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Foreclosure Process
This article discusses about the flow of the foreclosure process. Take note that the timeline differs depending on the state.
- After missing a monthly payment for the first time, your lender will most likely contact you thru phone or letter. You may ask the assistance of a housing counselor if you want.
- After missing a monthly payment for the second month, your lender will again contact you and inquire why you have not paid your dues. At this time, it is very important for you to answer those calls in order to explain yourself. You ay still be able to pay for a one month due so as to avoid missing a payment for the third time. You may also seek a housing counselor to help you along the way.
- After missing a payment for the third month, your lender will already send you a Demand Letter or Notice to Accelerate which states the total amount of monthly due that you need to pay. You are given 30 days to pay for the said amount to make your mortgage current. If you do not pay on or before the due date, your lender may begin the process of foreclosure. Remember that at this time, you still have a chance to work the situation out with your lender so communicate with him. Usually, lenders do not accept any amount less than the total amount so working out arrangements is a good option if you do not have the money yet. You may also want to work with a housing counselor to help you.
- After missing your payment for the fourth month, the due date of your 30 day grace period is nearing. Once the grace period ends without you paying the required amount or worked out some arrangements, your lender's attorneys will begin to interfere. In the same way, you will also incur all of the attorney's fees as part of your delinquent action. Asking the help of a housing counselor is suggested at this stage.
- The attorney will then schedule a date for a Sheriff's or Public Trustee's Sale. This is called as the actual day of foreclosure which signals that the date for you to move out of your house is nearing. You will be notified of the sale thru mail, notice taped on your door or an advertisement in your local paper beforehand. During this transition from the Demand Letter to the Date of Sale, you still have the chance to work this out with your lender. You can also work out ways in order to pay for the total amount plus the attorney fees before the date of sale. This transition period differs in length depending on the state where you belong. It can be as quick or as short as 2-3 months.
- After the sale of your home, you will already begin the redemption period. This is a period where you are given the chance to reclaim your home even if it already sold through a foreclosure sale. All you have to do is to pay the total amount stated in the Demand letter as well as the attorney's fees and the total cost incurred in the foreclosure process. The redemption period varies depending on the type of foreclosure you underwent namely judicial or non-judicial. In addition to this, the schedule also depends on your state. You will be notified of your time frame on the same notice that was used in the Sheriff's and Public Trustee's Sale.
When caught in a foreclosure process, it is very important for you to have an open communication with your lender. Being able to communicate well may also help you work out arrangements with your lender. Asking the help of a housing counselor at the earliest possible time is greatly suggested so that you will be assisted along the way. Lastly, all the dates and periods are estimated and will vary depending on your state and mortgage company.
How to Avoid the Foreclosure Process: Keep in Touch With Your Lenders
Most of the time, people who have financial problems avoid calling their lender because they are embarrassed to discuss their issues. In addition to this, some people think that when their lenders know of their financial problems, they will rush the collection of fees or begin foreclosure.
In reality, foreclosure is also negative and expensive for lenders, investors and mortgage users. The private insurance companies, HUD/FHA and investors namely Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, always insist lenders to cooperate ad work aggressively with their borrowers who are caught in financial trouble.
Lenders offer workout options in order to assist you in keeping your home. These options work best if you are only one or two months behind your monthly loan payments. It is better to workout arrangements at the earliest possible time because the farther you are behind your monthly payments, the lesser workout options become.
No mortgage problem will correct itself so contact your lender as soon as you realize that you can no longer pay your monthly due. There is no guarantee that a relief will be given but most lenders will are willing to work out any possible option.
To contact your lender, you can check the following sources:
- Monthly billing statement
- Payment coupon book
- Directory Assistance or phone book
- Web Search
Your lenders will basically ask you to disclose some information such as:
- Your account number for your loan
- Brief explanation of your current situation
- Recent income documents namely Social Security benefits statements, disability, pay stubs, retirement, public assistance or unemployment. If you are self-employed, present a year-to-date profit, tax returns and loss statement from your business.
- A list of household expenses
Expect that you will have more than one phone conversation with your lender. Basically, your lender will give you a loan workout package through mail. This package usually contains information, instruction and relevant forms. If you are applying for assistance, make sure to complete the forms and return them to your lender as soon as you can. Once you send the forms, the package will be reviewed first before the lender discusses about the probable solutions with you.
Never Ignore Mails or Phone Calls from Your Lender
Once you miss a monthly loan payment, your lender will most likely contact you through mail or phone. It is very important that you receive those calls because who knows, help might be knocking at your door. In addition to this, your lender would be forced or required to begin legal action if you keep ignoring those calls. Taking those calls for granted will only increase the cost required to bring your loan current so think twice before doing such action.
Some Possible Solutions to Avoid Foreclosure
The most important thing that you need to do is to keep your mortgage current if you can. But if you realize that you can no longer make payments for your mortgage loan, you may apply for a loan workout option. Contact your lender and inquire if any of these options or others is available.
- Reinstatement: In this option, your lender agrees to accept the total amount of payment you owed in a lump sum. This option is greatly suggested if you are expecting a large amount of money to come your way. In addition, reinstatement is usually combined with another option which is forbearance.
- Forbearance: Your lender agrees to reduce or suspend the collection of payments for a certain period of time. During the suspension period, you may bring your account current through reinstatement.
- Repayment Plan: In this plan, you are able to continue paying your monthly loan payments plus a portion of your past due payments until they are fully paid.
If you think that your situation is a long-term or will permanently affect your capability to make your account current, try these options.
- Mortgage Modification: If you are able to make payments but are not capable of bringing your account current, your lender may amend one or more term in your loan to make it more affordable to you. Your loan can be changed by doing one or more of the following ways:
- Addition of the missed payment to the existing loan balance
- Change of the interest rate or making an adjustable rate fixed
- Extension of the number of years for you to repay
- Claim Advance: You may qualify for an interest-free loan from your mortgage guarantor if your mortgage is insured. Doing this will be able to bring your account current. However, the repayment of this kind of loan might be delayed for a few years.
There are also other workout options that will require you to pay such as recording fees in loan modification. Because each situation or plan is different, make sure that you read and understand the fees and terms very well. More importantly, contact your lender as soon as you realize that you can no longer pay your monthly loan so as to avoid a higher cost incurred in legal action and attorney's fees.
Things You Can Do in Order to Avoid the Foreclosure Process:
- Do not ignore the problem.
Act immediately because the farther you are behind your monthly payments, the harder it will be for you to bring your loan current and the possibility that you will lose your home will increase.
- Contact your lender as soon as you realize that you have a financial problem.
Foreclosure is bad for lenders too so tell them immediately if you have a problem. They may also help you by working out plans and other options in order for you to keep your house.
- Do not ignore and always respond to the mail from your lender.
The first letters and notices that you will receive will contain information on ways that you can do in order to prevent the foreclosure of your home. The later mail and notices will discuss pending legal action. It is very important for you to open and respond to your mail because not being able to read the contents of the mails is not a valid excuse in foreclosure court.
- Know and understand your mortgage rights.
It is very important for you to read and understand the terms included in your loan documents. By understanding the terms of your loan, you will be able to learn the steps that your lender will do if you can no longer make payments. It is also advisable for you to know the foreclosure laws and timelines in your state by contacting the State Government Housing Office. It is very imperative for you to know your timeline because every schedule is different for every state.
- Understand different option for foreclosure prevention.
You can search the internet for more information regarding foreclosure prevention or loss mitigation options.
- Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor for help.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides funding for free or low cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors will be able to help you understand the laws of foreclosure. He or she will also be able to discuss with you possible options to prevent foreclosure and help you manage your finances. Most importantly, your counselor will be the one who will negotiate with your lender.
- Manage your spending.
If you see that you can no longer pay your monthly loan, making ways in order to keep your home should be your first priority. Manage your expenses and check where you can cut your spending to save more money. Eliminate the not so important expenses like cable TV, entertainment, memberships and others. You can postpone the payment of your credit cards and others debts which are unsecured until you have paid your mortgage loan.
- Use your assets to keep your home.
If you have assets like car, jewelry or insurance policy, you can save money and achieve reinstatement by selling them. You may also work for longer hours in order to increase your income. By doing these things, your lender will learn that you are really willing to make sacrificed in order to keep your home from foreclosure.
- Avoid seeking help from foreclosure prevention companies.
Remember that what you need to do is save money and not spend. Usually, these foreclosure prevention companies will charge you a costly fee with the promise that they will negotiate with your lender. The fee may be as large as 2 to 3 months of mortgage payment. Paying this worth of money to those companies is not advisable. Instead, use the money that you have in paying for your monthly mortgage loan. There is always a HUD-approved counselor who charges a very low amount or none at all.
- Do not lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams!
Do not sign any document from a firm which promises you that they can stop the foreclosure of your home quickly. You may never know that aside from appointing them on your behalf, you may be transferring the title of your property to them. The bottom line is, never sign any legal document unless you fully understand the terms involved and getting the advice of an attorney, a HUD-approved counselor or a trusted real estate professional.
You can contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency toll FREE at (800) 569-4287 TTY (800) 877-8339


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elle@RSVP needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 46 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
Brand name is: RSVP stands for: Reclaim Sexual Vitality Postpartum, website: http://www.ReclaimSex.com
We are a pair of leading sex educators who are going straight to the public online with a ground-breaking discovery we made about sexual healing after childbirth.
Our product is an extensive, multi-media, multi-module online course for women who have experienced painful sex and loss of libido after having children. A whopping 47% of new moms! We teach women and their partners how to rekindle their sex-life, learn the facts about arousal and how it gets shut down for postpartum women, how to initiate renewed intimacy, take care of scars from childbirth, and get their "sexy" back.
The culture of our company is innovative and fun, while drawing on our 20,000 hrs + of experience in hands-on healing arts, sex education, anatomy, physiology, and other body-related topics. We are a couple of sex-pert nerds who love nothing more than researching the latest developments in sexual wellness & online education and sharing the results with our growing audience.
Jaiya can be found at: http://newworldsexeducation.com/home.php
Ellen can be found at: http://ellenheed.com/
We are targeting the market of new moms who are looking for answers about how and why their sex-lives and bodies have changed so dramatically after childbirth.
This is a vastly under-served market, and a new market in the respect that until now, very little information has been made available to women who experience painful sex after having children.
Our market is the folks who make the website Babble so popular. http://www.babble.com/
They are well-educated and think outside of the box. They question conventional wisdom and are willing to try new strategies to improve their lives. They are upwardly mobile, and are willing to pay top dollar for information that will help them reclaim their sexual lives after having kids.
Our price-point is high, and we would like our logo to reflect our considerable expertise in the fields of sex-education, body-based learning, and hands-on healing.
We are looking for a logo for our website banners. We are building a site using Kajabi, and the templates allow a logo-banner as a header on each page. http://get.kajabi.com/sales_pages/1240
See our squeeze page here: http://reclaimsex.com/
Please note the style of this squeeze page is not congruent with the current look & feel of our e-course.
We are using a feminine palette of six colors (see tiff attachment below) and may prefer a white background.
The look we are going for is feminine, clean and modern, and because this a health related product -
* no cutesy or overtly erotic themes
* no cartoons
* we want both the acronym:
and the name:
Reclaim Sexual Vitality Postpartum
to be visible in the banner logo
Part of our e-course is slide shows. There are sample slides provided below for the look and feel of our site so far.
Our material is about women's health and a stylized pelvis with or without the bones might be a place to start. See attached files for examples.
There are also examples of use of our color palette and fonts for our explanatory text to give you our design flavor.
The files we require are:
Web file format.jpg & layered .psd (RGB)
Print Ready .ai and .eps files at 300 dpi
CMYK color mode
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


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After a Space Marine forum moderator suggested co-op would be added to the shooter roughly 30 days after the full game's September 6 launch due to the mode's need for additional polish (a post that's since been removed but survives in cached form), THQ officially confirmed co-op will be included in a brief, detail-free statement to Shacknews.
The removed forum post also suggested that co-op in Space Marine would utilize publisher THQ's Online Pass system, making it free for anyone who buys the game new, but paid for those who pick it up used.
THQ said an official announcement about co-op in Space Marine will be made later this month. The publisher is set to have a significant presence at Gamescom in Germany beginning August 17, setting up the European convention as the prime spot for breaking the news.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is in development for Windows PCs, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The game is set for launch on September 6.
Spy Guy says: Co-op would be a terrific addition to Space Marine. When I played the game at E3, I was unimpressed with the NPC Space Marines in Capt. Titus's squad. They were more window dressing than Ork killing machines. Taking on the horde with a friend -- or possibly friends -- will significantly upgrade the overall experience.


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Star Flyer Bundle
Note, the images used in the preview are not included in the download.
Below are the links to the individual template preview pages:
Break Template : http://graphicriver.net/item/break-posterflyer-template/161380
Spirit Template: http://graphicriver.net/item/spirit-flyer-template/166583
Smash Template : http://graphicriver.net/item/smash-flyer-template/166528
Each PSD file is well organised, and each file comes with a readme document with font details and specific instructions on editing the template.
I hope you like the designs!


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The "hockey stick" reconstruction of temperatures of the past millennium has attracted much attention – partly as it was high-lighted in the 2001 IPCC report as one of the important new results since the previous IPCC report of 1995, and partly as it has become the focus of a number of challenges. Discussion about the "hockey stick" is conducted with considerable fervor in the public media, where this curve is often presented as if it were a proof, or even the most important proof, of anthropogenic influence on climate.
As someone who has not worked on the past millennium, I do not want to discuss the merits of the often rather technical challenges (which have been dealt with elsewhere on this site). Rather, I want to discuss the "what if…" question: what if really some serious flaw was discovered in the "hockey stick" curve? What would that mean?
So let's assume for argument's sake that Mann, Bradley and Hughes made some terrible mistake in their statistical analysis, so we need to discard their results altogether. This wouldn't change our picture of the last millennium (or anything else) very much: independent groups, with different analysis methods, have arrived at similar results for the last millennium. The details differ (mostly within the uncertainty bounds given by Mann et al, so the difference is not significant), but all published reconstructions share the same basic features: they show relatively warm medieval times, a cooling by a few tenths of a degree Celsius after that, and a rapid warming since the 19th Century. Even without Mann et al, we'd still be stuck with a "hockey stick" type of curve – quite boring.
So let's try some more exciting "what ifs". In mid-20th Century, medieval temperatures are exceeded in all the reconstructions, hence recent (last 10-15 years, say) temperatures appear to be unprecedented for at least a millennium (that even holds for the alternative histories presented by the "hockey stick" critics). Now what if that were wrong – if all proxy reconstructions as well as model simulations of the past millennium were fundamentally in error?
Let us assume that medieval temperatures after all had been warmer than the present. Even that would tell us nothing about anthropogenic climate change. The famous conclusion of the IPCC, "The balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate", does not depend on any reconstruction for the past millennium. It depends on a detailed analysis of 20th Century data. In fact, this conclusion is from the 1995 IPCC report, and thus predates the existence of quantitative proxy reconstructions like the "hockey stick".
Climate changes can have several different reasons, and the cause of any particular climate change needs to be investigated on a case by case basis. It cannot be found by looking at one temperature curve. Had medieval climate been warmer than the present, this would probably have been due to some natural cause – perhaps a peak in solar output. That would only tell us that in principle, natural causes can cause warming larger than what we've seen in the past decades. But we know that already – one need only go back far enough in time (e.g., fifty million years) to find examples of unquestionably warmer climates than today. However, it would be naive to conclude that the observed strong 20th Century warming therefore also must have a natural cause.
Investigating the cause of 20th Century warming is done in so-called detection and attribution studies, which analyze the various forcings (e.g., solar variations, greenhouse gases or volcanic activity) and the observed time and space patterns of climate change in detail. These studies, with a range of different techniques, have invariably concluded that the dominant cause of 20th Century warming is man-made greenhouse gases.
In the spirit of this article, let's assume these studies were also wrong, in addition to all of the above. Let's assume these studies somehow greatly underestimated natural variability in the climate system, so that the "signal" of anthropogenic climate change has not yet emerged from the "noise" of natural variations (i.e., the above-cited "discernible human influence" had not been detected after all). Surely, then we wouldn't need to worry about global warming, and the world could hold off with the Kyoto protocol?
Unfortunately, that also doesn't follow. The only thing that would follow in that case is that our data are not yet good enough to prove that anthropogenic climate change is already happening. That would not be so surprising – the expected amount of anthropogenic global warming to date (based on the radiative effects of the greenhouse gases and aerosols emitted by humans thus far) is only ~0.5 ºC. It is a small signal that is not easy to detect amongst the natural variability; most of the anthropogenic warming is still to come (the point of conducting science is to give an early warning, rather than just wait until the facts are obvious to everyone).
The main reason for concern about anthropogenic climate change is not that we can already see it (although we can). The main reason is twofold.
(1) Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are increasing rapidly in the atmosphere due to human activity. This is a measured fact not even disputed by staunch "climate skeptics".
(2) Any increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will change the radiation balance of the Earth and increase surface temperatures. This is basic and undisputed physics that has been known for over a hundred years.
But how strong is this warming effect? That is the only fundamental doubt about anthropogenic climate change that can still be legitimately debated. We climatologists describe this in terms of the climate sensitivity, the warming that results in equilibrium from a doubling of CO2. The IPCC gives the uncertainty range as 1.5-4.5 ºC. Only if this is wrong, and the true value is lower, can we escape the fact that unabated emissions of greenhouse gases will lead to the warming projected by the IPCC.
Chances for that are not good. A new large uncertainty analysis that appeared this week in Nature shows that it is very difficult to get a climate sensitivity below 2 ºC in a climate model, no matter how one changes the parameters. And climate history, with its Ice Ages and other large changes, also speaks strongly against low climate sensitivity.
Discussion about the temperature evolution of the past millennium will no doubt continue in the coming years. The most fundamental problem – the sparseness of data – will not be fixed quickly, but eventually better reconstructions with smaller uncertainties will become available. However, this discussion needs to be conducted in a sober and unexcited manner; it does not help to overburden the "hockey stick" with symbolic meaning. In some media reports, the "hockey stick" has even been hyped as "a pillar of the Kyoto protocol" (which was agreed in 1997 and thus predates it) or as "proof that humans are warming the Earth". This is a serious misunderstanding of the scientific meaning of these data.
The discussions about the past millennium are not discussions about whether humans are changing climate; neither do they affect our projections for the future. In fact, if humanity takes no action and this century will bring a temperature rise of 2 ºC, 3 ºC or even more, the current discussions over whether the 14th Century was a few tenths of a degree warmer or the 17th a few tenths cooler than previously thought will look rather academic.


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Authorities are trying to determine what caused an 8-year-old refugee from Congo to die not long after his arrival in Chicago.
The boy, identified as David Dieme, arrived at O'Hare International Airport from Dubai on Tuesday with his father and five siblings, Customs Border Patrol spokesman Ralph Piccirrilli said. The group was being escorted to their next flight when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer noticed that David was unresponsive.
The boy was taken to Federal Inspection Services in Terminal Five and was evaluated by Emergency Medical Services, authorities said. He was examined by Centers of Disease Control and Prevention personnel before being taken to Presence Resurrection Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
Authorities say the boy was sick before boarding the flight to the U.S. but that he reported no symptoms on the plane.
The Cook County medical examiner's office performed an autopsy Wednesday. Results are pending.


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I'm neck-deep in pink this week as I prepare to co-host a Pretty in Pink baby shower. These easy treats would be good any time but they would be especially lovely for Valentine's Day.
Sweetheart S'mores
You'll need:
- Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies
- Pink Marshmallows (regular sized)
- Large Chocolate Bar
On a parchment-lined cookie sheet layer:
- 1 chocolate square
- 1 marshmallow and
- 2 cookies (actually, if you want you can wait to put your top cookie on after the heating process. It's up to you)
Place cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven for 5-8 minutes (bottom rack). The chocolate will melt and the marshmallow might slide off but don't panic. Re-stack and press the top cookie down to slightly flatten the marshmallow.
Serve warm or let them cool to room temperature. They are really chocolaty, delicious and pink!
Thanks for stopping by We Grow By Our Dreams Today. I will have lots more pink goodness to share with you in the next week. :)


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Here is a creature that you may recognize. It's a Starling from the game Galaxy Life. Today I will be filling a request and show folks "how to draw a Starling", step by step. These little slug like creatures that are born from the 'Tree of Life'. The orange balls of blubber are super duper cue and incredibly colorful. Drawing Starlings will prove to be fun and exciting so I urge you to try this tutorial out for sure. Thanks guys and good luck
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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China angry at Obama's meeting with Dalai Lama
- Beijing warns that the meeting Friday will %22severely impair%22 China-U.S. relations
- Obama has met the Dalai Lama%2C the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader%2C in 2010 and 2011
- China punished the U.K.%27s prime minister for meeting the Dalai Lama in 2012
BEIJING – China lashed out at President Obama for meeting Friday with the Dalai Lama in its continuing attempt worldwide to marginalize the Tibetan spiritual leader for his support of greater autonomy for Tibet.
The Dalai Lama, 78, has been in exile from his Himalayan homeland since 1959, when he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Chinese troops killed hundreds of Buddhist monks and destroyed thousands of temples in its takeover of the country.
Within hours of the meeting being confirmed Thursday, China's foreign ministry issued a statement that warned the meeting "will grossly interfere in the internal affairs of China, seriously violate norms governing international relations and severely impair China-U.S. relations."
Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying reiterated those remarks at a regular press conference Friday in Beijing.
Beijing remains determined to limit the Dalai Lama's international influence and pressures governments worldwide not to meet the Buddhist monk it has called a "wolf in sheep's clothing."
China responded to a visit granted the Dalai Lama in the United Kingdom by putting diplomatic relations into cold storage for over a year after Prime Minister David Cameron met him in May 2012.
Countries next in China's firing line over Tibet include the Netherlands and Norway, which the Dalai Lama will visit in May.
Beijing has given Norway years of diplomatic and business grief after the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize award to jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. His wife, Liu Xia, held under effective house arrest ever since, and never charged with any crime, was hospitalized this week, Reuters reported.
Obama has met the Dalai Lama twice before in February 2010 and July 2011 despite criticism from China. But supporters of the Dalai Lama were also unhappy, saying Obama accorded him less respectful treatment to mollify China.
In 2010, Obama sat down with his fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate for a brief meeting in the Map Room rather than the Oval Office, where presidents usually visit with international leaders. Their talks were held out of view of cameras and the public. Reporters were not permitted to enter the room or ask questions.
The Dalai Lama left the White House through an exit used largely by household staff. A photograph of him being ushered past bags of trash generated anger among some of his supporters.
The White House said Obama told the Dalai Lama that he supported preservation of Tibet's culture and human rights for Tibetans.
In the 2011 visit, Obama again refused requests from China that he disinvite the Dalai Lama but again met him in the Map Room. The White House issued a single photo of the two leaders in which Obama is seated next to the Dalai Lama tieless.
On Friday, Obama will host the Dalai Lama again in the Map Room. To reinforce the unofficial nature, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said Obama meets the Dalai Lama "in his capacity as an internationally respected religious and cultural leader."
Hayden also reassured Beijing with remarks that the U.S. government recognizes Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China and does not support Tibetan independence. But she also raised long-standing U.S. concerns about "continuing tensions and the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibetan areas of China."
Secretary of State John Kerry raised the same issues with Chinese leaders in Beijing last week on a trip dominated by two more pressing and equally tough topics: how to persuade Beijing to apply more pressure on North Korea, and how to get Beijing to stop pressuring other neighbors on multiple territorial disputes.
In Dharamsala, northern India, the seat of Tibet's government-in-exile, spokesman Tashi Phuntsok said Friday that he was "happy" Obama was meeting the Dalai Lama again, "even at the cost of Chinese displeasure."
Many countries "are aware of how much pressure China applies with regards to the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, his schedules in different countries and even his lectures at colleges and universities," said Phuntsok, secretary for information and international relations at the Central Tibetan Administration.
China's long-term goal is to "stop Tibetan engagement in the international arena," he said. "We are strongly confident that this will not come true."
Phuntsok welcomed repeated U.S. calls for Beijing to begin unconditional talks with Dharamsala on Tibet.
"Despite the frustrations and difficulties today, we believe the situation will have to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation," he said.
Contributing: Sunny Yang


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Just remembered this workshop hasn't been mentioned in the forum yet - it's featured in the 'This Week in LiveCode' for ages plus there was a discussion in the user list about it a while ago.
So apologies for the lateness but here it is anyway - https://www.meetup.com/The-THINQTANQ-Ev ... 226749341/
If any of you can make it that would be smashing, and I'll post resources from the day later on
Kind regards
LiveCode Workshop in Plymouth (make a doodling app)
Visit here to inform or invite LiveCode users to user groups, meetings, conventions or other gatherings. Events must be related to LiveCode.
Moderators: Klaus, FourthWorld, robinmiller
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- VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
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President of Brazil Lashes Out At NSA Espionage Programs In Speech To UN
Written by admin No Comments
Last Updated: September 25, 2013
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "The Guardian reports that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff launched a blistering attack on US espionage at the UN general assembly, accusing the NSA of violating international law by its indiscriminate collection of personal information of Brazilian citizens and economic espionage targeted on the country's strategic industries. 'Personal data of citizens was intercepted indiscriminately. Corporate information – often of high economic and even strategic value – was at the center of espionage activity,' said Rousseff. 'Brazilian diplomatic missions, among them the permanent mission to the UN and the office of the president of the republic itself, had their communications intercepted.' Rousseff's angry speech was a direct challenge to President Barack Obama, who was waiting in the wings to deliver his own address to the UN general assembly, and represented the most serious diplomatic fallout to date from the revelations by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Washington's efforts to smooth over Brazilian outrage over NSA espionage have so far been rebuffed by Rousseff, who has proposed that Brazil build its own internet infrastructure. 'Friendly governments and societies that seek to build a true strategic partnership, as in our case, cannot allow recurring illegal actions to take place as if they were normal. They are unacceptable.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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At Boulders Edge Tipi Retreat
11470 Dalton Road
Rockbridge, Ohio 43149
Phone: 740-385-0707
Rockbridge, Ohio 43149
Phone: 740-385-0707
Website: www.atbouldersedge.com
Experience the magic of tipi camping. We have 3 traditional Sioux Native American tipis. Each sleeps 10 comfortably. Each Tipi has a fireplace inside. They are in a beautiful woodland setting. Give your loved ones memories that will last a lifetime.
Finished inside with wood floor, indoor fireplace, and sleeping room for up to 10 people comfortably. Outside is a picnic table, and fire ring with partial grate for cooking and night fires. The tipis are perfect for couples, families and groups.
Location Map


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BASINGSTOKE, England (Reuters) - Blatant foul or theatrical dive? Penalty kick or yellow card?
The company that came up with the Hawk-Eye system to settle line calls in tennis is involved in a trial of video refereeing that could end many of the disputes that give soccer a bad name, its founder says.
A two-year trial being carried out with little fanfare in the top Dutch division is the latest project to involve Hawk-Eye, a company based in southern England whose ball-tracking tools have become a familiar visual aid to umpires and fans in tennis and cricket over the past decade.
The technology is designed to address an issue faced by many televised sports, where instant replays and social media allow armchair fans to spot errors seconds after they have been made by officials with only their own instant judgment and perhaps an impaired view to rely on.
The work of Hawk-Eye, bought by Japanese electronics giant Sony in 2011, and rivals such as Germany's GoalControl enables sports to get more of those decisions right, creating a business opportunity and fuelling a debate about whether review technology slows down the game too much.
Paul Hawkins, who developed and gave his name to a system to complement television coverage of cricket in the 1990s and remains a director of the company, wants to end that debate.
"Sport at the top level is about fine margins," he said.
"You can't have something that only gets rid of the howler (blatant error) and doesn't help with the close calls."
Hawk-Eye is now helping to resolve goal line disputes in English soccer after the Premier League, the world's richest, became the first major domestic competition to bring in such technology.
FIFA, world soccer's governing body, has gone down a similar path after match officials failed to spot a goal by England's Frank Lampard in his country's defeat to Germany during the 2010 World Cup.
FIFA used a GoalControl system during the Confederations Cup in Brazil in June, leaving the Germans well placed to win the contract for next year's World Cup.
Hawk-Eye is now working with Dutch soccer authorities to take technology in soccer a step further with a full-blown trial of video refereeing.
The concept has been used for several years in sports such as rugby union and American football; Hawk-Eye aims to reduce the reliance on TV broadcast output to come up with quicker and clearer answers.
Its Officiating Replay System allows an extra referee to quickly monitor multiple TV feeds from the broadcaster before they are aired, to review contentious calls to, say, award a penalty kick or disallow a goal for offside.
The system fulfils the wish of many an armchair fan by offering the video referee a parallel feed running two seconds behind the live feed, effectively allowing for an instant review of a contentious incident that was only half-glimpsed.
For now, the Dutch trial is being used only to test the speed and reliability of the system, not to intervene in matches.
Hawkins said the trial aimed to answer a specific question: "On how many decisions could a video referee assist the on-field referee without slowing the game down?"
Hawk-Eye, which makes core profit of 4.5 million pounds ($7.23 million) on annual revenues of between 15 and 20 million, sees Major League Baseball (MLB) as one potential new market.
Baseball already uses instant replays to judge whether home runs have been scored, and is now looking at extending the system to judge whether runners make it safely to base or not.
Hawk-Eye, which employs 70 people at its base in the southern English town of Basingstoke, plans to set up an office in Boston as part of a push into American markets.
Despite the advances of technology, arguments over close calls are unlikely to disappear — which may be good news for fans who like an argument, and the media who feed that appetite.
The cricket test series between England and Australia this summer, the oldest rivalry in the sport, was marked by arguments over the reliability of a system designed to make it easier for umpires to decide whether a batsman had hit the ball.
BBG, the Australian company that developed the Hotspot technology, eventually had to call for protective coatings to be taken off bats to make the system work better.
($1 = 0.6221 British pounds)
Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Kevin Liffey


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A nice chessproblem
This one is quite a nice one, it is quite high rated at chesstempo let's see how you people can play this one out.
[FEN "4r1k1/1r3p1p/pp1RnQ1B/7q/8/6P1/P4PKP/2R5 w - - 0 0"] White to move
The answer and the explanation will be put next Thursday.
Good day everyone.


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Online Dining Reservations
If you have any trouble making online reservations, please call: (410) 267-9549 ext. 1
See NOAA Chart 12283 - Annapolis Harbor. EYC is located at Sycamore Point, across the river from the Naval Academy. There is limited transient dockage available, and there is a dinghy dock. Anchoring off EYC is permitted, but captains unfamiliar with the harbor should beware of a shallow "bump" just off the entrance to the EYC marina. Docking on the EYC bulkhead is not advised as it is quite shallow against the bulkhead and the area is subject to wakes from boat traffic and a considerable surge in certain wind conditions. The EYC clubhouse is painted a distinctive yellow with dark red trim. The club does NOT monitor the VHF radio.


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49ers headquarters gets a new face
Just as the 49ers as a team are under construction in Mike Singletary's first full season as head coach, so too is the building they call home.
No, not Candlestick Park. The team's headquarters at 4949 Centennial Blvd. in Santa Clara is in the midst of its first major renovation since opening as a state-of-the-art facility in 1988.
A two-phase project adding 9,000 square feet of space for players and office employees is under way. First things first, the weight room was expanded to include more instruments of torture.
Racks of old-school kettlebells and heavy chains have their place alongside the latest weight machines, racks of free weights and exercise balls and elastic tubing. It's now a showplace for touring free agents as well as a place to hunker down for serious work.
"They really did a good job of utilizing the space to make it more conducive for players to come in and be a part of the offseason program," guard Tony Wragge said. "The trainers got together with the people upstairs (in management) and said let's increase the space and make it more appealing for guys to come in and work out. It's definitely a competitive business when it comes to attracting free agents to make us better. The 49ers are really committing to making that happen."
Additional office space, an in-house kitchen and an expanded players' lounge are still to be completed. The expanded weight room will necessitate blowing out the eastern wall of the locker room and pushing its boundary onto what is a walkway leading to and from the practice fields.
The entire renovation is expected to be completed by November.
"The facility was built in 1988. It was just time to enhance some things," said Keena Turner, the former Super Bowl linebacker now serving as the team's vice president of football affairs. "The facility has become a year-round facility. Back in the day, it served the team for six months. We've grown over the years in total employees."
Players taking part in a minicamp Friday through Sunday will be inconvenienced by construction to the locker room but the finished product in July will give them more space.
An area to the south of the practice fields currently serving as a patio will be converted into needed office space, complete with a second-floor expansion.
"We've got people crowded in every corner up there," said Lisa Lang, vice president of communications. "It will allow us to reconfigure the office to make better use of work flow."
The work flow in the weight room has been improved with the expansion, with players giving a thumbs-up to the project that created dedicated space for a dozen or so stationary bikes, treadmills and stair climbers.
"We definitely appreciate it as players," tackle Joe Staley said. "They're making this a top-notch facility. It gives us more resources to get better. It's not only good for us, it's good for attracting guys (unrestricted free agents) to come here."
Staley was in the weight room recently working up a sweat on a "dual cable cross" machine that he called "the best machine ever."
"You can do a variety of different exercises on it," he said. "We probably do 10 different exercises on it. We can work our core and abs and legs. If your goal is to have a home gym, you want to have this machine and a squat rack. That's all you need."
Although his weight is the same as it was last season, 315 pounds, Staley said he feels better about himself from his work in the team's offseason program, much of it in the weight room.
"You can see the transformation in people's bodies," Staley said. "My goal coming in was to lean-up and still gain weight. I feel in the last month I've lowered my percentage of body fat to where I was in college. This is the most flexible I've been."
Another workout warrior is cornerback Nate Clements, who counts himself as a fan of the weight-room expansion.
"Just like bringing players in, the organization is trying to show they're taking steps to win by fixing up the weight room and improving the players' lounge," Clements said. "It makes a better working environment for the entire staff. Everyone is having fun, competing, trying to get better as a team and individually."


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Owner admits killing dog that bit him
A Gardnerville Ranchos man pleaded guilty Wednesday to firing 27 shots, killing a dog that bit him, and said if the loaded gun hadn't been available, he would have killed his pet with a shovel.
James Skiman, 61, pleaded guilty to unlawful discharge of a firearm and cruelty to animals.
Judge Pro Tem Paul Gilbert set sentencing for March 12.
In exchange for Skiman's guilty pleas, a charge of possession of a firearm with a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.10 was dismissed.
The offenses are misdemeanors, punishable by fines of up to $1,000 and six months in Douglas County Jail.
Skiman said Wednesday that on Nov. 19 he was cleaning his weapon, a .45-calliber handgun when Banner, an 11-year-old English pointer mix, bit him in the face in an unprovoked attack.
"I was cleaning my firearm, and I loaded it. I shot him until I knew he was dead," Skiman said. "This will probably hurt me, but if the gun had been locked in the (gun) safe, I would have taken a shovel and beat him to death with it."
Skiman said 16 months ago, the dog — again unprovoked — bit his neck, requiring 16 stitches. On Nov. 19, the dog bit his lip, requiring 50 stitches.
According to the sheriff's office, Skiman was still firing a .45-caliber handgun at the dog when deputies arrived at his Rubio Way home.
Reports indicated he fired 27 rounds at the dog, and at least eight bullets hit the animal.
Skiman, who was a volunteer with Douglas Animal Welfare Group, said he adopted Banner because he was afraid the dog, with a history of aggressive behavior, would be put down. The animal bit a 4-year-old girl in the face, and a shelter volunteer on the hand before Skiman took the dog.
Prosecutor Erik Levin said Skiman had been warned about the animal at least two times before the shooting.
When deputies responded to the Rubio Way home at 9:30 p.m. the night of the incident, they said Skiman was still firing.
He was taken to Carson Valley Medical Center for treatment for his injuries before being transported to Douglas County Jail.


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Fifteen wealthy American philanthropists made charitable gifts of $100 million or more in 2013 for a total of $3.4 billion, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Last year, 11 donors made comparable gifts, totaling $5 billion. However, $3 billion of the 2012 total comprised equal gifts from Warren Buffett to his three children's foundations. Subtract that, and the other biggest gifts added up to $2 billion.
The Chronicle bases its annual ranking on the 10 largest publicly announced single gifts; often more than 10 gifts appear on the list because of ties.
The increase in mega-gifts in 2013 was good news for charitable organizations, but nonprofits could also be buoyed by Chronicle data showing that all gifts of $1 million or more totaled nearly $9.6 billion, compared with $6.1 billion in 2012.
The Chronicle noted that although gains in the economy helped boost giving, ultra-affluent American donors did not contribute as much in 2013 as they had before the recession.
In 2007, the biggest gifts from individuals totaled $4.1 billion, and all of the amounts on that year's list were at least $100 million.
Following is the list of the 15 biggest gifts announced by individual donors in 2013 (including six contributions of the same size):
15. (tie) David Koch, businessman
$100 million (pledge)
New York-Presbyterian Hospital, for a new ambulatory-care center
15. (tie) Frank McCourt, real estate developer
$100 million (pledge)
Georgetown University, to create the McCourt School of Public Policy
15. (tie) Ronald Perelman, investor
$100 million (pledge)
Columbia Business School, for a new building
15. (tie) T. Denny Sanford, chairman of United National Corp.
$100 million (pledge)
University of California at San Diego, for a stem-cell center
15. (tie) Stephen Schwarzman, financer
$100 million (pledge)
Tsinghua University, for scholarships for graduate students around the world
15. (tie) Deborah Joy Simon, real estate heiress
$100 million (pledge)
Mercersburg Academy, for financial aid and academic programs
9. Charles Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
$110 million (pledge)
University of Michigan, for student housing
8. Irwin Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm, and his wife, Joan
$133 million (pledge)
The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute at Cornell NYC Tech
7. John Arrillaga, real estate developer
$151 million
Stanford University
6. Muriel Block, real estate heiress
$160 million (bequest)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
5. Stephen Ross, real estate developer
$200 million (pledge)
University of Michigan, for athletics and the business school
4. Charles Johnson, financer
$250 million (pledge)
Yale University, for new residential college buildings
3. Michael Bloomberg, businessman and former mayor of New York
$350 million (pledge)
The Johns Hopkins University, for an effort to promote cross-disciplinary work and for student financial aid
2. Phil Knight, Nike's chairman, and his wife, Penelope
$500 million (pledge)
Oregon Health & Science University Foundation, for cancer research
1. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder, and his wife, Priscilla Chan
$992.2 million
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Related stories on ThinkAdvisor:


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(Parenting.com) -- Q: I'm 28 and diabetic. Now my husband and I would like to have a baby. Is there anything I should worry about because of my condition?
A: Millions of women with diabetes have gone through healthy pregnancies and delivered healthy babies. There's no reason why you shouldn't also -- providing you take some precautions.
Diabetic mothers and their babies are at greater risk of having medical problems. The reason being when the mother's blood sugar goes out of control, excess sugar will cross through the placenta. This will then trigger the baby to release increased insulin, potentially causing a state of hyperinsulinism.
Since insulin is a fat-storage hormone, the resulting biochemical imbalances can cause babies to gain fat, and excessively large babies can cause more risky deliveries. The better you take care of yourself, the greater your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby. Here's what you need to do:
Get your diabetes under good control. When you become pregnant, you suddenly have two important reasons for taking care of yourself -- your and your baby's health. It's important to keep your blood sugar as stable as possible. You can no longer afford those indulgences of high blood sugar one day and needing more insulin, followed by low blood sugar another day and needing less insulin. You will need to follow the blood-sugar-control program your doctor prescribed very closely. The more stable your blood sugar, the less likely your complications during pregnancy and delivery.
Eat the right carbs. Not only do you need a lower carbohydrate diet when you have diabetes, it's equally important to eat the right carbs. You need foods that won't trigger the roller coaster effect of blood sugar swings. Here's Dr. Bill's right-carb lecture in a nutshell. A right carb, or a good carb, food is one that comes packaged with protein, fiber, or fat. The way I explain it to the kids in my practice is, a good carb holds hands with three friends: proteins, fat, and fiber. These "friends" keep the carb from entering the bloodstream too fast. The best carbs, in order, are: vegetables, high fiber fruits, dairy products, and unprocessed whole grains. As a simple guide, a good carb is one that comes right off the plant and doesn't make a stop at any food factories.
Stay away from the wrong carbs. As you might guess, the wrong carbs are those that stand alone. Processed or refined carbs don't hold hands with friends like protein, fat, and fiber. As a result, these carbs enter the bloodstream really fast and cause high blood sugar. Very simply, avoid all processed carbs. You especially want to stay away from the corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in sweetened beverages, high sugar pastries, and those "packaged bads" like you see at the supermarket checkout. In fact, there's usually an aisle in the supermarket you just don't go down. That's the bad carb aisle.
Have smaller, more frequent meals. Grazing throughout the day rather than binging keeps blood sugar stable. As your uterus grows and pushes on your stomach and intestines, you will find that grazing on mini meals is more comfortable anyway.
Eat more protein. Strive for at least 100 grams a day. Since you will be eating fewer carbs, you'll naturally make that up with extra protein. Protein-rich foods are more filling than carbs, and they satisfy appetite the best. The best protein foods are: nonfat or low-fat dairy products (especially yogurt), tofu, wild salmon, eggs, lean beef and poultry, and beans.
Fill up with fiber. I'm sure you know the effect pregnancy hormones have on your emotions, but you might not know that they also slow down the movement of your intestines. That's why pregnant women need extra fiber to speed the passage of food waste. Fiber is also filling without being fattening. Best fiber foods are: vegetables, fruits, beans, prunes, pears, plums, flaxseed meal, and whole grains.
Change your oils. Avoid any food that has the word "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on the label. These are factory-processed oils which can cause biochemical disturbances in your body and contribute to obesity. Replace them with fish oils, especially wild salmon. (But pregnant mothers should avoid fish such as shark and swordfish, that might contain high levels of mercury.) Since farmed salmon contains more pesticides, stick to wild Alaskan salmon. Canned salmon is usually wild. And if you can't stomach seafood during pregnancy, ask your obstetrician to prescribe some high quality fish oil capsules. Take at least one gram a day. Other healthy oils and fats are olive oil, nut-butters, and egg yolk.
Control your weight. The more excess body fat you carry, the more difficult it is to control your blood sugar. Obesity also puts you at risk for having complications during pregnancy and delivery, such as toxemia and premature birth. Get yourself lean (meaning having the right percentage of body fat for your individual body type) before you are pregnant. Exercise right during pregnancy. And as a pregnancy perk, as you exercise it stimulates your body to produce feel-good hormones. So, exercise also improves your sense of well-being.
Just because you have diabetes doesn't mean you have to do anything special during pregnancy. In fact, I recommend all pregnant women follow these health tips. If you have diabetes, you simply have to follow them more meticulously for your own well-being and that of your baby. E-mail to a friend
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Copyright 2007 The Parenting Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


text: Mike Suchan, OutdoorChannel.com One Man's Trash … Bottom Feeders constitute treasure for some northern fishermen Tim Adams (right) makes a big haul of 10,000 pounds of buffalo with George Richtman (left) and Chris, another worker. (Richard Carlson photo) PEPIN, Wis. – To make his living, Tim Adams takes out the trash. As in trash fish -- the carp, drum, buffalo and other species most anglers don't target with line and hook, nor flour and oil.One of the subjects of Outdoor Channel reality show "Bottom Feeders presented by RAM," Adams is totally entangled with these fish, has been for half his life. The 36-year-old who lives in Wabasha, Minn., not only nets them several days a week out of his 30-foot Lund johnboat, but he manages the plant across the Mississippi River in Pepin where these fish are processed and packaged."I try to quit every day," he says of being inside the walls of the Clear Springs Fish Company. "Now, I was thrown into this job. I never asked for it. I never wanted it, but here I am. I've been doing it for six years, and I've tried quitting, but I can't quit."Click image to see the photo gallery Maybe he's got too much fish oil in his blood. His life revolves around fish and the "big haul," whether it's going after trash fish with a seine net, competing on a walleye tournament series or overseeing the processing and shipping of thousands of pounds of fish each week. There are around 10 commercial net fishermen who ply this stretch of the upper Mississippi River and the region's lakes, delivering fish to the plant for pennies on the pound. A 1,000-pound boatload might earn $150, so trash doesn't equal great treasure. It's more hard work. The life isn't for everyone, maybe just those few wired so roughly."It's fun," Adams says at the plant. "I thrive. I gotta be busy. I gotta always be, all day long, every day. If I ain't in here, I'm on the river doing, or at home doing. I don't like stopping."Circle of lifeAnother who's hard to stop is fellow commercial fisherman and "Bottom Feeders" subject Mike Johnson of Pepin. After a night of tending bar at Ralph's Bar and Mary's Kitchen, he goes out most mornings to retrieve whatever's in his mile of nets. The gill nets, which have a lead line to sink it to the bottom and a buoy line to float its coverage 10 feet up, are placed strategically in waterways where fish most likely will move."Basically fish are swimming, so if you get in there where they are, they're going to swim into that net. Some are, some ain't," says Johnson, who works six 500-foot sections, each with his name emblazoned on the buoys. "There's no real perfect rhyme or reason to them." After muscling in the net and fish, Johnson heads off to the plant. Pulling up to the loading dock, he now separates his fish from the netting. Wearing blue rubber gloves that are a staple in the industry, Johnson uses a tool with a short metal hook on a handle to yank the netting over the fish bodies.His crew throws the fish, as well as a pair of snapping turtles, into buckets on the loading dock as plant workers separate the species into large rolling bins. They get weighed and iced. Johnson waits for the final tally to get his daily bread. He might rest a bit before putting out more nets, then clean up for another night moonlighting at the bar.Adams and Johnson need commercial fishing licenses specific to fish both Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as another for inland bodies of water, and their mates need an apprentice license. The states require fees of $5 per 100 foot of gill net and $9 each 100 feet of seine. For a year, all the licenses might run around $500. Carp diemCommon carp are the lowest priced fish, going for 10 cents a pound. Catfish might get 50 cents a pound. Buffalo, for its whiter meat, have gained in popularity and garner somewhere in between.While most towns have a "Catfish House" restaurant of some kind, eateries that specialize in carp or buffalo are few and far between. Most Americans consider them trash fish and won't consider eating them, but carp and similar rough fish have a big market overseas, and in select U.S. cities."Carp is like the No. 1 source of protein in the world," Adams says. "It's just another fish."Adam's plant is among the 100 suppliers to Schafer Fisheries, which sells about 30 million pounds of fish each year. Schafer, with facilities in Fulton and Thomson, Ill., is the Midwest's largest processor and wholesale/retail distributor of fresh fish and frozen seafood. Most of the bottom feeders are sent out to major U.S. cities with ethnic populations, Eastern Europe and Asia, sales manager Steven McNitt said."In the U.S., a lot of these fish go to Asian people and it's the preferred fish for most people from the Eastern Bloc Russian countries," he says. "If it wasn't for the ethnic people, we probably couldn't market carp in the U.S. The big reason most Americans don't eat it is they don't want to want deal with the bones."Carp have an abundance of intramuscular bones. There are some restaurants that score carp and deep fry it, disintegrating the bones. But McNitt said that only works on smaller fish, not those 10- to 50-pounders Adams and Johnson capture in their 8-inch netting, which allows smaller sport fish to escape.Common yellow carp is a food staple in Europe. Anglers there have targeted them for years and there's a major carp fishing tournament scene, an extensive of which is now increasing in America.Not many Americans choose carp for a father/son outing followed by a fish fry, but Schafer promises to process rough fish any way "the customer wants." They sell whole fish, fresh or frozen and cut filets and steaks.Adams has a team making quick work of hefty carp with a band saw, slicing each into four or five chunks, some of which make their way to the minus 20-degree flash freezer. McNitt says Schafer also makes fish hot dogs, salami, jerky and gifelte fish. Their web site offers a Smoked Carp Chunk of 1 pound for $5.25.Somebody's buying it. Adams plant moves 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of carp each week. The demand rises dramatically around the holidays, McNitt says, as it's a traditional Christmas dinner for Polish people."My demand probably triples during the holidays," he says. "The Pols buy 300,000 pounds of carp in December and most of that goes to Chicago and Detroit."Renewable resourceThirty million pounds a year sounds like a lot of the resource, but that's spread over a wide region, including the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Neil Vanderbosch of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, who monitors the region around Pepin, isn't overly concerned with trash fish."Nobody really cares," Vanderbosch says. "We'd have to go out to do study, but it seems to be fairly stable. We're more concerned with their bycatch."Vanderbosch works as a fisheries program consultant who keeps an eye on commercial fisherman. They submit monthly catch reports to him, and their numbers have been down in recent years."They've had their heyday, harvesting 6 to 7 million pounds. Lately, it's only 2 to 3 million pounds a year," he says.Besides wanting sport fish to evade nets or be thrown back alive, bycatch worries include the invasive Asian carp, and the state is working to study paddlefish and sturgeon to keep them around. Adams, for one, and his nets are used by state biologists conducting fish surveys."We hire him to look more for Asian carp," says Vanderbosch, who adds Adams might help them clean out lakes of the trash fish. "We used to have our own crews, when common carp really started taking over lakes. We went out and tried to get most of them out of the lakes. It wasn't cost effective for us. It's not a long-term solution for rough fish control … until you can stop them from coming back in."The theory is the bottom feeders affect sport fishing, muddying the water and preventing plant growth. The body of water is altered where the trash fish take over."They re-suspend the sediment that's on the bottom, in the process, it makes the water very dirty and releases a lot of nutrients. The light can't reach into the water to grow plants," said Dan Dieterman, a river biologist in Lake City, Minn. "The water becomes pea green soup with all the suspended silt and sediments, and the fish community changes from sight oriented to more bottom feeding."In some of our inland waters, some of our lakes that are really small, they will contract with a commercial fisherman to come in and remove the bottom feeders."Although there are other factors involved, the general concept is removing the mass of rough fish improves the water for sport fish.Glad to do itAdams has been up for the task. Last winter, he had a major catch that required tractor trailers -- that's plural -- to haul it off over two days. His crew drove their equipment onto an iced over 15,000-acre lake southwest of Minneapolis, chopped holes and sent their nets out with submersibles.The nets were drawn in toward their "dipper," a big hydraulic fish scoop, and Adams was standing in the hole surrounded by fish when he responded to a voicemail. With a whole heaping of Minnesota amicability and a real "you-betcha" attitude, he politely asked if he can get back later."Yeah, seining right now," he says. "Five below zero. Standing in a pair of waders. Eight guys and one lady stacking net. A couple hundred thousand pounds of fish in the net. We're going to murder them. Lots of them."His crew separated the fish and boxed them right there on the two-foot thick ice. An 18-wheeler on shore was loaded up with live buffalo for a trip to New York City. The big haul required another four semi-tractor trailers, all going to Schafer."You normally don't catch a couple hundred thousand pounds, but today was a good day. Tomorrow we'll empty out that bag and know what we got for fish," Adams says.The buffalo, carp and white carp totaled 200,000 pounds, half of which were the pricier buffalo, so a treasure-like payday was in the offing. It's the kind of catch Adams lives for, what keeps him going in sub-zero temps, in fish up to his armpits, in blazing heat, in rain and rough water.Dieterman agrees the life isn't for everybody."I've grown up in this area and I actually worked for a commercial fisherman," he said. "It's very fascinating. Obviously, there's some colorful characters out there. For a lot of these commercial guys, they like to be on the water and they like to harvest fish."A lot of them, I don't know if they have a good business sense, but Tim definitely has a very good business sense. He's running one of Schafer's markets. He's doing well for himself."Because he gets to "keep doing," because he's on the water fishing, living from nature's resources, Adams seems happy. Just as long as he gets out of those damned walls of the fish plant."I tried going fishing full time and telling (the boss) I quit," Adams said, "but he keeps sending me my paycheck, so here I am. So I keep running the place."Eh, it's a living."Bottom Feeders presented by RAM" Show Page Get Your Fish On. Plan your next fishing and boating adventure here. GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing. Sign Me Up


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Beer Kits
Our beer kits make it easy and economical to brew your own beer at home. From old favourites like Woodforde's, Geordie and Muntons Connoisseur to high quality newcomers such as Festival, St. Peter's and Bulldog Brews, or via more exotic experiences with Beers Of The World or Brewferm, there will be a beer kit for every taste and budget. And, of course, lager kits are included here, too.
Browse through our categories to find a beer kit to suit your budget, or type a single keyword into the 'Search' to find the beer kit you are interested in.
Happy Brewing!
Muntons Connoisseur Wheat Beer Kit
Made from a careful balance of wheat and barley malt, this is a crisp ...£15.49


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Minita Ramirez, Ph. D.
Vice President
Division of Student Success
Gina Gonzalez
Associate Vice President
Division of Student Success
Welcome to Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and the Division of Student Success!
It's our proud mission to help you enjoy a seamless transition to TAMIU and your continued progress here. We're all committed to your success and our partnerships with your high school and our communities deepen our commitment to your educational achievement.
Simply put, our goal is to make sure you "Get what you want out of life!"
Here at TAMIU you'll have a true international experience as you learn and live on campus. You'll join over 6,400 students from across the nation and around the world. Equally diverse is our gifted faculty and dedicated staff.
The Division of Student Success is dedicated to cultivating an environment of respect, integrity, service, and excellence. Through motivation, accessibility and support, we empower our diverse student population to develop their greatest potential that continues beyond graduation.
Goal 1: Increase enrollment of a diverse student population
Goal 2: Support student learning
Goal 3: Effective and innovative use of technology
Goal 4: Improve efficiency and customer service
Goal 5: Invest in staff success
The Zaffirini Success Center (ZSC) is a one stop shop model. Prospective and current students will be able to access needed services to apply for admission, take placement exams, register for classes, apply for financial aid, request transcripts, pay for classes, buy books, and obtain academic advising services all under one roof. The University Success Center is being made possible by State funding initiated by Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) in the 2006 legislative session.
The ZSC is home to the following offices:
We're all proud of our nearly 80 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs that can only help you succeed and truly help you obtain you the life you want and deserve.
Working to that end, your Division of Student Success includes:
Again, we welcome you to TAMIU and pledge our total commitment to your success. Please stop by and visit and we'll discuss any special needs or concerns you might have.I look forward to seeing you on campus!


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10 Outdoor Space Colorful Ideas 1-2
Well I have to say most people I know are indeed ready for spring as well as summer. Some still don't think it has arrived and that is why today I am featuring 10 Outdoor Space Colorful Ideas that will get you indeed in the mood for spring and summer. Click on over to start checking out all 10 of these beautiful outdoor spaces today!


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Difference between revisions of "Lorelei"
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*Lorelei is the first Elite Four member other than the Champion to be seen outside of battle in the games. This is only true for Generation III. The second is {{EF|Flint}} of the [[Sinnoh]] Elite Four in [[Generation IV]].
*Lorelei is the first Elite Four member other than the Champion to be seen outside of battle in the games. This is only true for Generation III. The second is {{EF|Flint}} of the [[Sinnoh]] Elite Four in [[Generation IV]].
* Lorelei is the only member of any Elite Four who has had their in-game home shown, on [[Floe Island]], in FireRed and LeafGreen.
* Lorelei is the only member of any Elite Four who has had their in-game home shown, on [[Floe Island]], in FireRed and LeafGreen.
* Lorelei is the only Ice-type specialist who wears eyeglasses.
Revision as of 20:18, 5 February 2011
- Prima redirects here. For strategy guide, see Prima's Official Strategy Guides.
| Lorelei
カンナ Kanna
Art from FireRed and LeafGreen
|Eye color
|Hair color
|Four Island
|Sevii Islands
|Trainer class
|Elite Trainer
|Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Pokémon Stadium
|Elite Four of
|Indigo Plateau
|Specializes in
|Anime debut
|The Mandarin Island Miss Match
|English voice actor
|Jayne Grand
|Japanese voice actor
|Maria Kawamura
Lorelei (Japanese: カンナ Kanna, known as Prima in the anime dub) is a master Template:Type2 Trainer and member of the Kanto Elite Four.
- 1 In the games
- 2 In the anime
- 3 In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- 4 Trivia
- 5 Names
In the games
Lorelei is the first Trainer of the Elite Four. She is known for her logical, calculated, and cool style of battling.
In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions it's revealed that she grew up on Floe Island. Lorelei returns to her home to protect the Icefall Cave from Team Rocket at one point in the game. She also collects stuffed Pokémon dolls that she keeps in her house on Floe Island.
Her Lapras has been with her ever since she was a child. She caught it when she was very young in the Icefall Cave.
Misty idolizes her, as in the anime.
Her whereabouts in Generation II and Generation IV are unknown, as she is no longer a member of the Elite Four, and no mention of her is made, though dialog present in FireRed and LeafGreen indicates she may have given up her position among the Elite Four to protect her friends and family in the Sevii Islands.
Fame Checker
This is a list of the Fame Checker's information on Lorelei in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions.
- Pokémon League - Lorelei
- What does this person do?
- "I am Lorelei of the Elite Four."
- Pokémon League - Lorelei
- Favorite kind of Pokémon?
- "No one can best me when it comes to icy Pokémon."
- Four Island - old man
- Where was this person born?
- "We've had a great and powerful Trainer grow up on this island.
- I bet even you'd know her.
- It's Lorelei of the Elite Four!"
- Five Island - Pokémon Journal
- What is this person like?
- "Known for her logical, calculated, and cool battling style, Lorelei Has a surprising secret!"
- Four Island - little girl
- What is this person like?
- "Did you know Lorelei has lots and lots of stuffed dolls?
- Every time she comes back to Four Island, her collection grows!"
- Four Island - old lady
- Favorite kind of Pokémon?
- "The Lapras she has, I imagine it to be the one she met as a child.
- I believe it was in Icefall Cave that she caught it.
- Perhaps that Pokémon has been with her ever since."
- Message from Lorelei
- From: Lorelei
- To: [Player]
- "I needed to thank you for your help.
- But that has nothing to do with our battles. You'd better watch out next time!"
This listing is of Lorelei's Pokémon in the games in which she has appeared.
Red, Blue, and Green
Pokémon Yellow
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
First battle
Second battle
Pokémon Stadium
Round 1
Round 2
Pokémon Red and Blue
- Before battle
- "Welcome to Pokémon League! I am Lorelei of the Elite Four! No one can best me when it comes to icy Pokémon! Freezing moves are powerful! Your Pokémon will be at my mercy when they are frozen solid! Hahaha! Are you ready?"
- During battle
- "How dare you!"
- When defeated
- "You're better than I thought! Go on ahead! You only got a taste of Pokémon League power!"
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
First battle
- Before battle
- "Welcome to Pokémon League! I am Lorelei of the Elite Four! No one can best me when it comes to icy Pokémon. Freezing moves are powerful. You Pokémon will be at my mercy when they are frozen solid! Hahaha! Are you ready?"
- When defeated
- "How dare you!"
- After being defeated
- "You're better than I thought! Go on ahead! You only got a taste of the Pokémon League's power."
- Before battle
- "Welcome to Pokémon League! I, Lorelei of the Elite Four, have returned! You know how it goes. No one can best me when it comes to icy Pokémon. Freezing moves are powerful. You Pokémon will be at my mercy when they are frozen solid! Hahaha! Are you ready?"
- When defeated
- "...Things shouldn't be going this way!"
- After being defeated
- "You're better than I thought! Go on ahead! You only got a taste of the Pokémon League's power."
|File:FL Lorelei.png
| Lorelei's sprite from
Generation I
| Lorelei's sprite from
| Lorelei's sprite from
Generation III
| Lorelei's artwork from
Pokémon Stadium
In the anime
Lorelei's name was changed to Prima in the English version of the anime episode The Mandarin Island Miss Match. According to 4Kids, this was to fit the amount of syllables; the English name "Lorelei" is three syllables while the Japanese name "Kanna" is only two.
While on Mandarin Island, Ash learned that Lorelei was going to be giving a lecture. Misty was very excited, as Lorelei was her idol.
Ash enthusiastically challenged her, but Lorelei didn't seem to take notice of him, unimpressed by the young Trainer. Lorelei did, however, invite them to her lecture and demonstration.
After Ash insisted once again, Lorelei finally agreed to a battle - that Ash lost horribly. Lorelei said that Ash had the potential to become great, but needed to find more inner strength, since he had forgotten what really connecting with his Pokémon was.
Lorelei had a sort of dreamy, spaced-out personality and often reacted slowly to things. Her strategy in life is to go with the flow, like water, but to become as hard as ice in battle.
She sells recordings of her lectures at high prices.
This listing is of Lorelei's Pokémon in the anime:
| Lorelei first used her Slowbro to calm down Ash's rampaging Charizard. With its Disable, Slowbro was easily able to stop Charizard and bring it back down to the ground so Ash was able to recall it.
Lorelei also used Slowbro during her lecture. It was easily able to take out an unnamed Trainer's Machamp with a Mega Punch.
|The Mandarin Island Miss Match
|Voice actors
|Eric Stuart
|Lorelei's Cloyster
Cloyster is Lorelei's main Pokémon. She first used it during her lecture, where it was easily able to freeze an unnamed Trainer's Kadabra with a strong Blizzard. She also later used Cloyster in her battle against Ash's Pikachu. Despite that Pikachu managed to damage Cloyster with Thunder, Cloyster was easily able to defeat it with an Aurora Beam-Take Down combo.
|The Mandarin Island Miss Match
|Voice actors
|Katsuyuki Konishi
|Michael Haigney
|Lorelei's Jynx
|Lorelei used her Jynx when Team Rocket arrived in order to steal Pikachu. Jynx first froze Team Rocket with an Ice Punch* and then sent them blasting off by using Blizzard.
|The Mandarin Island Miss Match
|Voice actors
|Rachael Lillis
|Lorelei's Dewgong
| Not much is known about Lorelei's Dewgong, as it has only been seen briefly during Lorelei's lecture, where it defeated an unnamed Trainer's Marowak.
Dewgong's only known move is Ice Beam.
|The Mandarin Island Miss Match
|Voice actors
|Eric Stuart
Voice actors
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Lorelei is a villainess in the Pokémon Adventures manga. She is one of the Elite Four, and along with Bruno, Agatha, and Lance - she tried to take over the world and kill all humans who weren't nice to Pokémon. She keeps a small webcam in a cosmetics case to communicate with Agatha. She has the ability to make voodoo dolls out of ice. She was recruited by Agatha when she was little and she healed her Seel and Agatha found out that they both hated human's cruelty towards Pokémon, and she joined the Elite Four.
She froze Red and Sabrina in ice, causing them severe injuries that continued to harm them for several years. She later found Yellow and Bill in the Viridian Forest and attacked them with her Dewgong and Cloyster. She used their combined powers to make an "Ice Spike Cannon" to bury the two of them alive but Yellow used Pikachu to study the move from inside its Poké Ball and then Yellow read its mind and knocked out Cloyster, making the attack useless. Lorelei then gave chase to her and Bill and once they jumped into a river Lorelei froze it over. Lorelei then started asking questions about Yellow's power, and if she could read Pika's past thoughts. Before these questions were answered Yellow had Ratty use Hyper Fang through the iceberg and free them. When Lorelei was about to send out her Pokémon once again, Green deflected her Poké Ball and Yellow and Bill got away. Lorelei then contacted Agatha with her cosmetics case about Yellows ability and proclaims that if Yellow's power grows she will be able to read the past memories of Pika and learn the details of Red and Bruno's battle. She then delegates Yellow as the new target of the Elite Four.
She then has her Shellder and Cloyster attack Celadon City in order to stall Erika.
Green and Sabrina battle her at Cerise Island. Lorelei used her voodoo dolls to chain Green and Sabrina together and eventually freeze them just like she did to Red. Their lack of team work got Green knocked out (Green was being targeted since she was the one who humiliated her with her battle with Yellow). After a while Green woke back up and was able to save the two of them with Blasty before they fell of a cliff. She then had her Clefable use Minimize to steal the dolls from Lorelei, having Blasty break away the two dolls, with Green's arm being cut off accidently. It was then revealed that the whole time her arm was actually Ditty and that getting her arm "cut off" was part off her plans and had Ditty tie her up. Sabrina suffered wounds due to the ice cuffs Lorelei put on her. Sabrina and Red were forced to deal with painful wounds from Lorelei's ice cuffs (since Green's arm that was in the cuffs was Ditty she did not suffer the same injuries).
Lorelei vanished for several years, and has only recently made another appearance. She saved Red and Blue from Team Rocket's Beast Warrior Trio. She decided to ally herself with Red and Blue, because Team Rocket invaded her home, the Sevii Islands.
This listing is of Lorelei's Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga.
| Dewgong is Lorelei's very first Pokémon that she obtained as a Seel, and is one of her most used Pokémon. In addition to its using Ice Beam in conjunction with Cloyster's Spike Cannon to create a massive impact, Dewgong has been known to use its Ice attacks for sliding.
Dewgong's known moves are Ice Beam, Aurora Beam, and Blizzard.
|Do Wrong Dewgong!
Cloyster was first used along with Dewgong to trap Bill and Yellow. Cloyster was seen to be very strong both defensively and offensive, as it was able to use Spike Cannon to easily trap them. However, it was defeated by a wide variety of characters, typically by exploiting its vulnerabilities.
| Lorelei's Jynx was best known for her freezing abilities. She was first seen trying to prevent Red from escaping by extending her extremely long hair and using it to grip his neck tightly.
Jynx's known moves are Ice Beam, Pound, Lovely Kiss, and Thrash.
|Jigglypuff Jive
| Slowbro is another Pokémon belonging to Lorelei to not be an Ice-type. It was first seen while Yellow and the others were flying on a Jigglypuff and Green used her special goggles to see through her Horsea's SmokeScreen.
Slowbro's only known move is Amnesia.
|Playing Horsea
| Slowking is one of Lorelei's non-ice type Pokémon. She used it to bail herself out along with Red, Blue, Bill and their Pokémon by using Dig. Although it was first seen in the FireRed & LeafGreen chapter, its existence was alluded as early as the Yellow chapter, when Lorelei mentions that had a Shellder bitten a Slowpoke in the head, it would have made it much more formidable.
Slowking's only known move is Dig.
|Enter The Three Beasts
|Lapras was seen with Lorelei while on the Sea Gallop.
|Attacking the Entire Island
|Lorelei's Shellder
| This Shellder is not part of Lorelei's multiple minions belonging to Agatha's army. She was used to save Kimberly from falling.
Shellder's only known move is Icicle Spear.
|Father's name is Sakaki
|Shellder (multiple)
| Lorelei's multiple Shellder were seen attacking the cities in Kanto. Yet, Erika was one of the Gym Leaders who was trying to stop them from attacking.
Shellder's only known move is Clamp.
|Playing Horsea
- Lorelei has been depicted with various hair colors: blonde (Pokémon Stadium), purple (Generation I, Pokémon Adventures, and the anime), and red (Generation III).
- According to Pokémon Adventures, Lorelei's birthday is March 15 and her blood type is A.
- In the novelization of the anime episode where Lorelei appeared, she is still referred to as Prima, except for one error near the novelization's ending where she is called Lorelei.
- Lorelei is the only member of the Kanto Elite Four, excluding the Champion, who lacks two Pokémon of the same species, Bruno has two Onix, Agatha has two Gengar, and Lance has two Dragonair.
- Lorelei is the first Elite Four member other than the Champion to be seen outside of battle in the games. This is only true for Generation III. The second is Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four in Generation IV.
- Lorelei is the only member of any Elite Four who has had their in-game home shown, on Floe Island, in FireRed and LeafGreen.
|カンナ Kanna
|The canna lily. From 寒 kan, cold.
|English, German, Italian, Spanish
|Lorelei (Prima)
|The name of a siren whose beauty and voice lured sailors of the Rhine River to their deaths. In the anime her name is Prima.
|Olga (Sirena)
|Stereotypical Scandinavian name. In the anime she's called Sirena, from sirène, mermaid.
|칸나 Kanna
|Hangul transliteration of カンナ Kanna.
|Chinese (Taiwan)
| 科拿 Kēná (anime)
康娜 Kāngnà (manga)
|Transliteration of カンナ Kanna.
|Chinese (PRC and Hong Kong)
|科拿 Kēná
|Transliteration of カンナ Kanna.
|This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.


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There is no way that a person can draw too many cats. That is why I wanted to make a lesson on "how to draw chibi cats", step by step. Drawing any type of chibi animal is incredibly fun and easy to do. Unless of course you are making a detailed sketch for realism, but if you're just drawing basic chibi animals it should be pretty simple. The two cats that you will be drawing are in a very playful pose. I decided to make them siblings and because of this, you can choose to make them sister and sister, brother and brother, or sister and brother. In my case I wanted them to be brother and sister because they remind me of my brother and sister who are always playing with each other. My brother is twelve and he is a real sport because he will sit there and play with my little sister for hours just because she has no one her age in the family to play with. The tiger looking chibi cat is supposed to be my seven year old sister and as you can see she is tackling my brother. He is just lying there wishing he didn't have to play with her at all. Anyways this is an extremely cute tutorial that will teach you "how to draw chibi cats". I will be back with more drawing fun so stay tuned in. Adios people!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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I was particularly interested in a piece about famous experts making poor predictions. The author, US psychologist and university professor Philip Tetlock, concludes that experts on average perform little better than a chimpanzee throwing arrows.
Tetlock distinguishes between two categories of expert predicters. The first is an expert who focuses on a single idea, largely ignoring additional information sources and becoming completely engulfed by in-depth analysis until he is absolutely certain that the idea is correct, and proven. The second category is described as experts with "real insight". These use a wide range of ideas for the different causes of a problem and are eager to accumulate any random information while accepting complexity as fact. This latter expert also prefers to say "perhaps" or "I am not sure" instead of "certain" or "impossible".
Tetlock shows that the second type of expert predicter proves the better forecaster. He described this outcome as a central paradox: audiences generally demand clear talk, yet research suggests that consideration, acceptance of new ideas and nuance should be promoted.
Tetlock shows an inverse relation between an expert's fame and their capability to make accurate predictions - and notes that their behaviour often matches category one predicters.
However, the article is part of a series that also includes an essay by a futurologist who fits seamlessly into both categories. He reports on solar energy developments, offering balanced views on future potential. Yet on wind, he exhibits negative bias and one-sided views. The expert points to public resentment against big wind farms, wind-power surpluses hampering Germany's energy transition and high offshore costs all as a status quo without prospects for improvement.
Every new year invites reflection and evaluation of past predictions. Predictions that fail to materialise still offer great learning experiences. These are said to be essential for the advancement of science and, therefore, are not by definition bad. Few will regret that the world did not end on 21 December 2012, and that the euro survived.
In last month's Windpower Monthly we selected our top products of 2012. The top three larger turbines all started as prototypes in 2004 and were developed at a time when nobody really knew how to design such large machines. Nine years on, all are making their wind-industry mark, but initial predictions made at the turn of the century for a speedy offshore wind-market kick-off proved far too optimistic. For the manufacturers, having put in money and effort, the combination of slow market development and project delays at least brought them extra time to test, improve and upgrade their new products.
In the drivetrain category we picked the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) as an enduring wind-industry winner. This technology was predicted to be obsolete in the mid 1990s, before Tacke Windtechnik introduced it in a 1.5MW variable speed turbine. Doom was again predicted in 2003 when German utility E.on Netz announced new compulsory grid requirements for wind operators in its supply area from January 2004. Yet major turbine manufacturer GE's 2012 switch from permanent magnet generators to DFIG shows a willingness to adapt - and that technology should never be written off too early.
UK-based Blade Dynamics has developed innovative lightweight modular rotor blade technology with a clever patented blade root design. The firm aims to develop blades as long as 100 metres for future 8-10MW offshore turbines. These are expected to weigh up to 40% less than conventional blades of similar length, and Windpower Monthly's prediction is that these innovations will make a difference, which led us to select it as best blade.
For innovation, we picked a hub generator design that fully separates rotor torque from rotor bending loads, promoting standardising and widening supply chain choice. Our prediction is that this should significantly support industry's efforts to cut costs through standardisation and industrialisation.
Recently I spoke to Siemens CTO Henrik Stiesdal about the launch of a new 4MW turbine. He noted that whenever a new product is being developed, engineers think that all further possibilities have been exhausted. But the potential for future technological innovation is non-predictable and continues to surprise us.
I am positive that this year will again produce a wealth of new ideas and solutions showing that an economic crisis does not stop innovation but fuels it. Whose predictions will prove right or wrong remains to be seen.
Eize de Vries is Windpower Monthly's technology and market trends consultant.


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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX has once again yanked "Hole in the Wall" while newcomer "Osbournes: Reloaded" is getting a shave.
Repeats of "American Dad" and "King of the Hill" will assume "Wall's" Sunday, 7:00/6:00c slot effective immediately. The series posted an invisible 0.8 rating among adults 18-49 over the weekend, a series low. The network still has four hours of the series yet to air.
Meanwhile, "Reloaded's" March 31 premiere has been rolled back to 40 minutes as FOX has opted to expand "American Idol" that night to 80 minutes. The network had originally planned to air a full hour of the series - featuring two of the show's six half-hour installments.
No specific reason was given for the change.


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This year on Christmas Eve, we hiked Runyon Canyon and ate Sushi. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It was actually the perfect thing to do. Somehow hiking to the top of LA, being near heaven, and then eating completely holiday-neutral food brought us closer together with the right amount of unconventional twist to have an upbeat day.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
New Traditions
Posted by Unknown at 8:20 PM
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