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WASHINGTON — The new round of U.S. military base closings "will be tsunamis in the communities they hit," the chairman of the commission that will help decide which facilities survive said Tuesday as his panel met for the first time.
Anthony Principi, chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, said the nine-member panel will try to provide a "clear-eyed reality check" of the Pentagon's list of domestic defense installations that should be shuttered or downsized. The Defense Department is expected to release that list next week.
Underscoring the economic impact base closures can cause, the General Accountability Office issued a report stating that communities that lost bases in previous years "are continuing to recover" and have regained about 85 percent of the civilian jobs that were lost. The GAO is an investigative arm of Congress.
While the report said most affected communities are faring well when compared with the average U.S. unemployment and income-growth rates, it added, "The recovery process has not necessarily been easy."
'The ripples ... will be tsunamis'
Principi told commissioners, congressional staffers, lobbyists and news reporters jammed into a Capitol Hill hearing room, "The ripples of the proposals the secretary of defense will soon present to our nation, and to us, will be tsunamis in the communities they hit."
The warnings from Principi and the GAO demonstrated the enormous consequences of the first round of upcoming closures in a decade — and the daunting task before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
The Pentagon is putting the finishing touches on its list of which of the country's 425 major military installations to close or downsize. It is seeking to save billions of dollars a year by eliminating extra infrastructure it says was needed during the Cold War but has become obsolete as terrorism became the prominent threat.
Previous closures in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 eliminated or realigned 451 installations, including 97 major ones, and saved about $29 billion through 2003, according to a report issued Tuesday by the GAO. The report said the Pentagon should save $7 billion annually as a result of the previous closures.
Watchful waiting
Communities across the country are waiting anxiously to see if nearby military facilities will be spared.
States and cities — and their congressional delegations — are trying to avoid closures by making the case that their bases are crucial for national security. They have hired high-powered lobbyists with Washington connections and tried to make their facilities — through new construction and other improvements — more resistant to closure.
Originally, defense analysts expected more bases would be closed rather than downsized during this round. But defense officials recently have suggested fewer bases than expected will be eliminated to accommodate the estimated 70,000 troops and 100,000 dependents based in Europe who are slated to return to the United States.
The commission's nine members were sworn in Tuesday. The panelists, made up largely of retired military officers chosen by the president and congressional leaders, spent much of the first meeting listening to analysts give them a history lesson of the base-closing process and a status report of current national security threats.
On whose authority?
The few questions that were posed early on focused on whether the Pentagon has the authority to close National Guard bases without the consent of governors. With no clear answer, commissioners suggested a legal opinion may be necessary.
The panel — with the help of a staff of roughly 60 people — will spend the next four months reviewing the Pentagon's list to determine whether each base slated for changes meets criteria outlined in the law that authorized the closures.
Four of the criteria relate to the value the facility provides to the military, and, ultimately, to national security. Potential costs and savings, the economic impact on states and cities, the infrastructure of communities and the environmental ramifications also are considered.
Up or down vote
The commission will eventually vote on whether to accept or deny the Pentagon's recommendations. It can only remove a facility from the list if it finds that the Pentagon deviated from the criteria.
To add a facility to the list, the commission must give Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld 15 days to explain why the Pentagon hadn't slated it for closure or downsizing.
Principi said the commission will face many challenges, including trying to keep itself free from political influence. He said sticking to the timeline set forth in the law will probably be the biggest challenge.
The commission must send its report to President Bush by Sept. 8. The president will review the report and order revisions if needed. Congress then has to accept or reject the report in its entirety. The closures and downsizings would occur over five years starting in 2006.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Relationships are meant to be tough at times.
They challenge each partner in good or bad ways only for them to learn something new they did not know about their partner before.
A relationship is what you make of it whether it progresses into marriage, preferably, or it only lasts but so long, it was worth something to each person when they were "in love."
A relationship that is long-distance is said to be harder than two people who are able to see each other just about every day.
Knowing relationships are complex and not always the best, there should be some kind of success in the long-distance, right?
According to an article from CNN Living, "Does distance really make the heart grow fonder?"
Researchers concluded that long-distance relationships make people feel strongly bonded to their partner than couples who are able to see each other on a daily basis.
Being miles apart from your partner should make you be at your most vulnerable and be more honest with the person in your life.
Having affection for somebody is much more than the physical.
Great communication and being able to trust one another when you can't see them really matters.
The distance only bothers people who are not used to verbally connecting with a person versus them physically building a bond.
When there is space in a relationship it creates a desire to rekindle and unite physically and emotionally. Currently, 32.5 percent of college students in the United States are in long-distance relationships according to Statisticbrain.com. The average amount of time it takes until they realize it is not going to work is 4.5 months.
The total percentage of couples who have broken up is 40 percent.
Considering these statistics long-distance relationships are not for everybody.
They can seem great a first but become stressful and tedious over time. Patience and communication are important building blocks in a relationship regardless.
A long-distance relationship must apply those building blocks and exercise them frequently.
Being in a LDR is stronger because it requires more energy and time but any relationship should require as much work as a long-distance one.
When you love a person and you are in a relationship you should be doing everything in your power to never let that spark the reason why you were attracted to your partner, ever fade away.
Taking time to know and fully understand who you love should be a main priority whether near or far apart from each other in distance.
Like they say, love should have no boundaries or limits.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Environmental Action Committee Board is proud to endorse Akshay Sharma and Akanksha Sharma for President and Vice President of the Undergraduate Council. Akshay has shown long-term commitment to environmental causes on campus, particularly as a member of the Resource Efficiency Program. The Sharma vision for a Community Council provides a forum for airing campus sustainability issues. Furthermore, their vision of the UC as a transcendant organization devoted to supporting student goals meshes well with the EAC's on-campus mission.
Please remember to vote before noon tomorrow, and to support crucial referenda on investment, sexual health, and divestment.


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Condor Microphone Array- Phoenix Audio MT600
Condor Microphone Array with built in SIP phone.
The Condor is a beamforming microphone array with a built-in DSP. Designed to provide a clutter-free solution with multiple interfaces for audio pick-up, this microphone array is perfect for huddle-rooms and open spaces.
The Condor is compatible with any speaker or sound bar.


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Greg has always enjoyed helping others. This carries over into his home inspections. He understands that buying a home is a huge decision, both financially and emotionally. Greg's goal is to help you have the best information so you can
TPP 015: Leadership with Craig Kautsch
Craig Kautsch, a lifelong entrepreneur, founded Avocet Ventures, a portfolio real estate company that has cracked the code in providing homeownership to low-income families in DFW. His company has made a huge impact in the lives of families that wouldn't
TPP 012: Building a Brokerage with Jaci Coan
Jaci, born and raised in the panhandle of Texas, is the baby of five children in her family. From an early age, Jaci's entrepreneurial spirit has always shown. At one time she and her sister owned a business making and
TPP 011: Getting Licensed with Betsey Peterson
Betsey started her sales career as a National Account Manager with Super Pages, and performed sales and marketing for Dallas Patriots baseball organization where she met the President of Champions School of Real Estate, Kimberly Dydalewicz. Shortly after she was
TPP 010: Howard Ashkinos – Coach | Trainer | Recruiter
Buying or selling of a home has been said to be the single largest investment a person will make in their life and it's not uncommon for stress and uncertainty to wreak havoc with their emotions. Howard Ashkinos has a
TPP 007: Living Through the Crash with Dale Erwin
Dale Erwin is a highly respected member of the Texas real estate community. After traveling around the country as an Air Force brat, his family put down roots in the TCU area of Fort Worth over thirty years ago. After receiving


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Off and on since Ava was little she has had nappy rash. Most recently she had a bad case of thrush and every time I wiped her with her normal wipes she would wince in pain. So I changed what I was doing and started to use water and cotton wool . This can be such a faff, especially if your out and about. This is when I started looking for an alternative and came across Water Wipes. These wipes were a game changer and now the lovely people over at Water Wipes have sent me some to review on my blog.
This wasn't the first time I had used Water Wipes. When I was packing my hospital bag a friend of mine told me to get some just incase I had to stay in hospital and wasn't able to get to the shower. Thankfully I listened to her. As I had a C-section I had to stay in a few days and these wipes kept me feeling fresh and clean. Until I could have a proper shower in the comfort of my own home
Why we love Water Wipes.
- I Always make sure that the products I buy for Ava contain no nasties. Well Water Wipes contain 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract.
- They are full of moisture which is great and I have also found it means I use less wipes.
- We do Baby led weaning which if you have ever done baby led weaning you will know it can be a messy affair. These wipes make cleaning up after mealtimes quick and easy.
- They are a great size which stops any mess getting on your hands especially if your cleaning up a messy poo this is a bonus.
- The wipes are really strong meaning they don't come apart.
- They are fab for those horrid Weetabix poo's that stick to their skin like cement. I know you have all had to deal with this. You end using half a packet of wipes trying to get it off their skin. Well I found Water Wipes make easy work of this and I only used a few wipes.
I did find that some of the packets had more moisture in the wipes than others. So this left Ava a little damp after cleaning her, so sometimes I did have to pat her dry. This hasn't put me off the wipes and I would rather them have too much moisture than too little.
They have also done a handy little travel size packet . These have been so handy, especially when on the nursery run. This is normally the time when Ava spreads snot across her face and I don't have any wipes on me. Not wanting her to look unkempt I normally use anything to hand to clean her face. Well not anymore as I have these in my car at all times.
Yes they may be a bit more pricey than your normal brand of wipes. But you have to remember that you are paying for a completely natural product and I think they are totally worth the money.
*I was sent a sample of Water Wipes for free in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
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Soccer team gets five goals from four players during shutout win vs. Blazers
Caleb Casey | Managing Editor
The varsity boys soccer team from Grayling High School won 5-0 vs. the Kalkaska Blazers on Thursday, getting four goals from three different players in the first half and adding one more goal in the second half.
With 28:37 left in the first half, Erid Feri shot past the Kalkaska keeper for Grayling's first goal of the game. Three minutes later, Anthony Harrington shot and the ball deflected off the goal post, and Andrew Walsh kicked the ball into the net for Grayling's second goal.
With 21:14 remaining in the first half, Eliot Boik scored on a one-timer on a pass from Cameron Ketchum. Less than a minute later, Boik scored on a pass from Nico Bersellini.
The score at halftime was Grayling 4, Kalkaska 0.
Halfway through the second half, Bersellini scored on a corner kick play after the goalkeeper deflected a shot by Feri.
Grayling won 5-0.
"When you get five goals from four different dudes, that's pretty balanced," Coach Brad Wagner said.
"We found passes. We found open space and used it," Coach Wagner said. "We had some pretty good combination plays today."
The Vikings (4-1 overall, 2-1 league) will play at Charlevoix on Thursday, September 20.


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please explain the reason for a square root
a square root is a number that is a perfect number that other numbers go into it perfectly. for example 16- the square root of 16 is 4.
Please explain what the pincer grasp is.
The pincer grasp is a very important cognitive skill for a developing skill for a baby. This is where a baby uses all of their fingers and thumb to pick up an object. this happens at 7 or 8 months.
Please explain meiosis
Meiosis is a type of cell division where the chromosome is split in half, creating 4 haploid cells which are all distinct from the parent cell.


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600+800+600=2,000 jobs on the line this week in WA/
This week has been a bad-news week for the mining workforce of West Australia. Woodside have announced that they will be shedding 600 workers inclusive of staff and contractors. Rio is going into round three of their 'rightsizing' with the remainder of the 800 roles to go with most of the remaining personnel under scrutiny being staff. Then, just today, in the West Australian there has been a warning from Chevron to its 4,000-strong workforce that it is going to have to make its operations more lean with up to 600 positions considered for review.
It is highly likely that this will not be the end of the 'rightsizing' exercises undertaken by resource companies in 2015; as the price of resources continue to head towards the floor.
[[Clicking the image above will open a PDF (using Word Online) of the source article from the Business Review section of The Australian. I could not include a direct link to the article due to the pay-wall on The Australian Web site.]]
On the upside the redundancy calculations for the staff of these companies is generally relatively generous. Each company has different redundancy rules, but even someone with just five years continuous employment as a staff member can expect to get something close to 50 percent of their base annual salary as their payout. Someone with 20 years can look forward to a payout in the order of 1.5 times their base annual salary.
Contractors don't get redundancy payouts. The theory is that they are paid enough to put their own insurance away for when they don't have any work.
With budgeting cut-backs like this there is then the flow-on impact to businesses and companies that service these large enterprises. As these enterprises cut back on projects and initiatives the down-stream service providers also have to begin to let people go.
On top of this, with less people earning and paying taxes, there is another impact on state and federal tax incomes.
As I have said before: I think that 2015 is going to be a challenging and interesting year.


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The Steve Williamson Experience
The legendary saxophonist brings his latest project to Turner Sims. The Steve Williamson Experience provides a unique journey around the sonic potential of music as a true art form that can change our state and make us feel better. Through his lifelong study of harmonics, Steve creates music that soothes and heals as well as entertains. He uses primordial tones that speak directly to the essence of who we are, blending Classical and Jazz to create an entrancing, life-enhancing, soul advancing combination that will have you leave the concert a different person to the one that arrived.
So join us to witness one of Britain's greatest musical achievements, Steve Williamson, who alongside his trio, is joined by jazz string quartet, StringTing to create a unique, compelling DNA level musical experience. If you could listen to Virtual Reality, this is what it would sound like!
StringTing is a flagship ensemble from Tomorrow's Warriors, the celebrated hothouse for young jazz talent in the UK. Mentored by acclaimed bassist and artistic director, Gary Crosby OBE, StringTing are blazing a wide trail for women and strings in jazz.


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Thursday, 20 January 2011
Coca Cola Vitamin Water Ad Banned
An Adevrt for Coca Cola Vitamin Water has beed banned for mis-leading consumers.The ASA judged that the publ;ic would not expect a drank labelled as nutritious to contain five spoonfulls of sugar and, as a result, the ad was sufficiently misleading to require action. Only three customers complained and Coca Cola mounted a robust defence, but to no avail.
Posted by Professor James Devlin at 12:08 No comments:
Minimum Price for Alcohol Proposed
Scotland proposed a minimum price for alcohol, but it never came to fruition. Now there are proposals for England and Wales. With health campaigners complaining that the proposed price is too low and the drinks industry hailing it as a pragmatic solution, it is quite clear that the business lobby has done its job effectively.
Posted by Professor James Devlin at 12:01 1 comment:
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And the problem, a bigger issue for millennials than older people, could be causing marriage and relationship breakdown, according to divorce lawyers.
More than a third of people (36 per cent) in a relationship surveyed said they or their partners had been distracted due to their mobile phone usage, rising to 57 per cent for millennials aged between 25 and 34. ...
Result: hundreds of dollars for a new device of only marginally better utility. This is Planned Obsolescence with a vengeance. Same goes for increasingly computerized automobiles which become unusable at a much "younger" age once a critical part fails and costs more than the car is worth to replace.
Plus, all this compulsive computerization has resulted in a world where a crook in another hemisphere can mess up your life without warning.
Stewardship, anyone? All this ecological blather about Sustainability is risible in our culture which throws away people and things at an astonishing rate.
Paying with a smartphone is very secure because your credit card data is never part of the transaction between phone and pin pad just a tokenized number is used and with biometrics you donât have to enter a pin.
Donât blame the smartphone for the actions of the user. They are s nice modern convenience for those who choose to use them
Wayfarer pilgrim wrote:Satan does not have to work over time, all he has to do is keep people distracted and busy, and thatâs all it takes. As for Christians , take a fast from your phone. If you turn it off at work, donât turn it on when you get home.
The function of communication is essential.
The obsession of the mobile/smart phone means brainwashing is allowed to become prolific.


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An LLM or Master of Laws degree is an academic degree, often sought by students with undergraduate law degrees who are looking to educate themselves more thoroughly in one specific area of law study. LLM programs are research-oriented and typically last for one year.
Business law studies concentrates on legislation put in place to hold businesses liable for their actions and to ensure that parties involved in business transactions are protected. This can be applied within businesses nationally or internationally.
Higher education in Albanian offered by 13 public universities. The most recent one is the University of Durres, which was opened in September 2006. The University of Sports in Tirana (Universiteti i Sporteve i Tiranës) formerly the Academy of Physical Training and Sports, from 2010. The University of Arts once upon a time Academy of Fine Arts (Akademia e Arteve) from 2011. In addition, there are 46 private universities and faculties operating in Albania. All universities have several faculties. The so called "non-university schools" give higher education programmes of two years.
Part time LL.M. in Business Law Studies in Albania
This program is focused on the law and legal framework governing the international community, as well as on the major legal issues surrounding global markets.
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With the growing importance of world trade and the global community, economists, business professionals, and practicing lawyers are expected to look with accuracy and confidence beyondnational legal jurisdictions.This program is focused on the law and legal framework governing the international community, as well as on the major legal issues surrounding global markets.The Master's Degree in International and Commercial Law (LLM) of the University of New York, Tirana, in cooperation with the University of Greenwich (UK), is a multidisciplinary program opento both practicing lawyers and other professionals of the Social Sciences, Business, and Economics.The LLM has been designed to meet the needs of a wide range of professional post-graduates from all academic backgrounds in the social sciences, including economics, business, and law.Graduates will be equipped with the skills necessary for a variety of careers in the field of International Law. On completion, graduates will be able to:• Understand the substantive legal principles in public international and corporate law;• Understand the substantive legal principles in a chosen area of study offered within the program;• Present findings and conclusions by means of an independent piece of academic research....


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Event Details
Do something fun and healthy for yourself or someone you know this Mother's Day. This class will teach new takes on favorite brunch recipes that will not only satisfy your love of delicious food, but also be healing and nourishing for your body. Take some time for yourself, it's your day!
Spanish Frittata
Pan Roasted Seasonal Fruits with Gluten Free Oat Streusel & Honey Cashew Cream
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes


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Click to go to link on Amazon for this book:
Tacky is an odd bird but he is a brave bird who protects his companions. So he is also loyal. The central theme of this awesome book is everyone is unique. everyone has positive qualities and everybody has a purpose. This is something many of the kiddos today need to learn. Just because you are different does not make you a bad person or unworthy. it is often times the one who is different, who will be brave enough to do what needs to be done!
Penguin Directions:
In honor of the central theme, my kiddos made penguins but they were not ordinary penguins. They were "tacky" penguins or odd birds. They were to choose one piece of colored paper (8 X 11). They cut that into an oval. Now, i do not allow them to draw the oval, they are to just cut. This makes it their penguin. All of the penguins are different, not cookie cutter penguins. Once they have the oval cut out, they receive a small sheet of white paper. This is their belly. They cut a smaller oval out of the white. Once these are glued together, they took another sheet of colored paper to make the wings. This can not be the same color as their body. Then they took the scraps from one of their friends to make the eyes, and scraps from another friend to make the beak. Finally we made the feet. The feet are a little tricky. To make the feet, take a quarter sheet of paper, fold the bottom right hand corner over until the two sides touch. Then cut the extra off. This will make the paper look like a triangle. Hold the triangle on the crease and cut two small triangles out of the paper. Then cut on the crease and voila, two feet are made.
Here are a few of the finished penguins:
Now for the measuring. We will be using cubes to measure or penguins. We will measure their heads, feet, beak and wing. Then we will measure how tall they are.
Here is the recording sheet: click to download!
My kiddos had a blast making these penguins and practicing their measuring skills. Here are the finished products!
I will end with my favorite measuring video! I love tis video and so does the kiddos!!!
Happy measuring!!!


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IBM Blue MIX Cloud
IBM Blue MIX Cloud
Now a day's cloud is everywhere, and it drastically changed the way information is stored and shared. Cloud computing forces organizations to apply new business models, and teams have to re-invent the way they develop and deliver applications. In this article, I present brief introduction about IBM Bluemix cloud.
Cloud is mainstream
More and more businesses are moving to the cloud to achieve better flexibility, reduce costs, and enable IT innovation. Cloud computing (the cloud) is comprised of three major layers.
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the foundation that refers to the hardware, storage, and network capabilities.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the middle layer where you build and deliver cloud applications.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) is the top layer that provides business services to consumers.
Now before going to PaaS explanation, I would like to distinguish what is the difference between Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and PaaS.
What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?
When you go to Cloud provider such as Softlayer (I would put IBM the first here for obvious reasons), Amazon, Azure, Google etc., you would order a Server, say with 4 Cores, 16 GB RAM and 200 GB Storage on SAN. The same gets provisioned for you to start using this. That is a classic example of IaaS, where you are getting the Infrastructure such as the Servers, Storage, Firewalls, Load Balancers provisioned for you. Once they are provisioned to you, you would go about installing the necessary software on top of it, and then deploy your application.
What is Platform as a Service (PaaS)?
In Platform as a Service, you would get the Platforms such as the Application Servers, Databases, Mobile Backend as Service etc, provisioned for you on top of the IaaS.
To illustrate this better, let me explain how a Web application works. And post that will relate to what is PaaS. A typical Web Application requires an Application Server and a Database (at least to start with). Without going into the finer details, the Application Server will understand the incoming HTTP requests (when you type http://www.ibm.com in the browser is an HTTP request), process it, and give the response back to the browser. Now the database is where all the data is stored. So now imagine you are going to a Banking site. You would put your login and then you would get things related to Account information such as the Amount in Savings, Fixed Deposits, last 5 transactions etc. Here the processing is done by the Application server and the data of your Account is stored in a Database.
In a PaaS, you would have the Application Server, Database etc provisioned for you. Without you going through the hassles of finding out the OS version, the fix packs, download the Software, install it, and configure it. Once the Platform is provisioned, you would deploy your application in it and offer the services of your application as Software as a Service (SaaS). IBM BlueMIX is the PaaS offering from IBM.
Services provided from IBM Blue mix
Bluemix would offer the Services such as MySQL, Postgress Database, Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Map Reduce etc in a Catalogue. You click on the WebSphere Liberty Profile node in the Catalogue, and a WebSphere Liberty Profile is created for you and is up and running in the Cloud. You click on the MySQL node, the MySQL server is created and running in the Cloud. You need to bind them together and push your Application to them. Yes, even if you are non techie you can try that out.
I gave just two examples, but there are many in the Bluemix which you can avail of. There are IBM provided Services (WebSphere Liberty Profile, Internet of Things, Cloudant, Node.js, Map Reduce, BLU Acceleration, TimeSeries Database, are few examples), there are Open Source Services (MySQL, Postgres, Ruby on Rails, Ruby on Sinatra, Rabbit MQ, MongoDB are few examples) and there are third party services as well (location based services from Pitney Bowes, VOIP-based services on Web and Mobile from Twilio are a few examples).
New Services are added on a regular basis. But there are very interesting services such as Auto Scaling, Application Monitoring which one can explore.
Interaction with IBM blue Mix
For interacting with Bluemix there are many ways, one is through the Bluemix Portal itself. But you can use commands from a command line. These commands are specifying to Cloud Foundry standards. I know I have now introduced one more jargon. So Cloud Foundry is an Open Source PaaS. And Bluemix complies to the Cloud Foundry specifications. Another advantage is that if you find services missing in Bluemix, you can get that from the Cloud Foundry (though w/o IBM support).
You can also interact with Bluemix from Eclipse as well. So you have your app developed in Eclipse and can push that app into the Platform running in Bluemix.
There is another way in which Bluemix one can interact with Bluemix. Which is the DevOps platform provided by IBM. Now you might be wondering what is DevOps. DevOps is a short form of Development and Operations. It is a software development method that helps collaboration and integration between software developers and IT operations professionals. Its goal is to help an organization rapidly produce software products and services.
For more information you may logon to www.ismuniv.com , ISM UNIV is the best Embedded Systems and IoT Training Institute in Bangalore India, for any training requirements on Internet of Things do contact us.
Thank you.


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The Cass Entrepreneurship Fund has been recognised as a noteworthy part of the early-stage business ecosystem in the recent Chartered Association of Business Schools report, 'Delivering Value to Local and Regional Economies'.
The report, which explores how and where Business Schools deliver value to the wider economy, highlighted the Cass Entrepreneurship Fund as a key example of how business schools can practically support growing businesses. To read the report and its recommendations in full, please follow the below link:


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Michael Bechtel
Assistant Professor of Science Education
(319) 352-8380
(319) 352-8606
More about Michael Bechtel
M.Ed., University of Wisconsin, 2007
Ed.D., Edgewood College, 2012
Current Research/Areas of Interest
I am interested in the sciences (specifically the general fields of biology, chemistry, and physics) and educational practices (constructivism, metacognition, student-teacher relationships, academic retention, HOTS, STEM, NGSS, etc.). Two special areas of interest are biophilia (as described by E.O. Wilson and supported by H. Gardner) and the interweaving of content, andragogy, and content andragogy (as described by J. Ogden).
- Biophilia refers to the appropriate and productive use of living organisms in the classroom setting
- Andragogy does not refer to the age of the student but refers directly to four crucial and active assumptions (according to M. Knowles):
- moving focus from dependence to self-direction
- growing a reservoir of experience to serve as a resource for learning
- orienting learning towards developmental tasks
- applying classroom learning to real life challenges
The realm of science education is an interesting field that allows for intertwining endeavors built from each individual discipline (sciences and education). I work to assist students with forming their own approaches to teaching (and understanding) science.
I have taught the sciences in public schools, community colleges, technical colleges, and university systems in three states (Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) for the first nineteen years of my career. I have received awards from Kennedy Center/Stephen Solheim ('16), Chellevold ('15), Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers ('13), Gustav Ohaus ('12), WKBT ('10), Horace Mann ('09), Central High School ('08), Wartburg College ('07), Saydel High School ('02, '01, '00, '99, '98), and Iowa Academy of the Sciences ('00) for teaching performance and interactive lesson planning. My personal interest in biophilia focuses on exotic animal and herpetile husbandry.
BI 120 Science of Water
BI 131 Biology of Ordinary Things
BI 250 Introductory Research
BI 281 Field Experience Mentor
BI 295 Ecology and Culture of the Amazon II
BI 315 Ornithology
BI 371 Animal Research
CH 450 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
BI 470 Secondary Content Methods: Biology
CH 470 Secondary Content Methods: Chemistry
ED 483 Student Teacher Supervision
GM 295 Ecology and Culture of the Amazon I
LS 450 Independent Student Learning
MA 470 Secondary Content Methods: Mathematics
PHY 120 Science of Water
PHY 130 Physics of Ordinary Things
PHY 132 Earth Science
PHY 470 Secondary Content Methods: Physics
SCI 385 Elementary Science Methods
Mail address
Biology Department
Wartburg College
100 Wartburg Blvd
PO Box 1003
Waverly, Iowa, USA 50677-0903


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Loli & Lolicon
▍What is Loli?
Loli (ロリ) is a girl specific character archetype which focuses on the childish, prepubescent innocence. But like everything, there are exceptions where characters have a child-like appearance but act more adult-like. The term originates from the Russian novel, Lolita revolves around a middle age professors obsession with a 12-year old girl and eventually has a sexual relationship with said girl. Shortly after the novel was introduced in Japan in the 70's, the Lolita was abbreviated to Loli.
Lolita is also a fashion trend/style where people wear victorian child wear inspired clothing. Just imagine people dressed like the dolls in Rozen Maiden.
Lolicon (ロリコン), abbreviated from Lolita Complex, is the term used to refer to people who are into Loli. Lolicon is also used as a genre for series targeting lolicons.
Though sometimes in the west, Lolicon and Loli are interpreted as being the same thing. Just remember, Loli is the character type and Lolicon is genre and the individual who is into Loli characters.
▍So if I find a child-like character moe, does that make me a lolicon?
The answer really depends on how far your feelings for said character goes. If it is simply "that character is so cute, she melts my heart" then you might not necessarily be a Lolicon. If you feel so much for the character that you want to "do stuff" with her then… yeah, you're a lolicon.
▍Legal or Illegal?
One of the most controversial aspects of lolicon is whether or not it should be legal. The line between freedom of expression and negative influences and encouragement towards sex crimes has always been heavily debated upon in Japan with parties from both sides making legitimate arguments to support their views. Ultimately, Lolicon as a genre is still legal in Japan whilst of course, real-life child pornography is a no-no. In most places in the world, it's illegal, you know, just in case you were wondering.
What are your thoughts on the controversies surrounding Loli and Lolicon? Let us know in the comments! Since we talked about Loli and Lolicon, next up is Shota and Shotacon I guess…


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There was a time when we as a people looked to those that were around us,
Instead of what we theorize may be above us.
This isn't slander nor a way to push my agenda,
I only mention this as it as plagued my mind for some time ever since I started putting pen to parchment.
I am not here to prove or disprove divine intervention.
Or to explain the intermission between the onslaught of your bad days.
The words that I exhale are meant to be thought-provoking in the best way possible.
I am not knowledgeable on what it is that makes you wake up in the morning and press through to the end of the day.
Your sense of accomplishment may come from the acknowledgement of a greater power that moves you.
I am not here to derail your winning streak.
I do think it's ironic that a slight exodus of people to escape the oppression of the clergy, used that same thing to oppress our ancestors.
Though it does bother me that our adoption of something that our former masters cling to has become what rest on our nightstand.
We read through the text and dissect the parts that align with our convenience and call it spiritual law.
Looking for ways to explain why we were ever slaves and how we 'the chosen people' could fall to that level.
The hurricanes aren't following the slave ships from Africa, it's just the way our planet works.
It's hard to separate romanticism and realism in cases where things are not easily explainable.
You'll have to excuse me at my inability to suspend all disbelief.
Is it the fear of death that causes us to drop our shield and submit to what is placed in front of us.
A precaution so that the gospel of damnation doesn't get the chance to knock on our blood soaked doors made of wood.
I could put the Constitution and the Bible in the same glass case in a museum and call them artifacts from a different time.
Our version of Mythology, but everyone isn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.
Maybe it's all meant to be taken lightly and I analyze things too much.
I just think we could be greater if we only looked within ourselves for answers.


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"The History of the Stone Arch Players—50 Years of Community Theater in Mifflin County" is now available! Using photographs, interviews, and reminiscences, the book describes the evolution of the theater group as it grew from performing shows in local high schools, then the Pressroom Theater, and at their present location at the Theatre in the […]Find out more »
Help bring joy to a child in need this holiday season! Drop off any new, unwrapped toys at one of the AAA Central Penn Branches between November 5 and December 7. Those donations will be given to less fortunate children in our community. Call 717-242-2221.Find out more »
The Juniata Valley International Gifts Sale will be held Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 from 9AM to 7PM and Saturday, November 17 from 9AM to 1PM at the Cedar Grove Church. The church has hosted this festival for about 15 years, each year showcasing handcrafted items marketed by Ten Thousand Villages, SERRV, Women […]Find out more »
You're invited to attend the Bus Shelter Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Thursday, November 15 at 10AM at the Bus Shelter. Join them as they celebrate the completion of this wonderful community project and thank those who have generously given their time, talents and materials. After the brief ceremony, you're welcome to head over […]Find out more »
The Centre County Chapter of the PA Association of Retired State Employees (PARSE) will meet at Hoss's Steak and Sea Restaurant in State College on Thursday, November 15, beginning at 11:45AM. Members and guests are on their own for lunch. The featured speaker is Joe Davidson, Centre County Recorder of Deeds. Davidson is responsible for […]Find out more »
Every third Thursday of the month, Keystone Gamers host Game Night at Brisco's Coffee House. Join them on Thursday, November 15 at 6PM. Bring a game or join in on any other ongoing games. This event is open to the public and is kid-friendly. Game night is always a fun night to join in on […]Find out more »
The Oriental Valley Sportman's Association is hosting Turkey Block Shoots. The cost is $20 per night. Registration will be held from 6 to 7PM at the clubhouse. No optics, Iron sights only. Shells are provided. The shoots will take place on the following dates: Thursday, November 1, 8, 15 Veterans are ½ price on November […]Find out more »
Dar Williams has been called "one of America's very best singer-songwriters" by The Yorker. She's released ten studio albums and authored four books including her latest, "What I Found In A Thousand Towns." Known as much for her staunch progressive ideals as her raw acoustic energy, Williams has been captivating audiences with her sheer elegance […]Find out more »


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Serve-Ag in conjunction with Tama Tapex Agri are pleased to invite you to a wrapping demonstration day to help you achieve maximum silage quality this season.
Lloyd Dawson, Sales Director at RPC- bpi (the world's largest silage film manufacturer) will present at this workshop at the Scottsdale Football Clubrooms, 11am on Thurs 30th August 2018.
Hear about how to save time, money and produce the highest quality silage this season!
BBQ lunch provided.


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Campus Locations & Directions
Where can you find Bristol Community College? It's likely right nearby.
At BCC, we like to say that "community is our middle name." That's because we are here to serve the many different communities that utilize our services and have a need for accessible higher education locally. BCC started in Fall River in 1965, and has since expanded with locations in New Bedford, Attleboro and Taunton.
More Information
Fall River
New Bedford Campus
Attleboro Campus
Taunton Center
Directions All Locations
Transportation & Parking


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By and far the most popular goal people come into Twoguns Training Systems with is fat loss. It makes sense, society and lifestyle has generally made us sedentary for 8+ hours of the day and we don't move as much as we used to or should, and when we do, we're doing all of the wrong things – it is no wonder we need help. I've been there, I've done what popular media and the magazines told us to do and it only made me worse.
We generally know what is healthy to eat, we know we should eat more lean protein and green vegetables and we know we should avoid sugar and processed garbage food. The implementation is the hard part, not necessarily knowing the basics.
We also know we should be working out, we can debate what is better for fat loss (it is responsible strength training:) ) but for the most part, if it isn't hurting you and you aren't getting injured (don't overlook this caveat), something is better than nothing and you can benefit from it for a certain period of time.
But what about the things we don't necessarily know about fat loss? And the things that arent the basics? Well I am here to help, here are the five fat loss secrets you may be overlooking… (Quick disclaimer – this assumes you have the basics covered and are not a substitution for them though you should be doing these anyway.)
Drink More Water
Clients at my gym are always sick of me saying this but it is the one thing I will continue to preach because it is that important and no body drinks enough water. If you are chronically dehydrated you are selling yourself short on any fitness or lifestyle goals you have. Performance, fat loss, injury recovery, feeling and moving better and everything in between.
If I told you there was one supplement that was scientifically proven to…
– Help you burn/lose fat
– Reduce and fight infection
– Improve your skin quality
– Flush out toxins
– Improve your heart health
– Improve digestion
– Prevent constipation
– Boost energy
– Prevent joint pain
…you'd buy that supplement in a heartbeat. That supplement is water. It literally helps with every bodily function and metabolic process we have. People debate how much and always think they are drinking enough but they aren't. Females no less an a gallon a day and males no less than a gallon and a half a day. I drink two gallons every day without trying.
The most common feedback I get is people frustrated with how often they pee when they increase their water intake. Initially, if you arent annoyed with how often you are peeing, you aren't drinking enough. Couple things to add – you don't pee a lot when you are dehydrated and you should be peeing more than you are so get used to it but also, when your body is consistently getting enough water and it knows it is getting it, it uses it more readily and the frequency in which you pee decreases so it wont be as bad.
A generic workout of any safe kind will generally work … for 4-6 weeks, possibly shorter but never longer. Random workouts from the internet and random "make you tired" workouts pulled out of thin air may be fine in the short term (again as long as they aren't injuring you), but they will not sustainably give you results. You need an individualized workout that is specific to your goals, your training history, your injury history and a thorough assessment of how you move – your mobility/flexibility, your stability and your functional movement patterns.
The easiest example is if you are hypermobile, you don't need a lot of mobility work and need a large amount of stability work. If you are locked up and tight, you don't need a lot of stability work and need quite a bit of mobility or flexibility work. And you don't know any of this unless you screen or test for it – you cannot assume. Attacking your weaknesses improves performance and makes you feel better but it also burns a ton of fat and hammering on your strengths and ignoring your weaknesses will only work for so long and likely end in injury.
We want one size to fit all because it is easy and cheap, but it doesn't and never will. Here is the assessment sheet we use at Twoguns Training Systems. If you aren't assessing, you're guessing and professionals do not guess.
Minimize Stress
A body under constant stress, mental or physical cannot burn fat optimally. I wont get into the science behind parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems because I want you to keep reading but the general summary is we tend to always be in a "fight or flight" mode and the body cannot simply relax and you function better and burn more fat when we can teach the body to relax.
There are times when we need to be fight or flight, like getting through a hard workout, dealing with a stressful situation, getting chased by a lion etc but other than that, we need to "turn it off" and get our body to learn to relax. A healthy diet and some intermittent fasting is one way but another newly popular method is diaphragmatic breathing. I've written a little bit and talked about it previously and for the most part no one usually cares but learning to relax and minimize stress will allow the body to better serve the functions you are trying to get it to do like burn fat in such a short amount of time.
Quick breakdown of diaphragmatic breathing…
As you inhale, your abdomen should expand three dimensionally and when you exhale it should "come in." Most people find they have a hard time not breathing through their chest or a hard time expanding their abdomen as they breathe in. It is simple and it is a few minutes a day and it helps a lot. We've been incorporating it more and more with the benefits we've been seeing from it.
You Run Too Much/Do Too Much Cardio
I wont go into this one too much because it is a dead horse that has been beaten but the bottom line is…
The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn.
Strength Training builds muscle.
Thus strength training burns fat.
Long distance, low intensity Running/Typical aerobic activity/cardio breaks you down, gives you overuse injuries, jacks you up and doesn't build muscle.
The less muscle you have, the less fat you burn.
Thus running/aerobics makes you worse.
(The caveat to this is if you've trained strength training and high intensity interval training enough prior to.)
It gained popularity because it is "easy" and it is free, not because it is effective for fat loss. I put easy in quotes because people think they can do it but the average person does not run safely or optimally. Science and scientific studies, which are always behind in terms of being up to date have proven time and time over that aerobics/distance running does not burn more fat than dieting alone. So if fat loss is your goal, you are better off just dieting than diet plus aerobics. I don't care if you do aerobics or run as some people have to, but don't do it because it burns fat, because it doesn't.
You Don't Train Power
"People didn't lose power because they got old, people got old because they lost power." – Martin Rooney.
Fast twitch muscle fibers, the kind activated by "power" exercises are the first to deteriorate/atrophy as we age, thus they are the most important to train to stay young and lean. It keeps the fast twitch muscle fibers, it makes you strong and it burns a ton of fat.
The hard part about training for power is that if you haven't build a foundation based on mobility, then stability, then strength, then and ONLY then progressing to power, you cannot do it safely. You need that foundation for efficiency and for safety. But the goal of fat loss training is to get to power exercises becoming part of your programming/workout as they are a significant factor in fat loss.
Doing a power exercise when you haven't built the foundational parts (mobility, stability and then strength) will NOT be more effective than doing so without the foundation, but the goal is to be able to safely train fast twitch muscle fibers and power exercises.
Two great and safe examples of power exercises are the Kettlebell Swing…
The ONLY acceptable way to two-hand swing a kettlebell is to chin or eye level. Never over your head.
…and the Ultimate Sandbag Clean and Press
It is entirely acceptable to press an Ultimate Sandbag over your head, however.
Both work fast twitch muscle, train for power and burn a ton of fat and are easy on the joints.
There you have it. Five fat loss secrets you may be overlooking that Im sure most people can relate to more than one of those. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to message me on Facebook or put some of these into action and let me know how they helped you. Also if you need help implementing any of these, we are testing out a $99, 1 month trial at Twoguns Training Systems. Shoot me a message on Facebook if you're interested and we can get you in for our assessment.


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Welcome to part 4 of my series "6 Secrets to 6 Figures"!
I'm excited to share some tips with you today around secret #4: keeping the clients that you get.
This is a key step in building a 6-figure businesses because it is all about consistency! When it comes to growth in business, having a consistent income and cash flow is important. And this secret is the key to that.
When it comes to getting clients, the hardest part is the getting. In order to get a new client you have to market yourself, give value, build trust, do a sales call, pitch and make the sale. Once a client trusts you and makes the decision to work with you it becomes less work to keep them if you are giving them value and maintaining the trust.
If your business is set-up on a more "one and done" system, you'll want to jot down these tips and think about how to implement them into your business to see some serious growth!
So let's talk about how you can keep the clients you get:
1. Create monthly retainers
The main way I built a 6-figure business was by creating monthly retainers. They were set services I offered each month for a set price. They were also services that clients needed on an ongoing basis which meant our relationship could potentially be long-term. By doing this I had consistency in my monthly work and income.
2. Create and offer upsells
If you have client(s) who are currently working with you think of ways you can have them continue working with you after the current program/service is done. What are the next steps? What do they need next? What can you provide them with so they want to keep working with you? Before your existing offering with them ends, have something ready to offer them to keep the relationship. You can also use this as an opportunity to reach out to past clients and offer them the new offering you have.
3. Add to your existing offerings
Is there a way to make your existing offerings last longer? For example, if you have a 6 week offering, can you turn it into a 4 month offering by adding more support, or off weeks, or calls or even time in between to see results? How can you add value by extending the length of your offerings? When it comes to this step, don't get stuck on thinking that because something lasts 4 months you have to do something every single day for 4 months, create space and time so clients can implement and see results with the confidence of having you available.
This is one of the main shifts I have clients make when we review their business model. It's a great way to make some adjustments that result in a higher monthly income.
Is your business currently set-up to make a profit? Take my FREE Profit Quiz to find out! I'll also provide you with some free tips on how to set your business up for profit. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE QUIZ.


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I didn't get much out of What the Bleep Do We Know.
I vacillate between being very inclined to and very repelled by abstract
contemplation of life's "deep" questions. Sometimes I think the main reason I'm
buddhist is that buddhism treats these questions as perfectly ordinary. It
doesn't shroud them in mysticism or promise an end to life's problems if we can
realize their answers. We encounter them as part of our normal life, and we
should engage them accordingly.
Seen from this perspective, What the Bleep Do We Know takes an unfortunate
approach. The film has a glossy, slick, phony feel. There are sparkling halos
of light, and anthropomorphized cartoon incarnations of metaphysical ideas that
remind me of nothing so much as soap suds in a cleanser commercial. I've seen
very similar graphics in Scientology books. They foreground the film's
condescension to the viewer. Remember those eighth-grade science movies, which
were obligated to use amateur visual effects to hold the attention of their
distracted audience?
It is an awkward mix of documentary and narrative story, connecting the lessons
of quantum physics to the human condition, and neither one comes off very
well. I'm certain that I would be much happier if it were only a documentary,
with the "storyline" removed. Next to the didactic and overly excited
commentary of scientists and mystics, the storyline comes across as childish
The gap between the significance of what the scientists say and their nonverbal
expressions leads me to believe that this movie suffered from serious editing
problems. Important parts were probably cut. I believe that these people have
important and interesting things to say; but presenting only their enthusiastic
conclusions --- mostly repetitions of vocabulary-induced variations on "it's
all in your head" --- without giving some time to the warrants behind them, was
an error.
I take issue with "it's all in your head". I don't understand the drive to
emphasize the binary mind and body opposition. If it is true that our thoughts
can actually influence the reality around us, isn't it reasonable to first
explore the theory that this is because mind and physical reality are
constructed of the same stuff, rather than leap to the conclusion that the mind
must be made of some higher-order material?
I also take issue with it for social reasons. The problem is essentially "easy
for you to say", and it tends to arise whenever someone elevates the importance
of the mind over the body. The film focuses on an ultra-narrow slice of
people. In the story, the main character is a deaf photographer who finds
herself in many socially awkward situations. The pronouncements of the
scientists and mystics are universal, generalized to all humans, to "us". But
who is the "us"? It appears to be people who have time for existential angst,
who are not facing challenges to their actual physical survival.
How would the movie have been different if the protagonist had been a
money-poor, single, deaf mother trying to put some food on the table for her
children using government assistance and a part-time job? Doesn't this
challenge the "in the morning I spend a few minutes visualizing, creating my
day, communing with the universe" approach?
I don't mean to disparage it if it works for you; but there were no
acknowledgments of limitations on applicability in the movie, and to present
itself in a way that pretends to apply to all humans is irresponsible, and
somewhat typical of capitalist spirituality.
This particular ninety minutes would have been better spent re-reading my
epistemology textbooks, or The Mind's I,
just meditating, or helping out at a shelter. I would have learned much more,
about the same topics.
(After writing this, I read Wesley Morris's review in the Boston Globe. Maybe I should have read that review before watching the movie.)


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General news
Niger Govt. warns motorcyclists against movement beyond 9 p.m.
The Niger Government, on Tuesday, warned motorcyclists, popularly known as "Okada riders" against defying the law banning movement of motorcycles from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the state.
Alhaji Ahmed Matane, the Secretary to the State Government, gave this warning at a meeting with officials of the state Ministries of Justice, Transport and Board of Internal Revenue in Minna.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government had, early this year restricted movement of motorcycle riders from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as a result of criminal activities in the state.
Matane stated that the government's decision to restrict the use of motorcycles within the stated time was still in force as part of measures to check the influx of bandits and reduce crimes being perpetrated using bikes.
He described the state as "most peaceful in the country", saying that government would not allow the activities of some disgruntled elements to work against the existing peace in the state.
"We are calling on the Niger people to complement government's efforts so as to arrest the ugly situation," he said.
General news
Commissioners: Keep off Government House unless invited, warns Gov. Zulum
Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has warned the newly appointed commissioners to stay away from Government House, unless invited.
Zulum issued the warning at inauguration of the 22 newly appointed commissioners on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
He advised the commissioners should be at their respective offices and work in accordance with their constitutional mandates.
Zulum said that: "You should operate from your various ministries of assignment and not frequenting the Government House, except on invitations or emergencies.
"We should work assiduously to bridge the gap between our politicians and the civil servants, as well as followers so that together, working in harmony and understanding, we achieve our vision of a stronger and more prosperous state.''
Zulum admonished the commissioners against truancy, adding that he had directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) Government House, to ensure effective monitoring and supervision of the commissioners, warning that defaulters will be sanctioned.
He enjoined the commissioners to brace up to the task and prepare to work in each and every part of the state.
Besides, Zulum advised the commissioners to run an open door policy to enable them to serve the people better and contribute to the sustainable social and economic development of the state.
The governor further directed the commissioners to declare their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau, stressing that his administration accorded priority to transparency, probity and prudent financial management of public fund.
The Nigeria News Agency reports that those sworn-in as commissioners included Messrs Abdulrahaman Abdulkarim, Abbakar Lawan, Adamu Lawan, Babagana Banki, Mustapha Fanarambe, Yerima Kareto, Abubakar Hassan, Ali Abatcha and Sugun Mai-Mele as well as Mrs Inna Galadima.
Others are Alhaji Mohammed Kauji; Dr Toma Rangiya, Dr Salisu Kwaya-Bura, Mr Bello Ayuba, Alhaji Yerima Saleh, Mr Yuguda Vungas, Alhaji Musa Kubo, Mr Sunday Gadzama, Mr Kaka-Shehu Lawan, Fanta Baba-Shehu and Malam Mohammed Bulama.
General news
J.T. Useni says Nigeria can't afford to abondone zoning now
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate in the 2019 general elections in Plateau, Sen. Jeremiah Useni, says Nigeria cannot not afford to abandon zoning now in her Democratic persuits.
Useni made the remark while in audience with some party officials, elders, and stakeholders from Zawan district of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau.
" Nigeria is not yet mature politically to jettison the zoning arrangement that has been producing leaderships at different levels of society and from diverse communities.
"Rotational leadership is best for us for now. It gives people the freedom and opportunity to be involved in establishing and running the government of their choice at different levels.
"Nigeria is not yet ripe to have leaders produced from only one area all the time and so deny others. Even in the days of military rule, leadership was always balanced to give fair representation to all parts of the country.
"If you allow only specific areas to produce leaderships, it will breed bitterness, hatred and crisis because many communities will feel left out in the running of their own affairs," he said.
The retired Army General appealed to the Zawan delegation to stay united, work hard and pray for the victory of the PDP in all the tribunals.
"When we receive positive judgement at the tribunal, we will set up a government that will be inclusive and correct the many imbalances in our representations. We must unite the people of Plateau in our governance," he said.
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Mr James Stephen-Pam, said that they were in Useni's residence to show support, solidarity and to pray with him for victory at the election petition Tribunal.
Stephen-Pam stated that PDP leaders, supporters and stakeholders in Zawan had full confidence in Useni's leadership and " that is why the party supported you fully during the primaries as well as giving the highest number of votes among all the districts in Jos South in the general elections."
Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf
General news
Costain bus stop relocated over Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway construction
The NAN correspondents, who monitored the relocation on Wednesday, report that commercial buses were no longer allowed to load and offload passengers at the usual bus stop.
NAN also reports that the relocation was occasioned by the ongoing construction of the new Costain Bridge, as part of the Lagos–Ibadan standard rail project.
The newly-reappointed Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, had, in November 2017, announced that Jibowu and Costain bridges would be demolished to give way for the laying of tracks of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railways.
NAN also reports that the relocation has disorganised both traffic and commercial activities at the usual bus stop.
The development had made commercial bus operators and tricycles plying Ojuelegba, Lawanson, Onipanu, Palm Groove, Ikeja, Ojota, Ketu and Mile 12, Ikorodu en route Costain to be finding their base in the new place.
As commuters were seen moving up and down, trying to locate where to board buses to their different destinations, commercial transporters were busy using bells to call passengers.
Petty traders were also seen around the place arranging for where to display their goods, with welders busy constructing a shed at the temporary bus stop.
Speaking with NAN, Mr Uguchukwu Ogbonna, a commercial bus driver, said that the relocation was not a bad idea, adding however that many commuters and transport operators had yet to adapt to it.
Ogbonna said that this had resulted in commercial bus drivers exerting extra time and energy to get their buses loaded.
Another commercial bus operator, Mr Jimoh Alao, said: "It is good. With time, both passengers and transport operators will get used to the new bus stop and there will not be any stress again,"
Edited by 'Wale Sadeeq
General news
Inauguration: New ministers upbeat on performance
The new ministers, who were sworn-in by President Muhammadu Buhari, have expressed optimism on delivering on their mandates.
Some of the ministers spoke with State House correspondents after their inauguration on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sen. Chris Ngige, who was returned as the Minister of Labour and Employment, said that it was a good home coming for him as he hoped for better working relations with labour unions.
"I expect better work; I will align with labour in their legitimate struggles.
"There is no job that does not have hazards; what happened at the last moment was part of the hazards of the job.
"There is nothing like crisis; we are a family; we had family disagreement and we have resolved them; we are in good term,'' he said.
On the stalemate about the implementation of the minimum wage, Ngige said it would be resolved immediately.
He however explained that there were intricacies of minimum wage negotiations which would be sorted out.
"We know what a good template will be for government at federal, states and local governments, and for the workers themselves; we want them to smile; so, we must do something that put smile on their faces.
"We are bringing a template that we will send down from the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
"We will agree on it with the Joint Negotiating Council; my permanent secretary held forth while I was away; he will brief me and we will take it from there,'' the minister said.
On his part, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, the new Minister of Mines and Steel Development, said that President Buhari had set an agenda from the 2-day retreat.
He said he would put in his best and deliver on his mandate for Nigerians.
"In line with three-point agenda of the President which of course economic development, there is a lot of potential in mineral resources which of course we can exploit further to diversify from oil.
"Also, we want to lift people out of poverty; we will begin to encourage our people to add value to the minerals instead of just sending the minerals raw like that.
"Add value to it and make money from it and of course the third agenda is anti-corruption; we will try and do this as transparently as possible,'' he said.
For George Akume, the new Minister of Special Duties, it was a rare privilege to be selected to serve in a country of over 200 million people.
"What I have to say at this stage is that all the ministers are committed to the success of this administration.
"Nigerians are expecting so much from us; we cannot afford to fail and I believe by the grace of God, we shall not fail,'' he said.
Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, said the ministry under her would work to sustain the Nigerian economy on the part of growth.
She said that the ministry would try its best to make sure that the economy was sustained on the path of growth and prevent fiscal crisis.
Ahmed said that her focus would be on the economy.
On combining finance, budget and national planning, the minister said that she had worked with budget and national planning therefore combining both tasks would not pose a challenge to her.
"There are competent persons on both sides that will support me in my work.
"I will be co-coordinating both the budget and planning work as well as that of finance.
"So, I am sure that we are going to do well," she said.
Buhari had during the swearing-in urged the 43 ministers to collectively build a safer, more prosperous and fair nation.
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola
General news
Building collapse: Surveyors plan to end malaise
President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Mr Rowland Abonta, said that the body would partner other regulatory and law enforcement agencies to end building collapse menace.
Abonta told Nigeria News Agency on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that institutional corruption had indeed given rise to loopholes for quackery.
According to him, quackery is an endemic problem in all professions.
"In Nigeria, quackery is not peculiar to the building industry so, as a professional body, we have solidified arrangements with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who attempt to misrepresent us are properly profiled and dealt with.
He said that this step would indeed check the activities of quarks in the building industry.
He attributed building collapse in Nigeria to activities of quarks and the use of substandard construction materials and gave the assurance that measures were being taken to end the menace.
"Again building collapse is one amongst so many national calamities we have been battling with; a situation where people rather use substandard materials for construction is disheartening.
He attributed building collapse to situations where people would refuse to engage appropriate professionals for project supervision stressing that it was a major reason for consistent building collapses in the country.
"As a body, we've made very frantic efforts to end the challenge of building collapse; right now there is collaboration with all professional bodies in the building industry.
"This is targeted at proffering a permanent solution to this national malaise and I'm sure that in no distant time we would stop hearing about building collapse in our country,'' he said.
Abonta explained that as part of efforts toward improving service delivery in the industry, the professional body had floated an Association of Estate Agents of Nigeria about five years ago.
"Our intention was to bring in a number of our own graduates who couldn't scale through professional exterminations that would have certified them as registered Estate Surveyors.
"Similarly we are looking at people in other professions who may have traded in the real estate business in a long time.''
He said that the association decided to bring all the professional bodies together under that umbrella to regulate their activities.
Abonta said that the practitioners were trained on best practices and effective service delivery.
He said that their trainings were crowned with some form of certification, adding "who knows one day they may grow to become professional Estate Surveyors and valuers.''
He also said that the collaboration was actually one of the community development projects embarked upon by the body.
He added that it was also one of the areas for expansion to accommodate practitioners in the real estate business.
"Rather than allowing them, continue practicing on their own and putting construction works at risk, we have provided this opportunity to make them part of us, give them the requisite training and equip them for the task in the industry.
"So far, in Lagos state close to 1,000 persons have enlisted in this training programme and in Rivers there is also a branch that has been launched with about 200 persons enlisted for the training.
"In Abuja and virtually all major cities across the country we have replicated these training institutions to enhance the building industry and check the concerns over building collapse,'' he said.


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Varun Dhawan's Judwaa 2 rules box office, makes Rs 59.25cr in 3 days to emerge 2017's third biggest opener
Judwaa 2 box office collection of Rs 59.25 crore in three days makes Varun Dhawan a top draw at the ticket windows. Judwaa 2 has outrun Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan films to become the third biggest opener of the year.bollywood Updated: Oct 02, 2017 12:49 IST
Varun Dhawan continued his dream run at the box office on Sunday, with Judwaa 2 collecting a total of Rs 59.25 crore within three days of the release. The film, which also stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu, earned Rs 22.60 crore on Sunday and Rs 20.55 crore on Saturday.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, "The audience verdict is loud and clear: #Judwaa2 hits the BULL'S EYE... Emerges one of the best openers of 2017... Nears ₹ 60 cr mark... #Judwaa2 Fri 16.10 cr, Sat 20.55 cr, Sun 22.60 cr. Total: ₹ 59.25 cr. India biz... Will score BIG numbers again today [holiday]...The SMASHING opening weekend biz of #Judwaa2 proves yet again that well-made mass entertainers will never go out of fashion! Varun hits the ball out of the park... ₹ 20 cr biz on two consecutive days - a rare feat that very few actors can boast of... #Judwaa2."
Directed by David Dhawan, Judwaa 2 is a remake of David's 1997 hit starring Salman Khan, Judwaa. Varun stepped into the shoes of Salman while Jacqueline and Taapsee played Karisma Kapoor and Rambha's roles respectively. Rajpal Yadav essayed the role of Nandu, played by Shakti Kapoor in the original.
Varun Dhawan managed to cross the weekend collection of previous hit, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya. The film that starred Alia Bhatt opposite Varun, collected Rs 41.88 crore over the first weekend.
With the latest figures, Judwaa 2 has made it to the top five weekend openers of 2017 in Bollywood. While Prabhas's Baahubali takes the top slot with a weekend collection of Rs 127 crore in India alone, it was technically a Telugu film. Among Bollywood movies, Salman Khan's Tubelight made Rs 69.45 crore in three days while Shah Rukh Khan's Raees stands second with Rs 59.48 crore.
Varun Dhawan's film has done better than Shah Rukh Khan's Jab Harry Met Sejal (Rs 45.75 crore) and Akshay Kumar's Toilet Ek Prem Katha (Rs 51.45 crore). He also broke the record made by his last 2017 release, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, which made Rs 43.05 crore in three days.
Follow @htshowbiz for more
First Published: Oct 02, 2017 12:47 IST


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Shot at Yamuliao market in Tainan, Taiwan.
Various foodstuffs were scattered on the table. And one older woman was seated at the table and the other woman was standing beside the table. They were making side dishes busily while both of them wore plastic gloves.
A mat woven from bamboo and cotton string was placed in front of the older woman. I didn't know the name in Chinese. It was called Makisu in Japanese. So she seemed to be just making some rolled sushi. Sushi is also popular in Taiwan.


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Saturday June 15th 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Leisure Games
100 Ballards Lane
London N3 2DN
020 8346 2327
This year's Free RPG Day will be the best yet. We have an absolutely fantastic array of stuff on offer, from some of the UK's most awesome folk.
There will as ever, be free stuff that we have bought, to give away to you. Anyone who turns up on the day can ask for a free thing. There will also be free things that the shop has donated, free stuff that kind thoughtful individuals have donated, and even some free things that I have donated. These extra free things will be available in addition to the official free things. A cool thing you could do, if you really want to get into the whole 'free thing' thing, is have a look at your own shelves, grab a few things that you'll probably never find time to play, then bring them along and give them away for free.
Hopefully, when you have finished getting free things, and giving away free things, you'll be keen to stick around and play something. You don't have to book a place to get a game. There will be 'on demand' games, and short demo sessions available. So, you can just turn up, and you will get a game, of something. If you want to play a specific game, particularly one that has allocated time slots, then get in touch, and book your place. If you book a place, but are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as you can, so that somebody else can take your place.
Here are the games that you could take part in:
Indie Games on Demand
Richard Williams and the London Indie RPG Meetup Group
The Quiet Year A big game of The Quiet Year will be happening throughout the day. It'll be up on the walls! Drop in, add stuff, drop out. Come back later and see how the year is progressing.
Games on Demand: Dungeon World, Fiasco, and Monsterhearts, will all be available on demand, if we have space and GMs.
There will also be free printed copies of the following:
Charted Areas, sample maps drawn in collaboration with Joe McDaldno, for The Quiet Year
A Dungeon World dungeon written by Jason Morningstar
Saturday Night '78 a cool Fiasco playset by Will Hindmarch, Wil Wheaton and Jason Morningstar
The Selkie, a revised Monsterhearts skin by Jackson Tegu.
Ed Croft
Ed will be running sessions his game movie making game Screenplay, and have a few free physical copies to give away.
Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
Gary Yam
This years contribution to from FFG is a Star Wars adventure.
There will be one session, beginning at 9:30 am. The adventure can accommodate four players (only one space left at 11:46am 11/06/2013).
Mutant Chronicles
Chris Birch of Modiphius Entertainment
There will be two short playtests of the upcoming Mutant Chronicles RPG. The sessions should last around 90 minutes each. The first will be at 11:00am, the second at 1:00pm.
Dr Who: Adventures in Space and Time
Dave Elrick
An introduction to Cubicle 7's Dr Who: Adventures in Space and Time RPG. No booking required as sessions will be available on demand, and will run for under an hour.
Trail of Cthulhu / Night's Black Agents / The Esoterrorists
Cat Tobin of Pelgrane Press
Either, Trail of Cthulhu for 3-6 players, from 1:00 pm, or a series twenty minute demos of Trail of Cthulhu, Night's Black Agents, and Esoterrorists, on demand throughout the afternoon. Depending upon the demand for a full Trail of Cthulhu game.
Andrew Hicks, and The London DnD Gamers Group
There will be two sessions of We be Goblins Too! The first will begin shortly after 9.00 am, and the second from 1.30 pm.
The sessions will be an introduction to the Pathfinder game, and everyone will play Goblins!
All that, in one day, and it's not going to cost you a thing (if you walk here and skip lunch). Hopefully we'll see you on the day. Get in touch if you have any questions.
The Facebook event for it is here.
There will be complimentary snacks and drinks*
*Bonus Game Poem: There Will be Complimentary Snacks and drinks.
In this short game poem, players take on the roles of ancient beings who have walked the Earth for thousands of years, driven half mad by intense hunger and thirst, from which they can only find temporary relief if food and drink are offered to them freely. They are drawn to food and drink like moths to warm glow of electric lights. Players 'don't lose' by managing to obtain food or drink without asking for it or taking it. It must be given freely.


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The financial services industry has emerged as an unexpected source of increased class action activity in the past year, a new survey has found.
Further, an attorney with the law firm that conducted the survey said he believes it's only a matter of months before more life insurance carriers are sued.
At issue are cost-of-insurance (COI) class action matters that have cropped up in the past 18 months and over which the courts appear divided.
In the latest round of class action disputes involving life and annuity carriers, plaintiffs say life insurers are unfairly targeting specific groups of policyholders for premium increases. Consumer watchdogs have called upon regulators to block rate hikes on universal life contracts.
Carriers are looking to raise COI rates to compensate for low interest rates, mortality costs and people holding on to life insurance policies longer. Insurers say they are well within their contractual rights to raise premiums.
Referring to four major life insurers that recently announced rate increases, "We expect all the carriers to be sued," Carlton Fields shareholder Stephen J. Jorden told InsuranceNewsNet. "There's a lot of chatter in the plaintiffs' bar newsletter and it's only a matter of months before everyone has been sued."
Class Action Spending On The Rise
The nationwide law firm Carlton Fields released its fifth annual class action survey, which showed an increase in spending on class action disputes in 2015, the first such increase in four years. Spending on class action litigation rose to $2.1 billion in 2015, marking a 3.4 percent increase compared with 2014, the survey found.
Class action litigation is expected to rise further to $2.14 billion in 2016, according to the survey. The survey data was collected from 381 large companies across 25 industries.
Class action disputes involve one or two plaintiffs suing on behalf of an entire class of plaintiffs, often numbering in the dozens, hundreds or thousands.
A proposed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule to limit arbitration also is expected to give rise to new class action disputes, according to the report. The annual class action survey is designed to give in-house corporate lawyers a feel for developing trends in a narrow sliver of the $19.4 billion market for U.S. legal services.
The survey found that 13.7 percent of respondents predicted a wave of class action suits flowing from a possible CFPB ruling, whereas there was no such concern in 2014, according to the report. Arbitration is designed to prevent expensive and extensive legal disputes from clogging the courts.
Consumer fraud accounted for 24.6 percent of all class action matters and 25 percent of all class action spending in 2015, the report found. Insurance-related class action disputes, excluding fraud, accounted for 7 percent of class action matters and 6.9 percent of class action spending in 2015.
Respondents indicated they each expect, on average, 2.8 new class action matters in 2016. This is an increase from 2.3 new class action matters last year and 1.5 new class action cases in 2014, the report found.
InsuranceNewsNet Senior Writer Cyril Tuohy has covered the financial services industry for more than 15 years. Cyril may be reached at [email protected].
© Entire contents copyright 2016 by InsuranceNewsNet.com Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted without the expressed written consent from InsuranceNewsNet.com.


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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
Inside each one of these Caramel Frosted Dark Milky Way Cupcakes is a surprise Milky Way Midnight mini. Drizzle with extra caramel for a super sweet treat.
After experiencing such a positive response from my Cake Mix Cookies and Cream Cupcakes recipe, I decided to develop another scrumptious dessert using a boxed cake mix. This time, I decided to utilize the winning combination of chocolate and caramel.
We have a lot of extra Easter candy around our house. I think the Easter Bunny and the grandparents may have gone a bit overboard. In fact, we're still finding plastic eggs which were hidden a little too well in various cabinets and drawers.
So back to the chocolate and caramel. One of our special Easter treats at home just happens to be a large quantity of Milky Way Midnight Minis. If you love dark chocolate like I do, you have got to try these. What better to jazz up a chocolate and caramel cupcake than a caramel filled chocolate candy? And not just any chocolate caramel candy, but a DARK one! YUM!!
Greg was at work when I started (we were having guests over that evening and these cupcakes had to be ready in time) so I was on photo duty. Gasp! Therefore, I enlisted the help of Londyn to make the cake batter. Using devil's food cake mix, she followed the directions on the box and poof, we had cake batter! Great job Londyn! 🙂
After lining the muffin pans and filling them with batter, Londyn then helped me unwrap each and every Milky Way Midnight Mini and gently press them into the cups of batter.
When you make these cupcakes, you will be tempted to eat them right out of the oven. WITHOUT THE ICING. Why would you ever do that? Well, the scent of the melted caramel from each candy along with the chocolate cake just permeates the air. I had to hold back. Thank goodness Greg was home by now and could relieve me from the photography responsibilities. But then he asked me to sacrifice one for a photograph. Oh, what a shame…guess we had to eat it, right?
Anyway, once the cupcakes cooled, I whipped up a quick batch (and I mean quick, and really easy too) of the caramel frosting. This frosting is so easy to make, it only consists of three ingredients – butter, confectioners sugar and caramel syrup. If you want to make it extra sweet and gooey, drizzle some additional caramel on the top of each cupcake!
2/14/16 UPDATE: We recently read here that Milky Way Midnights are gluten-free; however, you should always look at the labels of non-certified products like this, especially for any cross-contamination risks. If you are gluten-free and feel that Milky Way Midnights are safe for you, these cupcakes can be made gluten-free by swapping out the devil's food cake mix for a gluten-free one.
Caramel Frosted Dark Milky Way Cupcakes [with Gluten-Free Option]
- 1 15.25 oz box devil's food cake mix or 1 package of your favorite gluten-free devil's food cake mix (such as Pillsbury 17 oz. box) and accompanying ingredients (typically water, vegetable oil or butter, and eggs)
- 24 Milky Way Midnight Minis
- 1 stick butter, softened (8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup)
- 4 cups confectioners / powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup caramel syrup plus extra for drizzle (I used Smucker's Sundae Syrup)
- Preheat your oven to 350º F.
- Line cupcake/muffin pans with 24 baking cups.
- Make cake mix according to package directions and fill each cup with 2/3 cupcake batter.
- Gently press one Milky Way Midnight mini into the center of each cup of batter. The batter will start to engulf the sides of each candy.
- Bake cupcakes according to package directions until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make the icing.
- Using a hand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
- Add confectioners sugar and caramel and beat again.
- Ice cupcakes once they have cooled completely. Drizzle with additional caramel if desired.
Like these Caramel Frosted Dark Milky Way Cupcakes? You might want to sink your teeth into these Cake Mix Cookies and Cream Cupcakes next!
This post may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you purchase from Amazon through our link.
©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.


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Hello everyone! For tonight's post I thought I would share more pictures from my trip to Houghton. I took over 400 pictures on the trip so it only seems right to share more of my favorites! These photos were taken at Hungarian Falls, which is about 10 miles north of Houghton in a small town called Hubbell. Hope you enjoy! 😀
Hope everyone had a great Thursday! TGIF tomorrow! 😀


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Friday night. Or is it Saturday morning ? I'm headed home on the bus now since they closed up 92 Lenora Street to keep people from sleeping over. Upon arriving at the venue, a derelict building that had been repainted and is still being refinished in an open, loft style, I was greeted by the event coordinators and handed a name tag on a red lanyard. I soon realized that red lanyards were for designers, blue lanyards for developers, yellow lanyards for business people, and green lanyards for event coordinators. White lanyards were for mentors and speakers.
One of our speakers was tetris grand master Kevin Z Birrell (@kevinddr). He spoke on the power of determination and how it had helped him to improve to the level of TGM, or tetris grand master. I'm pretty sure that that's the level of tetris where the pieces are invisible and you have to guess where they're going to land. Afterwards we did an icebreaker where we had to pitch a company based on two key words that were given to us. Our team's were pitchfork and dental floss, so we came up with "Tridental, the world's first social flossing." A flosser attaches to your iphone and tracks each time you floss your teeth and sends a message to your friends, your mom, and your dentist to let them know that you've flossed. Someone please invent this in real life!
After the ice breaker I wandered around the floor, awkwardly extending my hand to anyone I made eye contact with and introducing myself. « Hi, I'm Monica, » I would say to anyone who would listen. I had thought up a brief pitch – an idea that I had been thinking of for a while and had revisited while on the bus on the way there. People seemed to like my idea, so when it was time I went ahead and pitched it. At least thirty people were pitching – probably a quarter of the crowd. Everyone was given 60 seconds to tell the crowd their vision. Someone pushed me in the right direction and I found myself on the podium holding a microphone in my hand. I started into my pitch, introducing myself to the crowd and giving an off-the-cuff intro. Suddenly, I ran out of words. I stared around awkwardly, opening and closing my mouth like a fish as my mind churned. The more I thought about what I was supposed to say, the less I knew what I was going to say, until I realized that I didn't even know what I was doing anymore. My mind was blank. Suddenly I remembered « So we really need app developers ! » I managed to shout before the timer buzzed. I handed the microphone back to the coordinator and he smiled at me. I jumped off the stage and slunk to the back. Someone came up to me and congratulated me on my "good pitch." I realized that what had seemed like several minutes of awkwardness had only lasted a couple of seconds in reality.
I watched the rest of the pitches. Some of them were brilliant. A team of therapists was pitching kinect games for autistic children. « SeaBNB » aimed to use the berths on board empty boats as hotel rooms.
After the pitches were over, the name of each pitch was written on a sheet of paper and taped to the wall. We each had been given three sticky notes, and these counted as our three votes. Whichever three ideas you liked best you stuck a sticky note to. I hung out in line for the one bathroom as people cast their votes. When I got back, I was surprised to see the results. My pitch had a thick coating of sticky notes. It had been chosen as one of the final groups!
Now it was time to assemble a crew. A whole host of electrical engineering students who happen to be awesome app devs gathered around our team. Two designers agreed that they were in. Several business people also joined us and began talking business plans and monetization. The final headcount was thirteen, but one of the coordinators came over and told us that we needed to thin out a bit, since that size group tended to be unwieldy and there were some groups that needed more people. We ended up with nine people and I volunteered myself to be the coordinator and liaison between developers, designers, and business people. Work started around 10pm and the hours passed quickly as we tried to come up with a viable plan of action.
At midnight they kicked us out so we headed to Belltown Billiards to get our groove on. Work hard, play hard.
I'll be back at 92 Lenora Avenue at 9am. Til then, I'll be trying to get some Z's.


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