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Grammys: Who Will Win This Year? Predictions From a Six-Time Grammy Winner
Feb 12, 2016 10:36 AM EST
Taylor Swift's 1989 was the best-selling album of 2014, with more than 3.6 million copies moved. But despite allowing Swift to complete her (seemingly) effortless transition from country singer to pop sensation, it won't be enough to stop hip-hop art… Read more

subset: commoncrawl


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Obama's albatross: Transparency
Five years into his presidency, Barack Obama might have been reaping kudos for ushering in a new era of transparency in government.
Instead, he's under fire for his administration's secrecy.
Story Continued Below
The White House has faced a fusillade of high-profile complaints in recent weeks from all corners of Washington.
Reporters are in an uproar over their limited access to the president, most recently when the White House released pictures taken by official photographer Pete Souza of Obama and former President George W. Bush together on Air Force One during the lengthy journey to and from South Africa for Nelson Mandela's funeral.
( PHOTOS: 2013 POLITICO staff pictures of the year)
News photographers on the plane, meanwhile, had limited access to the pair.
"What the [Obama] White House communications shop has done is arguably in violation of the president's commitment to openness and transparency and accountability," CNN's Jake Tapper said at a POLITICO Playbook event last week. "They want to control the message."
Open government groups, meanwhile, are upset with what they say are incomplete Freedom of Information Act responses and administration efforts to limit disclosure. And senators say they're being stonewalled from releasing a report on CIA interrogation practices.
There likely has been more transparency under this president than any of his predecessors — but not necessarily by choice. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's leaks have led the administration to declassify and release significant troves of information about surveillance practices.
Even planned attempts at public access have gone awry. The White House touts access to the president's public schedule as one of its transparency accomplishments, but that can bring more grief than credit. Outside groups have used the schedules to publish reports questioning how often the president gets security briefings or met with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the months leading up to the deeply flawed rollout of HealthCare.gov.
( Also on POLITICO: The PR nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue)
But the schedule is incomplete. A POLITICO review last year found that of the more than 4,000 official photos of Obama released by the White House, about one-third depicted events that were not on his public schedule.
Obama aides said the reasons for omitting events vary from security concerns to a desire not to offend groups if the president chooses not to show up to decisions to announce the meetings on social media instead. Even benign policy events such as an Oval Office meeting with Obama and 17 members of his staff to discuss international trade talks have been omitted.
Despite complaints from the news media and openness advocates, Obama aides say the White House has fulfilled the president's pledge.
"Over the past five years, federal agencies have gone to great efforts to make government more transparent and more accessible than ever, to provide people with information that they can use in their daily lives, and to solicit public participation in government decision-making and thus tap the expertise that resides outside of government," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement that echoes one he gave to POLITICO in May 2012.
( Also on POLITICO: Tech catches holiday shoppers in their tracks)
Schultz also noted the award Obama received from the organizers of Sunshine Week "for this administration's historic improvements to the FOIA process."
That award, delivered by some open government groups in 2011, was presented at a closed-press Oval Office meeting.
Obama won credit for his initial actions, but the luster has worn off, said Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists. They "took their reward up front," he said. "They took all the praise during the campaign and in the first year of the administration, and then they were expected to deliver and the delivery has been uneven at best."
The administration's efforts to rein in access to information are "the most aggressive I've seen since the Nixon administration," veteran Washington Post editor Len Downie wrote in the Committee to Protect Journalists' report on challenges to press freedom in October.
( Also on POLITICO: Best celeb tweets on politics in 2013)
Downie says White House officials sincerely believe they are more transparent, but are interpreting the term differently than many in the press corps.
"They really do believe that they're transparent," he said in an interview. "They understand they're blocking the press, but they think they're doing a great job being transparent by making so much accessible via social media."
Obama's team puts a lot of weight on public engagement initiatives, like the innovative "We The People" petition site and efforts to allow the public to offer advice on proposed regulations. They also point to the first-ever, routine disclosure of White House visitor logs.
The administration routinely releases official White House photos and video on sites like Flickr, Twitter and YouTube, giving the public direct access to the materials. But the press often doesn't have independent access to those events.
( Also on POLITICO: Why they mattered: Remembering 17 politicos who died in 2013)
AP photography director Santiago Lyon took to The New York Times this month to blast the White House for "draconian restrictions on photojournalists' access to the president" and urged the public to reject officially released photos as "propaganda."
Lyon's op-ed and the limited access on the South Africa trip led to a 17-minute-plus feeding frenzy at a White House briefing with press secretary Jay Carney earlier this month.
"Anyone here can tell that there's less access than under the Bush administration," CNN's Brianna Keilar said at one point.
Carney insisted that Obama's White House isn't giving less access to press photographers and that many of the journalists' complaints are driven by competitive pressures relating to the Internet.
"We're not operating any differently than other White House offices have operated except that the Internet exists," Carney said. "And the White House posts some pictures on the Internet identified as official White House photographs. So the fundamental difference here is distribution."
Obama does give more one-on-one interviews than his recent predecessors, but he avoids the impromptu give and take that many previous presidents routinely engaged in on a near-daily basis with beat reporters. This irritates those who daily cover the White House because it means less fodder for stories about the news of the day.
( Also on POLITICO: White House delays Obamacare deadline)
"Every president has their own style," Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer said on MSNBC recently. "We used to let the press come in and they fire four, five questions at a time. President Obama has a different style and much more sit-down."
But the White House press strategy can produce delays in getting the president's message or response to events into the national news.
When George Zimmerman was acquitted in the Trayvon Martin case this summer, Obama issued a written statement but didn't react to it in person for six days. After Spanish-language TV reporters failed to ask him about the verdict in interviews, Obama came to the briefing room to address it, delivering a speech many regard as one of his most heartfelt and eloquent.


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USB adjustable floor and wall support brackets are designed for use with 4S and 5S electrical boxes. The UL-listed brackets can be mounted on wooden or metal studs, and offer multiple height and width combinations. Model USB adjusts from 8 in. to 24 in. high as a floor bracket or 14 in. to 24 in. wide as a stud-to-stud wall bracket. Up to three 4S or 5S boxes can be mounted on a single USB as a floor bracket with the company's USB accessories.
Orbit Industries/UMI
For more information, visit www.orbitelectric.com.
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Player of the Week - No. 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Bobby Hunter of Oregon Tech has been named the first NAIA National Division II Men's Basketball Player of the Week of the 2011-12 season, the national office announced Tuesday. Hunter was selected based on his performances from Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 and was chosen out of a pool of conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.
Hunter exploded for back-to-back 30-point efforts in a pair of Cascade Collegiate Conference games last week. Despite the 85-75 loss to No. 17 Warner Pacific (Ore.) on Dec. 29, the 6-foot freshman guard hit 10 of 14 shots to post 30 points. He added six rebounds, three steals and a trio of assists. In the 101-87 win over Concordia (Ore.) on Dec. 30, Hunter hit for his third-straight 30-point game with a 10-for-17 shooting effort. He finished with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. For the week, he shot 64.5 percent (20-for-31) from the field and went 9-for-15 from long range (60 percent).
The native of Reno, Nev., sits fifth in the NAIA in steals per game (2.8) and is 21st in scoring (19.4 ppg). He is riding a streak of 16-straight games of double-digit scoring.
The next Player of the Week announcement will be on Jan. 10.
Nominees: James Parrott, Bellevue (Neb.); Spencer Adams, Dakota State (S.D.); Sekani Milligen, Valley City State (N.D.); Travis Burley, Jamestown (N.D.); Ronald Bates, Cornerstone (Mich.); Zack Leeper, Northwestern (Iowa); Antoine Watson, Indiana Southeast; Chris Bellamy, Spring Arbor (Mich.); Vaughn Bobbitt, Marygrove (Mich.); Taylor Williams, Holy Cross (Ind.).
2011-12 Composite Award Winners
Week 1: Bobby Hunter, Oregon Tech


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As an Invisalign® Dentist in Berkeley, We Can Provide Your Teen With Cosmetic Dentist Solutions
We are a local Invisalign® dentist in Berkeley who can improve the appearance of your teen's smile using clear aligners or other cosmetic dentist solutions. While we typically recommend Invisalign® for our adult patients, we have found that many teenagers are ready to straighten their teeth, but are not interested in traditional braces. In this case, wearing clear aligners can be a much better solution that solves their need to straighten teeth without negatively impacting their appearance. Here is what you should know about this convenient solution.
Senior year is an excellent time to get started.
We have found that by the time most teens reach their senior year, they have all of their adult teeth and are responsible enough for this solution. While Invisalign® is convenient, it requires commitment and responsibility, because they need to take care of them and remember to put them back in after cleaning. Starting the process now means you can help them establish these habits before they leave for college, encouraging a successful treatment.
Invisalign® is convenient enough for a busy teen.
As an Invisalign® dentist in Berkeley, we know wearing clear aligners is incredibly easy. They look like full retainers and are slipped in place and worn throughout the day. As a cosmetic dentist, we tell our patients to take them out when eating and brushing teeth. This makes the process far easier because it means you can eat whatever you want without worrying about food getting stuck in between teeth or there being a potentially embarrassing situation. Also, since teeth are brushed without the aligners in, there is no need to spend 30 minutes flossing, as is sometimes necessary with traditional braces. The ability to take aligners in and out means this treatment will work for even the busiest of teens. A perfect example of this is being able to take out the aligners to go to the Homecoming dance or to play in the soccer finals. Even band members will appreciate the convenience.
Invisalign® works like braces.
As a cosmetic dentist, we know that the process of straightening teeth is virtually the same, regardless of which solution you select. At the end of the day, the teeth need to be moved into position, and this is done by using clear aligners. With traditional braces, the process is done using a series of metal brackets and wires that are adjusted on a regular basis. When wearing aligners, you simply switch out the aligner for the next one in the series. This can be done at home, which means your teen will have fewer dental appointments – good if they have a busy schedule. The aligners will continue to place consistent pressure on the teeth to gradually move them into the right position. The main difference is not in what they can accomplish, but how the treatment options look during the process. To learn more, call and schedule an appointment with our Invisalign® dentist in Berkeley to discuss this and other cosmetic dentist solutions.


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I need to restore a file on sda7 so I remounted ro und startet extundelete
manuel@P5KC:~/recovery/RECOVERED_FILES$ sudo extundelete --restore-all /dev/sda7
WARNING: Extended attributes are not restored.
Loading filesystem metadata ... 688 groups loaded.
Loading journal descriptors ... 18110 descriptors loaded.
Writing output to directory RECOVERED_FILES/
Searching for recoverable inodes in directory / ...
1554 recoverable inodes found.
Looking through the directory structure for deleted files ...
Unable to restore inode 2228446 (lost+found/latex): No data found.
But the directory
RECOVERED_FILES is empty. Am I doing something wrong or is my data lost? Filesystem is ext4. At the end, logged in as su, I am even getting a segmentation fault.
Debian Wheezy 3.2.0-4-amd64


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Poll: Medicaid Expansion Plan Loses Support When Voters Told of Potential Effects
GOP and Independent male voters against expansion plans; Democrats strongly support
A significant number of Michigan voters are worried about the effects of expanding Medicaid as Gov. Rick Snyder wants, according to a new survey.
More than three-quarters of those surveyed (77 percent) said there is too much disagreement among experts about Medicaid program costs to rush into an expansion decision. In response to another question, 74 percent said they don't want the program expanded "until the waste, fraud and abuse in the program is cleaned up." And 65 percent said they don't think the federal government will live up to its payment promises and thereby leave Michigan taxpayers on the hook for Medicaid expansion costs.
Because of Obamacare, the White House is pushing to expand Medicaid in the states. The Obama administration promises that the federal government will pay 100 percent of the additional cost for new enrollees for three years, and then decrease that through 2021 until the state budget becomes responsible for paying 10 percent of the cost.
Gov. Snyder wants Medicaid in Michigan expanded to all uninsured state residents with household income levels up to 133 percent of the poverty level. It has been estimated that expanding the program would add 470,000 or more people to the program.
When asked the generic question of whether Medicaid should be expanded, 49 percent of respondents said yes; 39 percent said no; and 12 percent were undecided (slide 16 of the report). When the question was asked including Medicaid expansion up to 138 percent of the poverty level, 50 percent of survey respondents said yes; 40 percent said no; and 10 percent were undecided (slide 20 of the report).
But when given examples of what could happen if Medicaid was expanded in Michigan, respondents were less certain, voting 47 percent for expansion and 44 percent against (slide 21 of the report). The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
"When you ask people if the federal government should cut spending, people say yes, but when you start selecting programs to cut they say, no," said Matt Mayer of the Liberty Foundation of America, which co-sponsored the survey with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "It's the same here. In the abstract, sure they want to expand Medicaid. But when people learn about the potential effects, their opinions change."
Active Republican voters in Michigan most strongly oppose Medicaid expansion, according to the survey. Among Republicans, 64 percent said they opposed the Medicaid expansion, but after being told details of the expansion, the percentage of Republicans who said they were opposed jumped to 72 percent. Also, 59 percent of men who were surveyed and who identified themselves as Independents were opposed to Medicaid expansion in Michigan.
Eighty percent of Democrats who were surveyed favor expansion.
Jack McHugh, senior legislative analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, has written about this issue extensively, pointing out the budget trap that could befall Michigan taxpayers and the problems the state could face if it makes the wrong decision.
"Hardly a week goes by without new reports from Washington of Obamacare implementation glitches, delays and unanswered questions, indicating the law is still highly vulnerable," McHugh said. "In addition, there's abundant evidence the optional Medicaid expansion will impose much higher future costs on Michigan taxpayers than proponents' acknowledge. This poll suggests the public senses these things, and has logically concluded the expansion simply doesn't make sense for Michigan at this time."
The poll results are from a statewide survey of 507 active voters, conducted April 7-8 by Hill Research Consultants.
One-third of the survey respondents identified themselves as Democrats. Another 29 percent identified themselves as Independents and 24 percent were self-described Republicans. Nearly one in 10 (9 percent) described themselves as something else. Of the others surveyed, 4 percent refused to identify themselves politically and 2 percent said they were unsure.
Sixty-one percent of those surveyed said it was a "convincing argument" not to expand Medicaid because it would "allow too many able-bodied young people to get insurance, even if they just chose not to work to provide for their own health care needs."
Nearly 80 percent said they would enroll in Medicaid if they were "uninsured, needed health care and were qualified" to participate. But only 3 percent said they thought Michigan's Medicaid program is "honest;" 17 percent said it was "competent;" and 10 percent said it was "efficient." About 5 percent of active voters in Michigan receive Medicaid benefits, according to the survey.
To see the full results of the survey, click here: "Topline Michigan Medicaid." To see the results broken down, click here: "Michigan Medicaid Crosstabs." To see an excel document summarizing the results, click here: "Survey Summary Table."
See also:
Medicaid Expansion: Beware of Obamacare 'Gifts'
Tax-and-Spend Interests Pushing Medicaid Expansion
Trust Not In Obamacare Medicaid Promises
Medicaid Expansion: The Decisive Obamacare Battle
Obamacare Medicaid Expansion A Budget Trap
Wisconsin's Alternative Medicaid Plan


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SciencePreschoolers47 Comments
Make a lava lamp with your preschooler, and your preschooler will love science experiments! I can't promise that, but Henry has.
Lava lamps are simple to make, too.
What you need to make a Lava Lamp:
- Vegetable oil (or get a clear oil)
- Water
- Food coloring of your choice
- Alka-Seltzer Tablets (as many as you choose, the more the merrier!)
- Clear container (the taller and skinnier, the better the effect)
Don't have Alka Seltzer? See how to make a lava lamp without Alka Seltzer!
How to make a Lava Lamp:
- Fill the container with 2 parts oil, 1 part water. (Leave some room at the top of the container for a little bit of bubbling.)
- Drop in a few drops of food coloring
- Add an Alka-Selzer Tablet (start with 1/4 or a half a tablet to begin with)
- Watch is fizz and bubble up to the top!
We did three containers of lava lamps. Three different colors, for triple the lava fun!
It took a lot of oil, though. I wish I had more on hand because I didn't quite have 2/3 for each container. The oil is essentially the lava lamp portion, so it would have been nice to have more of it. But it still worked!
I also wish I had clear oil on hand instead of vegetable oil. But I'm not sure what kind of oil besides baby oil is clear. Any suggestions?
Henry dropped in tablet after tablet. Over and over, watching it bubble up! He used the entire box of Alka-Selzer just for this experiment!
The green one really captured his attention. Maybe because it's his favorite color. Or maybe because it was the tallest and skinniest, so it had the best reactions.
Mixing colors would be a fun addition to this lava lamp experiment! We learned about mixing colors in the magic color changing milk experiment, it was a blast!
It was even interesting from the top of the bottles. Or, at least Henry thought so.
Once we were starting to run out of Alka-Selzer tablets, we started combining the colors and making them bubble together.
We were surprised to see that the colored bubbled remained separate! Can you see the little red ones in the mix of the big blue bubbles?
What's your favorite science experiment to do with the kids?
This one might be a toss up with the baking soda and colored vinegar one… They're both highly intriguing to Henry!
Bern at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas recently did some Faux Lava Lamps too! In fact, she had entire Mad Science Week! It's awesome!


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Opinion: Obama's Climate Agenda Gone Wild
Editorial board member Joe Rago on President Obama's climate change plan.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... in these next few hours President Obama is set to announce his most ambitious plan ... to control climate change gets his presidency and a half to ask ... who is the really trying to help attorneys Greenpeace certainly not us ... editorial board member Joe rego is here to explain show ... I'm just the use or familiar with this agenda what exactly does the president wants to do ... monkey's he's ... on rolling a ... massive agenda that covers everything from ... him use subsidies for green energy to energy efficiency for your microwave and refrigerator ... of them through the really big change and that he's announcing today ... I is this a plan to ... crack down on coal fired power plants now ... we've seen in the decline in coal generation ... overs presidency ... partly ... driven by the natural gas boom but also driven forced really buying by regulation ... now he's saying ... when a finish that awful inning get rid of all these cool plants ... and switch and you know in reality OB natural gas but he has sort of ... these grandiose ambitions for you so you don't wind farms and solar wind farms across America let's all let's all but get power from wood chips and wind farms ... so what what will this mean for the energy revolution in America a school is having right now I mean this is ... where the greatest booms that we've seen in in in the last couple of decades C Anekal Gray will look at it I mean this this is ... an energy tax basically this is the regulatory ... tax that when you get paid to replace all those powerfully century who pays every American some Americans who think ... that ... it is about twenty five states or so in a majority of their ... electric power from Opel ... out so it's can be concentrated in those states ... it's been mainly the South ... the the and in the Midwest ... so that's really where the cost of the concert it's not the West Coast it's an eye ... on the northeast and New England a stellar quarter or ... I it's really the the middle and and southern regions of the country ok what are the politics here why do this now ... what I think he's trying to shore up his left flank ... and but but it's also ... it's it's the it's this philosophy it's what he eats but he believes ... and ... so he he's really mobilizing the power of the government ... I'd to to achieve these goals okay it doesn't help the environment and ... no I mean look ... you can use it and dismissively but yet and they're going to sell Mrs this is this is good for the climate so what what he said what it wanted to climb on it well for for a few reasons one that the US is a pittance ... in terms of global emissions it's all coming from the developing world now ... our carbon emissions in the U S are falling ... and that's largely an artifact of the recession in the slow economy ... but but you look where we're making progress here ... this is just sure costs well e-commerce to anything about this because it's a very hard ... as a politician of any stripe to come out and say you know what ... you don't need more regulations on the economy we don't want safe drinking water and you know clean air and all those things ... look and I think your Tennessee ... a lot of opposition in Congress energy politics are ... when when when it comes down to the local level there they're really not left to right ... I think it's all based on your home state so on you know the ... the ... Ohio politicians ... who are for Democrats are gonna be ... posted this ... and that now ... you mentioned Congress ... this is really an anti democratic action here I mean if you look of cap and trade has been rejected ... in the Bush administration and ... in the Obama administration across ... across the board nice mobilizing on BP in his executive discretion ... to do this and I think it's it's really trouble the grand scale editorial board member Joe radio on the great big fat green regulatory bomb about to hit the country ... thank so much for being on show thanks ...


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Dataforth Corporation's SCM5B isoLynx SLX200 DAQ System
SCM5B isoLynx SLX200 DAQ system implements standard Modbus RTU and TCP protocols for communication with existing third-party software drivers and HMI/SCADA packages. The flexible, modular design of SLX200 combines a 6- or 12-channel I/O controller base system and optional 8- or 16-channel expansion backplanes for either panel or DIN rail-mounting. Certified by Modbus IDA and OPC-compatible.


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BridalMakeupArtists.com - 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 207, Los Angeles, CA 90045
©2019 BridalMakeupArtists.com, All Rights Reserved
*BridalMakeupArtists.com does not offer makeup services, hair styling services or any other estethician/beauty services (Services) and only acts as an advertising, marketing, lead generating or telecom service for its' member artists. As when deciding on any service or product, you should take time to evaluate and study the service providers offered to you by this site and make an educated decision to whether the Services being offered are right for your situation. If you have ANY DOUBTS, CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS you should get competent advice from an outside authoritative source before using any of the service providers we connect you to or check their status as a licensed beauty service provider in your state. BridalMakeupArtists.com makes no guarantees that you will be satisfied with the subjective outcome of your Services. You understand that you are solely responsible for the legal and financial relationship between you and one of our member artists, and agree that BridalMakeupArtists.com IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED OR THE OUTCOME THEREOF.


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For Seniors: Find Any Location with iPad's Google Maps
Google Maps is included with iPad 2. With Maps, you can search for a business, specific street address, or a landmark such as the Empire State Building.
2Type a street address, a business name such as Walmart, or a destination such as Empire State Building or Detroit airport.
Maps may make suggestions as you type if it finds any logical matches. For some addresses, you may need to type the city, state, and/or zip to find the location you want.
Try asking for a type of business or location by zip code. For example, if you crave something with pepperoni, enter 99208 pizza.
3Tap the Search key on the keyboard.
The location appears with a red pin inserted in it and a label with the location, an Information icon, and in some cases, the Street view icon. Note that if several locations match your search term, several pins may be displayed.
4Tap the screen and drag in any direction to move to a nearby location.
The map view is adjusted to display locations in the direction you swiped.
5Tap the Bookmark icon.
A list of bookmarks you've added appear; to visit one of those saved locations, tap it in the Bookmarks list.
6Tap the Recent tab, located at the bottom of the Bookmarks list.
Recently visited sites are displayed. Tap a site to revisit it again.


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[Apparently the left hand leaf of this letter is missing, thus the incontinuity when the page changes.] )
Camped at Atlanta Ga Aug the 22 63 )
Dear Ma
I have now seat
my self to answer your kind and
more than welcum letter that you
sent by Lieutenant [McSwimer?] you
do not know how glad I was to
get a letter from you but I was
verry sorry to hear that John was
sick but cosin Jimme got a letter
from cosin mag [?] this morning she
rote that he was about well I
was verry glad to hear it for I was
getting uneasy about _____ I have
no news to write that will interest
you you wrote that you had not
got a letter from me in a long
time I have been writing to you
mity near every week. ____ since we left
Shelbyville you said that you did


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Futures of Entertainment Podcasts/
This will be my last post of 2007, barring unforeseen circumstances. The blog is going to go down for a little bit to allow us to switch servers and hopefully provide better service in the future. The blog is also going down because I am exhausted from the term, want to spend time with my family, and need to catch up on other writing and regroup my thoughts so that I have interesting things to share with you all when I return next year. Before I sign off though, I wanted to let you know that the podcasts of the Futures of Entertainment 2 conference are slowly but surely being posted on the CMS homepage. So far, the following podcasts have appeared:
Opening Remarks by Joshua Green and myself, laying out what we see as some of the most important media trends of the past year.
Panelists: Bruce Leichtman, Leichtman Research Group; Stacey Lynn Schulman, Turner Broadcasting; Maury Giles, GSD&M Idea City
As media companies have come to recognize the value of participatory audiences, they have searched for matrixes by which to measure engagement with their properties. A model based on impressions is giving way to new models which seek to account for the range of different ways consumers engage with entertainment content. But nobody is quite clear how you can "count" engaged consumers or how you can account for various forms and qualities of engagement. Over the past several years, a range of different companies have proposed alternative systems for measuring engagement. What are the strengths and limits of these competing models? What aspects of audience activity do they account for? What value do they place on different forms of engagement?
Panelists: Mark Deuze, Indiana University; Catherine Tosenberger, University of Florida; Jordan Greenhall, DivX; Elizabeth Osder, Buzznet; Raph Koster, Areae
There is growing anxiety about the way labor is compensated in Web 2.0. The accepted model -- trading content in exchange for connectivity or experience -- is starting to strain, particularly as the commodity culture of user-generated content confronts the gift economy which has long characterized the participatory fan cultures of the web. The incentives which work to encourage participation in some spaces are alienating other groups and many are wondering what kinds of revenue sharing should or could exist when companies turn a profit based on the unpaid labor of their consumers. What do we know now about the "architecture of participation" (to borrow Kevin O'Reilly's formulation) that we didn't know a year ago? What have been the classic mistakes which Web 2.0 companies have made in their interactions with their customers? What do we gain by applying a theory of labor to think about the invisible work performed by fans and other consumers within the new media economy?
And don't miss the webcast of the MIT Communications Forum event, Forum: NBC's Heroes: "Appointment TV" to "Engagement TV"?
The fragmenting audiences and proliferating channels of contemporary television are changing how programs are made and how they appeal to viewers and advertisers. Some media and advertising spokesman are arguing that smaller, more engaged audiences are more valuable than the passive viewers of the Broadcast Era. They focus on the number of viewers who engage with the program and its extensions -- web sites, podcasts, digital comics, games, and so forth. What steps are networks taking to prolong and enlarge the viewer's experience of a weekly series? How are networks and production companies adapting to and deploying digital technologies and the Internet? And what challenges are involved in creating a series in which individual episodes are only part of an imagined world that can be accessed on a range of devices and that appeals to gamesters, fans of comics, lovers of message boards or threaded discussions, digital surfers of all sorts? In this Forum, producers from the NBC series Heroes will discuss their hit show as well as the nature of network programming, the ways in which audiences are measured, the extension of television content across multiple media channels, and the value producers play on the most active segments of their audiences.
Keep an eye on the Comparative Media Studies Program Home page and the Futures of Entertainment 2 Conference website for the roll out of the other conference podcasts.


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How to set up your TB2BV EC gas leaf blower
Length of Clip: 06:47
This is how you set up the TB2BV EC gas leaf blower. Learn about out-of-the-box setup, starting instructions, operation and maintenance of this 2-cycle blower. Order replacement parts or download a copy of your machine's operator's manual here.
Did you find this helpful?


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Hazel's Beverage World in Boulder has great Friday wine tastings
First: If you haven't visited Hazel's Beverage World in Boulder yet, you should. It's a booze cathedral, a vast, gleaming spectacle of liquid from grapes, from barley and hops, from corn and rye and wheat and apples and pear and orange and … we could go on.
It also is Boulder County's largest liquor store now. It opened a few months ago.
Second: Show up for the Friday wine and beer tastings. Hazel's dedicated a separate area of the store for tastings. You sip from real glassware. People are nice and knowledgeable. Great way to start the weekend.


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"i'm broke"--Lowtax
It wouldn't be the first time that people in or related to the forums tried to harass someone into suicide.It's sad because basically Fire's biggest offense is trying to be a decent human being.
Hello Something Sensitive poster Clemen.Even if this were true(it's not), people got mad because he doesn't find it funny to shit on people, unlike Real Internet Cool People.
I could scream FAKE but that looks pretty real and makes a great deal of sense given the nature of SA's moderation. The last couple of years I've seen stuff like one mod encouraging video game social justice discussion while another mod dropped the Anita Sarkeesian thread into FYAD for mocking purposes. Or one mod banning people for saying 'faggot' while another mod wrote an effortpost defending every goon's right to call people faggots. It makes perfect sense that the mod forum is practically a war zone.
Abe is problematic.
All you have to do is ban unfunny posters that nobody likes,
And another thing, Abe is one of the reasons SA turned to shit. Maybe the primary reason GBS turned to shit many years ago. His banning of jokes and anyone who got attention saw most of the funny posters vacate. Yes GBS is terrible now, but that's in part to you running all the funny people off you twit.Kewpuh is right too. You were all about doxxing back in the day. And you didn't have a problem fucking with a 13 year old's personal info when you felt it could score you some e-cred with an insane lady on Twitter. So some 4chan guys fucked with you back and you're crying. Karma is a bitch.


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Breaking News:
Additional datasets for download
inVivo and Benchmark datasets
New dataset available
Nine 8-min long data files
Welcome to CapnoBase
CapnoBase is a collaborative research project that provides user friendly research tools and an online database of respiratory signals obtained from capnography and spirometry.
The database contains annotated respiratory signals such as inhaled and exhaled carbon-dioxide (CO2) also known as capnogram, respiratory flow, and pressure. The database also includes a benchmark dataset.
Before the creation of CapnoBase, there was no benchmark dataset publically available for respiratory signal analysis. Ideally, a benchmark dataset is required to objectively assess and compare algorithm performance.
The Data
CapnoBase contains both capnography and spirometry signals. We have divided the data into several types of datasets:
In-Vivo dataset
The in-vivo dataset contains capnography signals that were recorded during real clinical cases. Any information that could possibly identify the source of the data has been removed.
Simulation dataset
The simulation dataset was produced with a computer model that simulates the behavior of the human cardio-respiratory system.
Producing artificial capnography signals is useful when signals that are otherwise hard to obtain are required, or when the condition or change in state of the patient must to be precisely known.
Benchmark dataset
The CapnoBase benchmark dataset contains 44 scenarios that were recorded in the same manner as the in-vivo dataset. The scenarios contain very typical capnography and spirometry signals or patient conditions that may arise during anesthesia.
The benchmark dataset is used by researchers to test and compare algorithms. This dataset should not be used to train or tune an algorithm as it may bias the performance results.
Respiratory Rate from Photoplethysmogram Benchmark dataset
The TBME RR benchmark dataset contains 42 cases of 8-min recordings. In addition to the CO2 waveforms these cases have also the Photoplethysmogram (PPG) from pulse oximetry available. Labels from an expert are available for pulse peaks from PPG and breaths from CO2. Also, the benchmark contains the results from the Karlen et al. IEEE TBME paper on multi-parameter RR calculation. This can be used to compare directly algorithms.
The benchmark dataset is used by researchers to test and compare algorithms. This dataset should not be used to train or tune an algorithm as it may bias the performance results.
The Software
CapnoBase provides software tools to annotate and evaluate respiratory signals. For more information, see the Download and Tutorial sections.


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Praise for Jeffrey Toobin's national bestseller The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson
"His prose is fluent, direct and supple, his assessments pithy and succinct. . . . He uses his legal expertise to assess defense and prosecution strategies, highlight crucial developments and sketch in the background of principle players in such a way that the stories create a mosaic of life."
–The New York Times
"An irresistibly readable new overview of the whole ugly case."
—New York Daily News
"A well-written, profoundly rational analysis . . . Toobin's book possesses fresh insights."
—USA Today
"Toobin's book is literate, well-researched, penetrating and evenhanded, laying blame where it belongs, offering a reasonable perspective on this shabby case."
—Detroit Free Press
"A gripping and colorful account of the crime and trial that captured the world's attention."
—The Boston Globe
"What makes the book both important and entertaining is the way [Toobin] fills in the gaps left by more partisan authors."
—San Francisco Chronicle
"A real page-turner . . . blunt, sardonic, often morbidly funny."
—Entertainment Weekly


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Study in Progress
Key Challenge Areas for Convergence and HealthBoard on Life Sciences
Convergence of the life sciences with fields including physical, chemical, mathematical, computational, engineering, and social sciences is a key strategy to tackle complex challenges and achieve new and innovative solutions.
Numerous reports have explored advances that are enabled when multiple disciplines come together in integrated partnerships, for example A New Biology for the 21st Century (NRC 2009); Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences (NRC 2010); The Third Revolution: The Convergence of the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering (MIT 2011); the National Bioeconomy Blueprint (White House 2012), and ARISE II: Unleashing America?s Research & Innovation Enterprise (American Academy 2013). As a result, institutions have increasingly moved to implement programs that foster such convergence or are interested in how they can better facilitate convergent and transdisciplinary research.
However, institutions face a lack of guidance on how to establish effective programs, what challenges they are likely to encounter, and what strategies other organizations have used to address the issues that arise. This advice is needed to harness the excitement generated by the concept of convergence and channel it into the policies, structures, and networks that will enable it to realize its goals.
The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies is undertaking an activity to help address this gap. A committee convened by the NRC will investigate examples of organizations that have established mechanisms to support convergent research. By gathering leaders from these organizations and programs along with additional academic and industry leaders, scientists, and foundations and agencies interested in advancing the implementation of convergence, the committee will discuss details of the programs created, how organizations have chosen to measure success, and what has worked and not worked in varied settings. The committee?s report will summarize the lessons learned and provide organizations with strategies to tackle practical needs and implementation challenges in areas such as infrastructure, student education and training, faculty advancement, and inter-institutional partnerships.
MeetingsWorkshop on Key Challenges in the Implementation of Convergence - 09/16/13
Statement of Task
The National Research Council (NRC) will appoint an expert committee to explore the application of "convergence" approaches to biomedical research and beyond. This approach is intended to realize the untapped potential from the merger of multiple disciplines to address key challenges that require such close collaborations. As its primary information-gathering activity, the committee will convene a workshop to examine examples or models drawn, if possible, from a range of on-going programs, both large and small, public and private, in which such approaches are being implemented. The goal of the workshop is to facilitate understanding of how convergence in biomedical and related research can be fostered effectively through institutional and programmatic structures and policies, education and training programs, and funding mechanisms. The resulting report will summarize the lessons learned on successful approaches to implementing convergence in different types of research institutions.
Additional Background Reading
- ARISE II: Unleashing America's Research & Innovation Enterprise, Executive Summary (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2013)
- The Third Revolution: The Convergence of the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering (MIT, 2011)
- Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences, Executive Summary (National Research Council, 2010)
- Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research, Executive Summary (National Research Council, 2005)
Project Sponsors
The project is supported by the Raymond and Beverley Sackler Science Fund of the National Academy of Sciences, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Kavli Foundation, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the National Science Foundation, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science of North Carolina State University, the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Connecticut, and the National Institutes of Health.


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At Coffou Partners, successful assimilation is the result of in-depth client relationships and constant communication with candidates.
Coffou Partners has identified and delivered key leadership for companies in a variety of industries.
Coffou Partners has experience in a wide range of industries and an invaluable understanding of how expertise can be transferred from one vertical to another.
With broad knowledge of functional expertise in many markets, Coffou Partners is able to develop targeted placement strategies.
Coffou Partners forge a dynamic team with diverse backgrounds and interests.
Influencers and corporate leaders from around the nation share their perspectives with Coffou Partners.
For more information, or to speak directly with a Coffou Partners consultant, please contact us.
Paradigm shifts in global economies and technology have forever changed the workplace. Industry expertise and leadership acumen have become implicit components of success. Only leaders with the ability to leverage the two with genuine passion will manifest excellence and advance business goals.
Coffou Partners, a retained executive search firm headquartered in Chicago, helps our clients identify and hire these leaders.


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Polar G3 GPS sensor W.I.N.D. and Polar G1 GPS sensor switch off after 15 min of immobility
Polar G3 and G1 GPS sensor automatically switches itself off if no satellite signals have been received for over 15 minutes, or if the sensor has been idle for over 15 minutes. This automatic switch-off will save battery. You can always opt to use G3/G1 GPS sensor in low-power mode to save battery. Low-power mode can increase battery life time even by 40%.
To activate the low power mode, press and hold the button on the G3 / G1 for five green battery indicator flashes. The battery indicator led flashes four times after which the blinking red led indicates that the low power is switched on.
Every time you turn the sensor on, the flashing battery led indicates which mode is activated. See more in Related Documents.
When you switch G3 GPS sensor on again, the RS800 finds the sensor automatically. To manually find the sensor, enter the exercise mode on the running computer → press and hold the Light button (top left) → select Seek sensor.
OK is displayed when the sensor is found.
G3 and G1 GPS sensors will automatically switch to full power mode if satellite visibility is poor.


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Five seasons of Lost down, one more to go. If you watched tonight's episode, it was quite a complex ride.
I just got home from a friend's house where we had about seven or eight people watching the two-hour season 5 finale of Lost. Some have watched all along, some only a few episodes and some had no idea what was going on. It was an interesting dynamic to say the least seeing the reactions and questions coming from the non-fans. It really makes you think how this show, more than any other I can think of, is truly impossible to follow unless you've been there all along.
Now, on to the finale… Where do I even start?
First off, if you've not seen the finale, you best watch it or catch up in the show and watch it before reading on. Do that and come back to post your thoughts, we'd love to read them. This article and the comments will be discussing spoilers.
If you're still here, it's time to talk Spoilers.
As briefly as I possibly can summarize the episode: we finally meet Jacob, we see the four-toed statue in full form, we discovered why the unwilling members of the oceanic six came back, why many of the characters seemed to be destined (chosen) to come to the island in the first place, how Locke "survived" his death (twice?), how Jacob is the key to connecting many (all?) of the characters with the island, we find out why Locke knows everything he knows and who he really is, the losties all come together again annndddd the island gets hydrogen bombed the same year Star Wars came out.
Oh, and how could I forget! Fan-favorites Rose, Bernard and the most important character of all, Vincent the Dog, all make triumphant returns in the finale to explain where they've been all this time.
I read in the papers this morning that after tonight's episode, fans would not know how the show could continue – that it acts as a sort of conclusion. Of course, for us Lost fans, this is no conclusion at all, but the start of a bridge leading to the real conclusion that will come in the form of 17 new episodes starting a full eight months from now.
From the final official Lost podcast of the season, producers and writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse revealed that this finale would give fans all the tools they need to form together a proper theory of what the show is all about and possibly how it may end. Well, they certainly did do that with the season closer and many theories of old can be officially trashed now.
The Finale
In traditional Lost fashion, the first episode opens mysteriously in the distant past where we get to see the four-toed statue in full form. While that was a cool reveal, the big reveal came moments later when we see two unknown men talking with each other on the beach beside the statue with the Black Rock ship in the ocean background. The conversation of the two strangers hints at them being long-term enemies and it ends with one referring to the other as Jacob and promising that one day he would find a loop-hole to kill him.
Wow. No messing around.The first scene of the show give us Jacob after all this time and speculation - Awesome!
Well, kind of. While Jacob was a cool character throughout the finale, appearing at key points in each character's lives and seemingly recruiting them with his golden touch, it did feel very haphazard to see it happen all at once in this finale.
In two back-to-back episodes, we met Jacob and his nemesis (his brother Esau?), saw how he was involved with our main Losties, and how he seemingly dies - All in a two-parter out of 103 episodes of the series so far. Why not develop that some more over the last two seasons? It seems a bit much to have all of it in one episode and have it all so convenient, like it was made up in this certain way afterwards to find some way to explain what we've seen in past seasons.
That being said, the religious themes and characters were incredibly interesting and we can certainly tell there is a ton of work behind-the-scenes being done to tie everything together. It is creativity at its finest. Looking back on the episode, even the intro where we see Jacob wearing white and Esau wearing dark representing good and evil, mostly everything that occurs over the two hours is very precise and intentional.


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Lady Wedding Guest
Lady Wedding Guest
Graphite on layout bond
Approx. image size: 4" x 7"
Paper size: 6" x 9"
Add To Cart
Please click on each to see size and price details - Thanks!
Back to Bedtime Stories Drawing Collection
Please note: If you are an International customer, please CONTACT US for a personalized shipping quote and billing details. Thanks!


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Beautiful Us Polo Shoes Collection
Sponsored Link:
You will agree with me that women are generally synonymous to fashion. And one of the fashion articles that women adore so much when they want to look fashionable and thus look beautiful, is fine looking attractive and quality shoes. Thus, in as much as women love putting on quality fine looking shoes, research has confirmed that women just don't throw money around like their opposite counterpart, so quality fine looking shoes they prefer, but they also prefer buying them cheap. Thus a question now arises: how can women find cheap shoes related to [ss_single_title] meant for women only?
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Step 2: When searching for shoes products online, you must be specific or exact. For example, to search for shoes for women, you must you the quotation sign thus "Cheap Shoes For Women".
Step 3: When the search for the shoes keywords are returned note that the pages that most contain the search terms you are searching for will be embedded in bold format.
Sponsored Link:


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Real Girl: Alexandra Moe of NBC News
This recent college grad is traveling across the nation to report on the 2012 presidential election.
Name: Alexandra Moe
Age: 24
Hometown: Laurel, Maryland
As a NBC embed reporter, Alex hits the campaign trail alongside the presidential candidates to break and report political news. Interviewing politicians, writing stories, shooting video clips, and appearing on television are all in a day's work for the multimedia journalist. In July, she moved to Iowa to cover the first major electoral event of the presidential nominating process. Now, Alex is focusing her reporting on Republican candidate Newt Gingrich. She's earned a coveted spot on Gingrich's campaign bus and travels with him to a new state almost every week. Since Gingrich could drop out of the race at any moment or surge as the frontrunner, Alex has no idea what her next move on the campaign trail will entail. What is certain is that she has a bright future as a political journalist ahead of her.
Read on to learn more about Alex's career.


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Info on DMV home page http://www.dmv.ca.gov/
Permit info http://www.dmv.ca.gov/teenweb/permit_btn1/permit.htm
Make an appointment online https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/foAppt2/welcome.do
Sample drive test http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/interactive/tdrive/flash/flashtest.htm
Sample written driving test http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffdl22.htm#prepare
First year driving restrictions http://www.dmv.ca.gov/teenweb/dl_btn2/dl.htm
Permit Requirements
To obtain a Minor's Provisional Permit you must:
Be at least 15 1/2, but under 18 years of age. (On January 1, 2004, DMV raised the minimum age to get a learner permit to 15 1/2).
Fill out the DMV application form (DL 44). Signing this form means you have agreed to this statement, "I agree to submit to a chemical test of my blood, breath, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcohol or drug content of my blood when testing is required by a peace officer acting in accordance with Sections 13388 or 23612 VC." If you refuse to sign this statement, DMV will not issue your permit.
Obtain your parents' or guardians' signatures on the application form.
Present an acceptable birth date/legal presence document.
Present proof of enrollment in driver training, your local driving school can provide you with a copy of DMV form DL 392. (Your first driver training lesson cannot begin until after you obtain your learners permit.)
If you are at least 17 1/2' you may obtain a permit without driver education or driver training. However, you must bring in the forms to show you have completed driver education and driver training (DL 387, DL 388, DL 388A, OL 237, or OL 238)* or wait until you are 18 to get a license.
Provide your social security number.
Pay the required $31 application fee. This fee is good for 12 months and allows you to take the appropriate law test(s) three times, if needed, within the 12-month period. This fee pays for both the instruction permit and driver license, if you qualify for both within that time period. The fee must be paid when you apply for any new or change of class permit or license. It will not be returned. If the application expires, you must start again. This means resubmitting documents, paying the application fee, and taking the required tests.
Have your picture taken.
Pass an eye exam.
Give a thumb print.
Pass a traffic laws and road signs test. (If you fail the test, you must wait one week before taking it again. This will give you time to study).
You must have your permit for a minimum of 6 months before you apply for a license.
The provisional permit may not be used until you are enrolled in behind-the-wheel driver training with an instructor or reach age 17 1/2.
Provisional Permit Restrictions
Minors may use the provisional permit to practice with a parent, guardian, spouse, or an adult 25 years of age or older, who has a valid California driver license. The person must be close enough to take control of the vehicle at any time. A provisional permit does not let you drive alone not even to a DMV office to take a driving test.
If you have a permit that allows you to drive an M1 or M2 vehicle, you cannot carry passengers and you must ride during daylight hours only and not on the freeway.
*DMV changed the numbering system for its forms in 1999. DMV's Form DL387 was previously called DL356. The forms are functionally equivalent. Some DMV publications and web pages still refer to the old form numbers.


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The Crisper Whisperer: The Dinner Salad
Cook through your crisper surplus with ease.
I think I'll just start by saying that I wrote—and then, for your reading pleasure, deleted—about five paragraphs of reasons why I sometimes like to eat a big salad for dinner.
The world is a complicated place, isn't it? And sometimes it feels like the question of What We Should Eat looms large and dark as a storm cloud over it all. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but for me, making a big salad for dinner is like opening a huge, rainbow-colored golf umbrella to protect my family and me from the impending storm.
Once we're safely tucked away under there, the answering of the fun questions (as opposed to the angsty ones) can begin. Namely: what the heck should we put in our big dinner salad tonight?
As a kid, I wouldn't have OK'd a salad for dinner unless it included some serious animal protein like sliced steak or chicken. And the more it resembled a burger, the better. Cheese, bacon, croutons, and a creamy dressing were definitely all in the "Pros" column.
Looking back, I now realize that the only thing saving me from arrest, cardiac or otherwise, at the Charlie Brown's Steakhouse all-you-can-eat salad bar was probably the blinding flash of light cast by my braces as I smiled from ear to ear.
You'd see a young girl breaching the outermost boundaries of salad bar protocol, tilting the plastic bin of bacon bits directly into her bowl. You'd reach out to stop her. But then—bam!—your whole world would go white. And the next thing you knew, she'd be gone.
I can't say I ever really had an "aha" moment where dinner salad composition is concerned, but there aren't any Charlie Browns near my house anymore. And these days, a dinner salad can be anything from a big bowl of really fresh raw vegetables with a simple vinaigrette; to a showcase for roasted winter squash, root vegetables, and whole grains; to, on occasion, something more closely resembling the old-school burger situation I described above (and will vehemently deny if questioned). No matter the season, my dinner salad pretty much always starts with leafy greens of one variety or another. But after that, the sky's the limit.
What about you? What are your favorite ingredients, tips, and tricks for making salad into dinner? Please share them in the comments.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Posted by Abe on November 12, 2004
In Reply to: Economical with the truth posted by Bookworm on November 12, 2004
: : : : : I read this in an AP story this moring. Someone accused, or at least suspected, of a crime was "...economical with the truth...".
: : : : : The dateline was London. Is this a fairly common British phrase or is some reporter being cute?
: : : : From this site:
: : : : Meaning
: : : : Conveying an untrue version of events by leaving out the important facts. A euphemism for lying, in short.
: : : : Origin
: : : : Recorded from the 18th century, although rarely used. Brought into the contemporary language by the UK Cabinet Secretary, Sir Robert Armstrong, who used the phrase during the Australian 'Spycatcher' trial in 1986.
: : : A rather pretentious variant was that of the late Minister, Alan Clark, who used the phrase, 'economical with the actualité' to mean the same thing.
: : As to how widespread:
: : Only yesterday I read the report of a police interview in which the accused admitted to being 'economical with the truth' - in fact, she was not being 'economical', she was being 'interpretive' of the meaning of a question.
: : At the risk of offending those that appear to believe that the human race continues through widespread immaculate conception, I shall ask a question with sexual overtones without apology:
: : Did "Wild Willy" Clinton use any memorable expressions in fessing up to his non-sexual ejaculatory escapade with Ms Lewinsky?
: : Politicians do come up with some of the most memorable, after all.
: I remember Clinton saying that "he did not have sexual relations" with *her*, but she did have sexual relations with *him*. A fine line indeed.
I know that comedians and political detractors have joked and derided the use of "I did not have sexual relations with that woman.". But, you know if I had done that sort of cavorting with a woman I would not have dignified the contacts by calling them "sexual relations". "Sexual relations" are good. Kinky foolishness may be fun but it is still just "kinky foolishness".


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Frequently Asked Questions
The team at Fleshlight® New Zealand have put together some useful frequently asked questions to help you when purchasing a product from our online adult store.
I know that Fleshlight is well known in the USA and Australia, but what exactly is a Fleshlight?
The Fleshlight is the #1 selling male sex toy in the world as it not only provides pleasure to the user, it can also be used to help with premature ejaculation (buy using the Stamina Training Unit). The Fleshlight is an interchangeable masturbation sleeve which is encased in a container that resembles a large flashlight - this keeps it simple and discreet for storage. The masturbation sleeve is made from a patented material called Real Feel Superskin™, which is famous for its real-like ability to replicate the sensation of penetrative sex through various orifices such as the vagina, anus or mouth. The sleeves come in a variety of inner textures and colours to enhance your sexual experience.
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The biggest difference between the Fleshlight and other masturbation toys is the amazing realistic feel and attention to quality of the Fleshlight, not forgetting it is so easy to use! Made in the USA, the Fleshlight is a high-quality product that with proper care, will give you a lifetime of enjoyment.
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Certainly not! This is a great toy to bring into the bedroom with your lover, perfect for gay, bi or straight!
Are you a New Zealand company?
Yes we are. However we do not manufacture the Fleshlight here! The product is made in the USA and we have an approved wholesale account with Fleshlight USA to supply this product to our New Zealand customers.
I see other Websites in New Zealand selling Fleshlight at lower prices, why is this?
Be careful of fakes! Only purchase a Fleshlight from an approved Fleshlight wholesale account holder (such as us). Don't be fooled by cheap imitations.
What Currency are the prices in?
All products are advertised in New Zealand currency.
What is your privacy policy?
Please read our online Privacy Notice for further information.
Is my personal information and credit card details kept secure?
We treat the security of your online information very seriously. To ensure your security, Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which encrypts credit card numbers, secures all credit card transactions and personal details to prevent unauthorised people from intercepting your credit card information.
We use your personal information only for billing and shipping. Information is never sold, rented or shared with any other service or company!
I would prefer not to give my credit card information over the Internet, is there any other way I can make payment?
We use a secure online shopping cart to ensure your credit card details are always secure and safe. However, we do accept Paypal payments and New Zealand bank deposit payments. Please note that if paying via bank deposit, that your Fleshlight order will not be dispatched until the payment shows into our company bank account (which can take 1-3 working days to show).
Why do I need to set up an account to purchase a Fleshlight from your online shop?
By setting up an account to purchase our products is another way of ensuring that your contact information is correct and your credit card details are secure. Having an account also gives you access to a lot of handy free features, such as account history, product notifications and quick access to new products.
How will the order show on my credit card or bank statement?
Purchases made by credit card or online bank deposit will read on your statement as "NewZealandNZ.Co.NZ Ltd."
How can I return a product if I change my mind or am not happy with the results?
New Zealand Health regulations do not permit the return of intimate apparel and products.
We do not have to provide a refund if you have changed your mind about a particular Fleshlight purchase, so please choose carefully! If goods are faulty we will meet our obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act to provide a remedy.
How can I change or cancel my order?
Normally, once your order enters the 'Processing' part of your account status, it may not be cancelled or altered in any way. If your package has not been shipped yet, you can use the information on the Contact Us page to request alterations, however PLEASE NOTE, that if your package has already been assigned a Courierpost Track & Trace we make NO GUARANTEE that the change can be made before the order ships. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you.
Will the shipping package be discreet?
Yes! All orders are shipped in plain packaging or standard NZ Courierpost bags. The shipping label will identify the shipper as New Zealand's Information Network (or similar). There is NO REFERENCE to "Fleshlight.co.nz", "Sex Toy" or any other identifying description related to products designed for adults.
Do you offer international shipping?
How long will my Fleshlight last?
Fleshlight's soft, pliable, non-vibrating Real Feel Super Skin® masturbation sleeve is made from a patented, high-quality material designed to replicate the sensation of penetrative sex. The moulded sleeve comes housed in an attractive and sturdy canister. The Fleshlight is easy to use and clean, and is 100% safe. With proper usage, your Fleshlight will give you a lifetime of enjoyment!
How big is the Fleshlight and does it vibrate?
It is approximately 10 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter. It does not vibrate and therefore doesn't require batteries or electricity to function.
Is the Fleshlight made with latex, silicone or plastic?
None of the above! The Fleshlight material is a company secret covered by a series of US patents. No other sex products are built with the same feel and durability as the Fleshlight. Words cannot explain this one of a kind product!
Does the Fleshlight material contain phthalates?
Phthalates are defined as "any of various salts or esters of phthalic acid used especially as plasticisers and in solvents." There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the use of phthalates in sex toys but the makers of Fleshlight are pleased to assure us and our customers that the Fleshlight material DOES NOT CONTAIN phthalates.
How do I use a Fleshlight?
How do I clean the Fleshlight?
It's easy! Simply rinse your removable Fleshlight sleeve with warm water from your sink and allow time for it to dry before storing. Please DO NOT use soap to clean your Real Feel Superskin sleeve. For tough cleaning, we suggest using a little isopropyl alcohol.
To maintain that soft feel, sprinkle a liberal amount of corn starch on the sleeve and shake off the excess powder. Fleshlight makers DO NOT recommend the use of talcum or baby powder. NOTE: Powdering an Ice Fleshlight masturbation sleeve with anything other than corn starch will cause it to cloud over and lose its clear quality.
How do I dry the Fleshlight Masturbation Sleeve?
Shake out as much water as possible and place your Fleshlight in a well ventilated area (near a window or next to a fan). For quick drying, slide a thin cloth/towel through it from one end to the other. When you return it to the case, make sure to leave the end caps loose so that air can continue to circulate.
Can I use the Fleshlight in the shower/tub?
Yes, you can use the Fleshlight in the shower/tub. While there is no problem with soaking the fleshlight in water, make sure soap does not come in contact with the removeable masturbation sleeve. The soap will damage your Fleshlight sleeve. The soap will also burn if you are using your Fleshlight and it enters your penis.
Can I use a condom with the Fleshlight?
While there is no need to use a condom with the Fleshlight (as long as you do NOT share your Fleshlight!), doing so will not harm the Fleshlight or yourself.
Can I use different textured masturbation sleeves with my Fleshlight case?
Yes, all of the Textured Sleeves are for use with the Fleshlight case. We recommend purchasing a case for each sleeve in order to make storage as convenient as possible, but you may opt to use several sleeves with just one case.
Why is my Fleshlight sleeve sticky when I rinse and dry it?
Your masturbation sleeve is NOT defective. It may be stored in its tacky state. When it comes time for using the Fleshlight, just rinse the sleeve in warm water, let it dry, and then apply lubricant. If you prefer to keep your sleeve as smooth as possible, simply powder it with a bit of corn starch. Ice (clear) masturbation sleeves are naturally stickier than the colored ones.
My Ice Sleeve has arrived but it looks like it has powder on it, why is this?
The Ice sleeves are powdered before shipment. simply rinse the powder off with warm water to obtain maximum clearness. The lack of pigment leaves the ice masturbation sleeves slightly stickier than the others.
What colors are currently available?
Pink and Ice (clear) are the currently manufactured colors. Mocha, Gold, Lavender, and Chocolate have been discontinued.
The Ice sleeves are powdered before shipment, simply rinse the powder off with warm water to obtain maximum clearness. The lack of pigment leaves the ice masturbation sleeves slightly stickier than the others. Make sure to pair up your ice sleeve with an ice case.
Can I purchase the STU masturbation sleeve without a case?
No, the STU is only available with a case.
Can I purchase a textured sleeve in different sizes?
No, these are fixed sizes. You may however choose different orifice and colors. The Wonder Wave, Speed Bump, and Super Ribbed sleeves are all considered 'super tight' in the sense that each canal is roughly 1/2 inch (13 mm). These are NOT available in the original 3/4 inch (19 mm) or ultra tight 1/4 inch (10 mm) diameter canal. Each varies slightly dependent upon the texture of the inner canal.
What type of lubricants can I use with my Fleshlight?
We recommend the use of water-based lubricants only. Oil-based lubricants should NOT be used as they will slowly destroy the Fleshlight material over time. Sleeves damaged by use of oil-based lubricants are not eligible for exchange or refund.
My masturbation sleeve has developed black spots, what do I do?
This occasionally occurs when the sleeves have been stored in non-ventilated places while wet. Use a liberal amount of isopropyl alcohol to clean your Real Feel Superskin sleeve.
Am I too old to use the Fleshlight?
Men of all ages are discovering Fleshlight everyday! Reported ages vary from the early 20s to late 50s. The reasons for joining vary as much as the ages and Fleshlight welcomes all over the age of 18.
I keep hearing about the "shoe method", what is that?
The "shoe method" is a style of hands-free Fleshlighting. Stick the narrow end of the Fleshlight into a shoe, on a flat surface. You can optionally put a pillow over the shoe to rest your hands on, while you continue the "missionary" position.
My Fleshlight has developed black spots - what do I do?
This occasionally occurs when the sleeves have been stored in non-ventilated places while wet. Use a liberal amount of isopropyl alcohol to clean your Real Feel Superskin sleeve.
How long does shipping take?
If the product you have ordered is in stock (or is not a special order item) then you should expect your order to be shipped within 2-3 working days for New Zealand delivery.


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Flat cards $1.00 - $3.99
We address, stamp and mail the cards to everyone for you. Welcome to the future of snail mail!Customize card
5" x 7" flat card with envelope, or 4.5" x 6.25" postcard
Printed on 100% recycled paper
Hello Paper Co., a design studio specializing in letterpress greeting cards, stationery and wedding invitations. We create hand-made, environmentally friendly paper products without the stuffy attitude.
Please login or sign up to add cards to your favorites list!Got it. Thanks.


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The stellar breakfasts and five-course dinners at The Grand Hotel satisfy the most finicky of tastes. The wine lists and cocktail offerings make for leisurely dining and even quietly rocking on the 660-foot porch satisfying. A restaurant that serves up divine grits is my kind of place, and The Grand Hotel's Salon Manger fulfilled my Southern breakfast longing. We heartily partook of a fresh vegetable omelets, grits, mango juice, tea, and croissants to hold us throughout the day until the magical stroke of six o'clock in the evening.
Each evening at six, The Grand Hotel staff circulate on the mammoth porch and throughout the hotel to remind guests it is time to dress for dinner. Part of the charm of this hotel is that formal dress is required: suits for the gents and dresses or skirts, or pantsuits for the ladies. Even the children dress to the nines for the evening at The Grand Hotel. It seems to me that everyone stands a bit taller and walks with a more confident air because of the formal attire each evening. The five-star dining experience is very much worth the effort of "getting done up".
Each dinner table holds formal place settings for each patron. For dinner one evening I chose the Chilled Jumbo Shrimp with Farro Verde and Sweet Chili Sauce as an appetizer; the Wild Mushroom and Onion South with Artichoke Tapenade for the soup selection; the Tuscan Bread Salad with Frisee, Sweet Peppers, Red Onion, Mozzarella and Basil Dressing. For an entrée I selected the Braised Veal Osso Bucco Milanese with Crispy Grits Cakes and Lemon Parsley Gremolata. Usually I am a vegan/vegetarian, but I cast it aside when dining at The Grand Hotel. My carnivorous nature ran free and wild over the tender veal osso bucco. Just because dessert is the crème of the dinner crème in the Salon Manger, I relished every bite of the Warm White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Crystallized Ginger Sauce. Naturally, we repaired to the main Salon for a nightcap sherry and to listen to the dulcet tones of the harpist as we contemplated how to go forth into that good night.
Ciao for now.


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This question already has an answer here:
I'm describing a hypothetical universe. I'm assuming that the first law of newton holds true, that means there exists a inertial reference frame. Now the universe has three bodies.
Second law is also true for this universe.
Now if the third law is somewhat different, like $F1 = - 2F2$.
My question if i change the third law does this lead to any logical inconsistencies with the first two laws?


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I should probably have reached the point where I can't be shocked anymore by what any Republican politician does by now, but I apparently haven't. You'd think the GOP would be staying a million miles away from any issue to do with abortion and rape, but one New Mexico legislator has submitted an appalling bill:
A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."
"Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime," the bill says.Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Yeah, if only there were some way to carry out DNA testing without actually forcing a woman to deliver a baby that results from rape. Oh wait, there is. And this was submitted by a woman, for fuck's sake.


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The Guido Mazzoni Pamphlet Collection
The Guido Mazzoni Pamphlet Collection forms part of the personal library of Guido Mazzoni (1852-1943), professor of Dante studies and Italian literature at the University of Florence, Italian Senator, and bibliophile. The Pamphlet Collection spans the years 1572 through 1946, with the bulk of the material dating from the mid-eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries. There are approximately 49,648 pieces in this collection, many of which are rare and difficult to locate in the United States and even in Italy. Formats represented include: pamphlets, libretti, clippings, newspapers, scores, manuscript items, small cards, periodicals, small volumes, small and large broadsides, and one photo album. Read More »