text:
In a move to bring network connectivity to a wider range of devices, sensors and appliances, IBM has donated the source code of its machine-to-machine messaging software to the Eclipse Foundation, the company announced Thursday.
The messaging client, called Paho, runs the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), a protocol developed by IBM and Eurotech in 1999. The protocol was originally designed for sensor devices that monitor pipelines, and has subsequently been used in many other embedded devices and smartphones. Recently, Facebook used the protocol for its mobile messaging platform.
"We hope that MQTT will become a core protocol in building the Internet-of-Things, and it fits nicely with the work we've been doing with Eclipse," said Andy Piper, an IBM distinguished engineer.
The company submitted the code to the Eclipse Foundation now in order to dovetail with the 10th anniversary of IBM's open sourcing of its Eclipse IDE (Integrated Developer Environment). IBM, along with Eurotech and Sierra Wireless, also started a new Eclipse Foundation working group that will focus on developing more standards and tools for machine-to-machine messaging.
The protocol could be an essential component in what is increasingly called "The Internet of Things," or low-powered networked sensors and other devices that could communicate operational and sensor data to servers, such as bridge sensors, automobile components and monitors for household appliances.
IBM plans to be deploying a lot of machine-to-machine systems in the years to come, as part of its Smarter Planet initiative to instrument more mechanical systems and analyze the resulting data to improve efficiencies.
IBM is hoping developers use Paho as a reference implementation and reuse the program's code, which was written in both Java and C, Piper said. A number of open-source MQTT servers, or brokers, have already been developed, and could communicate with Paho clients.
MQTT offers a few specific advantages over HTTP, the currently favored protocol for relaying Web data across the Internet, Piper argued.
Like HTTP, MQTT runs on top of TCP/IP. HTTP, however, is a point-to-point protocol, one designed for moving documents from one machine to another. In contrast, MQTT follows the publish/subscribe messaging model, which doesn't assume that both parties in a data exchange will always be online at the same time. "That model is a natural fit for sensors, or for chat clients," Piper said.
Because MQTT messages have small headers, they use bandwidth more efficiently than HTTP. As such, MQTT could be useful for remote sensors that may log onto a network only once a day through a satellite link, or some other conduit with limited bandwidth. It could also be useful for smartphone applications, where it could keep bandwidth and battery-powered processor usage to a minimum, Piper said.
"HTTP doesn't deal very well with unreliable networks. You get a time-out or broken connection error, and you have to handle" the errors with additional coding, Piper said.
The protocol itself is in the public domain, and IBM and Eurotech are looking for a standards body to manage further development–and encourage wider use–of the protocol.
IBM announced Paho at EclipseCon Europe, being held this week in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Ten years ago this week, IBM open sourced Eclipse, in a move to keep at bay the growing dominance of Microsoft's Visual Studio IDE. Since then, Eclipse has grown into a powerhouse in the development community. The Eclipse Foundation now oversees 273 Eclipse-related projects.
By open sourcing the Eclipse code, IBM has been able to benefit from the input of thousands of additional contributors worldwide, said IBM program director John Kellerman. More than 1,000 developers have submitted code to Eclipse.org. IBM itself now has more than 800 products based on the Eclipse platform.
IDC has estimated that the size of the embedded market will double by 2015, to more than US$2 trillion in annual business, as more low-cost networked computational devices are deployed. Ericsson AB has estimated that by 2020, there will be more than 24 billion network-connected devices in the world, up from 9 billion today.
IBM is not alone in its efforts to create new technologies for this market. Microsoft is working on a machine-to-machine connection manager, code-named Pontecchio, that would offer fine-grained control over when devices connect to network services.
Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Reveal® 3-D for Gluten
Item No. 700002634 | Catalog No. 901031P
- Results in just 5 minutes
- Easy-to-use lateral flow test strip — no equipment needed
|Lateral Flow
|Result Type
|Limit of Detection
|Screens samples at 5–10 ppm gluten. Screens swabs at 80 µg/100 cm2 gluten.
|Testing Time
|Prop 65 Warning
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including thimerosal, which is known in the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
|Quantity per Package
|10 tests
|Package Dimensions
|10.00 in x 8.50 in x 8.80 in
|Package Weight
|0.40 lb
The pack contains the following:
- 1 sealed foil pouch, containing 10 green Reveal 3-D for Gluten devices
- 1 bottle of swab wetting solution
- 10 sachets containing 1 mL of Type 4 Extraction Buffer
- 10 sachets containing 3 mL of Type 5 Extraction Buffer
- 10 individually packaged, sterile swabs with break-off tips
To access certificates, please use our technical document search page.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Assay Principles
The Reveal 3-D format is a single-step lateral flow immunochromatographic assay. The extract is wicked through a reagent zone, which contains antibodies specific for the target allergen conjugated to colored particles. If allergen is present, it will be captured by the conjugated antibodies. The allergen antibody-particle complex then is wicked onto a membrane which contains a zone of antibody specific for the target allergen. This zone captures the complex allowing the particles to concentrate and form a visible line. If no target allergen is present, no line will form.
Our customers' success is our shared success. Our experts are ready to train you and your team on our solutions, so you can rest easy knowing procedures are performed properly and yield accurate results. In addition, we provide certificates upon completion of training to provide you with the documentation needed for audit traceability.
Our experts are here to help. If you need information beyond what is provided in Validation Reports under the Documents tab, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you. Learn more

subset: commoncrawl


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Suffolk County Child Support Attorney
Whether you are a parent seeking child support or are facing the reality that you may be required to pay child support, you will benefit from the advice of an experienced child support lawyer.
According to New York's Family Court Act and Domestic Relations Law, "the parents of a child under the age of twenty-one years are chargeable with the support of such child and, if possessed of sufficient means or able to earn such means, shall be required to pay for child support a fair and reasonable sum as the court may determine."
Types of Child Support Proceedings
- Establishment of Child Support (which may include a paternity proceeding)
- Modification of Child Support
- Enforcement / Violation of Orders of Support
Establishing Child Support
Child support is generally calculated based on the parental adjusted gross income of the parents. The courts use the parties' tax returns as a starting point to determine the income of the parents but the courts are also given discretion to impute income to either party that was not reported on the taxes.
In addition to the basic child support obligation, the court will also calculate the parties' obligations to pay for:
- Child care
- Unreimbursed health care costs
- Educational expenses
Termination or Modification of Child Support
Generally, a child support order can be modified upon a showing of substantial change in circumstances of a party such as a loss of a job or a change in custody. Once such a change has been proven, the court will then recalculate the order in the same manner that a new order is calculated.
Additionally, a support order can be modified or terminated when:
- The child is deemed to be emancipated
- The child has Abandoned / forfeited the right to support
- The child is of employable age and is self-supporting
- The child enlists in the military.
- The child has legally married.
- The child has reached 21 years old
- The parent has passed away
- The custodial parent has wrongfully interfered with visitation
In 2010, the New York State Legislature passed a law that permitted either party to seek a modification when:
- Three (3) years have passed since entry or modification of the support order; OR
- The income of either party has increased by 15% or more.
Violation / Enforcement of Orders of Support
New York law provides for a number of mechanisms to enforce child support and to punish violations of child support orders.
- Garnishment (also known as Income Execution Order / Income Deduction Order) – A process by which payments for current and/or overdue support are deducted from a noncustodial parent's wages or other income by the noncustodial parent's employer or income payor. Additionally, a noncustodial parent's pension can be levied.
- Entry of Judgment – A money judgment will be awarded when a court finds that the noncustodial parent is in support arrears, regardless of whether the failure to pay support is willful or non-willful. A money judgment also acts as a lien against any interest in personal property or real property (such as a house) in the county in which it was filed.
- Interception of Financial Awards (Including Tax returns, Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Lottery Winnings) – Noncustodial parents who are receiving unemployment insurance from the New York State Department of Labor will have current and/or overdue child support payments automatically deducted from their Unemployment Insurance Benefits, state and federal tax returns and lottery winnings.
- Seizure of Property – Financial assets of the noncustodial parent, including bank accounts, may be seized in order to satisfy overdue child support.
- Sequestration – An enforcement mechanism by which the noncustodial parent's property is held as security for payment of the support.
- Payment of Undertakings and Cash Deposits – The court can order that a noncustodial parent post a bond to ensure that future support payments are made.
- Suspension of Licenses – New York State licenses, including professional licenses, occupational licenses and driver's licenses can be suspended if a noncustodial parent fails to make support payments regardless of the willfulness of the failure.
- Probation – Although it is done very infrequently, courts have the power to put a noncustodial parent on probation for failure to pay support.
- Incarceration for Contempt – A noncustodial parent can be incarcerated for non-payment of support.
- Civil Contempt – The Family Court and Supreme Court have the power to order the incarceration of a noncustodial parent on a showing of a willful failure to make support payments.
- Criminal Prosecution under NYPL §260.05 and NYPL §260.05.
- Legal Fees – In many support enforcement cases, the noncustodial parent may be required to pay the custodial parent's legal fees / attorney's fees. This can result in a custodial parent being represented by an attorney at no cost.
Please note that these remedies are generally only available when the custodial parent has an order of support issued by a court. These remedies may not be available in situations such as when there is an out-of-court agreement.
This is not complete list of remedies available in enforcing a support obligation and it is always advisable to contact a family law lawyer when deciding upon how to proceed in a support action. Contact us if you're looking for a lawyer for a child support violation.
Suffolk Child Support Lawyer
We believe that persons receiving child support should receive all the child support required by law. We also believe that a person responsible for paying child support should not pay more than the law requires. At the Law Office of Louis L. Sternberg, we take action to obtain an increase or a reduction in child support payments, as mandated by law.
Contact your Suffolk County Child Support attorneys by phone at (631) 600-3295 or use the intake form to speak to a Suffolk County Child Support Lawyer.


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The world would be a more peaceful place if pillow fights happened more often. Or better yet, if pillow fights were used in place of war, violence and crime. But of course, to properly fight with pillows, you need proper pillows to fight with. Like weapon shaped pillows.
Vizio's Latest TVs Go All Quantum
Light sabers, scimitars, double sided viking axes, nunchucks, ninja stars and grenades—that's what these pillows are. It's a complete arsenal of fluffy fury that'll definitely intimidate your next sleepover opponent into submission. Well, that's if you could buy 'em. The weaponed pillows only exist in prototype form. [Bryan Ku via Geekologie]


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Strong authentication is an additional layer of security for your account. When enabled, you will automatically receive a security pin to your registered e-mail each time you attempt to log in. Until you receive and enter this pin, you will be unable to log in.
Enabling strong authentication is simple. Log in to your account and click 'My Account' at the top-right corner:
Scroll to the bottom of your account page to the My Security section. You will see the Strong Authentication option:
After checking the box, you will be required to enter your password again and select 'Activate'. An email will be sent with an initial code. Enter this into the box that appears and select 'Activate' again and strong authentication will be completely enabled on your account.


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You know, the definition of insanity is doing the same stupid thing over and over, and expecting different results. With that in mind, some Alaska democrats have earned a lifetime stay in a padded cell.
Folks even remotely knowledgeable about Governor Sarah Palin know all about the epic failures Alaskan democrat bloggers and their operatives have experienced in their attempts to smear the Governor. Currently they are batting 16-0 with their ridiculous "ethics complaints." 17-0 if you count the failed "troopergate" attempt. Details are here, here, and here.
So what does Alaska's official DNC blogger, Linda Kellen Biegel, have up her sleeve now? Well, she's cooking up another ethics complaint, of course!
You might remember all of the commotion this hateful gal caused when she posted a photoshopped image of Governor Palin and her youngest child. It led everyone to ask why is it OK for democrats to attack small children, especially when they are the children of conservatives.
You'd have thought she'd learned her lesson from the fallout David Letterman experienced after his series of insults aimed at the Governor's 14 year old daughter. But again, we are talking about the clinically insane here.
Biegel, who blogs as the Celtic Diva eventually took the photo down, and now has pages worth of explaining posted. That's something else democrats are really good at. They will insult you in the most vile ways, and then "apologize" or "explain" things to you. But mostly they'll just tell you that you aren't smart enough to understand the nuance of discussing the rape of a 14 year old girl or how photoshopping a picture of a down syndrome child is some sort of high art form.
And of course, all of them band together to express their outrage when called on their hatefulness. Democrats are the do as I say, not as I do party.
As you know, Biegel, who is rapidly becoming a laughing stock in the sane world, used the image of Governor Palin and young Trig Palin as part of a fund raising effort she has ongoing. She is raising funds to file more insane ethics violations complaints, of course, and says so on her blog. Now, she refuses to disclose donors names, and claims this is not a "political fund" so she doesn't have to follow the law on this sort of thing. Or file the proper paperwork.
Ironic, because she wants to use this money in an effort to "gain more transparency" from Governor Palin.
No really, I'm not making this stuff up!
So what is Alaska's self appointed "ethics chief" caterwauling about now?
Well, people who keep up with the Governor will tell you that she made a trip this weekend to visit Alaska National Guard troops during a training exercise off the coast, and then spent time at Camp Bondsteel Ferizaj, Kosovo and then visited wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
This is Governor Palin's second trip abroad to visit her Guard troops. In 2007, not long after she was elected, she traveled to Kuwait and then Germany.
Funny thing, that wasn't an ethics violation back then. But of course, she wasn't the odds on favorite to unseat Barack Obama in 2012 either.
At any rate, as Commander-In-Chief of the Alaska National Guard, Sarah Palin was well within the scope of her duties on this trip. And as Maj General Craig Campbell, who accompanied the Governor on the trip pointed out in this interview, Governor Palin takes these duties quite serious.
The issue?
It seems our poor misguided Diva now fancies herself a constitutional scholar. Of course so do these two!
Was able to pull this off of her website:
Found this on palingates (emphasis mine):
Frank said...
BlackMountain wrote on 06/27/2009 03:27:42 PM:
Something for the Palinbots to think about- Palin violated the US Supreme Court Greer vs. Spock decision which banned partisan political speeches or rallies on military bases. Palin also caused every soldier to violate a military directive that bars service members from attending partisan political speeches either in uniform, on duty, or at any military base/facility.
Isn't it just a doozie that Palin would violate a US Supreme Court Decision - and top it off with having our soldiers violate military directives!"
Now I won't even pretend to be a constitutional scholar, even though it seems that pretty much anyone can get away with saying so! But I will claim that I have a reading comprehension at or above the third grade level.
I took a look at Greer v Spock. This is a case from the 1970's.
Without quoting chapter and verse, here is a synopsis of the case:
"Fort Dix, a federal military reservation devoted primarily to basic training for newly inducted Army personnel, and over which the Government exercises exclusive jurisdiction, permits free civilian access to certain unrestricted areas. However, post regulations ban speeches and demonstrations of a partisan political nature and also prohibit the distribution of literature without prior approval of post headquarters. Pursuant to these regulations, the commanding officer of Fort Dix rejected the request of respondent candidates for President and Vice President to distribute campaign literature and hold a political meeting on the post and the other respondents, who had been evicted on several occasions for distributing literature not previously approved, were barred from reentering the post. Respondents brought suit to enjoin enforcement of these regulations on the ground that they violated the First and Fifth Amendments. The District Court issued an injunction prohibiting the military authorities from interfering with the making of political speeches or the distribution of leaflets in areas of Fort Dix open to the general public, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. "
So basically this case was about the distribution of partisan election materials without prior approval. The case was upheld. It states that a military commander MAY restrict political speech as well as printed material. MAY is the key word here. Maybe it's too many years pouring over the old NHRA rule book, but one tends to learn what words like "may" and "shall" and "must" mean.
The ruling goes on to leave us with this gem:
"As to the regulation governing the distribution of literature, a military commander may disapprove only those publications that he perceives clearly endanger the loyalty, discipline, or morale of troops on the base under his command, and, while this regulation might in the future be applied irrationally, invidiously, or arbitrarily, none of the respondents even submitted any material for review, and the noncandidate respondents had been excluded from the post because they had previously distributed literature there without attempting to obtain approval."
Now you can watch Governor Palin's speech to the troops, but unless you are a complete loon, or a member of the Obama Administration, a Governor thanking her troops for their hard work and sacrifice is hardly "dangerous" to the troops loyalty, discipline or moral! In fact, from the loud cheers she elicited from the troops, I'd say the Governor was a great boost to moral!
So where does this leave us?
Well, as we know, Linda Kellen Biegel is a seriously deranged woman void of all reason or self-restraint. So you can bet she is cooking up a way to file this ethics complaint! Of course, she may not do it herself. She has many surrogates like Andree McLeod or Sondra Tompkins, or Theodore "Chip" Thoma!
But her MO will be the same as always. Before she even files the paperwork, or gives it to a "designated hitter" to file, the details will be all over the internet. All of the various blogs will put it out, and the three hate bloggers from the Huffington Post, Amanda Coyne (whose husband conveniently works at the Anchorage Daily News), Jeanne Devon (AKMuckraker) and Shannyn Moore will most certain have star placement over at Arianna Huffington's rag.
You know, these people are why we cannot get good and decent men and woman to take part in the democratic process in our country. Just as soon as a real leader emerges, folks like Biegel, and the rest pull out their tattered copies of Saul Alinsky's "Rules For Radicals" and go to town.
It seems that all liberals are given a copy of the old communist "community organizer" from Chicago's book, at birth.
So far, these miscreants have cost the state of Alaska around $300,000 and have run up a personal legal tab of around a half million dollars for Governor Palin.
What can you do?
Get involved! This woman is an official blogger for the Democrat National Committee. She is also endorsed by the democrat party of Alaska. And enjoys a premium placement on their official website.
Conservatives 4 Palin has a great list of contacts that you can get in touch with. One can certainly ask them if this sort of economic terrorism is something they really want to endorse. Or for that matter, see it used against them in the future. More and more conservatives are reading Alinsky these days!
You can also help spread the word through friends and on the various blogs you frequent. If nothing else, when these loons try to come out with this "complaint" everyone will already know that it is bogus!
And one thing more, this isn't just about Governor Palin. These aren't the only underhanded democrat operatives out there. Even if you aren't one of Governor Palin's strong supporters, remember this, if they'll do this to her, sooner or later, they'll do it to someone you do care about! This sort of character assassination and economic terrorism is standard operating procedure for the modern democrat party. Just ask David Axlerod or Rahm Emanuel!
This is as good a time as any to draw a line in the sand! Enough is indeed enough!
I'll leave you with this thought from Pastor Martin Niemöller the German anti-Nazi activist:
"In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up".
It is a time to choose.


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Coppers of the Creature CollectorThe eccentric Creature Collector has returned to the Commons, this time with a trio of Bushicorn pets!
Head to the event area and choose one to train. You have until noon on Wednesday February 10th to complete the collector's four daily quests, level up your chosen creature, earn Creature Coppers to spend in their store, and get another page to your Creature Collector's Compendium! The Compendium Page will be given after the event ends. If you don't have the Creature Collector's Compendium ranch item, you'll get it when you get your first page. After the event, the collector will be taking their creature back unless you adopt it by purchasing its corresponding mount pack, available starting Monday February 8th. Train hard, Bush Whackers! The training quests unlock at noon on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Those busy on the weekends can still catch up! Notes - The VIP "Quest Reset" power does not reset these mini event quests, and they are not affected by the Time Turner and Timey Whimey Watch. - Swapping your event mount with a higher level mount doesn't count towards event progress.
UpdatesThe three Bushicorn pets earn double the experience compared to other pets for the duration of this mini-event!
Ye Olde Creature Collector's Galleria - PetsWhen you speak to Tanela Tiva in the event area, you can select the "What past pets are for sale?" chat option. This will open a new store, which will contain 3 non-event premium pets you have never owned! They cost Bush Bucks, like in event stores. The selection will change next time Tanela Tiva visits to event area. We've done this in response to players asking to see old premium pets they've missed out on, to help you fill out your pet collection. Snag those old-school mounts you're missing out on!
Read the Release Notes!
Chat about this mini-event on the forum!


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GoldBee Leggings BeStripe Down Black&Yellow
Express delivery within 3 days
Return in 100 days
- Free shipping above 160 €
All our packages are as eco-friendly as possible.
BeStripe leggings are based on your favorite BeOne leggings. These are completely made in the Czech Republic - each piece is sewn for you individually by our handy seamstresses.
We chose a unique, very pleasant fabric with decorative elements. Your buttocks will be beautifully highlighted thanks to a specially pleated seam. The solid fabric guarantees a tightening effect along the entire length of the legs. The leggings are opaque, do not crease and dry very quickly after washing. The rubber in the waist is equipped with a silicone belt, which prevents the leggings from falling and sliding off the hips.
Like all GoldBee leggings, you will receive BeStripe in our story gift tube.
- composition: 90% polyamide, 10% lycra
- handmade in the Czech Republic
Availability watchdog
We will inform you of Stock product.


text:
Privacy Policy
Maureenc.com Privacy Policy
Maureenc.com®, recognizes and respects the importance of maintaining the privacy of our customers, registered members ("Members") and users, and has established this Privacy Policy as a result. The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to inform you of:
- the personal information we may collect from you when you visit our web site, respond to our emails, place orders via mail or fax, or otherwise contact us via telephone, email, fax or mail,
- why we gather information from you,
- how we collect it,
- how we use it, and
- the choices you have regarding our use of personal information you have provided
This Privacy Policy is part of the Terms of Use, which governs your use of our web site located at www.maureenc.com (maureenc.com® or the "Web Site"). The Web Site is owned by maureenc.com, (the "Company").
Note: You must be 18 years or older to use, subscribe or register as a member of maureenc.com®. The Web Site is a general audience site and we do not knowingly collect, maintain or disclose personal information from or about children.
Why do we gather information?
maureenc.com® gathers personal information to help improve our products and customer service, to communicate with you, to process your orders, to provide an enhanced and more personalized shopping experience and to inform you, and your gift and message recipients, of special offers and discounts from us, our affiliated brands and selected third parties.
What information do we gather?
We collect information through our Web Site, emails, mail, fax, and telephone, including when you:
- place an order,
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- engage in other activities, services, products and resources we make accessible to our customers, members or users
Depending on how you are interact with us, we collect some or all of the following types of information:
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Information you provide to us may be collected by us even if an order, registration, or other process is started but not completed or otherwise cancelled. Members may also add to their Address Book the name, address and telephone number of friends or other persons to whom they may wish to send gifts or expressions. Only Members have the right to view and edit their Address Book entries.
How we use "Cookies" and "Analytics".
A "cookie" is a small data file sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer. We use cookies to let us know that you are a prior customer, user or Member and to provide certain features to you. Most web browsers allow you to instruct the browser to prevent the use of cookies. However, if you disable this feature, certain aspects of the maureenc.com® Web Site, such as the shopping basket, may not function properly.
We have relationships with third parties who may receive non-personal information directly from the cookies placed by our Web Site on your computer to assist in analyzing our business and customers.
Our Web Site also uses a common web technology "called "analytics" to anonymously track purchase, usage and other web activity information. Analytics (including third party analytics) may be used to provide data to third parties for tracking purposes. However, our Web Site does not use analytics or transfer personal information.
How we use the information we collect
We use information we collect to communicate with you, to process your orders, to provide an enhanced and more personalized shopping experience, to inform you and your gift and message recipients of offers and discounts from maureenc.com® and any affiliated brands and to enable you to receive credits for purchases under loyalty or buying programs which you have joined. In addition, we may make such information (except for credit card number and expiration date, unless you consent otherwise), including aggregated information, available to selected third parties including, but not limited to, those who share or rent information for direct marketing purposes.
However, without your consent, we do not make your, or your gift or message recipients' email addresses, available to third parties. In addition, you may instruct that other personal information about you or your message or gift recipients' that you have provided to us not be shared with third parties by following the instructions in How to Limit the Use of Personal Information, below.
Our Affiliates, subcontractors, and agents, and any successors to our business (if we ever sell some or all of our business), are not considered to be third parties under this Policy. However, in connection with information collected under this Policy, they are required to comply with this Policy. "Affiliates" are persons or entities directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with maureenc.com®.
We may combine information we receive from you via our Web Site, emails, mail, fax, and telephone with information from our Affiliates and third parties. We use the combined information to enhance and personalize your shopping experience with us and to communicate with you in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
We reserve the right to disclose information you provide to us as required by law, in response to legal process and law enforcement requests and as necessary or appropriate, in our view, to operate the Web Site, process orders or registrations, to conduct promotions, contests, and sweepstakes you participate in, and to protect the rights or property of the Company, its Affiliates, users, customers, recipients, Members, Sponsors, Providers, Licensors, Merchants and Associates (as these terms are defined in the Terms of Use).
Please note that any personal information you reveal or post on one our public forums (as defined in the Terms of Use), such as a message board, chat room, discussion group, folder, survey, contest, sweepstakes, user review and rate forum, and all User Submissions, are not protected by this Privacy Policy and may be collected, shared and used by us or with third parties, including to contact you. Information you give out or post on our public forums you disclose at your own risk.
Consent to Transfer and Submission
maureenc.com® is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that any information you provide to us will be transferred to the United States. By using the Web Site or otherwise providing us with information, you hereby consent to this transfer.
In addition, if you submit data to us about other individuals (such as your message and gift recipients), you agree that you have obtained consent from each such individual to the submission, transfer and processing of the information. Although personal information collected by us through the Web Site, emails, mail, fax, and telephone is used by us in accordance with this Privacy Policy, laws generally applicable to the protection of personal data in the U.S. may not be as stringent as those in other countries.
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Security and Passwords
If you place an order on our Web site, it encrypts the credit card number you submit prior to transmission over the Internet using secure socket layer (SSL) encryption technology. This technology works best when the Web Site is viewed using Microsoft's Internet Explorer® or Netscape Navigator® However, no transmission of data over the Internet or any other network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Although we make reasonable efforts to safeguard personal information once we receive it, we cannot warrant the security of information we receive.
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How to Limit the Use of Personal Information
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This fall IGS will be hosting "IGS Conversations," a series of panels on the hottest current world issues. Global leaders and IGS seniors will the share the stage as they analyze the pressing issues of our times.
Our first discussion panel is scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011 at 7 pm and will focus on government debts and their effect on the faltering world economy.
Are the United States and Europe bankrupt? What can be done about the international debt crisis? What happens if the European Union can't bail out Greece – or Italy, or Spain? As the world economy teeters, should governments be cutting back or spending much more? And what effect does fear itself have over faltering economies of the West?
We are honored that Mr. Kent Lucken, a managing director with Citigroup, will join us for this conversation. As an international banker Mr. Lucken has extensive experience in global finance but he also knows European politics well. In his past career as a U.S.diplomat Mr. Lucken served in several embassies in Europe and is familiar with the roots of the continent's economic crisis.
Joining Mr. Lucken will be our own Craig Elman and Adina Weissman, both recently returned from studying abroad in Europe. Craig, a double Economics and IGS major, will speak briefly on the debt crisis in Spain, where he studied for a semester, while Adina, a double major in economics and psychology, will talk about the intersection of public perception and economics in the debt crisis in England.
It all happens next Wednesday, October 26th in the Mandel Humanities Center Reading Room, up on the third floor. Come at 6:30 for pizza and informal conversation, then enjoy the panel and discussion from 7 pm on.
The "IGS Conversations" series is being managed by Joshua Cracraft, a PhD candidate in History who is also IGS' Assistant Director for Academic Programming. Please do get in touch with Joshua (firstname.lastname@example.com) if you have ideas for future conversations.


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2014 Automobile Magazine All-Stars: The Winners
Related Video
Every year, the Automobile Magazine editorial staff canvasses the complete range of passenger vehicles on sale in America and casts votes for ten All-Stars winners. There are no contorted rules, no categories—they're just our favorite vehicles. This year, we've added a twist, bringing this elite group together for a road trip. If you'd like to read that story, click here to follow our 1684-mile road trip from Detroit to New Orleans. What follows below is a list of the 10 Automobile Magazine All-Stars for 2014.
2014 Audi A7/S7/RS7
The Audi A7 was our 2012 Automobile of the Year, and as Audi's sleek four-door "coupe" adds ever more powerful versions, it continues to epitomize the qualities that have made Audi one of the leading luxury brands—sophistication, style, substance, and comfort. It's equally wonderful to look at, to sit in, and to drive. To all that, the 560-hp Audi RS7 model, which debuts for 2014, adds one more worthy quality: menacing performance.
2014 BMW 3 Series/4 Series
You have perhaps heard whispers of dissent about the BMW 3 Series. BMW has gone soft. The competition has found the formula. And yet, this perennial All-Star award winner remains the only one that can do it all: roomy and practical enough to drive every day; luxurious and stylish enough to broadcast that you've made it; and, when the moment strikes, powerful and nimble enough to beat up on sports cars.
2014 Cadillac CTS
When Cadillac decided more than a decade ago to build a world-class sport sedan, we chortled. The Catera was awful. The first CTS was OK. The second CTS was good. The latest Cadillac CTS, which was in the final running for our 2014 Automobile of the Year award (which went to its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray), has been named an All-Star for its all-around dynamic excellence and its modern, leading-edge technology. The 2014 Cadillac CTS is an involving, agile car that not only goes fast but makes you feel like going fast. Credit Cadillac for taking the long view.
The numbers are impressive: 197 hp, 35 mpg highway, and a base price of $22,195. But what we really like about the Ford Fiesta ST is its character. It's a bullet on the road, with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sounds like a mini-Ferrari when flogged, a lively chassis, supportive Recaro seats, and clean shift action from the six-speed manual. This small, high-technology hot rod dares you to drive harder and faster.
2014 Honda Accord
The Honda Accord nails the fundamentals like no other car. It's spacious, fuel efficient, reliable, and has excellent outward visibility. No wonder it's so popular. In the hypercompetitive midsize sedan segment, the Accord stands out for its refined powertrains, its ergonomics, and its overall attention to detail. The fact that it can be equipped with one of the best, slickest-shifting manual transmissions in the world and handles like a smaller car is a bonus.
2014 Jaguar F-Type
Not just an All-Star but also a rock star, the handsome Jaguar F-Type makes people happy just by passing them on the street. This modern take on the iconic 1960s Jaguar E-Type captivated us with its svelte body, its available supercharged V-8 engine, and its exhaust note that sounds like machine-gun fire. Did we mention its looks? With its extravagant styling, the Jaguar F-Type has done more than any other Jaguar in years to make the brand relevant and desirable again.
2014 Mazda 3
The third-generation Mazda 3 offers the most value on the car market today—and not just because it's inexpensive. The stylish 3 breathes new life into the crowded compact-car arena: it drives with even more poise than before, returns superb fuel economy, and has an interior that shames pricier cars. Long the most entertaining of compact cars, the 3 now also happens to be one of the nicest. Compact cars aren't supposed to feel this sophisticated, but the Mazda 3 does.
2014 Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Yes, there are faster cars for the money. What you're paying for here is perfection. The Porsche Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe encourage you to drive quickly, make you into a better driver, and reassure you that an error won't cascade into a disaster. The accelerator pedal is as smooth and progressive as the volume knob on a McIntosh amplifier. The steering is so precise that you feel as if you're turning the car with your eyes. And in an era of engine conformity, the unique sound of the Porsche boxer engine mounted behind your ears is a standout experience.
2014 Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 defies the limitations of a pickup truck, continuing a spirit of innovation that began in the mid-1990s, when Chrysler introduced the big-rig grille and reinvented the way pickup trucks look. Now the Ram has the best chassis in the business, with a coil-sprung rear suspension that offers a settled ride even with an empty bed. The list of options and the refined interior rival those of a luxury car. And a new diesel engine—the only one available on a light-duty pickup—achieves the fuel economy of a mid-size crossover.
Is 200 hp enough for a sports car? Yes, provided that sports car is light and has a perfectly balanced, rear-wheel-drive chassis. Oh, and don't forget to include perfectly placed controls and communicative steering. Because of all this, the virtually identical Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ offer a pure driving experience for a new generation of enthusiasts and are among the few modern cars you can enjoy driving at the limit without losing your license. They also look great and are priced for the common man or woman.
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14 Times Idols Completely Dissed Their Companies In Public
Idols usually have nice things to say about their companies but sometimes things heat up and they can't help poking fun at their bosses. Whether they are directly calling out their company for doing something in particular or are making fun of their CEOs, here are some of the best disses that idols weren't afraid to share!
1. When Super Junior Heechul's showed off his different levels of shade
There was this time when Heechul told everyone exactly what Super Junior thought of one of their cover images.
"Our members really hate this cover… Is it an Audi logo or the Olympic logo? No one knows!" — Heechul
Not to be outdone by himself, Heechul also majorly roasted SM Entertainment when SUPER JUNIOR was on hiatus.
"Is SM out of money these days because Super Junior is on hiatus?" — Heechul
2. Or the time when BLACKPINK's Rosé accidentally dissed Yang Hyun Suk
What would you say if someone asked if your boss was your ideal type? You really can't blame Rosé for her response!
''is yg your ideal type?'' pic.twitter.com/Qi2gtSiqAa
— rosé loops (@roseyloops) June 19, 2018
3. Then there are the many, many times Highlight's Yoseob roasted his former company
He's caught this spelling mistake and couldn't stop himself from poking fun at it.
Then he found another one with much the same result.
And then there was this straight up diss.
4. And just because he's now a CEO of his own company, doesn't mean Highlight's Yoseob will stop being sassy
Just because he's CEO doesn't mean he won't call out the company's director!
5. How about the time GOT7 called out Park Jin Young?
You got to love the moment GOT7 wasn't letting Park Jin Young get away with how he greeted them…
Versus how he greeted Suzy.
6. Or when BTS mimicked Bang Si Hyuk
BTS has mimicked him a lot but in one case the mimicking even came complete with J-Hope dressed up as Bang Si Hyuk!
7. 15&'s Jimin sure isn't ready to be quiet
Jimin called out JYP Entertainment asking them to let her sing and release some music on an episode of After School Club.
8. We also can't forget LOONA Kim Lip's salty introduction
When Kim Lip was introduced on LoonaTV she threw some shade after being stuck in the basement while previous videos were shot in different countries. The company even knew about her diss and included it in their captions!
9. Plus 2PM Taecyeon's Twitter rant
2PM's Taecyeon wasn't happy that JYP Entertainment seemed to be focusing on their status as part of the "Big 3" instead of individual staff members and let everyone know about it on Twitter.
"If those who don't help out or have good management get promoted, then what becomes of the people who do help out and manage me? Is this a decision that is understandable? Will fans be able to understand an agency that I can't even understand as a celebrity? What JYP Entertainment needs for 2014 is a reformation. The agency needs to be a place where people want to work hard instead of just coming in and leaving exactly on time. If the workers of an entertainment agency cannot be entertained, how can the company satisfy the public? Don't place importance on being part of the 'Big 3' or the agency's name but it's time to seek for substance. If our agency wants to aim for the best in 2014, it doesn't have to do with solely the producer's strengths but also the workers of the company as well. For the unappreciated JYP staff but who deserve the actual credit." — Taecyeon
10. Then we have AKMU totally making fun of Yang Hyun Suk
When Chanhyuk pulled out these moves you couldn't help but laugh.
But things got even better when you found out where he got the dance moves from!
11. When Girls' Generation's Taeyeon told SM Entertainment to buck up
Taeyeon was just signing some CDs when she noticed some defects.
Instead of letting it pass, she called SM Entertainment out on it.
And did it one more time for good measure!
12. The time B.A.P's Yongguk created an entire diss track
With lyrics like "values surrounded with money, their crooked compass" and "assholes who ruined this with their bellies full" there is no doubt this is a complete diss track.
13. And former Rainbow member Noeul called out her company
And former Rainbow member Noeul created her own diss track on an episode of Weekly Idol asking the company why they were sitting on her talent.
14. While BTS created this gem
And who could forget BTS's own diss track?


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- Updated On:
- April 22, 2021
This beautiful first floor apartment is located in ever popular Lyde Green. There is a light & airy lounge/kitchen with French doors and Juliette balcony; the kitchen has oven/hob and white goods. Off the hallway you will find the master bedroom with en-suite shower room, bedroom 2 with wardrobes and the family bathroom. The apartment also has it's own allocated parking space at the rear of the property.
Lyde Green has great access to the ring road and ideally located for the MOD, Aztec West or the M4/M5 Interchange. Bath and Keynsham are well within reach, Emersons Green retail park is close by with a a selection of shops and restaurants. There are buses that regularly run through Lyde Green into Downend, Fishponds and the city centre.
A household income of £27750 is required for this property. There is a holding fee of £213.46 required to secure the property and a deposit of £1067.30
Sorry, No pets or smokers


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Mansfield (146 of 200)
Mansfield (146 of 200)
Morning Prep
The morning of your wedding will be like no other.
The hair and makeup, the champagne, the bridesmaids and all the other details create the perfect setting as you finally get to wear the dress you searched for.
As you step into your dress, a helping hand from a loved one ties the ribbon and helps you put on those incredible shoes. We're there to capture all the emotions in the final hours before your ceremony begins.
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This article is more than 1 year old
Think PCs will drop in price? Think again, warns Intel
Selling chips better biz than selling drugs
The Golden Age of ever-decreasing PC prices is over, at least as far as Intel is concerned.
Speaking to investors in London last week, the chip giant's CFO Stacy Smith boasted how the vendor had broken the pricing death spiral that has bedevilled the PC industry for most of its history.
This has been achieved by a combination of technology and manufacturing innovation, matched by a much tighter branding and segmentation strategy, he claimed.
In his presentation, he said that ASPs in the vendor's PC Client business had gone up six points since 2009, adding "this is very significant".
It would certainly be significant to anyone who watched the PC industry through the '90s and into the last decade will remember how the chip industry worked. In the chip part of the industry, a vendor (mainly Intel) would launch a product, which would attract its premium price point.
Last year's premium chip would be pushed down the price list, as would everything else in its turn, with that hot chip from a couple of years back being bumped off the main price list and into Intel's embedded business. And that price list itself would be a sprawling jumble of brand names, prefixes, suffixes and clock speeds.
In the last few years, Smith claimed, the vendors' marketing teams had "done a great great job of cleaning up our brands".
And rather than just "waterfalling" its latest feature right down through its range, it has become much more discrete.
"As a company, we're putting significant features into different parts of the market... we're making sure we get paid for it."
The vendor is also holding the line on server products. The explosion of cloud and mobile services, and the datacentres behind them, are underpinning massive margins in its server chips business.
Smith said that there was a simple equation behind this. The benefits Intel reckons it can deliver to server operators – plus that more sophisticated segmentation and the fact that Intel's take is just 2 per cent of data centre spending – means it can justify the prices that to the untrained eye will seem quite eyewatering.
"In this business you get paid for that investment," said Smith.
Paid to the tune of $8.7bn last year, generating operating margin of $4.4bn, or 50.5 per cent. The PC client group, by comparison, makes a margin of 43 per cent on its much bigger revenue of $30.3bn.
Indeed, Smith told investors: "There's not too many businesses where you could get that margin... selling drugs maybe."
An Intel spokesman assured us the Smith was, of course, referring to the legal pharmaceutical industry, and had not used case studies on the likes of Pablo Escobar and Howard Marks when constructing his financial model for Intel.
Either way, there's just not the downward pressure on server prices you might have seen back, say, in the years after the dot com bust.
That doesn't necessarily mean higher PC prices – vendors could always shred their own margins or drive down costs somewhere else in the supply chain. But today's much more consolidated PC industry doesn't seem inclined to slash its own throat. Not too deeply anyway.
Back in March, Acer's Walter Deppeler warned that a firmer dollar was putting a floor under prices, while a more continent supply chain and industry consolidation was checking declining PC prices. PC ASPs were set to rise this year, said Deppeler.
Falling prices have always seemed like a fact of life in the tech industry. So, Intel is clearly feeling it's different this time.
All it needs to do now to keep things in balance is to not unleash an Itanium-like turkey into its product line, achieve its ambitions of entering the burgeoning phone market, and not be blindsided by an upstart competitor sneaking into one of its core markets. And be sure that its surging business is not, in part, down to any kind of bubble among technology buyers. How hard can that be? ®


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The latest to join the Netflix streaming crowd, Samsung Blu-Ray player users can now download a free update for Internet movie watching. The first Samsung players that will definitely support Netflix are the BD-P2500 and the BD-P2550. Netflix members can have their PC queues automatically displayed on Samsung's players for instant viewing. Using the remote will let you fast forward, rewind, browse and rate movies from your TV set. Both players are $400. Full release follows. Update: They've got Pandora too!
Netflix and Samsung Partner to Instantly Stream Movies on Next Generation Blu-ray Disc Players Samsung BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray Players Transformed into Gateways that Give Consumers Access to More Than 12,000 Choices of Movies and TV Episodes from Netflix Partnership will Include Streaming to a Range of Home Entertainment Products LOS GATOS, Calif. and RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, and Samsung Electronics America, a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced a broad partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from the Netflix Web site directly to their living rooms via Samsung's BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray disc players. The companies also said they are collaborating to enable Samsung to integrate instant streaming from Netflix into a range of home entertainment products. The BD-P2550 and BD-P2500 are currently available at $399.99. Consumers who already own one of these Samsung players can upgrade their device at no additional cost to enable instant streaming from a growing library of more than 12,000 movies and television episodes from Netflix. The upgrade is available at http://www.samsung.com/bluraysupport. Instantly streaming movies and TV episodes from Netflix on the BD-P2550 and BD-P2500 is done through a wired broadband connection and a Netflix Queue-based user interface. Netflix members visit the Netflix Web site to add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those choices will automatically be displayed on members' TVs and available to watch instantly through the Samsung players. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. With the players' accompanying remote control, Netflix members will be able to browse and make selections right on the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they will have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream. Samsung's Blu-ray players offer Full HD 1080p playback and feature the award-winning HQV(TM) processing chip for the highest quality viewing of Blu-ray discs and astounding upconversion of standard DVDs. The players also provide a truly immersive HD home theater experience with capabilities to decode high-resolution multi-channel digital audio soundtracks and 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. "Samsung has been at the forefront of innovation in consumer electronics and has established a market leadership position in Blu-ray and digital television," said Netflix Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings. "We're excited about the upgraded Blu-ray disc players. Moreover, we look forward to working with Samsung in the years to come to deliver a variety of outstanding products on which consumers can watch movies delivered over the Internet from Netflix." "In its new form, Samsung Blu-ray players become the ultimate content delivery box, combining on-demand access to movies and jaw-dropping Full HD viewing," said Reid Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing, Audio/Video & Imaging at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung presents a new value proposition for Blu-ray players by positioning it as a portal to a world of engaging digital content, be it Blu-ray discs, movies from Netflix or other online content." About Netflix, Inc. Netflix, Inc. (Nadsaq: NFLX) is the world's largest online movie rental service, with more than eight million subscribers. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can get DVDs delivered to their homes and can instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and PCs, all in unlimited amounts. Members can choose from over 100,000 DVD titles and a growing library of more than 12,000 choices that can be watched instantly. There are never any due dates or late fees. DVDs are delivered free to members by first class mail, with a postage-paid return envelope, from over 100 U.S. shipping points. More than 95 percent of Netflix members live in areas that generally receive shipments in one business day. Netflix is also partnering with leading consumer electronics companies to offer a range of devices that can instantly stream movies and TV episodes to members' TVs from Netflix. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com/. About Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit http://www.samsung.com for more information.


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Add our protection plan to cover your purchase for two years. Benefits include unlimited damage repairs, lost stone replacement and ring resizing.
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Add our protection plan to cover your purchase for two years. Benefits include unlimited damage repairs, lost stone replacement and ring resizing.
Timeless Creations
Create something truly special and uniquely yours with JTV's Timeless
Creations® Customized Jewelry. Crafted to your specifications with
luminous gemstones and precious metals, these custom creations bear
the mark of your creativity, personal style and unique life journey.
Design your signature piece by choosing your setting and metal — sterling silver, solid 10kt or 14kt gold. Then add the crowning touch of genuine or lab-created color gemstones and accent stones of diamonds or zircon. Unlike most other retailers' customization programs, JTV offers a wide array of gemstone options as part of Timeless Creations® Customized Jewelry. All gems are hand-selected by our team of experts who purchase more color stones than any other retailer in the United States. Timeless Creations® Customized Jewelry has something for everyone.
JTV's staff of professional and award-winning jewelers, with a combined total of 335 years of experience, craft your perfect piece, designed to your personal preferences and ship it from our U.S. corporate office for a quick turnaround time. Every step of the process is overseen by JTV, making each custom piece of great quality and affordably priced — consistent with JTV's value promise.Visualize. Design. Create. A JTV exclusive…Timeless Creations® Customized Jewelry.
What is the Jewel Safe™ Protection Plan
Jewel Safe™ Protection Plan is a 2 year protection plan for jewelry, loose gemstones, and watches sold at JTV® and on JTV.com. Customer service is available 8 a.m. EST to 11 p.m. EST Monday thru Friday for your convenience. The Protection Plan begins on the date of order shipment and covers most damage from normal wear and tear, moisture damage for watches and includes a ring re-sizing for rings. Customers will never pay any out-of-pocket expenses, including shipping. Jewel Safe™ can be transferred to any new owner of the piece of jewelry or watch; Jewel Safe™ sticks with the product, not the purchaser. If your jewelry or watch cannot be repaired, it will be replaced with a check for the full purchase price, plus applicable taxes paid.
What it covers:
For jewelry Jewel Safe™ covers:
For gemstones Jewel Safe™ covers:
For watches Jewel Safe™ covers:
How it Works:
If you ever need assistance, it's as easy as these 3 steps:
Who Should Purchase:
We know how much our customers value their jewelry, gemstones, and watches, that's why we offer Jewel Safe™. This is protection for 2 full years that will cover against almost all normal wear and tear. We want to help our customer protect their investment in their jewelry and watches purchased from JTV®, so all customers who feel like this matches their frame of mind should purchase Jewel Safe™.
|Shipping Method: per order line item
|Three (3) Day
|Two (2) Day
|Next Day
|Mexico: a $12.00 surcharge per item will be added to the U.S. shipping fees listed above.
|Canada: a $5.00 surcharge per item will be added to the U.S. shipping fees listed above.
For additional international shipping options and rates please contact our Customer Experience Team 1-800-550-8393.
Satisfaction Guarantee
We at JTV want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. If you're not, send it back in its as-shipped condition within 30 days of receipt. Please complete and include the Satisfaction Guarantee return form located on the back of your invoice. For your own protection, merchandise should be returned prepaid and insured via UPS, FedEx, or U.S. mail. Send all returns to: JTV, Customer Returns, 190 Hayfield Rd., Knoxville, TN 37922. For your convenience, a pre-addressed return label can be found on the bottom front of your invoice. Please return one item only per package. Shipping charges are nonrefundable.
What is your return policy?
We at JTV want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. If you are not totally satisfied, just send it back in its condition "as shipped" to you within 30 days from the date of receipt for an exchange or a refund for the price of the item. Note: We follow standard CD and DVD return policies. CDs and DVDs are nonreturnable if the cellophane is opened. Jewelry that has been sized or otherwise altered cannot be returned. Shipping and handling fees are nonrefundable.


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Des Moines rally protests use of military drones
Critics charge strikes cause civilian deaths
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Protesters have gathered at the Iowa Air National Guard Base in Des Moines to decry the use of drones in war.
The Saturday morning rally was organized by the Midwest Veterans for Peace and Catholic Workers. Organizers, including former Des Moines priest Frank Cordaro, described the rally as a civil disobedience action and expected some participants to be arrested.
The protesters are rallying against the use of unmanned drones to carry out military strikes.
Critics have charged that drone strikes cause widespread civilian deaths and are conducted with inadequate oversight. Defense analysts say drones are the future of warfare.


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The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts have announced a summertime Stars & Stripes Celebration featuring a BBQ Bash! See booking details here.
Date: July 2, 2011
Time: 3:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Fantasia Gardens Pavilion
Cost: Kids: $25, Adults: $45
It's a family-friendly barbecue offering entertainment from a live band and good ol' carnival style games. Chefs will tantalize taste buds with mouth-watering BBQ foods. The menu will include: coleslaw, potato salad, watermelon, burgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese station, baked beans, cornbread, mini apple pies, snow cones and more!
Cash bar will include wine, beer buckets and specialty cocktails.
The outdoor venue, Fantasia Gardens Pavilions, is located adjacent to the Fantasia Gardens miniature golf course on Epcot Resorts Blvd. across from the WDW Swan and Dolphin resorts.
Special all-inclusive, over-night packages available for families of all sizes! Please call 888-828-8850 for more information and to make your reservations. To purchase tickets only, click here.
Book your accommodations and your BBQ now!
And Don't Forget:
The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is coming up October 7-8, 2011!


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Obama: GOP Has 'Trouble Saying Yes'
In a rare Sunday talk appearance, President Obama took to NBC's Meet the Press to deride Republicans' opposition to his fiscal cliff proposal. "Making sure that tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are protected … seems to be their only overriding, unifying theme," Obama said.
Graham: 'Hats Off to the President, He Won'
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News Sunday that the chances are "exceedingly good" that Congress will agree on a "small deal" to "avoid the cliff." However, he said that it would be a "political victory for the president" rather than an economic win for America. Graham said that now he would consider voting for something he didn't like because "the country's got a lot at stake here."
Brooks: Government's 'Shambolic, Dysfunctional Process'
On Meet the Press, New York Times columnist David Brooks said that "what's happening in Washington right now is pathetic." Republicans deserve "most of the blame," Brooks said, accusing them of having a "brain freeze since the election." But he didn't spare the president, saying Obama sometimes "governs like a visitor from a morally superior civilization" and that he'll need to change his style to win Republicans' trust.
Barasso: 'Monumental Failure of Presidential Leadership'
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) didn't mince words on State of the Union. "It's the president's responsibility to work on something that the House will pass, the Senate will pass, and that he will sign," said Barrasso, blaming Obama for the partisan standoff. "He continues to campaign and lecture," Barrasso said, when the president should be trying to fix America's debt.
Noonan: 'With This President, It's Always Cliffs, It's Never Deals'
"The big cliché of this moment in history is 'there's a lot of blame to go around,'" said Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan on Face the Nation. Noonan criticized President Obama and other Washington leaders, faulting a "deficit" of "broad-minded leadership," while also lamenting "the unfortunate, sad unsuccess of John Boehner's Plan B."
Schumer Blames 'Hard-Right People on the House'
On This Week, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged that "it is embarrassing" that Washington has not yet come to an agreement, but he didn't hold the Senate responsible. Schumer pointed a finger at ultra-conservative House Republicans who "say compromise is a dirty word." Despite the current impasse, Schumer expressed optimism that "after Speaker Boehner is reelected," he won't have to play politics anymore and will be able to instead work on a real solution.
Was David Gregory Tough Enough on Obama?
On Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz asked about the contrast between the NBC host's "low-key" interview style with President Obama and the combative tone Gregory took with NRA chief Wayne LaPierre. The Washington Post's Erik Wemple was harsher, calling Gregory "meek and weak" and saying "there were a number of points on which he didn't press the president hard enough." Mind you, he added, it's not always easy to "interrupt an incumbent president during an interview."


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There's been quite a bit of debate recently about the Southern states' inability to handle what (at least to the North) might barely even qualify as a light dusting. Now, Reddit user atrubetskoy has taken the opportunity to create a fantastic map detailing just how much snow it typically takes to keep kids home.
As baffled as some Northeasterners may be at the South's recent descent into chaos, the fact of the matter is that, for nearly half the country, the slightest possibility of any snow at all is enough to shut down the local school system—if not the city as a whole.
Some clarifications on the map from its creator, atrubetskoy, follow:
- In much of the Midwest and Great Plains, school closing often depends more on wind chill and temperature than on snow accumulation ("cold days"). Thus, this map may be misleading in those areas.
- Many jurisdictions in California and other western states have significantly varied snowfall, depending on elevation. This makes it difficult to find an "average" number, or often makes it misleading.
- Urban areas like Chicago and New York have more resources to clear snow and often need more to cause closings.
- Clarification: The lightest green says "any snow" but also includes merely the prediction of snow.
- Clarification II: This is snow accumulation over 24 hours/overnight.
- Hawaii does get snow! Just... not where people live.
- Data was taken from hundreds of various points from user responses and interpolated using NOAA's average annual snowfall days map. Any corrections/additions are welcome, just give a decently specific location.
It's important to keep in mind, though, that this map just goes on averages. So tell us: What's the craziest weather you've ever had to go to work or school in? [Reddit via The Atlantic]


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|Deepsky Atlas
|Solar System
Hawaiian Astronomical Society
Constellations: Centaurus -- Chiron the Centaur
Hercules was another of Chiron's students, but accidentally shot his teacher with a poisoned arrow. Since Chiron was immortal, he couldn't die from the poison, but he felt the pain like any mortal. He wanted to die! Feeling guilty Hercules spoke to Zeus about the problem. Zeus thought of a solution: Prometheus, the Titan, remained chained to a rock for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to mortals. Zeus told Hercules that Prometheus could be freed only if another immortal was willing to become mortal. Zeus permitted Chiron to die in peace and Prometheus was freed. This sad, but sacrificial story characterizes the gentleness of a Centaur named Chiron.
Click the map for a 909x1199 version of the above. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
This is the north-east section of the constellation. The map displays stars to magnitude 10, and deepsky objects to magnitude 12. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.
| 76k JPEG NGC5617 (Bennett 65) is a mag. 6.3 open cluster located 1.2° west of Alpha Centauri, just north of an imaginary line drawn between Alpha and Beta. Dreyer's description reads: Large (10'), richer in stars to the west (about 80 total), with a compressed middle. It contains stars of magnitude 8 and fainter. While visible in binoculars as a hazy patch, a 6" begins to resolve the cluster well at higher magnifications. From the Digital Sky Survey.
| 78k JPEG NGC5460 is a mag. 5.6 open cluster located 2.3° ESE of Zeta Centauri. Described as very large (25'), and very little condensed, it has about 40 stars mag. 8 and fainter. The small (2.8'x1.7') galaxy at the top of the image is the mag. 12 ESO221-26. From the Digital Sky Survey.
| 42k JPEG NGC5286 (Bennett 64, Caldwell 84) is a globular cluster located 4.3° SSW of Zeta Centauri. Described as very bright (mag. 7.6), fairly large (9'), round, and extremely rich, it has stars mag. 15 and fainter. From the Digital Sky Survey.
| 98k JPEG NGCs 5281 and 5316 are two open clusters in a rich field. NGC5316 lies 1.2° north-west of NGC 5281. NGC5316 is located 1.9° south-west of Hadar (Beta Centauri).
NGC5316 is described as fairly large (14'), fairly condensed, with about 50 stars mag. 11 and fainter. Overall magnitude is 6. NGC 5281 is bright (mag. 5.9), small (5'), and fairly condensed, containing about 20 stars of mags. 10-12.
Mosaic created from the Digital Sky Survey.
| 40k JPEG NGC5253 (Bennett 63a) is an irregular galaxy located in northern Centaurus near the Hydra border. It forms an equilateral triangle with 6-7° sides with the stars Theta and Iota Centauri. It also lies 1.8° SSE of M83 in Hydra. NGC5253, M83, NGC4945, NGC5128, form a physical association. Dreyer describes NGC5253 as bright, fairly large, and extending in roughly p.a. 45°. It brightens westward abruptly toward a much brighter middle. While this brightening is true for larger telescopes, a 6" will show an evenly illuminated oval.
Image from the Digital Sky Survey.
| 28k JPEG Color shot of Omega Centauri (NGC5139, Bennett 61, Best 18, and Caldwell 80), 1 minute red, 3 minute green. 5 minute blue, shot by Tim Puckett at WSP with LX200 and ST6. Omega resembles a fuzzy star to the naked eye, but resolves into the premier globular cluster of the heavens in any sized telescope. Dreyer confirms this by giving it a triple exclamation point. He calls it bright (mag. 3.7), extremely large (36'), extremely rich, and very, very condensed. The stars are mag. 11 and fainter. Located 4.8° west of Zeta Centauri.
| 21k JPEG NGC5102 is a spiral galaxy located near (17') Iota Centauri (the grossly overexposed star in the image) in northern Centaurus. Described as very bright (mag. 10), large (8.8'x2.9'), and elongated, it has a sharply defined nucleus.
Heavily processed image is from the Digital Sky Survey. Let the image be your guide; use higher magnifications, and keep Iota out of the field of view.
Many other galaxies inhabit the Digital Sky Survey mosaic. Amateurs should have little difficulty with NGC4976, (Bennett 58) 3.3° east at the left side of the image. It shines at mag. 11. NGC4945a to the south of the main galaxy shines at mag. 13. ESO219-27 shines to its south. ESO219-22 and ESO219-22a shines on the western end (right side) of the picture. These galaxies shine at 14.5 and fainter.
| 28k JPEG Caldwell 100 (IC2944) is a mag. 4 open cluster with nebulosity almost centered on Lambda Centauri near the Crux border. Dreyer describes it as a mag. 3.4 star (Lambda) embedded in a very large (60'x35') nebulosity. Visually the nebulosity looks nothing like the photograph from the Anglo-Australian Telescope; it is fairly faint. The associated cluster has about 30 scattered stars at mag. 6.4 and fainter.
| 63k JPEG Caldwell 97 (NGC3766) is a mag. 5.3 open cluster located in the Milky Way 1.4° north of Lambda Centauri near the Crux border. Dreyer describes it as fairly large (12'), fairly rich, and fairly condensed, containing about 100 stars mag. 8-13. From the Digital Sky Survey.
NGC3960 (Bennett 48) is an open cluster located 1.5° north of NGC3918. Dreyer describes it as fairly large (7'), becoming richer in stars and brighter. It contains about 45 stars of magnitude 11.5 and fainter. Total magnitude is 8.3.
Image on the left is a labeled Digital Sky Survey mosaic containing both objects. The planetary nebula looks stellar. Image on the right is an exquisite, false color, Hubble Space Telescope Image of NGC3918.
If you have any questions about the Hawaiian Astronomical Society


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Queen Park Rangers' chances of beating the drop look bleaker than ever after defensive mistakes cost them dear in tonight's west London derby 3-2 loss at Fulham.
Harry Redknapp has just seven matches left to pull off the greatest of escapes after tonight's utterly avoidable 3-2 defeat by the Thames. Last season QPR suffered a staggering 6-0 defeat at Craven Cottage and it looked like there could be a similar scoreline after a dominant first-half display by the hosts.
Marquee January signing Christopher Samba gifted the Cottagers their first two goals, bringing down Ashkan Dejagah to allow Dimitar Berbatov to net an eighth-minute penalty. Things got worse soon after when Samba lost possession of the ball on the edge of his own box, allowing Berbatov to coolly slot home past Julio Cesar.
Clint Hill then put a John Arne Riise cross into his goal, but QPR rallied and launched the unlikeliest of comebacks. Adel Taarabt, who stormed out at half-time of last season's Craven Cottage encounter, reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time before Loic Remy netted moments after seeing a penalty saved by Mark Schwarzer.
The veteran Australian had to be at his best for the rest of the match and, despite Steve Sidwell's late sending off, Fulham held on, condemning QPR to a potentially season-defining defeat. The hosts started brightest and, after early warning shots from Riise and Damien Duff, Samba thought he had thwarted Berbatov with a decent tackle inside the box.
However, the Rangers defender had not accounted for Dejagah latching onto the loose ball and his late challenge on the winger saw referee Lee Probert point to the spot. Berbatov stepped up to take the resulting penalty and nonchalantly sent Julio Cesar the wrong way to give Fulham an eighth-minute advantage.
Stephane Mbia had to be alert to stop Bryan Ruiz grabbing a quickfire second, before Hill received an early booking for a poor challenge on Giorgos Karagounis. Ruiz's effort from the resulting free-kick drifted just wide, before Berbatov somehow headed wide from close range.
QPR were failing to cope with the hosts, who would had a second had Brede Hangeland not seen a glancing header blocked by the giant frame of Samba. That good work was soon undone, though, as the January signing stumbled again. Samba was caught out by the evergreen Duff, whose hassling saw the ball end up at Berbatov's feet, allowing him to burst into the box before finishing with aplomb.
Fulham fans were quick to goad their rivals, before a wayward Bobby Zamora strike saw the target of their ire aimed at their former striker. Remy and Andros Townsend saw strikes deflect behind as QPR pushed for a response, with the latter also seeing a fierce drive go inches wide. Fulham, though, were still in control and almost went further ahead through Jose Bosingwa after the Rs right-back almost turned a Berbatov cross into his own goal.
And, after Urby Emanuelson replaced the injured Dejagah, things got worse for QPR. Hangeland, showing the skill and poise not normally associated with a centre-back, directed a deft backheel into the path of Riise, whose driven cross was deflected home by Hill. However, QPR gave themselves a glimmer of hope late in the first half when Taarabt ran at the hosts' backline before firing low past Schwarzer.
Nedum Onuoha came on for Hill for the start of second period, which the visitors started with renewed intensity. Remy saw a shot deflect just wide ten seconds in and, after a strike was blocked by Hangeland, had a chance from the penalty spot in the 49th minute.
Probert pointed to the spot after Karagounis was fooled by the quick feet of Taarabt, but Remy's penalty was saved to his left by Schwarzer. The French international, though, soon made amends, losing marker Philippe Senderos and continuing forward before thrashing home off the underside of the bar.
Townsend saw a long-range shot saved soon after but QPR's pressure soon petered out, with Samba next to threaten with a snapshot 20 minutes from time. Remy wasted a glorious chance to level after wriggling free in the box as QPR pressed for a leveller, which would have come from Zamora's boot had Schwarzer not got down low to save.
Fulham were on the ropes and their hopes of hanging on were made even tougher when Sidwell received a perhaps harsh straight red card for scything down Armand Traore. Remy curled just wide as QPR pressed for an all-important leveller that never came, leaving their Premier League status in serious danger.


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Natart, Sevilla Collection, Rustic, Convertible Cribs
The Sevilla Collection is a farmhouse style with heavy utilization of black iron knobs and pulls and a painted metallic black trim which lends the appearance of a metal frame. This furniture style mimics the Spanish region of Andalusia in which Seville is the capital and largest city. To fans of modernism, the farmhouse style may seem somewhat 'country', but the Sevilla Collection has a style and character all its own. Its soothing visual appeal reminds of the past and a simpler time when furniture was made by hand by seasoned artisans using the natural element of solid wood. This collection is offered in four distressed finishes, all framed by a painted black metallic trim. Although evoking a rustic charm it also sucessfully incorporates simple lines for a clean and albeit modern design.


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Joseph Haydn
(Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was an Austrian composer of the classical era, and along with W.A. Mozart, and Beethoven, one of the "big three" of that era. He was teacher and mentor to Beethoven, was greatly admired by Mozart, and affectionately known as "Papa."
Having been born in Rohrau, Lower Austria, Haydn found his first musical education singing in the boy's choir in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral, but was forced to find other work after his voice broke. He eventually took a post as Cappellmeister to the Esterházy family in the distant town of Eisenstadt, where he labored in isolation for most of his long life. Being away from the musical epicenter at Vienna would have been difficult for many with Haydn's musical gifts, but the composer once remarked that this isolation "forced [him] to become original." Late in his life, he made two journeys to London to promote his music, and was greeted with wild success.
He was adept at all genres from song, opera and large sacred works, to all forms of chamber music and orchestral pieces. It is largely due to Haydn that the symphony found its classical form that has largely continued to the present day. He wrote 104 of them. He is also known as the father of the string quartet (two violins, viola, and 'cello), of which he wrote 68.
He also wrote over a dozen masses, 6 oratorios, 16 operas, 62 piano sonatas, more than a dozen piano concertos, and many works for small chamber ensembles. His 'cello concertos are still concert favorites, as is his trumpet concerto.
His younger brother, Michael, was also a composer whose music is frequently performed today. The popular hymn "O Worship the King" is set to music by Michael Haydn.


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When Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez passed away last week, the public in the Arab world felt as if they lost one of their own. Chavez who ruled Venezuela for 14 years did make a huge impact on the lives of ordinary Venezuelans and at the same time made very important gestures toward the Arab world and the Middle East. Ever since he assumed power, Chavez made it his life work to end poverty in his country and expand education and health care to millions of poor and underprivileged Venezuelans.
Although he supported and befriended the hated Arab dictators, he, however, was unlike them on several levels. Chavez for example was interested in reshaping the Venezuelans' society and empowering the poor classes he was born into. Before Chavez came to power, Venezuelan society was divided along racial lines where the light-skinned or white Venezuelans, known as mestizos, sat at the top of the food chain and controlled much of its wealth and resources. Meanwhile, millions of black, Indian or mixed-race Venezuelans struggled in abject poverty at the bottom in one the richest countries on earth.
For those poor classes, Latin America analyst Oliver Barrett wrote on the Foreign Policy Blog that Chavez was their modern day "Robin Hood" and "Libertador." Barrett added that Chavez used socialism as his vehicle to utilize the vast riches of the country to slash poverty levels by seventy percent, while cutting unemployment rate by half, and expanded health and education opportunities to millions of his beloved poor citizens. Chavez's accomplishments in this regard were an impressive feat that no Arab leader, dictator or not, was able to accomplish.
In that respect, moreover, Chavez looked more like the late revolutionary Egyptian leader-dictator, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who also used socialism to reshape the Egyptian society and the Arab world but failed in both endeavors. Nasser, albeit operating in a different world system, nevertheless fell victim to his own rhetoric and failed to deliver many of his lofty Pan-Arab goals. In addition, he was directly responsible for the humiliating Arab defeat in the 1967 war with Israel. His life however was conspicuously cut short at the age of 52, Chavez at 58.
Both Nasser and Chavez dwelled on anti-Americanism, anti-imperialism rhetoric and opposing Israel where both saw the three with little delineation. This kind of rhetoric was the main engine for their popularity among the poor and disenfranchised in the Arab World. When Chavez severed the diplomatic relations with Israel in protest for its attack on Gaza in 2008, his popularity in the region skyrocketed.
Chavez's anti-Israeli pronouncements enamored him to an Arab public hungry for a charismatic leader in the mold of Nasser amid increasing marginalization, oppression and fragmentation that became the order of the day in many Arab countries especially in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings. Chavez therefore was that "distant" hero that reminded the Arab public of a bygone era when the Arab world led by Nasser was defiant and resisted the encroaching western influence.
But not many in the Arab World view Chavez as a hero, especially after he expressed his public support to Arab dictators Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad. Chavez's support for Arab dictators came across as a contradiction for the self-styled revolutionary who spoke against "American world domination" and "imperialism" yet supported brutal and bloody Arab dictators.
It was precisely this contradiction that propelled Shireen Mriash a Dubai-based pediatrician and a writer to write on her social network page accusing Chavez of dishonesty. For Mraish it was Chavez's support for Gaddafi that made her change her perception of him: "If a man or a leader supports oppression and injustice against others, he himself, therefore, is unjust and an oppressor."
Journalist Eman El-Shenawi, an editor at Al Arabiya news channel, voiced the same sentiments in an article she wrote last week. El-Shinawi cataloged Chavez's cold and insensitive statements in support of Gaddafi and Assad which disillusioned his Arab admirers.
She explained further that while Chavez's "vehement anti-Israel stance stood strong" it was "his support for the region's dictators that millions had come out to oppose in mostly blood-soaked battles" that ended the Arab World infatuation with him.
Ali Younes is a writer and analyst based in Washington D.C. He can be reached at: email@example.com and on Twitter at @clearali.


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Aesop Story Engine Features
Choose from thirteen unique story components, then arrange them in any order and customize them to weave your narrative--right in the WordPress post or page editor. Need big, eye-catching images? Handled. How about a few columns of content with images and captions? An image gallery? How about an audio podcast? They're all no problem. Full-width videos? Piece of cake. Even timelines and story collections are built in.
Thirteen Unique Story Components
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Display an audio player with MP3 support, or a video player with YouTube, Vimeo, and more.
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This component displays an avatar, title, and short bio to remind you of key characters.
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Once a reader clicks this component they can view an uploaded PDF or image file.
Display a collection of stories from the same category on any page of your site.
At WooThemes we love to back innovation upon WordPress, especially when that innovation unobtrusively extends the content publishing experience and a theme's capabilities - solving problems for theme developers and end users. Well done Aesop.
The Aesop Story Engine is one of the most beautiful tools for WordPress that I've seen in a long time.
Aesop is an amazing opportunity for storytellers to bring their words to life with the elegant presentation and design that used to be out of reach for anyone who didn't have a room of developer's and designers at their beck and call.
Aesop reduces the barrier for smaller journalism organizations to create these stories; and there are many such organizations that don't have full time developers on staff to build custom story designs.
The beauty of this approach is that it will provide massive value at the free level and at the same time open up all kinds of new possibilities for ALL theme developers interested in servicing this niche.
Aesop's storytelling engine is a huge win for fans of dedicated, distraction-free reading experiences. It's a win for the web.
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