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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Five South African soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday while they were on patrol for rhino poachers in the Kruger National Park, the defense department said on Sunday.
A spokesman said the five were taking part in "Operation Rhino", in which the army is trying to stop the slaughter of the animals for their horns, worth more than their weight in gold. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
On Wednesday, three suspected poachers were killed in a shoot-out with rangers in the vast Kruger, where the killing of the animals has become rampant.
So far this year, 188 rhinos have been poached in South Africa, 135 in Kruger alone, according to government figures released this week.
In 2012, 668 rhinos were poached in South Africa, a 50 percent rise on the previous year and double the number killed illegally in 2010.
Surging demand from newly affluent consumers in Vietnam and China, where rhino horn is highly prized for medicinal purposes, is behind the onslaught.
South Africa hosts most of the world's white rhino - over 18,000 - and about 40 percent of the rarer black rhino.
Many of the poachers in Kruger come from poor villages in neighboring Mozambique. Elsewhere in Africa, the poaching of elephants for their ivory has also been on the rise.
Reporting and writing by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Andrew Roche


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La Migra Loca, Part 06on September 24, 2012 at 9:32 am
Kevin Says:
If you're in the Boston area and available this Saturday, here Agreeable Comics will be participating in MICE, help the Mass Independent Comics Expo. It's a great free show hosted on the Lesley University campus in Cambridge and is among our favorite events. I'll be there alongside The Loneliest Astronauts artist Ming Doyle (who will have her own half table adjoining us) and (maybe) Signs and Meanings and Lydia artist Max Riffner.
We look forward to seeing you!

subset: commoncrawl


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Exciting Thanksgiving news for all you exceedingly wealthy sociopaths out there. Gilt Groupe, the online provider of designer sales, has a very special, one of a kind deal for you this holiday weekend and is offering up a small selection of rare and vintage Birkin bags for a cool $59,850. Would you like to pay with a card or is Nazi gold more convenient?
Generally, fashion's value is in the eye of the beholder. Rarity, creativity and craftsmanship must be taken into consideration, which is why high end pieces oftentimes resemble wearable art more than functional clothing. And like with art, what might look overpriced, stupid or slapdash to some is exceedingly precious to others. Still, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the only way that a Birkin bag — or any bag — could be worth $60K is if it were made from the skin of Jane Birkin herself. (Birkin, by the way, is very much alive.)
But you have $60K burning a hole in your little silk-lined pocket! Don't fret — there are lots of things that you could buy instead of a purse. Here, I'll list!
- Rafalca Romney
- Josh Romney
- 3-4 Prius cars
- Sixty $1K purses
- Over three full-time semesters at Havard
- The bones of one of the less popular U.S. presidents
- Three hundred thousand meals for people in need.
But, hey, it's your money and who am I to tell you what to do with it? One thing's for certain: buy the $59,850 Birkin (and buy now — there's only one of each model available) and you're sure to be the most fashionable asshole in town.
'Buyer's Gilt': Digital Luxury Site Selling Hermès Birkin Bags for Ungodly Amount of Money


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"NCIS: Los Angeles" and "The Good Wife" Sweep Their Time Periods in Viewers and Key Demographics
CBS Wins Tuesday in Viewers and Adults 25-54
NCIS was Tuesday's #1 program in viewers, topping the 20-million-viewer mark for its fourth consecutive first-run broadcast, while NCIS: LOS ANGELES and THE GOOD WIFE won their time periods in viewers and key demographics, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for Tuesday, Feb. 8.
NCIS was first in households (12.1/19), viewers (20.30m), adults 25-54 (5.8/14) and a strong second in adults 18-49 (4.2/12). With the exception of the special post-Super Bowl broadcast of "Glee," "NCIS" remains the only scripted series with episodes this season to tally 20 million viewers or more (live plus same day).
NCIS: LOS ANGELES was first in households (10.3/16), viewers (17.07m), adults 25-54 (4.9/12) and adults 18-49 (3.5/09).
THE GOOD WIFE was first in households (7.6/13), viewers (11.82m), adults 25-54 (3.4/09) and adults 18-49 (2.2/06). Compared to last week, THE GOOD WIFE was up +6% in adults 25-54 (from 3.2/08)�it's best delivery in this demo since Nov. 16, 2010�and even in adults 18-49.
For the night, CBS was first in households (10.0/16), viewers (16.40m), adults 25-54 (4.7/12) and second in adults 18-49 (3.3/09, -0.1 behind FOX).
Updated Tuesday ratings will be available this afternoon.


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Hi everyone.
I'm selling my D7000 and 16-85mm AFS VR will separate.
The D7000 is in excellent condition. one owner from new. It's out of warranty now but only has 5907 clicks on it.
It has the original unmarked box (nice if it's a gift) and has everything originally supplied. strap never used.
Just had the body looked over by Calumet and also had the sensor professionally cleaned.
Nikkor lens equally clean and in excellent condition.
Has unmarked box and paperwork etc
Reasonable offers please. Post as appropriate
photos supplied if required.
Thanks for looking....


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by Natalie Yemenidjian, KQED News, June 29, 2016
10:30 p.m.: Pastor Lyle Beckman, the S.F. Night Minister, waits for drag king Kit Tapata to finish her trivia hosting duties to talk about fliers for an upcoming fundraising. Helping others costs money and the Night Ministry relies on folks like Tapata. Beckman orders club sodas, but enjoys the community in local bars. As more neighborhood bars are priced out, he says the only people who talk to him at the new 'sterile' spots are the bartenders. (Natalie Yemenidjian/KQED)


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The recent installation of off-ramps and new traffic signals caused an increase in congestion throughout the interchange last Monday.
The Department of Transportation says it opened additional lanes on Watt Avenue last week and has continued to make traffic signal adjustments during the last ten days.
In early January, the county will open another northbound lane on Watt and a third right turn lane on the westbound off-ramp.
The county hopes the additional capacity will improve the flow of traffic
The Department of Transportation says 90,000 cars use the intersection every day.


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Our Italian-made spatula is designed for cooking large quantities of food on a grill or griddle. Its broad, flexible head and offset handle simplify turning and transferring sliced steak, hash browns and burgers, and serving deep casseroles like lasagna.
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For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by cmcinc from This One and the Narrow One and You're Set As I stated in my review of the narrow spatula these are the only spatulas to consider. I threw away all the other stainless steel ones. These are super strong. They will last a lifetime.Date published: 2017-07-04Rated 5 out of 5 by rksatw from Amazing Spatula If Wusthof made a spatula, this would be it. This thing is amazing and very versatile. It is well balanced and sturdy. Note- This needs to be hand washed, so refrain from putting it in the dishwasher.Date published: 2016-06-29Rated 5 out of 5 by WSCust1 from Best Spatula You Can Buy I love everything about this spatula. The length, the weight, and I absolutely love how wide it is. Perfect spatula for eggs, pancakes, and anything else. Perfect for use with cast-iron, as the tip is straight and flat and perfect for scraping cast-iron.Date published: 2016-04-20Rated 5 out of 5 by StreetcarRider from Love This Spatula I've been using this spatula on a regular basis for the past 3-4 years. It works on everything from burgers on an outdoor grill to crepes on the stove top. Highly recommended to all.Date published: 2013-08-15Rated 5 out of 5 by OrangeSky from Versatile and Durable This is the spatula I use over and over and over. I use it to transfer chopped veggies from the cutting board to the pan too. It's perfect for turning the "big" pancakes, and french toast. Just a note: this spatula is wide and due to its size is not effective with small pans. I've had mine for years, and it is just like new.Date published: 2012-12-24


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Vanities is a delicate and lightly floral Ladies' fragrance from Penhaligon's. It can be used alone or combined to complement many of our other fragrances.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- There are plenty of positive statements that can be issued about highly regarded 2013 outfield prospect Dom Thompson-Williams, but the best place to start would be that he is a winner. Or, at the very least, certainly likes to associate himself with winners.
Thompson-Williams is a 6-foot, 185-pound two-sport star at Sioux City (Iowa) East High School who spent the weekend at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium taking part in the PG Spring Top Prospect Showcase for the second straight year. Although it was kind of chilly and breezy over the course of the event's two-day run, Thompson-Williams felt it was right place to be to get his baseball mojo rising again.
"I really didn't have anything else to do and I've got to get back into the baseball mode," he said. "Being a football player, too, I just thought it was time to get back into the grind again. The only thing I was really concerned about was my throwing, and I wanted to get my velocity up there, this being my senior year." He threw 90 mph from the outfield, one of only three participants to in the workout to reach 90.
Thompson-Williams, a left-handed outfield prospect ranked in the top-500 nationally in the class of 2013 and No. 5 in the state of Iowa, is coming off a 2012 Iowa high school summer season in which he led Class 4A (big schools) with a .544 batting average, 25 doubles and 42 stolen bases. He was made an Iowa Class 4A first-team all-state selection after a season in which East finished 34-9, coming up just short of a state tournament berth.
And then there's this football deal. Thompson-Williams was also an Iowa Class 4A first-team all-state selection as a wide receiver last fall when he caught 58 passes for 1,234 yards and 12 touchdowns during East's 8-3, playoff qualifying season.
Now the question started centering on which direction Thompson-Williams would take his talents in college, baseball or football? The answer was an easy one for the two-sport all-stater: he signed a letter of intent to play both sports at junior college powerhouse Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. The Reivers won NJCAA national championships in both sports last year.
"I've talked to a lot of D-I schools, but the D-I schools I've talked to (about football) don't really have a good baseball program and that's where I see my future being is in baseball," Thompson-Williams said. "I just can't give up football right now; I just love it too much. When I went down to Iowa Western, they told me the airport is just 15 minutes away and (D-I) coaches just fly in. If they see a kid they like they'll come in from anywhere.
"It's the number-one school in the country for both sports so I think it's a good choice, and I think it will be the smarter overall decision for me at the end."
There are doubters, to be sure. Playing multiple sports in high school is common and in many instances encouraged by administrators and coaches. Doing it on the collegiate level -- and especially at a national championship level -- can be another thing altogether.
"I've had tons of coaches tell me that more than likely you're not going to (play both sports) because it's so out of the ordinary," Thompson-Williams said. "But it's my dream to do it and I'm just going to keep doing it for as long as I can. I'll be busy constantly, there's no doubt about that, but it will keep me out of trouble, it will keep me doing good and keep my head on straight."
When it comes to continuing his football career, he is proceeding with his baseball career at the front of his mind. He was a wide receiver in high school, leaving himself susceptible to all kinds of blindside attacks from devious defensive backs. He will switch to d-back at Iowa Western.
"I look at it like I'd rather hit someone than get hit," Thompson-Williams said with a smile. "Especially if I'm playing baseball and I need to stay healthy, I'd rather hit someone than get hit."
His focus was entirely on baseball over the weekend. The Spring Top was the sixth PG-sponsored event Thompson-Williams attended, including last year's Spring Top Showcase and two seasons playing in the PG Iowa Spring Wood Bat League.
"It gets a lot of publicity out there," he said of the exposure the showcase provides. "Especially (on Sunday) when we go against the big pitchers, there's going to be a lot of scouts out there and a lot of publicity out there. I feel like that's really going to help us."
Thompson-Williams was in his comfort zone at the Spring Top. Among his teammates on the Columbia Blue team at the event were East High teammates Jake Westphal and Tyler Franko, along with several other players from the Sioux City area in northwest Iowa.
Westphal, a junior shortstop, is ranked in the top-1,000 nationally in the 2014 class and No. 6 in Iowa. He has already committed to Tennessee of the D-I Southeastern Conference.
"It's fun, and it's exciting to be here with the kids I'm comfortable with and kids that I've played with my whole life," Westphal said. "It's enjoyable to get to spend time with (Thompson-Williams) knowing that he's succeeding in his baseball career, and I am too."
Thompson-Williams, Westphal, Franko and a bunch of the other Sioux City-area prospects also play on the same team in the PG Iowa Spring Wood Bat League, and all seem to love the experience.
"Last year I went to dang-near every game (but) this year it's been kind of hard getting rides to the game," Thompson-Williams said. "When I do Perfect Game leagues and I go right into the high school (season), I feel like I'm way far above everyone and I feel way more prepared. All of the players that are here from Sioux City East say the exact same thing, and I feel like we're more on top of the game than anyone else."
"I think it's good for me," Westphal said in agreement. "It's definitely a big change for me from my high school spring league and there's a lot better competition. We get to play with kids that are going to be competing at the highest level and it's a good challenge for me."
When Thompson-Williams, Westphal and Franko head back to Sioux City Sunday night, they'll do so knowing they had been given the opportunity to perform in front of more than 50 scouts in their showcase finale. The main reason for that was because their Columbia Blue team was facing hard-throwing Missouri left-hander Jacob Brentz, who is being projected as a possible first round selection in MLB's June amateur draft.
Then it will another six weeks of PG Spring League play before they can really begin to concentrate on East High's summer season.
"Our goal is to be one of the best teams ever to come out of East; that's what we're planning. We have really high expectations," Thompson-Williams said.
"I think our high school team really can compete this year," Westphal added. "We've returned a lot of guys and we have a lot of guys that are pretty good baseball players, and I think we have a good chance to compete and make it into the state tournament."
And speaking of that June MLB amateur draft, Thompson-Williams admits he'll have an eye on it.
"I've filled out something like 12 or 13 MLB draft entries, so we'll see how that goes," he said. "If I don't go anywhere (this year) it doesn't really matter; I'm just glad I'm in it."


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|Sunnyvale, Calif.
|High School:
|St. Francis (Mt. View)
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2014: Hit .120 (3-25) … scored six runs … had one RBI ... on Feb. 6 vs. Long Beach State had one hit … added one hit vs. Iowa State on Feb. 21 … had one run batted in on Mar. 1 vs. Seattle … on Mar. 2 vs. Seattle added one run … added one run vs. San Jose State on Mar. 14 … on Mar. 15 vs. Princeton had one walk … vs. Cal on Mar. 23 had one run … was walked three times at Pacific on Apr. 5 … had one hit and one run at Pacific on Apr. 6 … scored one run at BYU on Apr. 12 … had a stolen base at Stanford on Apr. 22 … had one stolen base on May 3 at LMU … scored one run at LMU on May 4.
HIGH SCHOOL: 2012, '13 WCAL finalist ... CCS qualifier all 4 years ... 2013 Team Captain ... 2013 1st team All-League WCAL ... Senior Year batting average - .400 ... Junior Year batting average - .328 ... Also played Field Hockey ... Team Captian ... 4 Year varsity field hockey athlete ... WCAL All-League Honorable Mention.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Anthony and Renee ... has three siblings, Anthony, Andrea and Alexander ... her mother played soccer at UC Davis ... her father played baseball at UC Davis ... Life Membership Award for CA Scholarship Federation ... Lifetime National Honor Society Member ... majoring in psychology ... would like to pursue a career working with young adults ... outside of softball she enjoys field hockey, soccer and exercising.
WHY I CHOSE SANTA CLARA: I chose Santa Clara because of its great reputation academically and athletically. When choosing a college, I wanted to be a part of a school that would provide for my academic curiosity and also allow me to continue my athletic interests. Santa Clara has a history of creating students with a passion for learning on and off the field.


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The amazingly small XD amplifiers are huge in audio performance, thanks to our advanced NexD™ switching technologies.
These technologies allow XD amplifiers to achieve efficiencies exceeding 80%, meaning far less heat and strain on your vehicle's electrical system than a conventional large amplifier would generate. This efficiency advantage, combined with state-of-the-art microelectronic components, allows us to use very compact unitary cast alloy heat sinks. Just like their more expensive HD siblings, XD's deploy our Advanced Thermal Rollback System to completely eliminate annoying thermal shut-down events. The end result is outstanding audio performance and reliability in a compact amplifier that is easy to install in the tightest spaces.
Beneath every XD's removable control cover, you will find studio-grade signal processing with fully variable crossover filters. Also included are our noise-killing, highly flexible differential-balanced inputs with remote level control capabilities via the HD-RLC remote level control (optional).
Some might just see a small amplifier, but for those who appreciate great audio, XD's reveal something huge.


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Who Wants To Be Rich?
Only 13% of adults say it's "very important" for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured in a new survey .
Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?
While blacks and Hispanics hold broadly favorable views of each other, Hispanics are less likely to say the two groups get along well. At the same time, African Americans are far more likely than Latinos to say blacks are frequently the victims of racial discrimination.
Race, Ethnicity and Campaign '08
Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, as the presidential field of 2008 has begun to discover. But in the world beyond politics, race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel.


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Shroud of Darkness Episode 1: The Shroud of Darkness
June 9, 2013, 10:35 PM »
The heart of the Republic.
Today that heart is breaking as the Jedi Order takes stock of their losses at the Battle of Geonosis.
Seventeen more. Thats the last of them Masters., Clone Lieutenant Spike reports to the group of mourning Jedi as their deceased brethren are unloaded from the gunships.
That brings the death toll to 182., Ki-Mundi sighs.
And yet the Chancellor calls Geonosis a victory.., Plo Koon heavily observes.
What of Sar?, Master Depa Billaba hesitantly questions.
Depa, your sister fought bravely... But... There were so many droids... So many good Jedi died., a haunted Mace Windu struggles to explain.
"No..., Depa breathes.
She died in service of the Order, as we all will in our time. She is now one with the force., Mace attempts to console.
My sister died protecting the power of those thugs in the Senate. There is no innocent side in this war, merely two aggressors who cannot begin to admit their own failures., Depa bitterly bites back.
Taken aback by Depa, Yoda gingerly cautions, Remember your training you must, Master Billaba..
I remember my training! A Jedi respects all life, we do not murder at the bequest of a corrupt Senate. A Jedi seeks to better themself through knowledge, not denounce any view which does not align with their governments. Perhaps it you who must remember your training. All of you!, Depa spits.
Depa, calm yourself!, an aghast Master Windu attempts to reason.
I can no longer continue to serve your order, which has fallen so far from the ideals we once held sacred., she continues.
As the sun rises to herald a new dawn, Jedi Master Depa Billaba turns her back on the only way of life she has ever known and in so doing faces the dawn of her new life.
Only the first she is., Yoda observes, More Jedi will fall away from the Order, fear I. .
Watching his friend and former padawan disappear into the morning sun Mace questions, Can you blame them? The shroud of darkness covers the true purpose of this war. Who is to say they are wrong..
Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Republic, stands looking out over the Coruscant sunrise from his luxurious office.
The Chancellor turns to face the group assembled in his office and sighs, I will not diminish the extent of our plight my friends. Count Dooku and his Separatists have been preparing for war for nearly a decade. We are woefully behind them. Prime Minister, your clones are our only hope..
They will not disappoint you Excellency., Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su assures.
Yes, but are they equipped to conduct a full scale war? In addition to a need for soldiers we are desperately lacking tacticians, generals, leaders for this new army!, Bail Organa questions.
Unphased Lama Su answers, Our cloned troopers were designed only to serve as field commanders. They are... untested in the ranks of which you speak..
That raises a problematic issue.Where can we find leaders for this new army?, Palpatine grimly questions.
What of the sectoral militaries, security forces, or the even the Republic Peacekeepers?, blusters the Gran Senator Ask Aak.
With all due respect, any of those choices would lead to disaster. The training of planetary security forces and militaries is as varied as their home planets and no sector is willing to part with their own security, even for a greater good. And our Peacekeepers cannot even contain the Badoo Cobra terrorist, much less an organized army such as Dookus., Palpatine observes.
What of the Jedi?, questions Organa, Their Order led the clones most capably on Geonosis.".
That was the wish of Master Syfo Dyas., shares Lama Su.
I fear the Senate is too divided over the Jedi to ever offer them such an important role in the war. Senators like Sanu Saru have already blamed the Jedi for the outset of war., Palpatine states.
But you could if the Senate extended you further emergence powers., Organa points out.
I suppose, but that would require I be made the Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in the place of the Senate. I could never accept such responsibility., Palpatine humbly answers.
But you must!, Orn Free Taa exclaims, The Senate is too bogged down in bureaucracy to efficiently direct the war. I will personally bring the motion before the Senate..
Very well., Palpatine reluctantly yields, But might I suggest that Senator Amidala bring the motion before the Senate, she is something of war hero after surviving Geonosis and greatly respected. Her support would do a great deal in advancing the legislation..
She returns from Naboo today, I will personally ask her., Organa assures.
Palpatine warmly smiles and concludes, Thank you my friends. Let us only hope that the Jedi are up to the challenge..
The Jedi Situation Room, or the War Room as some have already begun to refer to it, has served as the Orders link to far flung planets and instant information from a time before even Master Yoda walked the halls of the Temple. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi wryly shakes his head as he enters the Situation Room, still unnerved by the events of the past days and his role within them.
Good to see you it is Master Kenobi., Yoda warmly greets as Kenobi joins himself and Windu, Healing well your injuries are I trust?.
Remembering the seething pain following his duel with Count Dooku, Obi-Wan flinches and dryly answers, Well enough, you did train Dooku rather well you know..
Fear I do that not so true may that be. A monster has Dooku become, willing to drag the galaxy to war., Yoda answers looking as if the weight of the entire galaxy rested upon his tiny shoulders.
The burden is not yours Master, Dooku choose his path, a path corrupted and twisted by his Sith Master., Obi-Wan comforts.
But who is this Sith Master?., Yoda questions.
And how can the Order best combat him?, adds Windu..
Recalling their conversation in the Council chambers following Geonosis Obi-Wan begins, I have been contemplating that... I believe our best course of action is inaction. Be patient, wait for the second Sith or his minions to misstep and then move quickly and decisively to ensure he never again threatens the Republic..
And what if told the truth did Dooku and already infiltrated the Republic has the second Sith?, questions Yoda.
"Than our best course of action is to play Dookus game and wait for light to shed on this darkness., Kenobi replies.
A dangerous game is this. Learned we have from a source in the Senate that more emergency powers will the Chancellor be assuming and with them appoint the Jedi as Generals of this new Grand Army he will. Your opinion on this would I value Master Kenobi., Yoda inquires.
Taken aback Obi-Wan answers, Surely this is a matter for the Council to decide..
Obi-Wan, the Council would like to extend you an invitation to join as a lifetime member. You have proven you are wise beyond your years and a committed servant of the force., Windu explains a rare smile flashing across his face, With Depa gone we need you more than ever., he continues, all trace of the smile erased from his grave features.
Stunned Obi-Wan stammers, I...I dont know what to say... I am honored..
Proud would Qui-Gon be, but always knew this day would come did he., Yoda shares, pride gleaming from his own eyes.
Only the three of us know of the Chancellor's plan., Windu reveals,If we present an united front before the rest of the Council they will agree to support the war..
Obi-Wans pauses a moment, feeling the full weight of this momentous decision. Finally, he answers, I understand Master. It is the only way to restore peace and uncover the second Sith..
Than agreed we are., Yoda sighs deeply, Recall all Jedi to the Temple will I, sequestered must the Order be to make this decision..
Obi-Wan nods in agreement, adding, Anakin returns from Naboo with Senator Amidala today, I will personally return him to the Temple..
Yoda leans upon his ancient gimmer stick and concludes, Good, may the Force be with us all..
Nubian Starship Angel you are cleared to land., bursts a rough voice over the comm of Padme Amidalas luxury Starcruiser. Well thats quite a welcome home., cracks Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Padawan and recently married husband to Senator Amidala.
Theyve had to tighten security since we were last on Coruscant, we are at war Annie. I dont know if it will ever feel like home again., Padme sadly observes.
Anakin rises as the ship sets down on the landing pad. He grips Padmes hand tightly within his own and shares, My home is wherever you are. It always has been..
R2-D2 beeps affectionately, prompting his counterpart C3PO to answer, No, I do not think it is at all romantic. Theres bound to be trouble, havent you noticed Senator Organa and Master Kenobi are waiting outside?.
Obi-Wan! Here!, Padme bursts.
Anakin smirks and assures, We have nothing to hide. I was merely escorting you to Naboo and back to Coruscant. Now Ill just have to tell Obi-Wan you are still in grave danger and I am compelled to continue to protect you., as he begins to strut towards the landing ramp.
The group hesitantly follows Anakin down the ramp coming to a stop in front of Kenobi and Organa. Speaking before Skywalker has a chance to begin his explanation, Obi-Wan greets, Welcome home Senator Amidala. Anakin, Master Yoda has recalled all Jedi to the Temple we are to return at once, there is much to discuss..
"But Master Senator Amidala-, Anakin starts.
Is no longer your concern., Obi-Wan reprimands.Come, we cannot afford to delay any longer. Good day Senators., concludes Kenobi with a nod to Organa and Amidala.
Unable to betray their secret love Anakin is forced to depart with Obi-Wan, leaving his new wife with nothing but a longing stare.
As the Jedi withdraw Senator Bail Organa warmly welcomes, It is good to see you Padme, thank the Force you survived Geonosis..
Regaining her composure Padme smiles and replies, Thank you Bail. Without the Jedi I fear I would have never escaped Gunrays wraith..
Indeed, Bail agrees continuing, We need the Jedi now more than ever. The Chancellor and I believe they are the key to our victory over the Separatists..
A sentiment I wholeheartedly share., Padme agrees.
The Chancellor and I rather hoped you could bring a measure before the Senate granting him the power to appoint the Jedi as Generals of our new clone army., Bail shares.
Gladly., Padme answers without hesitation as she watches Anakin slowly disappear into a waiting gunship, They are our only hope..
As the gunship rises over the landing pad Anakin stares at his wife, oblivious to Obi-Wans notice.
Your thoughts betray you my padawan. You must accept that so long as you are a Jedi you and Padme can never be together. With the coming war it is all the more important we are without attachment and committed to serenity., Obi-Wan lectures.
With the coming war it is all the more important to know what we fight for!, Anakin spits back.
I fight for the Republic and the Jedi Order, it is time to ask yourself if you do., Obi-Wan hotly replies.
You are not all knowing Obi-Wan!, Anakin yells at his Master.
No, but I do know enough to be appointed to the Council., Obi-Wan observes.
Anakin stares at his Master, clearly stunned. I... I... Congratulations..., he stumbles.
Thank you., Obi-Wan sighs smiling , I really should thank you. Training you was the greatest trial Ive ever faced..
Even worse than that nest of Gundarks?, Anakin questions, smiling for the first time since leaving his wifes side.
Even worse than that nest of Gundarks., Obi-Wan laughs as the gunship sets down at the Jedi Temple, its doors swinging open.
As they disembark Obi-Wan grabs Anakin and faces him. Staring into his padawans eyes Obi-Wan confides, I know what you are feeling, I truly do. I only remind you of our Orders code to save you the heartache that breaking that code once caused me..
Appearing beside them Master Windu gently insists, Obi-Wan the Council is about to convene, we must go..
You will do what is right. You always have, even when you were nothing more than a nine year old boy enslaved on Tatooine. It is one of your greatest strengths., Obi-Wan concludes, breaking away from his padawan.
I must be off, I doubt Master Yoda would be pleased if I were late.. With that Obi-Wan locks stride with Master Windu...
Leaving Anakin with more questions, and guilt, than ever.
The Galactic Senate, designed as place for peaceful civil discourse, today is a thunder with debate as Senators analyze the new Clone War.
Warmongering industrialists such as you are to blame for this war!, Senator Terr Taneel accuses the Neimoidian delegation.
This is outrageous! Nute Gunray is a radical extremist, yet his actions can hardly be villainized due to your refusal to renegotiate the taxation of the Outer Rim!, Senator Lott Dodd of the Trade Federation fires back.
As if on signal, the Senate deteriorates into chaos, with supporters of Taneel...
And Dodd trading insults and vulgarities.
Order! We will have order!, Senate Speaker Mass Amada cries, hissing his forked tongue and brandishing his massive Speakers Staff.
The chair is pleased to recognize Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo., Palpatine booms into the relative silence brought by Amada.
Your Excellency, honored Senators., Padme begins with the eyes of the galaxy upon her, Today we stand at the beginning of war. A war this body failed to prevent and can hardly be expected to see to victory. A decade ago my home planet of Naboo faced this same violence, yet this body did nothing to end our suffering. I will not sit by and idly watch as the galaxy is subjected to the same fate..
Therefore, I move that the Supreme Chancellor be immediately granted the authority of Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, to serve in the Senates place., Amidala passionately concludes.
The Senate erupts into cheers, from every party...
And species.
From his box Palpatine watches as the Yea votes flood in, the ghost of a smile glinting across his face for the merest of moments.
Meanwhile, the Jedi High Council begins deliberation as to the Orders role in the war...
I have just received word that the Senate has voted the Chancellor further emergence powers to direct the war. Our source tells me the Chancellor will officially extend the Jedi Council a waiver of the Ruusan Reformation guidelines preventing our Order to serve as an organized military force. Palpatine is going to request we lead this clone army., Master Windu reports.
We are too few to serve as an army., cautions Master Ki-Adi Mundi.
But not too few to lead an army., observes Obi-Wan.
We are keepers of the peace, not warriors., Adi Gallia argues.
And how does one keep the peace in a galaxy at war?, questions Master Plo Koon.
By ending the war as swiftly as possible., Master Windu contends.
Something this Council should know there is. Tell them of Dookus revelation Obi-Wan., Yoda requests.
Yes Master., Obi-Wan nods, While I was captive on Geonosis Dooku warned me that the second Sith, the Master of their Order, has infiltrated the highest levels of the Republic..
The Council falls silent, shocked by this startling revelation.
This changes everything..., Master Saesee Tiin gruffly states.
Master Rancisiss, you are gifted with insight into the future. What will happen if the Jedi fail to act in this war?, Shaak Tii questions.
The ancient Jedi Master closes his eyes, lost in the currents of the force.
After a long pause he opens his eyes and shares, Should we fail to stop the Sith...
I see a galaxy ruled by a Sith tyrant...
A Jedi Order all but destroyed...
And an unending torrent of pain..
Such an evil we have not seen since the days of the Sith Empire..., Rancisiss concludes.
Then have no choice do we, act we must or suffer under the fist of the Sith the galaxy will., Yoda observes.
Realizing the truth of Yodas words the Counselors nod in agreement.
Then it is settled, may the Force be with us all., Windu concludes with a meaningful look around the Council.
Decided the Council has,, the flickering hologram of Jedi Master Yoda reports to Chancellor Palpatine, Accept the responsibility of leading this war will the Jedi..
Palpatine breathes a relieved sigh and replies, The Republic, and I, are forever in your Orders debt Master Yoda. With the Jedis support these traitors will be wiped out..
Yoda bows his head and concludes, Our duty it is Excellency. Now return to my responsibilities must I, begin deployment yet tonight do many Jedi..
Say no more Master Yoda, see to your Orders needs., Palpatine agrees.
The holographic image of the Jedi Master fades away...
Allowing the Dark Lord of the Sith to reveal his true nature.
The Jedis duty is what will ultimately lead to their demise my Master., booms the regal voice of Count Dooku from the shadows of the office.
Joining his Masters side Dooku continues, Master Yoda would never suspect that the Jedi are the true traitors you spoke of..
Which makes our triumph all the greater., Darth Sidious gloats, flashing his apprentice a wicked smile, The shroud of darkness blinds their Order. By the time that old fool sees the truth it will be too late..
Everything is proceeding according to plan..
Wow, how the time flies. It's hard for me to believe that it has been over a year since the original Shroud of Darkness premiered. The original series and our new reboot would have impossible without the support of several people. My sister, who serves as Director of Photography and Set Designer, fellow fans like Tamer at ISY, Chewie at Yakface, and my dear friend Sjefke (you will see some of his outstanding contributions in the very near future!) who have been simply incredible and invaluable in the continued improvement of the series. However, Star Wars has undergone some dramatic changes in a year and in turn Shroud has had to change with it. This series will still tie in with Star Wars The Clone Wars Television series, yet we have returned to the beginning of the war, to tell the complete story of the Clone Wars that was never before possible. Thank you taking the time to read and support a series which is truly a labor of love. Continued support and comment is extremely valued!!!
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Shroud of Darkness Episode 1: The Shroud of Darkness
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A coffee connoisseur may look for balanced flavors, acidity and proper brewing technique in their cup of Joe, but America's palate prefers a more simpler brew: Folgers.
J.M. Smucker Co., the maker of Smucker's jam and Folgers coffee, reported Wednesday that volume of its U.S. retail coffee, which includes Folgers, increased 4% in the three-month quarter that ended July 31.
The company said its U.S. retail coffee segment profit increased 16% to $19.6 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2014 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Interactive feature: The great L.A. Coffee map
Folgers, much to the chagrin of coffee snobs, is still the leading brand sold on the U.S. market, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. Folgers had an average market share of 15.6% in the U.S. from May to July.
Starbucks, by comparison, had a 3.3% market share.
According to a 2013 ranking of brands by Harris Poll EquiTrends, Folgers is the No.1 ranked coffee brand. That's ahead of Seattle's Best and Dunkin' Donuts coffee -- another Smucker-owned brand.
Folgers coffee dates back to 1850, when it was first made in San Francisco. The Proctor & Gamble Co., which acquired the brand in 1963, sold the label to J.M. Smucker in 2008.
Double Stuf Oreos may not be double stuffed after all
Many Americans don't understand fine print of credit cards
J.C. Penney adopts poison-pill defense after disappointing earnings


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Opener Mukund disappointed to miss out on century
"I am really disappointed. After doing all the hard work when the ball was swinging in the morning, I tried to stick on and then got out to a ball, I must not have got out to many a times," said an earnest Mukund whose 62 laid the foundation of India`s strong reply to West Indies total of 204 all out.
Mukund tried to flick a delivery from spinner Devendra Bishoo which rose from a length and took the edge of his bat to go into the hands of forward short leg fielder.
"The first two tracks had a lot of bounce. This one, frankly, looked like an Indian wicket to me," he said.
"But still planting your feet and playing out forward took a lot of effort. But then I started trusting the wicket and could go forward a lot more than in Barbados."
A feature of Mukund`s batting on Friday was his backfoot play and the way he handled short-pitched bowling.
"I have played a lot on matting wicket while I was growing up. My dad always told me that a lot of deliveries in international cricket are short so I practiced and can play short-bowling much better."
While Mukund has has moved up the ladder, his friend and fellow opener Murali Vijay is having a wretched series and once again got dismissed for one.
"It`s disappointing that he`s been struggling a little bit. We are good friends off the field and knowing him, he doesn`t allow much to affect him. It`s amazing how cricketers can go through ups and downs," Mukund said.
Mukund also felt for VVS Laxman who hit his third straight half-century against the West Indies but failed to convert anyone of them into a hundred.
"He was very disappointed. He has now hit three half centuries in a row. I haven`t seen that kind of dismissal and a lot of us even thought if it was legal," he said.
Laxman was dismissed when he let a leg-spin from Shivnarine Chanderpaul go into the gloves of wicketkeeper Calrton Baugh.
He then lifted his leg mindlessly and Baugh, sensing an opportunity, removed the bails that very instant.
India didn`t bat with extra freedom in the final session even though the West Indies were running ragged in the field with injuries and sapping heat.
"It might have looked so from the outside since the part-timers were bowling but a lot of those deliveries were outside the off-stump. There were not many run-scoring opportunities," Mukund said.
The 21-year-old feels, weather permitting, India should go on to win the third and final Test over the next two days.
"We are leading by 104 runs which actually is 150-160 runs because of the (heavy) outfield. We hope wicket is roughing up and weather permitting, and the ball turning more, we should enforce a win over the next two days," he said.


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Unsubsidized Stafford Loan limits are calculated in combination with any amounts borrowed under the Subsidized Stafford Loan. Annual combined amounts cannot exceed the following:
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(subsidized + unsubsidized)
|Undergraduate dependent student, first year
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For the 2019-20 academic year, the interest rate will be a fixed rate of 4.53 percent. Interest accrues while the student is in school. Students may choose to make quarterly interest payments or have the interest deferred and capitalized before repayment. A net 1.062 percent processing fee is deducted from the loan proceeds when the funds are disbursed. For loans in which the first disbursement is on or after October 1, 2019, the origination fee will be 1.059 percent.
Repayment begins six months after the last date of half-time enrollment.
Award is renewed only if all necessary forms are filed each year and the student continues to meet eligibility requirements. Students may not be required to complete entrance counseling and eMPN if these requirements were previously completed.
The Office of Student Financial Aid provides undergraduate and graduate students with resources about types of financial aid and student employment.
FAFSA School Code: 003863
Questions or for more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid


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'Gangster Squad''s Mickey Cohen: 9 Bizarre Facts About the Real-Life Gangster
Sean Penn's portrayal of real-life mobster Mickey Cohen in Gangster Squad is screamingly over-the-top. But so, too, was the man himself. Here are nine strange facts about Cohen that didn't make it into the movie—and their absence makes Penn's acting job look downright understated.
Back when Mickey Cohen was still a 20-year-old featherweight boxer, he went down to Tijuana to fight a guy named Carpenter in front of a bunch of mob bosses Cohen was determined to impress. He was the better fighter, but Carpenter was a workhorse who wouldn't stay down even when Cohen socked him good. After the sixth time Carpenter picked himself up off the mat, Mickey attacked. As he described it later, "I finally got so upset by his not staying down that I jump in and start biting his ear off. So help me, I got it nearly bitten off before the referee can pry us apart. My opponent runs around hollerin' with a glove over his bloody ear. The referee hangs on to me, 'You got him dead! What do you want to do—eat him?'"
Sean Penn could make a sweat sock look brilliant and charismatic, but the real-life Cohen wasn't nearly as compelling on first glance. Unlike handsome Bugsy Siegel or Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein, the fixer behind the 1919 White Sox scandal who reportedly had an IQ of 150, Mickey Cohen wasn't much to look at or talk to. Barely 5'4" and overweight, Cohen had five missing teeth, a scar under each eye, and an addiction to platform shoes. Most people described him as "simian." LAPD Police Chief Parker went further: "He is essentially stupid. He is heavyset and heavy-browed and quite ignorant."
Though Cohen was a hustler from an early age—he started on the streets when he was three—he didn't have a firm grasp on reading or math until his 30s. In fact, he was so bad at numbers, when he had to divide a score between his fellow crooks, he'd arrange the cash by dollar amount and pass out the bills one at a time in a circle. Years later, Cohen hired a tutor to improve his vocabulary and boasted to the media that he was reading War and Peace. When his friend's wife asked to borrow his copy, he told her he never intended to open the book but wasn't going to let her have it for long. "I got a war and peace of my own to worry about. Why should I worry about Tolstoy's troubles?" he said. "I want it back 'cause it leaves a hole on the shelf when it's gone. It matches the color of them other books."
Even as a teenager, Cohen immediately reinvested his little swindles in improving his image. If he stole $100 in the morning, that afternoon he'd buy two $50 hats. Eventually, he bought himself a $20,000 wardrobe complete with 1,500 pairs of socks and 50 pairs of $50 silk pajamas. He had his underwear embroidered with his initials and stitched "Mickey" in blue thread on his shirt pockets. He needed variety—he'd change clothes up to five times a day.
Cohen's grooming ritual was elaborate. First, a hot shower of no less than one hour, during which he'd use a whole bar of Cashmere Pink Bouquet soap. He didn't want to scratch his skin with fabric, so he'd blanket the bathroom floor in a fresh carpet of towels and airdry his body by running back and forth and dusting himself with baby powder. Slicking back his hair took another hour, and by the time he finally got his shoes on, he'd have to rewash his hands several times to make up for touching something unclean. Naturally, he was late for everything. Not only was Cohen four hours late for his first date with future wife LaVonne, a high-class redhead who inspired Emma Stone's character in Gangster Squad, he was even late for his own wedding. As a sidenote, his best man was William "Stumpy" Zevon, father of quirky '70s musician Warren Zevon.
Cohen's mania for washing his hands was actually full on obsessive-compulsive, though that lingo wasn't around at the time. He traced his fixation on feeling clean back to his days of being a paperboy when his hands were constantly stained with ink. Every morning, he'd make his assistants trade out the used money in his cash wad for fresh bills, and while in prison, he had the guards smuggle him in six rolls of toilet paper a day. Worse, as a teenager, he contracted gonorrhea before there was an antibiotic cure, so his physical repulsion to germs extended even to women. Though he dated burlesque tarts like Candy Barr and Beverly Hills, they'd rarely kiss, and at brothels, he'd never sit down in a chair.
For most people, such extreme OCD would have wrecked their lives. But for Cohen, it saved his. During his bloody gang wars with rival Jack Dragna, his acquaintance Jimmy Frattiano set him up for a hit at the clothing store Cohen used for a front. Frattiano and his family strolled in, said their hellos to Cohen, then walked out and gave the signal to assassins who shot up the joint through the window. Cohen's top lieutenant Hinky Rothman was killed, but Mickey was fine—after Frattiano shook his hand good-bye and left, Cohen had immediately run to the bathroom to wash away the germs.
Sure, Cohen trafficked in booze, but he didn't partake. As an eight-year-old aspiring bootlegger who hung around poolhalls, he tried cigarettes and alcohol early and hated them both. Even as an adult, he shunned smoking or drinking because he didn't enjoy the taste.
But what he did love was sweets. His second arrest at age nine was for stealing a whole crate of Abba Zabbas. As an adult, when ice cream stores were closed, he'd pound on the door and offer to buy a whole tub of chocolate or rum raisin. He lived on French pastries, and when he got rich enough to build his dream home in Brentwood, he installed a soda fountain and a special freezer just for ice cream. While in prison, he bribed the officers to let him import cakes and cookies from his personal chef, which caused a minor scandal that forced the warden to insist that Cohen wasn't the only prisoner with access to ice cream. And when he was released, he concocted the perfect front for his illegal operations: He launched the Carousel Ice Cream Parlor in Brentwood.
Mickey was a publicity hound who got in good with newspaper men early. By eight, he'd convinced the city editor of the Los Angeles Examiner to let him sleep in the bathroom so he could be the first on the block with copies of the early edition. He was well connected at the studios, especially with Columbia boss Harry Cohn, who put up with him and Bugsy controlling all the extras in Hollywood and setting up "insurance businesses" as shakedowns to keep sets under control. And the execs would ask favors in return, like when they had Cohen smooth over a union fight between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Conference of Studio Unions, who were throwing bricks at each other outside MGM and Warner Bros.
Later, Cohn sent Mickey out to Vegas to convince Sammy Davis Jr. to dump Kim Novak before he ruined her career. Cohen rankled at the racism, but did the favor to save Sammy's life before he got whacked, which was a legitimate threat. It wasn't the first or last time he waded into the love lives of the stars. Cohen had a string of male studs he used to seduce starlets for his own blackmail use and for stag videos he'd sell coast to coast. Rumor is his goons Sam LoCigno and Georgie Piscitelle filmed themselves with Marilyn Monroe, which Cohen then threatened her with unless she reported back on JFK's opinions on supporting the Israeli state. He's also alleged to have set Lana Turner up with abusive meathead Johnny Stompanato, and sold copies of their sex tape for $50 a pop. Though he even gave Stompanato $900 to buy her daughter Cheryl a pony, when Cheryl later stabbed Stompanato to death, Cohen lamented her acquittal in the newspapers—though he tastefully referred to the dead man as merely his "bodyguard."
Johnny Stompanato wasn't Mickey's weirdest buddy. In 1950, then-House Representative Richard Nixon ran a nasty, anti-Semitic campaign against standing Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas, funded in part by Mickey Cohen and his pals. Cohen lent Nixon an office on 8th and Olive in downtown L.A., covered all his printing materials, and even threw him a lavish fundraiser at the Knickerbocker Hotel. When his dinner recouped only $55,000—$20,000 short of his goal—Mickey locked all the doors and said, "Nobody's going home until this quota's met." It soon was. Why would a Jewish mobster with no interest in politics align himself with a largely unknown candidate? In the two years after Nixon's successful bid, his campaign manager was the legal defender for 221 mob cases, most of which ended in light fines or suspended sentences. After Nixon ascended to the presidency, a then-incarcerated Cohen felt abandoned, grumbling, "I never had no idea this Nixon guy could go anywhere."
Even weirder was Cohen's mutually beneficial relationship with preacher Billy Graham. After Cohen's first stint in jail, he befriended the then-young evangelist to rehabilitate his image. For Graham, it was great publicity. "I explained to Mickey, as simply and forthrightly as I could, the gospel from A to Z," he told the press, going on to offer Cohen $15,000 just for showing up at one of his religious rallies at Madison Square Garden. Cohen went, but Graham stiffed him $5,000. Later, Cohen loudly assured everyone who would listen that the Jewish former boxer who'd fought with a Star of David on his shorts had never seriously considered becoming a Christian, even going so far as to speak out about it during a live interview with Mike Wallace in 1957.
Naturally, Mickey Cohen was also friends with William Randolph Hearst. The newspaper magnate had known of L.A.'s most famous hustler for years, but Cohen finally got on his good side in 1949 after he waged a protracted battle to save a widow from foreclosure. Touched, Hearst asked his papers to watch language when talking about Cohen, saying, "A man who does a thing like this isn't a hoodlum. You can call him a gambler, but I wish you'd see that he gets a fair break."
Twenty-five years later son Randolph Hearst reached out to Cohen to see if he could use his underworld connections to try to find his kidnapped daughter Patty, who had by this point been brainwashed by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Cohen tracked her down to Cleveland—or at least, he said he did—but upon hearing that Patty would likely be arrested and sentenced to decades in jail, he backed out of the deal, telling Hearst, "I don't bring nobody in to go to prison."
In reality, Mickey Cohen lived a long and mostly happy life. He survived 12 assassination attempts and two stints in prison (he and Al Capone are the only two tax invaders ever sent to Alcatraz), and still managed to die peacefully in his sleep in a posh Los Angeles apartment in 1976 at the age of 62. He's interred in a mausoleum at the Hillside Cemetery in Culver City between Moe Howard and Jack Benny.
Works Cited Above:
Hollywood's Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen, by Brad Lewis (2007)
Follow along on Twitter @TheAmyNicholson and @Moviesdotcom.
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I know this game has been out a while but its a lot of fun and has an interesting story line. It has been plagued by a jump bug where you just couldn't jump where you needed to and it was very frustrating.
Today I found out a fix and it works great. Here is what you need to do:
1) Download and install "Fraps". Here is the link:
2) Start Fraps before you start Area 51.
3) Go to the "Movies" tab
4) Click the "30fps" setting
5) Minimize Fraps and leave it running, then start the Area 51 game.
6) While playing, wherever you have to jump and can't, hit the "F9" button on your keyboard, and you'll see your frames per second drop to 30.
7) Now you can jump like a jumping bean all over the place. It lasts about 30 seconds. If you need more time just hit "F9" again.
8) Problem solved
Took forever to find the answer to this bug. Hope this helps anyone playing the game. Its a fun game but the jump bug was just too damn annoying, but its not a problem anymore!
Have fun


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Kaid Benfield
Kaid Benfield is the director of the Sustainable Communities and Smart Growth program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, co-founder of the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system, and co-founder of Smart Growth America.
Christchurch, a city of about 367,000 people (460,000 including the near surrounding area) and New Zealand's second largest, has been forced to reconceive its downtown and many neighborhoods following a disastrous series of serious earthquakes beginning in 2010. The most devastating struck on February 22, 2011. The number and complexity of web-based sources on Christchurch's earthquakes are daunting, but this passage from the city's Wikipedia entry gives a succinct summary:
Nearly six months later on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a second earthquake measuring magnitude 6.3 struck the city at 12:51 pm. It was located closer to the city [than the September 2010 quake], near Lyttelton at a depth of 5 km. Although lower on the moment magnitude scale than the previous earthquake, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be MM IX, among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area and in total 185 people were killed with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims. ChristChurch Cathedral lost its spire and widespread damage was caused across Christchurch to buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, and the total cost to insurers of rebuilding has been estimated at NZ$20–30 billion.
In addition to the earthquakes that hit the city in September 2010 and February 2011, there were further earthquakes or large aftershocks in June 2011, December 2011 and January 2012. (These are sometimes called "Canterbury" earthquakes because Christchurch is the principal city of the Canterbury region of New Zealand.)
Compounding the obvious damage to structures that fell, liquefaction caused the upwelling of 200,000 tons of silt, causing additional ground movement, undermining building foundations and destroying infrastructure. The New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering believes the damage following the September 2011 event from liquefaction "may be the greatest ever recorded anywhere in a modern city". Eighty percent of the water and sewage system was severely damaged.
Vacant retail in the downtown Red Zone, Courtesy: GB Arrington, with permission
Utter devastation of cities from disaster, whether caused by nature or humans, is never unprecedented but always unique to circumstances. Wartime experiences come to mind immediately. But, when the damage is caused by or associated with a natural event such as, in this country, the tornado that leveled Greensburg or the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, special thought must be given to where and how to rebuild. That is now the task faced by Christchurch - which, despite the overwhelming tasks ahead (many buildings not leveled by the quakes must be demolished anyway because they are now unsafe), is showing some remarkable signs of resilience and vitality.
Courtesy: GB Arrington, with permission
Central to the complex recovery strategy has been the designation of "green zones" where the government is sanctioning and in many cases assisting the rebuilding of structures and "red zones" where "the land has been so badly damaged by the earthquakes it is unlikely it can be rebuilt on for a prolonged period." In the residential red zones, the government is essentially buying property from landowners.
The most visible and challenging section is the red zone of the central business district, where many tall structures were or are still located. Within a cordoned boundary, engineers and city workers have been going through the painstaking process of cleanup, building-by-building site assessment, and demolition and removal where required. Access to the red zone is highly restricted, though the restricted area has been shrinking as damage assessment progresses; when work in a given portion is completed and remaining structures have been determined to be safe, business owners, tenants and their staffs are allowed to re-enter and resume operations once specified conditions are met.
My friend G.B. Arrington, a land use and transportation planner long recognized for his contributions to walkable and transit-oriented urbanism, is among those who have been retained to advise the city on where and how to plan and rebuild within the downtown. That makes the task no less daunting, but the citizens of Christchurch can at least be reassured that they are in capable hands. Many of the photos accompanying this post are GB's, taken in the downtown red zone during a trip earlier this month. He has kindly allowed me to publish them here.
In addition, this local news video gives a startling sense of the tragedy as it occurred:
This post originally appeared on the NRDC's Switchboard blog.
In cities like New York, Paris, Rotterdam, and soon San Francisco, car-free streets are emerging amid a growing movement.
Cultural cachet, licensing deals, and density explain why Toys 'R' Us, Tower Records, Barneys, and other faded U.S. retailers remain big across the Pacific.
Safety advocates have long complained that media outlets tend to blame pedestrians and cyclists who are hit by cars. Research suggests they're right.
In California, the ride-hailing company is changing a policy used as a safeguard against driver discrimination against low-income and minority riders.
Two new studies have revived the long-running debate over how police respond to white criminal suspects versus African Americans.


text: A growing number of research is showing that the secret to lifelong superior health is what pros call "lifestyle medicine" -- which makes simple improvements in exercise, diet, and stress administration. To greatly help you switch this knowledge into outcome, we've come up with this manageable collection of health and health hints. We requested three professionals -- a naturopathic physician, a dietitian, and a trainer -- to inform the very top five simple-but-significant lifestyle-medicine improvements that they recommend. Besides giving you different takes on how best to decide on your health struggles, this checklist gives you options you can make with no whisked off into a reality-show fat plantation -- or buying a second freezer for anyone calorie-controlled, pre-portioned frozen foods. More info - http://www.happyconnectingtech.com/i...user&id=283561 Think confident and focus on gratitude Research indicates a healthy positive approach can help build a more healthier immune system and promotes entire wellness. Your entire body believes that which you presume, thus focus on the optimistic. Eat your vegetables Shoot for five servings of veggies daily -- either raw, steamed, or stirfried. A diet high in vegetables is related to a reduced risk of developing cancers of the colon, lung, breast, cervix, esophagusand gut, kidney, pancreas, and cartilage. And many of the most powerful phyto nutrients are the people with all the boldest colours -- such as broccoli, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, grapes, and leafy greens. Set a "5-meal perfect" So what, when, and also how much you consume can keep both your metabolism and your own energy steadily elevated, which means you'll consume more energy. A "5 meals ideal" may allow you to manage your own weight, maintain your cool, maintain your focus, also prevent cravings. Exercise daily Were you aware that daily workout can lower all the biomarkers of growing older? This consists of improving eyesight, normalizing blood pressure, strengthening muscle mass, decreasing cholesterol and enhancing bone density. If you want to live properly and live longer, you definitely have to work out! Studies demonstrate that even 10 minutes of practice makes a huge difference -- so conduct something! Crank the stereo and dance on your livingroom. Sign up for swing dance or ballroom dance courses. Walk to the park along with your children or some neighbor you'd like to catch up with. Jumprope or play hopscotch. Spin a hula hoop. Play drinking water volleyball. Bike to work. Hop onto the trampoline. Go for an increase. Get a Superior night's Rest For those who have issues sleeping, try relaxation methods like yoga and meditation. Or eat only a tiny bedtime snack of foods demonstrated to greatly help shift the body and brain in sleep mode: wholemeal cereal with oatmeal, milk, cherries, or chamomile tea. Darken the room additional and twist away your clock from you. Writedown stressful or anxieties notions to receive them from your own face and onto the web page. This can allow you to set them into outlook therefore it is possible to stop fretting about them. Christina Reiter, '' M.S., R.D. Resident consulting dietitian in the University of Colorado--Boulder Wardenburg Health Center for Nutrition Training and also Therapies and former director of the nutrition program in Metropolitan State College of Denver. Inch. Assess your food 'tude That which we consume and the way we believe are linked in very complex ways. A healthful approach to ingestion is centered on savoring flavor, ingestion to gratification, and rising energy, instead of emphasizing weight reduction. Check your equilibrium of low-calorie foods, nutrient-dense meals (supplying many nutritional elements per calorie) , and foods which are calorie dense nevertheless nutrient-poor. Many Americans want to eat more fresh new whole foods (in contrast to processed, exceptionally refined meals). Attempt to include a lot more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and legumes to your own diet. Publish these carbohydrate-rich foods with a nutritious excess fat or lean protein to extend gratification. 2. Eat like a child In case adding vegetables and fruits sounds ominous, turn into "finger-food" versions that pre school kiddies love -- carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, grapes, berries, and dried fruits. All are nutrient powerhouses packed with antioxidants. 3. Make a picky eater Limit saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and also make an effort to try to eat more meals full of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids to lower your chance of cardio vascular illness and maybe even boost depressed moods. The same of only 1 g of EPA/DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid) daily is advisable. Eating cold water fatty fish (wild salmon, herring, sardines, trout) 2 to 3 times each week can offer both EPA and DHA. Adding up to just two tablespoons of ground flaxseed and eating meat, milk, and cheese from naturally-occurring creatures will supply you having a wholesome dose of omega 3s. 4. Use foods above supplements Supplements are not a substitute for a excellent diet plan. Although many health experts advise taking a multi vitamin and mineral supplement which offers 100 to 200 percentage of your recommended daily price, every and every nutritional supplement should be carefully evaluated for purity and safety. Certain supplements have been linked with toxicity, reactions together with drugs, competition with other nutrients, and much increased risk of illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.


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The rainy April and early May has been excellent for garden rhubarb but, now the hot weather has arrived it will rapidly dry out and become straw-like. Before that happens, I've just managed to sneak in one more rhubarb recipe!
This tart has a shortbread base which is very buttery, very short and very crumbly. It tastes just like the lightest shortbread biscuit you've ever eaten but is soft and tricky to work with, although it does patch well. The original recipe I adapted said you should bake it blind, as you would pastry i.e. baking paper and beans. I did this and, after baking, when I lifted the paper out, most of the shortbread went with it! After laughing at how amusing this was (yeah, right) I found myself scraping soft shortbread off the paper and spreading it back into the tin – just about saving it. What I'm trying to say is – don't line the baking paper with beans. Unless you want heartbreak!
The creamy mascarpone filling is light and creamy. I will definitely use it for other fruits, such as peach, plum, raspberry or apricot. It has a hint of cheesecake tang but is lighter and firmer in texture.
For all my rantings about the shortbread tart case it is sooooo worth it! The buttery crumbly texture is divine and it has that almost granular shortbread texture that gives it more bite and substance than pastry.
Occasionally, I muse on how fun or difficult certain words are to type. If you've missed this fear not, for here's a summary:
Nice words to type: Demerara (flows like music across the keyboard)
Nasty words to type: Desiccated (is it two S's or C's?)
I would like to add "mascarpone" to the nasty words list – after the initial "ma" I always hesitate thinking, "does the 'r' come now or after the second 'a'". Just me then.....
For the rhubarb:
500g rhubarb, cut into 2cm chunks
60g caster sugar
60g caster sugar
For the shortbread base:
135g unsalted butter, at room temperature
65g caster sugar
160g plain flour
15g cornflour
25g brown rice flour
65g caster sugar
160g plain flour
15g cornflour
25g brown rice flour
For the filling:
115g caster sugar
30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g mascarpone
30g plain flour
2 eggs – separated
100ml double cream
30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g mascarpone
30g plain flour
2 eggs – separated
100ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
Place the rhubarb on an oven tray and sprinkle over the sugar.
Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft, but still holding its shape.
Tip into a sieve and leave to cool.
Now make the shortbread base: Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until you have squidgy crumbs that look like they will squeeze together to make a dough. If you don't have a processor, make by the rubbing in method.
Tip the dough out onto a sheet of clingfilm and, with as little handling as possible, bring into a ball.
If your dough is very soft refrigerate it briefly. I didn't as I feared it would make the shortbread tricky to roll out. It rolls well soft and patches easily.
Roll out between two sheets of clingfilm until it will line a 25cm loose bottomed flan tin. No need to grease the tin.
Don't panic – the pastry will be very thin.
Gently place a sheet of baking paper down onto the pastry but don't use baking beans – I found the pastry too soft for them.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is just turning golden and biscuity.
Leave to cool, then wrap a foil collar around the outside of the tin – this is to protect the filling from spilling out when it soufflés during baking. Not sure it's really necessary so make your own judgement – all I'll say it, next time, I won't bother.
Now make the filling: place the butter, sugar and mascarpone in a large bowl and beat together.
Beat in the egg yolks and cream.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until you have soft peaks.
Fold into the mascarpone mixture and ensure all ingredients are well combined.
Spoon into the cooled pastry case and level the surface.
Place the cooled rhubarb chunks on top.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown. Another clue it's ready is that the filling should be firm but with a bit of a wobble when you shake the tin.
Leave to cool – don't panic that the filling will sink a little.
Serve, at room temperature on its own or – if you must – with cream!
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.


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Memories of DFSORT OUTFIL
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (2) Visits (16988)
In September 1997 DFSORT Release 13 was shipped (to coincide with the release of OS/390 Release 4). It took a nice idea from Syncsort and extended it. In case you didn't know OUTFIL allows you to read an input data set (and perhaps sort it) and write to multiple output files from the resulting records - perhaps selecting subsets of the records and reformatting them (and differently to each output... [More]


text:
A fourth entry in the Jurassic Park franchise has been in various stages of development for quite some time now. While the prospect of the film moving forward seemed to dwindle as time went on, there have been some major developments on the Jurassic Park 4 front as of late. Steven Spielberg announced at last year's Comic-Con that they had a story in mind and hoped to make the film "in two or three years." Late last month Rise of the Planet of the Apes screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were brought onboard to pen the script, and now we've got an update from Spielberg's longtime producer Frank Marshall.
Steve got the chance to speak with Marshall in anticipation of the release of The Bourne Legacy, and the producer talked a bit about Jurassic Park 4, revealing that they plan on having it in theaters within two years. Hit the jump for more.
During Steve's interview with Marshall, he asked the producer for a status update on Jurassic Park 4, to which Marshall replied:
"I would say that it will be on the screen within two years."
Marshall went on to reveal that they're aiming for a summer release since it's a "popcorn movie," and confirmed that it's definitely a sequel and not a reboot or remake. Spielberg confirmed earlier this year that he won't be directing Jurassic Park 4, but he's clearly heavily involved in the development of the film. Marshall cited the advances in visual effects as one of the exciting things to look forward to in JP4:
"That's what's gonna be great about it, technology's taken a leap now that we can really do some great things"
That's not to say that the filmmakers will be completely abandoning the practical effects and prosthetic work that was put to great use in the earlier films. Marshall added that using practical dinosaurs not only feels real to the audience, but aids the actors in their performances.
If they are indeed looking at getting the film in front of screens within two years (which jibes with the timetable Spielberg laid out at last year's Comic-Con), hopefully we'll hear word about a director choice soon. There are a number of young, exciting filmmakers working today that could offer a fresh take on the franchise, and I'm eager to see who will take the reins.


text:
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. ? Two police detectives were shot and killed while investigating a sexual assault complaint, and a suspect was also fatally shot after a brief chase, authorities said.
The veteran officers, one male and one female, were shot around 3:30 p.m. as they went to a suspect's home to follow up on the case. Their deaths were confirmed by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak.
A suspect was shot and killed a short time later while authorities were pursuing the gunman, the sheriff's office said.
After the officers were shot, nearby residents received an automatic police call warning them to stay locked inside. About half an hour later, more than a dozen semi-automatic shots echoed down the streets in a brief barrage of gunfire that killed the suspect.
Police Chief Kevin Vogel said Sgt. Loren Butch Baker, a 28-year veteran, and Detective Elizabeth Butler, a 10-year veteran, were shot and killed.
"There aren't words to describe this horrific tragedy," he said. "This is the darkest day in the history of the Santa Cruz police department."
The suspect who was killed in the shooting was identified as 35-year-old Jeremy Goulet, who was arrested Friday after a co-worker at a Santa Cruz coffee shop alleged he went to her house and made inappropriate sexual advances. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that he was fired the next day.
To investigate the complaint, the detectives went to the house where Goulet was living and an altercation ensued, leading to the officers being fired upon, authorities said.
The detectives called for backup and neighbors also summoned police. Responding officers located Goulet a short time later. The sheriff's office said he was killed in the gunfire that followed.
After the shootings, police went door-to-door in the neighborhood, searching homes, garages, even closets to determine whether there might be additional suspects.
Police, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents filled intersections, some with guns drawn, in what is ordinarily a quiet, residential neighborhood in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco.
A store clerk a few buildings away from the shooting said the barrage of gunfire was "terrifying."
"We ducked. We have big desks so under the desks we went," said the clerk, who spoke on condition of anonymity and asked that her store not be identified because she feared for her safety.
Two schools were locked down during the shooting. The students were later evacuated by bus to the County Government Center about half a mile away.
As darkness fell, helicopters and light aircraft patrolled above the neighborhood, which is about a mile from downtown Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The campus of University of California, Santa Cruz, is about five miles away.
The city's mayor, Hilary Bryant, said in a statement that the city was shocked over the shootings.
"Tonight we are heartbroken at the loss of two of our finest police officers who were killed in the line of duty, protecting the community we love," the statement said. "This is an exceptionally shocking and sad day for Santa Cruz and our Police Department."
Goulet worked as a barista at a coffee shop in the Santa Cruz harbor. He was convicted in Portland, Ore., in May 2008 of peeping at a 22-year-old woman who was showering in her condominium and of carrying concealed weapon, according to a Portland newspaper, The Oregonian. He was put on probation but, after a dispute with his probation officer, was sentenced to two years in jail.
The violence comes amid a recent spate of assaults in the city, which community leaders had planned to address in a downtown rally scheduled for Tuesday. That, along with a city council meeting, was canceled after teary-eyed city leaders learned of the deaths.
Those shootings include the killing of a 32-year-old martial arts instructor who was shot outside a popular downtown bar and restaurant; the robbery of a UC Santa Cruz student who was shot in the head; a 21-year-old woman who was raped and beaten on the UC Santa Cruz campus; and a couple who fought off two men during a home invasion.
Associated Press writer John S. Marshall in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/santa-cruz-shooting_n_2770724.html


text:
420 Smoke-outs in Amsterdam on April 20th 2012" - Event Date: 20 April 2012
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Sensi Seedling
Joined: 25 January 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2
Quote Reply
Calendar Event: 420 Smoke-outs in Amsterdam on April 20th 2012"
Posted: 08 January 2012 at 18:26
On April 20st 2012 many people with an affection for cannabis from all over the Netherlands and from many international countries are coming to Amsterdam.
They are coming to show that they will not let themselves be discriminated against by the Dutch government.
The new Dutch 'Weed pass-policy' discriminates the Dutch against equal other Dutch persons by not letting them into any other 'Private Coffeeshop Club' than the one that they officially registered with as a member.
By doing so, this policy pushes the Dutch cannabis user into illegality.
If they are not in their own municipality where they are registered at a coffeeshop, they will have to turn to the street-dealers.
Foreigners are being discriminated against on the basis of their country of origin or where they reside, for unfounded reasons, which state, amongst other things, that the nuisance around Dutch coffeeshops is caused by the coffeeshops themselves.
The tourist will be denied access to the coffeeshops but will still be able to smoke and carry up to 5 grams of cannabis in the Netherlands without running into serious legal consequences
Logic result: The tourist will also turn to the illegal street business.
The foundation and main pillar of the Dutch tolerance policy was originally the protection of common public health, with the additional goal of separating the markets between hard- and soft-drugs.
The Dutch coffeeshops were chosen as the best option to establish this separation.
Those who wanted to enjoy cannabis could come together in these places to light up a pipe or smoke a joint in a safe and protected place where they could rely on clean quality herb in a controlled environment.
Good information was available, and they were not forced to turn to street-dealers who, besides selling doubtful and inconsistent quality weed, also carried various hard-drugs.
Previously any person (above 18) who would want to try cannabis was able to walk into the coffeeshops where they would not come into contact with hard-drugs.
Now this person will be completely reliant on street-dealers.
It's extremely doubtful that any Dutch person would register for a 'Private Coffeeshop Club' using their personal identity documents, just to try cannabis once.
Of course, some cannabis users will stop smoking when they have to register for 'Private Coffeeshop Clubs', but the majority will turn to illegal street-business.
The new 'Weed pass-policy' pushes the Dutch as well as visiting cannabis-loving tourists onto the streets and into illegality.
This is in total contrast with the basic principles upon which the tolerance policy towards cannabis and coffeeshops was founded.
Dutch Minister Opstelten of justice and safety:
"The new policy will not be enforced until May 1st, 2012!"
And this is why coffeeshoppers and cannabis loving people from the Netherlands and many international countries will converge on Amsterdam on April 20st, 2012.
To experience what may well be the last chance to enjoy 4-20 with the freedom to smoke and buy cannabis in the Dutch coffeeshops, and to let the Dutch government hear they will not abide/give in? to their discriminating demands.
That day most probably Smoke-Out's will form in various locations as a protest against the new discriminating Dutch policy on cannabis and coffeeshops.
e.g.: It is likely that other 420 Smoke-Out protests will appear on the same day in various locations, all showing their dissatisfaction with the new discriminating Dutch policy on cannabis and coffeeshops.
More info:
Peter Lunk, Cannabis Activist
Dutch Coffeeshop FAN! and medical user.
Official MAIN INFORMATION PAGE @
1e Persbericht in het Nederlands:
1st Pressrelease English:
1e Pressemitteilung in Deutsch:
1er article de presse :
Main discussion GROUP:
JOIN this EVENT PAGE:
Join and hit the send invites button at the top right !
Sensi Seedling
Joined: 05 May 2011
Location: Germany
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9
|Quote Reply Posted: 20 January 2012 at 12:31
I heard about the restrictions for tourists who want to consume marrijuana in the coffee shops in NL.
But I know 2 versions:
N°1: no foreign tourist can enter into the coffee shops since January 1st 2012
N°2: Tourists from Germany and Belgium (as these countries are directly at the frontier to the Netherlands) get access to the coffee shops and can also stay inside and use all advantages of the shop :-)
As I will go to Aachen (Germany) in 3 weeks (not far away from holland), I would like to know if I will be refused at the entrance of the coffee shops, even if I am one of those guys living in Germany :-)
Thansk for your hopefully positive answer
Rasta Blessings
Sensi Seedling
Joined: 06 May 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6
|Quote Reply Posted: 10 May 2012 at 00:13
I read about this before, good initiative, we need to protect our liberties!
Happy smoker !
Sensi Seedling
Joined: 27 June 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 18
|Quote Reply Posted: 01 July 2012 at 07:49
I do not smoke marrijuana, but it didnt stop me from visiting the http://grasshopper.nl/
I loved how the Dutch showed the rest of the world how legalizing marrijuana had no effect on their countries society or education. I hope the Netherlands stays liberal
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text:
Rihanna + Iggy Azalea Have a Collaboration in the Worksby Scott Shetler | PopCrush
Rihanna never stops making music. Even though her 'Unapologetic' album just dropped in November, RiRi is continuing to work on new songs, one of which reportedly features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea.
Gossip We Love quotes audio engineer Marcos Tovar as saying, "Rihanna loves music and has been getting more and more involved with the whole recording process in her latest albums. She's one-hundred percent responsible creatively for some of the new material she has been creating with different producers."
He continued, "She was in the studio with Iggy earlier this month. They were introduced by someone in the Roc Nation team that has been managing Iggy's tour and Rihanna immediately loved her style. They're definitely collaborating on something together."
Azalea performed at VH1 Divas 2012 with Bootsy Collins and Natasha Bedingfield and had a single with Mike Posner off her 'Glory' EP. She has a new single called 'Werk,' and her debut full-length 'The New Classic' is expected later this year. We haven't heard word of a new album from RiRi yet, but given that she has released a record each November for the past four years, we have a pretty good guess when her next album will drop.
Listen to Iggy Azalea 'Flash' Feat. Mike Posner


text:
… which of course makes for readership in his column.
Here's the link to his column on why BYU isn't in consideration for Pac-12 expansion. There's a portion in there that is interesting:
[The Pac-10] has said it was looking for universities that are a good fit, academically and athletically, yet it never considered BYU. The reason most often cited: BYU wasn't a "research institution."
That all sounded logical until this week when the conference tried to woo six Big 12 schools and got just one. Yes, Colorado does well in research, as does Texas. But Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, to name two, aren't on any list I've seen of best research schools in America.
Mr. Rock, the Pac-10 wanted Texas but couldn't get them without the rest of the hangers-on (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech – and Texas A&M originally). It was a package deal, and quite honestly, the Pac-10 was willing to take the whole package in order to get what it wanted.
But of course you play the religious bigot card again, like so many BYU sympathizers do.
Really, call it what it is – BYU is not a research institution, period. The top 25 overall research institutions include 6 Pac-10 schools (Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USC, Washington, Arizona). And also in that list? Texas and Texas A&M. BYU? Not on the list. The next 25? Includes Colorado, Utah, and Tempe Normal (ASU). BYU? Not on that list either. Hmm… that's 8 current Pac-10 schools, plus three schools that were or are under consideration for expansion.
Looking at just Private research institutions, in the top 25 are Stanford and USC – the only two private schools in the Pac-10. And looking at just Public institutions, in the top 25 are Cal, UCLA, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Tempe Normal. The next 25 Public include Oregon, Washington State, and Oregon State.
In other words, in the top 50 Public Research Institutions, all 9 Public Pac-10 schools are there (along with the potential 12th school in Utah). In addition, Texas and Texas A&M were listed. And in the top 25 Private Research Institutions, both private Pac-10 schools are there. In addition, Baylor was listed.
Ok, so Baylor does more research than BYU. Heck, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is ahead of BYU.
It's not a religious thing. It's not even a Sunday-scheduling thing. It's a simple fact that BYU is not Pac-10 material academically. Yeah, the Pac-10 was willing to take on three schools (Oklahoma, OK State, Texas Tech) that were sub-par research-wise in order to get three schools that excel academically and research-wise (Texas, Texas A&M, Colorado), because that was the package deal for the Texas/Oklahoma schools. That's just business. BYU does not make good business sense from that standpoint either. If that were the case, the Pac-10 would take Air Force too.
So stop pandering to the whiners and do some real journalism – which includes researching ALL the facts, not just what will get sympathizers to read your blog post.
As for "workinglate", who commented on Mr. Rock's post:
it's not that BYU is not strong academically, it's that it has very few PhD programs (most schools at BYU stop at a masters degree). PAC10 likes to have PhD programs. Comprared, BYU's endowment is larger (by over $300M) so they have money for research, but UofU has a well recognized medical program. To say that the U is academically better than BYU is simply not true – no published report or ranking has BYU behind the U of U.
To that, and all those who agree with him, I submit to you this link to the World University Rankings where Utah is ranked 44th best University in the USA and Canada, while BYU is 67th.
Comparatively, other Pac-10 school ranks:
#3 Stanford
#4 California-Berkeley
#6 Washington
#27 Arizona
#41 Colorado
#49 Tempe Normal (ASU)
#57 Oregon State
#65 Oregon
#70 Washington State
(Yeah, we knew WSU was bringing up the rear, but that was already a given. BYU would be second to last here.)
And the other schools under consideration from the Big 12 in the top 100:
#12 Texas
#20 Texas A&M
#87 Oklahoma
So, yeah, picking up the 6 defectors from the Big 12 would have netted four schools in the top 100 Universities in the USA/Canada, three of which are in the top 25 of all research universities. I don't think that's too shabby at all for a "package deal".
Colin Cowherd always says that the surest way to make money is to bet against a homer supporting his team. In this case, BYU supporters have a hard time separating their support for their school with the objective facts.


text:
If you are looking for a fun, chic joint to clink glasses this summer head over to The Skylark's newly opened roof deck for some cocktail magic and fantastic, gloriously unobstructed views, 32 stories up. Savory bites and specialty cocktails concocted by master mixologist Johnny Swet make this an ideal destination for warm weather get-togethers.
Conveniently located in Midtown West, The Skylark Roof Deck offers guests the same delightful experience that patrons have come to know and love at The Skylark. The 1,500 sq.ft. al fresco space is the perfect place for after-work drinks, pre/post-theater/concert hang out, group gatherings, celebrations, dates, or a nightcap, and you know you are in good hands with nightlife and hospitality expert David Rabin, one of the partners here.
Go for the view and the vibe, stay for smoky guacamole, jumbo lump crabcakes, and Little Devil cocktails (Fun side note: cocktails available by the pitcher!).
For more info, visit TheSkylarkNYC.com.


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Monday, May 28, 2007
Aria in the Leopard Chair
Posted by Becca at Monday, May 28, 2007
4 comments:
- PJ said...
That is a great-looking chair.
- Tuesday, May 29, 2007
- Ben Varkentine said...
Something about that girl makes me want to talk like a stereotypical Jewish woman.
"Darling, you have such a pretty face but when you cover it it makeup you look like a ho-ah."
- Tuesday, May 29, 2007
- Becca said...
And what a lovely chair it is!
While that is ALOT of make-up I just adore Aria and she can do no wrong...now please don't beat me over the head with your giant purse! ;)
- Tuesday, May 29, 2007
- DenverArtist said...
there was a chair?
- Saturday, August 20, 2011
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