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I finally worked out what doesn't agree with my digestive system and IBS - beyond Whole30 - and for exactly 8 days now I had not a single symptom (imagine - even vinegar!). The Whole30 wrapped itself up very well, and Larry and I are staying course with small deviations - and I mean very small (he tried cheese and oatmeal and wasn't thrilled with how it made him feel, I attempted a goat milk yogurt with same - bad -results, but brought back 85% dark chocolate at a square here and there).
In 30 days Larry lost 14 lbs, 4 inches off his waist, 2 inches off belly button fat and 2 inches off his behind. Woohoo! He hasn't been there since 2007. My numbers are much milder - and only rolled in last week (it took Larry 2 weeks to begin shedding, and over 24 days for me): 5 lbs weight loss, and an inch and a quarter from all measurements (waist, belly, butt). He is happy, I am satisfied. We put a scale away, and got on it in 3 more days - and each got a negative 2 lbs additionally. I think I'll just keep it on once-a-week basis, as I used to be pretty obsessed with my daily weigh-ins. But more importantly than weight, for me it was a regulation of my distress (even though, as I mentioned, there are more foods I had to eliminate than what that particular diet suggests), and Larry had a number of benefits: clear mind (as he puts it, sharpest he's ever been in his life, period), no mood swings, better handling of situations, no ups and downs of energy crashes, no (or much fewer) cravings, no hunger feeling between meals, better recovery from workouts, and - joints and back pain is gone! That was a biggie, and if I didn't see it myself, I wouldn't have believed or promised anybody (even though it has been described). In the latest research it was shown that some grain proteins as well as some dairy proteins and sugars have inflammatory tendencies. We are not sure which ones Larry had, and he will slowly test them out. In his own words:
"It's not just every runner who has a problem with wheat, but every human has problems. And it is not just about gluten. Let me explain.
In the 1960s and 1970s, efforts to increase the yield of wheat via a variety of genetic techniques resulted in the creation of an 18-inch tall high-yield, "semi-dwarf" strain that boosted yields by up to 10-fold. But the changes introduced for increased yield resulted in changes in many other genetic and biochemical characteristics of the plant.
One protein that has undergone extensive change is gliadin. In addition to causing mind "fog," addictive relationships with food, and appetite-stimulation, it is a highly inflammatory protein. Research at the University of Maryland, for instance, demonstrates that gliadin opens the normal intestinal barriers to foreign substances in the intestinal tract and thereby leads to inflammation of many organs, including joints. This is at least part of the explanation for why wheat consumption is associated with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Hashimoto's thyroiditism.
There's also wheat germ agglutinin. In addition to causing direct bowel toxicity that can be experienced as acid reflux or bowel urgency, it also gains access to the bloodstream and inflames joints, causing joint stiffness and pain.
Then there's amylopectin A, the "complex" carbohydrate unique to wheat that acts more like a simple sugar like sucrose, sending blood sugar sky-high after just 2 slices of whole wheat bread. High blood sugars cause an irreversible change to the proteins of the body called "glycation." The proteins of the cartilage of your joints, such as knees, hips, and back, undergo glycation, making cartilage stiff and brittle, leading to cartilage erosion and, eventually, arthritis.
That's just a sample of what modern semi-dwarf wheat, the creation of genetics research, can do to humans, runners included. So it is no surprise that, by eliminating wheat, you felt better in a number of ways. The key: No human should be consuming this product of genetics research, else you pay a substantial health price. Because runners are among the healthiest of people, given their devotion to exercise and health, elimination of wheat is among the most powerful strategies to adopt for overall health and performance."
Liza on our faithful run together "Don't write me off as dead yet!" - the fine line is to not overdo things. Yesterday I felt rather dragging my feet after those 2 awesome weeks, and went extremely slow for only 4 miles in the morning. Yes, I am still on a streak for running every day - and after a discussion with Meghan Hicks I decided to give it an honest try for a year (read her article on it in "Marathon&Beyond"). As we say, there is not a run I don't like, even if it's a 2 miles slow shuffle. Those runs have given benefits for me as well as recovery runs and quality workouts - but I am being careful to use that 2M once a week exactly as a rest day in every other way. Anyway, today I did my hill repeats, and even upped the number - so feeling back in the game, yet at the same time I had decided to move mile repeats from Thursday to next week, to protect the rising fitness and not slam it before it's too late to see. Being smart I am:)
And another upturn of good training - my view on my own racing is taking a more positive outlook. Not only do I begin to have some kind of goal in mind for the upcoming season, I had also decided that I am not done "my way" with Hardrock, what meant I needed to find a qualifier to apply for the following year - and I picked Grindstone 100 in October. It's my birthday, it's a new-ish race I was interested in anyway (not a fan of repeating much), it's towards the end of the year when I can re-access how I feel without pushing (still planning to take time off after Kansas 100k at the end of April for a couple of months), and it agrees with our 2013 idea of "East of Rocky, not West". Sophie S. spoke highly of it too.
Nothing else going on worth mentioning, massages, running coaching, and that boring job. The weather is nice here, and while winter is officially over in Austin, right now we are still in a period I can enjoy a little - may be for another 2-3 weeks. More trail work with local groups and HCTR, more volunteering gigs are coming, and I am so looking forward to some travel (even if for a race in Alabama!) - I miss getting out of routine every month. Miss my friends! Hugs to all.
p.s. Another speaking of writing arrangements - an article came out in Endurance Buzz! What I think about cross-training.


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Kyle Lafferty admits Northern Ireland's jaded performance against Poland on Sunday was not a true reflection of the side that topped their qualifying group.
Michael O'Neill's men never got out of the traps as they fell to a 1-0 defeat in Nice.
It leaves Northern Ireland with a mountain to climb if they are to progress to the knockout stages of Euro 2016.
They face Ukraine in Lyon on Thursday before completing their Group F fixtures against Germany in Paris next Tuesday.
O'Neill's men arrived in France on the back of a record-breaking dozen match unbeaten run and having become the first team drawn from pot five to top their qualifying group.
Yet Poland's dominance over them left Lafferty delivering a damning assessment of the country's first finals fixture since the 1986 World Cup.
"We were a shadow of the team that got us here," he declared.
"It's okay talking about nerves but the fight and the determination were not there either. We just got hit by a very good Poland side and we didn't know what to do.
"Whenever we've faced teams like that before we could take control of it, take the game by the scruff of the neck and create chances but we didn't do that against Poland, we pretty much froze on the spot."
Based on Ukraine's performance against Germany in their opening fixture, things will not get much easier.
Although they were beaten 2-0, they went toe-to-toe with the World Cup holders for much of the night and possess two of the continent's most dangerous playmakers in Yevhen Konoplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko.
Asked if a repeat of the Poland showing would seal their exit, Lafferty replied: "Yes, I think so.
"We can't expect to produce a performance like we did and get anything from the game.
"We're not in the qualifiers any more where you might come up against some of the minnows, we're playing against the best 24 teams in Europe and if you don't turn up you're getting punished."

subset: commoncrawl


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Kalitta, Force, Coughlin, Ray On Pole in New England
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Michael Ray (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also topped the speed charts to claim top qualifier positions in front of a capacity crowd as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series makes their first-ever visit to the 47-year-old facility.
Cool New England temperatures made for ideal track conditions during Friday's sessions, but as qualifying shifted to the afternoon and the track heated up, most drivers stood pat on their earlier qualifying times and only a handful of spots changed hands in the final two rounds.
Force was quickest in both of Saturday's sessions but couldn't improve on his time from Friday as the top five remained unchanged from Friday's sessions.
"It was low every round and all I can say is Mike Neff, Mike Neff, Mike Neff," said Force, praising his crew chief. "I'm excited. This is an important market for our sponsors so we're happy to give them a No. 1 and it's a good weekend so far."
Matt Hagan, who lost the top spot to Force after the first round of qualifying, rebounded to take the second positions, hitting a 4.057,317.49. Courtney Force was third at 4.083, 313.37, followed by Ron Capps (4.083, 309.91) and Robert Hight (4.088, 313.80)
The only real drama in Saturday's Funny Car qualifying was at the back of the pack as five drivers jockeyed for the final four spots. Mike Smith went up in smoke in the final session and lost out to Dave Richards, who will take on Force in round one on Sunday.
Ray improved on his time from Friday to go from third to first, running 6.832 seconds at 197.05 mph to bump Matt Smith from the top spot. Hector Arana, Sr. bettered his time but his position remained unchanged, holding onto second with a pass of 6.838, 195.65.
"There's not a lot of people in NHRA history who have sat on the pole in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and now I can add my name to that list," said Ray. "I have always been the underdog and I have loved that position. Now I don't mind to be able to stick my chest out a little bit and know that we have a really fast bike and that we will have to be someone to contend with for the rest of the season."
Smith was unable to improved of his 6.844, 196.02 and fell to third, while Scotty Pollacheck jumped up from tenth to fourth with the quickest pass of the final round, going 6.878, 193.18. Adam Arana was fifth at 6.881, 194.69.
"We struggled a little bit today getting down the track," Kalitta said. "We tried this other blower that we have on that second run, and it definitely showed some sign there that it might be OK for us. All in all, I think we should be ready for tomorrow. We would have liked to have gotten down the track on that last qualifying run, but it will be alright. We'll just go back to what we know, and go A to B."
Shawn Langdon went 3.809, 321.58 to take the second position, while Grubnic slipped back to third at 3.817, 321.96 followed by Tony Schumacher at 3.817, 323.35. Spencer Massey was the only driver to advance to the top five on Saturday, jumping from seventh place with a pass of 3.818, 323.97.
With only 16 entries in Top Fuel, everyone made the show. Ike Maier took the bump spot to face Kalitta in the opening round on Sunday.
In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin brought Mike Edwards' top-qualifier streak to an end on Saturday, clocking in at 6.533 seconds at 212.43 mph for his second pole of the season and 19th of his career.
Coughlin has been the only driver to top Edwards in qualifying, ending Edwards first streak of five-straight to start the season with a top qualifying effort in Houston in April.
Teammate Allen Johnson was second with a run of 6.547 seconds at 212.26 mph. Mike Edwards (6.549, 212.79), Shane Gray (6.556, 212.23) and Jason Line (6.565, 212.49) rounded out the top five.
Only 15 Pro Stock drivers made the trek to New England so there were no non-qualifiers. Erica Enders-Stevens, who entered the week fourth in points, was not entered in this weeks event.
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Avars ä´värz [key], mounted nomad people who in the 4th and 5th cent. dominated the steppes of central Asia. Dislodged by stronger tribes, the Avars pushed west, increasing their formidable army by incorporating conquered peoples into it. Reaching their greatest power in the late 6th cent., they plundered all of present S Russia and the Balkans. Their siege (626) of Constantinople was unsuccessful, but they continued to dominate the Hungarian plain until Charlemagne defeated them. The Avars were not mentioned after the 9th cent. It is doubtful that the modern Avars, a pastoral, Muslim people of the Dagestan Republic, are descended from the original Avars.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Peoples (except New World)


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7 posts
If you are reading this I take it you have some interest in the Freesound dares, or at least curiosity to find out what they are.
What are dares?
A Dare is a little friendly competition.
Once a month i post a dare with a new theme. The theme and the rules change, so each dare is different, but essentially i ask people to create a composition ising sounds from Freesound and following certain rules.
Musical compositions or 'sound-scenes' are accepable as entries for the dare.
After submissions close, there is a voting period and then the winners are announced.
At the moment there are no prizes, it is just for the fun of participating.
Thank you for your interest. I hope you do decide to join us in the dare!
So... that is the short story... some more information below...
The First Dares...
A loooooooong long time ago, Bram ran some dares at Freesound - some friendly challenges or contests where he asked Freesound users (also known as Freesounders) to submit some creative sound pieces made using samples from Freesound.
Saddly, these dares were discontinued because Bram was doing lots of other stuff and did not have the time to dedicate to running dares...
This was between 5 and 6 years ago...
The New Dares
Fast forward to Sep 2011 and Freesound was upgraded to Freesound 2 !
After some teething problems and initial bugs got sorted I thought bringing back the dares would be a nice way to celebrate the Freesound upgrade. Ando so, Nov 2011 saw the first of the new, reborna dn improved dares - I did however keep the sequential numbering from the first dares for nostalgic reasons ... so the Nov 2011 was "dare 6".
A 'dare', as I said, is a friendly competition. All dares take place in the "Dare the Community" forum and each dare is given a sequential number and a new theme along with some specific rules and a deadline for submissions.
There is also a 'DISCUSSION' thread posted at the same time where people can discuss / comment / debate / ask questions , etc.
Submissions are posted in the main thread with a link to the music piece/sound scene itself. We really prefer the sounds are posted into Soundcloud.com.
When the deadline is reached the submissions will close and a 'VOTING' thread is created, which will contain the voting rules and the deadline for voting.. Everyone who entered a submission must vote, or be disqualified. Freesounders who have not entered a piece in the competition can still listen to the entries and make their vote (but they need to comply with the voting rules).
When the voting deadline is reached, voting closes and the results will be published shortly after.
Around the time the results are out a new dare will be issued and the cycle will repeat itself.
Why Shoud I Join?
Because it's fun!
It is also a chance to improve your music skills by trying some challanges and the chance to get organized by working with restrictions and a deadline.
Also you will get feedback from others about your music, which is a great way to improve.
Because you have to vote, you will also be listening to the pieces submitted by others and doing some 'critical listening', which is another great way to improve your music making skills. Even better, if you like what you hear on someone else's piece you can ask questions and often they will tell you exactly how they did it - learning from others is another great way to improve your music skills.
Finally... it is a chance to meet and interact with other people who mostly share similar interests to you.
...Plus... you never know, you could come up with a great piece and be the proud winner of the next dare!
What Else?
Well, I have covered most of it... but here are a few more bits.
The Freesounders who have raised to the challenge of entering the dares gain the proud tittle of 'daring Freesounders'
There is a "introduce yourself" thread where 'daring Freesounders' can, well... introduce themselves and give some detail about their gear/hardware/software and sound/music interests. You can always go back to your post and edit it to keep it up-to-date with new gear or new interests
It is OK to ask questions if you are not sure about any aspect of the dare or of the dare theme.
Me or one of the more experienced 'daring Freesounders' will certainly answer your question.
Always be polite.
When giving feedback on other people's work it is ok to say you don't like something. Explain why but always be polite.
If someone makes comments about your submission, always thank them. Even if they say they didn't like it, they took the time to write to you. Feedback is useful, it is how we learn.
It is also OK to disagree, but always be polite.
Suggestions are great!
I am always looking for new dare ideas - and some of these come from YOU!
You can post these in the forum, but I prefer that you send me a PM instead. This way we can discuss so I make sure I understand what your idea is. I may want to adapt it a bit, to better fit with the way the dares work or to incorporate it into something else I am already doing or planning to do.
Having these discussions by PM also keeps future dares a secret (which is part of the fun) !
He freesounders read this... and join
klankbeeld wrote:
He freesounders read this... and join
JOIN NOW!!! uncle Freesound needs YOU!!!
Someday, even if the sound is pure crap, someone will love it and go, "What a genius!" Record whatever you make up, especially if it's catchy.
a good thing to play with
Do you make music?
Do you use samples?
Perhaps you make hand baskets, and play a little banjo on the side.
Whatever the case, Freesound Dares might be the best thing for you.
If you have been a member of Freesound for a while and are thinking, "Hmm, I sure do like these samples. If only there was a way to put these samples together, share them with others on some type of website, and create and listen to some of the most original and inspiring music on earth. If only..."
Well, you're in luck!
Join the Freesound Dare community and get started making real connections with musicians and producers who share a common goal.
Within the Freesound Dares, entrants are given a theme and rules, then a deadline is established and it's off to the races!
Have a crack at previewing and downloading samples from around the world;
when you have enough samples to fill a hand basket, put 'em together in the style of the proposed Dare.
Then, upload your track to Soundcloud or Dropbox, and spread the word in the Forums.
The Dares are the perfect way to polish up your 'getting-stuff-done-on-time' skills.
Trust me, people like when you get stuff done on time.
Especially you!
If you're interested, check out the Dare Community in the Forums and get going already!
- Jordan
Challenge Accepted!
7 posts


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Adam Lee Hall guilty on three murder counts
SPRINGFIELD -- Adam Lee Hall hung his head after hearing the jury's verdict of guilty on charges of first-degree murder.
A communal sigh of relief went up from the family of one of the victims and the police investigators who worked the case.
Hall, a Hells Angels gang member, was convicted in Hampden Superior Court on Friday, of three counts each of murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation for orchestrating the gruesome killings of David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell in August 2011.
"Obviously we are quite gratified by the verdicts. This is a gratifying end to the first of three cases for the Chadwell family and the friends of David Glasser and Edward Frampton," said Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless on Friday afternoon. "It's important for the public to know that this was not an investigation into whether Adam Hall had done this. This was determining the truth and justice of what had happened."
On Friday, after 16 hours of deliberations over four days, the jury of nine women and three men sent Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder a note telling him that they were deadlocked on the three murder charges, and had been since Tuesday afternoon.
The judge brought them in, gave them a standard instruction about continuing to deliberate and an hour later the jury came back with guilty verdicts on 15 of the 19 charges against Hall, including three counts each of first-degree murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation.
Carol Chadwell Smith, the sister of Robert Chadwell, said she "never experienced any doubt" about how the case would turn out.
"I had a lot of confidence in the DAs Office and what they were doing. They did a good job," she said. "They've been on this case since day one, with lack of sleep, I'm sure, and I had no doubt they would turn this into a guilty verdict."
Hall, 36, will be sentenced Monday and although at minimum he faces life without parole on the murder charges, the DA may be asking for some of the convictions to be served consecutively. Smith asked the judge on Friday to sentence Hall to the maximum.
Hall, with David Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Caius Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, allegedly kidnapped, tortured and then shot David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell in August 2011 and buried the bodies in Becket, according to testimony.
Chalue and Veiovis remain in jail without bail; their trials are to begin in the coming months. Smith felt Hall's trial was the most important of the three because Hall, she said, is the person "who killed my brother and his two friends."
The case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, but featured testimony from David Casey, himself charged as an accessory in the case. He told the jury Hall described how he and his cohorts shot, stabbed and "gutted" the victims and then "chopped up" their bodies.
Glasser begged for his life as Hall told him "I warned you what would happen if you testified against me," Casey said.
Casey, 65, of Canaan, N.Y., said Hall had scared him into helping dispose of the victims' remains using his excavator. Casey continues to be held at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction on $1 million bail.
Hall's attorney, Alan J. Black, argued that no DNA or other forensic evidence linked his client to any of the crimes, no murder weapons were found, and no one knows where the killings took place.
During the trial, Capeless linked a string of confrontations - some violent -- between Hall and Glasser between 2009 and 2011. Ultimately, Hall killed Glasser to prevent the man from testifying against him, Capeless said.
The incidents started when Hall beat Glasser with a baseball bat in July 2009. From there, Capeless said Hall tried to discredit Glasser as a witness by framing him for a fake armed robbery.
Those incidents prompted Hall to kill Glasser so he could not testify against him, according to Capeless.
In August 2011, weeks before he was to testify against Hall, Glasser and his roommate, Frampton, and their friend Chadwell, all of Pittsfield, disappeared from Glasser's Pittsfield apartment, where they had hunkered down to wait out Tropical Storm Irene. Their dismembered bodies were found buried in a trench in Becket nearly two weeks later.
Frampton and Chadwell were killed to eliminate them as witnesses, prosecutors say. Capeless said they had undertaken "a thorough investigation" in the case, which they will also "bring to bear" on the next two trials.
"I want to thank all involved in those investigations," he said. "They put an incredible amount of time and effort into it."
The DA also thanked the jury in the Hall trial.
"They were very thoughtful and attentive throughout the trial," Capeless said. "And they obviously gave very serious consideration to all the charges."
The trial started Jan. 13. Jurors began deliberations on Monday. Proceedings were moved to Hampden Superior Court in Springfield because of pretrial publicity in the Berkshires. Capeless presented the prosecution's case with the assistance of First Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Paul J. Caccaviello and ADA Gregory Barry.
Black, who didn't have a comment, was assisted by attorney Jeanne A. Liddy.
An appeal will be filed in the case.
The verdicts
Adam Lee Hall was found guilty of:
* three counts of murder
* four counts of kidnapping
* four counts of witness intimidation
* armed robbery
* assault and battery with a dangerous weapon
* possession of a firearm
* conspiracy
Hall was found not guilty of:
* two counts of witness intimidation
* extortion
* kidnapping
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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I don't even know what to say about last night's absolutely insane episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills except is Taylor on diet pills or crack cocaine? And was she seriously SERIOUSLY trying to stage a cast-wide mutiny against Lisa? Denile may be the longest river in Egypt, but Delusion is the longest road to crazytown.
Kyle meets Kim's boyfriend Ken… and Kyle is not impressed – before she notices what could possibly be a wedding band! Kim explains it is only a promise ring (high school, much?). One reason Kyle is not happy with this relationship is that Kim's kids have told her Ken is very controlling. Controlling or not, Kim is happy and for the first time in her life doing something she wants to do. Kyle, like the rest of us, will have to wait and see. So far, things aren't looking good as apparently Ken is still active on Match.com. Oops!
When Kyle tells Mauricio about Kim's surprise boyfriend, he's pretty non-plused, but shocked she was able to keep it a secret for so long. Kyle decides she is going to borrow a trick her mom Big Kathy used when she didn't like one of her daughter's boyfriends – ignore him completely! That's just what she plans to do about this whole Ken thing. Um…Kyle – remember YOU ARE NOT KIM'S MOTHER! (sorry – I think she deserved to be yelled at!)


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Washington D.C., Sep 28, 2012 / 10:55 am ().- A recent poll showing President Barack Obama with a 15-point lead over Republican candidate Mitt Romney among Catholic voters may not represent the actual attitudes of the Catholic electorate, analysts say.
"Keep in mind that a survey is just that – it's a survey," said Dr. Matthew Green, a politics professor who deals with the field of U.S. elections at The Catholic University of America. "There's always some uncertainty."
A poll released by Pew Research Center on Sept. 16 showed Obama with 54-39 percent lead over Romney among self-identified Catholics.
While the survey, conducted Sept. 12-16, did show Romney with a nine point advantage among those who attend church services regularly, the poll results of the general Catholic population differed significantly from those shown by other surveys.
A Gallup poll released on the same day showed Obama leading by only five points, 49-44. That poll was based on a three-week rolling average from Aug 27 - Sept 16.
Gallup's later poll from Aug. 20 – Sept. 9 showed Obama leading by just two percentage points among self-identified Catholics, 47-45.
Analysts offered various explanations for the discrepancy with the Pew poll.
Green told CNA that a single poll is "not necessarily the most reliable measure," and it can be helpful to look at numerous polls.
While he could not comment on which poll was more accurate, he said that he was "a little hesitant to accept the Pew numbers."
He noted that the Pew survey was just a single poll that seems to be an "outlier," while Gallup has been doing weekly polls on the election for months, showing "general stability" with only "gradual changes."
In addition, he observed, Gallup averages its polls over a three-week period in order to average out irregularities that could be misleading.
While its results are not necessarily wrong, Green said that he "wouldn't put too much weight on the Pew data."
He explained that Pew surveyed only 540 people who self-identified as Catholic, while Gallup surveyed 2,100 people. Therefore, Pew's data for Catholics has a "much bigger margin of error," which indicates less certainty that the poll "reflects the true preferences of the population."
Geoff Skelley, media relations coordinator for the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, noted that "all polls have just slightly different methodology."
Websites that average numerous different polls can sometimes help in trying "to find a balance" and smooth out any irregularities in individual polls, he explained.
Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has aggregated data from polls on Catholics conducted by Pew, Gallup and TIPP. The results indicated a close race over the last several months, in which neither candidate consistently garnered more than 50 percent of Catholic support.
The recent inconsistencies in poll results extended beyond merely the Catholic vote and into the general population as well.
Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle observed that a Sept. 19 Pew Research poll showed Obama leading Romney by eight percentage points, while a Gallup survey taken over the same time period had them tied.
Discrepancies such as these, he said, can be attributed to the different wording of questions, differing methods of attempting to integrate cell phone users into polls and differences between polling "registered voters" and "likely voters."
In early August, Pew was critiqued for a survey showing Obama with a 10-point lead over Romney in a poll that included nearly twice as many self-identifying Democrats as Republicans.
Pew defended its poll in a statement asserting that standardizing the distribution of Democrats and Republicans "would unquestionably be the wrong thing to do."
The research center explained that "party identification is one of the aspects of public opinion that our surveys are trying to measure, not something that we know ahead of time like the share of adults who are African American, female, or who live in the South."
"(S)hifts in party identification are essential to understanding the dynamics of American politics," it said.
Some critics, however, said that such a significant inequality in party distribution could be making the polls less accurate.
Columnist Jim Geraghty complained in the National Review Online that Pew has made a "habit of including an unrealistic percentage of Democrats in their sample."
He argued that the organization has been inaccurate in polling before recent elections because its polling samples do not reflect the fact that "the electorate is going to be more than 24 percent Republican, and self-identified Democrats aren't going to outpace Republicans by 9 percentage points."
Commentator Dick Morris suggested that the polls being produced by many organizations are flawed because they are using the 2008 election as a model for weighting respondents.
However, it is unlikely that African Americans, Latinos and young adults will have the same unusually high voter turnout in this election that they did in 2008, he said, pointing to surveys indicting a lack of enthusiasm and novelty, as well as a sense of disappointment, among these groups.
As a result, he argued, many polls showing Obama with a drastic lead over Romney are actually "misleading."
Tags: 2012 election, Voter Polls
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Wenatchee, WAHome Menu
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Wenatchee City Council Meeting
- Date: 09/12/2019 5:15 PM
- Location: City Hall
301 Yakima Street, 2nd Floor
Wenatchee, Washington 98801
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Mayor's office at (509) 888-6204 (TTY 711). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1.)
Agenda:9-12-2019 Council Agenda
Minutes:9-12-2019 Council MinutesReturn to full list >>


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The BBA's Public Service blog, Beyond the Billable is your one stop shop for everything Public Service at the BBA. Check it out here.
In a small conference room in the John Joseph Moakley
Courthouse, a group gathers around the large oval table, many bearing notepads
and pens. Slowly, the chairs at the table fill up; people begin to line the
walls. At the front of the room, a large-screen television shows the opening
slides of an educational presentation.
This is a typical meeting of the Public
Interest Leadership Program's (PILP)
Community Re-entry Readiness Series, now just past its halfway point. The
project was developed to help members of the CARE and RESTART programs
reintegrate successfully into society. Many challenges stand in the way –
perhaps the most major of which is the complexity of the many legal issues the
participants face that most are unprepared to handle.
"I didn't realize that was such a need until we started actively planning and
talking to participants, and found that many members of these programs just
don't know how to navigate these tricky issues," said Raquel Webster (National
Grid), one of the Public Interest Leaders at the heart of planning this workshop
series. "I didn't think it would be as useful as we imagine it's been."
The Public Interest Leaders did know from the start that they would have the
full support of the court and the BBA behind this project: not long before the
PILP class began to meet to develop their programming, U.S. District Court Judge
Timothy Hillman and U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo Sorokin had approached the BBA
about contributing to the programs. When this idea was floated at one of the
PILP meetings, the interest was instantaneous.
Webster tells the story: "Many of us were familiar with CARE and RESTART
already due to our assistance in a mock interview program that helped prepare
participants for the job-hunting process. I myself was very moved by my
experience assisting with these interviews – there was one instance in which I
worked with an individual about one of his responses to an interview question,
and a few weeks later he approached me in a coffee shop and told me he'd gotten
a job. It was a small gesture, but I know I made a difference to him. Finding
that there was this need, we thought it would be an excellent project."
Now that the program is well under way, the interest in and impact of the
workshops is becoming more apparent. Attendees are densely packed and intently
focused on each presentation. There are enough questions to stretch the limits
of each session, and many approach the lawyers after their presentations to ask
more questions or simply to thank them.
According to Chris Saccardi (Law Offices of Christopher T. Saccardi), who
gave the most recent session on housing, "It was clear that participants were
speaking from experience and were asking questions based on specific struggles
that they have had with landlords. One individual…described how he had just been
through the evictions process and was familiar with some of the principles I had
been discussing. Based on their level of attention and the questions they asked,
I left with the feeling that, if they have not already, they will likely soon be
putting some of their newfound housing knowledge to work."
Likewise, Julia Devanthery (Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School)
added, "After each presentation, the judges have consistently given feedback
that the presentations are a great success; they also ask the participants how
they found the workshops directly after they take place, and there's been
resounding positivity from this polling."
Without a doubt, there is a high level of engagement; as the program reaches
its conclusion and the attendees embark on the reintegration process more fully,
the Public Interest Leaders and court officials anticipate positive feedback
and, more importantly, hope to hear success stories in


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Mediterranean House Plans
The distinctive architectural characteristics of our luxury Mediterranean house plans emulate designs traditionally found in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France, and Italy. This style typically features low-pitched tile or terra cotta tile roofs, stucco finishes and arched windows. Exquisite balconies and decorative wrought iron are also commonly used throughout the home design.
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Valencia II House Plan
Valencia II House PlanCompareWidth x Depth:78' X 120'Beds:4Living Area:4,480 S.F.Baths:5Floors:2Garage:3


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Straily shines as A's win Bay Bridge opener
Donaldson smashes two-run homer; Cespedes plates pair with double
OAKLAND -- Brandon Belt did not like the last pitch. The outside fastball struck him out looking and ended the game. He gave home-plate umpire Mark Carlson a mouthful about the call as the Giants coaches monitored carefully from the dugout and Grant Balfour walked off the mound toward his catcher.
Belt shouted. Balfour nodded.
"I liked it," Balfour said. "Hitters don't like it when they get punched out. Pitchers don't like it when they walk guys."
Neither the A's nor the Giants like losing to each other, and on Monday the loud sold-out Oakland Coliseum crowd with fans of both teams witnessed the A's win the first game, 4-1, of a four-game home-and-home Interleague series against the Giants (28-23).
It is the only regular-season meeting scheduled between the Bay Area teams.
The A's (29-23) put matchups against the defending World Series champion Giants in playoff-like context, which explains the atmosphere and exchanges of "Let's go A's! ... Let's go Giants!" cheers and why Josh Donaldson smacked his hands as his two-run home run off Giants starter Madison Bumgarner (4-3, 3.13 ERA) landed over the right-center wall in the fourth inning, giving the A's a 2-0 lead.
"I'm big into rivalries and stuff, so it was fun," Donaldson said.
Added Bumgarner: ""I tried to throw the fastball down and away. It came back over the plate a little bit but it was down. He just put a good swing on it. I couldn't put it exactly where I wanted."
Donaldson's shot and a two-run double by Yoenis Cespedes in the seventh backed Dan Straily's second straight solid start and a scoreless bullpen effort capped by Balfour's 11th save of the season in as many opportunities.
Straily (3-2, 5.08 ERA) got the hook after 78 pitches (52 strikes), all it took him to work six quality innings. He allowed four hits, one walk and a run off Buster Posey's groundout in the sixth.
The outing gave Straily back-to-back quality starts, following his best career outing against Texas on Tuesday, when he tossed seven shutout innings. On Monday, he worked fast, filled up the strike zone and, he said, was "excited about every quality pitch."
"You can see, early innings, you can tell he's got a lot more confidence, the way he's carrying himself," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He's throwing a lot of strikes, which is key for him to get ahead to set up his slider and his changeup. His fastball has been really good. You see a lot of late swings on his fastball, and that all starts by getting ahead."
Reliever Sean Doolittle (0.78 ERA) continued his dominance by working a perfect seventh and eighth innings with two strikeouts before Balfour (1.33 ERA) converted his 29th consecutive save opportunity dating back to last season.
The A's got four hits and drew five walks on Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco's best pitcher this season. He threw 100 pitches through six innings but stayed in, leaving after his 115th pitch with runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh and Oakland ahead, 2-1. George Kontos entered to face Cespedes, who clubbed a two-run double off the right-center wall, both runs attributed to Bumgarner.
Cespedes went 1-for-3, his double tying his career-high hitting streak of nine games. It also provided a cushion on an afternoon when Straily actually had his lowest pitch count of the season and could have gone longer, but at the time the 2-1 lead gave way to a bullpen that is excelling.
"We just have this knack for winning the close ones," Straily said. "Then again, if you had this bullpen, you probably would, too."
Balfour's ninth included a walk of Posey, whose at-bat contained its own borderline call. Posey was on second when Belt struck out on the full count.
After the strikeout, A's fans roared. Melvin and the A's do not like sending their big crowds home unsatisfied.
"This is a little different in this series when you get that type of crowd because it almost feels a little split at times," Melvin said. "It's just a different feeling. You don't have to get up for these games. You don't have to find extra adrenaline. We came from a four-hour flight yesterday, we have a day game today, guys are ready to play. And that's the reason why our fans get after it a little bit. It's just got a different feel to it, these games."


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Richard Pollock
Bo Jiang, the Chinese national scientist employed by a NASA contractor for work at the space agency's Langley Research Center, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Dulles International Airport as he tried to flee to China, according to Rep. Frank Wolf, R-VA.
Wolf said during a Capitol Hill news conference today that Jiang's work at the NASA facility had given him access to information that "would be of the greatest interest to foreign spies, including China."
Wolf is chairman of a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee that has budget oversight authority for NASA.
He made Jiang's name public for the first time last week during a subcommittee hearing where he also charged that Jiang had taken "voluminous sensitive" NASA documents back to China on a trip in 2012.
Jiang was employed by the National Institute of Aerospace, a Hampton, VA-based NASA contractor. The position afforded Jiang virtually unlimited, unescorted access to the NASA Langley facility, which is the location for classified research programs related to U.S. space defense technologies.
Ronda Squizzero, an FBI Special Agent said in documents Wolf made available today concerning Jiang's arrest that he "was leaving the United States abruptly to return to China on a one-way ticket."
The FBI is "investigating conspiracies and substantive violations of the Arms Export Control Act," according to the FBI's arrest warrant.
Jiang also is charged with making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents, including his attempt to conceal a "laptop, and old hard drive and a SIM card," according to the FBI agent.
The FBI said it "believes this to be material to the federal investigation, in that it was important to learn what electronic media Jiang was taking out of the United States."
Wolf said the Chinese national's activities came to his attention from whistleblowers who worked at NASA Langley.
"I want to credit the whistleblowers at NASA who brought Mr. Jiang's security violations to my attention, which resulted in this investigation," Wolf said at today's news conference.
After learning about Jiang, Wolf met with the FBI's counterintelligence office and called FBI Director Robert Mueller about Jiang.
Wolf said he hopes to learn more about the information contained on Jiang's hard drive. He said "we know that Mr. Jiang has in the past taken sensitive information back to China that he should not have been allowed to remove at Langley."
Wolf also said he believes Jiang's information "may pertain to the source code for high-tech imaging technology that Jiang has been working on with NASA. This information could have significant military applications for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army."
Sensitive technologies that are supposed to be strictly limited by U.S. export control laws are essential to U.S. space defense programs, but Wolf said they could also apply to "unmanned aerial vehicles and other aerospace/aeronautic technologies."
During the same hearing last week in which Wolf revealed Jiang's name, NASA Inspector-General Paul Martin said he believes there are nearly 200 Chinese nationals working in positions that afford them significant access to the agency and its programs.
Wolf has long expressed concern about the security of space defense secrets and has complained of lax security at NASA Langley and NASA Ames Research Center. NASA Ames is outside of San Francisco.
Wolf has said he believes NASA officials encouraged NIA to hire Jiang as a means to "circumvent" congressional restrictions on the hiring of foreign nationals by the space agency.
He released an internal NASA email that defended giving Jiang "an exception" to hire him. "I think it would be in the government's best interests to be able to continue our work with him," a NASA Langely official wrote.
Before Jiang's detention Sunday, the last time the FBI arrested a Chinese national in the U.S. on suspicion of espionage activity was 2006 in a case concerning aviation issues.
Doongfan "Greg" Chung, a former Rockwell Internationa and Boeing engineer was convicted in 2009 of economic espionage and acting as an agent of the Peoples Republic of China.
An FBI search of Chung's home in 2006 found 250,000 Boeing documents in his possession.
Jiang was to be arraigned today in a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, VA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel will handle the prosecution case for the government.
Washington Examiner (Estados Unidos)


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Happy International No Diet Day!
Book news: As of early this morning, we are the number two bestseller on Powell's. HOLY CRAP.
Thanks to Meowser for first pointing out that we were on the list (at #3, last night) and The Bald Soprano for catching the move to #2!
And a huge damn THANK YOU to everyone who's bought it!
Listen, y'all. It looks like the #1 book there is a suspense novel Powell's is heavily promoting, so knocking it out of that spot is probably impossible. But if anyone wants to give it a try? I kinda think it's a great project for today, don't you? Make Lessons from the Fat-o-Sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body Powell's #1 bestseller for International No Diet Day? It has a nice ring to it, I think.
I mean, it's possible I'm slightly biased when it comes to the awesomeness of this idea. But you might want to pass it on anyway.
Update: HOLY CRAP x2, WE DID IT!


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The door is it the small door Maria and Tiffany went?? Pic.. Puddin.. Is lovely..
Quote from: autowil on November 15, 2009, 07:25:22 PMThe door is it the small door Maria and Tiffany went?? Pic.. Puddin.. Is lovely.. autowil, from St Olaf?
Matt looks stupid as he is. "The one in the middle of the freakin' table? Okay! I got it now." At the Tower ... CLUE: Meg/Ch and Brian/Ericka DETOUR. Phil: Estonia has wetlands called bogs. Teams choose between Serve and Sling. Serve: Slog in the bog playing volleyball against locals. Score 5 points for the next clue. Sling: Standing in the bog, use a slingshot hitting moose target/sign with flying vegetables you shoot at the target/sign.
Boy Gary & Matt are having a worse day then last week.
Perhaps Sam is packing some serious heat down below... Well it's what I am going with.
off topic ......... GO RUSSELL!
Quote from: puddin on November 15, 2009, 07:46:59 PMoff topic ......... GO RUSSELL!Off Topic I want Russell to literally die. I haven't seen every season of survivor, but out of the 14 I've seen, he is the first racer that has made me stop watching the show.
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AMT Careers
What exactly is an Aircraft Maintenance Technician and what do they do?
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) holds an Airframe (fuselage) and/or Powerplant (engine) certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. They may also perform aircraft inspections as required by the FAA. An AMT also performs, supervises and conducts preventive maintenance.
How does someone become an AMT?
The FAA requirements for eligibility for a certificate include the following:
- Be 18 or older
- Be able to read, speak, and understand English
- Meet the experience or educational requirement
- Pass a set of required tests
The required tests include computerized knowledge tests and a practical test which includes an oral examination.
Career Outlook & Earning Potential
In 2016, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics there were 128,000 jobs for AMT with a median income of $60,170 a year. The employment of AMTs is growing and those mechanics that hold an Airframe and Powerplant certificate are in high-demand throughout the industry.


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(Post-mortem) Thoughts on Flash
I have a long relationship with Flash. In fact, I met Flash at its infancy around the Millenium. It was at version 4 back then. Now, after 15 years it seems that its life is over. What happened to it due that short course of existence? Why people have turned their backs away from it?
First, the idea of Flash as a web plugin was about Scalable Vector Graphics, thus the undisputed strength of Flash Player lied in realtime rendering of vector graphics. Bandwidths were still exceptionally thin, so every byte mattered. You could easily deliver a game as a single SWF file that had its size comparable to an animated GIF. With processors getting faster quickly, the richness of user experience you could provide with Flash was progressing exponentially. But that's only in theory – you cannot grow forever.
Second, there was "simplicity".
ActionScript was aimed at designers and people who had no previous experience with programming. It was easy to pick up in a night. Write code, compile, test, publish – bang! Quick and easy. And fun. Flash gained thousands of fans and, lots of digital agencies had used Flash as a bedrock for their business.
Third, there's "phases" and "cycles".
Everything in the physical world has three phases of existence: birth, life course and death. Every star and perhaps every particle in the Universe follows this dogma. Same with our lives, relationships, projects and Flash. And my point is – you can't help it. It just happens like that. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll be free of it.
The great example of this is Sprite Sheets – how 2011 is that? [sarcasm here] The recent explosion of Sprite Sheet exporters, and everybody getting excited about it. But spiritually speaking, that's the reincarnation - Metal Slug for NES had them back in the 80's. Setting the memory pointer at the right frame and then blit it to the screen was always the fastest way. No doubts about it.
But hey, wait! Was it not all about Scalable Vector Graphics and resolution independency? Sorry, not anymore – we're getting back to square one – pixels.
Fourth, there's HTML5 and "canvas".
"The New Star is born. The Old Star is dying." But if you look on the HTML5 experiments it's feels like reinventing the wheel. We've been there. Web devs are facing problems Flash devs were facing (and solving) for the past ten years. The recent security concerns, cross-browser inconsistencies, unfinished HTML5 spec etc. make it look so infantile. But it doesn't matter that much – it's growing fast.
Fifth, there's "ActionScript 3".
Over the years AS3 became very mature and if you asked me – it had took over JavaScript miles ahead. Projects like Jangaroo and Haxe (with the recent NME) only confirm its maturity and strength.
AS3 is what Flash really is in its essence to me.
When I met PureData specialist Derek Holzer back in 2004, he said he didn't like Flash because it was proprietary (i.e. wasn't opensource). Just like that. I hadn't agreed with him but he was damn right.
Flash will come back but not quite as we know it. Actually, it has came back already in its new form, and it's getting more mature now – HTML5 API is the new Flash. People are talking about the "death of Flash" – yes, it's a fact and we have to accept this. But the spirit of Flash is alive – can you not see it everywhere in the web – web video, audio API, CSS3 with transforms and transitions – that's nothing else but reincarnated Flash. It wouldn't have ever been there if Flash hadn't treaded the path.
HTML5 will die too, when it's destiny is fulfilled. The King is dead. Long live the King.
Tomek Augustyn
Stockholm, December 2011
More Flash Halloween Webcam Toys
Welcome to this time of the year again when people scoop out pumpkin seeds and costume shops make their year's worth of sales during one weekend. Halloween! So nice to be kids again. And now you can be one too, without even leaving your computer desk – just hit the images below and have some fun.
We've teamed up with Leipzig Flash studio Tastenkunst and made these two apps. Marcel Klammer and his team had developed Beyond Reality Face technology which allows using human faces as markers for augmented reality. PhotoBoo substitutes the face so you can experience how does it feel to be a (dead) celebrity.
GooTube is based on my last year's experiment – Black Hole Sun and similarly uses face.com API technology to find feature points in a face, but then BRF's Point Tracker is used to track these points and finally HiSlope helps to apply the distortions to the live webcam feed.
Both apps utilise FaceBook connect so it's even easier to socially share your alter ego (and even set your FB profile pic!) Now go and make goofies out of yourselves. And don't forget to spread the word - boooooooooo!
Many thanks to PtitJean for his initial face.com API for AS3.01:40 PM | posts | 0 Comments | Tags: as3, brf, webcam, toy, fun, halloween, experimental, fx, flash, hislope
Flash on the Beach 2011 recap
Another awesome FOTB is over.
I had a big pleasure (and even a greater stress haha!) to be a speaker this year – thanks to John Davey and everybody voting and coming to see my Riding the HiSlope! session – it means a lot to me. Generally, I like to improve things and I will be grateful for any feedback.
I've seen many inspiring talks, meet tons of people, drunk loads, made new friendships (hi Polish Flash Mafia) etc. All that resulted to a massive body strike which I am still recovering from. It was so worth it though.
Right, I don't think my session slides would do best on their own, so won't put them up (unless you demand). Here's the list of topics I've covered with the references:
The framework (yes, I dare to call it framework for sometime, used to be a toolkit) which my session was about. Download/fork HiSlope from github and start by reading WIKI.
Haar Cascades
Used for face (and face features) detection. A great research done by Adam Harvey and his CV dazzle – how to stop the machines recognising faces (if we ever need to). Then finally the video showing scanning and matching the wavelets.
Integral image
As described in the Servo magazine.
Blob Detection
Check my blog post which is actually the 2nd hit when you google for "blob detection".
Halftoning and Rasterization
Sort of old stuff but never released before. Download HiSlope and check the Halftoning Demo
face.com API
Check face.com and face.com AS3 wrapper by ptitJean and forked by me. There are updates on the way (some already in HiSlope), mainly parsing face attributes into VOs and the new FaceBook OAuth 2.0 support.
Amazing SDK for Point Tracking and Estimating the Face Position developed by TastenKunst. Download free SDK at http://www.beyond-reality-face.com
Big thanks to Marcel Klammer (I love you!) and Christian Walther (still not sure what the heck you were doing in that hotel room) for loads of help and remote moral support.
Although not covered in my session, the big Eugene's thing is worth a mention – IN2AR. Haven't had a chance to include it in HiSlope but I guess this is inevitably coming ;-)
Doomsday Console 2
Amazing console developed by the mighty Andreas Rønning (how's your bum dude?) – download from http://code.google.com/p/doomsdayconsole/. I am looking deeply into it, it may result in writing some UI plugins and/or HiSlope integration/collaboration/whatever. Good work!
Last thing – I was hugely impressed by Seb's PixelPhones, I've had a similar concept, except Seb had done it – and it's far far better that I'd ever do it. Lots of people had asked how this was done and I shall describe it (with a little demo) in my next blog post. Stay tuned.02:10 PM | posts | 1 Comment | Tags: fotb, talk, hislope, presentation, fun
Warning, this is rather hot news – my session at Flash on the Beach has been officially confirmed. This obviously means HiSlope will get more (and proper) love soon! Let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, feature requests etc.
Just email me at my_first_name [at] blog2t [dot] net (spambots suck).
There will be a few "off HiSlope" bits and bobs coming before that though. We are working like mads at 55degrees.co.uk now to finish off all the interactive Riverside Museum exhibits, but after that... got some tasty rejected concepts and prototypes to share...
And if you are going to OFFF 2011 this year – see you there! Let's feed the future (as they say).08:42 PM | posts | 1 Comment | Tags: talk fotb flash
face.com + HiSlope Halloween mash-up
The idea was chasing me for a while but there was no time to finish it. Until now... Halloween! – seems to be perfect day for this. So, here you go: HiSlope + face.com API mash-up, click below and go into some wild disguise!
This was possible with PtitJean's AS3 face.com API (thanks so much Jean!) Audial delight by Sound Garden – if I now say "Go and buy this track" their label won't sue me, will they? ;-)
The source will be released shortly on GitHub as HiSlope upgrade so watch out. Also there will be something special coming soon, I've teamed up with Marcel Klammer – genius that wrote Virtual Mirror and will be rolling some cool stuff out to you.
Tags: hislope, halloween, experimental, api
HappyScary Halloween!


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How to Tax India's Rich
By Joanna Sugden
In the recent budget, India's finance minister announced a new tax on those with an annual income of more than 10 million rupees ($183,000.)
P. Chidambaram told lawmakers that 42,800 people in the country would be affected by the levy.
Really? The figure of 42,800 seems low in a country with 125,000 dollar millionaires.
These millionaires are the people who have at least $1million beyond the money tied up in their main homes, collectibles, consumables or consumer items made to last a few years.
We asked some economists to explain why relatively few people (0.0036% of the population) fall under the new levy and what should be done to bring more of India's rich into the tax system.
Sonal Varma, executive director and India economist at Nomura, said 42,800 people seemed a "minuscule" proportion of the population given how much incomes have grown in India in the last few years.
"Basically very few people pay income tax," Ms. Varma said.
In December Mr. Chidambaram said 2.89% of India's total population filed income tax returns.
"If you can't capture their income you have to capture their expenditure," Ms. Varma said.
"Look at those people who are spending over a certain limit, or have a certain lifestyle and see if they are paying tax. If not, bring them into the system," she added.
The government has just started to do this using data from the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Income Tax Department.
In February, the Finance Ministry said it was targeting 1.2 million people who had not filed tax returns but who had made large payments to credit cards, purchased or sold a property worth more than $54,829, acquired mutual funds of more than $3,650, received bonds from the Reserve Bank of India of $9,138 or more, or who had made cash deposits of more than $18,276 in a savings account.
Some had shares issued by a company of more than $1,825 or bonds or debentures of more than $9,138 and would also come under scrutiny if they hadn't filed income tax returns.
The Directorate of Intelligence and Criminal Investigation has so far sent out 70,000 letters to a first tranche of people, according to a senior official in the Ministry of Finance.
Sumit Bose, revenue secretary in the Ministry of Finance, told India Real Time that technology and monitoring was "being used to broaden the tax base."
Samiran Chakraborty, head of regional research in South Asia for Standard Chartered, said India's tax system was failing to catch rich people in the informal sector, which makes up around 75-80% of the country's labor market.
"We should not assume that the informal sector is all poor, there are very rich people in the informal sector," Mr. Chakraborty said.
Anyone self-employed, including doctors and lawyers, is classed as being part of the informal sector, he added.
"Data collection for the formal sector is quite good but the informal sector is a big area of leakage," he said.
Mr. Chakroborty suggested that patients should be incentivized, with a 1% tax rebate on their medical bill, to ask for a receipt from their doctor, which would include the clinician's PAN (personal account number) for tax purposes.
Some Indian tax laws make it difficult to take from the rich, Mr. Chakraborty added.
"Agriculture is, by law, not taxed," he said. "Even in farming there are a lot of very rich people, but finding out who they are is a matter of changing the tax law which would be very difficult.
"Better data collection and changes to the tax laws need to happen if India is to widen its tax base," Mr. Chakraborty said.
Arun Kumar, a professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawahalal Nehru University in Delhi, said many people use provisions of the law to avoid paying income tax.
"The more property you have and the richer you become, the less and less tax you pay because you can take things like dividend income from shares and property away from taxable income," Mr. Kumar said.
The principle of the Hindu Undivided Family, recognized by the tax system, also allows people to split their income between family members so that each can take advantage of the legal methods of tax avoidance, he added.
"Then there are those who use illegal methods like taking all the costs of the home and treating them as company costs which are tax deductable like phone bills, the servants' wages, airfares for holidays. They take out a lot of money [from the system] through inflated expenses," Mr. Kumar said.
He also estimates that India loses around 20% of its GDP annually through unpaid tax on money in the "black economy," a parallel unregulated economy that Mr. Kumar calculates is worth $1trillion.
So how many people should really be facing the new tax on the super-rich? Mr. Kumar reckons there should be around 100 times more or 4.28 million people paying up.
Ms. Varma and Mr. Chakraborty both separately responded with the exactly the same answer: "Your guess is as good as mine."
Joanna Sugden is freelance journalist living in Delhi. Before coming to India in 2011 she spent four-and-a-half years as a reporter at The Times of London, covering religion and education. You can follow her on Twitter @jhsugden.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.
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The Doctors have shared a scary story of a New Zealand woman was given a hickey, had a stroke, and died. But don't worry! Less than one percent of the population have the genetic predisposition that weakens arteries enough to kill you from that amount of sucking. The doctor-experts were baffled that people are still giving hickeys in this day and age, but then decided they could chalk it up to the "vampire craze" that's swept over the nation.
Anyhow, more ammo for parents who want to keep their kids from "necking."


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Archive for the 'comebacks' Tag
May the Best Man Win
I find it fascinating that commentators, writers, (and, yes, bloggers too) often malign older athletes who return to the amateur competitive field. Their argument, that they should allow the younger generation their chance at being champion, or of having their "moment", and that they already had theirs.
Recent discussions of Kwan's, and Cohen's return have raised this discussion yet again. And, even though it wasn't a comeback, I recall whisperings of this ageist complaint around Inoue and Baldwin's participation in the '09 Nationals (his 16th!). (BTW, the results of my February 15 poll about who is most likely to return next season has Cohen ahead with 47% of the votes.)
I think this is completely ridiculous reasoning! Sport is sport, and whoever the best athlete is should walk away with the victory and glory. The sport is all the more rich for having a generational depth in its competitions. And, my feeling is "may the best man win"! Frankly, discussions of Cohen's possible return only make our sport all the more interesting, especially as it's no secret our international potency in ladies skating is currently diminished. At the Beijing Games, the world witnessed the amazing comeback of swimmer Dara Torres, who at 41 took part in her fifth Olympics, after a six-year hiatus from competition, and became the oldest female swimmer in Olympic herstory. Such triumphs of "old age" athletes are the stuff dreams are made of, and sports stories fans should eat up.
Elaine Zayak came back to win the pewter medal at the '94 Nationals (YES, the same season as the Kerrigan whack heard around the world). She was 28 years old, skated a near flawless LP (although of a lower difficulty level), AND after being away from competitive skating for a decade. She skated against a 16-year old Nicole Bobeck… 12 years her junior! Zajak had already impressively racked up '81 US and '82 World titles, '81 World silver, '84 US and World bronze, and bronze at the '82 US Nationals. She was also a US Olympian in '84.
But, thinking back, noone dwells on her finish. They remember the grace, nerve and heart that she displayed to make such a return, to the competitive aspect of the sport she loved and thrived in.
Due to the "Boitano Rule", he, Petrenko, Witt, and Torvill & Dean came back for the '94 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. None of these returnees effectively shifted the spotlight from the athletes of the hour, as only Torvill & Dean walked away with a medal, the bronze. But they proved something to themselves, and to us… that they were still in good fighting form, deserved their spot, and that they may not have been able to return to their former competitive glory, but that their emotional and symbolic triumphs were many.
Interestingly, Christopher Bowman planned a similar comeback for the '94 Olympics, but his requests for reinstatement were not successful. He didn't make it there.
What exactly was the "Boitano Rule"?: Due to Boitano's lobbying, "the International Skating Union (ISU) introduced this clause, which allowed professionals to reinstate as 'amateur' or 'eligible' skaters. This had been the result of Boitano's active involvement during the early 1990s, which saw professionals being allowed in the Olympic Games in the sports of tennis and basketball." — Wikipedia
Along the same lines, the list of skaters who have maintained their high-level of training, or returned to it to compete in 3 (or more) Olympics is small. It includes Todd Eldredge, Elvis Stojko, Katarina Witt, Bestemianova/Bukin, Irina Rodnina, Sonja Henie, Gillis Grafstrom (SWE), and Andrée & Pierre Brunet (FRA). Have I forgotten any? Perhaps we'll be adding some new names to the list next year.
Also, can you remember any other inspiring or effective returns to competitive skating, not just after a funk (ie: Lu Chen or Shizuka Arakawa), but moreso after an extended hiatus?


text: Using the Google Maps plugin in Joomla I'm opening a KML map centered on a particular placemark. I'd really like to have that placemark come up opened -- if that's right term -- as if it had been clicked. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but near as I can tell, you can't specify that in a KML file.


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July 2, 2013, 12:02 pm
Should Nuggets keep Andre Iguodala or let him go as free agent?
It's not our money. So it's easy to tell Nuggets to spend the cash to keep swingman Andre Iguodala. But, at age 29, what is Iguodala, his excellent defense, his 13 points and five rebounds per game really worth on the open NBA market as a free agent?


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SKF radial spherical plain bearings
Reliable performance in contaminated conditions
The virtually maintenance-free range of SKF spherical plain bearings are the ideal solution. The combination of steel / PTFE composite offers reliable performance under the tough conditions in which ladle turrets operate. These bearings have a thick wear layer, which also provides for excellent dampening behaviour, and is resistant to contamination.


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UnityPoint Clinic is the largest primary care physician group in Iowa, providing care for more than 1,000,000 patient visits annually. Our 67 clinic locations include the communities surrounding Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Quad Cities and Waterloo.
Why Practice with Us?
UnityPoint Clinic offers an exceptional opportunity for professional and personal satisfaction. We are proud to provide a unique combination of advantages not often seen in health care:
High Patient Satisfaction
Thanks to a patient-centric approach to care and a focus on performance excellence, UnityPoint Clinic achieved its highest patient satisfaction scores ever in 2010. Press Ganey recognized our physicians, providers and staff for this meaningful milestone.
Looking to the Future, Redesigning Care Module
We are currently engaged in redesigning our care model; improving the quality of patient care while lowering costs. This effort to deliver value-based care is part of our vision to improve patient outcomes and to build The Medical Home.
Ahead of the Curve
We successfully implemented EHR in all clinics. As an early adopter of health IT, UnityPoint Clinicis often selected for pilot projects.
Achieving Success, Providing Superior Performance
The Medical Group Management Association recognized us for superior performance in its MGMA Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2010 Report. MGMA also recognized us in 2009 and 2007.
Financially Strong, Continuous Growth
Our growth is significant, successfully recruiting 106 physicians and providers in the past three years and opening 10 new clinics.
Ultimately though, it is our people that set us apart. Learn more about why we're the best choice, how our benefits stack up and what other physicians say about their choice to join UnityPoint Clinic.Back to top


text: This clock, made by Greg Blonder from a Lego Mindstorms set, is an homage to the slide rule. It's super simple to read; the upper rule tells the hours and the lower tells the minutes. They move independently, and the stationary window shows the time. This update to a retro gadget is kind of hypnotizing to watch, even if it takes up about a foot of shelf space. As much as we like this, we're wondering when Greg will come out with an abacus Lego clock.


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- Admissions
- Visit
- Tuition & Aid
- Academics
- Student Life
- Athletics
- About
- Giving
Many students elect to begin their studies at another college or university and transfer to Winthrop to earn an undergraduate degree. The Office of Admissions will process transfer applicants for the summer, fall or spring semesters.
Definition: Students will be classified as a transfer applicant if they enrolled in a college or university after graduating from high school. (Exception: students who take a college course in the summer term immediately following high school graduation are classified as freshman applicants for the subsequent fall semester.)
Admissions Policy: Winthrop University admits all qualified applicants and offers equal educational opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion or disability. Applicants are admitted on the basis of the probability of their success in completing the requirements for graduation.
Information of interest to prospective transfer students can be found below. Please
contact your admissions counselor if you would like to receive additional information
or e-mail email@example.com.
The purpose of the Transfer Articulation is to facilitate the educational progress of students by eliminating duplication of degree requirements where possible. Transfer Articulation refers to the process by which Winthrop University compares the content of courses that are completed and transferred from another institution.


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Summer will not be summer without Les Tropéziennes. Les Tropéziennes sandals are true accessories with which we will walk on the hot sand of nice beaches or stroll in the busy streets under an urban sun. Founded in the beginning of the 80s, the brand already had a story of its own: the hippie wave that hit Saint-Tropez in the 70s and materialised in Mo Belarbi's concept store called La Puce Tropézienne. In the beginning of 80s, Mo focuses on creating shoes, among which the famous Indian boots. Made in Italy, the sandals still attract fervent international fans thanks to their retro chic look. The brand easily navigates between tradition and modernity and mixes intuition to technical know-how. Supple and light leather on reliable and nonslip soles answer the wishes of Southern women: comfortable and catchy sandals adapted to the Southern heat.
Create an alert to receive brand updates by e-mail!


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Hey guys, this is Dawn and I'm back with another awesome tutorial for all you World of Warcraft fanatics. Me, my sister, and brother play WoW and enjoy it very much. I did this tutorial out of a request from the list I get everyday. There's a lot of people who love the game World of Warcraft and to be precise, there's over four million who play this game. My sister owns a Blood Elf paladin and she can fight pretty well. I find this race to be sort of interesting. The male and female Blood Elves have a slight anime appearance. I remember reading an article that said the intention was to make them that way. I think the male Belfs look pretty sweet, they actually look better than the Night Elves. My character is a level 70 Night Elf Druid. Two years ago I made a tutorial on a Night elf but I wasn't into the game at the time. I might actually re-draw the tutorial to give justice to the Night Elves. To keep the actual essence of the Blood Elf in the drawing, I referenced one of the poses when they're resting. I thought by drawing her in this pose, that it would be pretty nice for all those WoW fans. You'll find some difficulty on "how to draw a Blood Elf" face because of the eyebrows and other facials. It took me a while to get the detailing on the armor and cloak done. The spec for this elf is suppose to be a mage. Sorry for forgetting to draw an epic staff, I wasn't thinking of it at the time. Most of the characters look like they wear no shoes, so I gave her shoe-less feet. I was in the process of adding red nail polish on her finger and toenails but I decided to keep them bare. Well, I hope you'll enjoy this fun filled tutorial on how to draw a Blood Elf step by step. Thanks so much for viewing and have fun!
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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If you caught the BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012 keynote yesterday morning, you'll have seen the fantastic app demo of Cisco® WebEx Meetings running on a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device. The app will bring the Cisco™ WebEx collaboration, conferencing, and screen sharing capabilities that so many organizations rely on to BlackBerry 10 devices at their launch in Q1 of 2013. I caught up with Mark Gervase of the Cisco team to chat about the upcoming app and what it means to take collaboration even further into a mobile environment. Check out the video below for the full scoop:
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
The Cisco WebEx Meetings app for BlackBerry 10 not only extends Cisco WebEx functionality to a mobile computing platform; it also embodies the flow, speed, and simplicity of the BlackBerry 10 experience. A few of the features include the ability to have the conference bridge call your phone to connect, and full screen sharing on the high resolution screen of your BlackBerry 10 device.
Do you use Cisco WebEx in your work? Are you looking forward to using it on the go with a BlackBerry 10 device? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


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Steering You Straight - Heim-Joints vs. Tie-Rod Ends
Super Strong Steering
Steering is one of the most important components of your 4x4. If you toast a transmission or break an axle you can still steer to the side of the road. Lose your steering and you are just along for the ride. Factory steering is good for a stock vehicle, but when you start swapping axles or adding bigger tires you need something better. Better materials and increased wall thickness are common upgrades for tie rods and drag links, but oftentimes not enough thought is given to the end of those steering links.
Some sort of joint is required to accommodate movement, both from the tires turning left and right and the suspension cycling up and down. On a solid axle the tie rod doesn't have a wide range of motion, regardless of whether it is mounted to the middle of the steering knuckle or above it. By contrast, the drag link used in crossover steering (where the drag link goes from the steering box to the passenger-side knuckle) must travel through the full range of suspension travel without binding. Tie-rod ends and Heim joints are the two choices for your steering. Which is best for your application depends on a number of factors.
A Case for Tie-Rod Ends
All factory steering linkages come with tie-rod ends that are tapered and fastened with castle nuts and cotter pins. The tapered joint mates with the corresponding knuckle or steering arm, retaining a tight connection. The castle nuts with cotter pins add another layer of safety and minimize maintenance. Grease zerks in the top of the tie-rod end allow them to be lubricated for long life, and rubber boots over the end of the joint retain the grease and keep out mud, water, and dust.
Not all tie-rod ends are created equal. We have had the best luck with Moog parts. The added reliability is worth the small increase in price, and they are made in America. GM tie-rod ends (Moog PN ES2233L and ES2234R) are popular not only with Chevy owners but Jeeps, Toyotas, and buggies too, thanks to their large 7⁄8-inch threaded shanks and common availability. They are often referred to as "one ton" tie-rod ends, but they actually came on '76-'911⁄2- and 3⁄4-ton trucks. True "one ton" tie-rod ends use 1-inch threaded shanks but are not as common or easy to source.
A Case for Heim Joints
While tie-rod ends have several great qualities, they are not perfect for every situation. Heim joints are commonly used for steering on buggies and race trucks because they can be found in much larger sizes than even "one ton" tie-rod ends. While we are using the term Heim joint, named after the inventor Lewis Heim, these are also known as spherical rod ends. In addition to steering, they are commonly used in suspension links, throttle linkages, and other components that need to pivot and be adjustable in length. Weld-in bungs and taps for Heim joints are much less expensive and easier to source than the 7⁄8-inch, 18-threads-per-inch tie-rod ends, but the Heim joints themselves and related hardware can often add up to make the overall cost greater than tie-rod ends.
While tie-rod ends have a taper, Heim joints are attached to steering linkages with straight bolts. The leverage exerted on the Heim joint can cause the bolt to wobble and loosen. The best way to combat this is to mount the Heim joint in double shear, where it is captured above and below. Also use the highest-quality fasteners you can find, as they are subjected to enormous loads.
If your state has yearly vehicle inspections, Heim joints might not pass. Check your local laws to see if this is an issue before shelling out any money on new steering components.
Like tie-rod ends, all Heim joints are not created equal. We have had good success with QA1 and FK rod ends, and even within those brands there is a wide spectrum of features and prices. Teflon-lined alloy Heim joints are much better for steering than budget steel Heim joints intended for tractors because of their tighter tolerances, which seals out contamination. Plus, Teflon has the ability to lubricate the joint and keep it operating smoothly and quietly.
The Final Word
Regardless of what ends you choose for your steering linkages, pick the highest-quality components you can afford and check them regularly. Both typically use jam nuts to connect them to the tie rod or drag link, and the jam nuts should be checked regularly to ensure that they are tight. For tie-rod ends, maintenance involves greasing the joints and making sure there are no tears in the boots. Heim joints must remain clean and tight, with fasteners torqued to specification. Penetrating oil can be added to quiet down squeaks, but it also attracts dirt. Our research concluded that if you want to do the least amount of maintenance, stick with tie-rod ends. If you want maximum strength and parts that are easy to swap on the trail, quality Teflon-lined Heim joints might be a better choice for you.
Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey
Whether you use tie-rod ends or Heim joints, most tie rods and drag links use left-hand threads on one side and standard right-hand threads on the other side. Doing so allows you to adjust the length of the steering links without removing them from the vehicle. There are some benefits to using just right-hand threads. One advantage is having to carry less unique spare parts. There's also no need to purchase a left-hand tap. You would have less concern about the drag link or tie rod coming off if the jam nuts come loose because as one end threads out, it will be resisted by the other end, which is trying to thread in to the steering link. Weigh the pros and cons when building your next steering setup and decide what is most important to you.


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Register Your Wedding are pleased to announce the engagement of Tina & Percy on Saturday 24th December, 2016Login/Register Read More
Very helpful on accomodation options, location etc.Read More Reviews
Register Your Wedding and wait to receive your unique wedding code that will give you access to your very own personal wedding pages on Register Your Wedding.
This is when the fun begins! Upload your story and your photographs for all of your invited family and friends to see along with all of your wedding details.
Send out your personalised Register Your Wedding Website Access Code Cards with your wedding invitations to your family and friends.
All About Register Your Wedding.
As soon as you Register Your Wedding you can be assured you will be well looked after by our community of professional wedding suppliers from Mission Beach to Cairns, Cairns northern beaches, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Daintree Cape Tribulation and of course the beautiful Atherton Tablelands and surrounding regions.
Each one of these wedding suppliers has been chosen to partner Register Your Wedding to provide outstanding service to our engaged couples that are about to become brides and grooms and to help smooth the way for you to enjoy a carefree wedding in Cairns and Tropical North Queensland with your family and friends.
Every one of the wedding team members contributes a wealth of knowledge and professionalism when arranging your perfect tropical wedding ensuring you will have nothing to worry about on your special wedding day.
From a small intimate elopement to a large extravagant wedding celebration Register Your Wedding will be your local contact for everything weddings.
When you Register Your Wedding we will not only save you the time and energy of looking for wedding suppliers we will also pass on great savings on all of your wedding accommodation and tours along with other Free Bonus Add On's for you and your invited wedding guests.
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As a bit of a treat, we thought we'd go back into the GameSpy archives and bring out some of our old issues so you could see which of our predictions were right... and which were a little off.
ISSUE #1: December, 1981
GameSpy's first issue was actually printed on a church Xerox machine by two brothers who didn't believe in God. That's right: GameSpy started as an amateur 'zine! As for the brothers, while their names are now lost to us, we pray they're not burning in Hell with the betrayers.
While educational games never took off the way we predicted, we still believe Ms. Pac-Man was the sexiest female food-packer until Cooking Mama. Is that a creepy thing to write? (No, I feel that way too. -Ed.)


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Articles In About Us
» About Us
Welcome guest. You can or
The current main trading sectors of the company are:
Established in Glenrothes in 2010, the company is conveniently located in Glenrothes in the heart of Fife where we have been serving trade professionals and the general public since our inception.
PBS believes strongly in the needs of the tradesman. Through the expansion of stock holdings on quality brands, competitive pricing and an unrivalled onsite delivery service, PBS have developed their core business in order to meet these needs.
PBS are well known in the construction industry for their ability to source specialist materials and solutions to the customer's requirements. The company values its work force, ensuring that staff are employed and trained to provide the very highest levels of customer service in the industry. The wide range of stock and expertise, ranging from bricks and masonry through to timber, civils, tools, hygiene, janitorial and landscaping, makes PBS the one-stop-shop for the true trade professional.
» About Us


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Women! Get your motor running!
jsingletonphoto is now taking bookings for WOMEN WITH BIKES! These photo sessions are for those motorcycle enthusiast who want image of themselves with their pride and two wheel joy! The sessions are your own personal pin up images with you and your ride. If you are looking for a social media album to show your friends or large metal art prints to hang on your wall this is the place to put on your brakes.
The sessions will include consultation with me as to what your goals are for your individual session. It will also include make up and hairstylist suggestions as well as clothing styling to fit the look you want to achieve. Be it a hard leather look or something a bit more reveling the session is yours to discover a hot look for you and your motorcycle.
This blog announcement will be one of many to start up the WWB sessions. Now I must admit that the product name may change or be altered because I am in the beginning stages of putting together these sessions so please keep watching for blog updates.
- WHEN – Booking starts today 5/10/2017 (Check for available dates)
- CONTACT: email – email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com JSP J Singleton Photo on Facebook
- WHERE – Sessions will be based upon consultations
- WHO – All women who want to have some cool, sexy, fun and wild pin up fashion images with their motorcycles.
- *PRICING – $$$ to $$$$$ – these will be stylized shoots so expect the cost to be reflective to the value of art. Customized pricing currently. Session setting *fee currently start at $200 and up
*(subject to change)
Thanks for stopping by and please book your session today!!!


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GMES in Action conference in Copenhagen
The 'GMES in Action' conference will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 4–5 June, highlighting the usefulness of Europe's space programme for the GMES Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative to decision-makers and European citizens alike.
User testimonials of pre-operational services, prospects for increased benefits of a fully operational programme and socio-economic assessments will form the core of the conference programme.
High-level speakers from the political environment and institutions as well as representatives from different thematic areas like economy, health, energy, agriculture, climate change and disaster management will state their views, experiences and expectations. Representatives of the political establishment will provide policy and programmatic contributions.
The conference agenda can be found on the conference homepage.
GMES in Action is an associated event of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. It is being organised by the ESA, the European Commission, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and Eumetsat.
About GMES
As a space, in-situ and service component, GMES will provide accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. A huge number of domains will benefit from GMES services once they are operational from 2014 onwards.
GMES features a huge economic potential of jobs, growth and business opportunities for industries and the downstream sector. According to independent studies, GMES will facilitate a return on investment of between €4 and €12 for every €1 invested – an efficient way of spending taxpayers' money.
GMES is at the crossroads of its future implementation. Currently, various funding mechanisms for GMES are under discussion. Details on the financial future of GMES will also be discussed in Copenhagen.
Registration for the conference is free and can still be done on the conference website.
For more information, please contact:
Josef Aschbacher
GMES Space Office, ESA Frascati, Italy
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com