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It was so much fun to team up with PPPR for our blog hop last weekend! I hope you all enjoyed the fun, Springy inspiration as much as I did!
It's time to announce a winner of the $20.00 gift certificate to My Craft Spot from the Spring Blog Hop!
I agree Kim...all the projects were super cute and oh so inspirational! Love all the details you added to your projects today! Great creations!
Congratulations, Sue!! Click HERE to contact me so I can get your prize to you. :)


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I work for a beverage distribution company and have been told by a lot of sales reps and vendors that I should bottle and sell my Kombucha. I've been researching it, and have just about all the info I need. Bottles and closures for pennies a piece, 50lb bags of tea, all the scobys I could ever imagine, label artwork, etc. I was just wondering how to get nutrition facts, what are the rules for "bottle deposits" (we don't have em in Texas), also, how do you "register" a drink to get a barcode. Also, should the health dpeartment be involved because of the type of beverage? Basically, I'm trying to find out how to get it out there, legally. I've already got a distributor and tons of customers lined up (I'm a sales rep for the bev co too and have been telling all of my accounts, as have the other reps). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
CoPackers won't do Kombucha.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 9, 2011
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Freshman right-hander Ethan Dubois (Monson, MA/Monson HS) of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been honored by the Little East Conference.
Dubois has been named LEC Pitcher of the Week.
Dubois pitched seven scoreless inning in his first collegiate start last Tuesday, earning his first victory of the season in an 11-0 win against Johnson & Wales. He allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four against the Wildcats.
The Corsairs will open Little East Conference Tournament play when they play Keene State at Eastern Connecticut State Wednesday evening.


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Michael Winner's 'perfect' funeral
Sir Michael Parkinson and former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman were among the mourners at the funeral of film director Michael Winner.
The filmmaker, who made more than 30 films including the blockbuster Death Wish series, died at home in Kensington, London, on Monday following a lengthy battle with liver disease.
A statement issued by his office said: "Michael Winner was buried today (Wednesday) in a moving service at Willesden Jewish Cemetery, North London. If Michael had been alive to film it, he would have said, 'Perfect, darling, perfect'.
"A cold wind whipped a flurry of snowflakes across the cemetery - a film directors' dream.
"Among the mourners were many of Michael's friends from long ago as well as his widow Geraldine, his long term assistant Dinah May, Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir David Frost, Bill Wyman, Terry O'Neill, Don Black, Chris Rea and Henry Wyndham, chairman of Sotheby's.
The service was conducted by Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler with a reception after at Mr Winner's home, Woodland House, Kensington."
PA Media


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CONCORD — Contra Costa Water District customers are being asked to voluntarily cut water use 15 percent this year, but they will not face higher drought rates to penalize those who fall short, the agency's water board decided Wednesday.
To reinforce the savings plea, the district announced it will enforce its little-known bans on wasteful practices such as washing down pavement, flooding street gutters or watering after 9 a.m. and before 5 p.m.
Flagrant violators won't be fined, but neither will they be ignored. They will get notices or visits from water district employees.
Those who ignore repeated warnings could have a flow restricter installed to limit flows to their delivery pipes.
The district's drought program was approved on a 5-0 vote, and takes effect April 1. It applies directly to its 250,000 customers in Concord, Clayton, Clyde, Port Costa, and portions of Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and Martinez.
Customers are asked to reduce water use 15 percent below consumption between 2005 and 2007, a figure printed on the back of water bills.
The district also is asking local water systems that buy untreated water from CCWD to enact similar voluntary conservation plans this year for their 250,000 customers in Antioch, Pittsburg, Martinez, Oakley and Bay Point.
"I trust our customers," said Bette Boatmun, a water board member. "They will do a good job. They have done it in past droughts."
In 2009 when the district adopted drought rates, customers reduced their water use by 18 percent, exceeding the district's 15 percent target.
The water agency needs both consumer conservation and water withdrawals from the recently expanded Los Vaqueros Reservoir to get through this dry year and leave some reserves in case it's dry again next season, officials said.
The district's main water source is being cut sharply this year. The federal Bureau of Reclamation is slashing the district's allocation of Delta water in half, from 170,000 acre feet to 85,000 acre feet. Last year, the district used about 109,535 acre feet. An acre foot is enough water to cover an acre of land a foot deep in water.
The district's shortage this year is significant, but it's not severe enough to warrant a rationing program with steep financial penalties for overuse, said Brice Bledsoe, a district assistant general manager.
To encourage outdoor savings, the water board agreed Wednesday to double rebates offered to customers to replace lawn with drought-resistant landscapes.
The rebate rate increases from 50 cents to $1 per each square foot of lawn removed. The maximum rebate increases from $500 to $1,000 per home.
The board also agreed for the first time to provide a rebate up to $150 for a homeowner to hire a landscape professional for a consultation on how to plan a conversion to less-thirsty plants.
Jerry Brown, the district general manager, said many people want to retire some lawn, but they want expert advice on how to plan a non-thirsty landscape.
Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267 or email@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/deniscuff.
District customers have two ways to find out if their water use this year is meeting a voluntary target for a 15 percent reduction.
They can check the back of their water bill to find their base water use for 2005 to 2007 and then calculate to see if consumption this year is 15 percent less.
Customers also can visit www.ccwater.com/ and click on the news article about the 15 percent savings programs to call up a water calculator with instructions. Customers also can call the district at 925-688-8000.


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A bill pending in the Texas Legislature would target a service used by the athletic departments at the University of Texas and Texas Tech to keep an eye on their athletes online.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that both Texas and Texas Tech have contracts with companies that keep tabs on athletes' Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.
The firm used by Texas Tech, called YouDiligence, filters every athlete post. It checks posts through a 650-word list that includes references to drugs, alcohol, race and sex.
Politics from around the world.
But Rep. Dawnna Dukes has filed a bill that would ban universities from getting access to the social media accounts of current or future students.
The Austin Democrat says employees and students should be allowed to keep their account logins private.


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One of the highlights of The English Manner 'learning with a difference' programmes are our highly sought after and exclusive Garden Tours. Groups of guests (usually around 2 to 18 people) are whisked around the countryside – usually England, Scotland and Wales, but occasionally France and Ireland – visiting private gardens and houses of note, accompanied by a wealth of experts and owners.
Like everything we at The English Manner provide, every aspect of our tours are organised down to the last detail. From the moment guests leave their own house to the moment they return, we look after them memorably. Accommodation is in the finest private houses or country house hotels, food and wine is a highlight of the day, and because groups are small, master classes are much more meaningful. Each programme is bespoke and takes into account the background knowledge and specific interests of the guests, their agility and desire for little or much activity, and we offer a wide range of visits to demonstrate the versatility of gardens, architecture and design. Masterclasses may be led by Royal Gardens Advisor Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, Penelope Hobhouse, Tim Penrose or Mary-Ann Robb, and tickets are usually available for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show or Hampton Court Palace.
This year's main tour was centred around the Cotswolds, with the theme of the English country house style gardens of Nancy Lancaster and Norah Lindsay, and our guests from Virginia were enchanted by Cottesbrooke Hall, private gardens in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire including Rockcliffe and Quenington, and a private tour of the Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury, with Barbara Pollard. A visit to the final home of Nancy Lancaster before a day at Chelsea helped add the icing to the cake after a tour of the garden of a well known VIP which is completely inaccessible to the general public. These visits, accompanied by local produce in award winning luxury country house surroundings, made for a truly outstanding tour, and we are already planning some exciting ideas for 2010.
Come and join us! Novices welcome, no need to own a Palace, just enjoy the landscape and all that our gardens and talented gardeners can offer will be yours.
Making accessible the inaccessible………
Alexandra Messervy
Founder, The English Manner


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Info Service Center – International OfficeCopyright: Martin Braun
The Info Service Center offers information and services for international and German students. The Info Service Center is your gateway to the world of the International Office and will gladly answer your questions and provide general information on a vast range of topics.
International Office Info Service Center
SuperC, Room 329, Templergraben 57, 52062 Aachen
- work
- +49 241 80 90660
- Send Email
Recreation Tip
A colorful recreational program is provided by RWTH Aachen's international center,
Take a look at the film page of RWTH Aachen University to get an impression of RWTH and its offers.
For further information on the International Office and its services, please visit the Portal for International Students and Researchers.
If you want to stay up to date...
Our Facebook page provides information about important dates and deadlines, workshops and seminars, events, and recreational activities taking place in the international environment at RWTH Aachen. Additionally, you can find all dates and events in the International Office calendar.
Did you know there is a RWTH app? Using the app, you can easily find your lecture hall or classroom, access study material on L²P, or find an overview of all your courses. The RWTH app can be downloaded online for free. Additional information is available on the Logbuch Lehre blog page.
If you want to go abroad...
In addition to foreign language skills, enhanced subject knowledge, and intercultural expertise, spending time abroad promotes personal development and broadens one's horizon. On our pages for exchange and program students (Outgoing) we offer information about the diverse diverse opportunities for studying or working abroad, including international exchange programs and university partnerships. We offer comprehensive information material, reports by past exchange students, and detailed consultations with our specialized staff.
If you are coming from abroad...
Integrating into student life at RWTH Aachen is one of the most important factors for a successful stay. We help international applicants and students get off to a good start by providing essential information about life in Aachen and studying at RWTH Aachen, through a wide range of services, such as the Welcome Week and the BeBuddy program. A special webpage offers exchange and program students (Incoming) all of the necessary information. If you are interested in adegree from RWTH Aachen, we have provided the important information on this topic as well. Also important: Living. We are available to answer your questions and offer assistance before, during, and after your stay at RWTH Aachen. You can find detailed info sheets on our FAQ page.
Many other advice centers are at your disposal after your arrival at the RWTH.
Language Courses for Students
The RWTH Language Center offers a wide selection of language courses.
Our Workshop Offerings
We are glad to provide you with information on our workshop offerings for students. The workshops should help you organize your studies and integrate with other students.
- Intercultural Trainings in English
- Student Advice Centre Academic Trainings
If you want to meet new people...
Various student associations and clubs offer an interesting and diverse program of activities, excursions, and events. The Humboldt Haus is the international center of RWTH Aachen. The student associations hold their office hours there.
The university sports center offers interesting events.
|Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
|9:30am to 12:30pm
|9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 4pm
|Telephone Office Hours
|Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 4pm
Welcome Center for Researchers
The Welcome Center for International Researchers offers advice and support to international researchers during preparations for and throughout their stay at RWTH Aachen.
External Links
- DAAD Guide: Destination Germany
- DAAD student residence hall finder
- DAAD room finder
- DAAD – Student Journey
- National Code of Conduct for German Universities Regarding International Students
- Website Evangelische Studierendengemeinde Aachen, ESG (de)
- Webseite Katholische Hochschulgemeinde, KHG (de)
- STUBE Rheinland


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Whoever you saw on youtube, I guarantee you it wasn't me as I am too shy to post a youtube review. :-P
Congrats in advance on your 1000th post milestone!
Thanks for the reply bro! (Your inbox was full so I figured I'd reply here)
And thanks for the link too! Your input and the site were both much appreciated. $125 is a great deal. Hopefully I can grab one around the same price point.
Basenotes Institution
New Member
Super Member
Basenotes is an online guide to perfume and fragrance, featuring news, a database of fragrances, perfume glossary, fragrance forums, user reviews and more.


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Razer has announced a new addition to its gaming controller lineup, the Razer Sabertooth. Following the success of its predecessor, the Razer Onza Tournament Edition, the new Sabertooth takes Xbox 360 controllers to a new level.
The new Razer Sabertooth pretty much uses the same layout as the original Xbox 360 controller but adds six additional remappable buttons, two on each shoulder of the controller and two removable rocking switches at the bottom. The new Sabertooth comes with a built-in OLED screen which allows customization of the controller features as well a remap option for the multi-function buttons, analog stick's sensitivity and profile saving.
Razer was also keen to point out that the design of the Sabertooth increases actuation speed, reduces fatigue and encourages natural hand posturing and, when it comes to tournament-grade gaming, it brings quality materials and stringent quality control checks to ensure domination in that part of the market.
The cable is fully detachable and secured by screws. The new Sabertooth controller will ship with carrying case and is probably cream of the crop when it comes to Xbox 360 controller.
The new Razer Sabertooth is already available at Razerzone.com, while the rest of the world should get it by the end of this month. The price is set at U.S. $79.99 / EU €79.99 and owners of the Razer Onza Tournament Edition gaming controller are eligible for a coupon discount when buying the new Razer Sabertooth.
You can check out more here.


text: IMPORTANT! ComicbookDB.com will be closing its doors on December 16th, 2019 as we look towards creating a new and improved tool for collectors to utilize. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to download their data & collections by clicking on this link after logging in. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contribute to the site and we look forward to seeing you again soon. If you have any questions, click here. Challengers of the Unknown (1958) #34 - Comic Book DB Free Services! Add New Content | Top Issues | Register | Marketplace | Forums | Request a Feature | Help | Mobile | Home Login Username: Password: Register for free Social Media: Search: Entire Site Title Creator Character Member Group Issue Name Story Arc Story Name Search by Cover Date Browse: Titles Creators Characters Groups Story Arcs Publishers Imprints TPBs/HCs Podcasts Awards Members Contributors Public Collections Public User Lists Last 10 titles added: 1. Symbiote Spider-Man: Ali... 2. Spider-Man 2099 (2020) 3. Doom 2099 (2020) 4. Annihilation - Scourge: ... 5. Annihilation - Scourge: ... 6. Unsmooth (2019) 7. The Crow: Hark the Heral... 8. Moomin: The Deluxe Lars ... 9. Witchfinder Omnibus (201... 10. The Complete Gail Simone... View All Last 10 creators added: 1. Andrea Di Vito 2. Everett 'E.S.' Glenn 3. Reuse@ 4. Ed Hipkiss 5. Winston Chan 6. Fei Chen 7. Paolo Di Lorenzi 8. Reuse@ 9. Karl Mostert 10. Jim Krieg View All Last 10 characters added: 1. Chancer, Julius 2. Crow, Evelyn 3. The Crow (Brandi) 4. Ghost (Marvel)(02 - Zelc... 5. Maelstrom, Forever 6. Brother Jacob 7. Brother Philip (Firefly) 8. Benitez, Chang 9. Crash Ryan 10. Grud, J. Hoover View All Challengers of the Unknown (1958) - #34"Multi-Woman, Queen of Disaster!"DC Comics Change this coveror add a variant Editor(s):Murray Boltinoff Cover Artist(s):William 'Bob' Brown Rating (out of 10): Unrated You must be logged in to vote! Other members' collections This issue is in 17 collections. This issue is available for sale/trade Toolbox Edit this Issue Clone this Issue View this issue's contribution history Clone the creators of this issue Clone the characters of this issue Suggest a podcast for this issue Search for 'Challengers of the Unknown' on Amazon Cover Date: Oct/Nov 1963 Cover Price: US $ 0.12 Issue Tagline: None. Format: Color; Standard Comic Issue; 36 pagesStory Arc(s): Add/remove story arcs to this issueSynopsis: None entered.Reprinted/Collected in:Showcase Presents: Challengers Of The Unknown (2006) TPB vol. 02Characters: Add/remove characters to this issueGroups: Add/remove groups to this issue Reviews: There are no reviews for this issue. - Add your review Multiple Stories in this Issue Add a story to this issue "Beachhead, U.S.A." - Edit this storyStory Arc(s): Add/remove story arcs to this storyWriter(s):Ed France HerronPenciller(s):William 'Bob' BrownInker(s):William 'Bob' BrownCharacters: Add/remove characters to this storyGroups: Add/remove groups to this story Clone the creators / characters of this story to another story "Multi-Woman, Queen of Disaster!" - Edit this storyStory Arc(s): Add/remove story arcs to this storyPenciller(s):William 'Bob' BrownInker(s):William 'Bob' BrownCharacters: Add/remove characters to this storyGroups: Add/remove groups to this story Clone the creators / characters of this story to another story © 2005-2019 ComicBookDB.com - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy - DMCA Special thanks to Brian Wood for the ComicBookDB.com logo design


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FEB 5th (tomorrow) I will be launching my vegan chocolate online store!
I'm nervous and excited to see how it will do. Especially with Valentine's Day coming up, vegans and vegan sweeties will now have a nice quality chocolate to munch on!
Here is a sneak peak just for you Ronin readers! Items will be different types of pretzels, chocolate covered Oreos and a nice mixed box of chocolate.
So please tell your friends! =)


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Job Satisfaction: 2013 Edition
- Authors:
Publication Date:
June 2013
For the seventh straight year, less than half of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs, according to the 2013 version of The Conference Board Job Satisfaction Survey. In spite of the gloomy news, job satisfaction has, across most regions and demographic variables, completely recovered from its prerecession figures. This glimpse of hope may signify that organizations may soon experience the positive effects of a more engaged workforce.


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About Fintech Software
FinTech software is used by financial companies such as payments bank, retail and institutional banks, insurance providers, and other non-banking corporations to maintain account processing, customer profiles, account information, eligibility evaluation, and other financial activities related to marketing, branding, and promotion.
Technavio's analysts forecast the global fintech software market to grow at a CAGR of 7.39% during the period 2018-2022.
Covered in this report
The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global fintech software market for 2018-2022. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.
The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:
* Americas
Technavio's report, Global Fintech Software Market 2018-2022, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Key vendors
* Accenture
* Microsoft
* Oracle
* Red Hat
Market driver
* Need to improve business efficiency
* For a full, detailed list, view our report
Market challenge
* Data privacy and security concerns
* For a full, detailed list, view our report
Market trend
* Rising demand for data integration and visual analytics
* For a full, detailed list, view our report
Key questions answered in this report
* What will the market size be in 2022 and what will the growth rate be?
* What are the key market trends?
* What is driving this market?
* What are the challenges to market growth?
* Who are the key vendors in this market space?
You can request one free hour of our analyst's time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.
Secondary Research Information is collected from a number of publicly available as well as paid databases. Public sources involve publications by different associations and governments, annual reports and statements of companies, white papers and research publications by recognized industry experts and renowned academia etc. Paid data sources include third party authentic industry databases.
Once data collection is done through secondary research, primary interviews are conducted with different stakeholders across the value chain like manufacturers, distributors, ingredient/input suppliers, end customers and other key opinion leaders of the industry. Primary research is used both to validate the data points obtained from secondary research and to fill in the data gaps after secondary research.
The market engineering phase involves analyzing the data collected, market breakdown and forecasting. Macroeconomic indicators and bottom-up and top-down approaches are used to arrive at a complete set of data points that give way to valuable qualitative and quantitative insights. Each data point is verified by the process of data triangulation to validate the numbers and arrive at close estimates.
The market engineered data is verified and validated by a number of experts, both in-house and external.
After the data is curated by the mentioned highly sophisticated process, the analysts begin to write the report. Garnering insights from data and forecasts, insights are drawn to visualize the entire ecosystem in a single report.
Single User License - Only one user can access this report at time, users are not allowed to take a print out of the report PDF.
Enterprise User License - This license will allow the entire company (Interface) to access the unlocked PDF version of this report without any restrictions. You can also take the print out if you wish to receive the hard copy version of this report.
Multi User License - This license will be allowing up to five users have access to the product. The report will be emailed to you. The report is sent in PDF format.
Site License - This is a site license, allowing all users within a given geographical location of your organisation access to the product. The report will be emailed to you. The report is sent in PDF format.


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Robert Parker Jr. is the wine writer that many wine bloggers, wineries, and consumers love to hate.
Bloggers love to rail against the injustice of the 100-point system. We rail against the so-called Parkerization of wine. We rail against Parker's influence. We rail against him for any one of a thousand reasons.
Bloggers are worried about the Parkerization of wine? Let's talk about the Parkerization of the wine blogosphere.
A look at WineBusiness.com's 'Most Popular Blog Postings' in the last seven days shows not one, not two, but three different posts about Robert Parker in their Top 10. This week is no different than any other. What I call 'Parker Posts' are regularly featured on the site, and Wine Business is not alone. We love to write about Robert Parker. We love to read about Robert Parker. Over and over and over again.
Here's the problem.
It's boring. It's the same old story, relentlessly written and rewritten. Very seldom is there any research done, any new insight, or any clarity. It's a recycling of old conversations.
Perhaps insult and injury are the sincerest form of flattery?
Robert Parker has been – and remains – an extremely influential wine writer. Why does Robert Parker remain so influential? For many reasons. Among them wine bloggers keep writing about him.
Why are so many wine bloggers writing about Robert Parker? Some are doing it because they truly believe in what they are writing. Some are doing it because these topics seem to get rediscovered every other week by another blogger.
But many simply do it because it drives traffic. And surely WineBusiness.com picks up many of these posts in part for the same reason, not because there is any there there. People click on it. My goodness I've done it myself! Robert Parker is the endless gift that keeps on giving. We all take advantage of his high position by railing against it. Talk about coattails - and hypocrisy.
The bottom line for wine bloggers is the more you write about Robert Parker, the more influence he has. If Robert Parker is a monster – I haven't met him, but in most pictures I haven't seen the horns - he is a monster you have helped create.
You want to take Parker down a peg? Put in the hard work and time – the time that Parker did I should add – and try to supplant him in some way. Write about things that are interesting and relevant to readers. Do so in a way that is compelling. Do so in a way that is different. Do so in a way that offers value.
Is Robert Parker a household name because of his 100-point system? No. Robert Parker is a household name because he offered value with his 100-point system. If you're a wine blogger, how much value have you offered lately?
So you bloggers out there, time to put down the stones, pick up the pen, and write something meaningful. What will happen if you are successful? Maybe one day – perhaps one day soon – Mr. Parker will quietly retire. And when it happens perhaps we will all write about something else instead. Wouldn't that be nice? Right now, if Parker retires, a whole lot of bloggers won't have anything to write about at all.
This rant is brought to you by Washington Wine Report. To my regular readers, I sincerely apologize. Did I just feed the beast? I'm sorry but I did. Yes I see the irony. But if you look at the last five years of my writing you will find no – and now I'm sorry to say one – post about Robert Parker. I held my tongue as long as I could. Back to our regular program.
ENOUGH about Robert Parker!
Robert Parker Jr. is the wine writer that many wine bloggers, wineries, and consumers love to hate.
7 comments
I completely agree. Unfortunately though, many bloggers/writers appear to be lazy. Easier to rehash the topic du jour than actually do real journalism, offering up something of value to a wine lover.
StemGrip Says:
Go Sean! Okay, now glad to have the regular program back.
Catie Says:
But, but, but Sean - - Mr. Parker called us a bunch of "Blobbers!" I mean geez, that's quite a name coming from a guy by the name of - - BoB!
So, we've have had our fun with Bob, but in all seriousness as far as the "Parkerization of wine," that's old news. We've been bitching about that now for a couple of years and I agree to let it rest. After all, Parker was really the first blogger in many ways and the first to set a standard. He gave us all food for thought and some inspiration. Let Parker be a guide on how to think and write about wine, as well as how not to think and write about wine. Use his tools, the best and the worst, and move on.
Besides, I would much rather be a "blobber" any day, than a "bitter carping gadfly who stares into their computer screen and contemplates their dreary day job, letting their resentment and sense of personal failure take shape as vicious attacks on the established critical media." - Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel magazine.
Lenn Thompson Says:
If so many bloggers didn't write and re-write the same story over and over again, there'd be a lot fewer wine blogs.
Parker is irrelevant in my wine world. As such, he doesn't come up on NYCR.
Parker is scapegoat on both sides of the issues. Your complaining about a recurring noise, yet I may add, it's the complacency around core issues in wine journalism that makes Parkerized posts creep back up now and then. And if it's no longer Parker today, it will be yet another set of wine critics tomorrow, which will be taken to the headlines.
I agree with your general point. Those who don't agree with Parker's taste/methodology/ratings should occupy themselves with building constructive alternative resources for wine criticism.
However, the allegations that have come to light in the last week are quite serious and in an entirely different category than mere rants. If wineries are indeed being asked to pay for the privilege of visits by Wine Advocate critics, the entire credibility of the publication is called into question.
Until Parker addresses whether or not emails from Pacho Campo MW that have come to light are, in fact, real, the wine industry - including reports, bloggers, and, if necessary, relevant legal authorities- have a pressing obligation to demand answers. Parker's recent statement about the issue skirts the entire question! It is mystifying that he has taken such a defensive and obfuscating stance. I personally think that WA had nothing to do with Vinos de Madrid's alleged kickback scheme but Parker needs to be upfront about what he knows and what he doesn't. We want assurance that he is as upset by the Campo emails as everyone else and that he's trying to get to the bottom of it. Instead he is shooting the messenger. Such a move only undercuts his credibility. Not smart.
Erica Says:
Haha, that was great. Especially your little "apology" at the end. But you are so right, of course. And we really need to put in the time to do the work Parker once did to establish himself. I'm a wine journalist, but I can't say I have done a fraction of the work he has. Back to the drawing board it is...
(Found your article through twitter, @ericawinetrips)


text: Ricki Raxxx has it all: exotic good looks, a fiery passion for fucking, and the kind of rack you see once and never forget. Her incredible 36F titties are custom-built for fucking, and look amazing on their own, with a hard dick in between, or even plastered in cum. First discovered by Score magazine while working at a strip club in Philly, Ricki went on to feature in many other men's magazines, including Hustler, Gent, and loads more. She finally made her transition into hardcore porn in 2004, and makes her love of fucking evident in each scene she's in. She's so devoted porn, in fact, that most of her tattoos are of someone getting fucked! Her beautiful olive skin tone comes from her combined Lebanese and Italian heritage, but her incredibly bod is all Ricki. So make sure you check out her scenes to get a load of a one of porn's hottest busty babes in action!


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Raiffeisen Bank International
Raiffeisen Bank implemented CCH Tagetik's software solution for Planning, Budgeting and P&L statements, Consolidation of Budget and Forecast Data
In just a few weeks, two people were able to build a standard planning environment that we could use to consolidate a minimal data set, generate budgeted balanced sheets and P&L statements, and analyze them from any angle. CCH Tagetik is really easy to understand because the data model has a logical setup. We can now quickly identify where there is a problem in the underlying processes and as well as where we need to start to fix it.
Michael-Hagen Weese - Head of Business Informatics
Download the complete case study
The Challenge
It goes without saying that a specialized IT solution can fulfill various business requirements for consolidating budget and forecast data. Two factors that helped make this project a success at Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), however, were the rapid deployment and flexibility of CCH Tagetik.
Using this software, an internal project team was able to build a group planning and budgeting system by itself – supported by just a few man-days of external consulting. In addition to meeting all of the finance department's requirements, the solution facilitates the daily work for users in both the company headquarters and business units.
Flexible organizational structures to manage new entities and account
Short implementation phase with an intense testing period
Easy reconciliation and automatic balancing of intercompany relationship
Better data quality and more transparent business processes
Web solution and online validations with direct response
Fast knowledge transfer through pmOne/CCH Tagetik coaching
The Solution
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) is one of the leading banking groups in Austria as well as throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The company has achieved strong growth in recent years and expanded its business operations across 17 different countries in the region.
RBI searched for an enterprise system for consolidating planning and budgeting data.
Yes, I'd like to know more about Tagetik
For more information, please complete the below form and a member of our team will reach out to you shortly!


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This is another stamping done with an image plate from BornPrettyStore, the one called BP-52. It consists of one huge print that is full of different floral details.
What I love about this design is that it is one big thing that is made of so many interesting little ones. You get a lot of diversity when you wear it all over your nails. The downside to this, though, is that if your nails aren't exactly big, you won't see that much per nail. I found it to be okay, but it definitely shouldn't be less.
Manhattan - M&Buffalo Off The Socks (orange background)
BornPrettyStore - white stamping polish
BornPretty Store - image plate BP-52
What do you guys think of this design? I love how fun and detailed it is!
Remember that you can still get 10% off on BornPrettyStore with the code MS10K31!
xx, Misch


text:
Bookmark Give-Away
All you need to do is comment, leaving your name and where you live - just because I am curious who follows my work :) You are welcome to tell me what you like about the drawing too, is always interesting to know.
The give-away will last until June 3rd, post your comment before then and it might be you getting it.
I have the original drawing up for auction at Ebay here:
54 comments:
- Verena said...
Oh beautfiul!
I broke my Bookmark this month, so its a nice giveaway :D
I think its a great drawing because its simple but has some beautiful details.
Verena from Germany :)
- 28 May 2010 at 12:15
- nihrida said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 28 May 2010 at 12:24
- nihrida said...
Oh, that's so sweet of you to give away another great work of yours. =) I don't dare to say I'd want to win it...because I already got your bookmark with lilies. So thank you for that.
Other than that, I'm from Slovenia and I follow your work. I've been ''following'' you for years. First on your art site and now on your blog. Keep up the good work! =*
Edit: About this drawing - I love it, 'cause it's dark and yet gentle looking. The girl is wearing a corset and is beautiful. What else so I need to add. =D
- 28 May 2010 at 12:26
This is BEAUTIFUL
My name is Kelly from Hubbard, Ohio.
I'll give the rest of my address if I *crosses fingers* win, right? I don't want some creeper finding me. Lol.
- 28 May 2010 at 12:28
- Agnese said...
I find this work emotional and I like it very much :)
Good luck with your further works :)
Agnese from Latvia
- 28 May 2010 at 13:03
- Duvessa said...
I really adore the fact that your drawings are life-like :) This is beautiful and I really like the look of the person in the picture.
~Henna from Finland
- 28 May 2010 at 14:30
- Nicole said...
Hello my name is Nicole and I am from Germany ;)
I know you and your art work for many years and it always captured me to try my best and I was in your forum, too, but hand't enough time to keep on and still be active.
You always make to try my best and now I really discover my passion for drawing :)
It would make me happy to win :)
Best greets from Germany ;)
- 28 May 2010 at 14:59
- Moni said...
Wonderful drawings!
Best wishes from Lithuania :)
- 28 May 2010 at 15:46
- Kelli von Blond said...
Hey, I'm Kelli from Estonia. Quite close to Denmark :)
I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE this drawing, especially because it's love-themed and reminds me of my crush, whom I miss sooo badly. Too bad I live far from him :/ Can't wait to visit him in the summer, love is wonderful <3
Lots of love from Estonia.
- 28 May 2010 at 16:06
I love how you bring magic into a realistic picture.
-Johanna from Germany
- 28 May 2010 at 16:10
- Lauren said...
Beautiful! I love your work!
-Lauren From BC, Canada
- 28 May 2010 at 16:28
- Stichflamme said...
Another gorgeous piece
I really like your "gothic" and emotional works more and more.
You get better in putting feeling into it.
Sara, from Switzerland
- 28 May 2010 at 16:38
- carlotta1924 said...
i've loved your art since i first visited your website. your drawings have soul in them, and your drawing here is no exception. i also like the way the girl's hair flows, and how she looks as if she's waiting for something (or someone)
greetings from manila, philippines :)
- carla
- 28 May 2010 at 16:45
- Lauren said...
It's so simple with the heart, but I love it!
Lauren, from Las Vegas, NV, USA
- 28 May 2010 at 18:11
I'm Kate from England, I've followed you for about nine months on DeviantArt and LOOOOVE every piece you produce!
I think this piece is wonderful as it has a multiple meaning for so many people. Personally it looks like she is on a search for the one she loves. Keep up the fantastic work!
Kate (BackyardSociety on DA) xx
- 28 May 2010 at 18:31
- Eden said...
Hello my name is Eden and I live in Bath, UK.
I came from deviantart where I saw your latest. You are amazing! I love your delicate shading and it really brings out longing for me. WoW!
- 28 May 2010 at 18:31
Omg your giving it away! I would absolutely love to have this bookmark. If I won it I would cherish it forever. I've been looking for the perfect bookmark for my diary, and this has got to be the one. I've been watching you for awhile now, and love all of your work. You put so much feeling and emotion into each piece, sometimes I get emotional looking at them. I am Chelsea Taylor from Florida. Also known as Kayaticka on DA. <3
- 28 May 2010 at 19:14
- Amanda said...
Been a long time watcher and fan. I respect you as an artist and for the wonderful person you are. I'm not asking to win this rather asking that you look at your loyal fans and those who would love your bookmark but otherwise can't afford it. With that being said I'm off to buy a book mark :D.
Your truthfully a very giving person who will inspire many who happen to win your contests :D
- 28 May 2010 at 19:37
- Kat said...
This is Kat from the US, you may have seen me in some of your recent contests on DA. (Tormsytgkat)
As much as I started "following" your work because I enjoy your drawing style. I there is something about your bookmarks I really enjoy. I have seen a lot of your drawings go to the next level because the crops you make add a bit more interest. This one is also an example of that.
- 28 May 2010 at 19:37
- OmegaHailey said...
Hi my name is Hailey and I'm from N. California. I love all of your artwork so much :) You actually were the first person to inspire me to start drawing again, and I am so happy that I did, so I want to thank you for drawing all your amazing art pieces! I can always feel the emotion in each of your pictures, and it inspires me so much! :D I would love to have this bookmark, it'll inspire me every time I read my books :DDD
- 28 May 2010 at 19:50
- Speilbilde said...
Hi! I'm Hilde and I'm from Norway. :)
I like the great detail you put into your work...It's simply beautiful and you have a lot of talent.
- 28 May 2010 at 21:39
- Guardian Angel said...
hi i'm Rose from chillicothe,ohio usa. i like it & love the little heart in her hair.she looks like she's looking for someone though.maybe a loved one.
- 28 May 2010 at 21:44
This is awesome!
Tina from outside of Chicago, Illinois.
- 28 May 2010 at 22:59
such a gorgeous bookmark it makes too! I love the colors in this one ;) and how her hair makes a <3
I live in California, USA!
- 29 May 2010 at 02:30
- T♥R said...
My name is Tori from Arkansas. I just found you on deviantART. I had seen your pictures while going through searches and always liked them, but it wasn't until recently I realized some of my favorite works I passed while searching were yours. I'll definitely be following you more now!
I really love the idea about using bookmarks and stuff for your art. It's different. I hope after I finish college and begin my art career, I can find creative ideas of things to do with my art, as well.
As for the artwork itself...gorgeous! I love how simply sweet it is. The flow and movement of the image is excellent, and I adore the idea of having her hair flow into a heart. Too cute. =) It's lovely and mysterious and just...wow. That's really all I can say.
- 29 May 2010 at 04:51
- Liv said...
Hi Zindy!! I'm Livia (everyone calls me Liv), and I'm from Australia! :)
I'm one of your deviantArt watchers :)
This bookmark is beautiful - the artwork is stunning!! :)
Liv in Australia
- 29 May 2010 at 05:46
- Astraea said...
Hi, I'm Astraea from Oregon,USA. I follow you on Deviant and I love your work! This is a really beautiful piece!
Peace & Love :)
- 29 May 2010 at 05:48
wow, that was a lot of effort. stupid thing wont let you post a comment unless you have some stupid account! so im now officially on livejournal, yay!
anyways, im sarah from australia. and i love your picture
i was gonna be the fifth person to comment, but noooooooo
anyways, enough complaining. byes:)
- 29 May 2010 at 06:09
hey i like ur bookmark and i like you too and sadly that loser who posted the message about the sites being stupid (butterfly809) is my sister and she is very scary and i just wanted to say hey and whats up and i like stormhawks and mcr and now im just going on and on..
im megan from australia and hi Livia who is also from australia unless she/he is lying which would be very easy you just have to know how to spell it, we could all be pediphles or actually just the same person over and over making lots of different accounts so they can win the bookmark.
so goodbye now also apparantly im meant to say that sarah watches you on da but sadly i dont cos i have no idea who you are. yeah sorry well anyway have a nice day and dont stop smiling!!:)
- 29 May 2010 at 06:28
- sweet angel said...
Hello, Goddag, ki ora, guten tag, bonjour.
first of all what an amazing drawing. I love it.
Im Eve from Holland or the Netherlands how you would call it. have a nice day
- 29 May 2010 at 10:38
- Telita E* said...
Hello Zindy! I simply love this piece of yours... But I actually love everything you draw, I've been following you on DA for a year now and your simply one of the most amazing artists I have ever seen...
Lotsa love
Telita Esterhuizen from Gauteng, South Africa
- 29 May 2010 at 12:06
- BlueAngel271183 said...
Hi Zindy! That's so nice of you!
I've lost my bookmark, so it is very useful! :)
I love all of your works.
Have a great weekend.
Sandra from Germany
- 29 May 2010 at 17:07
- Estelle said...
Oh Zindy, this one is beautiful, I like how her hair blows in the wind ...
I am Estelle from Malvern Queensburgh,South Africa.
- 29 May 2010 at 17:30
- BitterSweet said...
I saw this piece of art on Facebook it is absolutely STUNNING!!! All of your art is of course, lol, but there is something special about her, I guess maybe it is her hair which has been commented on many timesa nd just the way thats he is looking, just beautiful ;)
Hugs and Blessings
Barb in Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province
- 29 May 2010 at 18:22
- Francine Michaud said...
I love your drawings, Zindy. I especially like the female face closeup drawings. It's also nice to hear about you. Thanks so much for sharing your art with us!
Francine Michaud
2548 Walnut Ave Apt 10
Carmichael, CA
- 29 May 2010 at 18:30
- HerRoyalTagstress said...
Love your work!
My favorite part of this piece is the heart shape her hair has made!
Absolutely Beautiful.
Amy from North Carolina USA
- 29 May 2010 at 19:08
- AriesNamarie said...
Hi! My name is Kristina from Collingdale, PA.
I always love the faces in your work, they're very emotive
- 29 May 2010 at 19:27
- Amber said...
Hiya Zindy! My name is Amber and I'm from Dawson, Illinois. I absolutely love all of your art, each piece is gorgeous in its own way, but this one has that dreamy, lovesick quality that makes it shine. Really it does. Look forward to seeing more of your art and taking part in the ebay auction!
- 29 May 2010 at 19:49
- Onyx said...
Lovely artwork! ^_^ I simply can't get enough of it :D Beautiful!
Dalila from California, USA
- 29 May 2010 at 20:03
- Jean said...
I went to the EBay site and saw her. My first reaction was tears. I lost my lover/best friend in November and still cry for him and I feel just like she does. My heart just flew away that day. Hopefully I'll get it back one day. Very touching as is most of your work. Its a nice memory too because he was a nice gentle man and now my angel. luvnangel in California
- 29 May 2010 at 22:10
- Traci said...
I think it is beautiful, it is 'pretty goth' for it has that 'dark' look but the heart and the way her hair flows makes it softer.
- 29 May 2010 at 22:44
- Strawberry said...
Hi Zindy,
I am from Alabama in the United States.
I love the heart in the strands of her hair.
I collect heart items and even have a heart tattoo or two : )
I found your art through PsP groups on MSN before MSN groups closed. I have loved your art from the beginning but its even more special knowing the woman behind the art is so sweet and caring as you are.
hugs, Sheryl
- 29 May 2010 at 23:01
- Linda said...
I love ya work and this bookmark is awesome.
My name is Linda and I am from Zephyrhills, Florida
- 29 May 2010 at 23:29
Hey Zindy!
My name's Julia and I'm from Missouri, USA. =D
I kind of idolize you. After seeing a few of your drawings, I started drawing just to see if I could do it, and I'm not half bad... for a fourteen year old. =D You are my inspiration to become an artist. This drawing itself just makes me want to pick up a pencil and go at it! I mean, each strand of hair is so finely detailed, and the shading is incredible! I absolutely love your work. Keep it up! ♥♥♥
- 30 May 2010 at 07:33
- 3tje said...
Hoi Zindy,
I love your art, and what a beautiful give a way.
Greetz from Adri, The Netherlands.
- 30 May 2010 at 13:01
- tannawings said...
Hiya Zindy!
My name is Ellen and I live in Iowa (USA) Have been a fan for many years- you have amazing talent and I have bought tubes in the past but dont have anything 'touchable' like this cool bookmark.
Kinda got out of PSP (taking a break and life stuff) so am catching up on your new things.
- 31 May 2010 at 08:16
Hi Zin :P It's a beautiful one... :D Oh I wish I get this cos' I've aLWAYS WANTED A BOOKMARK FROM YOU .... so full with passion
Daniel Hristov Dinev
Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria
Emilian Stanev St. 9 V 2
ps: it's forest_genie from the forum :)
- 31 May 2010 at 11:45
- Anna Morrino said...
WOW!! Your drawings are absolutely amazing!!! You have such incredible talent! I'm Anna and I'm from Melbourne (Australia) and i first found your site about five years ago, ever since I've been checking it out everytime i get the chance because it's just mesmerizing what I see everytime! And this last drawing and the bookmark are just beautiful! it's so simple but yet it holds so many words! I would love to have something from you.. Thanks xxx..
Anna Morrino
6 Riddleston Court
Narre Warren South
Melbourne, 3805
- 31 May 2010 at 13:51
- Rich Thometz said...
I love your art. I have been inspired by you to try and learn to draw myself.
Rich from Chicago
- 31 May 2010 at 19:58
- Sophie! said...
Your are one of the artists who have inspired me to pick up a pencil and try to improve my art. The techinal skill of your art is amazing! Not to mention the beauty of it. (:
Sophie from Great Britain.
- 1 June 2010 at 00:40
- nanu said...
Well, I'll just say that you were the one who inspired me to draw and to do something for myself... be good at something. And I thank you for that! I've been following your work for 5 years now :) And you're getting better each day, you have an unique gift and I love your work... AND you're absolutely sweet. :)
- 1 June 2010 at 18:03
- Maggi said...
Love that picture! I live in Spain!
I'm a hobby artist, but too busy for now to paint anything...
Love from Maggi
- 1 June 2010 at 19:35
- Arrianne said...
I missed the giveaway, but I'm from USA and I love the dark themes a lot of your drawings have. Also that I can relate to them.
- 4 June 2010 at 00:54
- Zindy S. D. Nielsen said...
Aw, thanks so very much to everyone who took a minute to write an entry, it made me smile looking through them all.
- 5 June 2010 at 13:35
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About Me
- Zindy S. D. Nielsen
- Copenhagen, Denmark, Denmark
- My name is Zindy S. D. Nielsen and I'm from Denmark - Europe. I own http://zindy-zone.dk; a site about my drawings, a large art community and much more.


text:
This is the fourteenth in a series of farm reports from our own Tom Hirschfeld, complete with recipes, cooking and gardening tips, and wisdom dispensed.
This week: Tom hunts the perfect American persimmon.
True berries and obsession
I am a flatlander. You see in Indiana the northern two thirds of the state is flat, while the southern third becomes the foothills to the Appalachians. It all happened when the glaciers rolled through, which was sort of like pushing a sofa on a Persian rug. The rug in front of the sofa bunches up while everything behind becomes flat. The verity of this occurrence is the hills of southern Indiana are beautifully Rubenesque. It's an affair really. And not in a Victorian sense either, because it is more gaudy than that. It is when I smell the musky fall dirt of the southern hills, corseted with orange and yellow leaves and the hickories and sycamores that once held them -- now bare-shouldered -- become the steel boning that holds the hollers to their unique hourglass shape, that I become incorrigible. All because this voluptuous landscape is the Indiana home to the American persimmon, Eve's apple to me, a temptress of pudding, pie, bread and fudge.
Oh the persimmon has her foreign counterparts, Hachiya and Fuyu, and of course they are succulent, trim, and have that hot little accent, but the American persimmon is one of a kind, sort of the saw blade painted with a kountry landscape, kitsch, and probably more closely related to running off with the circus than a fine dining car on the Orient Express. It's not like there aren't persimmon trees in other parts of the state. My neighbor has a beauty, in fact I covet it. It is tall and gorgeous, maybe one of the largest I have seen, but it isn't the same. In southern Indiana it is the culture that goes along with the persimmon. It's the paw paws, maple syrup, grits, ham and beans, and fried biscuits with apple butter. It's possum and sweet potato dinners and wood-burning stoves. It's all the things I hated about Indiana growing up but am intensely intrigued by now, albeit in a driving by a fatal crash sort of way. All fatality aside, a good persimmon dessert will leave you in a drool sleep on the couch dreaming the dream of possum and raccoons. Of beating them to the little tannic and orange fires of Zeus, a rare true berry, pulpy and sweet when they finally become ripe enough to eat rather then their typical docket of pucker and gag.
The persimmon likes to flimflam you. It may look ripe and mushy, but when you bite into one it grabs you by the uvula and pulls. It doesn't let go either, truthfully, it holds on like a spring leech after a bloodless winter. It is an accomplishment worthy of a diploma, this gathering of the ripe fruits, because somehow the animals know too, just like they know the night the sweet corn is ready, and if you went out to that persimmon tree on that night, the night they know, you might find it is like a barrel full of monkeys. A tree full of nocturnal varmints having a hoedown, all drunk and giddy on your persimmons. You are thinking of fighting them for it, a barroom brawl, but instead you turn and walk back home, you walk back home because you realize she is a good mistress, the persimmon, and is not exclusive but whimsical, indeed, the very trait that keeps you coming back to her.
Tom's Persimmon Tips1. Cut a persimmon seed in half lengthwise and you can predict, so folklore says, the winter weather. A spoon shape, like what is pictured, means you will be digging out of the snow. This seed from the neighbors' tree is telling me to have my shovel and the plow at the ready this year. A fork means a mild winter and knife means an icy and cold winter.2. I usually just collect the whole and intact fruits that are on the ground. Some people go so far as to put a tarp around the tree so it catches them and then they are easily gathered.3. If you pick one from the tree and taste it, you will gag, cough, and maybe even throw up. They are that tannic.4. The aroma of ripe persimmons is like nothing else, it is dates, orange, and whiskey. 5. If you decide to pulp them yourself, remember if you put dirty persimmon pulp stuff in the dishwasher you are creating a nightmare of pulpy glue. Don't do it, wash everything by hand.6. Do not let any seeds get into your disposal -- they will burn in up in a heartbeat.
Chocolate Persimmon Muffins
Serves 12
1 pound American persimmon pulp, or Hachiya pulp6 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 cup light brown sugar2 large eggs1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt1 cup buckwheat flour1 1/2 cup AP flour1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Want more Tom? See last week's dispatch: Pheasant Hunting and Pot Pie
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


text:
The Hague GRAND SLAM | 11 - 16 June 2013
The Hague, the Netherlands, June 11, 2013 - Former volleyball star and tournament director of the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam Bas van de Goor announced on Tuesday that he will also operate as tournament director for the Grand Slam in The Hague in 2014 and the FIVB World Championships in 2015.
His main drive is to make beach volleyball more popular in the Netherlands. During the World Championships in 2015, there will be a lot of volleyball courts on the beach, so everyone can play the game. "There is a nice beach over here and we want to make kilometres of fields and make a big recreational competition."
Floating court
The World Championships will be played in four cities in The Netherlands; Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and The Hague. Organiser TIG Sports has plans for a floating court in The Hague on the 'Hofvijver', the pond next to the parliament building. In Amsterdam there will be courts next to one of the royal palaces.
Van de Goor (43) was a professional indoor volleyball player and part of the Dutch team that won gold at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. "I was surprised when they asked me to be the tournament director, but I didn't have to think about it. I said 'yes' immediately", said Van de Goor.
Almost part of Beach Team Holland
The former centre never played beach volleyball although he did have an opportunity to become part of Beach Team Holland. "I got an offer to become the partner of Bram Ronnes, who played the Olympics of 2008, but starting a new sport at the age of 37, while not having played indoor volleyball for two years, that wasn't really a good idea. That's why I kindly refused."
According to the former international the biggest difference between indoor volleyball and beach volleyball, is the mental aspect. "On the beach you are a couple and if you play bad, you're still in the game. When you play bad during an indoor match, you are on the bench. I think mentally it's a very impressive game."
Twitter: @FIVB Volleyball
Facebook: FIVB - International Volleyball Federation
YouTube: FIVB Video
16.06.2013 19:24:02
Brazil claims two gold medals in The Hague
The Hague, the Netherlands, June 16, 2013 – Brazil added two more gold and one silver medal to its already impressive honour list this weekend. ... More...
16.06.2013 18:42:00
Brazil's Pedro and Bruno beat Corrientes champions to claim Dutch gold
The Hague, the Netherlands, June 16, 2013 – Brazil's Pedro Solberg and Bruno Oscar Schmidt defeated Corrientes champions Janis Smedins and Aleksandrs ... More...
16.06.2013 17:44:10
Four out of four for Brazil's Talita in The Hague
The Hague, the Netherlands, June 16, 2013 – In an all-Brazilian final Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima claimed their second gold medal this season. The ... More...
16.06.2013 15:05:08
Poland's Fijalek and Prudel take bronze in The Hague
16.06.2013 13:43:55
Holtwick and Semmler claim first German medal in The Hague
15.06.2013 22:54:24
Three Brazilian teams in The Hague Grand Slam finals
15.06.2013 22:03:00
All-Brazilian women's final in The Hague
15.06.2013 21:09:59
Latvia on track for back-to-back gold
15.06.2013 17:18:22
First semifinal ever for Dutch Van der Vlist and Wesselink
15.06.2013 13:00:02
Austrian qualifiers Huber and Seidl reach semifinal
14.06.2013 22:39:47
Brazil well represented in The Hague quarterfinals
14.06.2013 21:46:05
Dreams put on hold for Meppelink and Van Gestel
14.06.2013 17:56:09
Quarterfinal plus a nice bonus for Dutch Van der Vlist and Wesselink
14.06.2013 14:35:51
Swiss team shocks Dalhausser and Rosenthal
14.06.2013 12:35:13
Alison and Emanuel back on track
13.06.2013 21:28:42
Germany and Latvia only pool winners with three straight victories
13.06.2013 19:44:10
Moral boost for Dutch scratch team
13.06.2013 17:48:25
Talita has a special connection with The Hague
13.06.2013 16:42:32
Salgado sisters beat Germany to claim top position in pool C
13.06.2013 11:59:06
Austria's Doppler and Horst upset Brazilian world champions
13.06.2013 10:52:40
Kubala back on the sand after surgery
12.06.2013 21:48:58
No major upsets on first day of main draw in The Hague
12.06.2013 21:36:42
Schuil and Nummerdor lose comeback match
12.06.2013 21:08:22
City court great promotion for The Hague
12.06.2013 20:19:17
Meppelink and Van Gestel shake of the jitters to remain unbeaten in The Hague
12.06.2013 16:48:49
Surprise win for Fuchs and Kaczmarek
12.06.2013 15:42:42
Back to zero again for Smedins and Samoilovs
12.06.2013 12:16:25
Former team mates Agatha and Seixas on opposite sides of the net
11.06.2013 20:23:03
Main draw The Hague Grand Slam completed with qualification teams
11.06.2013 19:12:37
Dutch girls through after marathon match against Kazakhstan
11.06.2013 19:04:46
Honeymoon phase does not stop Canadians from winning
11.06.2013 13:20:51
Herrera: Glad to be back
07.06.2013 13:47:50
Dutch stars return to World Tour at The Hague Grand Slam
27.05.2013 18:08:23
Meppelink and Van Gestel the team to beat in The Hague
26.03.2013 15:51:29
Van de Goor appointed The Hague Tournament Director


text:
JMX::Jmx4Perl::J4psh::Command::Server - Server related commands
This file is part of jmx4perl.
Jmx4perl is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
jmx4perl is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with jmx4perl. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
A commercial license is available as well. Please contact email@example.com for further details.
Just in case you need professional support for this module (or Nagios or JMX in general), you might want to have a look at http://www.consol.com/opensource/nagios/. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com for further information (or use the contact form at http://www.consol.com/contact/)


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text:
Difference between revisions of "Wage Disputes"
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(916) 263-5378 Wage & hour issues
(916) 263-5378 Wage & hour issues
Revision as of 21:25, 1 November 2019
The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement of the California Department of Industrial Relations administers all labor laws that protect adults and minors (EXCEPT government employees, who are covered by the United States Department of Labor). The Division investigates and resolves wage claim complaints and inspects work sites for compliance with worker protection laws and regulations. The Department of Industrial Relations does not License or regulate dance studios or dating services.
Complaint jurisdiction:
Payment of wages; hours of work; equal pay for equal work, employer retaliation against employees who request an inspection of or make changes in unsafe or unhealthful working conditions.
Complaints outside jurisdiction:
Problems involving governmental employees; worker injury or illness; unsafe or unhealthful working conditions (except as described at left). Problems with dance studios or dating services.
Department of Industrial Relations
455 Golden Gate Avenue 8th, 10th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 703-5300 Main office
(415) 703-5444 Wage & hour issues
(866) 924-9757 Worker hotline
(888) ASK-WAGE/(888) 275-9243 minimum wage hotline
Sacramento Office
2031 Howe Avenue, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 263-1811
(916) 263-5378 Wage & hour issues
Directory of State Agencies Directory of Federal Agencies Return to DCA Home Page


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Special Offers - SPS TV - Newsletter - Events - Firing Services - Order Info - Contact Us
Our History - Store Hours - Map/Directions - Order Info - MSDS - Home
WARNING: Some of our products can expose you to chemicals including Quartz,
which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, and Lithium Carbonate, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Disclaimer: Prices may not be accurate as they change faster than we can keep up with!
Communications consulting and e-storefront development by New World Communications


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You are here
Pantry Raid: 11 Healthy Food Swaps
Can't remember the last time you cleaned out your cupboards? It's time to start fresh. Here, 11 simple food swaps that will spice up your meals and cut calories and fat.
Better Broth & Noodles
Stock up on: Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Toss: High-sodium broth
Cooking side dishes with broth is a great way to amp up the flavor without adding a lot of fat or calories. But one cup of the regular stuff contains up to 40 percent of your recommended daily sodium intake. Choose broths that are lower in sodium — 450 milligrams per serving or less — and use them in mashed potatoes instead of butter or half-and-half; you'll save about 230 calories and 24 grams of fat per batch, says Jessica Fishman Levinson, RD, a nutritionist in New York City. Or swap butter or olive oil for broth in rice recipes and cut up to 36 calories and 5 to 6 grams of fat per serving. Broth also adds zing to steamed veggies. Just sub it for water and cook as usual.
Stock up on: Buckwheat noodles
Toss: Refined pasta
Trading up from white pasta to whole wheat is good, but choosing soba, made with buckwheat, is even better. These noodles are high in fiber (3 grams per 2 ounces), and they're an excellent source of plant protein (about 8 grams per cup cooked). "Buckwheat noodles are so filling and satisfying, you're less likely to eat oversize portions," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet. They're also loaded with magnesium; choline, a mineral that helps keep your brain healthy; and antioxidants, including rutin, which may lower blood pressure.
Peter Ardito
Whole Grains
Stock up on: Hearty whole grains
Toss: White rice
During processing, white rice is stripped of up to 90 percent of its B vitamins, 60 percent of its iron, and most of its fiber and essential fatty acids, Zuckerbrot says. Eating whole grains will provide you with as much as 8 grams of fiber per serving and can reduce your risk for heart disease by roughly 20 percent. Bust out of the brown rice rut with bulgur, wheat berries, and farro. Cook these grains as you would rice (simmer, covered, over low heat) and add them to soups, salads, and stir-fries.
Store It Right
Make a clean sweep. Wipe or rinse cans, jars, and bottles to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria sneaking into your food. (Only about one-third of us do so, according to Joan Salge Blake, RD, professor of nutrition at Boston University.) If a can has dents, cracks, or a bulging lid, throw it out.
Peter Ardito
Bread Crumbs & Salsa
Stock up on: Panko bread crumbs
Toss: Regular bread crumbs
Not only do they contain half the calories of the Italian kind — 110 versus 220 per half cup — but "because panko bread crumbs are lighter and coarser, they tend to absorb less oil and fat," Levinson says. They also stay crisper after cooking, making them perfect for breaded chicken, meat, and fish dishes. Plus, panko has about one-tenth the sodium of many regular bread crumbs.
Stock up on: Salsa verde
Toss: Ranch- and onion-dip mixes
Each half-cup portion of this salsa contains just 60 calories and counts as a serving of vegetables. It's made with green tomatillos, a great plant source of the B vitamin niacin, which helps keep your cholesterol low.
Peter Ardito
Healthier Chocolate, Artichoke Hearts
Stock up on: Cocoa powder
Toss: Chocolate chips
Sweet treats don't have to be off-limits, even if you're on a diet. Instead of high-calorie, high-fat chocolate chips (a half cup has 560 calories and 32 grams of fat), add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to cookie, cake, or muffin batter before baking. Voila, the chocolaty flavor you crave for just 37 calories and 2 grams of fat.
Stock up on: Artichoke hearts
Toss: Green olives
Eat just four olives and you've consumed about 2 grams of fat. Artichoke hearts give you a hint of the same salty flavor with zero fat. Ounce for ounce, they contain more antioxidants than any other vegetable (and about 50 percent more than blueberries). They can taste briny straight from the can, so rinse first. Put them in salads and stews and on pizzas, says Jody Adams, chef and owner of Rialto Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Or add artichokes to a fresh tomato sauce and serve over pasta.
Peter Ardito
Beans & Tuna
Stock up on: Dried beans
Toss: Canned beans
Canned beans are convenient, but they can cost twice as much per pound as the dried kind and have 50 times the sodium. Soak dried beans in water overnight, drain them in the a.m., and freeze what you don't use. They'll last up to six months, and no defrosting is required, says Leanne Ely, author of the Saving Dinner cookbook series. A 1-pound bag of beans yields 5 to 6 cups cooked.
Stock up on: Chunk light tuna packets
Toss: Canned albacore tuna
The chunk light variety has all the nutrients and protein that fancier white-meat tuna does but about one-third the amount of mercury. Don't like the darker meat? Opt for brands of albacore that use troll- or pole-and-line-caught fish, like Wild Planet, suggests Elizabeth Brown, RD, a nutritionist in Houston. These fish are much younger and smaller, which means they've had less time to accumulate the harmful heavy metal.
Peter Ardito
Flour & Oils
Stock up on: Whole wheat flour
Toss: Half the 5-pound bag of white flour
An easy way to get more fiber in your diet is to substitute whole wheat flour for up to half the white flour in recipes. "Each quarter cup will add an additional 3 grams of fiber to the dish, but you won't taste the difference," Zuckerbrot says. And since it makes cookies, cakes, and breads denser, you will feel fuller and be less likely to reach for seconds.
Store It Right
Freeze your flour. Whole-grain flour has a shorter shelf life than refined versions because the essential fatty acids it contains cause it to spoil faster, says Brown. To keep it for up to six months, store whole-grain flour in the freezer. You don't have to thaw it before using; the fatty acids prevent the flour from hardening.
Stock up on: Canola and olive oils
Toss: Vegetable oil
Canola oil is a great source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. "It has a mild flavor and a high smoking point, so it's ideal for sauteing and stir-frying," says Natalia Hancock, a culinary nutritionist for Rouge Tomate restaurant in New York City. When making salad dressing, cold dips, or spreads, reach for olive oil. It's an excellent source of oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat, which research shows suppresses hunger.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, April 2010.


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Millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in what constitutes appalling violations of their human rights.Acid throwing, Breast ironing, Bride burning, Dating abuse, Domestic violence, Domestic violence and pregnancy, Dowry death, Honor killing, Female genital mutilation, Gishiri cutting Infibulation, Foot binding, Forced abortion, Forced pregnancy, Forced prostitution, Human trafficking, Marital rape, Murder of pregnant women, Rape Pregnancy, Sati Sexual slavery, Sexual violence, Violence against prostitutes ...
All too often, perpetrators go unpunished. Women and girls are afraid to speak out because of a culture of impunity. We must fight the sense of fear and shame that punishes victims who have already endured crime and now face stigma. It is the perpetrators who should feel disgraced, not their victims.
We can no longer close our eyes and tolerate this horrible situation. All women and children from all over the world have the right to be respected and be treated as they should !As we build on these efforts, we must fundamentally challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence to continue.
On this International Day, me and the millions of women & children around the world call on all Governments to make good on their pledges to end all forms of violence. Let their voices be heard...http://www.change.org/petitions/no-more-violence-against-women-and-children
William Collett
This petition closed over 6 years ago
Every single signature can make a difference for all the women and children all over the world suffering from violence. Together we are strong and our voices will be heard!
So please sign and if...
Every single signature can make a difference for all the women and children all over the world suffering from violence. Together we are strong and our voices will be heard!
So please sign and if you would help financially with this cause and Henk LeFevre efforts go to.http://www.healingwingsretreat.org/Fund-Raising.html


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Accelerate with ATS: New Hardware Extensions for SVC CG8 Nodes
This session will explore hardware extension options for SAN Volume Controller CG8 nodes. This will include information on an available extra Fibre Channel HBA for increased SAN connectivity as well as information about the new "chubby" node upgrade, which allows an extra CPU and 24 GB of memory for Real Time Compression processing. Information will be included on options, function and proper use.
September 24th 2013 at 12:00 PM ET (DURATION: 1.5 Hours)
Missed it?:
Replay can be found here: http://ibmstg.adobeconnect.com/newcg8nodeoptions_0924/
Presentation materials available here: https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/accelerate/resource/ATSAccelerateSVCCG8Options.pdf
Join our Accelerate mailing list to hear about upcoming webinars by sending an email to


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Obituary index
William Rentmeister
Send a link to a friend
[May 07, 2014]
-- William Rentmeister , 81, passed away at 12:40 a.m. on May
4, 2014 at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Services are
pending at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mt Pulaski.
Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m. prior to services at the
funeral home
2:00 p.m. Thursday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader
Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski .
Funeral home:
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Mt. Pulaski
William A.
Rentmeister Sr., 81, of Chestnut, passed away at
12:40 a.m. Sunday May 4, 2014 at Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.
William was born January 8,
1933 in Sangamon County, son of Kenneth and Lois
Gaul Rentmeister. He graduated from Mount Pulaski
High School in 1951. He served in the U.S. Army for
16 months in Korea from February 9, 1953 to December
9, 1954. He farmed and worked at Allis-Chalmers in
Springfield until its closing in 1985. He was
affiliated with the USDA for 40 years as a field
reporter. William has been a member of the Mount
Pulaski American Legion Post #447 for 59 years and
has served as post commander. He is also a member
of the Mt. Pulaski VFW Post #777 as well as a member
of the Chestnut Men's Club and Clinton Elks.
William married Linda Armstrong
on June 18, 1955 in the Chestnut United Methodist
Church. He is survived by his wife Linda, son
William A. Rentmeister Jr. of Chestnut, daughter,
Susan Thorson of Streator, granddaughter Shelbi
Rentmeister of Clinton, grandsons Joel Thorson of
Bowling Green, KY, Adam and Erik Thorson of
Streator, granddaughter Anna Thorson of Streator,
step-granddaughter Brittiany Thompson of Kenney,
step great granddaughters, Sierra and Kinzey Sickles
of Kenney, brother Gary Rentmeister of Citrus
Heights, CA, and sister Doris Fehring of Sacrameto,
CA. He was preceded in death by his parents and one
sister Vivian Nowick.
Services will be at 2:00 p.m. Thursday May 8, 2014
at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount
Pulaski with Rev. Rachel Stockle officiating.
Visitation will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m. prior to
services. Burial will follow at Steenbergen
Cemetery, Mount Pulaski where full military rites
will be accorded. Memorials may be made to the
American Legion Post #447, Memorial Home Hospice or
to the Chestnut United Methodist Church.
Click here to send a note of condolence to the Rentmeister family.
Did you know.....
...You can send a
condolence note to families via email?
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader, Peasley,
Quiram-Peasley and
Holland Barry & Bennett funeral homes have this option
Click on the name of the appropriate
funeral home (in the line above) and insert the family name to
send a note.
< Obituary index
Back to top


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|Authored By: Polly Pitchford, Full Spectrum Health
|Make this as spicy as you like.
|Diet Types: Vegan, Vegetarian
|Serves: 8
|Cooking Time: 30 minutes - one hour
|In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion, green pepper, celery and garlic about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, reserved marinade, rice, bay leaf, Thyme, basil and red pepper. Stir. Cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes. Add seitan and simmer another 5 minutes, or until heated through and rice is cooked. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
|Printable Version
|E-mail a Friend


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Each one has a different story, yet they all bear the same hallmarks: lied to about their past, abnormal birth certificates, an inner feeling that something isn't quite right.
Gathered on Saturday in an eastern German village, some 40 Lebensborn Kinder shared stories of aunts who turned out to be mothers, ice-cold adoptive parents who slid into alcoholism and the joy at finding a relative who embraced them as a member of their family.
And this year, four years after they first started meeting and one year after they became an officially organized group, they gathered to tell their story to the public, seeking to correct historical misconceptions that Nazi's Lebensborn program was a high-end bordello offering blue-eyed blondes to SS officers.
"We need to find the courage to public, to tell our stories as long, as long as we are still alive," urged Violette Wallenborn, whose mother was a Norwegian singer and father a Nazi choir director.
While the previous meetings have focused on providing support for one another and swapping tips on how to query for documents to track down relatives, telling the story is increasingly an aim of the association, called Lebenssupren, or "Tracing Life."
Gisela Heidenreich, the daughter of a German secretary and an SS commander who was born into a Lebensborn home in Norway, stressed the importance of telling the story of Lebensborn in schools.
"Pupils today know all the facts, their historical knowledge is very good, but they don't have any emotional relationship to it," she said. "The story of Lebensborn is so important because it's about families; mothers, fathers, children, it's something they can relate to."
Because 60 percent of the women who gave birth in Lebensborn homes were unmarried -- a stigma in those conservative times -- the births were kept secret. In the final days of the war, the Nazis destroyed many documents hoping to covering their tracks.
Although the bordello myth -- started by a magazine shortly after the war -- is not true, the Lebensborn program was the other side of the Nazi's racial experiments. While millions of Jews and others deemed "undesirable," were slaughtered, these children were carefully selected for their Aryan qualities and brought into the world in comfortable surroundings.
Of the estimated 5,500 born into Lebensborn homes, some went home with their mothers, but many others were given over to families of high-ranking SS officers, to be raised in the Nazi doctrine.
After the Nazis overran Germany's neighbor states in 1940, German occupation soldiers were encouraged to find suitable local mates. Ten Lebensborn homes were set up, where some 8,000 children were eventually born.
Two years later, the Nazis began seeking out blue-eyed, blonde-haired children in neighboring countries and sending them back home to be "Germanized."
One of them, Folker Heinicke, 66, considers himself one of the more fortunate. Kidnapped at the age of 2 by the SS in what is present-day Ukraine for his Aryan qualities and shipped back to Germany by train, he was brought to the Sonnenwiese, or "Sunny Meadow" Lebensborn home near Leipzig.
There, he was adopted by a wealthy family, where he prospered. Still, a feeling nagged him.
"There was always the feeling that something wasn't quite right," Heinicke said. "It happens when you have no mother, no father, no roots."


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The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis are also known as "Dumbo Octopuses" from the ear-like fins protruding from the top of their head-like bodies, resembling the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant. They are benthic creatures, living at extreme depths: 3000-4000 meters, and are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species. They can flush the transparent layer of their skin at will, and are pelagic animals, as with all other cirrate octopuses, and unlike many other incirrate octopuses.
They hover above the sea floor, searching for worms, bivalves, pelagic copepods, and other crustaceans. They move by pulsing their arms, shooting water through their funnel, or by waving their ear-like fins. They can use each of these techniques separately or all simultaneously. The males and females are different in their size and sucker patterns. The females lay eggs consistently, with no distinct breeding season.
- Dumbo Octopuses are found at considerable depths, typically living from 100-5,000m depth, although one was sighted at 7,000m, the deepest depth of any cephalopod.
- There are about 37 species, currently assigned to four genera. Many are poorly understood.
- Dumbo Octopuses can grow to 20cm.
- They are found in every ocean.
- This creature is typically benthic, living on or close to the bottom of the ocean floor, though some may be found some meters from the seabed where they drift, with arms outspread.
- These deep-dwelling octopus swim by flapping their large ears and/or by expansion and contraction of their webbed arms. They are graceful swimmers and capable of rapid escape when threatened.
- Bottom-dwelling species eat crustaceans, worms and bivalves. Those hovering above the bottom tend to eat pelagic copepods. They are unusual in that they mainly swallow prey whole.
- The Dumbo Octopus swims by flapping its large ears and/or by expansion and contraction of its webbed arms. They are graceful swimmers and capable of rapid escape when threatened.


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Yesterday I decided to take a peek into the future of auto design. Usually, I do this with a combination of specially-purchased mushrooms and a drink my RV-dwelling uncle makes from methanol and a straw, but this time I decided on a new approach. I visited the Transportation Design Department at ArtCenter, arguably the best automobile design program in the world.
I'll have lots of pictures and video next week, but today I wanted to tease you with something topical. We've been talking about Lincoln a lot lately, especially discussing the kind of car we'd all like to see Lincoln making instead of the MKZ and those SUVs with the other MKsomething names.
And it just so happens an ArtCenter Transportation Design student named Woo Kim has designed pretty much exactly the car we've all been thinking of. A rear-wheel drive platform with a nice big V8, classic Lincoln styling cues while at the same time looking fresh and modern, suicide rear doors, and, get this, bench seats. It's like he's been reading our collective thoughts.
Like I said, I'll have lots more fascinating and inspiring work to show next week, but this particular concept was just so in tune with conversations we've been having the past couple weeks I really wanted to show it as soon as possible.
So, what do you think? Is something like this close to your dream Lincoln? Should Lincoln hire this kid?


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The Assessment Center offers the following types of tests:
New students and transfer students may need to take the ACCUPLACER Entry/Placement test prior to their initial registration. You should do your very best on the Accuplacer placement test. Your test scores will determine your initial classes when you start at VU.
Your placement test is VERY IMPORTANT!
NOTE: You must present valid identification for all testing.
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Get credit for what you already know! Developed by the College Board, the people behind AP and SAT, the College -Level Examination Program (CLEP) has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination program for over 40 years and accepted by 2,900 colleges and universities. CLEP exams test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways including general academic instructions, significant independent study or extracurricular work.
CLEP testing is done by appointment only, Monday through Friday.
More information about this test is available at http://clep.collegeboard.org.
- DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
Get credit for what you already know! DSSTs are recommended for credit by the American Council on Education. The 38 subject-level exams are offered in diverse disciplines and cover upper and lower-level baccalaureate credit courses.
DANTES testing is given by appointment only, Monday through Friday.
More information about this test is available at http://www.getcollegecredit.com.
- Professional Certification and other types of testing.
Certification test candidates must comply with additional requirements as mandated by the test sanctioning or governing body in their discipline. Certification candidates must schedule and register with the Assessment Center or their test sponsor. No "walk-ins" will be tested.
- SAT Test
The National SAT test is offered at Vincennes University on all national testing dates.
- ACT Test
The National ACT test is offered at Vincennes University on all national testing dates.
- INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY - TASC Test (Test Assessing Secondary Completion)
The TASC test is administered by appointment, typically each week on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and it takes both sessions to complete the exam. You MUST pre-register for the exam. SEE REGISTRATION INFORMATION PAGE
Assessment Center Testing Hours - Reporting Times
- Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- No appointment necessary for Entry/Placement testing.
- Must present valid photo identification
- G.E.D., CLEP, DSST, and Certification by appointment only.
The Assessment Center is located in the Beckes Student Union, on the Vincennes campus. Campus Phone: 812-888-5404


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Investing in Infrastructure in Africa: Conundrum and Opportunity
Last week, the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released its semi-annual report on FDI flows, which reflected generally dismal results: global FDI declined by 8 percent, with a 5 percent decrease for the developing world in particular. I found it interesting that South Africa's significant decline in FDI seemed to catch a good deal of media interest. Yes, the continent's darling and the usually one of the highest recipients of FDI saw a drastic drop (by 43%); admittedly this deserves more than a glance. But I wonder why Finland and Ireland's numbers, at 96.2 and 42.8 percent respectively, didn't make much news. South Asia's inflows also fell by 40 percent as a result of declines across nearly all countries in the subcontinent. In India, inward FDI fell from US$18 billion to US$10 billion. Why South Africa? In my opinion, the flow of investment to sub-Saharan Africa is often reported as a sign that the doors of the last frontiers are being approached.


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How to Use
the Readings
Inquiry Question
Reading 2: Victory Ships
In 1943, the U.S. Maritime Commission embarked on a program to design new types of emergency fleet ships, most importantly fast cargo vessels, to replace the slower Liberty ships. The standardized design adopted by the Commission called for a ship 445 feet long by 63 feet wide and made of steel. On April 28, 1943, the new ships were given the name "Victory" and designated the VC2 type (V for Victory type, C for cargo, and 2 for a medium sized ship between 400 and 450 feet long at the waterline).
The Victory ships ultimately were slightly over 455 feet long and 62 feet wide. Like the Liberty ships, each had five cargo holds, three forward and two aft. The Victories could carry 10,850 deadweight tons (the weight of cargo a ship can carry) or 4,555 net tons (the amount of space available for cargo and passengers), a larger load than the Liberties could manage. Victory ships typically carried a crew of 62 civilian merchant sailors and 28 naval personnel to operate defensive guns and communications equipment. The crew quarters were located amidships. The Victory ships were different from the Liberty ships primarily in propulsion, the steam engine of the Liberty giving way to the more modern, faster steam turbine. The Victory ships had engines producing between 5,500 to 8,500 horsepower. Their cruising speed was 15-17 knots (approximately 18.5 miles per hour).
The ship profile and the construction techniques of the Victories were also different from the Liberties. One important feature of the Victory ship was in the internal design of the hull, the ship's framework. The Liberty ships had the frames inside the hull set 30 inches apart. This made the hull very rigid. This rigidity caused the hull to fracture in some of the ships. The Victory ships had their hull frames set 36 inches apart. Because the hull could flex, there was less danger of fracture.
The first Victory ship completed was the SS United Victory (built at Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland, OR), launched on January 12, 1944 and delivered February 28. The next 33 ships were named after member countries of the United Nations (e.g., SS Brazil Victory and SS U.S.S.R. Victory [both built by California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles, CA], and SS Haiti Victory [built by Permanente Metals Corporation, yard 1, Richmond, CA]). The ships that followed were named for cities and towns in the United States (e.g., SS Ames Victory [built by Oregon Shipbuilding], SS Las Vegas Victory [built by Permanente Metals Corporation, yard 1] and SS Zanesville Victory [built by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Inc., Baltimore, MD]) and for American colleges and universities (e.g., SS Adelphi Victory and SS Yale Victory [both built by Permanente Metals Corporation, yard 2]). All of the ships' names ended with the suffix "Victory" with the exception of the 117 Victory Attack Transports that were named after state counties. The Maritime Commission built 414 Victory cargo ships and 117 Victory attack transports for a total of 531 vessels during the course of the war.
Victory ships formed a critical maritime link to the theaters of war. These fast, large capacity carriers served honorably in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war. Ninety-seven of the Victories were fitted out as troop carriers; the others carried food, fuel, ammunition, material and supplies.
At the war's end a number of Victory ships were offered for sale by the Maritime Commission. One hundred and seventy were sold, 20 were loaned to the U.S. Army and the rest were stored as part of the reserve fleet. When the Navy no longer needs to use a ship but wishes to reserve it for a future emergency, it tows the ship to storage harbors, empties it of all fuel and cargo, and seals its windows and doors. The ship is protected from salt-water corrosion by a cathodic protection system and the interior spaces are dehumidified. This technique is called "mothballing," because it echoes how people preserve a wool sweater that is put away for the summer.
Some vessels were reactivated to serve during times of national crisis, including the Korean War, the Suez Canal closure of 1956 and the Vietnam War. Other vessels were retained as logistic support ships as part of the Military Sealift Command, which in 1970 became the single managing agency for the Department of Defense's ocean transportation needs. The command assumed responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all military services as well as for other government agencies. In 1959, eight Victory ships were reclassified and refitted as instrumentation, telemetry, and recovery ships for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in support of America's space program. On August 11, 1960, the former SS Haiti Victory (renamed the USNS Haiti Victory (T-AK-238)) recovered the nose cone of the satellite Discoverer XIII, the first man-made object recovered from space.
Over the years, many ships in the reserve fleet have been sold for scrap, their metal to be recycled. Of the thousands of Liberty ships and Victory ships produced only a small number remain.
Questions for Reading 2
1. When and why did the Maritime Commission start a new program to replace the Liberty ships?
2. How were the Victory ships different from Liberty ships?
3. How were the Victory ships named?
4. What is "mothballing"?
5. Describe the ways the Victory ships were used after World War II.
6. Why are there so few Liberty and Victory ships today?
Reading 2 was compiled from James P. Delgado, "Lane Victory" (Los Angeles County, California) National Historic Landmark Nomination Form (Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1990); Shelby Sampson, "SS Red Oak Victory" (Contra Costa County, California) National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2000); L.A. Sawyer and W.H. Mitchell, Victory Ships and Tankers (Newton Abbot, England: David and Charles Publishers, 1974); and Timothy J. Teahan and Barbara E. Mattick, "SS American Victory" (Hillsborough County, Florida) National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2001).