relaxes language about working hours and clarifies offenses that justify firing an RA.
Tim Miller, the associate dean of students, said the agreement was updated for the next academic year "to best represent the RA role to include our philosophy, the skills we hope RAs gain, expectations and important dates and deadlines."
Differences in the documents
The new agreement, which was obtained by The Hatchet, clarifies vague aspects of the previous document, like unclear language about outside employment hours and general expectations of the role, according to five RAs familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the agreement.
The agreement, sent to RAs in early November, is the first time the document has been substantially rewritten in about four years, three RAs said. During the 2015-16 school year, a new contract went into effect, lowering RA compensation from $4,750 to $2,500 a year, according to documents obtained by The Hatchet.
Miller declined to say when the new contract was drafted or who drafted it, but he said that RA expectations are updated "based on feedback from RAs" annually.
He declined to say what the most significant changes to the contract were, if the changes were made in response to last year's unionization efforts and how the new document addresses concerns brought up during the push to unionize. He also declined to comment on how changes to the agreement allowing more leeway for outside work will affect RAs and whether the reaction to the new document has been primarily positive or negative.
"The RA role is an essential front line of our support for students and we will continue to work with these student leaders to ensure the quality of their learning experience as they provide support, guidance and mentorship to their residents," Miller said in an email.
Last year, a group of current and former RAs pushed to unionize, citing concerns about compensation and vague language in their agreements with the University. Officials argued that the RAs worked as a part of their educational experience and weren't employees.
The University brought the case in front of a national labor board, which ruled in April that the RAs could unionize in a precedent-setting decision.
The effort ended abruptly last May, when the union representing RAs unexpectedly canceled a planned vote on unionization the day before the election, surprising and confusing RA organizers. Had RAs voted to unionize, they would have been the first undergraduate student group to do so at a private university.
RAs and officials pointed to several new measures that were implemented this academic year or in the new agreement to address some previous concerns.
A senior RA on the Mount Vernon Campus said senior staff in the Center for Student Engagement moved the dates of monthly forums to Wednesday evenings, instead of Fridays. RAs previously complained that the Friday meetings prevented them from leaving campus for three-day weekends, the RA said.
Miller, the associate dean of students, said the forum change, in addition to "coffee hours" with CSE leadership, were two ways the University improved the RA program this academic year.
In the new deal, RAs can work with their supervisors to hold outside jobs for more than 10 hours a week or leave campus for more than three days, actions that were outlawed in the current document. A junior RA in Shenkman Hall said that in the past, the ability to have an outside job exceeding 10 hours a week or to leave campus for an extended period was largely at the discretion of each RA's individual residential team.
RAs will still receive a stipend of $2,500 in installments every two weeks and free on-campus housing under the new agreement.
RAs react to the change
Several RAs voiced concerns over the change in language in the new program that no longer refers to RAs as "employees."
Senior Calla Gilson, a former RA who spearheaded unionization efforts last year and sat through the NLRB hearing, condemned the elimination of the word "employee," saying it "denigrates" the role.
"That title change does nothing to provide solutions to the issues that RAs continue to raise to administrators, and until those issues are taken seriously, I think the CSE can continue to expect disconnect from their employees who do not feel valued," Gilson said in an email.
Kyle Waldman, an alumnus and former RA who opposed unionization, said he doesn't have an issue with the change in title and that the new agreement does not alter "the functionality of the role."
"Any meaningful changes to the RA position during the year are unlikely to stem from the new agreement, but rather other policy changes the CSE has the authority to make," he said.
A female RA in JBKO who helped lead unionization efforts last year said that while she was "pretty disappointed" in the change in language about employees, the new document did address some concerns RAs voiced last year, like vague conditions for termination.
"A lot of times, people would do things and they wouldn't know if that was reason enough for them to be terminated or not, and so they ended up giving us a very detailed outline about what we could do to be put on probation or terminated," she said.
She said this academic year, CSE administrators have been more receptive to hearing RAs' concerns, but worries about low compensation and poor mental health among RAs were not addressed in the new agreement.
Impact on future unionization efforts
The female RA in JBKO said a push for unionization in the near future is unlikely because last year's efforts were "stressful" and "divisive" among RAs.
"Everyone who is currently an RA remembers this experience and remembers the outcome of the experience, and because of that, I really doubt that anyone would really be on board to tackle this again anytime in the near future," she said.
Anne McLeer, the director of research and strategic planning at the SEIU Local 500, which was set to represent RAs last year before canceling the election, said the University no longer referring to RAs as employees will not affect students' ability to launch future unionization efforts.
Still, McLeer said that because RAs exchange labor for compensation, they are employees.
"Employees understand that coming together to address concerns that they may have about their working conditions is a form of empowerment that is available to them," she said. "And employees do that independent of what an employer thinks or says or does."
Cayla Harris contributed reporting.
This article appeared in the January 16, 2018 issue of the Hatchet.

subset: commoncrawl


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Archie became a stray after his owner died. He came to us with broken toes and was somewhat in bad condition due to being attacked by other cats. He is FIV positive now after a rough time outside. He is an adult neutered mail and we can only guess at his age at maybe 8 or 9?
It took awhile for Archie to heal and he also had a skin condition that is now under good control with proper food. He is a sweet cat who gets along with other cats but can be dominant and pushy with some. Archie is fine with people he knows but with new people he is not only super shy but can be very very scared. Archie needs a home with an extreme amount of patience as he does not like change at all. After all he has been through and the time he has been here recuperating (fine now though!) he thinks of this as his home and has panicked when meeting new people. With patience he could be a very nice companion.
Archie must be 100% indoors (secure screens in windows and no patio time) as he would be an escape risk due to being easily scared of new circumstances. An apartment or condo with door to a hallway (not outside) and enclosed sunroom would be best for him.
With his FIV positive status he is healthy now. We cannot predict the future but hope he has many years ahead without health issues.


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OBC Women's TT Series - 2009-Jun-02 - 15km (Rockliffe Pkwy) (EvtFactor = 0.8663)
Weather (18:00): Cloudy. Temp.: 15°C, Humidity: 53%, Dew Point: 6°C, Wind: W 11km/h, Pressure: 101.7kPa, Visibility: 24km.Weather (19:00): Mostly Cloudy. Temp.: 15°C, Humidity: 52%, Dew Point: 5°C, Wind: W 13km/h, Pressure: 101.7kPa, Visibility: 24km.Weather (20:00): Mostly Cloudy. Temp.: 14°C, Humidity: 54%, Dew Point: 5°C, Wind: WNW 9km/h, Pressure: 101.7kPa, Visibility: 24km.
Send photos with description (when/where/what) of yourself on or off of bike to firstname.lastname@example.com results were first posted on the OBC site circa 21:30 on 2009-Jun-02 and are available here for your added pleasure and analysis.
This week we moved up from 10km to 15km. The night was not an easy one for fast times - It was cold and rather windy. Regardless, two of the 17 riders managed to improve upon their best speed in the earlier WTT 10km events this season, and three of sixteeen improved upon their previous database best 15km. We look forward to the times we will see on the calm, hot summer nights!
Thanks to our Helpers: Sandra Bender, Allen Cameron, Jim Glover, Lisa Hébert, Zoe Panchen, Barbara Wilson, Don Wilson, Katrina Young, Paul Young.


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Labs meetings on connected health
14.03.2018 @ 3:30 pm - 5:30 pmfree
Event Navigation
Pre-arranged Face2Face Meetings will be a feature of this event on connected health.
This session offers a unique networking opportunity between Paris Region's R&D ecosystem on connected health and international players, providing a quick and easy way to meet potential partners. Participants will meet and greet at speed, with 20 minutes to build connections before the bell rings and the next 20 minute interval starts.
Why participate:
· Find new partners for research projects
· Meet innovative technology providers
· Get connected with potential partners for future co-operation
· Establish cross-border contacts for long-term business relationships
Target audience:
· Large companies
· Start-ups & SMEs
· Clinical organisations
· Universities
· Research centers
· Institutions
· Investors from the health sector looking for commercial, technological or research partners from Europe and around the world.
How to get involved:
Register and provide a profile describing either an offer or a request. All the participants' profiles will be published on the Event platform. Browse the profiles online and book meetings with organisations you are interested in.
Prior to the event, each participant will receive an individual meeting schedule.
Organised by:
Medicen Paris Region
Paris Region
Enterprise Europe Network
CCI Paris


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Where does common sense trump blood-ties? In River Falls, Wisconsin, where the youth know when to say No. No dad! Bad dad! You stay outside! What would you do if you're incoherent, probably drunk dad drove you home while pursued by police? Article
« 5 shot, 1 killed... and it all started when dog killed cat | Main | Melvindale woman to be arraigned in dad's stabbing death »
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Planet of the Apes
During one late afternoon, after classes, Dr. Wisenheirmer prepared a brief laptop presentation to be viewed by Dr. Wishbone. It had to do with the previous discovery of a fossil that was alleged to have been the missing link. During that time evolutionary scientist had collaborated and named the fossil "Lucy," because of it's female characteristics.
After entering Wishbone's classroom with his laptop, Wisenheirmer proceeded to interrupt Wishbone during his studies. "Good evening professor. I was curious as to your findings about Lucy as was discovered by paleontologist Dr. Donald Johanson on November 30, 1974, in Hadar, Ethiopia," asked professor Wisenheirmer. "I have here a few images relative to the find here on my laptop. Of course, some of them were developed from my own speculations."
Wishbone: "Yes professor. What's the point? I know the outcome of the research done over those years. Some scientist maintain it is a hoax. So what do you want from me?"
Wisenheirmer: "I brought it up, because of the latest film, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. The trailer shown here is from the earlier film Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Note the advertised statements: Evolution, Becomes, Revolution. This is followed by a clip from the original film that shows Dr. Zira—the female brain. I just thought this to be ironical. Maybe she should have been named Lucy."
Wishbone: "Again Professor Wisenheirmer, what do you want from me? I take exception to all this harassment. You're rattling my cage."
Wisenheirmer: "After giving it some additional thought, you're right. I am being to much of an ass. You don't deserve me to jack you around any further." In the meantime, Wisenheirmer began to contemplate under his breath: 'How can I win this man over to a biblical worldview while treating him like this? Shame on me.' "I'm sorry professor. I don't know what got into me. Please accept my apologies."
Wishbone: "You don't need to beat a dead horse. I know the errors in my analysis. I feel like a fool. So let me be, and I accept your apologies. Now I've been researching something that I know will turn the tables."
Afterwards, Wisenheirmer felt some relief, since he sensed Wishbone was still in a somewhat forgiving and competitive mood. So, he immediately left the room while the gettin' was good.


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From Dubrovnik (Ragusa) to Florence: Observations on the Recruiting of Domestic Servants in the Fifteenth Century
By Paola Pinelli
Dubrovnik Annals, Vol. 12 (2008)
Abstract: As confirmed by fifteenth-century documentation, Giuliano Marcovaldi, a merchant from Prato established in Ragusa, along with some Florentine merchants, were involved in the trade of slaves, a special segment of the commerce relations between the Italian peninsula, Ragusa and the Balkan hinterland. The persons sold were mostly young women, many of Patarine or Orthodox faith, who were to become domestic servants. They were exported from the Balkans by Ragusan merchants, and sold to Italian traders in exchange for woollen cloth and food stuffs, especially wheat.
Introduction: In the course of his 1970s studies of medieval slave trade from the Balkans within economic relations between the two Adriatic coasts, Charles Verlinden pointed to the lack of systematic studies on this subject by the Slavs. A few years later, historians tended to shift the focus of their attention to this theme, especially Bariπa Krekic, who published some articles on Ragusa as an intermediary market for this type of trade.
In 1988 Sergio Anselmi promoted a book which contained essays on the migration of Slavs and Albanians to the West from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century and, in 1989, the same subject was dealt within a volume with several articles published in Belgrade. These studies are based on the documents found in the archives of Dubrovnik, Venice and other cities on the east coast of Italy.
Actually, as I have attempted to demonstrate earlier, the cities of Tuscany were also involved in the trade which, through Ragusa, connected the Slavic hinterland with the Italian peninsula. Copious fifteenth-century documentation of Giuliano Marcovaldi, a merchant from Prato established in Ragusa, confirms this and, among other things, contains much information which questions the assumption that in Tuscany there are only a few minor traces of the recruiting of domestic servants in the Balkans.
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Tag Archives: Christian
Be there or be square
If Heaven is real and if it is a wonderful place, we should make every effort to be there. We should not miss that place for anything in the world. My challenge for you is to be there at any … Continue reading
Things to do in heaven
Boredom and laziness are not, by any stretch of the imagination, present in Heaven. Heaven will be a place full of interaction and activities. There will be so many things to do that it will be hard to pick which … Continue reading
Things that will not be in Heaven
Heaven is wonderful because some things will not be there. It is the absence of some bad and awful things that will make that place a wonderful place. We all hope to live in a place where evil and ugliness … Continue reading
Heaven is a wonderful place
"Heaven is a wonderful place Filled with glory and grace I want to see my Savior's face Heaven is a wonderful place" Do you remember that hymn? I used to sing it in our Sunday school class and youth camp … Continue reading
Small decisions that can make a big difference – Ready? Go!
See? It did not hurt you a bit. It was just a small click and here you are, reading this text. This is repeated every minute in our lives, just a simple click, and a new window of opportunities is … Continue reading
Small decisions that can make a big difference – The most important first
We live in a time when things are going so fast that we do not have time to evaluate what is important and what is not. We keep tackling the first subject that comes our way, without paying attention whether … Continue reading
Small decisions that can make a big difference – Pray for the authorities
Some of you would say, "Come on Lucas, don't go there, not now."Others would have said the same thing a few months ago. That is not the case. It does not matter who is the leader and who occupies the … Continue reading
Small decisions that can make a big difference – Invite someone to church
"I thought you would never ask me!" This is what someone who I know heard from his lifelong friend, when he invited him for the first time, to come to church. It should not be a big deal, but unfortunately, … Continue reading


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Blog Writing
Blogs are like online journals that can be updated regularly on your website. It is an essential way of informing your clients, potential clients and other sources about possibly anything under the roof – from day to day running of your company to thought provoking insights on your niche. It is also critical to your SEO strategy, as search engines love websites with fresh new content.
Contact me to get a free quote on my Blog Writing services:
Developing a style and tone which is simple and conversational.
Updating fresh blog content regularly to your website.
Building a community of people by engaging with readers who comment.
Writing blogs that covers what's trending in your business.
Get a free quote on my Blog Writing services.


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Sociology is an academic discipline which aims to connect private troubles and public issues. This means looking at the problems of everyday life, like why women do more housework than men, why black and brown people in the UK are less likely to be employed than white people, or why one private school has educated 19 British Prime Ministers, and trying to understand the forces in society that produce these trends, and how they affect individuals. Sociologists ask and try to answer questions about people and society through research, using methods such as surveys, interviews, historical materials, photography and art. At Surviving Society, we want to raise the profile of Sociology as a way of understanding the world, as we believe it has a lot to offer in these uncertain political times.
Find out more about Sociology on the British Sociological Association website.


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On Minimizing the Risks of Online Poker
serdargunes-kuafor.com – On Minimizing the Risks of Online Poker.
Poker has become not only a hobby but also a profession for many people. Every time you see more and more people playing poker. Of course, being an experienced poker player requires a simpler knowledge of basic knowledge and rules, and also requires concentration, skills, and discipline.
Since many people started playing poker every day, online poker has become more popular. Not only is it convenient, since you don't need to leave the house to meet your opponents, but it's also as much fun as a real poker game. Millions of people have even begun to make a living in online poker. Of course, to reach this level, you need time, patience and, of course, some money to get started. These are investments, therefore they also involve risks. It is like any game in games. It takes a little money to invest, and you know that when you do this, you also realize that you cannot always make money with your investments.
But I can teach you how to minimize the risk and have an unfair advantage. Do you want to know how to do this?
Two of the most popular sites for poker players are Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. These are legitimate websites, please note. On both sites, there are communities of tens of thousands of members who play every day and earn a lot of money every day when they play. Many of these members even quit their jobs and played poker for life. Yes, it's true! Join these sites, and you will surely meet people who have begun to make a living in poker.
Now, how good is it not for someone else?
No more bosses, no more annoying satellites, no more deadlines, and projects. You can work in the comfort of your home and not worry about getting up early in the morning. You are your own boss, and you call the shots. What could be better? You can have the life you have always dreamed of when you do what you love most when playing poker.
You can find products on the Internet, such as e-books and software that allow you to fool poker by law. Using mathematics and a small calculation, you will open your opponent's hand cards. This program (or hacking) will also allow you to program your own automated poker robot, which ultimately performs these tasks and becomes an autopilot. The best thing about this product is that even beginners can simply start playing Agen poker and win large sums of money. Yes! You do not have to be an experienced poker player to get rewards. You may not trust this product and consider it illegal or not, but let me assure you that it is completely legal. If you learn these techniques and live in the real world of poker, it will be like visiting Las Vegas and counting in one shoe with six decks!


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We went to a football game in Salt Lake City this weekend. I wasn't going to go until the last moment since my kids would miss 2 days of school and a Thursday night was highly inconvenient. Anyway, I dragged the 4th grader along to keep me company on the 5 hour drive from Boise. We had a blast meeting with family for the football game and then planned on hiking up in the Big Cottonwood Canyon of Salt Lake City on Friday morning with just the 2 of us. Well, the little one cried that she was too tired and just wanted to go home. We compromised and decided to go shopping in downtown. By shopping, I mean walking around the shops before the 5 hour return. When we got downtown, we discovered it was the Comic Con Convention. My interest was peaked to go pass by and see what interesting people we could observe. Now, Comic Con is probably the least likely place on the planet I would intentionally attend, but I couldn't resist since we were already there. Well, I discovered that Henry Winkler was there among other "celebs," I said: THE FONZ??? Yes… Okay, I'll go see. Well, $40 to get my picture taken with him. Um… NO! I wouldn't pay 40 bucks to have my picture taken with anybody. I'll only pay that for an entry fee to hike a park and take a picture with a tree. Comic Con was interesting, but mostly I find most of that stuff as dry as they would find a hiking blog. 🤓 We didn't have much time there, but it was pretty epic for that sort of thing.
A hike gone really wrong…🏔


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January 18,2016
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments •
So with the release of Joel's new film coming out later this year, new photos and videos are being released gradually. The new posters for the film have been released and I have added them to the gallery, with hopefully more on the way. The new trailer for the film should be released soon. Until then, check out the awesome posters!
Related Links:
» Movie Productions > Suicide Squad (2016) > Posters & Artwork
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What is trust?
Ismael - Trust is something which takes years to gain and a second to break. Trust is being fully confident with someone with a piece of information. Or, with your feelings. Trust is, for some people, a very sensitive subject. I've dealt with a lot of situations in the past where I've been able to trust people, and not trust people. Because I'm ok with it. Real life situations would reveal your true friends, no matter how long you've known them. That can also make you lose trust in someone. Just like real life situations can show you how much you can trust someone.
"Love conquers everything"
What does it mean to be a man?
Ismael - For me, I think what I've been taught is "a man is a man", "the man has no emotion", "the man is the breadwinner". But for me, the man is someone who is true to himself, someone who is content with the individual that he is. I can express my feelings, no matter happy, sad, or whatever. And be fully confident with who I am, that is what a man is.
What do you believe in? What remains when there's nothing left?
Ismael - Love. Love conquers everything. Because everything is dictated, determined by love or fear. And love always prevails. Spread love, share love, help people. We're all energy and everyone goes through their own battles. So, it's always good to share love, because it could really brighten someone's day.
What do you hide from yourself? Or from others?
Ismael - There's nothing I hide. You love me, or you hate me. I really don't mind.


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Distributing Dignity
September 14, 2017 @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm$5
Join Perkins Center for the Arts, The Courier Post, and Distributing Dignity as we partner in an event to provide awareness for women in need.
Perkins Center for the Arts, Collingswood
30 Irvin Avenue
Admission: Please bring one brand new bra and a $5 donation to the event.
This is a 21+ event.
Vendor Partners
| Beer for Babes | Camden County | Cathedral Kitchen | Community Rocks/Breastfest | Devil's Creek | Forgotten Boardwalk | Frugal | Human Village | Lower Forge | One Funny Mother/ChardonnayGo! | Our Yards Farm | Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice | The Square Meal | Treehouse Coffee Shop and Café


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Thinking about becoming a Slow Food member, but haven't made the jump yet? On Earth Day, April 22nd, any amount (normally $60 for an individual annual membership) makes you a member of the Slow Food community.
Learn more about becoming a member here.
Take advantage of "Give What You Can Day" here. (Link will be live on 4/22 only.)


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Kapustin Yar | Russia's Area 51 | M-Triangle
Kapustin Yar was the former Soviet Union's most sensitive air base, even exceeding America's Area 51 for the levels of secrecy that shrouded it. UFO Files claimed that it was to present never-before-seen footage of the base, reconnaissance photos and even a virtual tour of its hidden depths.
Kapustin Yar was created as the site for the development of the Soviet Union's space program after the end of World War II. It lies over 500 miles south of Moscow and about 60 miles east of Volgograd, the former Stalingrad. These days it lies close to the Kazakhstan border, but back in those days, the base was deep inside Soviet territory. It was here that captured V2 rockets and the German scientists that created them were set to work with not only the single task of getting into space before the Americans, but also designing and testing new aircraft, missiles and other weapons systems. The base was deemed so secret that the nearby town of Zhitkur was emptied of its population and levelled because it was too close.
In 1948, less than a year after the famed Roswell Incident, the base's radar operators picked up an unidentified object. At the same time, a fighter pilot flying close to the base had a visual sighting of a silver, cigar-shaped object. Reporting that he was being blinded by rays from the UFO, the pilot was ordered to engage with it and, after a three minute dogfight, a missile successfully brought down the object. It seems that the UFO fired some sort of energy weapon at the MiG and both craft crashed to the ground.
William J Birnes, publisher of the American UFO Magazine, believed that the alien craft fired a particle beam weapon at the Soviet fighter, but a lucky shot with the missile disrupted the UFO's anti-gravity field, causing it to fall from the sky. Soviet recovery teams quickly gathered up all the wreckage and transported it to the underground facility at Kapustin Yar, which was ironically named Zhitkur, after the former town not far from the base.
Birnes claimed that MiG pilots were ordered to take any measures necessary to bring down extraterrestrial craft because Moscow was desperate to gain any advantage over the United States, whom they believed had made their tremendous advances due to recovered flying saucer reverse-engineering.
Russia has a long history of UFO sightings, dating back thousands of years. Russian researcher, Paul Stonehill, co-author with Philip Mantle of UFO-USSR, described how in about 950AD, Ahmed Ibn Fadlan, an Arab chronicler, was dispatched by the Caliph of Baghdad to engage in diplomacy with the King of the Bulgars. In the Volga region of Russia, Fadlan described how he and his fellow travellers witnessed 'aerial battles' between 'shapes' that moved through the clouds. Fleets of objects, flying in formations that resembled people and animals, engaged each other, merging and separating for a long period of time. Stonehill described it as being like something from a modern movie.
On 15th August, 1663, a great fiery disc came down from the sky and began shooting beams of light into the Robozero Lake near Belozersk, about 250 miles east of St. Petersburg.
It moved from the south to the west, vanished and later reappeared for an hour and a half, terrifying the local witnesses. Fisherman were said to have been scalded by the light and glowing fish leaped from the water, as if to escape the fireball floating overhead.
In 1892, an object appeared over Moscow and shot a 'pillar of light' down to the ground for 20-25 minutes. It was described as fiery, much like most other Russian UFO reports through the ages.
One Russian event dwarfs any reported anywhere in the world. On June 30th, 1908, a huge fireball raced across the Siberian taiga and exploded over the forest close to the town of Tunguska. Six hundred square miles of tundra was razed to the ground and the shockwave was felt by seismographs around the world.
At first it was thought that a meteor had impacted with the Earth and when the first expeditions arrived twenty years later, they expected to find a huge crater. No crater was found, but the devastation was evident, with trees laid out like matchsticks in a huge, circular swathe from the centre of the blast. From the pattern of the destruction, it soon became apparent that the object had exploded high above the ground, much like the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, but much more powerful in terms of magnitude. Most researchers outside of Russia, including Stanton Friedman, were convinced that this was a natural event and nothing to do with aliens or UFOs, but Russian ufologists, such as Nikolai Subbotin of the Russian UFO Research Station, were not so sure. Subbotin explained how the object apparently changed course twice before exploding, something a natural object such as a meteorite or comet cannot do. Then there were unexplained radiation levels in the region and the fact that plant life appears to have been altered because of this radiation.
Stalin himself seemed convinced that the event was related to some sort of weapon, possibly from extraterrestrials, and he set Sergei Korolev, the father of Soviet rocketry, the task of finding answers. Korolev financed a team to travel to Tunguska in fleets of helicopters. They found radioactive metal fragments and an area that has become known as 'The Devil's Graveyard', an area close to the blast site where no plants will grow and animals tend to die. Although Korolev is believed to have told Stalin that he thought the blast was caused by an alien spacecraft, his official report put the blame squarely on a meteorite.
As rumours began to filter back to Washington DC about UFO wreckage from Tunguska, the 1948 crash and other incidents being taken to Zhitkur, it became obvious to America's intelligence agencies that they needed to find out what was going on. Their spies informed them that the Soviet Union was building huge rockets that could not only carry large, nuclear payloads, but could also reach space. Indeed, their progress became so rapid, that the Soviets were ahead of their own schedules in terms of advancement.
By the time American U2 spy planes photographed the complex at Kapustin Yar, there were at least four ballistic launch sites, fourteen launch pads, a highly-sophisticated radar tracking facility, three long runways and numerous unidentified areas. There were strange, geometric patterns on the ground. Many UFO researchers believe that these designs are to attract UFOs and are patterned after ancient monuments and cereal glyphs.
What the reconnaissance aircraft could not reveal was the underground Zhitkur facility. UFO Files now took us on a virtual guided tour of the base, recreated from descriptions given from Russian ufologist Anton Anfalov. A quarter of a mile beneath the surface, we were led down dark, dank corridors and tunnels, with numerous chambers containing various types of extraterrestrial craft in various stages of disassembly. There were areas where autopsies of aliens would take place and other sections where perhaps engines were being reconstructed. Finally, there are huge hangars containing not aircraft, but large, cigar- or cylindrical-shaped objects.
The advances at Kapustin Yar enabled the Soviets to leap ahead of America in the space race. In 1957, Sputnik I was successfully placed into orbit. A month later, a dog called Laika became the first animal in space. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel into space. In 1965, Alexei Leonov became the first man to 'walk' in space. Russia's cosmonauts also performed the first rendezvous and docking in space. Apart from the Apollo moon shots, the Soviet Union was winning the space race until the space shuttle was first launched in 1981.
One of Russia's most well-known ufologists is Vladimir Azhazha (sometimes spelled Ajaja). He took us on a tour of a site close to Kapustin Yar where he claimed a UFO crashed. Dowsing with copper rods, he found an elliptical area where he claimed that an alien craft had plummeted to Earth in 1961. He said that animals avoided the area, no cattle will graze there and strange energies affect your pulse rate and breathing.
A local resident, Zoya Shubenkina, corroborated Azhazha's story about the 1961 crash, claiming she had witnessed it for herself. She said a big, fiery, red sphere flew over her house and crashed in the valley by the river.
Azhazha explained how many Soviet fighter pilots engaged in dogfights with UFOs. Former Soviet Air Force colonel and cosmonaut, a hero of the state, Marina Popovich confirmed that she had personally witnessed aerial battles between Soviet jets and UFOs. One such event she described occurred in 1964. During a training mission, two jets came under attack from a UFO and were forced into a spiral dive. In 1980, Colonel Popovich encountered several unidentified objects while on a top secret mission. She said they were three fireball-like lights and she watched as they moved away.
In the evening of the 7th of August, 1967, Colonel Vyatkin Lev Mikhailovic suddenly encountered an object that was projecting a beam of light downwards. He tried to wrestle his MiG away from the beam, but the left wing touched it and he struggled to regain control. The plane shook and his instruments went haywire. As they flew away, his technician exclaimed that the wing was glowing and after they landed, it continued to glow for a whole week afterwards.
As more and more reports came in from across the Soviet Union, the KGB clamped down, opening up its own file on the phenomenon, known as The Blue File. The Blue File would become the most comprehensive and largest study of UFOs ever commissioned anywhere in the world. It ran from the mid-sixties until the fall of the Soviet Union. One of its latest reports was from 1990, when witnesses close to Kapustin Yar described UFOs in the sky for over an hour. The new freedoms in Russia enabled the producers of UFO Files to obtain 'top secret' footage of a supposed UFOs at Kapustin Yar. On June 3rd, 1960, two alien craft allegedly crashed at Kasputin Yar, creating an expanding fireball that caused explosions in the vicinity for over an hour. Figures are seen running from the conflagration, smoke pouring from their clothing. One drops to the ground and lies motionless. One of the UFOs was said to have destroyed three rockets on their launch pads, while the other took out a fuel depot. Once the flames had been doused, the remains of the craft were sent to Zhitkur.
To be honest, to suggest that what was shown in the footage was a UFO is stretching credulity somewhat. All we saw was a big fire. It could have been anything, but the story persists and Stanton Friedman said that he had heard those same rumours about UFOs destroying Soviet rockets in an act of retaliation.
Russia is a land of many mysteries, not just ufological in nature. The programme ended with a report from a US journalist, Kim Murphy of the LA Times, talking about her trip to Russia to investigate a lake that had mysteriously vanished. She wasn't sure she believed the stories, but when she got there, she found that it was true. An entire lake had vanished, with eyewitnesses saying that a huge whirlpool had formed and the water had vanished like water down a plug hole. What that has to do with UFOs, I don't know…
Getting back on track, we were told that research is still ongoing at Kapustin Yar, with UFO wreckage being brought to Zhitkur quite regularly and as recently as 1997, when a craft was said to have come down in Poland.
Russian Roswell was another interesting look at the UFO phenomenon. The Soviet Union obviously had a great deal of interest in the subject and, it seems, was prepared to act in an extremely hostile manner towards unidentified craft in their airspace. Was Moscow's leap into space aided by reverse-engineering alien craft? The evidence would suggest not. Soviet rockets were powered pretty much the same way as American ones i.e. they didn't get up there by using anti-gravity engines from a crashed saucer. Still, it makes you wonder what secrets might lay in all these underground facilities, not just in Russia, but all over the world.
The M-triangle is a remote area near the Ural mountains, where bright lights have been reported.
Glowing aliens have been reported in the forests of the area.
Located about 600 miles east of Moscow, the M-Triangle might be the best place in all of Russia to see a UFO. Residents of this remote mountainous region count mysterious happenings as part of their daily life: strange lights, unidentified flying machines, encounters with translucent beings, and weird symbols and letters written across the sky. There are even reports that people who visit the M-Triangle develop super-human powers, which may be why the place is under constant surveillance by Russia's intelligence agencies.
For over a hundred years, locals have reported highly strange sightings. It is known that under the Soviet regime, several expeditions were sent to the M-triangle, but exactly for what purpose, and what they found is not widely known.
The citizens of the nearest towns say that the lights in the sky come in many shapes and numbers, sometimes just passing through, but sometimes reportedly they levitate or hover for several minutes, sometimes even hours. Speculation amongst some UFO enthusuasts suggests that perhaps the former presence of uranium in the mineral-rich mountains in the area may be acting as some type of UFO magnet, or perhaps even causing mass hallucinations.
At approximately 11:00 AM on August 10, 1989 near the city of Prohladnyi, Russia, Soviet military radar units detected an unidentified flying object. After attempts to communicate went unanswered, the object was noted as "hostile." Defense systems were put on alert, with utilization of surface to air missiles, and the deployment of Mig-25s. Blasting out of Rostov and Krymsk, the Migs were ordered to intercept and identify the unknown object.
The UFO was on a north heading, like foreign missiles or planes would be, and the order was given to arm and use weapons. A ground to air missile hit the UFO, causing it to ditch over the Caucasian Mountains. A retrieval team on board an M1-8 helicopter was sent, and the disc-shaped object was located outside of Nizhnizy Chegem, and the area around the crash site was soon cordoned off.
The object was 6.9 meters long and 3.0 meters high, shaped like a cockleshell, according to witnesses. A long rut in the earth could be seen leading to the craft, which had smashed into an area of rocks. The damage from the missile was obvious, causing the object to lose its original shape.
A team with special protective equipment moved into the scene. Dosimeters detected radiation, and precautionary measures were immediately taken, but not before some team members had been exposed. The object was delivered by helicopter to Mozdok Air Base, where nuclear weapons and long range bombers were housed.
A special investigative team was assembled, and sent to the base to begin an investigation into the mysteries of the unknown flying object. This team consisted of military and civilian personnel.
The KGB began a cover-up operation. The craft research team gained entry into the craft via a partially opened door. The team was in full protective gear as they began their investigation of the inside of the craft. As one would expect, control panels and equipment was visible, but more importantly three alien creatures, two dead were found. The two dead aliens had apparently been killed by falling equipment, but the third managed to save itself, but was suffering from several wounds. A medical team attempted to keep the alien alive, but their efforts failed. He and his two companions were about 1.0-1.2 meters tall, with whitish gray skin that appeared to be outer cover. The real skin beneath this cover was a blue-green color with a reptilian texture.
The other worldly beings also had hairless heads, large black eyes, almost round, which were covered by a protective lid. Three web fingers were at the end of their long, slender arms. The three dead aliens were preserved in glass containers in a top-secret underground facility. This secret location is allegedly hidden among the multitude of trees near the research center east of Solnechnogorsk.
The damaged disc was taken to the Kapustin Yar range and placed under ground west of Ahryomkin. All of the information included here originated from three Russian investigators; Anton Anfalov, Lenura Azizova and Alexander Mosolov. They claim that the disc is still housed near Kapustin Yar. NOTE: The image at the top of the page is a rendering.
Posted on April 15, 2014, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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TourneyCentral Help Center
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Hearing is a Key to Connection
Some of the fondest, most innate memories in our lives are not ones that can recalled with a photo.
Sharing is a Key to Connection
When you gather around the table for a meal, it's an experience that enlivens your senses.
Listening is a Key to Connection
Listen! What do you hear? All kinds of sounds impact your day in beautiful, exciting, and everyday ways.
Talking is a Key to Connection
Four score and seven years ago. Here's looking at you kid. All you need is love. Can you hear me now?


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Will Smith Net Worth: 10 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since Will Smith became the prince of a town called Bel-Air, but Sept.10, 2015, marks the momentous milestone for the beloved show that still has a cult following today. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" entertained audiences for six seasons, as viewers couldn't get enough of the Banks family and the always-entertaining hi-jinks of their West Philadelphia-bred house guest.
Since getting his big break on the sitcom, Smith has gone on to become a household name, proving himself as a successful rapper, producer, writer, director, investor and entrepreneur. He made a seamless transition from television to the big screen, cementing his status as an A-list actor. Entrepreneurs in all industries can learn a few things from the Fresh Prince, who's as business savvy as he is charming.
Related: Jessica Alba and 21 Other Successful Female Entrepreneurs Under 40
Will Smith Net Worth: $260 Million
Will Smith's net worth is an outstanding $260 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth. Here's a look at some of the ways the Fresh Prince makes his money:
Acting and Producing
In Forbes' recent list of the highest-paid actors in the world, Smith came in at No. 18, one spot in front of Matt Damon. Smith earned $26 million from June 1, 2014, to June 1, 2015, which means he made $2.16 million a month in the past year. As an actor, Smith is believed to make more than $20 million per film, and it's likely some studios are willing to pay much more since he tends to always draw a crowd — even when the movie flops. He also earned $5.5 million in back-end royalties for producing "The Karate Kid," according to The Richest.
It was recently announced that Smith will be starring as Deadshot in the upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie with Cara Delevingne and Jared Leto. The film is expected to hit theaters on Aug. 5, 2016.
Smith's music career has also served as a major contributor to his net worth, as he earned $17.5 million from his album "Big Willie Style," $4.5 million from "Willienium," $1 million from "Born to Reign" and $750,000 from "Lost and Found," reports The Richest.
Business Ventures and Investments
Partnering with rapper Jay Z, a friend and his wife, Smith's Overbrook Entertainment has brought in a ton of revenue. The production company's projects include "After Earth," "The Karate Kid," "Seven Pounds," "The Queen Latifah Show" and more. According to its website, Overbrook has generated more than $3 million in box office revenue worldwide and even more in home video sales. Smith has also dabbled in a few investments.
10 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Will Smith
If you have aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur, learn from Will Smith. He might be an entertainment star, but he knows a thing or two about building a brand and making smart business decisions. Find out what you can do to become a successful entrepreneur as well.
1. Build Up the People Around You
In business, when you take the time to help others achieve success, your efforts are typically rewarded with a network of loyal connections who always have your back. Smith has mastered this behavior. For example, he recently promoted his friend and fellow actor/singer Tyrese on his Facebook page by sharing a picture of Tyrese's new album.
Smith always supports his family as well, including wife Jada Pinkett Smith and his three children. The two he shares with Jada, 17-year-old Jaden and 14-year-old Willow, have expressed an interest in the entertainment industry and their famous father has backed their endeavors. Among other projects, Jaden starred in 2010's "The Karate Kid," which was produced by both Smith and Jada. Willow also has a handful of acting credits and the hit single "Whip My Hair" to her name.
Read: North West, Blue Ivy: 29 of the Richest Celebrity Children
2. Maintain a Clean Image
When you're an entrepreneur, mistakes in your personal life can easily destroy your professional reputation, making good behavior at all times essential. And despite a handful of rumors about cheating and divorce, Smith has maintained a pretty clean image.
Even his rap songs are free of profanity, a measure he credits his grandmother for encouraging. In an interview with the BBC Radio Times, Smith said she found some of his early lyrics, which were laden with expletives, and penned the message, "Dear Willard, intelligent people do not use these words to express themselves" on them.
3. Broaden Your Horizons
Whether you're trying to figure out how to build your brand or working to maintain a successful business, diversification can be the key to lasting success. When you're willing to branch out a little, you have something to fall back on if one method doesn't pan out. The multi-talented Smith is the perfect example of this, as he's enjoyed major success as a rap artist in addition to holding various roles both in front of and behind the camera.
In addition to his entertainment industry pursuits, Smith has also padded his portfolio with a wide variety of investments, including the video-sharing app Viddy, reports Complex. He, Jada, Jay Z and other investors also invested $10 million in the beauty line Carol's Daughter, reports CNN Money. Smith's other investments include a Pinterest-like e-commerce site called Fancy, the Philadelphia 76ers and BioBeats, a startup company that turns your vital signs into music.
4. Give Customers What They Want
When running a business, it's important to know your target audience and listen to what they want. Earlier this month, rumors circulated that Overbrook Entertainment is in the early stages of developing a reboot of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," with Smith serving as the show's executive producer.
Entertainment Weekly, however, reports that the production company is actually working on a new comedy where Smith will serve only as the executive producer. But, the new family comedy is expected to "share some surface similarities to the classic NBC series in that it could be a fish-out-of-water story." If this is true, Smith will likely be able to satisfy his diehard "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" fans by giving them a show he knows they'll love.
5. Build a Solid Network
Networking is everything in business. It doesn't matter if you're building a brand from the ground up or keeping an existing one profitable — who you know can make all the difference. Smith has done a phenomenal job of surrounding himself with the right people from a very young age; he met DJ Jazzy Jeff at a party when he was 16 years old, forming the rap duo that would later win them two Grammys.
After moving to Los Angeles, another of Smith's contacts — music mogul Quincy Jones — thought that NBC could build a sitcom around him, which of course turned into "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Smith also teamed up with former classmate and film producer James Lassiter to found Overbrook Entertainment.
6. Exude Confidence
If you don't believe in yourself, it's going to be very difficult to garner any support for your company. Always display confidence — even when you're not feeling so self-assured — to make others believe in you. Smith's effortless swagger and seemingly innate sense of cool draw people to him, no doubt helping him with his business relationships and relationships within the entertainment industry. After all, it's easy to put your trust in someone who knows exactly who they are and where they're headed.
7. Make Informed Decisions
In the business world, be careful not to make impulse decisions. Every move you make needs to be carefully calculated to ensure you're doing what's best for your company's future. In an interview with "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft, Smith explained that he and his manager conducted research on the movie business when he decided to become an actor.
"And we got the top 10 movies of all time, and we realized that 10 out of 10 were special effects movies," Smith explained. "Nine out of 10 were special effects movies with creatures. And eight out of 10 were special effects movies with creatures and a love story. So 'Independence Day' and 'Men In Black' were really no-brainers."
8. Work Harder Than Your Competitors
Having innovative ideas and natural talent is great, but they'll only get you so far. If you're willing to work harder than everyone else, you're much more likely to succeed. Smith credits his strong work ethic for his success. Surprisingly, he said he's never considered himself to be that talented.
"You know, while the other guy's sleeping? I'm working," he told "60 Minutes." "While the other guy's eatin'? I'm working. While the other guy's making love, I mean, I'm making love, too. But I'm working really hard at it."
Keep reading: Beyonce to Bill Gates: 24 Millionaires Reveal the Hardest Thing About Being an Entrepreneur
9. Choose Something That Makes You Happy
It might sound cliché, but when you truly enjoy your job, it doesn't feel like work. Start a company in a field that makes you happy, because it's difficult to achieve long-term success when you're miserable. Smith has earned a reputation as a happy-go-lucky person with an infectious personality, probably because he enjoys the work he does.
And one of Smith's famous quotes is a testament to that: "Give me a problem, I'll give you a solution. I just love living. That's a feeling you can't fake. I'm glad every single day. I think that even the camera can feel that I'm a happy man."
10. Make Time for a Personal Life
As an entrepreneur, it's easy to let work take over your life, but that will lead to an inevitable crash and burn. Spending time with family and friends allows you to stay balanced and recharge your energy. Even as one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, Smith has managed to maintain a seemingly happy marriage to Jada — and the two have continuously slammed divorce rumors. He also seems to maintain a close and loving relationship with his children.
'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Theme Song and Intro
Photo credit: Andrey Bayda / Shutterstock.com


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Apparently the big blue error message I reported on yesterday telling users of the iOS version of Rock Band the game would be unavailable to play after May 31 was a 'mistake' according to EA. That's a pretty big mistake, and it took over a day for the publisher to acknowledge it. I don't believe EA for a second. Twitter and Reddit both exploded and many emails were sent to Tim Cook at Apple and everybody at EA...Read More
EA: "oops, actually iOS Rock Band here to say"
EA turns off access to iOS Rock Band
UPDATE: Apparently this is all just a big elaborate mistake… A submitter to Reddit was prompted with the following message when opening Electronic Arts' Rock Band on his iPhone today: It seems as though EA wants to turn off the access to Rock Band as of May 31st, which is a pretty crappy thing to do to your paying customers. What is worse about this scenario is that in typical EA scamming fashion the game is still available...Read More
Kingdoms of Amalur – Online Pass Nonsense
Online passes are a terrible idea.  By forcing the paid-for product to be a worse investment than the pirated copy game publishers are pushing more customers to forgo paying to jump through multiple hoops to play their games and just download it.  By trying to make some money off the used game market the publishers are coming across as greedy and archaic. EA seems to be leading the pack with it's 'Online Pass'...Read More
Battlefield 3 – To be or not to be?
I am sitting here wondering if I want to pick up the new Battlefield when it comes out. Â I did end up playing the Caspian Border map a bit during the beta and it felt a lot more like Battlefield but the game and EA and DICE all seem to be trying to piss me off so much that I don't want to buy this title. Â First the beta was bad. Â Really bad. The only map that was playable save for the last few days of the open beta was...Read More
UPDATED – EA: "I'm sorry we can't take your call… we are too busy screwing up Dragon Age 2…"
So… not only does Dragon Age 2 come with the crappy secuROM DRM (unadvertised, btw) but EA now thinks that it can stop you from playing the game you legally BUY if you say something on their forums it doesn't like? Bioware, how I loved thee… EA suspended a user of the DA2 forums for calling out Bioware for folding to EA, their publisher. Â Should this person not be able to post on the forums for a few days to calm down?...Read More


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England stretch lead despite losing openers
Cricbuzz Staff •
Joe Root took England's lead past the 200-run mark © Getty
England lost openers Rory Burns and Keaton Jennings in the morning session on the third day but still managed to put themselves in a strong position in St. Lucia. The visitors stretched their lead to 231 at the break and with eight wickets still remaining, they will fancy themselves to set Windies a challenging target.
Windies made an ideal start to the day's play when Paul sent Burns back to the pavilion off the very first delivery. A full delivery bowled on the pads should have been swatted away but Burns hit it straight to square leg to give the hosts a dream start. Joe Denly then guided the next ball to the third man region for a boundary and continued to remain positive throughout the session.
Shannon Gabriel started off with five wides but then found his rhythm in his second over and should have had Denly, only for Shimron Hetmyer to put down a straightforward chance.
Prior to that, Paul injured himself in the same over while chasing a delivery driven by Denly through the covers. Initially giving the ball a chase, Paul stopped and then eventually had to be stretchered off the field with Cricket Windies later confirming that the pacer suffered a right quadricep strain making his participation for the rest of the Test match doubtful. Denly then grew in confidence as he fetched back-to-back boundaries off Gabriel with one of them being a perfectly-timed straight drive.
Jennings managed to survive for quite sometime but looked tentative in his stay as he continued to fight for his spot in the side. Eventually, he got unlucky as a delivery bowled by Alzarri Joseph ricocheted off his pads to knock off the bails. Joe Root then punished two short deliveries to get going, with the lead eventually going past 200. Already a bowler short, Windies need a special spell to drag themselves back into this contest.
Brief scores: England 277 & 108/2 (Joe Denly 45*; Keemo Paul 1-11) lead Windies 154 by 231 runs
© Cricbuzz


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Employer: Heat Recruitment Salary: £18,000 - £30,000 per annum
Duration: Permanent Hours: Full Time, days and times to be agreed
Vacancy Description
The ideal candidate will be ACA / ACCA Part Qualified and will have strong all round practice experience. Responsibilities: Ensure that the assignment is undertaken in accordance with the pre-assignment instructions, and to carry out the more rigorous aspects of the assignment efficiently, thoroughly and in accordance with the firm's procedures; Provide a professional Audit service to a variety of Clients; Build and maintain strong relationships with new and established clients demonstrating an awareness of the firm's specialist services and publications; Provide adequate training for trainee staff and assist in student, training and marketing activities to review work completed by trainee staff for adequacy and completeness, and to undertake job appraisal interviews. Must have proven experience with Audit and Accounts. To find out more call Curtis Reid on (0845) 375 1747.
You can apply for this job by sending a CV/written application to Curtis Reid at Heat Recruitment, firstname.lastname@example.com .
Location: Rainham, Gillingham, Kent ME8
Email: email@example.com


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SPM have a fleet of cars which will cater for any occasion, Range Rover Wedding Car, executive car hire, luxury car hire, prestige car hire, performance car hire, celebrity car hire, special occasion car hire, proms, Supercar Rental and many more.
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Three Cups of Tea: Promoting Peace & Building Nations, One School, One Child at a Time
Date: 9/1/2008; 59 minutes
Since a 1993 climb on Pakistan's K2, Greg Mortenson has helped more than 25,000 children, especially girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan receive quality education. He recounts the challenges and joys that have culminated in the building of more than 55 schools to an audience at UC Santa Barbara. (#15027)
related programs


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After you have decided on what topic that you are going to write about, the next step is writing an outline.
Some authors use this approach each and every time they start writing their novels. It is a good way to get an insight into how your book will flow.
In college I took English 101 where the main thing we did was write essays. Each essay had to have an introductory paragraph with a thesis sentence, at least three paragraphs that explain your thesis, and a conclusion. You can look at that and get an idea of how you what to set up an outline. Your introductory paragraph should have a thesis or first sentence that grabs your reader's attention. It should give the reader some clue what the book will be about.
Once you have a thesis sentence and your topic, write an outline about things you might want to talk about in the story. Brainstorm for at least five minutes writing down things that might interest the reader. Come up with at least your main character. You don't have to have all the character names and qualities decided, but it helps to have at least your main character developed in your mind. If your topic is about medicine, history, education, sports you might not need a character to tell the story.
Link to Post One: How to Write a Book:
Example of an outline:
Topic: Football
Thesis: Walter Peyton was the greatest running back of the century, leading the Chicago Bears to the Superbowl.
I Hall of Famer
II. His Position
III Stats
"Sweetness" as some known him was one of the best players for the Chicago Bears during his thirteen seasons. He is one of the most memorable running backs of all time. His stats of most yards gained, touchdowns, yards for carry, and his endurance earned him his 'Hall of Fame' award in 1993.
Brainstorming Example


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If coal companies get their way, southwest Virginia's beautiful and iconic Ison Rock Ridge will be blown to pieces by explosives and turned into a 1,200 acre mountaintop removal coal mining site.
Mining operations could even take place within 300 feet of some community members' homes, but incredibly, the State of Virginia isn't doing anything to protect its residents.
The Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to block the mining permit and save Ison Rock Ridge — and a decision is expected soon.
Our friends at the Sierra Club and Wise Energy for Virginia are hosting a rally outside the EPA's headquarters in Washington on Wednesday to make sure the agency knows that allowing mountaintop removal mining at Ison Rock Ridge is unacceptable. Here are the details:
Speakers at Wednesday's rally will include Wise County residents working to save Ison Rock Ridge, faith leaders and others involved in the crucial fight against mountaintop removal coal mining.
In June more than 1,600 CREDO action members in Virginia submitted public comments telling the EPA to block the permit for mountaintop removal mining at Ison Rock Ridge. That's a great start, but now that the EPA is close to making a decision we need to take the fight directly to its doorstep.
That's why community members from Wise County are making the trip to Washington for Wednesday's rally, where they'll be joined by hundreds of concerned activists from the DC area.
A big crowd at next week's rally will make it more likely that the EPA blocks this dangerous and environmentally destructive permit. Can you join us to speak out against mountaintop removal coal mining? Click here to RSVP for Wednesday's rally.
When: Wednesday November 16, 12PM-1PM
Where: EPA Headquarters, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.


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Jonah Video
Have you ever experienced a moment when God opened your eyes to a bigger,
better picture of life?
Did that awareness bring some challenges?
Did stepping into a new life experience cause you to look at the world,
your community, even your enemies differently?
What did it take for you to accept this new life?
Did you have to allow some things to die in order
that life might come in new ways now?
What if the resurrected life is less about a some day event
and more about a present reality we experience with Christ now?
Join us as we allow God's redemptive work to swallow us whole and resurrect our thirsty souls.


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Case IH's Robert Meier met recently with Rachel Gingell of Farms.com to talk about his Case VA restoration project as well as some important Case IH history.
In the video Meier shows Gingell the Case VA he restored with a co-op student from one of his dealers. Meier and the student dismantled and tuned-up the VA, had the unit repainted by Tired Iron, and reassembled the unit.
"It's an important tractor in Case history," explains Meier, a territory sales manager based in Brantford, Ontario.
In 1937, Case purchased the Rock Island Tractor Company in Rock Island, IL. The Rock Island Engineers noticed that the market was trending towards a smaller tractor, so they began building the VA without the knowledge of head office.
"When the president finally relented and said 'OK, we'll do a small tractor,' they rolled it out of the shadows and said 'Here we go! We happen to have one right here.'"
Meier took Gingell through a demonstration of the VA's Eagle Hitch system.
The Eagle Hitch was developed to provide consumers an alternative to the Ferguson System's draft control. "It simply lifts up and down."
The Eagle Hitch allowed customers to latch on to their implements in less than a minute from the tractor seat.
In contrast to the Eagle Hitch, Meier shows off the Fast Hitch on a Farmall 230. "The difference with the Fast Hitch two-point system was simply that – two point. These latches would pop open, one would back up to an implement, snap in, lift, and go."
The company introduced this system in Ontario at the International Plowing Match with the Square-Dancing Farmalls.
The ring was filled with implements and the Farmalls would hook on to one, do their dance in the ring, then back up, switch implements, and repeat the process. This showed the public how fast it could be done, all from the seat of the tractor.


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Philippines says China seizure of fish catch unacceptable
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine president's spokesman says the Chinese coast guard's seizures of fish caught by Filipino fishermen near a disputed shoal are unacceptable.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque presented three fishermen who described their travails in a news conference Monday at the presidential palace.
Roque said he and the foreign secretary have raised the incidents with the Chinese ambassador in Manila, who, he said, has assured them that the Chinese coast guard personnel would be punished if the Filipinos' complaints are proven after an investigation.
The recent incidents at the Scarborough Shoal drew attention after a local TV network interviewed some fishermen and showed video of the alleged Chinese confiscations. The incidents come despite friendlier ties between the Asian neighbors under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has avoided strongly criticizing China in public.


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Coconut Maple Brownies with Crown Maple
On the weekends I like to go out on the town but earlier in the day you can find me in the kitchen. As you may know, the kitchen is my home. I love whisking egg whites, swirling sugar and spices together, folding in flour, and kneading dough. But there's always a soft spot for when you can bake with a friend. My best friend Dee and I wanted to prepare a treat for a friend who was visiting our humble abode later Sunday evening. Along with out obsession with Nigella Lawson, we decided to whip up some coconut maple brownies. With enjoying the art of sourcing ingredients, I tend to look for beautifully packaged things. I found a bottle of bourbon maple syrup by Crown Maple. You can get their syrup at your local Meijer if you have one. Trust me, when I source ingredients, I look for the best quality things that I can find.
3 sticks unsalted butter (each stick is 18 tbs)
4 eggs
Approximately 6 oz unsweetened flaked coconut
2 TBS vanilla extract
1 1/2c flour (we used Trader Joe's gluten free flour, which can be substituted cup for cup)
1 TSP salt
1 TSP baking powder
12 oz dark chocolate
1 ½ to 2 1/2 cups maple syrup (we mixed pure maple syrup with bourbon maple syrup)
On very low heat on a toaster oven (or conventional oven, if needed), toast coconut flakes until they are a light golden brown colour. In a pot on top of a pot of boiling water (what's that called? A water pot thing that heats with steam), melt the butter and chocolate. Set aside to cool a bit. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and 1 ½ cups maple syrup together. Add the chocolate mixture when it's relatively cool and mix thoroughly. Then, add baking powder, salt, and flour. Finally, mix in most of the coconut, reserving a handful to sprinkle on top. Mix well and pour into an oiled 9x11" pan, topping with leftover coconut. (We used a 9x9 and baked the remaining in muffin tins) Bake at 3:50 for about 25 minutes. Cool, slice, and serve!


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The Quad is a sculling boat for four scullers with eight blades. For reasons of economy, most clubs will actually use a coxless four with sculling riggers rather than the lighter, purpose-built quad, as they then effectively get two boats for the price of one. Purpose built quads are less sturdy than fours as they are not subject to the asymmetric loads of sweep-oar rowing – so they can't be rigged as fours.
A sculler actually has more spoon area in the water during the stroke than a rower with a sweep oar. As a result, quads have a more rapid acceleration off the catch than other boats – even when using the heavier coxless four shell. For the crew, this can present some challenges, as the rapid acceleration of the boat after the catch can result in a loss of pressure toward the finish if the crews hands don't maintain the acceleration from the leg drive. From the coach's point of view a quad crew are effectively rowing a two-part 'legs-hands' stroke – both of which need to be powerful but need to connect smoothly together. People who have learned to row before they learn to scull will probably feel slightly rushed during the power phase of the stroke as the hands and arms have to accelerate into the finish in a way that is unlike sweep oar technique. Feathering is different too, with both wrists dropping sharply as the blades leave the water at the finish, with the handles held lightly in the crooked fingers well above the palm.
While the sculler at bow is in charge of steering and usually has a foot-operated rudder control, he or she will usually recruit the rest of the crew to help with steering. A boat as fast as a quad often needs more steering than can be managed via the rudder alone and a little more right or left hand pressure from the whole crew is the safest way to navigate a busy or bendy river.
Coxed quads are used for junior (11 – 18) scullers at most clubs and offer an excellent training environment for coxes who aspire to bigger, senior boats. While not as lively as the coxless quad, the coxed quad is also an excellent coaching environment for junior scullers, able to accommodate mixed ability crews quite safely.


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FOSJ is comprised of a dedicated group of volunteers, and supported solely by our sponsors and members. As an FOSJ Member, you help us continue with our mission of providing high quality avalanche awareness education for the community. In addition, members receive the following benefits thanks to our partners:
- Eligibility for the Joe Philpott and Peter Carver Avalanche Scholarship
- Early registration for FOSJ field sessions
- Member only events (TBA)
- Pine Needle Mountaineering 10% off storewide and 20% off beacon, shovel, airbag pack, and or probe
- Silverton Avalanche School 10% off Avalanche Courses
- Telluride Avalanche School 10% off Avalanche Courses
- San Juan Mountain Guides 15% off Avalanche Courses
- Carvers Brewing Co. $1 off all pints at
-Kokopelli Bike & Board 10% off (excluding bikes)


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LITTLEFORK— Northeast Range emerged battered but victorious from their five-set marathon against the Vikings on Tuesday.
Two of the team's top players, freshman Hannah Reichensperger and …
LITTLEFORK— Northeast Range emerged battered but victorious from their five-set marathon against the Vikings on Tuesday.
Two of the team's top players, freshman Hannah Reichensperger and senior Shayler Lislegard both went down with injuries.
Reichensperger injured her ankle early in the third set and was out for the rest of the game.
Her head coach, and mother, Jodi Rogers-Reichensperger said the injury appears serious and could keep her out of action for a few games. The condition of Lislegard, who was hurt in the fourth set, was not immediately available.
The Nighthawks fell behind early, losing the first set 25-23. After rebounding in set two with a 25-10 win, the Nighthawks slipped 25-19. But despite their injuries, they held off the Vikings in the final two sets, 25-12 and 15-11 to notch their fifth win of the season.
"They really did great under the circumstances," said Rogers-Reichensperger. "I couldn't be prouder of them."
Despite her injury at the midway point, Reichensperger put up strong stats, with 13 kills, 12 digs, and a block in just over two sets of play. Sophie Lenz had a good night as well, with 15 kills, 12 digs, and three blocks, while Lara Poderzay was a machine from the setter position, posting 35 assists. Maija Maki posted 11 digs and five kills, while Jenna Smith notched 14 digs.
In Monday night home action, the Nighthawks had an off night and fell hard to South Ridge in straight sets, 25-23, 25-14, and 25-21.
"It was an off day," said Rogers-Reichensperger. "We struggled in every aspect. And when the other team doesn't it's a recipe for disaster."
Sophie Lenz put up 12 kills and eight digs, while Reichensperger posted 11 digs, six kills, and a block. Maija Maki added six digs and three kills, while Lara Poderzay put up 20 set assists.
The Nighthawks offered up a respectable showing at the Greenway tournament on Saturday with a 2-2 record for a fifth-place finish. They topped Mesabi East (25-23, 25-16) and Mt. Iron-Buhl (25-12, 25-21) while losing to Ely in three (22-25, 25-15, and 10-15) and North Woods in two (12-25, 16-25).
In action last Thursday, the Nighthawks dumped the Rangers in three sets, 25-22, 25-17, and 25-22.


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The local police and one deeply troubled mother are at odds when her daughter is murdered and nobody is arrested. The situation worsens and everyone involved is doing all they can to put an end to this tragic and horrible situation. So, does "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" deliver on the dark comedic tones promised in the trailers or should we lock this film up and throw away the key? Let's dive in and take a look in this review.
First, let me start by saying this film is not what the trailers hinted at. The overall story is darker than anything else I've seen this year. In fact, it's so dark, I'm not even sure the comedy lands to provide temporary levity from an otherwise disturbed and well acted movie. While the trailer paints a more comedic look at a mother at her wits end, we don't get the truest sense of why. From the trailer we know her daughter is murdered. However that's just part of what takes this film into bleak and lightless territory.
Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) plays a completely wrecked mother on a war path for her idea of justice. Her daughter was murdered, and while dying was raped. Sheriff Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) discovers he's dying from cancer and so he puts a bag over his head and shoots himself through the brain while his family is asleep in the house. And Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) is the town racist who beats up and tortures minorities as well as a timid and shy billboard salesman (who he almost kills by throwing him out a second story window). Finally, there's "James" the town midget (Peter Dinklage) who's only real purpose seems to be an alibi for Hayes when she sets fire to the police station, almost killing Dixon and definitely permanently scarring him. This film is layer after layer of pitch-black story. While the acting in the film is superb you will not leave the theater feeling any sense of positivity. This movie sucks all the energy out of us as an audience and delivers on a thought provoking, albeit tenebrous, story of characters that are well developed, well written and constructed. Each individual in this film is believable and while other films reviewed this year had performances that felt more cartoony, these did not.
Overall, this film wasn't what I expected but it delivered on all the aspects of story telling. From beginning to end, we understand the characters, their motivations, the reason(s) the plot is moving and why, plus we get a few ancillary characters to build on a sense of realism for this particular town and the primary folks driving the plot. However, there is no escaping the fact that this film is dark and depressing. I feel you have to be in a certain mindset before watching this movie because there is no joy to be found in this story. It starts of dark and ends with a possibility of diving further into the well of despair.
"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" is in theaters now! If you are the type of person who can watch shows like "Law & Order: SVU", "True Detective" or "Dexter" and still smile and cook a pizza afterwards, than you might enjoy this film. If you don't mind seeing a well written, wonderfully acted movie that is dark and depressing, you'll enjoy this film. It's not for everyone but no movie really is. I enjoyed the overall movie despite its bleakness because all the actors do an incredible job in their roles. Check it out and be sure to have something happy to enjoy afterwards to boost your spirits.


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Areas of Practice
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2017
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2017
Texas Tech University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2011
- Phi Beta Kappa
Dean M. Gould is an associate Dykema's Dallas office. Mr. Gould focuses his practice on Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, and Mergers & Acquisitions matters.
While in law school, Mr. Gould served as a judicial intern with U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas, The Honorable Ken Tapscott, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In his final year, Mr. Gould served as a student attorney in the W.W. Caruth Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic, representing abused and neglected children. Mr. Gould served as the Air Law Symposium Editor for the SMU Law Review and as president of the Red Raider Law Society.
Prior to his legal career, Mr. Gould was a middle school history teacher.
- January 29, 2018
Memberships & Involvement
- Dallas Bar Association
- Dallas Young Lawyers Association


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Additional routes for Winter 2015/16 from monarch's five UK bases include flights from Birmingham to Lanzarote, Madeira, Larnaca in Cyprus, Gran Canaria and Turin in Italy.
The airline will also fly from Leeds Bradford to Alicante in Spain, and from Luton to Gibraltar.
There will be new routes from London Gatwick to Alicante, Friedrichshafen in Germany, Madeira and Menorca; and flights from Manchester to Alicante, Gibraltar, Gran Canaria and Palma Majorca.
Marjan Schoeke, head of network development for Monarch Airlines, said: "The addition of these routes to our winter 15/16 schedule provides our customers with even more choice when it comes to booking their winter break, whether they prefer sun or ski.
"Following the review of our network last year we have created a schedule which we believe will be very attractive to our customers. In particular, for our most popular winter destinations, we have made our flights more frequent and are offering flight times that are more convenient."
More flight news:
Turkish Airlines launches new Heathrow to Istanbul flight
World's most dependable airline announced
Flybe to launch Liverpool to Amsterdam route
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READ // The Four
AUTHOR: Scott Galloway
SUMMARY: (via Amazon) "Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are the four most influential companies on the planet. Just about everyone thinks they know how they got there. Just about everyone is wrong.
Galloway deconstructs the strategies of the Four that lurk beneath their shiny veneers. He shows how they manipulate the fundamental emotional needs that have driven us since our ancestors lived in caves, at a speed and scope others can't match. And he reveals how you can apply the lessons of their ascent to your own business or career.
Whether you want to compete with them, do business with them, or simply live in the world they dominate, you need to understand the Four."
REVIEWS: via Amazon
BUY: via Amazon
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one day you're a blatant copy cat — lord knows there's enough doing that with pinterest.
the next day, you're simply following best practices… this small but material epiphany hit me while grabbing a pita after work yesterday.
fans of chipotle will immediate recognize this menu layout and ordering style… clear steps. clear ingredients. simple pricing, but feel free to make your burrito (or in this case your pita) as complicated as you like. hell, put it in a bowl if you don't want the carbs.
with business evolving increasingly fast, one has no choice but to fall into the copy cat bucket. by the time the ink dries, you'll simply be following best practices. just imagine if nokia had been bold enough to copy apple four years ago instead of just now coming out with a touchscreen phone…
of course, how long those best practices stay just that is another more complicated question. for now, just don't get left behind because of pride or wanting to do something unique. your customers and shareholders will thank you.