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By Jason Zweig | 9:19 pm ET May 23, 2014
Image Credit: Christophe Vorlet
If you set out deliberately and systematically to remake yourself into a great investor, how would you go about it?
That is what the money manager Guy Spier has spent much of the past 17 years trying to figure out. He believes that most investors pay attention to the wrong things and allow their minds to get hijacked by bad ideas.
So Mr. Spier has set about purifying the environment in which he makes investing decisions — changing his work space, altering the information he uses and, above all, continually trying to counteract his own irrationality. What he calls his "journey" is a transformation any individual investor should be able to emulate — perhaps even better, he says.
That journey accelerated in 2008, after Mr. Spier and his friend, fund manager Mohnish Pabrai, donated $650,100 to a charity and won a private lunch with Warren Buffett. After listening to Mr. Buffett, Mr. Spier says, he realized "I've got to hit the reset button and make drastic changes."
Mr. Spier, 48 years old, is worth listening to. A graduate of Oxford University and Harvard Business School, he runs the Aquamarine Fund, a $180 million partnership specializing in cheap "value" stocks. Since its launch in September 1997, the fund has beaten the S&P 500 by an average of 4.9 percentage points annually, net of fees.
In a book to be published in September by Palgrave Macmillan, The Education of a Value Investor, Mr. Spier describes his struggle to improve his decision-making hygiene. (A disclosure: A friend and former editor of mine, William Green, collaborated on the book.)
Seldom has a successful money manager so painfully flagellated himself in public. In the book, Mr. Spier calls himself "blind," "dumb," "spectacularly foolish," "misguided," "stumbling," "wrong," "vulnerable" and, over and over again, "irrational."
"I'm not living a real life if I'm not naming this stuff," Mr. Spier told me this past week. "I hope that will help make me a better person, but I'm certain it makes me a better investor." (He has beaten the S&P 500 by 5.5 points annually since 2008, although there is no way to know how much his reinvention has affected his returns.)
"We think we control our environment, but in fact it's our environment that controls us," Mr. Spier told me. "We can't change the world. The only thing we can change is ourselves, by trying to get a better understanding of our own messed-up wiring."
For 18 months, Mr. Spier listened to nothing in his car but a lecture on human misjudgment by Charles Munger, Mr. Buffett's vice chairman at Berkshire Hathaway. Of the two dozen mental mistakes cited by Mr. Munger, "I realized I was guilty of all of them," Mr. Spier says.
No wonder he has sought, as he says in his book, "to banish the false assumption that I am truly capable of rational thought." Once he accepted "just how flawed my brain really is," he writes, "I could design an array of practical work-arounds based on my awareness of the minefield within my mind."
To escape what he calls "the New York vortex" of bad influences such as envy, greed and hyperactive trading, Mr. Spier moved his fund to Zurich in 2008.
Worried that knowing the prices of his holdings would make him want to trade them, he checks their market values once a week at most and leaves his firm's only data terminal switched off for weeks at a time. Mr. Spier avoids speaking to brokers; he puts in his trading orders by email, after market hours, so no broker can try swaying his judgment.
Nor does Mr. Spier publicly discuss the holdings in his portfolio—even in his letters to his own investors, where he writes instead about the lessons he has learned from the positions he has sold. He is afraid that talking about a stock will make it harder for him to be objective about it.
Mr. Spier has divided his office into two spaces—a "busy room," with his phone and computer, and the "library," a quiet area down the hall where no one, including Mr. Spier, enters with an electronic device. He likes to spend much of the day there, reading and thinking.
When researching a company, Mr. Spier has a strict routine. First he reads its official financial filings—annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements and so on. Next he reads news releases and conference-call transcripts. Only then will he allow himself a peek at online commentary, news coverage or Wall Street research. That way, his first impressions come from primary sources.
Individual investors are constantly being exhorted to try beating Wall Street at its own game of trading like crazy to chase whatever is hot. But why should you bother trying to play a game that even most professional players can't win?
Instead, take a page from Mr. Spier's book and play by your own rules. The faster Wall Street runs, the more you should slow down and step back from that madness. Buy and hold an index fund forever, or study a few stocks with all the peace of mind you can muster.
That way, you exploit the true advantages of individual investors that most professionals would kill to have: patience, independence and the ability to ignore the braying of the crowd.
Source: The Wall Street Journal

subset: commoncrawl


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The 30-year-old reality star and 26-year-old professional basketball player will be married Saturday evening in the exclusive Montecito area near Santa Barbara, Calif., in a ceremony that will be televised as a two-part special on E! in October.
It will be the first marriage for Humphries and the second for Kardashian, who was married to music producer Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2004.
Kardashian and Humphries began dating late last year and announced their engagement in May. He proposed on bended knee with a 20.5-carat ring by spelling out "will you marry me?" in rose petals.
Kardashian is a star of E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." Humphries last played for the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets.
Since the couple's engagement, the pending nuptials have provided constant fodder for entertainment media and the Kardashians themselves, who have posted updates about the wedding on their various blogs and websites.
The exact location of the ceremony has been kept secret, but everything else about the extravaganza - the dress designer, the cake maker, the stationer, the gift registry, the Kardashian-brand perfume - has been touted endlessly by the family and its fans.
But none of that is causing pre-wedding jitters for the bride. Earlier this week, Kardashian said she was feeling "totally calm" about the much-hyped ceremony.
"I think that freak-out moment kind of already passed," she said at a party Wednesday to launch her new clothing line at Sears.
So what attracted her to her husband-to-be?
"He's the most genuine person," she said. "He's really supportive and he has his own stuff going on, too."


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|GORE, MICHAEL - Cornell University
|CHIA, JER-MING - Cornell University
|ELSHIRE, ROBERT - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
|SUN, QI - Cornell University
|ERSOZ, ELHAN - Cornell University
|HURWITZ, BONNIE - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
|PEIFFER, JASON - Cornell University
|McMullen, Michael
|GRILLS, GEORGE - Cornell University
|ROSS-IBARRA, JEFFREY - University Of California
|Ware, Doreen
|Buckler, Edward - Ed
Submitted to: Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2009
Publication Date: 11/20/2009
Citation: Gore, M.A., Chia, J., Elshire, R.J., Sun, Q., Ersoz, E.S., Hurwitz, B.L., Peiffer, J.A., Mcmullen, M.D., Grills, G.S., Ross-Ibarra, J., Ware, D., Buckler Iv, E.S. 2009. A first generation haplotype map of maize. Science. 326(5956):1115-1117.
Interpretive Summary: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the top production crop in the world and possesses more genetic diversity than any other major crop species. However, to use this genetic diversity with modern tools the molecular variants need to be identified in breeding germplasm from throughout the world. With the advent of extremely rapid DNA sequencing technologies, this study was able to characterize over 3 million genetic variants from throughout the genome from a wide sample of maize diversity. These markers will be invaluable to future breeding efforts that are now being applied to accelerate selection. Additionally, the patterns of diversity have identified how prior breeding efforts have affected diversity and some of the key genes. Large regions of the genome were also found that do not recombine well, which has important implications for hybrid vigor and breeding.
Technical Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the top production crop in the world and possesses more genetic diversity than any other major crop species. By using low-copy-enrichment and rapid sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) approaches, we simultaneously discovered and genotyped several million sequence polymorphisms among 27 diverse maize lines. The genome was characterized by highly divergent haplotypes, substantial sequence fractions not found in the reference genome, and 10-30 fold variation in recombination rates at large genomic scales that has been stable through maize evolution. Most chromosomes have ~100 Mbp peri-centromeric regions with highly suppressed recombination, which has historically impacted the effectiveness of selection during maize inbred development and likely heterosis. This survey of genetic diversity provides a foundation for uniting breeding efforts across the world and for dissecting complex traits through Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS).


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EMC has agreed to buy storage vendor Iomega for US$213 million in cash, expanding EMC's reach into the fast-growing consumer and small business markets, the companies announced Tuesday.
EMC said Iomega's well-known brand and knowledge of the consumer market will help it to expand in that area. Iomega will form the core of a new consumer and small-business products division at EMC, which will also sell EMC's Retrospect backup software and LifeLine storage software.
Iomega is best known for its popular Zip and Rev storage drives. It also offers storage appliances and managed security services.
EMC expressed an interest in acquiring Iomega in mid-March for US$3.25 per share. It later sweetened the offer to US$3.75 per share, and on Tuesday it said it had agreed to buy the company for US$3.85 per share.
EMC said it expects the deal to close in the second quarter, subject to the usual closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
Besides helping EMC to penetrate the consumer market, the deal will also help Iomega's products to reach deeper into the enterprise, where they have a minimal presence today, Jonathan Huberman, Iomega's CEO, said in an interview.
"Being part of EMC will make us grow significantly faster," Huberman said, adding that EMC will maintain the Iomega brand name.
Iomega will keep its headquarters in San Diego, Huberman said. He said it was too early to discuss any layoffs that might result from the deal, although he said the number of people involved with Iomega products at the combined company could expand over time. Iomega employs about 250 people.
In agreeing to a deal with EMC, Iomega terminated plans that it had to acquire Chinese partner ExcelStor Great Wall Technology, EMC said. Iomega had announced plans to acquire ExcelStor and affiliated companies to make itself a larger company.
ExcelStor was founded by executives from Seagate and Counter Peripherals in 2001. It has manufactured some of Iomega's external hard drive and Rev products since 2004, and sells its own branded storage products worldwide.
Iomega could do only one deal, and EMC was in the best interests of shareholders, Huberman said.
Iomega paid a termination fee of US$7.5 million to ExcelStor and the affiliated companies, Iomega said in an SEC filing.


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If you're looking for a better anti-aging facial treatment, consider making an appointment at the Fountain of Youth Medical Spa in Victoria, Texas. Dr. Nhi Le and her staff members are pleased to offer clients a unique new treatment that's proven […]


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Apply to join our field team or our phone team.
Working at Clean Water Action means working with passionate and purpose-driven people who share a common vision: harnessing the power of people to make a difference. As community organizers, it is our job to create effective change through public outreach; educating and empowering people to take action on issues affecting our environment and health. Join our team to be part of this strength-in-numbers strategy.
You'll gain the following experiences and improve upon the following skills:
First-hand experience on the "front lines" of a grassroots movement.
Old school communication skills (that's right – no texting or emailing!), interpersonal skills, critical thinking, diplomacy and persuasion – and other soft skills needed for all successful professional and personal relationships.
Deep knowledge around current environmental and public health issues happening in the United States – what Donald Trump and the like are doing wrong and how to fix it. We work on fracking, plastic pollution, toxic chemicals, climate change, and more
Political organizing – for those of us who plan to be President or run a campaign one day.
Cultural competency – we live and work in an increasingly global world and believe in the power of a diverse team.
Programmatic opportunities – work with our program staff on legislation, attend events, and participate in lobby day at your state Capitol.
Leadership skills – here at Clean Water Action there is rapid opportunity for growth within the organization itself and beyond. We work to train future leaders.
Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table.
If you want to be a part of such an amazing movement, please apply today. We can't wait to meet our future team-mates and leaders.
Join our Phone or Field Teams!
Clean Water Action's canvassers make a difference every day — from finding clean water leaders in communities across the country, to passing clean water laws, to electing clean water champions. Learn more and apply here to join our grassroots organizers in the field or here to join our teams on the phones.
Join Our Canvass Leadership Team!
Canvass Directors and Assistant Canvass Directors manage one of our 10 grassroots fundraising field offices across the country, with bottom-line responsibility for all local operations. To apply send a resume and cover letter to: email@example.com


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+420 277 779 910
Remote teams work cohesively to guide an expedition to summit Mount Everest.
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Peak Performance is an emotionally gripping experiential learning tool which has been designed to change people's understanding of, attitude towards and soft skills for working collaboratively as a remote team. Participants learn about working remotely as a team through the use of an engaging theme and relevant links to their business environment. Following the experience, participants use reflective observation to identify what occurred during the exercise, what decisions they made and the consequences of these decisions. Participants are able to make effective behavioural changes by understanding and accepting the implications of their choices.
This product is ideally suited to a guided post-event debrief. To enhance the learning and make this activity even more meaningful conclude your experience with our unique purpose-built app. A customised debrief using Team Assessment Tool will bring lasting results and quantifiable returns, fostering team cohesion, individual personal growth, skills development, and thereby driving performance. Find Out More
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Until very recently, it was fairly unthinkable that our own bodies pose a greater threat to health than any outside disease. Most people have never heard of one of the greatest plagues of the 21st century, because it is caused by one of the most subtle, complex reactions in the body. This plague is inflammation, which in medical terms is the ultimate two-edged sword.
On the positive side, the body's healing response can't occur without inflammation, as wounded or diseased areas are flooded with extra blood and immune cells--the familiar signs are redness, puffiness, and at times a warm or burning sensation. The negative side is the harm caused when inflammation tips the balance against healing, as when people die of severe burns or fevers gone out of control. The polar nature of inflammation has been known for a long time, but the focus was overwhelmingly on acute inflammation, the drastic kind triggered by wounds and disease.
The plague referred to by a growing body of researchers is different, it involves the easily overlooked, seemingly innocuous state of low-grade chronic inflammation that can have massive health impacts. What makes chronic inflammation so dangerous, it is now realized, is a matter of time. The lifestyle disorders that cause the most harm in modern society--hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and most probably many cancers--take years or even decades to gestate before the first symptoms appear. The same appears to be true for Alzheimer's. This discovery pushes back the onset of disease so far that detection is difficult without developing sensitive new tools.
As research in various disorders unfolded, a single factor kept appearing over and over, no matter how different any two disorders are--markers for inflammation. This was a startling revelation, because hypertension looks nothing like Alzheimer's or cancer like diabetes. Yet in the incremental breakdown of healthy cell function, chemicals that trigger inflammation are a vital link, and often the only link.
In fact, inflammation is a contributing factor to a majority of all deaths in the United States, likely making it the most deadly condition in the modern world. Literally billions of lives are at risk in both the developed and developing world.
The media have started to bring inflammation to public awareness, and there are now numerous articles on anti-inflammatory diets, for example. But two enormous challenges lie ahead, stemming from the fact that a.) Inflammation is holistic, affecting potentially any system in the body, and b.) Measures to overcome chronic inflammation need to be maintained for a lifetime. The second factor is made harder by the fact that the anti-inflammation program someone undertakes won't show any marked benefits most of the time. An invisible plague requires a nearly invisible solution.
How do you fight against a threat that potentially targets the brain, cardiovascular system, the immune system, the organs and tissues of the endocrine system, in what has been referred to as 'smoldering inflammation'? The answer may not lie in drugs but in lifestyle. In fact, the entire wellness movement, in its goal of achieving lifelong good health, must drill into the public mind a new model for health that doesn't focus of risks and prevention, important as they are. Instead, the new model is all about the entire body-mind and making every day a healing day.
Some aspects of chronic inflammation, such as impaired organ function, cellular death, aging, and recovering from serious injury or illness, involve serious medical issues. But for the most part, a lifestyle that allows the whole body's system to thrive is the key. A thriving, homeostatic system is supported by the following:
A balanced lifestyle without extreme changes.
Good sleep.
A healthy whole foods diet.
Paying attention to everyday activity, including walking and standing.
Reducing stress.
Absence of emotional upset, anxiety, and depression.
Solid family and community support.
Feeling loved and wanted.
A calm, unconflicted mind.
These aren't mysterious or novel things; we've all absorbed lifestyle information for years. But the revelation that chronic inflammation is a true plague changes the urgency and priority of the choices we all have to make. For example, given that yoga and meditation benefit the body-mind in many ways, should they become high-priority choices for everyone, starting at an early age? Recent revelations that the brain can directly regulate inflammation has opened new, tremendously exciting opportunities. Insights on the detailed physiology of how the mind and the nervous system influences this system may provide new ways to help us alleviate chronic inflammation over long periods of time. The challenge now is to identify how best to regulate inflammation and to map that mind-body connection. Only then can we better understand how to truly support a "thriving body". In the next post these broad questions will be answered according to the best recent research.
(To be cont.)
Reprinted from San Francisco Chronicle with Permission
Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Chopra is the author of more than 80 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His latest books are Super Genes co-authored with Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D. and Quantum Healing (Revised and Updated): Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine. www.deepakchopra.com
William C Bushell, PhD, Biophysical Anthropology, MIT is the Director of Research at ISHAR and has been researching mind-body phenomena for over three decades, focusing on the field of consciousness studies around the world as a biological, medical, and psychological anthropologist affiliated with Columbia, Harvard, and MIT.
Ryan Castle, Executive Director of ISHAR, specializing in research analysis and whole systems integration. Advocate for open-access science and multidisciplinary approaches.
David Vago, PhD, is Research Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Associate professor, department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Associate professor, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Research associate, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Peder S. Olofsson, MD, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Department of Medicine at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Mark Lambert, Project Manager and Director of Innovation for the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and supported Dr. Kevin Tracey as Chief of Staff for the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.


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Motif is a Java applet that plays the game of backgammon. To play, you must have a web browser capable of running Java applets. For example, you can use Netscape Navigator (version 2.0 or later) or Internet Explorer (version 3.0 or later).
Please wait while Motif loads. This may take some time. While you are waiting, why not read the instructions below on how to play? Eventually you will see a picture of a backgammon board in the space below.
How to Play
More information is available in this list of Frequently Asked Questions.
If you don't know the rules of backgammon, read the Rules of Backgammon before you start.
Motif is a new program, so it may still be a little rough around the edges. Please tell me what you think. If you are reporting a problem, it may help if you indicate what system you are running on (your computer, operating system, and web browser). There is no built-in Help facility yet. But if you really get stuck, send me a mail message and I'll try to help out.
A good source of general information about backgammon is Backgammon Galore. You'll find complete rules, glossary of terms, annotated matches, articles on strategy, and selected postings from rec.games.backgammon.
Thanks for trying Motif.
Tom Keith
Last Updated: 14 September 1998


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Direct Hire & Temporary Staffing Agency New Careers and Jobs.
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We're sorry, the job you are looking for is no longer available, but new jobs are added all the time. Please sign up for job alerts and we will let you know when new jobs are posted. Or, please search again.


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I'd like to set up a bridge between a wireless subnet and an Ethernet subnet (actually just one client, a DVD player with absurdly poor wireless). That is, the wireless network is the "real" network, to which clients get to the router and gateway, and I want the wired subnet to transparently get through the bridge machine to the wireless subnet. (I'm not a networking person so I don't know whether I'm saying that right.) There are two packages I can find that I think are relevant:
I'm not sure which of those I need, or if I need both. (I guess I can just install them and see if it's obvious.)
Is this an easy thing to set up? It just occurred to me today that it must be possible, but I haven't found any (recent, at least) how-to's on the subject.
edit — oh durr I just found this reference which tells me a lot about the bridge-utils stuff (and the deal with the AP not wanting to handle alien-looking packets makes sense). So maybe that second thing is what I want.


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Iraq war was badly planned says UK Army
From WikiLeaks
The following article from The Telegraph concerns 16 pages of a 108 page report on the war in Iraq. The Telegraph did not release these 16 pages to the public — nor did they obtain the larger report. Wikileaks presents the entire report to all for reportage and analysis.
SEAN RAYMENT (The Telegraph, UK)
November 4, 2007
A leaked internal Army report has delivered an unprecedented attack on the planning and execution of the war in Iraq.
The document, which openly condemns British and US foreign policy, says that "leaders should not start an operation without thinking through the options and implications of their plans".
It claims that widespread planning failures in the post-war phase led to the peace in Iraq being lost by September 2003, within the first 100 days of the occupation.
The report, marked "restricted", adds that many senior officers now believe that the Government has developed a "bureaucratic approach to problem solving" and is "no longer capable" of running large scale military operations such as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 16-page document describes how the Iraq campaign was undermined by a lack of planning, resources, funding and intelligence.
"The evidence shows that too little planning was done for Operation Telic [the codename for the war in Iraq] particularly on the non-military side, and that too few resources, both human and financial were allocated to the post-war situation," it says. advertisement
The report, drawn up in late 2006, suggests that Britain and the US may have breeched the Geneva Convention by failing properly to conduct their duties as "occupying powers".
It also says that assessments by British commanders on the success of their reconstruction efforts were "hopelessly optimistic". The secrecy surrounding the operation, the report claims, meant that government departments were unable to plan for the post-war phase until December 2002 - just three months before the start of the invasion.
The report, entitled An Analysis of Operation Telic, makes no apology for the stark criticisms contained within it nor for the embarrassment it will cause the Government.
Instead, the document, which is part of a wider study called Theme Zero, says that the "Army has a duty to learn from experience". The report states:
- The British headquarters suffered from a lack of good quality officers
- Lack of planning put Britain and the US, as occupying powers, in "breach" of the Geneva Convention
- Lack of planning resulted in delays before essential reconstruction could begin
- Not enough funding was requested by senior commanders or approved by the Treasury
- British commanders were forced to work to an ideologically driven US timetable
- Restrictive operational security meant that few people in Government were involved in planning.
The report also says that the main focus of US commanders was the stabilisation of Baghdad and that they were "unresponsive" to the concerns of their British counter-parts for the worsening situation in southern Iraq.
One officer wrote that the Britain was committed to an ideologically driven US timetable, adding: "The train was on Grand Central station, and was leaving at a time which we did not control."
The report says "the multinational headquarters suffered from a lack of good quality British officers with formal staff training", a situation which persisted until the military secretary, who advises the secretary of state for defence, intervened to ensure that officers of the correct calibre- were posted to Iraq.
Crucially, the document claims that the British were unable to win the "hearts and minds" of the Iraqis because they failed to understand Arab culture. One officer wrote: "We may be able to influence their minds but we will never win the (Islamic) heart.
"The Army must do more to gain tolerance and depart (from the country) before intolerance sets in." On attempts by the coalition to stabilise the country after the fall of Saddam, it said: "Stability operations take years to complete but the achievements of the first few weeks are critical. Lack of Phase IV [post-war] planning meant that coalition forces were ill-prepared and equipped to deal with the problems in the first hundred days."
The report also states that the failure to remove large amounts of Iraqi army ammunition supplies aided the insurgents in the creation of lethal improvised explosive devices which killed more than 300 coalition troops.
One officer who contributed to the report said: "We couldn't begin planning until it was almost too late, we just didn't have enough time so we went to war on untested plans."
Liam Fox, the Tory defence spokesman, said: "The fact that too few resources and too little time was made available for the post-war phase of the Iraq invasion has undoubtedly cost both military and civilian lives and allowed the insurgents a breathing space, which has made the whole long-term outlook for Iraq much more uncertain."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "We don't comment on leaked documents."


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Microsoft this week said that it had sold 100 million licenses of Windows 8 in the operating system's first six months. But how many copies are being used?
That's a question Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, had at the top of his list after seeing Microsoft's milestone, which was revealed by Tami Reller, the CFO of the Windows division, in a Tuesday blog post and interviews with several media outlets.
"The challenge is figuring out what that actually means," said Moorhead of the 100-million mark. "It doesn't mean that there are that many devices out the door."
Microsoft counts a license as sold when it provides a customer an upgrade or one of its OEM partners a copy for a new PC, tablet or "convertible" device. The licenses to OEMS make up the bulk of that 100 million. According to Microsoft, the number it regularly cites for Windows 8 licenses sold -- and before that, for Windows 7 -- exclude those sold to enterprises as part of their volume licensing agreements.
But because Microsoft considers a license sold -- and accounts for it on the books that way -- as soon as a Windows-powered device comes off the factory line, its "sold" label includes those PCs, tablets and 'tweeners that have been built but not yet purchased by a customer. OEM inventory, whatever is in retail or a warehouse, or for that matter, in transit from factory to destination, counts as sold Windows licenses.
Which was why Moorhead was suspicious of the 100-million figure as a valid indicator of how well Windows 8 has done. "How many Windows 8 PCs have sold and are being used?" asked Moorhead, arguing that that was a more accurate representation. "No specific news from Microsoft [on that] is bad news, because if it was good news, Microsoft would be shouting it at the top of their lungs. Instead, Microsoft is thinking they don't want to be persecuted over the number, so they're not saying anything."
Microsoft does have Moorhead's number -- Windows 8 devices in users' hands -- as Reller pointed out in an interview with the New York Times this week. Then, as she countered last month's reports from IDC and Gartner of steep declines in PC shipments during the first quarter, Reller said that Microsoft was seeing "consistent growth" in the number of PCs being activated as users turned on their purchases and connected to the Internet for the first time. Activations can be tallied by Microsoft because during the process, the device pings a company-owned server.
Coming up with a number in the face of Microsoft's refusal to divulge activation data risks wild inaccuracies. But without Microsoft's cooperation, that's all that's available, as research firms' varied estimates of such things as PC shipments attest.
Usage share metrics from California analytics company Net Applications can be combined with Microsoft's claim that 1.4 billion Windows PCs run Windows worldwide, a number reiterated Tuesday by Julie Larson-Green, who heads Windows development. Caveats apply: Net Applications' data is based on accessing the Internet, so it cannot account for hardware that doesn't go online, and the firm massages its raw data, weighting users by their country of origin, to come up with what it believes is a more accurate representation of operating system usage.
For April, Windows 8's average usage share was 4.2% of all Windows PCs, according to Net Applications' data. That number included what Net Applications labeled as "touch" for Windows 8 and Windows RT, those tablets and touch-enabled notebooks that browse the Web from the "Modern" user interface (UI) rather than the mouse-and-keyboard UI of the traditional desktop.
Four-point-two percent of 1.4 billion equals approximately 58.6 million, the number of devices using Windows 8 last month.
Those same calculations also illustrate the huge chore Microsoft and its customers, predominantly enterprises, have in ditching the 12-year-old Windows XP before April 2014's support retirement deadline. Using the same math, XP powers about 584.4 million machines, or well over half a billion PCs.
Windows 7? 682.2 million. Vista? 72.5 million, still more than Windows 8. What about Windows NT, the operating system first released in 1993, or two decades ago? 1.7 million PCs.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Read more about windows in Computerworld's Windows Topic Center.


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What you need:
- posterboard
- photos
- drawings
- cut-out magazine photos
- art materials
What to do:
- Share a book about self-esteem with your child, such as I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem by Jamie Lee Curtis.
- Invite your child to write her name in the center of a piece of posterboard. Then ask her to select a favorite photo of herself and paste it on the poster near her name.
- Talk to your child about the many special things that are unique to her, such as her voice, her footprints, and her handprints. Then discuss things that have meaning to her. Invite her to add representations of these things to her poster in the form of photos, drawings, and pictures cut out from magazines, as well as her hand- and footprints.
- The poster doesn't have to be done all at once — it can be an ongoing project that your child adds to over time.
Learning Benefits:
- Self-expression
- Creative thinking


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Biblia Sagrada
Biblia Sagrada
The official app & game
Distributed by ApkOnline
Download this app named Biblia Sagrada.The Biblia Sagrada is the Holy bible in Portuguese,complete with all verses, chapters and books. We have included many features to enhance your reading and study of the bible.
You can use our search function to find verses on particular topics. Simply enter the search term and the app will return verses related to your search.
Share verses on Facebook, Twitter and Email (In App)
You can now share verses from the bible directly with your friends on Facebook,Twitter or via email( and add your own comments should wish).
Write Prayers and Thoughts
Many of our users asked for a tool whereby they can write down their own prayers, thoughts or inspirations they get while reading the bible. Create your own prayers and thoughts, save them in the app and even share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email
Highlight Verses
You can now highlight different verses in the color of your choice.Simply tap on the pencil icon as you are reading through the bible text
Ahora puedes subrayar diferentes versos en el color de tu elección. Simplemente toca el ícono de lápiz mientras lees los textos de la biblia
The bookmark function allows you to mark your place in the text. The bookmark icon is at the top of the screen. Simply tap on to mark your place. When you return to the app tap on the icon at the top of the screen and it will take you to your last place.
Search and Compare verses (In App)
The app has a "split screen" function that allows you to look up 2 verses at a time and read and compare them side by side.
Study Tool - Library Function (In App)
Create documents of single or multiple verses. Put in your own study notes alongside the verses. You can email the documents from the app.
The King James Version in English(In App)
Read the King James Version of the Bible in English. Compare verses from this version to the English.
Contact Us
We really welcome your feedback. We do listen and update the app based on your input. You can send us a message through the contact us function in the app.
Biblia Sagrada from ApkOnline.net
Try Biblia Sagrada online
Try it online before its download. Use our platform UptoPlay for trying online any Android application or game.


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Designed by jkr | Country: United Kingdom
"This month sees the launch of the new Penhaligon's Christmas gift collection. The gift boxes, which are based on the theme of anthropomorphic animals, deliver a bespoke gifting solution for the boutique perfumer. Briefed with delivering eccentricity and decadence, the new collection creates a fantasy world in keeping with the brand's charismatic charm. Each range tells a story, from an afternoon tea party through to music and discovery.
"This was a fantastically collaborative process with the client – we both wanted to create something unique that didn't rely on Christmas clichés. The use of bright colours makes a real statement and ensures the boxes are not too traditional." Jovan Buac, Senior Account Manager, jkr. "That's the beauty of Penhaligon's – the careful blending of the old and the new – modern doesn't have to mean forgetting the past, but feeling classic doesn't mean being really conservative."
The designs transport you to a fantasy world where things aren't quite what they seem. "This was a dream brief for many designers and something so visually rich is always exciting to work on. We really let our imaginations run wild and the craftsmanship involved was also very important. All the illustrations were done in-house, so the final designs stay true to our initial concept." John Ewles, Creative Director, jkr.
Sarah Rotheram, CEO, Penhaligon's added "We wanted something that at first glance just appeared beautiful but invited the customer to look closer and be surprised. Anthropomorphic animals was a start point and the team at jkr took us on a creative journey that delivered on this brief – the gift sets are absolutely Penhaligon's".
"It was a real opportunity to create the illustrations for this year's Christmas boxes. I really had to create some interesting characters and it's so great to see these come to life on the boxes." Chris Burge, Illustrator, jkr.
As well as the imaginative graphic approach, it was important to deliver the decadence associated with the brand. Sumptuous patterns, materials and finishes were used to create depth and richness, resulting in a gift consumers would love to receive this Christmas – a real keepsake. "The key to this design was to deliver both luxurious tactile ribbons and detailed graphics. The layers of foil, print, and texture help to create a rich expression of Penhaligon's, whilst matching the ribbons with the accent colours provides the luxurious flourish." Judith Allan, Production Director, jkr.
"They are the most visually beautiful boxes we have ever produced and we are very pleased with the end result! Everyone within the business is really excited about the collection and we have had a very positive reaction from our wholesale partners and distributors. So far, it's looking like these will be our most popular Christmas gifts to date!" Emily Maben, Head of Marketing, Penhaligon's."


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[Bloggers Note: My two-part blog post below first appeared in Seyfarth Shaw LLP's September 10 and September 12 "Employment Law Lookout" Blog]
The L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa Facing Attack
— from All Branches of the Federal Government (Part I)
By Angelo A. Paparelli
U.S. employers have likely grown accustomed to the longstanding controversy over the highly coveted H-1B visa for workers in a "Specialty Occupation" — the nonimmigrant category whose annual quota for professional workers often is exhausted within a week of each year's new allotment. The H-1B controversy arose because of apocryphal or largely unproven allegations, fueled by media reports and some politicians, that employment of H-1B workers somehow undercuts job opportunities for American citizens and promotes the offshoring of jobs. As studies have shown, however, the H-1B actually creates job opportunities for citizen workers.
Many American employers, however, are less familiar with the comparable brouhaha now brewing over the L-1 or "Intracompany Transferee" visa. The L-1 — a veritable Clydesdale of work visas — allows executives, managers and employees with specialized knowledge, gained at an overseas affiliate, subsidiary or parent, to enter the U.S. and work in a comparable capacity for a related company.
This two-part blog post will show why employers hoping to import L-1 workers must now be prepared to submit more thoroughly documented cases in the face stiff of opposition from government adjudicators, Congress and the federal courts, as this formerly flexible and useful visa category is assailed from all quarters.
New constraints on the L-1 visa category, as will be shown, stem primarily from two Senators (Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin), a coterie of federal bureaucrats, immigration adjudicators, consular officers, and some federal judges who pay undue deference to the presumed expertise of the primary immigration agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Introduction to the L-1 Visa Category and a Retracing of Recent History
Created in 1970, the L-1 visa was enacted to "help eliminate problems [then] faced by American companies having offices abroad in transferring key personnel freely within the organization' in order to "meet the objective of American industry which has been seriously hampered in transferring personnel . . ." H.R. Rep. No. 91-851 (1970), reprinted in 1970 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 2753-54.
From 1970 to 2008, the L-1 visa worked well, pretty much as Congress intended, although start-up companies often encountered difficulty bringing foreign managers into the country (unless the new venture already employed two tiers of personnel — something start-ups rarely do).
Congress tweaked and liberalized the L-1 in 1990. It created a new "L-1A" subcategory that included a class of "function manager," in addition to the two existing types of manager — (1) a manager of at least a double layer of subordinate personnel, and (2) a first-line supervisor of "professionals" (individuals who held at least a relevant bachelor's degree or the equivalent in the relevant field). Congress also said that government adjudicators, when considering whether staffing functions are relevant in determining whether a candidate qualifies as an L-1A manager, must consider "the reasonable needs of the organization, component, or function in light of [its or their] overall purpose and stage of development. Lastly, Congress specified two new alternative definitions of specialized knowledge under the "L-1B" subcategory.
The immigration agency at the time, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), provided regulations in 1990 acknowledging that Congress had adopted the new function manger classification and broadened the basis for "specialized-knowledge" eligibility. It also later offered two policy memoranda that liberally interpreted specialized knowledge and provided several real-world examples to demonstrate the concept. The more detailed of the two L-1B policy memoranda, issued by an INS administrator named James Puleo, thus became the "Puleo memorandum" and it stood unquestioned as agency policy (likewise followed by the Department of State) for several years.
With the INS regulations and the Puleo memorandum as guideposts, adjudicators generally approved well-documented L-1A and L-1B visas with consistency and predictability, as long as managers "primarily" managed subordinates or functions (meaning that they spent abroad and would spend in the U.S. over half the time in management activities as defined under the INS regulations), and specialized-knowledge candidates satisfied one or the other of the liberal Puleo standards. And employers mostly said, "It is good."
But then, out of the blue, the successor to INS, USCIS, through its Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), issued a "non-precedent" decision in 2008 that came to be dubbed the "GST" case. GST essentially repudiated the Puleo memorandum on L-1B specialized knowledge without any change in law or regulations.
In addition, gradually over many years, before and especially since 2008, the L-1A also faced attack. Despite the new "function manager" classification Congress created in 1990, USCIS adjudicators tended to insist that a function manager could not "primarily" manager the function, unless he or she supervised subordinates. Otherwise, the individual would be seen as performing the function rather than managing it, and be found ineligible for an L-1A. This interpretation essentially eradicated the 1990 changes Congress made to liberalize L-1A manager eligibility.
These new constraints on L-1 visa eligibility came not from USCIS headquarters or newly published regulations signaling a change in agency interpretation, but from front-line case officers at agency's Regional Service Centers, and then were blessed by the AAO in the supposedly non-binding GST L-1B case and in similarly restrictive AAO nonprecedent decisions interpreting the L-1A function manager category.
As Part II (appearing in two days) will show, this bottoms-up movement from within USCIS gradually has taken on the trappings of black letter law, and been copied and adopted by the U.S. Department of State's Visa Office (which inexplicably reversed its earlier liberal interpretation), U.S. consular officers at embassies and consulates abroad, and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General. Even more troubling, the Senate and the House have proposed new constraints on the L-1 visa. If enacted, these proposals will add an obligation to pay an artificially inflated prevailing wage, encourage L-1 investigations and worksite visits, and allow the filing of civil claims against employers of L-1A while drastically restricting multinational consulting and sourcing firms from using the visa category. Part II will also suggest measures employers can pursue to continue using the L-1 to achieve their domestic and glob al business objectives. Stay tuned.


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Obama administration moves forward with unique internet ID for Americans, Commerce Department to head system up
President Obama has signaled that he will give the United States Commerce Department the authority over a proposed national cybersecurity measure that would involve giving each American a unique online identity. Other candidates mentioned previously to head up the new system have included the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, but the announcement that the Commerce Department will take the job should please groups that have raised concerns over security agencies doing double duty in police and intelligence work. So anyway, what about this unique ID we'll all be getting? Well, though details are still pretty scant, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, speaking at an event at the Stanford Institute, stressed that the new system would not be akin to a national ID card, or a government controlled system, but that it would enhance security and reduce the need for people to memorize dozens of passwords online. Sorry, Locke, sounds like a national ID system to us. Anyway, the Obama administration is currently drafting what it's dubbed the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, which is expected at the Department of Commerce in a few months. We'll keep you posted if anything terrifying or cool happens.
Update: For clarity's sake, we should note that the proposed unique ID system will be opt in only, not a mandatory program for all citizens.


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- Details
- Written by m210
- Category: Uncategorised
- Hits: 41237
|Welcome to my page. My name is Alexander Makarov aka [M210®]. I was born in Khabarovsk, Russia, on December 10th, 1987, but now I live in Moscow. I am graduated from the Moscow State University of the Geodesy and Cartography (МИИГАиК). My hobbies are programming and creation of levels for favorite games, like Unreal, Serious Sam, Half-Life, etc. This is how I got this idea to make a small site about all my activities in map-building and game modding. Initially, the site covered the legendary Unreal, but after a while, I have decided to collect all the stuff I did for games.
The site opened in February 11th, 2008 and by this time 4 times has been subject to design processing. Hopefully, the site will progressively improve over time and one day you will find my site useful and pleasant to the eye. Thanks for visiting!
- Details
- Written by m210
- Category: Uncategorised
- Hits: 27769
Some other very fine Duke dedicated sites:
Link to M210Projects site:
|LipSheZ site
|Piterplus site
Link to M210Projects site:
| BuildGDX Release v1.16 (with JRE)
Windows 64bit only
| BuildGDX Release v1.16
| BAFEd v2.20
|Our Discord server
about BuildGDX and BAFed
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The Cognitive Psychology of Pick-up Lines
How perception and cognition influences receptivity to pick-up lines.
Posted August 20, 2012
Every relationship begins with that first step. Some people never get past that first step. First impressions matter, and our opening few lines can either energize the interaction, or cause the other person to look around for the nearest exit. Gratefully, psychologists have spent years of celibacy trying to understand the psychology behind pick-up lines for your own benefit.
In the '80s, Chris Kleinke and colleagues analyzed the effectiveness of 100 pick-up lines across a number of different settings, including bars, supermarkets, restaurants, laundromats, and beaches. They found three main categories of openers: direct gambits, which are honest and get right to the point (e.g, "I'm sort of shy, but I'd like to get to know you"), innocuous gambits, which hide a person's true intentions ("e.g., "What do you think of this band?"), and cute/flippant gambits, which involve humor, but often in a cheesy, canned way (e.g., "Do you have any raisins? No? Well then, how about a date?".)*
Both men and women agreed that cute/flippant pick-up lines were the least attractive. Women, however, preferred innocuous lines and had a greater aversion to cute/flippant lines than men, while men had a greater preference for direct opening gambits than women. This basic pattern has been found over and over again in a variety of settings, including singles bars. What's going on?
Trait perception plays a crucial role. We don't have direct access to a person's characteristics, so we infer underlying traits from overt behaviors. One study found that people perceive those who use innocuous lines as smarter and sexier than those who use cute/flippant lines. Another study found that while women perceived men who use silly pick-up lines as more sociable, confident, and funny, they also perceived them as less trustworthy and intelligent. While all these traits are certainly valued in a mate, research shows that low trustworthiness and low intelligence are deal breakers for a long-term relationship, overriding other "luxuries", such as humor and confidence.
Women are rightfully skeptical of cute/flippant pick-up lines: research shows that those with a long-term mating strategy tend to use supportive and honest pick-up strategies, whereas those with a short-term strategy tend to use manipulation and dishonesty. I should note that when a woman is looking for a short-term fling, it may be an entirely different story: one study conducted on college students found that women were willing to have a short-term fling with men they were attracted to, regardless of the content of his pick-up lines! More stable individual differences also play a role, with extraverts and those with a general orientation toward hook-ups vs. long-term committed relationships, more receptive to humor and sexually charged pick-up lines.
While all these findings are informative, they don't address moment-to-moment mental fluctuations. We're not machines, with a steady supply of cognitive resources on command. Receptivity to pick-up lines involves cognitive processing, which requires thought. A certain amount of mental energy is required to follow the conversation and cut through the bullhonkey to figure out a person's true intentions. But your mental state at any given moment is influenced by a number of factors, including how much stress you've experienced that day, or even just before the current conversation. If you've already been hit by a barrage of cute/flippant lines, your brain may feel a bit fatigued.
Cognitive fatigue matters. When your mind is taxed, it is much more difficult to process information and regulate your emotions, thoughts, and actions. Like a muscle, self-control is a limited resource: when fatigued, it's hard to flex it. This has important implications for interpersonal relationships: people in monogamous relationships whose brains are tired spend more time looking at attractive potential mates, are more likely to accept a coffee date from an attractive person, report more interest in an attractive person who is not their partner, and are more likely to actually cheat.
But how does this relate to receptivity to pick-up lines? Does a person's mental state affect how a pick-up line is perceived? In a recent study, Gary Lewandowski and colleagues gave 99 undergraduates a five-minute writing task in which they were asked to describe a recent trip. In the "ego-depletion" condition, students were told they couldn't use the letters A or N anywhere in the story, whereas in the "non-depletion" condition, they weren't given this cognitively taxing instruction. After the writing task, participants looked at a picture of an attractive opposite sex person and rated how they would respond if the person approached them, using one of three categories of openers: direct, innocuous, and cute/flippant. What did they find?
Those whose brains were cognitively taxed were less receptive to cute/flippant openers compared to those in the non-depletion condition. In the context of cute/flippant pick-up lines, those in the depleted group were more likely to "ask the initiator to leave them alone" and "ignore the initiator." In contrast, for innocuous gambits, the depleted students were less likely to ignore the person and ask the person to leave them alone. Receptivity to direct gambits was unaffected by being cognitively depleted. There were also gender effects consistent with the prior research I mentioned earlier. Men were more receptive to direct openers, and females were more receptive to innocuous openers. Also, women were least receptive to cute/flippant openers.
What explains these effects? The researchers argue that when it comes to cute/flippant openers, less mental effort is required to figure out the persons' intentions. Mix that in with the fact that a depleted, frazzled individual may have less tolerance for obvious pick-up attempts, and you have an enhanced aversion to cheesy lines. When it comes to innocuous pick-up lines, however, the person's intentions are much more ambiguous. This requires much more cognitive resources to decipher intent, sometimes too much. As the researchers note, it's less socially awkward for the brain depleted individual to continue the conversation until the person's intentions become more obvious.
There are obvious implications here. Pick-up lines are uttered in bars and clubs all across the globe, to people who probably aren't using their full cognitive resources. I think it's fair to say that if you want to accurately perceive a person's intentions, don't go overboard with the alcohol, or enter a pick-up-line-rich environment when you've had a cognitively taxing day. And what about the other side of the coin? Well, if you have difficulty chatting with people without using corny jokes riddled with blatant sexual intent, you may want to work on toning it down or work on being more witty and contextually appropriate* — or else you may just make an excellent pick-up line researcher!
For more on how the mind and mating are inextricably linked, be sure to check out the upcoming book Mating Intelligence Unleashed: The Role of the Mind in Sex, Dating and Love (Oxford University Press), co-authored by Glenn Geher and me, with a Foreword by Helen Fisher. The book is due out January, 2013, but you can pre-order it here!
© 2012 by Scott Barry Kaufman.
Follow me on Google Plus or Twitter.
* Note that there's a difference between cute/flippant lines that are canned, and witty humor that is contextually appropriate. Research shows that genuinely clever uses of humor and wit can in fact be incredibly sexy as an indicator of intelligence and creativity (see this study and here for a review).


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This iPad Case is designed to fit iPad Mini Retina (iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3) & is compatible with iPad Mini 1. It is designed in an original Black PU finish (similar to Apple's Smart Cover) and a soft dove grey microfiber lining. The "Origami" folding style of the smart cover is what makes it really exceptional in terms of functionality and usability.
It offers a total of 5 different stand for your iPad:
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• 1 further portrait position (perfect for FaceTime and video calls). The case is designed with full access to both cameras, volume buttons and charging points whilst providing complete protection. The smart cover works with the iPads sleep-wake function, putting your device to sleep mode when the cover is closed and extending your battery life up to 20%. Comes with our Lifetime Warranty and a 14-Day No Quibble Return Policy.
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text: Thought I would share this with the swellinfo community. A couple of awesome local women are running a yoga/surf trip for ladies in Costa Rica in July. Could be fun for some of the female swellinfo members or some of the guys might want to treat their lady friends! Pretty cheap for one of these trips too. Check it: http://www.oceanlotusadventures.com/


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Situated in the heart of the village of Molyvos (also known as Mythimna) is Captains View, a beautifully restored stone house retaining Molyvos tradition and with an eye for both Greek style and luxurious detail.
It is a couple of minutes from the agora (market), the bakery and a well stocked grocery. Imagine newly baked bread, croissants or baguettes, fresh fruit, yoghurt and local honey for breakfast on the balcony. The views from the balcony, sitting room and main bedroom make words like spectacular, awesome, magnificent and magic seem totally inadequate. It's ones private access to a panorama of natural beauty, a wide bay, the harbour with its yachts, small craft and colourful fishing vessels, distant islands and mountains, and just below, the tiles of the old village roofs. Next door to the house is one of the most treasured Turkish style houses in Molyvos.
The house is sheltered with cool corners and a private balcony to work on that sun tan, or just watch the sun set. There's full air conditioning, so if the weather gets too hot you can escape to indoor comfort.
Captains View is a relaxing house with plenty of space. It is ideal for a family with three or four children or two couples sharing. It has two double bedrooms downstairs, each with an en-suite bathroom - one has a big spa bath, the other a shower. Built-in cupboards provide plenty of drawers and hanging space for clothes. The settee in the living room upstairs can be folded out to provide additional sleeping accommodation, and above the kitchen and dining area is an attic den for siestas, reading and TV watching. The sitting area in this den can also convert to provide still more sleeping accommodation.
The spacious and well-equipped kitchen has a full sized cooker, a microwave oven, a spacious fridge/freezer and a dishwasher. Theres plenty of crockery, cutlery and all the kitchen utensils required for self-catering. Bed linen, bath towels and beach towels are all provided. A small utility room houses an automatic washing machine. In the living area adjacent to the kitchen theres an eight place traditional wooden dining table. Take a tour of the house!
A telephone is provided with which you can make free local calls. For long distance calls, you will need a phone card. You can also use the phone line to connect your computer for narrowband Internet access (provided your computer has a modem, of course); a card can be purchased from the tobacconist providing 20 hours of Internet connection time, more than enough for staying in touch with friends and family and for sending those e-postcards!
Of course, you will probably quite often want to dine out in one of the many excellent restaurants and tavernas in the town. One popular restaurant in the picturesque harbour is the long established Captains Table, which specializes in fresh fish and is featured in The Rough Guide to The Greek Islands, the famous American Frommers, The Lonely Planet and many more international guide books. Its owned and run by Melinda and Theo, the owners of Captains View.


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Audio Script
Halloween Secrets
Oct. 29, 2015 Scott Bruce
Just what are the origins of Halloween? Some say it's derived from the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Samhain (SAH-win). Others say it's more closely connected to the night before All Saints' Day celebrated by Catholics since the 7th century.
According to Scott Bruce, associate professor of history at CU-Boulder, the truth can be found in all of the above.
CUT 1 "Our modern holiday, Halloween, is most commonly associated with ancient Pagan rituals practiced by the Celts 2000 years ago in the Roman period. (:10) The name Halloween itself speaks to the Christian origin of our modern holiday. Halloween comes from All-hallows Eve and all hallows refers to the Feast of All Saints, a Christian feast day that falls on November first." (:23)
The Celtic festival was held in late fall to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time associated with darkness and death.
CUT 2 "We have to remember that as the seasons changed, and as the harvest time came and animals were slaughtered and people got ready for the winter and the day light receded and night encroached upon them, this had a far greater effect on the pre-modern psyche than it does to ours. (:17) We live in a time when we control light. For them that time of the year was much more loaded. The darkness weighed upon them." (:24)
In medieval times it was believed that ghosts and other spirits were present in people's lives and even more so after the Catholic church proclaimed Nov. 2 as All Souls' Day to honor the dead.
CUT 3 "In the medieval imagination, much more so than the modern imagination, the dead were present in the lives of people and at no time more than that time of the year when the days began to get shorter. (:12) Ghosts figure very prominently in stories told by the monks - ghosts of dead people who were suffering who came back and said please pray on my behalf. So there's the sense then that in late October and early November, the dead are afoot, the dead around and your obligation towards the dead is much more acute than any other time of the year." (:29)
This might also be when the tradition of trick or treating began, says Bruce. He says in the Middle Ages, especially in northern Europe, poor people at the time of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day would go from house to house and expect to receive an offering of food.
CUT 4 "This was called 'souling.' And the piece of food that they received was usually a little wafer with a cross on it that was called a soul cake. In popular tradition the giving of the soul cake to a poor individual was an act of alms giving, it was good for the soul of the giver, but a soul cake consumed represented a soul being released from purgatory." (:21) Now some historians, it tenuous, but some historians like to see the origin of trick or treating as this very act of moving from residence to residence and obtaining something, " (:28)
And Bruce says that some historians think the lighting of Jack-O-Lanterns can also be traced to the Middle Ages.
CUT 5 "Now there were no pumpkins in Europe in the Middle Ages but allegedly those people who went souling, who went door to door, had to carry with them some kind of light. Legend has it that these people carried around hollowed out gourds with candles inside to light their way as make shift lanterns, as it were. And this may be the origin of Jack-O-Lanterns." (:21)
While Bruce could not find a precedent for dressing up in costumes some historians think people in Celtic times believed that if they wore ghoulish costumes they would scare the spirits away.
Bruce says modern day Halloween began in the 1920s and has become a very popular day. It is second only to Christmas in holiday revenue bringing in nearly $8 billion every year, according to the National Retail Federation.


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When the people of Eastport, NY are in need of catering services, who do they call? Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York!
For years, we've been treating Suffolk County to the finest, freshest, and tastiest authentic New York-style bagels and homemade cream cheeses, but we're so much more than just bagels: we're also one of the Eastport area's premier food catering companies. Whether you're looking for breakfast catering for a corporate board meeting, lunch catering for a private afternoon affair, or BBQ catering for the ultimate summer party, when you choose Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York, you can be sure all of your needs will be met!
Catering to Suffolk County is Our Passion
Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York is regarded as one of the best food catering companies in Suffolk County, NY. Our food is delectable, our service is exceptional, and our prices are extremely affordable. When you choose us for your catering needs, you can have confidence knowing that you will receive nothing short of excellence.
What sets us apart from other catering companies in the Eastport area? It's our passion and commitment to excellence. We are truly obsessed with food, and we love sharing our enthusiasm with the people of Suffolk County, NY, which is why we offer premier, full-service catering options. To us, catering is about so much more than just food; it's an experience. The aroma, the presentation and of course, the flavor… It's really is a sensory experience, and at Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York, we've mastered that art of preparing, presenting, and serving mouthwatering dishes that will delight the senses.
We use only the freshest ingredients (many of which are locally procured), and we artfully combine them to create traditional and creative dishes that are truly out of this world. The mere sight and scent of our food is mouthwatering, but once you sink your teeth into our cuisine, you'll know why so many people in the Suffolk County region hail Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York as one of the best caterers in the area.
Catering Options to Suit Every Palate and Every Occasion
At Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York, we offer catering options that will suit every occasion and every palate. In fact, we offer one of the largest and most unique catering menus in Suffolk County.
Wondering what we serve? Here's a look at just some of the delicacies that we can treat you and your guests to:
Italian Catering
Our Italian catering menu features an array of traditional Italian fare. Options include:
Breakfast Catering
Whether you're hosting a business meeting or an early- or mid-morning affair, our breakfast catering options are the perfect way to start the day off right. Options include:
Lunch Catering
We can make everything and anything you need to serve your guests a mouthwatering and filling lunch. Some of our menu items that are perfect for lunch include:
BBQ Catering
Turn your outdoor event into an affair to remember with our finger-liking good BBQ. You'll be able to sink your teeth into:
Dessert Catering
Treat your guests to the sweetest, most taste bud-tantalizing desserts, including:
Or, opt for our dessert buffet, which features an array of the finest, tastiest, and sweetest treats.
For the Ultimate Catering Experience in Suffolk County, Contact Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York
Whether you're planning a small, intimate gathering, a corporate event, a holiday dinner, or a special affair, sit back, relax, and let us do the cooking for you! To learn more about our catering services or to start planning your menu, give us a call at 1-866-CATERING today! At Brendel's Bagels & Eatery of New York, we look forward to catering to all of your needs.