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The formal performance evaluation period is one of the most important times for your business. It is a time to recognize achievements and set expectations for future job performance. It is also a time to have honest conversations about performance gaps and how performance can be improved. It's a time mutually beneficial for your employees and yourself. Most of your employees are eager to know how they can improve their performance, from the past, understand performance expectations for promotion and raises, or prepare to change jobs.
A 2014 assessment of employee attitudes towards "positive" and "corrective" feedback by Zenger/Folkman for the Harvard Business Review revealed that 57% of respondents preferred receiving corrective to positive feedback. When given properly, 92% also believed "negative" feedback was effective in improving performance and those who favored constructive feedback rated their managers highest for being honest and straightforward in their reviews.
Consider the following tips to have a constructive conversation with your employees as you complete formal performance evaluations:
- Develop simple written procedures: it will help your employees and managers agree on common standards and tools, record consistently information and sign off outcomes of the discussions. Make sure you include in your policies a review audit system to ensure bias and personal feelings don't impact the evaluation and avoid claims of discrimination.
- Gather 360 degree feedback: Gather feedback from multiple sources, including: colleagues, managers who have worked with the employees, clients and other stakeholders directly impacted by his/her performance. Consider simple questions, asking for concrete examples to illustrate 'what should the person continue to do? Stop doing? Start doing?' in complement to specific objectives on which the employee is being evaluated.
- Prepare your meeting: If you don't prepare, you may discourage the employee about how the company's value achievements and miss a valuable opportunity for constructive feedback and improvement. Before the meeting, analyze feedback collected including self-assessment from the employee. Structure the evaluation meeting and prepare some key points for discussion. The more concrete examples, the better to illustrate your points. At the beginning of the meeting, explain the agenda, set the tone and define the role the employee plays in the evaluation meeting and process. You may adapt the following questions with specifics to structure your discussion, and leverage the enclosed performance evaluation form.
- What was the hardest thing you faced this year?
- Which accomplishments are you the most proud of?
- Which areas would you like to improve in? How will you know if you're successful?
- What keeps you up at night when you think about your job?
- What can I do better to support or guide you
- Build trust: Demonstrate effective listening and genuine interest in helping the employee to grow and develop. Adopt an empathic and humble attitude to build a safe environment in which a constructive discussion can flourish.
- Follow through: Recognize the employees with positive feedback and encouragement when they are on the right track and have implemented discussed changes.
- Lecture: A successful performance evaluation is the result of a two-way conversation finding a solution together, not a one way lecture how the employee did well this period and how she/he can improve. Both should have the time and feeling of being safe in order to share what they think worked well and what could be improved in the employee's performance, and also respond constructively to each other's.
- Focus on pay: If the conversation focuses on how income will be impacted, you may lose the opportunity to get an honest conversation about the performance itself and plan for employee growth and development, which should be at the core. Leverage this time instead for the employee to plan for learning new skills and abilities, exposure and other ways to develop. For areas for improvement, concentrate on one or two to start in order to avoid overwhelming feelings and confusion.
- Wait for the annual review to discuss: Annual performance reviews can tend to focus on the most recent events and ignore the contributions an employee makes all year long. Those are often less documented even by peers consulted prior to the evaluation and through the 'halo' effect, managers will tend to refer to the employees most recent success or lack of successes. Conduct quarterly formal performance evaluations rather than annual ones including career development discussions, and implement weekly one-on-ones with your employees for real-time feedback on their performance. They should not hear about feedback for the first time at the formal performance evaluations. Regular feedback also allow for flagging and mitigating faster underperformance areas up to disciplinary misconduct, to provide the employee with sufficient time for potential improvement before warning and termination if needed.
- Evaluate the wrong metrics: Did you take time to set clear, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Based (SMART) objectives beforehand with your employees and clarify what are expected from them individually with clear Key Performance Indicators (KPI)? Are KPIs really adapted to the level of performance you want to monitor? Rather than being based on opinions, performance evaluation should be based on clear evidence of accomplishments. The clearer your framework is, the easier it will be for you to evaluate performance achievements and areas of improvements and hold a constructive performance conversation.
For more resources:
- Find more tips on how to give constructive feedbacks.
- Adapt this performance evaluation form.
- Flag employee disciplinary misconduct in this form and learn how to prevent employee fraud.
- Improve how you set goals for your employees.
- Constructive performance evaluations are critical moments in your company life to retain your best employees. Learn about other tips to retain those.
For more information about the studies quoted in this article:
Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, 'Your employees want the negative feedback you hate to give', Harvard Business Review, January 2014
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The goal of the Maitland Area Chamber of Commerce is to foster growth among area businesses, assist new businesses or individuals relocating to the area, and to be a vital part of the community. The Chamber supports the activities benefiting the community while representing our members in city, state and national affairs. Small businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises are the American dream realized and one of our main focuses.
Maitland is a great community in which to work and live. The first step to truly becoming a part of the community is to join the Chamber of Commerce. Being a member of our team allows you to take advantage of the many benefits the Chamber membership offers. Join a committee, volunteer at our events, share your ideas and resources, and network your business. Building relationships with fellow Chamber partners is the best insurance for the successful future of your business.
To foster growth among the area's established businesses, and lend assistance to new firms locating to the area. The Maitland Area Chamber of Commerce takes great pride in our community.
Come to Maitland, land of 18 parks and 21 lakes with over 1000 acres of water!
Thank you to our Business Members.

subset: commoncrawl


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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 2
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt (a pinch of salt per egg)
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle. Line a roasting pan, or baking sheet that can take high temperatures without warping, with parchment paper or Silpat.
2 Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Make sure there are no little pieces of egg yolk in the whites or you will have difficulty getting the whites to beat properly. It helps if you are making more than one egg nest to keep each egg yolk in a separate prep bowl.
3 Place the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl (any residual oil in the mixer bowl will keep the egg whites from whipping up properly). Add an eighth of a teaspoon of salt to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment in a mixer (or using a hand mixer), starting on low speed and then slowly increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form.
4 Gently fold in the grated Gruyere cheese, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
5 Create two mounds of the egg white mixture on the lined baking sheet. Form the mounds so they look like nests, with indentations in the centers.
6 Place in the oven for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open the oven, pull out the rack with the egg white nests, and gently add an egg yolk to the center of each nest. Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 more minutes.
Serve immediately.


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Street theatre and the production of postindustrial space
Working memories
Calder, David
Street theatre and the production of postindustrial space explores how street theatre transforms industrial space into postindustrial space. Deindustrializing communities have increasingly turned to cultural projects to commemorate industrial heritage while simultaneously generating surplus value and jobs in a changing economy. Through analysis of French street theatre companies working out of converted industrial sites, this book reveals how theatre and performance more generally participate in and make historical sense of ongoing urban and economic change. The book argues, firstly, that deindustrialization and redevelopment rely on the spatial and temporal logics of theatre and performance. Redevelopment requires theatrical events and performative acts that revise, resituate, and re-embody particular pasts. The book proposes working memory as a central metaphor for these processes. The book argues, secondly, that in contemporary France street theatre has emerged as working memory's privileged artistic form. If the transition from industrial to postindustrial space relies on theatrical logics, those logics will manifest differently depending on geographic context. The book links the proliferation of street theatre in France since the 1970s to the crisis in Fordist-Taylorist modernity. How have street theatre companies converted spaces of manufacturing into spaces of theatrical production? How do these companies (with municipal governments and developers) connect their work to the work that occurred in these spaces in the past? How do those connections manifest in theatrical events, and how do such events give shape and meaning to redevelopment? Street theatre's function is both economic and historiographic. It makes the past intelligible as past and useful to the present.
Keywordsstreet theatre; postindustrial space; deindustrialization; redevelopment; working memory; theatricality; performativity; theatre historiography
PublisherManchester University Press
Publisher websitehttps://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/
Publication date and placeManchester, UK, 2019
Theatre studies
Theatre direction & production
Street theatre


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text:
Our Verdict
Streamweaver is a nifty collaborative video-making app for the iPhone that would be niftier yet if it worked more consistently.
The central idea is that you and up to three friends—all of whom must be using Streamweaver, too—use the app to invite each other to collaborate on the making of a single video: You record the event at the same time, but from your varying vantage points. Once you've recorded about a minute of video, Streamweaver uploads your contribution and stitches it together into a single split-screen movie showing the same event, at the same moment, from multiple views. The effect is similar to the old split-screen montages that would appear on 24 at the end of every episode of that show.
The first time I tested the video, I had the help of a friend who writes for ReadWrite.com—neither of us exactly newbies when it comes to iOS apps. Yet for some reason we were unable to make a video collaboration work. We attempted to invite each other to make a video, and we thought we succeeded. But our videos uploaded separately and never stitched together. (An unexpected result? We both received unsolicited email from Streamweaver's CEO, explaining the steps we should've taken to achieve the collaboration, which were steps we'd already taken.)
A second attempt—this time with my wife at a local coffee shop—succeeded. It may be that the 3G data coverage in the second location was more complete; the videos uploaded and edited together with relative speed. But you'll have the most success with this application if you're doing it in a Wi-Fi environment. Once you complete a video, it can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, email, or text.
Streamweaver is a nice way to add some collaborative style to moments you're already sharing with friends—if you can get it to work properly.


text:
Presenting the 23rd Annual ARC Industry Forum
Start Date: February 4, 2019
End Date: February 7, 2019
Location: Orlando, FL
Meet Dragos experts at our next eventVIEW MORE EVENTS
See our ICS cybersecurity experts in action at our upcoming events and webinars.
Talk to a Dragos Expert
Want to speak with a Dragos analyst or business development representative at an upcoming event? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to schedule an appointment.
Can't wait for the next event to hear from our team?
Read our blog and the latest frontline content to satisfy your cybersecurity needs.


text:
StampingPals Challenge #10 | Sketch Challenge
(Challenge Dates: 1 December 2020 (9:00am AEST) – 31 December 2020 (11:55pm AEST)
Welcome to the new StampingPals challenge for December 2020! This month we have a fun sketch challenge.
The InLinkz tool is at the bottom of this page and we hope you will play along with us!
Here are the projects from our Design Team and Guest Designer:
Guest Designer: Ruth Sollberger
Kylie Page | Stampers Workshop
Jill Arenovski | Saipan Stamper
- Your entry must be a newly created project.
- Each entry must be posted in InLinkz separately.
- Link to the specific blog post and not to your entire blog.
- Please include a link to the StampingPals Challenge blog on your post, as well as the challenge picture.
- You can combine our challenge with up to three challenges.
- Entries which do not meet our guidelines will be deleted without notice.
- Please be respectful of our guidelines.
- Please be respectful of our Design Team and the other participants in the Challenge.
- Have FUN!
Other Important Information
- The challenge will change every month.
- The challenge will run from the 1st of the month until the last day of the month (at 11:55pm AET).
- Our Design Team will review all entries and aware one (1) winner and two (2) runner up favourites. If we do not have enough participants, only one (1) winner and no runners up will be appointed.
- A Blog badge will be awarded to the Winner and the Runners-Up!
- The Winner and Runner Up Favourite entries will be highlighted in a blog post by the 7th of the following month.
- The Winner will be featured alongside the Design Team in the second months' challenge. For example, if you are the winner of the April Challenge, you will be featured, alongside the Design Team, for the June Challenge.
- Members of our Design Team are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators. We will only be using Stampin' Up! supplies to create our entries. While we encourage you to use Stampin' Up! products, entries which do not will not be penalised.
- Colour Challenges: you must use all of the Challenge Colours. You may also use Whisper White, Very Vanilla or Basic Black.
- Sketch Challenges: no dimensions are given. Use the sketch as inspiration.
- There are no style restrictions – do what feels right for YOU!
Add your entry here…
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!


text:
SUBLIMATED TEAM JACKETSCustom Sublimated Team Jackets!
Limited only by your imagination, our Sublimated Crew Apparel offers superior graphics with high tech fabrics that are easy to care for. From the simplest to the most imaginative designs, we have your shirts manufactured to your specifications.
Minimum Order Qty is only 6 shirts per design.
- Unlimited designs and colors
- Will not fade
- Side pockets
- Full zipper front
- Easy care
- Low minimums
- Fast turnaround times
- Men, Women and Youth Sizes available
- Individual Names on chest
- Tall and Short sizes available upon request
Need a Design?
We can create an unique custom design to meet your requirements. Price for this service starts at $50. Please contact us for a firm quote.
Artwork Requirements
For the best results on your sublimated apparel we require the following file types.
Adobe Illustrator - AI files
Encapsulated Post Script - .eps files
High resolution - over 300 dpi - .pdf files
These files are referred to as Vector format files. This means that they can be resized and manipulated without losing resolution on the file meaning that they will look sharp and clear on your custom clothing.
What is Vector Art: The technical definition of vector graphics is complicated! In a nutshell, vector files (encapsulated postscript) define a graphic by using mathematical algorithms, which allow the image to be scaled or modified without loss of image quality or resolution. When your artwork or logo is in a vectored format (either .ai or .eps), it allows you to increase or decrease the size of the graphic without compromising the integrity of the original image. The end result is a crisp, clear, and readable image no matter what the final output or size! Vector graphics are sometimes also referred to as "draw graphics", but they mean the same thing.
How do I know if my logos are vector?
If the file you have ends with .JPG, .GIF .or BMP, it is definitely NOT vector artwork. Website logos are not useable as they are low resolution designed to load quickly. Files that end in .AI, .EPS or .PDF, are most likely vector. If you're not sure if your logo is vector, email the logo to us and a rep will check it for you.
PMS colors can vary depending on the fabric used, inks used and method of printing. We use the latest Digital sublimation technology, with inks and fabric from the industry leaders, however, colors from different manufacturers can appear different.
Discounts are available on larger quantities. Call for price!


text:
The "new" General Motors gets listed on the New York Stock Exchange in just 30 minutes. For now, watch GM get it's name plastered on the outside of the NYSE. By the way, where's the "old" big blue logo?
GM's IPO will be the biggest U.S. IPO ever — and may be the largest global IPO ever.
This morning at 9:30 AM EST, when GM rings the opening bell, instead of the sound of a bell we're told we'll hear the revving of a Camaro engine instead of, you know, a bell. Frankly, we're just happy it'll be engine noise at all — and not the deadly silence of a plug-in hybrid or an electronic "pedestrian warning" tweet.
But out biggest question this morning is where the old "GM" logo went from the outside of the NYSE. Heck, it's even missing from GM's front page. Poor branding? Or something more? Likely nothing more than another way for GM to look "new." We guess we'll find out at today's 10:00 AM EST conference call, half an hour after GM revvs the opening engine.
Follow along with further coverage on our #GMIPO tag page.


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I was preparing for our annual holiday posole party and needed some chile molido. I knew I had some, somewhere in my spice cabinet. And sure enough, I did — after half an hour of frenzied digging, I found a half-dozen bags of different ground chiles (all unmarked, of course) in a sealed plastic storage container. And they all smelled the same: like nothing much at all.
How long had they been in there? I'm afraid to guess. But they all went where they belonged: into the garbage. And I resolved that as soon as I had time, I would clean out the whole spice cabinet. A recent rainy weekend provided the opportunity, and what followed was more archaeology than home organization.
I spent an afternoon sorting through both shelves. I opened every container and took a big whiff. Into a giant trash bag went anything that smelled dead (stale dried herbs all tend to smell like hay or alfalfa). By the end of the day, my trash bag was almost full.
Apparently I am incapable of walking down a spice aisle without indulging. And I get the feeling I'm not alone. How long has it been since you cleaned out your stash?
There's no firm statute of limitations for dried herbs and spices, and maybe that's why they accumulate the way they do. Generally speaking, herbs will last a year or two; spices twice that (and even longer if you're buying them in whole form). The only sure method for testing is by smell.
Storing dried herbs and spices in the freezer will extend their shelf life somewhat, but if you're like me, your freezer is already even more crowded than your cabinet.
Buying whole spices is a good idea, at least on paper. They last longer, and you can toast them before grinding to improve the flavor even more. But in some cases, it is impractical: When you need a half-teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a quarter-teaspoon of ground cumin, starting from the stick and seed is a pain.
For the spices I use all the time — cinnamon, cumin, cloves, etc. — I keep on hand both whole and ground. The rest I buy whole and live with the occasional inconvenience.
The exception to this is allspice, which is easily grated and really does seem much more potent when taken from the whole nut. (But why do spice companies insist on selling them a dozen at a time, when one nut will last any normal person at least a year?)
Whenever possible, buy dried herbs and spices in the smallest containers you can. That way you don't have to rely on self-discipline to keep your stock fresh — a real bonus for indulgent cooks like me.
One of the surprising things I discovered in my spice cabinet excavation is that apparently I have an even greater weakness for salts than for herbs and spices.
I could have had an entire shelf devoted just to salts. There must have been at least 20. I had fleur de sels from everywhere from the Guerande in France to Malibu. I had salts flavored with fennel pollen, rosemary, black and white truffles and smoke. And then there were the rarities, with evocative names like Tidman's Rock, Pangasinan Star, Grigio di Cervia, Amabito No Moshio.
Can you blame me for hoarding them? At least with salts, there is no sell-by date, except for the herb-flavored ones.
Still, I was on a roll, and at least half the collection joined the herbs and spices in that bulging trash bag.
I now plan to make a sweep like this once a year. Only time will tell how long this new and improved me lasts, but on the bright side, now I can go shopping for replacements.
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text: News Biochemical engineering: Waste not, want not 15.03.2013 Powered by sunlight, microalgae are tiny biofuel generators that soak up carbon dioxide to produce energy-rich lipids, which are showing promise as a potential source of clean energy. Maximizing lipid production is the focus of many research efforts, but the material remaining after lipid extraction has caught the attention of Md. Mahabubur Rahman Talukder and his co-workers at the A*STAR Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences. Currently, this 'lipid-depleted biomass' is either burned for energy, or simply discarded as a waste product. Talukder and his team have developed a process that turns this material into a valuable chemical feedstock. The researchers have pioneered a two-step biochemical process that converts lipid-depleted biomass into lactic acid. This substance is in increasing demand as a feedstock for polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer with numerous applications. The high cost of raw materials used in the manufacture of lactic acid currently limits PLA use. Thus, producing an alternative source from algal lipid-extraction waste is proving attractive. Generating two valuable products from the algae, specifically the microalgae Nannochloropsis salina, would spread the costs of microalgae production, making the biofuel more cost-competitive with conventional fuels. To produce both lipid and lactic acid from N. salina, Talukder and his co-workers first subjected the microalgae to an acid hydrolysis pre-treatment step. This process broke down the organisms' polysaccharide-based cell walls into simple sugars, while releasing the lipid for extraction. The researchers also systematically examined different acid concentrations, reaction times and temperatures. They identified that treatment for 1 hour at 120 °C maximizes sugar and lipid production. When Talukder and his co-workers extracted the lipid at this point, the lipid-depleted biomass, now rich in sugars, remained. They converted this material into lactic acid by fermentation. The team then added the bacterium Lactobacillus pentosus, which consumed the sugars over a 48-hour period, to generate the lactic acid. The researchers found that, to maximize lactic acid production, they first had to remove metal ions from the mixture. Microalgae harvesting typically involves an iron chloride treatment, but the residual iron appeared to inhibit fermentation. "One of the next steps in our research will be to develop a chemical-free microalgae harvesting method so that fermentation will not be negatively affected," Talukder says. The researchers are also screening different bacterial strains for higher lactic acid productivity, and developing their current two-step process into a single-step operation. The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences References Talukder, Md. M. R., Das, P. & Wu, J. C. Microalgae (Nannochloropsis salina) biomass to lactic acid and lipid. Biochemical Engineering Journal 68, 109 – 113 (2012). | article Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research All news


text:
Shattered Dreams LETRAUGK
'Shattered Dreams' se estrenó el . Este tema está incluido dentro del disco Underground Kingz
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(feat. Sleepy Brown)
[Intro: Pimp C]
Dedicated to all the underdogs, knahmtalkinbout?
Muthafuckas told me I wasn't gon be shit...
Told me I was gon be able to do this rap shit...
Knahmtalkinbout? My own family talked down on me, knahmsayin?
You cain't let no bitch shatter yo' dreams... (My uncle told me I wasn't gon be shit)
It might not be all bad as it first seems... (I used to walk around with a bag full of rappers)
You might not have all the things you need, yeah-heh...
(Motherfucker told me, a ni*** from Texas couldn't make no record)
But all you got to do is believe...
I got to get my money-hey, yeah-eah...
(Then after I made the record, muh'fuckers said they would never give us no respect)
I got to get my money-hey, yeah-eah... (But now they tryna rap like us)
You got to get yo' money-hey, yeah-eah... (Tryna be like us, tryna smell like us)
I got to get my money-hey, yeah-eah... - you got to get yo' money... (Check this out)
[Pimp C:]
Man I refuse to let the bitches take away my pride
Them hoes can lock my body up, but they cain't lock my mind
See I'm a young street flame, I got them fire eyes
I mean that Eyes of Fire, the Tiger, the Black Pride
I call some women bitches and I call some women whores
A bitch a dirty boar, a hoe open up the pu*** store
Now what's the difference between the two? Man, I just told you that
But that don't mean that every woman I know is down with that
If you a bitch and wanna switch, it ain't too late to change
It's all about how you carry yo'self and how you handle thangs
Some say that hoes and pimps is born, I don't believe that shit
Cause anytime you wanna stop, it ain't too late to quit
Just cause you sold your body don't mean you a hoe for life
I got to speak it right for all the one that paid the price
But if ya in it to win it, go head and live the life
But baby, if you ain't in it, you still can do it right
(right... right...)
You cain't let no bitch shatter yo' dreams... (hmm...)
It might not be all bad as it first seems... (hmm...)
You might not have all the things you need, yeah-heh...
But all you got to do is believe...
I got to get my money-hey, yeah-eah...
I got to get my money-hey, oh-ho...
You got to get yo' money-hey, yeah-eah...
I got to get my money-hey, yeah-eah... - you got to get yo' money...
[Pimp C:]
To all the babies havin babies on ya' own
I know you feelin fuc*** up and feelin all alone
I know ya people tellin you, "Ya fuc*** up your life"
Ya only fuc*** up if you lay down and don't continue to fight - uh!
And to the young ni*** out there tryna sell dope
I know ya family fuc*** up and it's your last rope
In your heart, I know ya cold with this rhyme shit
But ain't nuttin hap'nin but this twenty and this dime shit
And you the daddy with lil' mama that's bout to have the baby
You wanna own ya team but niggaz tellin you, "Ya crazy"
"What you thankin? You too young to have a family"
But all the moves ya makin, look like you a man to me!
When you get caught up man them niggaz ain't gon ride witchu
But get down with that girl and she gon keep it live witchu
But she gon help ya put your money up and save somethin
Cause right now ya run it, th'ew it back and you ain't made nuttin
It's time to change sumthin...
[Pimp C:]
If you a ballplayer, man go 'head and play ball
Don't let nobody steal your dream if you ain't came to fall
I know they say, "It ain't enough room in the NBA"
You tell them haters, "Save that bullshit for another day"
If you a sanger, lil' mama go 'head and sang ya song
Them hoes say, "You ain't gon make it", the funky bitch is wrong
You ain't got to get butt-naked on stage in a thong
Just sang your records to show the people you got it goin on
I see a whole lotta motherfuc*** come and go
I know young niggas sold they soul for the dirty dough
They want a rapper, I understand go 'head and chase ya dream
But chase to hog it up, the lawyer end up like a fiend
Some people gay, what can I say? The only judge is God
But don't be shame and try to hide cause then you livin fraud
Cause everythang done in the dark, gon' come to the light
So do yo' thang, cause cain't no man tell you what's wrong or right
Right, right, right, right...
So do yo' thang, cause cain't no man tell you what's wrong or right
... (Uh!)
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ALEXANDRIA, VA—Jesse Curtis Morton, aka Younus Abdullah Muhammed, 33, of New York City, pleaded guilty Feb. 9th to using his position as a leader of Revolution Muslim Organization's Internet sites to conspire to solicit murder, make threatening communications, and use the Internet to place others in fear.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office; and Raymond W. Kelly, New York City Police Commissioner, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady.
Morton faces a maximum penalty five years in prison for each of the three charges when he is sentenced on May 18, 2012.
"Jesse Morton operated Revolution Muslim to radicalize those who saw and heard his materials online and to incite them to engage in violence against those they believed to be enemies of Islam," said U.S. Attorney MacBride. "We may never know all of those who were inspired to engage in terrorism because of Revolution Muslim, but the string of recent terrorism cases with ties to Morton's organization demonstrates the threat it posed to our national security. We're grateful to the FBI, NYPD, and their law enforcement partners throughout the world who made today's conviction possible."
"Individuals such as Morton who encourage violence and create fear over the Internet are a danger to our society and to the freedoms we enjoy as citizens," said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. "Today's plea, and other recent cases of those associated with Morton's organization, demonstrate the widespread nature of this danger. Together with our partner law enforcement agencies, and with the assistance of the community, the FBI will continue to pursue those who promulgate violent extremism and promote the radicalization of others."
"Fortunately, NYPD Intelligence Division detectives were in a position to learn exactly how Morton used the Internet to conspire to solicit murder, and how he encouraged others to solicit the murder of an artist whose material he deemed offensive," said Police Commissioner Kelly. "This important plea resulted because the NYPD's monitoring of Morton's activities, combined with the investigative and prosecutorial expertise of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Virginia, made for a strong case, in addition to a strong partnership."
According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Morton founded Revolution Muslim in December 2007 and created various online forums that contained postings and information supportive of violent extremism. Morton and his associates used the organization's websites to encourage Muslims to engage in violence against those they believed to be enemies of Islam and to support Osama bin Laden, Anwar Al-Awlaki, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and others espousing violence. They posted messages in support of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the November 2009 killings at Ft. Hood and attacks and future threats against Jewish organizations, among others.
Through his online forums, Morton conspired with Zachary Chesser, of Fairfax County, Va., and others to solicit the murder of an artist tied to the "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" movement in May 2010, including posting online a magazine that included the artist in a hit list for violent extremists to take out and a message from Anwar Al-Awlaki that explicitly called for the artist's assassination. In justifying these actions, Morton posted online a speech of his asserting that "Islam's position is that those that insult the Prophet may be killed" and exhorting his listeners to fight the "disbelievers near you."
In addition, Morton admitted through his statement of facts that he aided Chesser in taking repeated steps in April 2010 to encourage violent extremists to attack the writers of South Park for an episode that featured Muhammad in a bear suit, including highlighting their residence and urging online readers to "pay them a visit." Among the steps they took were posting on multiple occasions speeches by Anwar Al-Awlaki, which explained the Islamic justification for killing those who insult or defame Muhammad. Morton worked with Chesser to draft a message for the website regarding the South Park threats, including a quote from Osama bin Laden that "If there is no check in the freedom of your words, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions." Morton and Chesser posted the final version of this statement on various extremist online forums, and Chesser told Morton that he expected the statement would "scare the kuffar." Kuffar is an Arabic term, referring to an unbeliever, or disbeliever, in Islam.
Chesser was arrested on July 21, 2010, charged with providing material support to al Shabaab and later also pleaded guilty to communicating threats and soliciting violent extremists to desensitize law enforcement. Four days after Chesser's arrest, Morton fled to Morocco, where he resided until his arrest on U.S. charges on May 26, 2011.
In his statement of facts, Morton admitted that the Revolution Muslim websites contained the writings of and/or contributed to the radicalization of individuals who were inclined to engage in violence, including the following:
Samir Khan, previously of Charlotte, N.C., before moving to Yemen in 2009, was authorized by Morton to post materials on Revolution Muslim, and Morton provided Khan with two articles for the first two online editions of Jihad Recollections, an online magazine dedicated to violent extremism. In July 2010, Morton posted the first edition of Inspire magazine, an English-language magazine supporting al Qaeda that Morton believed to be the product of Khan. The magazine included an eight-page article titled "Make a bomb in the kitchen of Your Mom," with detailed instructions regarding the construction of an explosive device.
Bilal Zaheer Ahmad, of the United Kingdom, was provided the password to Revolution Muslim by Morton and given permission to post messages. In November 2010, Ahmad praised Roshonara Choundhry for attempting to kill a British member of parliament over his support for the Iraq war and posted a list of 383 members of parliament who had voted for the Iraq war, along with suggestions on how to get in to see them and a link to a store selling a weapon similar to that used in Choundhry's attack. Ahmad told Morton that the purpose of the post was to "make those MPs fearful."
Abdel Hameed Shehedah, a former resident of Staten Island, N.Y., who was charged in October 2010 of making false statements involving his alleged attempt to travel to Pakistan to join a fighting group such as the Taliban. The statement of facts states that Shehedah attended Revolution Muslim meetings, made his website, civiljihad.com, a feeder site for Revolution Muslim and eventually arranged for all visitors to his website be routed automatically to Revolution Muslim.com.
Rezwan Ferdaus, of Ashland, Mass., was charged in September 2011 with plotting to attack the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using large remote controlled aircraft filled with C-4 plastic explosives. The statement of facts states that in February 2010, Ferdaus e-mailed Morton asking for counsel regarding his duties as a Muslim and whether martyrdom operations were proper practice. Morton replied that martyrdom operations must be judged by intention but can have "enormous benfits (sic) in a war of attrition."
Colleen R. LaRose, aka "Jihad Jane," of Montgomery County, Pa., was charged in March 2010 with a variety of terrorism-related offenses, including plotting to kill Lars Vilks, a Swedish cartoonist who has been the subject of several murder threats based on his artwork depicting Muhammad. According to the statement of facts, Morton notified Sheikh Abdullah Faisal, a Muslim cleric convicted in the United Kingdom of soliciting murder, that LaRose was a subscriber to Revolution Muslim YouTube accounts.
Antonio Benjamin Martinez, of Baltimore, Md., was arrested and charged with plotting to bomb a military recruiting station in December 2010. The statement of facts states that one month prior to his arrest, Martinez viewed a video of Osama bin Laden and multiple terror training camp video clips on the Revolution Muslim website.
Jose Pimental, of New York City, was arrested and charged in November 2011 in connection with a plot to build and use a bomb to assassinate members of the U.S. military returning from active duty in Afghanistan. According to the statement of facts, Pimental contacted Morton saying that he was a big fan of Revolution Muslim, and that Morton recommended that Pimentel stay away from an individual because "there is high probability that he is working for the FBI."
Mohamed Hamoud Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, both of New Jersey, were arrested in June 2010 on their way to Somalia to join a terrorist organization to kill individuals whose beliefs and practices did not accord with their ideology. The statement of facts states that both Alessa and Almonte were associates of Morton's within the Revolution Muslim organization, and Morton was interviewed by investigators from the New York City Police Department on the day of their arrest.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI's Washington Field Office and the New York Police Department's Intelligence Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Karen L. Dunn of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney John T. Gibbs of the Counterterrorism Section in the National Security Division are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.


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Michael Hill International, the jewellery chain that bears its founder's name, said sales growth stalled in the second quarter, which limited earnings growth in the first half of the year.
"December quarter sales, including the critical Christmas trading period, fell short of our forecasts and didn't deliver the improvement over last year that the company had expected," the Brisbane-based company said in a statement.
Earnings before interest and tax in the six months ended Dec. 31 were in a range of $34 million to $36 million, from $34.8 million a year earlier, it said.
In its annual report published in September, chief executive Mike Parsell said the chain was seeking an increase in same-store sales and ebit in the 2012/13 financial year, especially in Australia.
Michael Hill is the first NZX 50 company to give an earnings update ahead of the results season that kicks in next month and investors are waiting to see whether more companies give guidance ahead of their results.
"Most companies are going to be cautious in terms of their outlook statements," said Shane Solly, portfolio manager at Mint Asset Management. "February is going to be pretty interesting."
Despite the weaker-than-expected second quarter, Michael Hill's sales for the first half rose 8.8 percent to $312.8 million, led by growth in its biggest market of Australia, up 9 percent to $206.7 million. Sales in New Zealand rose 3.7 percent to $63 million, Canadian sales rose 19.4 percent to $36 million and US sales rose 0.8 percent to $6.7 million.
On a same-store basis, sales rose 2.6 percent to $287.7 million, with Australian sales on that basis up 2.6 percent and New Zealand up 3.1 percent.
"All four markets struggled to gain traction over last year's sales in the second quarter" though they achieved "solid" same-store sales growth, it said.
Shares of Michael Hill last traded at $1.25 and have advanced 43 percent in the past year. They are rated 'outperform' based on two recommendations compiled by Reuters.


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That didn't take long. Just a week after the debut of the iPhone 5 and its much-discussed Lightning port, accessory maker CableJive has announced a new adapter, the DockBoss+ iPhone 5 Kit, that makes it possible to connect the new phone to speaker docks made for Apple's older 30-pin dock connector.
The $30 DockBoss+ iPhone 5 Kit is a 2.5-foot cable with a female 30-pin dock connector on one end for connecting to older speaker docks and similar audio accessories. At the other end are two connections: USB and minijack (3.5mm stereo audio). If you've got a speaker system that supports digital audio from the dock-connector port, you just connect your iPhone's USB-to-Lightning cable to the DockBoss+'s USB port for charging and audio.
If you've got a 30-pin speaker dock that grabs analog audio from the dock-connector port—this includes many older systems, and a good number of inexpensive recent systems—the DockBoss+ works there, too. First you connect the iPhone's USB-to-Lightning cable to the DockBoss+'s USB port, then you connect the included audio cable from your iPhone's headphone jack to the DockBoss+'s audio minijack. (See the video below for a demonstration.)
Apple offers a $29 Lightning to 30-pin Adapter and a $39 0.2-meter cable version, but neither of those accessories are available yet. The DockBoss+ iPhone 5 Kit is the first such adapter we've seen—surely the first of many—that is actually available for purchase and is shipping to customers.
Owners of older docking stations may find CableJive's solution inelegant, as one of the reason to own a dock, after all, is to avoid stringing cables around on shelves and desktops. But if you just shelled out $200 or more for a new iPhone 5, you might decide that buying an adapter cable is cheaper than buying a new Lightning-connector-equipped dock—and quicker than waiting for those docks to appear on the market.
Senior editor Dan Frakes contributed to this report.
iPhone 5
Read our full iPhone 5 review


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December 3, 2008
Google Blog Search No Longer Indexes Feeds
"We have changed the way we index blog posts to include the full content of the page. We've had occasional complaints about the use of the feed content, particularly the problem with partial feeds. The indexing change has improved the results for a lot of queries, both because we have the full content of the page and because we extract links that are missing from the feeds. The downside of this change is that we see more results that match only the blogroll and other parts of the page that are common to all of a blog's posts," explains Jeremy Hylton. He says that the algorithm will be improved to exclude "the content that isn't really part of the post" to make the results more useful.
Here's an example of a comment from a Google OS post indexed by Google Blog Search:
Tip: if you want to find recent blog posts, don't sort the results by date. Just select "last 12 hours" or "last day" from the sidebar. This way, you'll get relevant results and you'll minimize the number of splogs (spam blogs) in the list of search results.
9 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2008 at 11:11 PM
this is more wrong than i could tell anybody...ReplyDelete
If someone usese partial feeds he is not willing to give his whole content to everybody.
Now those who only give the content for clicks will continue to work this irrational way and we will go straight back to the times of unrelated private homepages without any way of datatransfer between.
Google Blogsearch now fails miserabily to find the real author of news, because he try to discover it from the body of the post and no longer from the RSS feed.ReplyDelete
I imagine they could use a blog's feed as a "hint" to help determine which part of a blog post should be included in the search results, or indeed included at all.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2008 at 1:23 PM
I just want to know why i cant find my blog using google web or blog searches.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 14, 2008 at 10:26 AM
feeds are only duplicates of the web content, so i don't see any major loss here, the content is still available and one can subscibe to a feed once they find the site they wantReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 18, 2008 at 12:28 AM
I am glad to see Google finally do this. It will promote feeds that are more user friendly than bot friendly.ReplyDelete
The info is still their, very good to see them do some updates that are easier for doing feeds.ReplyDelete
It seems that this method will help the web searches to be more relevant. This being said is great for the user and potential customers.ReplyDelete
Thank goodness for full indexation. I had forgotten that it used to be only partial for feeds. My, how the Web has grown.ReplyDelete


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McDonald's this week told financial analysts of its plans to install self-ordering kiosks and mobile ordering at its restaurants. It isn't the only food chain doing this.
The company that owns Chili's Grill & Bar also said this week it will complete a tablet ordering system rollout next month at its U.S. restaurants. Applebee's announced last December that it would deliver tablets to 1,800 restaurants this year.
The pace of self-ordering system deployments appears to be gaining speed. But there's a political element to this and it's best to address it quickly.
The move toward more automation comes at the same time pressure to raise minimum wages is growing. A Wall Street Journal editorial this week, "Minimum Wage Backfire," said that while it may be true for McDonald's to say that its tech plans will improve customer experience, the move is also "a convenient way...to justify a reduction in the chain's global workforce."
The Journal faulted those who believe that raising fast food wages will boost stagnant incomes. "The result of their agitation will be more jobs for machines and fewer for the least skilled workers," it wrote.
The elimination of jobs because of automation will happen anyway. Gartner says software and robots will replace one third of all workers by 2025, and that includes many high-skilled jobs, too.
Automation is hardly new to retail. Banks rely on ATMs, and grocery stores, including Walmart, have deployed self-service checkouts. But McDonald's hasn't changed its basic system of taking orders since its founding in the 1950s, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a research group focused on the restaurant industry.
The move to kiosk and mobile ordering, said Tristano, is happening because it will improve order accuracy, speed up service and has the potential of reducing labor cost, which can account for about 30% of costs. But automated self-service is a convenience that's now expected, particularly among younger customers, he said.
"It's keeping up with the times, and the (McDonald's) franchises are going to clamor for it," said Tristano, who said any labor savings is actually at the bottom of the list of reasons restaurants are putting in these self-service systems.
McDonald's is already deploying mobile ordering in other countries. In France, you can order a McDonald's hamburger from a mobile device, tablet or desktop and pick it up later at a restaurant, said Thomas Husson, a Forrester analyst in a report.
"By reducing the stress of the ordering, McDonald's has significantly increased the average revenue per order," wrote Husson of the experience in France.
Chili's has deployed some 45,000 tablets from Ziosk, which makes the system. Ziosk CEO Austen Mulinder says the tablets are used for ordering drinks, appetizers and desserts and for making payments, but they remain optional for customers. The waitstaff will take the first drink and entrée orders, which are often modified by people at the table.
Mulinder said there's no capital cost to installation, and the multi-year subscription price for the system is more than offset by increased revenues it generates.
The tablet also includes games and an opportunity for people to give feedback, and to join a loyalty program. That creates the potential for increased sales, because customers aren't necessarily waiting to catch an employee's attention to refill a drink. It also avoids the frustration of waiting for the check, said Mulinder.
"Restaurants want to speak the language of the millennials and the language of millennials is digital," said Mulinder.
Wyman Roberts, the CEO of Chili's parent company, Brinker International, spoke to financial analysts this week in a conference call about the new system. "We're excited about the potential this has to create a stronger connection and smarter interactivity between us and our guests," said Roberts, according to a transcript by Seeking Alpha.


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Video Games Live Could Be Coming to Smaller Venues in the Near Future
The Orchestrated Video Game Music Tour Could Be Appearing in Smaller Venues and Areas
To celebrate it's decade of success, Video Games Live will celebrate in 2012 by heading to smaller venues and towns across the globe. Their reasoning to shy away a bit from populous places like New York and Chicago, was due to demand from their fans and their success.
"We continually receive thousands of emails a year from families and gamers who would love to experience our show, but find it hard to travel to major cities and have to deal with travel expenses, overnight stays, getting the kids out of school, etc. and we would like to try to accommodate as many people as possible to share in the experience..."
~Video Games Live creator and executive producer Tommy Tallarico
Since they are open to suggestions on where to play, you can make your suggestion on their site by signing up for their mailing list and noting your city/state/country details. The top 10 cities with the most sign-ups will be announced next month and added to the 2012/2013 tour. Also as an added bonus, audience members in those chosen locations will receive a free poster, program and Video Games Live album.


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Search buncombecounty.org
Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers and the Asheville-Buncombe Arson Task Force are offering a joint reward in the amount of $1,500 for any information that leads to an arrest in the arson that occurred at 96 New Leicester Highway in Asheville on January 28.
"On Tuesday, January 28, 2014, at 12:22am, the Asheville Fire Department was called regarding a structure fire at 96 New Leicester Hwy. The Asheville-Buncombe Arson Task Force, along with the Fire Marshal's office has been conducting the Investigation. The fire cause has been ruled as being an intentional criminal act.
I would like to thank Crime Stoppers for teaming up with the Asheville-Buncombe Arson Task Force to help to find and bring to justice the person, or persons, responsible for the setting of this fire," David Cutshall, Fire Investigator with the Asheville-Buncombe Arson Task Force stated.
Please contact Asheville Buncombe Crime Stoppers at (828)255-5050 if you have any information regarding this incident.
Updated Feb 25, 2014 11:55 AM
Published Feb 11, 2014 03:30 PM


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Couture black silk mask with hand sewn lace flower design, Swarovski rhinestones and adorned with flowing rhinestone chain. Custom designed by Angela Eve and Inspired by her burlesque costumes.
All our face masks are handmade in an art studio from the hands of entertainment industry and bartenders out of work in Chicago from Covid19. The price reflects the quality and care that goes into each mask and is helping to keep out of work artist afloat. These are not quick turnover masks; we have developed a very fitted pattern to custom fit your face with different sizes based on your face shape and embellished with our own unique style that is one of a kind.
The outer layer is knit, weave and blended cottons and the inside layer is a soft performance moisture wicking fabric made from a blend of Polyester and Spandex to prevent your face from staying wet from saliva and breathing. There is a pocket in each mask that you can add an additional filter when necessary. Included with each mask is 2- KN95 filter and how-to information with a pattern to cut additional filters from Hoover HEPA vacuum bags if N95 filters in your future are unavailable.
Each mask has a flexible fitted nose bridge made with wire and felt, the felt helps prevent your glasses from fogging. All masks come with adjustable soft ear loops made out of nylon that can also be head straps. The loops have hooks at the end of each ear loop to create an additional strap around your head. If you wear just ear loops for extended period of time your ears will hurt. The strap extension takes the strain off your ears.
Our masks are not medical grade masks. Cloth mask have a 50- 65% filtration quality alone with an added filters a 65-90% filter quality. Cloth masks alone do highly help to block saliva droplets from passing for person to person. Cloth masks if worn properly and made well, will filter out about 50%- 90% of virus microns compared to surgical masks. This data is from research done by Cambridge Universities after H1N1.
All mask are hand-made on demand usually ships within 10 - 14 after ordering. Once we receive your order we will contact you with our shipping time line. You can email us with your urgent shipping needs if necessary. We use USPS or Fed X for priority shipping. All masks are sanitized before packaged and includes instructions.
Size Explanation:
Adult Small – 10-12" measurement from the tip of your nose to the beginning of your ear. Average oval shaped face.
Adult Medium – 12-13"measurement from the tip of your nose to the beginning of your ear.Fuller, Rounder face structure or wider jawline with a bit of a longer nose
Adult Large – 14"measurement from the tip of your nose to the beginning of your ear.Much larger face and jawline.
If you have any questions please email Angela Eve and her team at:


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Ralph Nader Joins D.C. Activists for Public Planning Session
What started out as a press conference to announce a small-scale protest against Washington, D.C.'s "colonial status" gradually evolved into a larger discussion of grass-roots tactics to achieve broader rights for the District of Columbia.
And with one-time Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader at the helm of the proceedings, the event was a departure from the typical press avails typically hosted by more measured and mainstream local players.
Before a small group of activists and news reporters this morning, Nader laid out a plan for a "limited general strike" in support of D.C. statehood. More specifically, members of roughly a half-dozen participating organizations have pledged to postpone their arrival at work by 15 minutes on July 9, by 30 minutes on Aug. 1, by 45 minutes on Sept. 10 and by one hour on Oct. 1.
"[We will] use that time and other time to expand our circle of solidarity on statehood for the District of Columbia among our friends, relatives and co-workers," Nader explained.
He acknowledged that the strike might seem "excessively modest," but argued that it would start conversations within participating groups that don't normally focus on D.C. rights issues, such as the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, US PIRG and FairVote.
Nader also described the tactic as useful because it is achievable, and suggested it could inspire similar actions in other sectors.
"Low barriers to entry for civic and political movements are as important as weighty strategies pursued by fuller-time activists who deserve to look behind them and see a rising tide streaming in many creative directions and touch points," he said.
Representatives from more narrowly focused organizations such as DC Vote, DC Statehood Green Party and the Stand Up! for Democracy in D.C. Coalition also spoke about the strike plans and the strides that still need to be made within the larger movement.
Pressure Politics
A question-and-answer session presented an opportunity for Nader and others to flex more radical muscles and engage in broader discussions about how to leverage support for expanded rights for D.C. citizens — and what self-proclaimed allies need to do differently.
The conversation at one point turned to President Barack Obama.
Mayor Vincent Gray and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) tend to be careful not to criticize Obama in public statements for not doing enough, ultimately calling him an ally for their cause.
But Nader, Lino Stracuzzi of the D.C. Statehood Green Party and Anise Jenkins of Stand Up! were not reluctant to challenge Obama.
"I asked him, face to face, did he support statehood, and he gave me his assurances he did," Jenkins said of a conversation she had with the future president at American University during the 2008 campaign. "We shouldn't have to beg or plead."
Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote, agreed that Obama has not done all he could, citing as an example when the president "threw D.C. under the bus" by including a ban on local funding for abortion as a bargaining chip to pass a spending bill in 2011.
But Zherka suggested that what he perceived as Obama's willingness to give in to pressure could be an asset at some point, and using tactics that include civil disobedience, tongue-in-cheek protests and phone drives could bring results.
"Washingtonians need to understand that things happen in politics when there's pressure for things to happen in politics," he said.
Nicking Norton
The question-and-answer session also included some back-and-forth on how D.C. activists should be directing their energies: toward achieving a vote in Congress or the realization of "New Columbia" as the 51st state.
Some activists argued that fighting for anything short of statehood is a cop-out, and that Norton and others should not be discouraging an ambitious goal even as more achievable objectives, such as a vote in Congress or budget autonomy, might be more saleable to constituents and national supporters.
Nader signaled his disappointment with Gray's decision to opt out of the general strike. Aside from those providing emergency services, he said, there was no reason why government employees could not be late for work to support a policy platform the Gray administration endorses.
He also offered a rare public rebuke of Norton — who many consider to be the District's biggest champion and most powerful advocate — for supposedly cloistering herself on Capitol Hill and not engaging or collaborating with the grass roots.
"She's got to stop being proprietary in her approach here," Nader said. "There's potential for her to have leadership here."
Zherka, whose group is perhaps the most prominent among D.C. autonomy organizations and has been known to work closely with local officials to meet shared objectives, did not contribute to the criticisms of Gray and Norton.


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03 Feb Eye-Liner: A Remedy of the Ancient Egyptians
Queen Nefertiti and other ancient Egyptian royals were renowned for their stupendous gazes and legendary beauty, and most notably their dark-outlined eyes. The ancient Egyptians regarded beauty as a sign of holiness, and profusely used lead-based substances as cosmetics, including an ingredient in their black eye make-up. But asides using it for aesthetic purposes, they also believed that this makeup also played a 'magical' role, in which the ancient gods Horus and Ra would protect wearers against several illnesses. Until very recently, modern scientists largely dismissed this possibility, aware of the fact that lead-based substances can be quite toxic. However, new findings suggest that they were not entirely misguided in believing that their make-up would prevent illnesses and infections. In 2010, scientists in France, including Christian Amatore, Philippe Walter, and colleagues, discovered that their alluring eye make-up may have been used, not only for enhancing their beauty, but to help prevent and treat eye disease, by acting as an infection fighter.
By analysing 52 samples from ancient make-up containers preserved in the Louvre museum in Paris, scientists identified four different lead-based substances. In the new study, they discovered that the substances boosted production of nitric oxide by up to 240% in cultured human skin cells.
Many know recognise nitric oxide as a key signalling agent in the body, its roles include revving-up the immune system to help fight disease. Eye infections caused by bacteria can be a serious problem in tropical marshy areas such as the Nile area during floods. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians may have deliberately used these lead-based cosmetics to help prevent or treat eye disease, noting that two of the compounds do not occur naturally and must have been synthesized by ancient Egyptian 'chemists'.
As stated in their findings, "The present data thus establish that the eyes of Egyptians bearing the black makeup were presumably prone to immediately resist a sudden bacterial contamination with extreme efficiency through the spontaneous action of their own immune cells. Indeed, it is well recognized today that in most tropical marshy areas, such as was the Nile area during floods, several bacterial infections are transmitted to humans following any accidental projection of contaminated water drops into one's eye.
"These data fully support that Horus' and Ra's protection that ancient Egyptians associated with this makeup and particularly with its laurionite component was real and effective, despite the fact that its 'magic' implications seemed a priori totally irreconcilable with our modern scientific views and contrast with our present understanding of the toxicity of lead ions. One cannot evidently go as far as to propose that laurionite was purposely introduced into the composition of the makeup because of any recognized antibacterial properties.
"|Yet, one can presume that ancient Egyptian 'chemists' recognised empirically that whenever this 'white precipitate' was present in the make-up paste, their bearers were enjoying better health and thus decided to amplify this empirical protective function by specifically manufacturing laurionite. Many examples of such subtle observations and medical conclusions that would have a priori been surprising can be found even in our recent history. It is sufficient, for example, to think about the historical origin of penicillin, aspirin, or quinine. . .
"Anyway, whether or not the manufacture of these lead chlorides was deliberately connected to preventive health care by Egyptians, it is clear that such intentional production remains the first known example of a large scale chemical process. It is no wonder that kemej, the Egyptian word that referred to the Egyptian land and to the black earth of the Nile valley, was handed to us via the Greeks and then the Arabs to eventually coin our present 'chemistry'."


text:
Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
Comcast, Time Warner Cable in Wireless Talks — Companies, With Others, May Help Fund Venture — The two biggest U.S. cable providers, Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc., are discussing a plan to provide funding for a new wireless company that would be operated by Sprint Nextel Corp …
Rafat Ali / paidContent.org: Comcast & Time Warner Talking To Clearwire & Sprint on National WiMax Network
David A. Utter / WebProNews: Nationwide Sprint WiMax Network Idea Revived
Kenneth Li / MediaFile: Cable, Sprint up ante on rivals
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider: Comcast, Time Warner Cable To Fund Sprint-Clearwire WiMax Venture?
Doug Aamoth / CrunchGear: Comcast, Time Warner to help fund Sprint's WiMax
Joshua Topolsky / Engadget Mobile: Comcast, Time Warner, Sprint, and Clearwire could join forces …
Douglas McIntyre / BloggingStocks: Cable companies give WiMax new life
Eric M. Zeman / Phone Scoop: Sprint, Clearwire Call on Cable Companies
Cynthia Brumfield / IP Democracy:
Huge Cable WiMax Consortium in the Works? — (Still blogging very lightly...on vacation through Saturday.) — According to the WSJ, Comcast, Time Warner and Newhouse-owned Brighthouse Networks are organizing an A-list backed group of investors to form a new WiMax company with Sprint-Nextel and Clearwire.
Discussion: eWeek and Electronista
Om Malik / GigaOM:
CableCos Join The $3 Billion US WiMAX Rescue Act
CableCos Join The $3 Billion US WiMAX Rescue Act
Discussion: Between the Lines and eWeek
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines: WiMax saved? Comcast, Time Warner Cable eye Sprint, Clearwire pact
Margaret Kane / CNET News.com:
Motorola to split in two — Under pressure investors, Motorola has decided to split into two publicly traded companies, one handling handsets and accessories and the other taking on wireless broadband networks and enterprise level communications services. — "Our decision to separate …
Discussion: Digital Daily, TechCrunch, Silicon Alley Insider, Electronista, Gizmodo and Mashable!
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: GOODBYEMOTO — Motorola has finally taken a RAZR to its handset business.
John Biggs / TechCrunch: CG News: Motorola splits
Wilson Rothman / Gizmodo: Motorola Chops Off Handset Division
Stan Schroeder / Mashable!: Motorola Splits in Two — Ever since Motorola announced …
Motorola Commences Process to Create Two Independent, Industry-Leading Companies — Separate Publicly-Traded Mobile Devices Business and Broadband & Mobility Solutions Business Anticipated — Company to Host Conference Call Today at 8:30 am ET — Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) …
Discussion: Between the Lines, Gearlog, Engadget, PhoneNews.com, Switched and I4U News
Sascha Segan / Gearlog: The Stock Market Kills Motorola
Thomas Ricker / Engadget: Motorola splits in two: Mobile Devices, and Broadband and Mobility Solutions
Christopher Price / PhoneNews.com: Motorola to Divide into Two Companies
Tim Stevens / Switched: Motorola Splits, Spins Off Mobile Phone Division
Motorola to Spin Out Handset Division
Motorola to Spin Out Handset Division
Discussion: The Register and CNET News.com
Bill Ray / The Register: Motorola cuts off gangrenous right arm
Marguerite Reardon / CNET News.com: Motorola hits redial on handset biz
Amit Agarwal / Digital Inspiration:
Screenshot - AdWords Text Ads with Video on Google Homepage — Google is now playing video commercials on their homepage. — This inline video ad from AT&T appeared on the Google search page for the keyword "phone" - the video clip remains hidden until you click the "Watch Commercial" link.
Discussion: WebProNews, Google Blogoscoped and Search Engine Roundtable
Doug Caverly / WebProNews: Video Ads Make First Appearance On Google
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped: Video Ads in Google Results
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Roundtable: New Google AdWords Video Ads
Ionut Alex Chitu / Google Operating System: Google Tests Video Ads Alongside Search Results
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Google AdWords Video Ads Now Live & In the Wild
Google AdWords Video Ads Now Live & In the Wild
Discussion: Screenwerk and Search Engine Roundtable
Greg Sterling / Screenwerk: Video and Branding in AdWords
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Craigslist Is Our Mirror, Nothing Better (Or Worse) — I flipped on the news today (yes, my actual television, not sure why) and the big story was Craigslist gone wrong. Someone placed an ad on Craigslist saying that anything at a home in Jacksonville, Oregon was up for grabs.
Discussion: STARTUP CHATTER, mathewingram.com/work, broadstuff and CNET News.com
Donna Bogatin / STARTUP CHATTER: Oodle to Craigslist: We're Bigger and Better Than You
Desiree Everts / CNET News.com: Another house ransacked from Craigslist ad
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Craigslist Scam Cleans Out Oregon Man: Who Should Pay?
Craigslist Scam Cleans Out Oregon Man: Who Should Pay?
Discussion: TechRadar.com, WebProNews, DailyTech, Schneier on Security and Switched
Audley Jarvis / TechRadar.com: Man's house looted after fake Craigslist ad
Mike Sachoff / WebProNews: Phony Craigslist Ad Leads To Looting Of Home
Tom Corelis / DailyTech: Man Loses His Possessions Due to Craigslist Hoax
Peter Mychalcewycz / Switched: Fake Craigslist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Monica Chen / DigiTimes:
Asustek to roll out second-generation Eee PC with touchscreen panels and possibly GPS support in May or June — Asustek's 8.9-inch second-generation Eee PC lineup will include touchscreen panels and possible GPS support, with shipments expected to begin in May or June, according to Kevin Lin …
Discussion: Guardian Unlimited, Gearlog, Digital Trends, Gadget Lab, Ubergizmo, TECH.BLORGE.com, Dan's Tech-n-Stuff Weblog, Gizmodo, CrunchGear and Engadget
Jack Schofield / Guardian Unlimited: Eee PC in short supply, with next-gen model on the way
Matt Safford / Gearlog: Asustek VP: $500 Eee PC With 8.9-Inch Touchscreen This Summer
Nick Mokey / Digital Trends: Asus Confirms Second-Gen Eee Touch Screens
Charlie Sorrel / Gadget Lab: Official: Touchscreen Eee Coming This Spring
Haroon Malik / Gizmodo: Eee PC Touchscreen Coming This Summer, Asus Confirms
John Biggs / CrunchGear: Asus confirms touchscreen eee PC
Japan: URL's Are Totally Out — If you hadn't heard via Twitter (and why would you?), I just returned from over two weeks of quality time in Japan. A lot of business and business planning, but also a whole lot of fun. The truly watershed event: this time, I had Steve along.
Discussion: CenterNetworks, Snipperoo and Boing Boing
Mark Frauenfelder / Boing Boing: Japanese ads downplay URLs, encourage searches
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Communicate Acquires Y Combinator Startup Auctomatic, Unveils New Business Strategy — Communicate.com, a public company in Vancouver, Canada, is announcing the acquisition of Y Combinator startup Auctomatic this morning for $5 million in cash and stock. The company is also changing its name to Live Current Media, Inc.
Discussion: VentureBeat, Silicon Alley Insider, Domain Name Wire, Business Wire and Damien Mulley
Eric Eldon / VentureBeat: Communicate.com buys e-commerce startup Auctomatic, to relaunch top domains
Stefanie Olsen / CNET News.com:
Canadian media company buys Auctomatic for $5 million
Canadian media company buys Auctomatic for $5 million
Discussion: Mashable!
Kristen Nicole / Mashable!: Communicate.com Re-Brands, Acquires Auctomatic
Associated Press:
Google execs: $1 in pay, $13B in stock — Giant stakes enrich Brin and Page, but value of their shares decline by billions as company stock falls. — SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Google Inc. co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page each took home their customary $1 annual salary again in 2007 …
Discussion: Search Engine Land, VentureBeat and BloggingStocks
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land: Google Founders Take $1 Salaries Again; Tell Investors To Say No …
Douglas McIntyre / BloggingStocks: Google (GOOG): The stupidity of the $1 salary
Bret Taylor / FriendFeed Blog:
FriendFeed API: Extend and improve FriendFeed — We are very excited to announce the launch of the FriendFeed API, which enables developers to interact with the FriendFeed site programmatically. It's designed to make it possible for anyone to improve FriendFeed or integrate FriendFeed into other applications.
Harrison Hoffman / Webware.com: Welcome to the club: FriendFeed launches its API
Scott Gilbertson / Compiler: FriendFeed API Offers Developers a New World of Possibilities
Nick Halstead / The fav.or.it Blog: FriendFeed Support Added to fav.or.it
Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins / Mashable!: Podcast: Paul and Bret Talk of FriendFeed's API
Ross Mayfield / Ross Mayfield's Weblog: The Need for FriendFeed
Dave Winer / Scripting News: FriendFeed API announced
Nick O'Neill / The Social Times: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?
Eric Eldon / VentureBeat: Friendfeed, the site for conversations, launches API and keeps getting more relevant
Corvida / SheGeeks: FriendFeed API Application Suggestions
Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb:
FriendFeed Launches API - This Should be Interesting
FriendFeed Launches API - This Should be Interesting
Discussion: Ryan Stewart and The Last Podcast
Wall Street Journal:
Major Buyout Deal Is Close to Collapse — Financing Standoff — Casts Doubt on Fate Of Clear Channel — One of the marquee deals of the now-faded corporate buyout boom was close to collapse Tuesday night, a victim of the credit-market turmoil that began last summer.
Discussion: Orbitcast, hypebot, Tech Trader Daily and paidContent.org
Bruce Houghton / hypebot: Wednesday's Music 2.0 Briefing: SonyBMG Subscription, Pumpkins Sue …
Joseph Weisenthal / paidContent.org: Clear Channel Sale 'Near Collapse': Report
Jason D. O'Grady / The Apple Core:
The MacBook Air has no clothes — There. I said it. — After using the MacBook Air intensely since it arrived in February, I am beginning to fell the limitations of its pokey 1.6GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. I knew what I was getting into going in, but I was convinced that I could make it work.
Discussion: Paul's SuperSite blog
Pthurrott / Paul's SuperSite blog: The MacBook Air has no clothes
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
OpenSocial is now neutral: What's the business hook here? — OpenSocial is no longer just a Google standard. Microsoft catches social networking religion. And most folks are wondering where Facebook will land in this mess. The larger question: Is there a business hook here somewhere?
Discussion: Scobleizer, MarketingShift, Bits and STARTUP CHATTER
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: The real roadblocks to data portability on social networks
John Gartner / MarketingShift: OpenSocial to Spur Collaboration
Miguel Helft / Bits: Yahoo Joins Social Network Group, as Google Gives Up Control
Donna Bogatin / STARTUP CHATTER: Silicon Alley YouTube Star to Google: WHERE Is My Money?
Martyn Williams / Computerworld:
Super Talent to ship 256GB SSD in April — Super Talent is already shipping samples of the drive — IDG News Service) Super Talent Technology Corp., a San Jose-based developer of memory devices, will soon begin commercial sales of a solid-state disk (SSD) drive for laptops that can store 256GB of data.
Discussion: IDG News Service, jkOnTheRun and Electronista


text: Scaled to fit 4/4 size violin with a playing length of 13 inches (328mm), these medium tension strings are optimized to the needs of a majority of players. The E string included with the H310 set is a plain steel E (tin-plated high-carbon steel) with no winding. Packaged in uniquely-designed sealed pouches providing unparalleled protection from the elements that cause corrosion.


text:
It's that time already? -Deozaan (September 02, 2016, 01:19 AM)
BTW, I thought this was the eleventh NANY?
As an update, I have three full apps ready to go with a fourth in-development.-skwire (December 07, 2016, 06:12 PM)
showoff -Target (December 07, 2016, 06:21 PM)
Well, that might compensate a little for me not having enough time to participate this year . Other chores and work have kept me too busy for the whole year to come up with something, and it's continuing to be busy for the next couple of months -Ath (December 08, 2016, 01:18 AM)
perhaps with a nice alternative mug design and maybe some other "rewards".-mouser (September 15, 2016, 05:33 PM)
making a new graphic for the legendary NANY mug a couple of years back -- is it too late to offer to update it?
Okay... I think I still need to tweak this a bit -- there's at least one major error! -- but just to be going on with -- and any suggestions for less obvious modifications or changes will be welcome, naturally [ Invalid Attachment ]-oblivion (December 09, 2016, 11:26 AM)
me, I love the right-hand-side, but not the font used for the big 'NANY 2017' text -any chance you could do a couple different versions with different fonts? -tomos (December 09, 2016, 11:34 AM)
Just to help me choose things you might like better, what do you dislike about this one? (Berlin Sans, for what it's worth.)-oblivion (December 09, 2016, 11:50 AM)
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By Raya Muttarak, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW and WU), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria.
Not only have climate scientists agreed that humans are contributing to climate change, but recent evidence also points out that the rate of warming is happening much faster now than it ever has before. This is why, at the UN Climate Conference in Paris this month, world leaders are seeking to reach a new international agreement on climate change, essentially to keep global warming below 2°C (or 3.6°F). Rising temperatures pose threats on food and water security, infrastructure, ecosystems and health and, as a previous blog on this site shows, increases the risk of conflict. With an upsurge in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and the potential for rapid sea level rise, both mitigating human-related exacerbation of climate change, and adapting to its devastating effects are key priorities. This is where education comes in.
Both mitigation and adaptation require technological, institutional and behavioural responses. Correspondingly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted the value of a mix of strategies to protect the planet, which combine policies with incentive-based approaches encompassing all actors from the individual citizen, to national governments and international communities. Because, while national and sub-national climate action plans are fundamental, changing individual behaviour also lies at the heart of responses to climate change.
At the individual level, barriers to the adoption of mitigation and adaptation measures include a lack of awareness and understanding of climate change risk, doubt about efficacy of one's action, lack of knowledge on how to change behaviour and lack of financial resources to implement changes. Accordingly, there are many sound reasons to assume that different education strategies can help overcome these barriers both in direct and indirect manners.
First, directly formal schooling is a primary way individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies that can influence their mitigation practices and adaptation efforts. Schooling provides a unique environment to engage in cognitive activities such as learning to read, write, and use numbers.
As students move to higher grades, cognitive skills required in school become more progressively demanding and involve meta-cognitive skills such as categorization, logical deduction and cause and effect. This abstract cognitive exercise alters the way educated individuals think, reason, and solve problems. Indeed, experimental studies have shown that higher-order cognition improves risk assessment and decision making. These are relevant components of reasoning related to risk perception and making choices about mitigation and adaptation actions.
Furthermore, education enhances the acquisition of knowledge, values and priorities as well as the capacity to plan for the future and allocate resources efficiently. Schooling can help individuals adopt, for instance, disaster preparedness measures by improving their knowledge of the relationship between preparedness and disaster risk reduction. Moreover, educated individuals may have better understanding of what measures to undertake. Recent evidence also shows that education can change time preferences such that more educated people are more patient, more goal-oriented and thus make more investments (e.g., financial, health or education investments) for their future. Such forward-looking attitudes can influence adoption of mitigation actions or adaptation measures where benefits may only be expected by future generations.
Apart from the direct impacts, education may indirectly reduce vulnerability or promote mitigation actions through other means. Firstly, education improves socio-economic status as education generally increases earnings. This allows individuals to have command over resources such as purchasing costly disaster insurance, living in low risk areas and quality housing, installing renewable energy sources at home or being willing to pay carbon taxes.
Secondly, many empirical studies have shown that people with more years of education have access to more sources and types of information. The level of education is not only highly correlated with access to weather forecasts and warnings but the more educated are better able to understand complex environmental issues such as climate change than less educated counterparts.
Knowing where to get information on how to reduce emissions or what adaptations to take allows individuals to change their behaviour appropriately. Indeed, there is evidence that good understanding of climate change or environmental knowledge are associated with climate change mitigation behaviours such as consumption of climate-friendly food, owning fuel-efficient vehicles and conservation behaviour.
In addition, more educated individuals also have higher social capital. A perception of risk and motivations to take preventive action are more likely to be communicated via social networks and through social activities. Evidently, through increasing socio-economic resources, facilitating access to information and enhancing social capital, education can promote and foster sustainable lifestyle and consumption.
Despite these potential benefits on climate action, education has not yet been sufficiently prioritized as a fundamental instrument to fight climate change. Recently researchers at the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital based in Vienna have produced convincing empirical evidence that education, particularly (at least) secondary school, is important for reducing vulnerability to climate change. By showing that education enhances disaster responses, reduces loss and damage and facilitates recovery after disasters, it was argued that part of Green Climate Fund should be spent to promote universal secondary education.
Likewise, education has also been shown to be an important determinant of sustainable lifestyle and consumption. As another blog on this site has shown recently, individuals with a higher level of education are more likely to be concerned about climate change and consequently more likely to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Figure below clearly demonstrates how the number of mitigation actions increases with years of schooling. Not only do the highly educated carry out more mitigating actions, education also interacts with concern about climate change. In other words, given the same level of concern about climate change, the highly educated are doing even more to reduce GHG emissions than those with lower education.
Figure 1: Number of mitigation actions taken by years of schooling and concern about climate change
Notes: Own calculation. Estimated from multilevel models with country random effects. Source: Pooled Eurobarometer Surveys (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013).
Responding to the challenges of climate change is going to require action on multiple fronts. Ignoring the impacts of education on climate change is no longer an option. Promoting universal secondary education should be given a high priority on the agenda in Paris this week, and beyond.
This work has been adapted from Why universal secondary education can help fight climate change and is therefore made available under the same license.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.