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Luxury brands including Versace, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana
are selling children's clothes containing hazardous chemicals.
These chemicals affect everyone.
You might be surprised to discover that though luxury fashion may be exclusive, hazardous chemicals are not. Greenpeace has revealed that it doesn't matter how much you pay - these beautiful clothes are hiding an ugly truth.
The results of Greenpeace International's latest investigation show that many of these products are not what they claim to be. Whilst the advertising behind these clothes portrays them as pristine and exclusive, the levels of hazardous chemicals found in many were no different to those found in fast fashion and sportswear brands.
The concentration of a certain hazardous chemical (nonlyphonol ethoxylates or NPEs) in some items labelled as 'Made in Italy' may even raise the question as to whether these clothes were entirely manufactured in Europe (find out more).
Brands like Versace, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana may wrap their clothes in beautiful fairy tales, but in reality they are spinning their customers a fashionable lie.
The release of hazardous chemicals into our rivers and lakes is not a fairy tale and doesn't happen in a land far, far away. We are all affected by it.
Textile production is one of the major sources of water pollution in the global South, where the use of hazardous chemicals remains largely unregulated. The same chemicals that are released into rivers in manufacturing centres like China are also leaching out of clothes bought and sold all over the world. Many break down into hormone disrupting and toxic substances and can build up in our environment, posing health risks to children and adults everywhere.
No matter how high the price tag, luxury fashion brands are part of this toxic nightmare. These labels are known to set the trend in the world of fashion, isn't it time they applied this same pioneering spirit to create beautiful fashion without toxic pollution?
All the children in the world are princes and princesses in the eyes of those that love them most. They deserve clothes free of the same hazardous chemicals that can impact on this vulnerable group's development once released into the environment.
These brands are toying with our children's future by using these hazardous chemicals to make our clothes and allowing the continued release into our rivers, lakes and seas all over the world. This nightmare affects us all, but we all can do something about it.
As parents and adults, we can all be superheroes, speaking up on behalf of children everywhere and making sure these brands stop this fashionable lie and right this unfashionable wrong.
Creating a toxic-free future for our children is not only urgent, it is possible.
This latest study by Greenpeace International reveals an unfashionable truth about the hazardous chemicals found in children's clothing and footwear made by eight luxury fashion brands. Sixteen of the 27 tested products (59%) were found to contain one or more of the following hazardous chemicals: nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), phthalates, per- or polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), and antimony.
These chemicals are being released into our rivers, streams and lakes not only from textile manufacturing sites in production centres like China, but also from pieces of clothing bought and sold around the world. Once released into our waterways, many of these substances can be hazardous, hormone-disrupting and persist in the environment, posing risks to the health of all children and adults everywhere.
By being implicated in this toxic scandal these luxury brands are not only deceiving their customers but toying with our future and polluting our planet.
Dear CEO,
Greenpeace's latest investigation has shown that your company is hiding the truth from its customers by claiming to sell top quality, exclusive designs -- when in reality they are tainted with toxic lies.
Having seen your major competitors Burberry and Valentino commit to Detox, people are beginning to publicly question how many more toxic scandals your brand needs to be connected with before it cleans up its act.
Why is your brand so unfashionably late in joining the shift toward toxic-free fashion?
I urge you publicly commit to Detox and to work together with your suppliers around the world to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from your production processes and products.
After all, beautiful fashion needn't cost the earth.


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Breckenridge in for $50K to better summer shows at Riverwalk Center
summit daily news
BRECKENRIDGE – Set on bringing bigger and better bands and artists to the Riverwalk this summer, the Breckenridge Town Council approved a $50,000 partnership with the Breckenridge Music Festival to entice big talent to a small town.
The BMF, host of the popular-music Blue River Series, asked the town to provide a financial backstop to help negotiate more lucrative contracts with headline acts this summer.
Seeing music as a potential economic driver, the council unanimously agreed, promising to put up $30,000-$50,000 this summer to help attract big-name talent to Breckenridge.
"What we're trying to do is enhance the Blue River Series so we see bigger numbers, more people coming to town and perhaps going out to dinner, perhaps spending the night," Mayor John Warner said.
The Blue River Series is a summer-long succession of concerts and shows, which in the past has featured performers ranging from fiddler Natalie MacMaster to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Los Lonely Boys.
The BMF, an independent orchestra and anchor tenant of the Riverwalk Center, puts on the series every year to round out their own classical offerings at the facility.
Currently, the BMF books musicians with the lowest possible cost and ends up turning over to them the better part of any profits generated by the concert. Financial backing from the town will mean, this summer, booking higher-cost talent and keeping more of the return in Breckenridge.
"There's more risk, but there's also more reward," BMF board member Dick Sosville said.
The nonprofit BMF currently has a $10,000 price tag limit on bands. The town will provide additional cash to cover the risk of financial loss in the event the show doesn't generate sufficient revenue. Profits from concerts will be shared between the town and the BMF.
Talent in the $15,000 – $25,000 range includes One Republic, Railroad Earth, Leanne Rimes, Indigo Girls, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Alison Krauss. With $25,000 – $35,000 to spend on the Show, BMF representatives indicated it would be possible to book The B-52s, Charlie Daniels Band, Colbie Caillat or Kenny G to play the Riverwalk Center.
Town Council members said they were ready to back the partnership in 2013 as a trial with the goal of booking three big shows.
"I think we should walk before we run with this," Councilman Mike Dudick said. "Let's try this experiment in summer 2013 and reevaluate when the dust settles."
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text: TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) - Human Rights Watch says a picked-up wave of political assassinations in Libya has killed 51 people as the country lacks any effective law enforcement. In a statement released Thursday, the group says authorities have yet to arrest any suspects in the killings. Victims have included political activists, judges and members of security agencies. Human Rights Watch says the killings have centered around the eastern cities of Benghazi and Darna. The group says there have been no investigations carried out about the killings and no witnesses interviewed by authorities. No groups have claimed responsibility for the killings. Joe Stroke of Human Rights Watch says the lack of investigations show 'the government's failure to build a functioning justice system.' Libya has struggled to rebuild its security agencies since its 2011 civil war.


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The Page That Counts :: Summer 2010
Percentage by which the wild tiger population has decreased since 1900: 95 [1]
Number of tigers believed to exist in the wild today: 3,200
Number of tigers estimated to be in captivity in the United States: 5,000
Percentage of tigers in the United States in zoos and other facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums: 6
Approximate number of times larger the U.S. prison population is today than it was 30 years ago: 5 [2]
Number of New York City residents incarcerated in upstate New York prisons: 43,740 [3]
Number of New York state senate districts that would need to be redrawn if prisoners were counted where they were from instead of where they are held : 7
Number of states that had completely refused federal stimulus money as of February 2010: 18
Florida's approximate unemployment rate in February 2010: 12%
Amount of federal money Florida could receive but has declined: $444.3 million [5]
Least amount it would cost Florida per year to expand unemployment benefits to qualify for the money: $73.7 million
Average number of deaths per year in the United States from 1996-2006: 2,431,233 [6]
Number of organ donors in 2009 reported as of March 26, 2010 : 14,631 [7]
Number of candidates waiting for organ transplants reported as of March 31, 2010: 106,729
Number of identified species, according to the world's most comprehensive list of plants and animals: 1.9 million [8]
Number of species that have been added to the list since it was compiled by Australian researchers in 2006: 114,000
Percentage of mammals that are endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature: 21 [9]
Percentage of amphibians that are endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature: 29
Percentage of Americans who believe one of the country's greatest assets is its military's strength and superiority: 14 [10]
Percentage who cite military unpreparedness, lack of security from terrorism, and involvement in wars as a national weakness: 15
Percentage who believe the American people themselves are one of the greatest assets: 35
Number of 2008 U.S. House candidates, out of 435, who won despite being outspent by their competitors: 32 [11]
Number of 2008 U.S. Senate candidates, out of 35, who won despite being outspent by their competitors: 5
Odds that a challenger who spent less than $1 million would beat a U.S. House incumbent in the 2008 election: 302:1 [12]
Number of applications Teach for America received from college seniors in 2009: 35,000
Number of individuals Teach for America accepted in 2009 (a record): 4,100
More Page That Counts
|Spring 2010
Percentage of regional GDP spent on transportation in car-based cities: 12–15. Percentage of regional GDP spent on transportation in mass transit-based cities: 5–8
|Winter 2010
Number of Boeing 747 jets that could be built with the aluminum cans
thrown away by airlines in a year: 58 ...
Tiger Policy, World Wildlife Fund, verified by Director of Media Relations Lee Poston.
Key Facts at a Glance: Correctional Populations, Department of Justice, 2008,
Prison Policy Initiative, 2010,
Saying No To Stimulus Makes Cents For Many States, Alan Greenblatt, NPR, Feb.17, 2010.
Robby Cunningham, Center for Workforce Innovation, March 2010.
U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR), Vol. 57, No. 14, pg.18, April 17, 2009.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network,
Number of Living Species in Australia and the World, 2nd Edition. A.D.Chapman, Australian Biodiversity Information Services, September 2009.
Table 1: Numbers of threatened species by major groups of organisms (1996–2009), International Union for Conservation of Nature's 2009 survey.
One in Three Cite 'American People' as Key U.S. Asset, Lydia Saad, USA Today/Gallup, Jan. 8-10, 2010.
Douglas Weber, senior researcher for Center for Responsive Politics, March 11, 2010.
Odds Against Beating a US House Incumbent Based on Spending by the Challenger, Center for Responsive Politics,
Teach for America, May 28, 2009.


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Traveling through a remote and deeply forested area, barely explored and lightly populated, the heroes encounter many small woodland villages where the leather-skirted people give harsh glances and few words of welcome.
In one tiny ring of hovels along the road, they are informed by a helpful native that the villages in this area are unfriendly because they live in fear and that the Great King's soldiers police this area rarely and poorly, if at all.
This same native takes the heroes aside and informs them that the villages in this area have been repeatedly ravaged by Smukan raiders from the northeast, slavers, and (this in a whisper) the soldiers of the God From The Stars.
When pressed to speak of this mysterious god, the villager offers this:
"To the east, where the forest meets the mountains, there is an ancient temple. It was here before the Great King came to rule us, it was here before my people came here. It was here before we drove the Nish clans from this forest. It was there indeed before men walked these forests- I suspect that it was built when only dark things dwelt here."
He looks around, as if suspicious that spies might be overhearing, and continues. "In this temple dwell many who have fallen under the sway of the evil cult that reigns in this forest. They worship a great deity which is loathsome to look upon, but which makes them roll and twist with pleasure with its presence. This god is called R'gu, the God From The Stars. Our warriors captured a few of their fighters once, and we learned from them that this creature, R'gu, comes to the temple to be fed by the priests every fortnight. The fighters claimed," once again, a surreptitious glance over each shoulder, "that their God is mightier than all other gods and fills the body with pleasure. They claim that someday, R'gu will take them away to the Stars to live in his Resplendent House. And they say that housed within the temple to the East is a sign of R'gu's power, a great, flawless ruby, the size of a fist, called the Ruby of the Winged Master.
The heroes' interests are piqued. After all, there is great fortune to be had in this! Not only the price that Imperial garrisons will pay for the heads of dangerous cultists (a "peacemaking purse", as the proverb goes), but imagine the peerless price of a flawless ruby the size of a fist! Surely, the trouble cannot be that great to brave a few raving cultists with blades in a crumbling ruin.
They embark into the forest, following old, disused trails and hacking their way through dense thickets. They are trapped on high ridges by sudden rainstorms that send muddy floods bursting through the knife-edged ravines, and haul their armor and weapons up steep, brush choked slopes.
Before long, with the sun setting orange and bright behind the snow-glinting peaks above, the heroes sight the grey roofs of a structure standing above the treetops. It is of strange make, unlike any architecture the heroes have ever seen, covered in bizarre and loathsome carvings which seem unpleasant and even repulsive for reasons that they cannot explain.
As they watch, they realize that out of the forest small groups of people, dressed in robes and leather skirts like the villagers, surreptitiously approach and enter the gates of the walled temple, quietly and cautiously greeting each other.
Night falls. The sound of thin high flutes and drums is heard. A ceremony is begun, and so must the storming of the Altar of R'gu.
Room One: Entrance And Guardian
The heroes have breached the outer wall of the temple complex and snuck past (or dealt with) the temple guards. Stealing silently through the quiet, empty structures of the Star-God's temple, they arrive before the inner wall of the shrine. A set of great steps, lined with bizarre carvings of alien beings, ascends through the wall to the inner temple on the other side.
Standing on either side of the stairway are guardians perhaps less easily dealt with than the cultist warriors who the heroes have previously encountered.
These hulking creatures, vaguely manlike in shape, have thick, grey-purple skin ridged in parallel rows (resembling that of a bizarre alien cactus) culminating in a thick, low knot between the creatures shoulders rather than a head. Their bodies are studded with numerous tiny, jewel-like eyes that shine wetly in the flickering light from inside the inner wall, and are scaled in sections with swarms of tiny scars that resemble worms crawling up their corduroy hides. Both creatures are armed with great curved swords. Squatting loathsomely by the stairway, their posture and body motions seem blasphemously reminiscent of a very young child's. These beings are heedra, vat-born creatures of the magic of the Elder Days.
The heroes have options; they could theoretically sneak around the sight of the guardians and climb the inner wall at some other point, risking discovery by other guards and being spotted by the priests on the inner wall. But if they decide to fight these inhuman guardians, they will find that they are immensely strong (despite their clumsy swordwork- they swing their huge blades like clubs or logs) and tough; in addition, minor wounds are ineffective- the vat warriors' purple-blue ichor bubbles and fizzes in the air and scars over these wounds. Only catastrophic damage (such as intense butchery of the central head cluster or disembowelment) will kill the sorcerous abominations.
Room Two: Puzzle Or Roleplaying Challenge
They now stand atop the inner wall, looking down into the great Plaza Of Ecstasies, where a great mass of cultic worshipers, streaked with sweat, dirt, and holy red dust dispensed in earlier rituals (this dust is a potent hallucinatory drug activated by the sweat of the celebrants' bodies), are carrying out the sacred orgy. Across the courtyard from the heroes, at the top of the cyclopean steps of the temple, two shaven-headed priests, naked save for the black spirals painted on their bodies, wail out prayers to R'gu in high, reedy voices, accompanied by the thin, dissonant wailing of pipes and the hypnotic beat of a great drum. The whole scene is illuminated by the flickering light of the roaring bonfires on either side of the temple's great brass doors, worked with intricately-interlocking spirals and tendrils. Strange and unwholesome glyphs are carved into the lintel of the great doors.
"Let it be known!," screech the priests (slightly out of synch with each other in an eerie echoic fashion), "The Great One rises tonight! The Lord Of Ages even now awakes from the Well Of The Stars, to shed ecstasy from his wings! Let the Celebrants revel in the sacrament of worldly pleasure!"
One priest steps forward, gesturing at the crowd with strange scepter. "I invoke the Powers of the Yellow Daughterstar of the East! Arise, oh Great One!"
The second opens his hands wide. "I invoke the Powers of the Blue Daughterstar of the South! Arise, oh Great One!"
The heroes need to cross the courtyard and get to the temple on the other side. The sweaty mass of naked celebrants below them are in a deep, drug-induced sexual/religious ecstasy and would be oblivious to the heroes' presence. The problem, obviously, are the priests standing atop the steps. How to solve this problem? Simply strolling around the inner wall to the temple, they will be spotted by the priests and captured by the temple guards. As before, there are options- they could theoretically sneak up to the bonfires that light the courtyard and douse them, throwing the ceremony into darkness and chaos; they could strip down and pretend to be celebrants themselves (this would, however, deprive them of their equipment). Or perhaps (hopefully) they will devise their own, unique solution to the problem.
Room Three: Trick Or Setback
The heroes pass through the great, glyphed bronze doors and into the temple. The darkness and silence are oppressive, and an indescribable stench, accompanied by a wave of sick, damp heat, assault the heroes. There is a low, irregular buzzing, like flies swarming on a corpse.
Suddenly, the heroes' limbs feel heavy. Their every step seems weighed down with lead. Their bodies are dull with exhaustion, and they feel thick and drowsy. Their vision blurs. Finally, no longer able to press on, they collapse to the cold stone floor.
A harsh, reverberant voice, with a hint of noisesome clicking and buzzing, echoes out of the darkness above them. "Mortals trespass in the tabernacle of the God From The Stars. Did you not know that this place was forbidden?"
The heroes are lifted to their feet by cold hard hands. Their limbs and ankles are bound. Their drowsy eyes make out only blurry figures who clutch them. They are too weak to resist.
The voice continues: "No matter. The ceremony is disrupted, but the God still answers our cry. You are fortunate, mortals. You shall witness the arrival of the Ecstasy From Beyond. The God shall be hungry from its journey- you shall make an excellent supplement to its ordained feast."
They are pulled through the thick, smoky darkness and up a short set of steps. They are thrown to the chilly pavement, and footsteps move about them as some sort of ritual is performed in total darkness and a strange language is invoked. The strange, insectile voices that speak the words surround them, and press down on the heroes' ears like a buzzing, hissing wall of pain.
Suddenly, the darkness is swept away as another set of doors are opened. The baleful orange light of the bloated full moon slashes through the thick darkness like a blade and illuminates the incense-hazed interior of the temple.
The heroes lie on a high dais below this door. At the opposite end of the temple, the great bronze doors swing open and the celebrants (assuming that the heroes did not kill or scatter them) begin to swarm into the chamber. The heroes realize that scattered across the stone floor of the temple are rotting corpses, sometimes in piles of up to four. Strange insects like dragonflies with nine wings, and swarms of flies, coat the corpses, which the celebrants pick up and dance with or copulate with the sorry cadavers in religious ecstasy.
Some of the heroes witness what beings they are who have captured them and are intoning this ritual. Resembling at first greyish, bent human beings, these beings, clad in silvery robes marked with black spirals, are reciting magical formulae over a strange object, not an altar, but rather shaped like an enormous needle, made out of an iridescent blue-chrome metal, set into the ground in a great array of strange ridged cylinders and boxes strung up with cables and tubes. All parts of the apparatus are coated in strange small extrusions, ridges, whorls, and odd shapes, marked with sharp, webbed glyphs in small cramped blocks of writing. The priests anoint the thing with oil and also with thick congealing blood which they smear on its parts, dimming its jewel-like cleanliness. It is an item of ancient magic, for purposes unknown, it's needle tip pointed out the doors and into the night sky.
It is then that the heroes realize that the priests are not human at all, but some kind of tall, bipedal insect, their man-like bodies clad in shimmering grey-black carapace, with their four-fingered hands (black and cold like skeletal claws) gesturing strange and alien symbols in the air in the process of the ritual.
After the exhibition of various sacred objects of a bizarre and profane nature, the ritual reaches its climax. A young woman, her naked form daubed with shimmering paint in blue-black spirals, is dragged twitching and moaning from the crowd of petitioners. She is anointed with clotted blood and dragged beyond the device out onto the portico of the temple. Without much further ado, one of the insects produces an exceedingly ancient stone knife from its robe and unceremoniously slices the woman (still moaning and caressing herself) open from throat to navel, thin red blood pouring forth to pool around her twitching, sluggishly kicking corpse on the cold stone of the altar.
The insect-priests, their deep cowls hiding their forms from the drug-stupored celebrants, raise their voices in a buzzsaw cacophony of prayer towards the ceiling of the temple chamber. A group of nude human priests, their bodies marked with spirals, emerge from the alcoves of the temple and join them. The crazed dramatics of the ceremony suddenly cease as the entire temple shakes from its foundations to its top. The celebrants and human priests fall to the floor, pressing their faces to the stone in obeisance. The loathsome insects drop jerkily to their knees and point their arms towards the silvery device, rythmically buzzing and clicking (presumably praying in their own language). The machine begins to vibrate, and strange flashes and glimmers of light race along its surface. A thin high whining sound, which seems to scrape the inside of the heroes' skulls as if it were within their brains, rises throughout the chamber, combining with the buzzing and clicking of the insects and the chanting of the priests. Then, abruptly, a breathless silence bursts upon the temple as the device releases a burst of blinding light which shoots off into the night sky like a blazing meteor. Sound slowly returns as the heroes here a keening noise, pulsing out into the air beyond the temple and towards the stars. Some of them realize that thin trickles of blood are running from their noses or mouths.
The chanting has ceased, and now the only sound to be heard is the gentle keening which soars away into the night air. The bound heroes see a strange shadow which seems to emerge from the distant skies.
Room Four: Climax Or Big Battle
Then they see it. Drifting, almost tranquilly, through the dark skies, visible only as a blot of darkness, it soars towards the temple's portico.
Like a surreal nightmare, the God reveals itself. The dark shape grows to enormous sizes nearing the temple. The worshipers and priests further abase themselves as it descends eerily silent to wrap itself around the great stone platform of the temple and stretches its great, twitching, fan-like wings to their greatest extent, blotting out the stars, each panel of bizarre skin shuddering. The towering amoebic shape, composed entirely of infinite curtains of tentacles seeming to have the their nexus in a central point on the creature's "top" (essentially giving it an appearance not unlike a tentacular comet with wings), is crowned with circle of six small (relatively; they are roughly the size of human legs) many jointed horn-antennae, the surrounding ribboned flesh studded with thousands of tiny, blood-red jewel-like eyes. Sections of its leprous green integument are coated with hideous shining black barnacle-like scales and sections of horns and hooks. Rubbery branching limbs that resemble horned coral (or failed tentacles) hang limply from parts of its body. The whole creature gives off a stench of sick, wet decay and at the same time, of sweet-blooming flowers.
The whole thing never ceases to move- dreamlike and seemingly without gravity its tentacles drift, shift and curl around each other; its wings flex and stretch; its antennae flex outward and inward as if through respiration. The creature is ominously without sound.
Their minds can scarcely encompass the extraterrestrial madness of this mooncalf abomination. What sorcery produced this insane sky-creature? What nightmare pit spat forth this sick horror? The sight of the abyssal deity tempts some to madness.
This blasphemous abomination is The Ecstasy From Beyond, The Star-God itself, R'gu. Behind them, they hear hundreds of worshipers scream out in unbelievable pleasure (some screams last on and on and become unbearable until they choke away, these petitioners having died in ecstasy); they see the insect creatures begin to convulse, twitch, and drool hideously from their alien mouthparts.
The insects rise to their feet, bowing in the presence of the extraterrestrial deity, and begin to haul the heroes toward the being. As they leave the roof of the temple and enter the chill of the night air, the heroes begin to feel a strange mental pulse, and their bodies begin to experience a sensation of utter pleasure. Some with weak minds may succumb to a state of ecstatic bliss, unable to resist the power of the Star-God. Others harden themselves against it, resisting its otherworldly call.
The insect priests cut the heroes' bonds with knives and scuttle back from the stone porch. Serenely, the Star-God lowers its central head, a thousand tiny gem-like eyes shining liquidly.
As if they are in a dream, the heroes (their bodies filled with twitching jolts of pleasure) watch as the creature's enormous tentacles snake into the temple around them. They watch as the twitching insect priests fall to the floor and are snatched up and dragged towards the creature's head, which opens up into a vast maw in the semblance of a great flower of hideous small feelers and tiny segmented arms and claws, dragged buzzing and hissing into the alien darkess of their god's body. Then the tentacles begin to select petitioners from among the crowd and drags them (catatonic or wildly screaming) likewise to be torn into bloody shreds in its chasmic mouth.
If the heroes have the willpower and the speed, they can shake off the creature's ghastly shocks of ecstasy and dash away from the thing to where the priests have dumped their gear in an alcove at the foot of the stairs.
Of course, the heroes have no chance to slay the Star-God, and only the slightest of chances of even wounding it notably. But they can, indeed, drive the creature away by severing and dismembering the forests of its writhing limbs. It is a titanic fight, and the creature supplements the attacks of its tentacles with bursts of immobilizing pleasure and beams of mind-shredding sound so concentrated that they can be seen as a faint glowing ray in the air (should one of the heroes be struck by these screaming rays in the head, consider them dead, their brain punctured and their mind destroyed; some of the heroes' minds may also be broken by the waves of ecstasy sent off by the creature).
If the heroes should survive with minds and body intact through the onslaught of slithering limbs and mental assaults, they find themselves standing panting upon a befouled platform, surrounded by tubular chunks of tentacles and pools of thick black fluid that reeks of mold and attar; even as they watch, this alien ichor begins to congeal and strange frilled fungus springs up from it.
With the same eerie and otherworldly grace with which it descended, R'gu disentangles from the temple, with an air almost of sadness. Its wings spread to sky-darkening fullness and it releases an atonal dragon scream that squeals away into the air in a thousand ear-bleeding tones. It's vast maw opens and encased in a steaming clot of hair and rotting flesh it pukes forth a great shining stone- the Ruby of the Winged Master!
Then, with a mighty beat of those wings, it soars away into the night, the severed stumps of tentacles boiling forth new arms even as the heroes watch it disappear into the empty starlight.
Room Five: Reward, Revelation, Or Plot Twist
The heroes turn to face the temple, soaked in blood and sick ichor (which they must scrape off their armor and weapons), holding the gigantic crimson stone puked forth by the God, and are astonished to find that some of the worshipers who had orgied did not flee when the battle began.
One by one, each naked, drug-crazed cultist marches up the stairs and touches the heroes, feeling their clothing and armor and touching the ichor and blood on their skin.
The first of them falls to his knees, and with shaking hands cries out to the others:
"The prophecy is fulfilled! The Sacred Ones Clad In The Blood Of The Star-God! The Bearers Of The Ruby Of The Winged Master! They shall lead us to The Resplendent Abode Of The Ecstasy From The Stars!"
The cultists fall to their knees before the flabbergasted heroes, and begin to chant:
"We worship you, great ones… We worship you, great ones…"


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Blogging has been part of our household since 2002 but it hasn't always been about television.
While Rachel was still lecturing statistics at Auckland University and writing courses to help the media better use stats in their reporting, the world of blogging was beginning to take off. After 9/11, there was an influx of new political commentators who took to the web to voice their opinions on the war on terror and it was these blogs that helped a lot of people realise that anyone could build an audience and engage with them like never before.
It was around then that we met Darren Rowse. Rachel helped him as he developed his first blog but it was toward the end 2003 that something interesting happened. Darren had written a post about Guy Sebastian and the Australian Idol competition and on the night of the finale, his blog went nuts. There was very little else online and all of a sudden, thousands of people had found his post and were talking about the finale and the result of Guy winning.
This got us all to thinking. What if rather than having a single post about something, we created an entire blog for just one topic? Swedish Namespedia. And with that Idolblog was born.
Idolblog was unprecedented in New Zealand television history. Pre the world of Facebook and twitter, it was the first online community built around a TV series here. From the network's perspective, we were nothing more than a pain in the ass as we had more control over the publicity of the show than TVNZ did, but for the fans, Idolblog was just awesome.
Recorded on a Friday night in West Auckland, those who had tickets to the live recording would come home and jump online and spill the beans about who sang what. While the network were terrified by the thought of their expensive production being spoiled for the masses, in reality, Idolblog created more hype and excitement than any ad campaign could have bought them.
Idolblog became the go-to destination for everything to do with the show and once the finals arrived, the media attention began and we were sought after for our commentary and insight and were featured right across the media from The Listener to Metro, along with TV, Radio, Newspapers and the women's mags.
There were thousands and thousands of young kids who were enormous fans of Ben Lummis and Michael Murphy and they were all voicing their opinion about the show on Idolblog. Many of these kids from all around New Zealand have become long term friends who we've remained in touch with over the years, some of who we've even travelled overseas with together to attend concerts. Our kids are all grown up now and we've been privileged to see some of them become wonderful teachers, and lawyers, and food technologists, and international TV stars. After more than a decade, the Idolblog family is still strong and is full of people who have made lifelong friends that they wouldn't have met other than around New Zealand Idol.
Eventually, TVNZ got around to setting up their own "official" forums but they were nothing in comparison.
2004 was very big year. While Idolblog went on to win Best Youth Website at the annual Netguide Web Awards, Darren and I had another project we wanted to collaborate on, an Olympic Games blog. I developed some software to run alongside the content management system we were using that would generate pages based on the results of each event. This provided us with unprecedented speed in publishing results and in the majority of cases, we had the results of each event and medal winners online before any of the major Olympics websites including the official IOC one, the BBC and NBC websites. I also created an embeddable Medal Table widget that allowed any other blog or website to add it to their sidebar which linked back to our blog. This was used by hundreds of different websites including a number of international mainstream media outlets' websites.
Darren and I switched our respective timezones to be on Athens time, with me in New Zealand and he in Melbourne, we spent nearly two solid weeks covering the games and producing thousands of pages of content that were being read by 250,000+ people every day. It was phenomenal, but only the beginning. The link love that we benefited from meant that, at the time, we could pretty much launch and link to a new blog on any topic we'd be guaranteed a top 10 search ranking, usually first.
The following year we launched another site. StreetTalk was an online community for the fans of Shortland Street. This was another exceptional project full of the most ardent fans you can imagine. Again, it was a thorn in the side of TVNZ who were struggling to come to grips with how to deal with people who were passionate about their content. The correct response would have been to embrace it and work with it for the benefit of the audience but sadly that was never the case.
During the off season of Idol, I blogged seasons of American Idol, Canadian Idol and Australian Idol on separate Idolblog sites we set up for each region. The US site did incredibly well. There is nothing quite like 20,000 people reading your work every hour.
We also discovered that in the off season of NZ Idol, the Idolbloggers wanted to discuss other TV shows. It was from here that Throng was born in late 2006.
One of the early highlights was being invited by Sir Paul Holmes to have coffee with him and explain the world of blogging to him. After our lengthy chat, he enthusiastically took me for a quick spin in his newly imported, luxury car.
Over the next 9 years, Throng produced more than 65,000 pages of content which was read by approximately 1.5 million people. The most read pieces of content include news about Canterbury University's WASP for Sky Sport's cricket coverage, The Top 10 Reasons you Shouldn't Get Igloo, The Shortland Street Star sex tape scandal and The X Factor Conspiracy Theory.
We've broken a number of stories, many of them around how programs have rated, but also things like the return of Dancing with the Stars to TV3 and the Short Poppies/Netflix/NZ On Air story.
The thing I'm most proud of though, was our coverage of the 2009 Qantas Film and Television awards. Earlier that year I had worked the red carpet at the Australian equivalent and came home determined to treat our industry awards with the same level of excitement and respect. Hamish, Ben and Dayna did an outstanding job.
Air New Zealand helped us get to Australia to interview the cast of Glee too.
From this last year, there are two highlights that stand out to me. Firstly, hosting Neil Hunt, one of the executives from Netflix, during his visit for their launch. Secondly, the first junket I've ever done which was to Sydney with Samsung for the launch of their new SUHD TVs.
Earlier this week Bernard Hickey said this:
2015 was the year the idea of ad-funded blogs in NZ finally died. Both @reganjcunliffe and @althecat have now gone. https://t.co/Kjxp6FfavZ
— Bernard Hickey (@bernardchickey) December 13, 2015
In reality, Throng has never really survived off advertising and has only survived due to my own subsidising of it. The idea of ad-funded blogs has, in reality, never really existed in New Zealand.
The ideal solution for bloggers would have been to have had an agency that represented all blogs to advertisers. I attempted on a number of occasions to make this happen and bring bloggers together for a bigger cause but unfortunately there are too many people who would rather spend their time hating each other.
In reality though, the advertising agencies in New Zealand have never embraced the power of blogs and have done more to harm the potential that independent publishers have than help. In regards to Throng, there are cases where, despite being instructed by their client to book advertising on local websites, the agencies have refused and booked campaigns with foreign websites, like The Daily Mail instead. The number of times we have worked directly with a client to develop a campaign only to be derailed or stonewalled by an agency is incredible.
The biggest irony though, is the way agencies value the audience of blogs. The PR side will happily give you whatever they can for free which they bill their clients for while the advertising side sees no value at all. After more than a decade, it is clear to me that ad agencies only care about themselves. When it comes to clients, the only care they have about them is in not losing their business.
So where to now? Rachel, who hasn't had any involvement with the running of Throng for a while now, is running her own web design business which provides services to professional bloggers, mostly overseas. While I may be biased, her insights make her one of the best in her field which is evident by some fairly prestigious names in her list of clients.
As for me, I have a number of new things I'm working on. Right now, I have a small, recently planted, sixty vine vineyard that needs some attention as well as four young children who are pretty excited that Christmas is nearly here. Who knows, I might even spend some time at Quail West Naples Homes. This is certainly not the end of my media career but I'm done working for free.
On that note, if anyone would like to say thanks, you are welcome to do so here:
In closing, I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to the conversation over the years. For those who have engaged, made me laugh, made me angry, and participated in sharing a love of television, I salute you.
I'm very humbled by the number of emails, calls and personal messages that I've received over the last week, particularly from those both currently and previously from within the industry.
If you'd like to stay in touch, feel free to follow me on twitter: @reganjcunliffe


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Will Quotas Help Women Into the Boardroom?
The European Commission wants 40% of women non-executive directors on the boards of listed companies by 2020. The WSJ sought the views of executives at the FN100 Women event, which recognized Financial News's most influential women in Europe's financial markets. Photo: Getty Images
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... we yet famous Christie's auction house in London ... to celebrate mass in these one hundred Women ... uptake of the one hundred list influential women working in European financial markets ... which put up with a win and toss to what they think about proposals to impose places ... the female board representation ... I think the Fed and misguided if I'm honest I think went as a last resort at paring the stake ... I and is much to the company's engaging targets in the White House says ... the downside to clicks on some significant ... its context but some ... constructed proactive stance is instant ... sure the unintended consequences it is because ... the ... amazing sights while taking a population in last place ... I speak of the population they may not appreciate it ... what looks like it they can be a reaction which is quite make it ... so you get people went into a position of course is always ... did I get that because the parts that are on there and that's ... not to the tothe but that anybody to do with ... on the sea of white society what with that that that the cop that the last eighteen months and me and very apparent that ... something needs to be Donna found in imports and when into adult life Ancestry pipelines ... we think that needs to be done in the light business news meeting that she is a place to be ... placed on the bike races coming from Europe ... motherhood nest egg situation at the moment to read Russell's that the fighting that they actually think informal want to ... let companies would be fine confronts and if they didn't ... at least forty percent of employed to quit ... is a very strange place to be in because not all companies in the second of all companies that needed to get ... to that situation anytime soon as I need to have a great concern ... to the legislation ... other than that tend to either decent too with more Genzyme ensemble ... it's critical we did get to the Commons at the time that the mitigating circumstances like that companies might take a little bit to get that ... effect in the area sweat ... maybe maybe ... the supply side to take on that ... and second factor is ... that it does mean to say that the state's top ever seen cars people to get on the next ... I don't think legislation is the way to go at this point in time ... I think it probably found that there might be delayed or debt that we actually gets pressured the dead on the open I advanced to the anyplace the committee can make a difference at this point in time to stop the kites are ... I'm and culturally that's it that's how all the way down the road to my face and ... of course we need to grow that they said that strong ... capable women were actually able to put the brakes on my face and ... quickly and I he's a recently have effectively ... in all honesty we do need to catch up on the boards down ... to the brink of a possible I've talked on the right ... I think that's can be the most helpful way we can to get that ... we could be looking to compose the people ... to the usual suspects two hours though is that this was ... an accident and what that that's who ... we find time to live in Nevada but it might be ... she ... knows I must say they've done it's a controversial one because ... I've been at this trying to make progress especially financial services industry for ten years and sadly you know we haven't made ... much progress ... now what's most recently ... that having been said I think that ... if you force the issue by boat as ... you end up with unintended consequences undermining the industry a little bit and and the gender representation ... and so is was all I can say that I'm ... on board with photos of what I do think we need which is what we're seeing here the pay isn't much ... because if there is some type of the pressure ... with the perception that their consequences on the back and ... I think the excuses are in action running ... so it's really in common on on steel I think with that little bit of pressure ... keeping the spotlight on the issue is the type of thing that ... hopefully ... not quite right people feel that they need to do and then once you actually start to get more balanced representation ... just a little bit to get a tipping point may becomes organic and a softer line so I hope that that's ... you know what's going happen in the near term without necessarily having to have that firm ... number on the table that people often Tyson Thompson ... something that I ... mean ... I really do prefer a me too ... the ... number of women ... I think ... that what's ... to like ... this ... Joe ... I miss them like ... I did I'd I can see that ... getting some so the frame ... the place is absolutely not I suspect time for me ... this the ... thinking mind within weeks and months and has a mind to ... think ... good job getting more non executive ... who works ... for me but it sounds like that ... I think that was the right consistency ... more


text:
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- the appropriate foreign language from an English-speaking college or university, English from a college or university in the other country, or translating or interpreting where English and the foreign language were prerequisites.
General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Knowledge of both English and the appropriate foreign language are required. This knowledge may be demonstrated through education, experience, or a combination of the two for entry level positions as listed below:
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in translating, interpreting, or other work requiring the use of English and the other language; or a combination of work (that required English and the other language) and training at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Service Institute, or comparable training.
The following are examples of work in the required language that may have provided the required abilities: translator; interpreter; librarian or information specialist required to make abstracts, screen, index, and scan material; intelligence; writer or editor; international organizational work, such as the Peace Corps, World Bank, United Nations, business, or other organizations; or professor, teacher, or instructor work at the high school or college level that required use of the foreign language.
Agencies may test applicants for foreign language proficiency on a pass/fail basis prior to appointment. Agencies must document the connection between the level of proficiency required and the duties of the position to be filled. Test material for applicants for the same position or grade level should be equally difficult, and should be selected from typical work-related documents.
Use the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management Positions for this series in conjunction with the Individual Occupational Requirements described below.


text:
Get a Docker host in the cloud, instantly.
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We do all of the hard work to make sure your containers run securely. Hosts are fully isolated from each other, and all communication between the Docker client and the host is secured using SSL client certificates.
Build, run, push, pull
Everything you can do with Docker, you can do with Orchard. Build images, run images, push them to the index – it's just like having a huge Docker instance on your laptop.
We also support the Docker remote API, so all tools built for Docker also work with Orchard.


text:
More than 22,700 litres of diesel fuel spilled into Alaska's Prince William Sound - the very same spot as the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster - because the captain of a tugboat was playing video games while the ship ran aground, says the Coast Guard.
The Pathfinder, a "safety-escort" tug, was returning to port after an ice-scouting mission on December 23, 2009 when it crashed against Bligh Reef, the same reef that gashed open the Valdez in 1989. Capt. Eugene Monsen made a number of errors, according to a Coast Guard investigation, from changing course without knowing the vessel's precise location, to increased speed and improper communication, to, finally, playing card games on his PC with his back turned to the bridge. Think about that next time you're screwing around with freecell at work.
"The fact that he went to the computer to play video games after a course change further aggravates the situation and amplifies the lack of attention on the bridge between the master and second mate," the report read. "Games, music, phone calls to far-away family are a strong temptation and could easily distract a ship's officer from maintaining a proper lookout."
Monsen was, of course, dismissed following the incident.


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Swim Start
Oceanside Harbor
1540 Harbor Drive North
Oceanside, California 92054
Finish Line
200 North The Strand
Oceanside, California 92054
Due to construction in the area, please make note of the following suggested parking areas. There will be parking enforcement and volunteers to guide spectators to other parking areas along the streets as well as two parking structures. Take I-5 to Mission Ave, exit and head West.
Then choose the following:
1. Turn Right onto Horne St, then Left onto Civic Center Drive. Parking structure will be on your left.
2. Turn Left onto Cleveland. Parking structure is on your right, just past Seagaze Drive.


text:
A productive cough helps clear mucus (sputum) and foreign material
from the airways. Mucus may be made in the lungs because of
pneumonia, or
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Colds and allergies may produce mucus that drains down the back of
the throat (postnasal drainage). Home treatment may be all that is
needed to provide relief if you have a productive cough and postnasal drainage
but do not have other symptoms.
A productive cough in a person who smokes is often a sign of lung
damage. For smokers, the most effective way to treat a cough is to stop
smoking. A change in the cough or in the color or quantity of sputum may
mean a bacterial lung infection.
A productive cough is a more serious when:
A doctor can evaluate your symptoms and recommend
appropriate treatment.
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Last Revised:
December 21, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & David Messenger, MD
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To learn more visit Healthwise.org
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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up from July 2008 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)
Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Dill
Of course, I realize many of my readers don't care about the South Beach diet, but no matter what you like to eat I promise that you'll see plenty of tasty ideas in these recipes I found in July!
Phase One Appetizers and Condiments
Herbed Fresh Mozarella from City Mama
Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Aioli from Closet Cooking
Smoked Salmon Spread from Columbus Foodie (serve on celery for phase one)
Zucchini, Tomato, and Mozarella Stacks from Thyme for Cooking
Sensational Sea Scallop "Sandwiches" from What We're Eating
Cannelini Bean Dip or Spread from Peanut Butter Etouffe (serve with crudites for phase one, no carrots)
BLT Deviled Eggs (with bacon salt instead of bacon) from Running with Tweezers
Cilantro Zucchini Hummus from 28 Cooks (serve with crudites for phase one, no carrots)
Salsa Verde from 80 Breakfasts
Farinata (Chickpea Flatbread) with Zucchini Carpaccio Salad from We Are Never Full
Avocado Halves filled with Cannelini Bean Salad from Lucullian Delights
Phase One Soups, Stews, and Chilis
Beef Stew Zuazua Style from Rachel's Bite (skip the corn tortillas for South Beach Diet)
Cold Tomato Soup with Eggplant Garnish from Lucullian Delights
Baby Artichoke and Pepperoncini Soup from Scrumptious Street
Phase One Salads and Salad Dressings
Chilled Wilted Tatsoi Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing from Kalyn's Kitchen
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Roasted Tomato-Basil Dressing from Kalyn's
Basil Vinaigrette for Drizzling on Tomatoes from Kalyn's Kitchen
Green Bean Salad with Greek Olives and Feta Cheese from Kalyn's Kitchen
Red Russian Kale and Red Cabbage Slaw from Kalyn's Kitchen (use Splenda for phase one)
Grilled Vegetable Salad from Food on the Food
Zucchini Salad with Yogurt Dressing from Scrumptous Street
Tomato and Onion Salad from A Veggie Venture
3 Bean Salad from What Geeks Eat
Chickpea and Eggplant Salad with Fresh Tomatoes and Peppers from Lucullian Delights
North African Style Roasted Peppers and Tomato Salad from Kitchen Chick
Grilled Asparagus, Zucchini, and Halloumi Salad from Closet Cooking
Simple Thyme Vinaigrette from 28 Cooks
Zucchini and Chicken Salad from Sidewalk Shoes
Raw Broccoli Salad from Taste Buddies
Phase One Vegetables
Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Dill from Kalyn's Kitchen
Roasted Zucchini with Green Onions, Feta Cheese, and Basil from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled Tomatoes from Simply Recipes
Seared Radicchio from A Veggie Venture
Asparagus with Garam Masala, Butter, and Toasted Hazelnuts from Closet Cooking (sub olive oil for butter)
Sauteed Baby Squash with Basil and Feta from Taste and Tell
Ratatouille from Food Rockz
Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Grilled Sweet Onions from Christine Cooks
Spicy Spinach with Miso Sauce from Mochochocolata Rita (sub Splenda for sugar)
Greek Style Silky Braised Greens from A Mingling of Tastes (sub olive oil for butter)
Baked Tomatoes with Colby, Jack, and Basil from Cooking by the Seat of My Pants
Tunisian Style Greens and Beans from Cheap Healthy Good
Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions from Proud Italian Cook
Phase One Meat, Chicken, or Fish Entrees
Carol's Completely Fabulous Steak Marinade and Grilled Tri Tip from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts with Asian Marinade from Kalyn's Kitchen
Chicken Souvlaki from Kalyn's Kitchen
Shrimp Ceviche from Simply Recipes
Halibut in Parchment with Squash and Onions from Cookthink
Curried Steaks with Black-Eyed Pea Salsa from Blue Kitchen
Salmon Kleftiko (wrapped salmon packets) from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Oven-Baked Chicken with Feta Cheese from Nami Nami
Lamb and Vegetable Kabobs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce from Thyme for Cooking (replace sherry with vinegar for phase one, although this amount of sherry probably won't matter)
Stir Fry of Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Shrimp from French Kitchen in America
Pork Souvlaki from Kalofagas
Grilled Salmon in Foil Over a Campfire from This Mama Cooks!
Tzatziki Shrimp Skewers from The Persnickety Palate
Mom's Tofu and Beef from Delish (sub rice vinegar for rice wine)
Jalapeno, Cilantro, Cumin, and Lime Marinated Skirt Steak from Well Fed
Spicy Salmon Fillets with Fresh Herb Salsa from Cook Sister!
Salmon Provencal from Simply Recipes
Phase One Vegetarian Entrees
Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake from 101 Cookbooks
Phase One Breakfasts
Kale Frittata from The Inquisitive Palate
Fried Eggs with Red Onion and Cheese from Bleeding Espresso
Did I Miss Your Phase One Recipe?


text: Sarah Lozanova is a regular contributor to environmental and energy publications and websites, including Mother Earth Living, Green Building & Design, Triple Pundit, Urban Farm, and Solar Today. Her experience includes work with small-scale solar energy installations and utility-scale wind farms. She earned an MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School and she resides in Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage in Midcoast Maine with her husband and two children.


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Your Biggest Walking Questions, Answered
Q. Do you burn more calories if you walk in the morning or evening?
A. You'll get the same results no matter when you walk. But experts say that a.m. exercisers are more apt to stick with their routines. "Morning walkers are usually on the road before all the busyness of life occurs—phone calls, meetings, family obligations," says Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness (Lyons Press). However, if you can't get out the door first thing in the morning, the key is to make walking part of your daily routine, whenever it fits in. "As long as you can maintain a consistent habit of walking, any time is a good time to walk," says Fenton.
Q. I'm so busy that I only have time to walk a few minutes a day. Should I even bother?
A. Absolutely. Although the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 get at least two and a half hours of physical activity every week, even a few minutes of daily exercise, here and there, adds up. Some experts say you can avoid yearly weight gain by burning just 100 more calories a day—that's doable by walking at a steady pace for just 15 minutes. Bottom line: Some exercise is better than none.
Q. Do you get a better workout walking outside or on a treadmill?
A. Depending on your location and routes, outdoor treks may offer a few slight advantages. In cold weather, walkers may burn more calories outside because the body uses additional energy to keep warm. Going against the wind and up hills also makes muscles work harder. But there's no need to worry if you're a treadmill regular. To get similar benefits inside, set your machine on an incline and vary your speed at different points during your workout. And don't forget that walking, no matter where, is better than not exercising at all.
Burn more fat with our treadmill workouts. Get started here.
Q. Should I eat before or after my workout?
A. Research has shown that eating high-fiber foods with a moderate glycemic index, such as whole-grain cereal, before exercising can boost your performance. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend a high-carb, 400- to 500-calorie meal two to three hours before exercise. Choose foods chock-full of whole grains and fiber, like a sandwich made with whole wheat bread and lean meat. If you're walking early in the morning, it may not be possible to eat a few hours ahead, but aim to get something in your stomach—like a banana or half a bagel—before heading out the door, says Fenton. And don't forget to drink plenty of water.
Q. Is pain after walking normal?
A. Occasional aches and discomforts, like sore muscles and blisters, are usually not causes for concern. But never ignore persistent pain that changes the way you walk or function, warns certified athletic trainer Ralph Reiff, director of St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. "A limp, a change in stride length, or preferring the right or left side of a foot because something's sore all indicate that it's time to stop and evaluate," says Reiff. Speak to your doctor to determine the best course of action.
Q. What should my heart rate be during my walks?
A. Your heart rate tells you how hard you're working—and how much you're getting from your effort. If you're new to exercise or just looking to maintain your weight, aim to walk at 50 to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 minutes or the duration of the workout. Crank up the intensity so you're between 60 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate to get into the fat-burning zone. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Take that number and multiply it by 50, 60, or 70 percent, depending on your goal—the result is your target heart rate for walking.
A heart-rate monitor can give you an accurate reading. But if you don't have one, here's how to calculate it: Within five seconds of when you stop exercising, take your pulse by placing the tips of your first two fingers against the side of your neck or wrist. Count the number of beats for six seconds and multiply that number by 10. Compare it to your target. If your actual heart rate is lower, walk a little faster. If it's higher, you should dial back your pace.
Q. Should I walk with weights?
A. Probably not. Researchers at Indiana State University found that walking with hand weights increases pulse rate, thus boosting intensity. But experts like Fenton warn against it. "It might seem like you're getting more from your workout, but walking with hand or ankle weights may do more harm than good," he says. Weights can throw off your natural stride, making you prone to injury, or get in the way of arm movements, affecting your speed. Better to be safe and do strengthening exercises as a separate workout on your non-walking days. One potential bonus: you'll likely walk faster without weights, and that alone could result in a bigger calorie burn.
Q. Do I need to warm up and cool down before and after walking?
A. It's a good idea to do both. A 10-minute warm-up gradually increases blood flow, which raises muscle and joint temperature. This makes you less likely to get hurt, according to Fenton. The following moves target muscles used for walking:
Ankle Circles: Support yourself by placing a hand against a stationary object, such as a wall or lamppost. Lift one leg straight in front of you, and circle your ankle 10 times to the right, and then 10 times to the left. Then repeat with the other leg.
Arm Circles: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lift your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. Circle them 10 times forwards, then 10 times backwards.
Leg Swings: Again, support yourself with a stationary object, like a wall or lamppost. Swing your entire right leg easily front to back from the hip, 20 times in total. Repeat with the left leg.
To cool down, simply walk at a slower pace for 5 to 10 minutes. This gets the heart rate down gradually and prevents dizziness, which can result from blood pooling in your legs when you suddenly stop exercising. Then, stretch for five to 10 minutes. Focus on your hamstrings by putting your left foot slightly forward of your right foot, bending forward from the waist with your chest forward and knees slightly bent, and reaching for your toes. Hold for 30 to 40 seconds; then repeat with the other leg. Next, stretch your shoulders: Cross your left arm over your chest, place your right arm on the upper left arm, and pull it tightly in to your chest. Hold for 30 to 40 seconds. Repeat with the right arm.
Q. What should my walking "form" be?
A. Good posture can help you burn more calories, up your energy level, and go farther more comfortably. Slouching while walking limits your speed because it restricts rib cage breathing, and can lead to tightness in the back, neck, and shoulders. Fix your form by standing tall with shoulders back and chest forward. When you start walking, roll through your foot, from heel to toe. As you pick up the pace, your stride will naturally lengthen. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees, and swing your arms, but only to chest height. The goal is quick, efficient steps. "But don't think too much about form," says Fenton. "Just let it happen."
Originally published on FamilyCircle.com in May 2010.
All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.


text:
Is Your Computer Ready?
The following are PC/MAC recommendations from the office of Technical Support for students at Thomas University. The recommendations are based upon the analysis of the average use of computers by students as well as the minimum requirements for using Blackboard and Collaborate. The recommendations do not take into account additional specialized equipment or software that may be required by a student's academic program. Students are advised to check with their individual programs and their instructors for any additional computer requirements. The recommendations will list a minimum, recommended, and advanced system to prospective students and are separated into two sections: System (the computer itself), and Software (needed programs).
Overall recommendations
A personal computer or laptop is highly recommended in today's online environment. IPads and most mobile devices and tablets are not recommended for use as a student's primary personal computer as these devices may not fully support the student's academic computer needs.
Should I buy a new computer?
If you have a computer that was purchased new within the last two years it should be more than sufficient to meet your needs. Even high-end computers purchased 3-4 years should still be useful. If you need to purchase a new computer, we would recommend that you try to buy the most capable system you can afford (Recommended System). Systems with more memory, disk space, and processor speed tend to remain viable for a longer period of time. The typical useful life span of a computer is 3-4 years.
Should I buy a printer?
Buying a printer is recommended, especially if you are a heavy print user and if you need faxing and color capabilities. Printers are available in the library's two computer labs which produce black and white printouts. Students are afforded a printing allowance of 350 prints per semester at no charge. Additional pages cost 10 cents per page.
What kind of Internet connection should I have?
If you live in the residence hall you will have access to a high speed Internet connection. Wireless hot-spots are available in several places on campus, including the Library. Most computers come with a wireless card capable of connecting to the campus network without any problems. If you live off campus we would suggest some type of high speed (DSL or Cable) Internet service. If you don't have access to a high speed Internet connection and have a modem with your computer (this is commonly called dial-up access) you will need to subscribe to an on-line Internet service provider (ISP).
What operating system should I get?
Get the latest available system that you can afford. We recommend 8.1 or 10 for a Windows based system and OS9 or OSX for a Mac.
TU does not recommend the use of Linux operating systems for any but the most advanced computer users. Neither Blackboard nor Collaborate provide support for Linux systems, and TU does not possess the capacity to provide any technical assistance to Linux users.


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The FAQ has information on questions that are not temporal. Please see the Known Issues page for possible transient issues.
Q. How can I get time on Blue Waters?
A: Please visit the Allocations page to learn about the different pathways available to get time on Blue Waters.
Q. Where can I download the Blue Waters logo?
A: If you would like to use the Blue Waters logo, you can download the .zip file here. Included in the .zip file are the logo usage guidelines. Please follow these guidelines when using the Blue Waters logo.
Q: As the project PI or designee, how do I request a Blue Waters account for a team member?
A: Login to the Blue Waters Portal with your NCSA issued OTP token and go to YOUR BLUE WATERS -> Manage Users. Enter in the user's name and email (make sure the email is correct) and then he/she will receive an invitation to fill out an application for a Blue Waters account.
Q: I am the PI/Project Lead, but I want a different team member to manage the users. Can I designate someone to add/remove team members?
A: Yes. Go to YOUR BLUE WATERS -> Manage Users. In your list of team members, you may select one person to be your designee. When account-related issues arise, both the designee and the PI will receive notifications.
Q: I added a user to my team, but he/she still doesn't have an OTP token to login to the system.
A: Although the PI has added a user, the user may not have completed the application for the account. Check with the user to see if the application was completed and submitted. Once a user submits an application, the PI needs to verify the application one more time before NCSA sends the OTP token. PI's receive an email notification when an account is waiting for verification. Unless the account is urgent or time sensitive, NCSA sends the OTP tokens via USPS which can take a few days to get to the user.
Q: How do I reset my pin?
A: Please see the forgot my pin page.
Q: Should I expect certificate warnings for the following site: https://diamond.ncsa.illinois.edu:7004/console-selfservice/
A: Yes. See Logging In or Forgot PIN.
Q: What happened to my job when I see ...
A: A list of commonly enountered messages for job termination are listed below.
[NID XXXXX] 2012-11-15 15:21:22 Apid 147699 killed. Received node failed or halted event for nid YYYYY
This is a common message sent when a node (nid YYYYY in this case) fails for some reason (memory, kernel panic, etc). The admins get a nofitication of this situtation and work to determine if this is due to a known issue, a new issue which would generate a bug report to Cray, or if it is a failed piece of hardware.
[NID XXXXX] 2013-03-12 20:22:34 Apid 1410368 killed. Received node event ec_node_failed for nid YYYYY
This is a typical error message when a node (nid YYYYY in this case) fails with a hardware error such as a memory check error (MCE). Typically the node is automatically marked down by the node health checker.
Application 98398 network quiesced: 1248 nodes quiesced, 35:24:46 node-seconds
This is likely a situation where some work was being done on the system such as a failed gemini router, taking a blade down and adding it back (warm-boot). The network routing has to avoid the routers on that blade.
Application 61435 network throttled: 4459 nodes throttled, 25:31:21 node-seconds
This is a case of congestion protection throttling. Please see the Balanced Injection section for more information.
Q: I am seeing the following error messages when compiling my code ...
undefined reference to `__pgas_register_dv'
This is a mixed language issue with the Cray Compiler when using CC to link applications that use PGAS and/or Fortran routines. The CC compiler option:
-hpgas_runtime will make sure the correct libraries are linked in.
Q: I am seeing the following error messages when running my code ...
LIBDMAPP WARNING: Unable to open kgni version file /sys/class/gemini/kgni0/version errno 2
This error message occurs when running an application on a external login node (h2ologin1|2|3|4) compiled with the Cray Compiler (CCE) . To compile code only for running on the h2ologin nodes without communication or device libraries please add "-target=local_host" to the options for cc, CC and ftn.
Q: I am seeing aprun failures with pmi_ errors when running my non-mpi code (multiple serial codes in a wrapper for example ):
Mon Jun 11 07:35:50 2018: [PE_0]:_pmi_alps_sync:alps response not OKAY
Mon Jun 11 07:35:50 2018: [PE_0]:_pmi_init:_pmi_alps_sync failed -1
The aprun command forks a copy of your process via the Process Management Interface daemon running on a node (PMI). In cases where the application is not pure MPI, it may be desirable to bypass this launch sequence and allow the application(s) to start on their own and not as forked children of the PMI daemon. Set (export) PMI_NO_FORK=1 to disable the default behavior.
Q. My OpenACC code is running the same as (or slower than) the CPU version. What's happening?
The OpenACC directives are just that--directives. Compilers are free to ignore them or not implement accelerated code if compiler flags or modules are missing or not loaded. Take care to include the appropriate modules and flags as shown in the OpenACC compiler table of the user guide (under programming), and don't forget to have the correct modules loaded at runtime (best done in your job script ).
Q: I am seeing the following error messages when using the checkjob command ...
NOTE: job violates constraints for partition login (partition login not in job partition mask)
This error message can be ignored and does not represent a problem with your job. The login partition is the MOM nodes that need to be part of the job but are not part of the compute nodes partion.
Q: I am seeing "no CUDA-capable device is detected'', what are the reasons and how to avoid it?
This error occurs when XE nodes are used instead of XK nodes for GPU applications. Make sure XK nodes are specified in the resource request.
This error can also occur when interective mode is used for GPU applications. In this case one will need to use the CCM mode (cluster compatibility mode).
Q. How can I monitor the memory usage of my application?
Compile and link into your application a routine with getrusage() and call it from Fortran or C at points in your code where you would like to monitor memory usage.
Q: How do I submit a bug?
Send an e-mail to email@example.com (if you ever forget, this information is always at the bottom of the message-of-the-day. Just "more /etc/motd" to be reminded.)
Make the subject line an informative description of the probem. Put as many details as you can think of in the body.
If you want to point the help staff to an example, please make the code and all the directories above the code readable by everone on the system. You do this with Unix file permissions settings: chmod a+rX -R my/top/code/directory
Q: My globusonline transfers using globus connect is getting the following error in the transfer log. What does that mean?
500-globus_gsi_gssapi: SSLv3 handshake problems: Couldn't do ssl handshake
500-OpenSSL Error: s3_srvr.c:956: in library: SSL routines, function SSL3_GET_CLIENT_HELLO: wrong version
This is an issue with the encryption being used by the Globus Toolkit version. SSLv3 is no longer supported and TLS is now the supported method. Please update your installation of Globuc Connect or Globus Toolkit.
Q: How can a task get its rank number without asking MPI?
A script or program launched with aprun may obtain the rank number by retrieving the ALPS_APP_PE environment variable.


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Inquiry Question
This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file "Freeman Homestead and Freeman School" (with photographs) and other sources. The Freeman School was written by Lorna Lange-Daggs, a former Park Ranger at Homestead National Monument of America. Jean West, education consultant, and the Teaching with Historic Places staff edited the lesson. TwHP is sponsored, in part, by the Cultural Resources Training Initiative and Parks as Classrooms programs of the National Park Service. This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into the classrooms across the country.
Where it fits into the curriculum
Objectives for students
Materials for students
Visiting the site


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West Los Angeles, CA and Worldwide (online)
7:30pm to 9:00pm
(US Pacific Time)
Join us in-person or online via our high quality, real-time, interactive system.
Satsang is a deeply intimate meeting that provides the rare opportunity to come together for inner exploration and going beyond the self. A brief meditation is followed by question and answer and self-discovery work. Satsang supports and promotes self-knowledge, transformation and true clarity. Seekers of all ages and stages come together as a community of support and sharing, forming a milieu conducive to truth and inner peace. Strangers quickly become friends in the loving atmosphere of Satsang, as we come to experience what lies 'beyond the self' in each one of us. The room will be open 30 minutes prior to the event. Please arrive on time so that others are not disturbed during the meditation or discussion time.
For our Satsangs, we use a high quality, real-time, interactive video system that enables you to see, hear, and talk with Swami Premodaya directly from anywhere in the world (please read the instructions for participating online or by telephone if you are joining us for the first time).
Those in Southern California are invited to join our weekly Satsang in-person at the Center in West Los Angeles, CA.


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The designer behind Bullfinch Visuals decided to take the front-engined, open-wheel design of '50s F1 cars and modernize the language for a new passenger car. The results are kind of awesome.
Choosing BMW as the brand is kind of random but it looks great in a Z4-meets-Rally Fighter sort of way. This is complete fancy on the part of designer, but it would make a great kit car... HINT HINT HINT.
(Hat tip to GRID!)


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U.S. Nets Nearly $8 Billion on AIG
The U.S. sold its last shares in AIG for $7.6 billion, essentially closing the books on one of the most controversial bailouts of the financial crisis. Erik Holm reports on Markets Hub. Photo: Reuters.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... you'll ... Mr. were ... a little more than seven billion dollars richer today he will be racing ... thanks to the latest trends in the sale of AIG shares ... BKS and the ability to see their AIG shares up three percent today on this news ... all markets really of the Dow's of the ninety points and just generally green for the whole ... market but energy especially her home is here to talk about this one ... on shackle good about this ... to ... get something to help American down the taxpayer a will divide the population the US the device and please explain the operation Bresnan summit research this and wasn't so sure ... this is the latest ... delay consistent luckily not ... the sale ... of AIG stock in the future so if you want but in ... a more adult word around ... though ... ninety percent of the company of one point he on the bailout everybody knows about it the historic bill ... most money any one company guy ... today ... we're now it's all over ... and since that's exactly right and yet so they're framing dry and you had the seven point six billion to the amount of money with the retweet was actually Ardi profitable for for for the US that that the bailout was honored me some billion dollars of that one point ... and our profit guy is can amount to about twenty three billion dollars here ... which is ... well um four years twenty three billion on a ... monthly bills to pay off GIC Aircel that'll help ... so ok ... this is done it's all over ... our weak it's in your talk about whether or not the bill should happen all day that'll be going on for decades I don't really want to talk about that was taught about the what this means for AIG sure what this means for the stock with distinctive features that but you know aam the CEO of Auburn O'Shea haven't requested he had a memo that when out to soothe him placing ... others the same in America my that there are no second acts he was referencing Fitzgerald there in the city he said most will take about this today marks our second act ... in really into thousandeight that was no way to imagine that the company when you get the whole that it was very quickly and then settle into their doodles two one two billion dollars by the American ... well ... they really are on a day when he read that you know it's you know in this spot ... aam free of all ... income remains ... so quickly ... and and it happened during a ... Missouri ... is there anything significant out the timing of the sale was happening right now ... were started looking for white today ... um it was in there were few things that happened over the weekend for saw on on Friday the company disclosed how much they were ... expecting to lose from ... superstorm stamps and even odds of that sort of clear some uncertainty up ... Dale loads of moral estimates but I was a little more in expected but it's not can it be in any way crippling took the company ... of long-term debt and aam and I they also ... figured out that there to sell ... their plane leasing unit International Lease Finance Court ... to Chinese construction consortium so these things these questions were answered and the stock was doing well sleeping in a while we add it to the question of the stock ... the five-year chart of the stock photo from ... the fallout ... ay ay ay ... the app ... and the Home collective up the much of a rebound in the stock price by ... former Treasury bought it ... they bought an even lower in retirement for your cost basis was was ... somewhere below the season in the ... high twenties ... going to name a ... month in motion a procession and he came I'm ... hyped deal after the failure after the company was briefly taken over by the government so do we do this mean this revitalization and what's his next at will stick around ... you know ... it's a good question has been checking happened to you know they were talkin about to no second acts in the running AIG really was his second at what was the CEO of MetLife were sitting on his ... a winery and for Croatia and retirement yet ... when when when he got a call asking if he would run and Jamie came in he promised he would ... get the taxpayers paid back and get them a prophet ... he did ... the really the speculation now probably will turn to how these can stick around ... America will enough but lacks the equivalent its activist efforts


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