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|Two men kissing. Image source.
This is such a bizarre argument. Let's suppose for a minute that it's actually true, that the "ideal" context for sex is a one-man-one-woman marriage. Now, even if that's the best possible way to have sex, why on earth would that mean that nobody should ever have sex in any other circumstances? Just because there is one "ideal" way to do something doesn't mean if you can't do it that way then you shouldn't do it at all.
I mean seriously. Can you think of any other things that have an "ideal" implementation, and therefore should NEVER EVER exist in any other circumstances besides the "ideal" one? I think chocolate cake is the ideal dessert. Does that mean I never eat any other desserts? (Note: no. The answer is no. I love desserts.)
The argument "the ideal situation for sex is a marriage between opposite-sex partners, therfore no one should ever have sex if they are not in that situation" makes no sense. That's not what "ideal" means.
If you want to argue that having sex in contexts other than one-man-one-woman marriage is harmful, okay, give us reasons and we'll see what we think about that. But that is an entirely different thing than saying one-man-one-woman marriage is ideal. There is nothing about the word "ideal" that says "this is the only valid way of doing it."
Suppose we have a man and woman who are dating but not married. Yes, I can understand the arguments that say having sex in that situation would not be as good as having sex with someone you're married to. I can see why you might say it's "ideal." But guess what? If a person is not married, then it's not possible for them to have that ideal one-man-one-woman-marriage sex. They do not have access to the "ideal" circumstances. Okay, time for some problem solving: Let's say you want to do something, but you're not able to do it in the best possible way it can be done. What should you do?
Hmm, maybe do it in less-than-ideal circumstances and make the best of it? I mean, right? This is obvious. We all face situations like that every single day. There's a "best" way to do something, but sometimes it's not possible to do it that way, so we figure out a workaround. We don't say "oh well if you can't do it the ideal way, you shouldn't do it at all."
(At this point one might argue "ah, but how about this: the ideal situation to have sex is a one-man-one-woman marriage where neither partner has ever had previous sexual partners. See, now we have a reason to say unmarried people shouldn't have sex- then if they didn't marry that partner, they would never be able to have sex the ideal way." Okay, sure. The church definitely teaches that if you've previously had other sexual partners, it's impossible to have a healthy/"ideal" marriage. But I've never heard anyone teach "if you've had sex in the past, then you shouldn't ever get married or have sex again because you can't do it in the ideal way." It's not "ideal" to have a past, but nobody's saying that means people with a past should never have sex. Contrast that with the teaching that unmarried people and anyone in a same-sex relationship should never have sex because it's not "ideal.")
And yeah, let's talk about gay people. Or a bisexual person in a relationship with a partner of the same gender. (Or... there are many other examples you can list here.) For them, a one-man-one-woman marriage is NOT IDEAL AT ALL. How can you argue that it's "ideal" for everyone to be married to a partner of a different gender, even people who would be much happier in a same-sex relationship? There's nothing "ideal" about that. And if you say it's not about the individual, it's about "God's ideal", it's about reflecting God's design for marriage or some crap like that... you mean having an outward appearance like some kind of symbol is more important than how people actually feel and what's good for them? Yeah, that's totally what Jesus taught. (Ahem. Sarcasm.)
If you want to give reasons why it's not good to have sex outside of one-man-one-woman marriage, you have to actually give reasons. Just saying it's "ideal" or it's "God's design" isn't good enough. We all get things done with less-than-ideal methods every day. We all use tools in ways they weren't explicitly designed to be used. We make decisions based on what's practical, and make the best of our situation. I don't see why sex would be any different.


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Thin Blue Line Back The Blue Bumper Sticker –
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Bumper Stickers – Thin Blue Line Back The Blue

subset: commoncrawl


text: Two New Advances in Fracking February 5, 2013 06:24 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Davis Michaelsen Pro Farmer Inputs Monitor Editor Email Twitter Two important advances in the science of fracking have recently been made. The first discovery, made by Apache Energy, has fracking pumps equipped to fuel themselves from the natural gas pumped on site. In response, Halliburton has developed its own technical solution for converting the pumping equipment used at a typical large-scale fracturing spread to a dual-fuel system including natural gas -- a system that will be more efficient and cleaner-burning than using diesel fuel alone. Working closely with Apache and Halliburton, Catterpillar adapted its proprietary Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) engine to power Halliburton's field pumps. "We anticipate that in the not-so-distant future, these DGB engines can be easily retrofitted to efficiently burn available on-site conditioned field gas, thereby saving operators additional fuel transport costs," said Marc Edwards, Senior Vice President of Halliburton's Completion and Production Division. The second advance is in the development of non-toxic fracking fluids. Environmental groups have criticized the fracking industry as being potentially harmful to the environment, but regulators contend that overall, water and air pollution problems with fracking are rare. Halliburton has developed a non-toxic fracking fluid called CleanStim® which uses only food-industry ingredients. In a Louisiana well operated by El Paso Corp., more than four million gallons of CleanStim® hydraulic fracturing fluid comprised of ingredients sourced from the food industry were utilized to enhance the well and resulted in faster production of natural gas. Nearly 4.8 million gallons of water were treated through Halliburton's CleanStream® process, which uses UV light instead of additives to control bacteria in water. Another one million gallons of produced water was prepared for recycling in the well through the CleanWave™ system, significantly reducing the need for freshwater. "Halliburton is proud that we've developed the CleanSuite™ system, but in order for these technologies to be commercial and truly transform our industry, we need operators who are willing to take that first step and help prove these new technologies. El Paso stepped up to that challenge and we applaud their foresight to help pioneer completely new production enhancement technologies," said Marc Edwards, Halliburton senior vice president, Completion and Production Division. Technical and cost issues could limit the use of products like CleanStim® and the CleanSuite™ system, but the industry clearly would like to develop safe production methods that leave as little environmental footprint as possible. Developments like these will support fracking's future and will allow the industry to continue to provide the U.S. with domestic resources. Photo credit: danielfoster437 / Foter.com / CC BY-SA Back to news


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|Restrictions in place
Tackling - and possibly getting rid of - "unjustified" geoblocking, ie the practice(s) of restricting or denying access to certain services or content outside a specified territory, is one the pillars of the Digital Single Market Strategy (DSMS) [here and here] that the EU Commission released last year.
The EU Commission announced that it would consider action not only in relation to geoblocking in the ecommerce sector but also in the area of copyright. In relation to the latter the DSMS stated that:
"when trying to access or purchase online copyright-protected content from another Member State, consumers are sometimes told that it is unavailable or cannot be accessed from their own country. This situation is partly linked to the territoriality of copyright and difficulties associated with the clearing of rights. In other cases, the lack of availability and/or access may result from contractual restrictions between rights holders and distributors, or from business decisions taken by distributors. This may sometimes be due to the role territorial exclusivity plays in the financing of certain types of (audiovisual) works."
However, the DSMS did not reveal much as to whether and how geoblocking in the area of copyright would be addressed from a legislative standpoint. If one reads the DSMS retrospectively, ie with what Italians would call 'senno di poi', it appears that what the Commission was concretely discussing in that document was just what would then become the proposal for a regulation on cross-border content portability [here].
Back in the day this Kat wondered whether a possible solution in the hands of the Commission would be to review the Satellite and Cable Directive and extend the country of origin rule contained therein to online broadcast transmissions. However, this is not the only possibility. Indeed, it would appear that geoblocking in the area of copyright could be tackled not (just) through legislative intervention on the copyright acquis but rather the tools of ... competition law.
As this blog reported last summer, the EU Commission is currently looking into certain agreements in the pay-TV sector with an allegedly anti-competitive smell.
In its statement of objections to Sky UK and the 'Big Six' Hollywood majors (including Paramount Pictures), the EU Commission came to the preliminary conclusion that the territorial restrictions introduced in the agreements between this pay-TV operator and the studios are restrictive of competition, and this insofar as they give absolute territorial protection to broadcasters (both to Sky and to licensees based elsewhere in the EU). As a result of these agreements - the Commission argued - Sky is prevented from providing its services (online and via satellite) to end-users based in Member States other than the UK.
Yesterday Paramount offered the EU Commission a number of commitments to address competition concerns relating to contractual clauses preventing the cross-border provision of pay-TV services.
These consist of the following:
1. When licensing its film output for pay-TV to a broadcaster in the EEA, Paramount Pictures would not (re)introduce contractual obligations, which prevent or limit a pay-TV broadcaster from responding to unsolicited requests from consumers within the EEA but outside of the pay-TV broadcaster's licensed territory (No "Broadcaster Obligation");
2. When licensing its film output for pay-TV to a broadcaster in the EEA, Paramount Pictures would not (re)introduce contractual obligations, which require Paramount to prohibit or limit pay-TV broadcasters located outside the licensed territory from responding to unsolicited requests from consumers within the licensed territory (No "Paramount Obligation");
3. Paramount Pictures would not seek to bring an action before a court or tribunal for the violation of a Broadcaster Obligation in an existing agreement licensing its film output for pay-TV;
4. Paramount Pictures would not act upon or enforce a Paramount Obligation in an existing agreement licensing its film output for pay-TV.
The question is what effects these commitments might have should the EU Commission accept them.
According to the analysis of Chillin'Competition, commitments do not imply the admission of an infringement. This means that the other undertakings involved in the pay-TV investigation would not be necessarily in a worse position:
"Much to the contrary, it could even be argued that once the Commission has accepted commitments with regard to one undertaking, it could now not impose fines on others for exactly the same practices. This is because, as you know, commitments are only appropriate in cases where the Commission does not intend to impose fines."
If Paramount's commitments were accepted, this would not mean that other studios would lose their ability to geoblock their content as a matter of principle. So the answer to the question whether geoblocking's end is in sight through competition law is: possibly not.
All in all, the Commission so far has not showed any real intention to address geoblocking in the area of copyright from a legislative standpoint. So it seems that rightholders will likely retain their ability to license contents on a territorial basis [Member States' copyright laws are still drawn along national borders at the end of the day ... In this Kat's opinion the only possible solution to prevent geoblocking in copyright would be to create an EU-wide copyright title], as long as relevant behaviours are not caught in the net of Articles 101 or 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Geoblocking: is the end in sight through ... competition law? Possibly not Reviewed by Eleonora Rosati on Saturday, April 23, 2016 Rating:
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This week's Clean and Simple challenge at Splitcoast Stampers is a "Featured Player" challenge. Our challenge is to choose one of the Featured Stamper's CAS (Clean and Simple)cards to CASE (Copy and Share Everything). We have to keep the card clean and simple, which is actually quite challenging!
This week's CAS Featured Player is an amazing CAS designer. I really enjoy her creativity and style. I chose to CASE this one: Chillin' With a Cuppa
Here's my CASE of that card:
Yes, it's another coffee card. I just love coffee cards! I kept her design and the coffee theme, and also tried to pull in some of the blue she used on her card. Instead of using patterned paper for my main panel, I used an embossing folder to create texture and then used patterned paper for my scalloped circle and for the piecing on the coffee mug.
For this card, I started with the smallest parts. I stamped my coffee mug on white card stock and also on patterned paper. I cut the mug and handle from the patterned paper and pieced them onto the other mug. I added white Enamel Accents to the foam, scraped it around a little to create texture, then let it dry. I punched a heart from red card stock and adhered it to the mug. I fussy-cut the paper pieced mug and attached it to white die cut circle, then attached the white circle to a piece of patterned paper that I'd die cut into a scalloped circle. I embossed a piece of red card stock to create the background panel, then attached baker's twine to the red panel. I adhered the panel to a white card base, then attached my scalloped circle over the twine using dimensionals. Finally, I added some Stickles to the foam on the image to add a bit of sparkle.
Creating a CAS card like this is, for me, a very intense process because I have to be so darned careful!! I can't just keep adding layers or embellishments to cover up mistakes like I can with other cards. Another stamper mentioned recently that she keeps baby wipes in her craft room so she can wipe her hands constantly to keep from smudging ink onto her projects, and I need to remember to do that, too.
I hope you're having a great week, and I hope you'll visit again soon. Thanks for stopping by!
Products Used:
Stamp: My Cuppa Joe (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); black marker (Tombow)
Paper: Arctic Wishes Matstock (DCWV); Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb. card stock (Neenah);
red card stock (unknown)
red card stock (unknown)
Tools and Accessories: Heart punch (Marvy Uchida); Big Shot (Sizzix); Square Lattice embossing folder (SU/Sizzix); Nestabilities Standard Circles Large (Spellbinders); Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles Large (Spellbinders); Enamel Accents (Ranger); Start Dust Stickles (Ranger);
Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); baker's twine
Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); baker's twine


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Category Archives: fantasy
An Angry Mountain Now Available
An Angry Mountain, the second Skar Doorishmurk adventure is now available for downloading from all the most popular e-book distributors right now. Official release is set for tomorrow but since the story was uploaded and visible on all of them … Continue reading
Posted in Bulinnarm, fantasy, marketing, progress, sci-fi, self-publishing, Skar Doorishmurk, Tywynn Comments Off on An Angry Mountain Now Available
Finally, A New Cover
Creating fantasy and science fiction covers for my stories is really a bear. Finding the right collection of images to manipulate into a genre specific cover sometimes feels like an useless quest. Lots of modern day images to choose from, … Continue reading
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Last Day for FREE Carving Time Download
Goto Amazon today and download the following FREE e-book.
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Coming in December…
Just a heads up, Carving Time will be available as a FREE download next week on Amazon. Also, the new Skar adventure, An Angry Mountain, is set for release on Dec 15, 2015. A big month here, so mark your calendars. … Continue reading
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Pretty Little Pussies
Studio: X-Art
Cast: Alecia, Diana, Nancy, Kim, Susie.
Genres: 18+ Teens, All Sex, Couples
Video language: English
From the top Erotic Studio, X-Art, comes another intimate portrayal of loving and sensual erotica. These horny couples take you behind their closed doors where you will discover the beauty of real sex and romance!
Total size: 2.3 GB in 5 files.


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View Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack
Buy Now...
You get a quite well make headset which from the front looks like quality ski goggles, the rear has rubberised eye pieces to take away external sights. On the right side is a slider, the starter pack comes with a 9cm circular disc that you need to focus on in order the view the contents. However all these parts are dumb as they rely on a SmartPhone and App to activate the content each time you go on an experience.
I hesitate to say this is for a child, but the '7+' logo on the pack makes me say it. Trying to remember the time when I was in single figures is hard but I do not think this would have been my toy of choice.
Another reason I wonder is that the setup is very fiddly with more rejections than successes.
You need to link the disc with the phone before putting the phone in the headset having done that the images are excellent and of course 360 degree so while you hold the unit to your head and turn so does the content.
On first look you hold your head around 25cm away from the disc and then you are able to view.
I only tested this on Android but as the iOS icon is on the box it may well work with Apple devices.
The phone I used was a Moto G which is not among the listed phones but once the initialisation problems were overcome it worked fine.
Opening the headset to insert the phone was tricky and it obviously a known problem as its listed high on the website with advice. My phone fitted securely inside and providing you get the orientation correct all should be fine.
I was also sent Add On packs which can be purchased separately and these have an added security level in that you have to get it to recognise a supplied card before you stare at the disc to see Space, Destinations or National Geographic Wildlife.
You will gather that I had problems and I feel that most children would give up – unless children have changed a lot since I was one – very quickly.
Where it could be useful is for someone planning to visit a destination enabling them to get the 360 degree view before going to know how to approach something.
The headset could be improved by having a strap to hold it in place. The App could work in a different way to mean less faffing about trying to focus and authenticate. In my opinion aiming it at children is the wrong market, I saw something demonstrated a year or so ago that was aimed at the travel market which I think would be where to aim it at.
The View Master Virtual Reality Starter Pack is available from the link below for £22.99 with free delivery.
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First of all, Happy Birthday to you!
What if I told you that many of your favorite hang out spots offer discounts and free food for your special day? Because I take free food seriously, I've narrowed down the many deals in Boston that you should take advantage of. All you have to do is sign up (which is also free) to be a loyalty member. Then, before you could even make a birthday wish, you'll have access to free food.
#SpoonTip: To keep your inbox organized, make sure to mark these emails as important so you can easily find them later on.
1. Au Bon Pain
Birthday freebie: Sign up here, and you can get a free birthday lunch. That's just one more reason why it should be one of your go-to spots.
2. B. Good
Birthday freebie: If you sign up for their loyalty program, the Family, you will get a FREE Birthday Burger!
3. Bisuteki Tokyo
Birthday freebie: Score a free birthday dinner entree by just showing a valid photo ID.
4. Boloco
Birthday freebie: Kick off your birthday with a complimentary burrito that's better than Chipotle. Just sign for a free Boloco card at any time.
5. Dunkin Donuts
Birthday freebie: Invite Dunkin' into your life and get a free medium beverage
6. Georgetown Cupcakes
Birthday freebie: This is actually not exclusive to birthdays, but a free cupcake is still worth mentioning. If you're one of the first 100 people that enter Georgetown Cupcake and say the secret code name found on Twitter, you can get a completely free cupcake.
7. Godiva
Birthday freebie: $10 in FREE Chocolate for joining the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club.
8. Haru
Birthday freebie: Join the Haru Access program, and receive a FREE $20 Birthday Certificate every year during your birthday month just for being a member. Take advantage of the free sushi by learning how to navigate the sushi menu the right way!
9. Hard Rock Cafe
Birthday freebie: FREE dessert for your birthday if you sign up here!
10. J.P. Licks
Birthday freebie: Register your Cow Card at least two weeks before your next birthday, and get a free birthday sundae from one of the best ice cream shops in Boston.
11. Panera Bread
Birthday freebie: Amongst all the other Panera Bread hacks, you can get a free pastry or baked good if you sign up here.
12. P.F. Chang's
Birthday freebie: Sign up for their email list and you'll receive a voucher for free cake or cheesecake on your birthday.
13. Starbucks
Birthday freebie: A beverage or birthday treat if you sign up here and register your card.
14. Subway
Birthday freebie: Become a member and get free lunch (six-inch sub and drink) on your birthday.
15. Pinkberry
Birthday freebie: A frozen yogurt if you download their loyalty app.
16. Uno Pizzeria & Grill
Birthday freebie: A free entree if you join Uno's Insider Club.
#SpoonTip: Whatever restaurant you go, always try to ask if they have a birthday special/deal, even if it's just a free dessert, and you might be surprised with what you can get!


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There is often a great deal of controversy regarding the optimal surgical approach and additional utilization of postoperative adjuvant therapy.
In order to clarify some of these questions of debate, our group has conducted numerous studies and comprehensive analysis for interpretation.
Subsequent conclusions may then be generated from this information and used to guide decisions on:
This work has yielded peer-reviewed articles in hopes of providing the foundation for future studies to build upon and to translate into clinical neurosurgery quality and outcome improvements.
Lesions of focus have included:


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Like Wicked Manors before them, the organizers of this year's Stonewall festival are dealing with soaring security costs as a result of the mass murder of 49 individuals at Pulse Nightclub in June of 2016.
To cover those costs, organizers have set up a GoFundMe page to help supplement sponsorship money which will be used to help pay for the event – Saturday, June 17 from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. along Wilton Drive.
As of March 30, only $100 has been donated to the GoFundMe page – gofundme.com/wilton-manors-stonewall-security – but Jeff Sterling, CEO of the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group, which has been chosen by the city for the third year in a row to run the event, said it hasn't been advertised yet. He expects more donations once the advertising campaign is started in earnest.
"We're treating the GoFundMe page as another avenue [of revenue]. Obviously, we're chasing other sponsors to cover the highly, almost insurmountable cost, of security," Sterling said. "We're going to have to raise more money than Stonewall has ever had to in the past."
Sterling said the expected cost of security will be about $50,000. It was $24,000 last year. It's an expense which he joked has added a few gray hairs to his head. Next year, he said he hopes the city will take care of the security costs. "We've requested to put this stuff in the police budget. The city should just consider it an expense of doing business here."
Along with additional security, Sterling said organizers and city officials are making a bigger effort to estimate the economic impact the festival has on the city, county, and region.
He wants to use the information to get more financial support from the county.
Using his own internal numbers, Sterling estimated Stonewall brings in $650,000 to the businesses in the city and $3 million to the county. "We need Broward County to recognize the contribution of Wilton Manors. [People who come to Stonewall] spend their money outside Wilton Manors, too."
In addition to using a drone and additional cameras to take photos of the crowd, Pamela Landi, assistant city manager, said she's working on a survey to give to festival attendees.
"This isn't anything we've done before. We want to be able to provide realistic and hard data on the impact the festival has on the region," Landi said.
Landi is still in the preliminary stages of the survey but said that it will include questions about how much people spend and where they are from.
For more information on Stonewall festival, visit WiltonManorsStonewall.com.


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On the occasion of India's 68th Republic Day, the Indian embassy held a reception on 26 January at the JW Marriot hotel, Kuwait City. Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Affairs Ambassador H.E. Ali Al-Saeed was the chief guest at the gathering that included members of the diplomatic corps, Kuwaiti officials, Indian businessmen and nationals. Traditional Kerala drummers welcomed the gathering. The Indian Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Sunil Jain made a speech on the occasion lauding the cordial relations between India and Kuwait.
Traditional live music was part of the entertainment, with the highlight of the evening being the well-known Kuwaiti singer Mubarak Al Rashed who rendered many popular Hindi songs.
"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
"Envy comes from wanting something that isn't yours. But grief comes from losing something you've already had."


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All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
Abel Ferrara's directorial debut starring himself, credited as Jimmy Laine, alongside Carolyn Marz and Harry Schultz. Struggling New York artist Reno Miller (Laine) is very much down on his luck, with his desperate attempts to complete a painting hampered by the punk band rehearsing round the clock next door. Unable to deal with the situation, Reno goes on a murderous rampage, dispatching his victims with an electric drill.


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Rockstar Games, the designer of one of the most loved video game, 'GTA Grand Theft' has provided details regarding the release of the long awaited GTA Grand Theft Auto V's online mode. According to Rockstar, the update that is one of GTA most resourceful will be codenamed 'Further Adventures in Finance and Felony'
And as the name suggests, the update will build on the 'Executives and Other Criminal Update', a release that was unveiled last year. The update will build on a player becoming the eventual criminal superstar of Los Santos and Blaine County. Players will be able develop their criminal networks, emerging as the CEO of what will be described as 'Criminal Enterprise'. As part of the game, players will have the ability to purchase a multistory office and warehouses that they will use to store and sell 'a range of contraband.'
CNET reports that the update will feature more vehicles in the game one of which will be the 'Pegassi Reaper.' Rockstar also promised that the program will include other exceptional features that the players would fall in love with.
The update is expected to be released to the market by the end of June seemingly only for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 $ and PC. And as Rockstar says, GTA Update 5 is just one of the company's feature-rich and massive update. However, there are more updates expected with potentially new 'stunt ready' gear and vehicles to introduce a new realm of fun and creative games.


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Our kids had a great Christmas. They were blessed with many gifts from loving relatives, most of which thrilled them. We always ask folks not to get items with military themes, or commercial characters. While we have a girl obsessed with princesses and brides, and a boy who loves to build and invent, we also try to remember that our girl also loves storytelling, dragons, and trucks, and our boy also loves pink, dresses, and princesses.
Some of our family and friends have more difficulty than others expanding the gender boxes. Our daughter did get dragons, and a highlight was the matching set of play swords and shields — one for each of them.
On the other hand, by noon on Christmas Day, my three year-old daughter had received:
- a princess and prince magnetic dress-up set
- a full bridal party Barbie set, complete with cake, presents, veiled bride, groom, bridesmaid, and flower girl
- a poufy silver dress
- a Cinderella ballerina doll
- 2 elfin princess figurines
- light-up Disney princess sneakers
- a Disney princess castle
And our five year-old son had received:
- 3 Transformers vehicles – I confess I'm not up on the names and details, but one is a Camaro with a plasma cannon, and one has a machine gun complete with ammo belt
- a camouflage-patterned military Humvee, truck, and tank (the last of which is also a Transformer)
- an Optimus Prime shirt
- 2 knight figurines on horseback
And you know what? The kids loved all these presents, so what's the problem?
Here's the text from the Barbie set: Girls can play out the role of bride and bridal party with Barbie I Can Be a Bride Gift Set. Plus, with access to online content they can also create a digital destination, allowing them to further "try on" the role as well! Code inside each package unlocks career-themed content online.
Here is some of the description of one of the Transformers tank toys: So impressive a figure as to almost seem like some drunken dream born from excesses of fermented energon, the Voyager Class Bludgeon marks the upgrade of the Deluxe Class version into a Japanese Type 90 with a robot mode based upon the Pretender shell of the Gen 1 Bludgeon; constructed to resemble a depraved skeletal samurai with malevolent red eyes. The stories of Bludgeon's indiscriminate carnage have reached venerable Autobot Ironhide, prompting the latter to seek out the former.
Just because my daughter's strongest future goal at the moment does seem to be planning a wedding, is it wrong for me to want to steer her away from thinking of getting married as a career option? I actually think the way Transformers convert from vehicles to figures is really cool and inventive; is it wrong for me to think there's a problem with an entire series that has no other plot or purpose than unending battle?
It all connects to that ongoing question — how do we honor who our kids are, without limiting who they can be?


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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour hosted by The Three Bookateers!
You can follow the full tour HERE!
You can follow the full tour HERE!
That One Summer (Summer #3)
by C.J. Duggan
Release Date: December 17, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: eBook
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Source: Author
Purchase: Releases Tuesday!
Haunt Author:
Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there about him to love? He's moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that's on a good day … but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day … He sure could kiss. As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year's Eve. So that can only mean one thing: road trip! No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson. She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place? After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she's missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow Boy leaning against his black panel van. Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can't help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all. Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same again.
I love escaping to Onslow. I'm always guaranteed a good time. I wish I lived there mostly for the Onslow boys. Chris is the more serious and shy Onslow boy. He has mostly been in the background of the last two books working hard and I love that I finally got to see more of him. Tammy is new to the group and quite shy and reserved. She hasn't felt like she fits in with the group so she is unsure about going on the New Years camping trip. Deciding to join in at the last minute she has to ride alone with Chris.
I hate camping but now I really want to go on a camping trip. LOL But what I have really loved about this series is the great cast of characters. It follows different couples but all my old favorites are still very much a large part of the plot and I love that I haven't had to say goodbye to anyone. In some ways the Onslow boys remind me of my group of friends.
Chris really surprised during the trip and he was very sweet and thoughtful.
When Tammy was doubting him I was too at first but then it would turn out he was doing something for her and I would melt. Plus is is obviously hot! ;-) And is a great friend. He likes to be serious so that people can depend on him. He holds the group together. I also enjoyed that he travel in a shaggin wagon.
Tammy was another character I didn't know much about until this book. She is best friends with Amy and into fitness. I guess because she has a bangin body as Ringer would say, I expected her to be confident. Tammy didn't have a ton of confidence at the beginning of the trip but I enjoyed seeing her come out of her comfort zone. She often would take two steps forward and one step back and second guess herself. Then finally she had the courage to say what she meant.
Chris and Tammy had lots of great scenes together. I loved their late night dip. I felt their chemistry that it progressed realistically. Romance, friendship and always a great summer read. This series makes me miss summer so much and I love going back to that season. Forever Summer is next and it is Adam and Ellie's story. I'm still hoping for a Stan and Ringer story too. Definitely not ready to say goodbye to the Onslow boys.
"Because if I'd had to choose perfect, I would have just chosen you."
"Tammy, there is no place else I would rather be than right here, right now, with you."
"What I'm saying is I want to go to the ends of the Earth with you."
Rating: 5/5
"So what do you think?" Chris stood with his elbow leaning casually on the open door of his jet black panel van. He looked up at me expectantly. "Pretty sweet ride, huh?"
"If you're a serial killer," I said, cautiously descending the steps.
Chris's head snapped around with surprise, his eyes almost as dark as the van itself. He slammed the car door and folded his arms, glowering at me as I approached.
"I'll have you know, Toby and I have spent the better part of six months fixing this old girl up."
I wrinkled my nose. "Really?"
"It's got a 308 and a four barrel carby."
"Why, it could be grease lightning," I smirked.
I didn't think a death stare could vary in so many ways, but Chris had mastered a variety of pissed-off stares like no other. The one he was now casting me was a whole new level of anger.
I cleared my throat and looked away, suddenly super aware that the last thing I should do was alienate my ride, but then the thought did occur to me: did I want to be trapped in a car with Chris Henderson for three days? Three long, insufferable days – could I subject myself to any more death stares, sneers, scoffs and deep sighs? Maybe I would be doing myself a favour if I gave him good reason to leave me behind. Before I fully acclimated to the idea, my attention was snapped back to the present and the duffle bag that landed at my feet.
I frowned toward the verandah where Chris had moved and was readying himself to turf my other bag down.
"Hey! Watch it," I snapped. "You might break something." It was a possibility, though I didn't know exactly what. Maybe Mum had slipped in a crockery set? Who could honestly guess?
"Let me guess," Chris said with a smirk as he slung my beach bag over his shoulder and trotted down the steps. "Hairdryer?" He threw a cocky smile and grazed my shoulder as he passed, heading for the van. My eyes burned into his back as he opened the double doors to chuck in my bag. He turned to me expectantly, his hand out for me to pass him the duffle. I snatched it up, trying not to let the strain of its weight show as I lugged it over and carefully placed it into the back. I attempted to, anyway. With a rather inelegant lack of grace, I hitched it up onto my knee, trying to be all cool and casual, as if I was totally in control …
I so wasn't.Chris plucked it from me as if the bag weighed nothing and turfed it into the back.
Check out the entire Summer series!
C.J Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'fishermen' tag.
Center Hill Lake is a cool clear body of water that is nestled snugly in a valley surrounded by lush green hills and limestone walls in the middle of Tennessee. As a child it was a tradition for my grandparents and I to venture to this man made fishing heaven once or twice per summer. In more recent years I've found that being at a BBQ with the air filled with the smell of roasting hot dogs and the sounds of sizzling burgers often carry my mind back to a campsite on those familiar childhood shores. Later in life the river that is the backbone for this stretch of water would also be my introduction into trout fishing tail waters as well.
One particular early summer morning I arose to smell of coffee perking over an open fire and the sounds of my grandfather and grandmother discussing news they've read in the days paper picked up by my grandfather at some ungodly hour at the local convenient store. I roll out of bed, literally as we're sleeping in a late seventies pop-up camper. If you've ever seen one of these things, they have the most amazing capability to go from something resembling a thin rectangle box into a monstrosity of a fort that looms over the campsite stating to all those around; "I no longer accept camping as primal and simple manner to remain in touch with our natural world. No, I am the master of the woods and shall bring along all the comforts of home and just temporarily set-up shop in the woods for a week or two." My grandfather said that sleeping on the ground in a tent gave him a bad back. I was five years old and had no clue what a bad back was, yet.
Exiting the camper I was greeted as most grandchildren are by unwanted kisses from grandmother and a forceful stroking of my head in an attempt to somehow get my hair from sticking up all over the place giving me the appearance of something raised by a pack of wolves. After all, one must maintain a proper appearance when camping in the great outdoors. Once I freed my self from her arms I slumbered to the safety of my grandfather. He would never "ruin my rep" and slather me with kisses and try to make me look presentable in the middle of the forest. He would however, let me sit on one of his knees and take sips from his coffee which would drive my grandmother nuts. He'd flip to the comics' section and begin reading me the funnies. Usually this was enough to hold my attention for the first half an hour or so until I fully awaken. Being by the waters edge it would only last a few minutes. My attention fixed on the fishing rod and the tackle box resting against the truck bed. My grandfather nudged me and with a gentle whisper instructed me; "Go ahead, but stay close to camp." I sprang from my grandfather's knee, in a split second I had my trusty Zebco 202 and my tackle box in hand running for the trail leading down the hill from our campsite. On my mad dash for the water I took note of my grandmother telling me breakfast was in half an hour.
Moving branches aside while wiping spider webs from my face that I've walked into I make my way to the waters edge. I follow along the water a few more steps and find a nice spot with the branches of a submerged tree rising from the surface. This is the spot I say to myself, lots of cover. I pause listening into the silence for any signs of trouble. My grandfather enjoyed telling me fictional stories as a child of bear attacks around the lake and deadly pythons, rattle snakes, even the occasional Boa would be found lurking in these woods to feast on "bad" little boys and girls. Again, I reiterate that we're in MIDDLE TENNESSEE! And I'm only five. Not to mention that up until my twenties every word uttered by my grandfather was as if it had come directly from the lips of God. Like many young boys I idolized my grandfather and he could do no wrong, even if he did insist on scaring the wits out of me with his fictitious tales.
After ascertaining that I was indeed alone and the coast was clear and I could still hear the faint sound of my grandparents in the distance above me. Unlatching my little tackle box I open the top, reach in and pull out a Styrofoam container filled with dirt and night crawlers. I thread one onto the hook, check that my balsa wood float is secured in place and heaving my rod forward I press my thumb on the release and with a zinging sound and a whoosh my line hurls forward landing with a splash a few feet from the edge of the tree. I turn the reel crank a few times to tighten up the line and make my self cozy on a fold out multi-colored woven aluminum lawn chair left on the banks the first day we arrived. My attention focused towards the open waters of the lake as the sun begins to sparkle on the waters surface with the light begining to break through the trees high atop the hills. The early morning fishing boats motoring across the water leave a wake that turns those gentle sparkles into a light show that seems to come to life in a beautiful dance.
A quick tug and my attention is back to the float. Steady, slowly turning the crank to tighten the line again. Steady, I tell myself. With a slight gulp sound the bobber is tugged under water. I give a quick reel and pull back on my rod. FISH ON! First fish of the morning and I'm all smiles. Thirty years later and the fastest way to make me smile is to hook up with a fish. Well, maybe that comes second to having a pretty girl tell me she likes me. I'm reeling and keeping my rod tip up as I retrieve the fish. My head filled with the day dream of bringing in a lunker of a bass that would certainly impress my grandfather and all else whom saw the picture as it would merit a frame and display on the mantle for all to see. As the fish bolts towards the surface in one last attempt at freedom my hopes are shattered by the sight of a small pan fish about the width of my two little palms placed side-by-side.
Kneeling down to the waters edge I rest my rod next to me and with care I remove the hook and let the little fish swim back for the safety of the branches. As I reach my hands into the water to wash them off, a movement catches my attention from the corner of my eye. Seems that all the commotion of my catch has aroused the curiosity of something else. It darts back along side the log where I can't see it any more. I stand slowly in anticipation of what it is. Maybe it was just a fish chasing some bait or a water strider darting across the surface. I second-guess the water strider due to the very large wake it left. I can feel my heart begin to pound faster. Images from my grandfather's stories begin to fill my head. Feeling the fear build within me I'm still trying to be brave. I'm also very curious. What if it is a huge bass crashing some bait just on the other side of this log. I could cast in my worm and potentially catch this monster.
I kneel back down as not to scare the fish as I creep forward toward the edge of the log. I glide my hands quietly over the surface of the log. I maneuver with the skill of a seasoned hunter stalking his prey. I raise my head over the log and that very moment, the head of a snake pops out of the water towards me and comes to rest on a branch about a foot away. Face to face, we stare each other down, neither sure what to do or make of the other. I did the only thing a five year old is to do in this situation. I leap to my feet and frozen stiff open my mouth and let out the highest pitched screech for help that even froze the snake in its place. As we both sat there unable to move with me crying for help; "POPPA, POPPA!" I screamed, my eyes filling with tears. The snake seemed paralyzed and never moved an inch. Upon the forth or fifth yelp for help I head the rustle of the dirt as he raced to my aid. Placing a hand on my shoulder he kneels next to me asking what's wrong. I point to the snake and he looks in the direction of my hand. Turning back towards me smiling he chuckles. "It's a harmless water snake, see." Grabbing a small stick laying on the ground he shakes it at the alarmed two-foot long creature and it turns tail and scurries in the opposite direction.
Returning to camp he fills in the details to my grandmother whom was in the camper bathroom when my screaming began rolling her hair. Again, one must keep up appearances when in the wilderness. They both soothe my worries and guide me to a seat to have some breakfast. Not sure if that was to make me feel better or not. I felt like the biggest wimp. What a sissy I told myself. A few weeks later as some other older generations of family are gathered around for my great grandmother and grandfathers anniversary party I walk into a room when my grandfather motions with a gesture for me to come to him. Sitting me on his knees he looks up at me and with a room full of the elder men of our little tribe sitting around he says; "Go ahead, tell them about the monster of the lake." Hearing chuckles from them all I don't hesitate. I launch in to the story with, "You should have seen it. It had to have been ten feet long!" It was at that moment I'm certain my grandfather knew I was destined for fishing greatness. After all I'd already mastered the art of the fisherman's tale.
written by: Jim "Big D" Harper
Fishing in Belize


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I wanted to place the 2nd part online yesterday evening,
but youtube had other plans and would not upload my video.
This morning I tried again an this time it worked so here is the 2nd part of my tutorial.
I hope this makes it a little more clear how I build up my 3D work.
If you have any questions or a comment I would love to hear them.
Have fun and of course I'd love to see it if you try this out!


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a cause for celebration Andre Shakti and Sailor are two queers worth going bi for… bicentinial, that is. My cameras have peeked into the CrashPad 200 times! There's no better way to celebrate than by watching Sailor fuck and fist Andre into orgasm after orgasm. Here's to 200 more, and to you for helping make […]Tags: butch, butch femme, cock sucking, CrashPad, dildo, Dyke Porn, femme, fisting, hard orgasm, hitachi, large dildo, Lesbian, Lesbian Porn, magic wand, nipple sucking, orgasm, Queer Porn, real dyke porn, Real Lesbian Porn, strap on, and vibrator Strap-on. Performers: Andre Shakti and Sailor.
Chocolate Chip and Tastee Treasures horse around "A horse is a horse, of course of course, unless it's Chocolate Chip and her new-found friend Tastee Treasures. Fresh from a comic con, the pair discover a shared love of an equine hero… which leads to a shared enjoyment of each other's dildos. After going down on […]Tags: Anal, Black, BS Atelier, cock sucking, cosplay, costume, dental dams, dildo, Dyke, ejaculation, genderqueer, hitachi, horse mask, horseman, Lesbian, magic wand, mask, oral, orgasm, POC, QPOC, queer, Queer Porn, real dyke porn, Real Lesbian Porn, safer sex, squirting, strap on, and strap on ejaculation. Performers: Chocolate Chip and Tastee Treasures.


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Few genomes are difficult (with current state of technology) to assemble due to their bizzare characteristics. The high cost of sanger sequencing, construction of FOSMID or BAC libraries, flow sorting of chromosomes and other wonderful methods makes the assembly of genomes with NGS methods difficult. However, even Sanger based methods find it difficult to sequence some genomes that are almost impossible to assemble to "completion". Genomes can be difficult due to reasons such as:
- Large size of genome: A genome that is very large (has many many bases) are difficult to sequence, mainly due to the higher costs involved in generating sufficient coverage. Largest known vertebrate genome is that of the Lungfish with a size of 133 Gb and canopy plant being the largest known plant genome with a size of 150 Gb. An amoeboid, Polychaos dubium might have the largest genome with a size of 670 Gb. Larger amounts of data are difficult to handle bioinformatically. Infact most assemblers would be unable to handle large amounts of data associated with these genomes. Moreover, these genomes are thought to be filled with repeats and genome duplication events making their assembly even more complicated.
- Repeat content of genome: Certain genomes are known to have very high transposon activity making them rich with repetitive content. These genomes need not be large, but can still be difficult to assemble due to the almost identical copies of DNA prevalent in the genome.
- Extremes in GC content: Certain genomes are known to have very high or very low GC content. This makes them difficult to sequence due to the bias involved in NGS methods. Although GC content extremes are constrained by the requirements imposed by the genetic code, Streptomyces coelicolor manages to have a GC-content of 72% while Plasmodium falciparum has just 20%. Apart from extremes in genome wide GC content, parts of the genome can have extremes in GC content making them difficult to sequence.
- Rarity of sample: Some organisms are so rare, that its almost as if they were extinct. Being able to find such species and obtaining enough DNA from them can be almost impossible. The situation is made more complicated by various legal, ethical and technical issues. Rarity of sample, could also be a result of the amazingly tiny amounts of DNA available in certain species. Cultivation of many microbial species in the lab is not yet possible and obtaining enough DNA from such species has driven research in the field of metagenomics and more recently single cell sequencing. DNA from extinct species is of lower quality and filled with many artifacts making correct assembly of genomes a daunting task. However, many of these problems have been overcome by novel methods and extinct species such as the mammoth, neanderthals, denisovan.... have been sequenced and assembled to a quality comparable to that of other NGS genome assemblies.
- Genome definition inconsistencies: To be able to assemble the genome of a certain species, it should be possible to define a species and what constitutes its genome. Symbiotic organisms can be difficult to delineate into distinct species, due to the high degree of inter-dependence of these species. The definition of species is a controversial subject and different interpretations of these definitions makes it controversial to claim sequencing of a particular "species".
- Dynamic nature of genomes: Genomes are generally though of as stable inherited genetic material which remain exactly the same over short periods of time. However, the genomes have many dynamic features. Telomeres change in length with age in almost all species. Similarly, small viral genomes with very high mutation rates can change drastically within the span of a few hours making them completely immune to a drug or conferring a new phenotype. Such changes will require re-sequencing of the genome to identify the changes to the genome.Species with different numbers of chromosomes along a cline are another type of dynamism.


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SANNE appoints Steve Sokic as Global Head of Private Clients
Sanne is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Sokić to the newly created role of Global Head of Private Clients, with immediate effect.
As a member of SANNE's leadership team, Steve's primary focus will be on broadening SANNE's Private Client capabilities and reach across the organisation's entire network and target client markets. This will include delivering initiatives to develop a global services platform with multi-jurisdictional capabilities and the further enhancement of the brand and the division's bespoke solutions offering to family offices and globally minded UHNW individuals and their families, across established and emerging markets.
Steve joins SANNE from RBC Wealth Management where he held senior leadership roles in Jersey, the Caribbean and Canada for more than 13 years with responsibility for the provision of trust and fiduciary services to clients worldwide. Most recently, Steve served as their Global Head of UHNW Trust. Prior to RBC, he was with Deloitte in Canada for ten years, practicing in international tax and trusts.
Dean Godwin, Chief Executive Officer of SANNE, said: "Steve is a highly-regarded and hugely trusted professional, with considerable Private Client expertise, and we are delighted to welcome him to our leadership team. He brings over two decades of private client industry specific experience, across multiple geographies, enabling us to further develop and enhance our service to clients and position ourselves as a leading global provider in this space."
Steve Sokić added: "I am excited to be joining an organisation with such a strong reputation in the Private Client, corporate and fund sectors. We have a great team of highly skilled practitioners at SANNE. I look forward to helping shape and enhance our Private Client division globally, whilst adding value to SANNE's already strong reputation for high quality client service."


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, clinked their glasses together and Vineyard Vines was officially open for business.
Vineyard Vines
Brothers, Shep & Ian, grew up in Connecticut and spent every summer of their lives on Martha's Vineyard, which made them huge fans of the water, fishing and having fun. In the late 90's, Shep & Ian found themselves miserable behind desks in Manhattan so they decided to trade in their business suits for bathing suits by selling ties so they wouldn't have to wear them. They quit their jobs within ten minutes of each other, ordered some drinks, clinked their glasses together and Vineyard Vines was officially open for business.
Howler Brothers
Howler founders Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian spent their adolescent summers haunting the waters and fish of Florida and Virginia and riding the ripples those states call waves. Both Heard and Stepanian now live in Texas where they raise families, work hard, make music together, chase fish with fly rods and make runs to the nearest coast or river when the opportunity arises.
Their vision for Howler – and the name Howler Brothers – was inspired by a sound they each heard on surf trips to Costa Rica: the call of the loudest animal in North America, the Howler Monkey. If you've heard it, you know how loud and startling the sound can be. But, after hearing it a few times, the sound becomes a part of the collective feeling of being in Central America and serves as a constant reminder that you're in a good place, doing something you love.
With this emotional connection as a base line, Heard and Stepanian formed Howler Brothers to craft limited run, high quality clothing and goods that draw inspiration from the style and tradition of surfing and coastal sports. They set out to make gear that works in the water, on the boat, and around the fire pit when the stories are told. Clothes you might wear when you're hearing Howler Monkeys from your hut after a day well spent. Or clothes to wear when you're wishing you were.
Mountain Khakis
What started as a casual conversation at the Shady Lady Saloon in Jackson Hole, WY has become a top performing mountain-inspired lifestyle brand. Established in 2003, Mountain Khakis quickly became a staple in the wardrobe of everyone from ranch hands to golf pros, those who travel by jet, as well as those who travel by thumb.
In 2012, two friends each found themselves newly married, loving their wives but hating their wedding rings. They searched for a metal ring replacement that was safe and comfortable, but found nothing. From there, QALO was born and the rest is history.


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Century City's long-planned Annenberg Space for Photography will open March 27 with "L8S ANG3LES."
No, that isn't a typo: The "8" in the exhibition title refers to the number of artists whose photographic prints will be displayed on walls, the "3" to a trio of L.A. Times photographers whose pictures of life in the city will be projected in a digital gallery.
Funded by the Annenberg Foundation and located on the former site of the Shubert Theatre, the new 10,000-square-foot facility was envisioned as a community space. Along with a traditional print gallery that wraps around a central projection room, there will be video stations where visitors can watch and listen to interviews with artists. "L8S ANG3LES," through June 20, will launch a program of exhibitions and related events intended to appeal to a broad audience.
The inaugural show will spotlight Los Angeles photographers who work in various fields, including fine art photography, documentary projects, architecture, fashion and celebrity portraiture. Images by John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Greg Gorman, Douglas Kirkland, Tim Street-Porter, Julius Shulman, Lauren Greenfield and Carolyn Cole, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Times photographer, will be shown in the traditional gallery. Lawrence K. Ho, Genaro Molina and Kirk McKoy are the Times staffers to be featured in the projection space.


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the time it takes a contrail
to dissolve
First published at temps libre
My friends, my computer is suffering an apparent malware attack. Until it's cleared up, I won't be visiting your blogs.
A blog devoted mainly to haiku and senryu and to thoughts about, and inspired by, haiku and senryu.
Haiku is to poetry as espresso is to coffee.
As did mine!
__I had all of my computer's streets swept clean, and now I can find my way around "Nettown" quite normally.
__Good to see you Bill, best wishes! _m
Thanks,m. My Mac is not supposed to be vulnerable to this stuff, but there you go. This is coming to you from my Kindle Fire.
Hope you get this cleared up. It's always a problem, a virus.
How did you manage in this storm?
Up here we got about 10-12 inches, more than enough for me.
last day of the year
a flock of waders
Thanks, Adelaide and Daniele.
Adelaide, we got just under a foot. More on the way.
Very nice ku, Daniele.


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|So proud of his plate!
Even though he didn't have any cucumber salad.
If you plan ahead you can marinate your roast in all of the seasonings for a day or two. You can also use the seasoning ingredients to marinate steak for grilling or broiling!
-3 to 4 lb. beef roast
-1/2 cup chopped or sliced onion
-2 tbsp white vinegar {red wine vinegar would be good too}
-1 tbsp canola or other veg. oil
-2 tsp Dijon mustard {I used whole grain Dijon}
-2 tsp salt {you could use seasoned salt, garlic salt, celery salt or just regular table salt}
-1 clove garlic, minced {or about 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic}
-1/2 tsp dried thyme
-a hefty handful fresh parsley, torn {or about 2 tbsp dried parsley}
|I'm lucky enough to have a grow light in our basement
so I can have my fresh herbs all winter long
without spending a fortune at the grocery store! Love it!
1. Sear roast over medium heat on all sides in a non-stick pan.
2. Meanwhile, place onion in the bottom of crockpot.
3. Add vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic and thyme to crockpot. Mix together.
4. Top onion mixture with about half of the torn fresh parsley. I used the tender stems too.
5. Once the roast is nicely seared, place it on top of the parsley. Also pour in an of the juices the roast may have released while cooking.
6. Coarsely chop the remaining parsley and toss over the top of the roast.
7. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
8. Remove from crockpot and allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.


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The information technology field is a fast-changing, exciting profession that demands a workforce armed with the technological know-how to work with computer systems, the critical thinking skills to solve technical problems, and the intellectual curiosity to stay abreast of industry trends. From associate to doctorate, IT degree programs prepare students for these rewarding positions. This guide gives students a roadmap of what IT degree programs entail, how to choose the right one, and touches on some of the available jobs for technology graduates.
Information technology degree programs at the associate level help students enter the field by teaching them the basic foundational knowledge and skills needed to land an entry-level job. The following are some examples of the positions that graduates can pursue.
These professionals assist employees and clients hardware or software problems. Some of the responsibilities of this job are troubleshooting computer systems, installing and maintaining computer hardware and software, and testing the effectiveness of network systems. These workers may also be responsible for training employees on how to use computer systems.
Computer programmers are responsible for writing code for software programs. Other duties include conducting tests on a program and fixing errors, and working with software developers to plan and create systems.
Web developers create websites, ensuring that they are both user friendly and attractive. They are responsible for confirming that a website can handle its traffic, fixing bugs on a site, and using programming languages such as XML or HTML to create code for a website.
Bachelor's degrees give students a more in-depth understanding of information technology, while exposing them to general education subjects to provide a well-rounded education. Graduates can potentially enter the following jobs after completing this degree.
These writers combine their technological knowledge with communication skills in order to create instruction manuals, product descriptions, and journal articles. Other duties include integrating photographs, diagrams and drawings into product instructions; revising product documentation as features change; and helping developers simplify products to make them easier to use.
These professionals use computer programs to store and organize a company's data. In order to do this, database administrators help identify the system needs of an organization; test, maintain and update database programs; and merge and backup data as required.
The day-to-day maintenance and operations of a company's computer systems are the responsibility of these IT workers. Job duties for this position include analyzing the network and systems needs of an organization, installing and maintaining hardware and software, and keeping security permissions up to date.
Students who have experience in the information technology field and a bachelor's degree often enter a master's level program in order to elevate their knowledge and skill set. A master's degree can prepare students for the following jobs.
Information technology project managers oversee every element of an IT project, ensuring that all of the members of a team are doing their part of the plan in a timely manner. Job duties for these professionals include handling budgets and deadlines, as well as confirming that the goals of the project are met.
Chief information officers are high-level executives who define and drive a company's technological direction, so that computer systems meet the organization's needs. These professionals also manage all of the IT workers within their organization.
Software engineers use the computer knowledge they gained from their advanced education to create and maintain software programs. Some of the job duties for these professionals include testing software, analyzing the needs of people who will use a program and identifying and fixing bugs.
Students who earn these information technology degrees are looking to gain specialized skills and knowledge that will allow them to enter high-level jobs in the profession or to teach at the postsecondary level and conducted complex, academic research. The following are some examples of positions available to PhD graduates.
These IT workers are responsible for ensuring that an organization's computer systems and procedures are as efficient as possible. Specific job duties include doing research to determine the best technology solutions for an organization, installing and configuring new computer hardware and software, and training employees on how to use the technology in their organization.
Computer and information research scientists help to advance the knowledge of the information technology field by inventing new technologies, as well as creating new approaches that can be applied to existing technology. These professionals might also conduct research and publish their findings in industry journals.
IT college professors educate the next generation of the field's workforce. This job entails creating lesson plans for courses, assessing students' progress through tests and homework assignments, and supervising graduate students who want to become postsecondary teachers.
Information systems technology degree programs give students the building blocks for success in the field by providing them with theoretical coursework and practical experience. The following explains what students can expect from these degree programs on each level.
Students who want to gain basic knowledge of the information technology field in a relatively short period of time may consider entering an associate degree program. These degrees, which generally take about two years to finish, familiarize students with basic technological concepts that allow them to prepare for an entry-level position in the field. By taking coursework in topics such as programming languages, information systems, website development, and database administration, students get the foundation they need to successfully enter the workforce.
Yes. Although specific schools have different program requirements, generally the credits earned while completing an associate's degree can be transferred to another school and used toward a bachelor's degree program, provided that the associate degree was earned at an accredited college. Some schools may require certain prerequisites, which students need to complete before being admitted into a bachelor's degree program.
Yes. If you enroll in a program that emphasizes this type of professional instruction, you may be able to use the coursework to prepare for different kinds of professional certifications, such as a Cisco Network Security or a Microsoft Systems Administrator credential.
It depends on the school in which you enroll. Some schools require that students choose a degree concentration–in areas of the field such as management, networking or web development–while other schools are best for students who want to get a more general IT education.
Yes. Schools that offer associate degrees in information technology give students a well-rounded experience, which includes general education courses where they can build their non-technological skills and knowledge, such as math, writing, and social sciences.
Students enrolled in this degree learn important, but basic skills such as how to troubleshoot software and hardware programs; identify the technology needs of an organization and choosing the best products to meet those needs; evaluate, design, and implement computer systems; create an information technology plan; and keep a computer network secure from threats.
These degree programs also allow students to take courses that will develop their basic business skills, so they are able to effectively communicate in the workplace.
At the bachelor's degree level, IT students gain a more comprehensive understanding of computing concepts and their skills, starting with the basics in the first year of the program and continuing to more advanced coursework. Students in these programs may be able to specialize in a certain segment of the field–such as information security, software development, database management, and network administration–honing their skills and gaining more specialized expertise. In addition, bachelor's degrees require that students take courses that are not technology related, including electives like psychology, history, and political science.
No. However, depending on the school, you may need to complete some prerequisite courses in order to be admitted. Students who have earned an associate degree in information technology may be particularly attractive to an admissions department, though it's not a requirement.
While every school is different, many bachelor's degree programs have courses with a lab component that allow students to learn the necessary technical skills in an interactive environment. Some schools may have internship opportunities, so that students may apply the skills they gain in the computer lab to real-world situations.
Yes. Many four-year programs give students the opportunity to work on projects to build a digital portfolio that demonstrates the skills they gained from their coursework. In some cases, students are required to create a digital portfolio, demonstrating their technical and writing skills, in order to graduate. Items in a portfolio can include video, audio, and image components.
Yes. Every field relies on information technology to some degree, so the technological skills you gain in a bachelor's degree program can be used in fields outside of the computer industry. For example, many students use their degree to pursue jobs in the healthcare field, as many patient care providers need health informatics experts to manage their data.
Organizations need information technology professionals who have the knowledge and experience to solve their problems. In fact, their bottom line may depend on managing and securing company data. IT bachelor's graduates enter the job market with valuable and relevant skills, such as the ability to make decisions about the best computer systems for an organization; creating budgets for a company's IT needs; and designing and implementing custom computer solutions that meet a company's specific goals.
Students should also learn critical thinking skills that will help them make the best decisions when working on computing solutions, as well as the legal and ethical considerations that IT professionals must apply to their daily work.
Master's degrees in information technology are generally the best fit for students who want to get an in-depth education in a specific area of the field. Many graduate students have already begun their careers and have built a solid foundation of IT knowledge. Students who enroll in these programs may want to advance in their careers and need additional training in order to land higher-level positions in an organization. To help students achieve these goals, the curriculum of master's degree programs often focuses on challenges that people in managerial positions face in the industry
While students gain an advanced knowledge of technology, they also get the leadership skills they need to successfully take a management role in an organization, or even become entrepreneurs in the field.
Some master's degree programs do allow students to earn academic credit for industry certifications or professional experience. The rules for prior learning credits differ from school to school, so be sure to discuss your experience before you enroll in a program.
An MBA in information technology focuses more on business management within the IT field. Students in these programs study technology topics, such as data communications and networking, but also receive comprehensive education in core business and management areas like economics, accounting, and leadership.
On the other hand, a Master of Science in Information Technology is primarily focused on the scientific principles of the field. Individuals who enroll in this program may have already expertise in business and want to learn more about technology to meet the demands of organizations that are becoming increasingly technology driven.
There are several options for specialization in information technology master's degree programs. Some of these concentrations include project management, business intelligence, information assurance, cyber security, software engineering, health care informatics, and web design.
It depends on the school you choose. Some programs require that students complete a thesis based on original research and existing academic literature, while other programs require a master's project where students work on a comprehensive solution to an information technology problem. Some schools may also require that students pass a comprehensive examination that evaluates their proficiency in the program's coursework.
IT master's degree graduates can expect to learn advanced skills such as project management, working with technology stakeholders in an organization, and assessing business goals in order to implement the most effective technology solutions. They will also learn about current trends in the field and how to effectively apply advanced contemporary theories to real world situations.
Students who earn a PhD in information technology are looking for an advanced education that will prepare them to contribute to the field through teaching, entrepreneurship, or research. These students often have specific career goals and are looking for a specialized and advanced educational experience to help them achieve those objectives.
In order to help students work toward their career aspirations, doctoral programs allow students to choose an area of concentrated study, such as software engineering, information systems, management, digital forensics, or IT security. Through this intensive coursework, coupled with other required classes that may cover a wide range of IT topics, students gain the expertise they need to advance in their careers.
It depends on the school that you enroll in. Many students earn IT doctorates in order to go on to become college professors, so some programs do require that students teach at least one undergraduate course in order to graduate.
Some schools do require that students have a master's degree in order to be admitted into an IT doctoral program. Other programs, however, will accept students who have earned a bachelor's degree, provided they meet the school's other admission requirements, which may include prerequisite coursework, a certain score on the GRE, a minimum undergraduate GPA, and relevant work experience.
The length of programs varies from one school to the next, but generally, students are able to complete their doctoral degree within three to seven years.
Graduation requirements for a PhD in information technology may include–in addition to coursework–a dissertation, a comprehensive examination, or a research project.
When students complete a PhD in information technology, they leave with skills such as how to formulate and prove theories that answer questions relevant to the field, conduct IT research, critically evaluate information about the field, take the lead in the development and execution of an IT project from start to finish, and manage a team of IT professionals. Students also gain advanced written and verbal skills that will help them effectively communicate complicated IT information in any workplace setting.
There are many options for students who want to enroll in an information technology degree program, so students should make sure they do their homework before registering at a specific school. Different schools cater to different needs, so students have to determine what they want to get out of a degree as they look at schools. The following are some important questions that prospective students should consider.
Schools that are accredited have higher standards than those that are not, giving students confidence that they will receive a quality education. Students should look for programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, an accrediting agency specific to the IT field that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Students should pay close attention to the faculty members at the schools they are interested in. This is important because it will give them an idea of whether or not professors were educated at highly-esteemed schools themselves and if they have industry experience that bolsters their educational expertise. Students should also confirm the department has professors that teach courses in their areas of interest. For example, students who want to pursue a career in cyber security should look for professors who have extensive professional and academic experience in that area.
Many professionals want to earn certifications to display their expertise to potential employers. Some information technology degree programs allow students to earn certificates, such as the Microsoft Technology Associate or the Cisco network security certifications, as they work towards their degrees.
Many programs have computer labs that allow students to work on the types of problems they will encounter when they start professional work. This enriches students' education by giving them first-hand knowledge of how the theories they are studying in the classroom are applied in the real world of IT.
Billy A. Patino, a graduate of Nova Southeastern University, discusses what it's like to earn an information technology degree.
What made you decide to earn an information systems technology degree?
Back in 1992, after leaving the Air Force in Ecuador, I started to explore what career I could pursue that would be challenging enough to get me interested and eventually bring me professional satisfaction. My uncle, who lived in New York at the time, couldn't stop talking about this new and popular device that looked like a TV with a typewriter attached to it, but certainly resembled one of those machines from a science fiction show. It definitely woke up my curiosity on the topic and I saw the opportunity to be part of a new era. That summer I started my computer systems engineering degree in Ecuador. I still remember using 5 ¼ floppy disks and card readers and computers with 286/386 processors.
How did you decide on the school you chose?
Once I was in the United States and heavily involved in technology, part of my selection criteria to pursue my information technology graduate degree was to find a school that offered a well-defined and top-of-the-line curriculum that can be applicable to real-life situations, as well as offering a state-of-the-art infrastructure that will allow a great learning experience for students. Nova was indeed the one!
What did you enjoy most about the program?
I really liked the tools we had as students on the premises and online, in addition to an easy and simple communication channel with our professors and classmates at any moment.
What was the most challenging thing about the degree program?
Trying to keep up with the vast amount of information that we received every day and combine that with our daily routine.
How do you feel the degree program prepared you for your career?
It was a great career advantage to be able to effectively use the knowledge learned in class and from faculty members right away in real situations in the workplace. This allowed me to gain confidence in my performance and professional respect among my peers.
What work have you done since earning your degree?
In my role as a FISO (Facility Information Security Official), I am currently responsible to implement the Information Security and Privacy program in six hospitals, four surgery centers and four imaging centers in the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast areas for the Hospital Corporation of America East Florida Division.
Ben Crenshaw, an information technology graduate from Texas Christian University, gives advice on how students can succeed in an IT program.
Most bachelor's degrees in information technology require the full four years to complete, so it helps to begin the introductory courses as a freshman. Even if you change your mind later, those introductory courses will be valuable if you ever want to learn a programming language later in life.
Prove yourself to be a friendly, reliable, and talented colleague. Do things like study together, and make sure to be a dependable member of any group projects. I say this not only because it's a great way to enjoy your degree, but these classmates will go on to be your best network of friends and job contacts after graduation.
Over the last few years, the explosion of new technologies combined with cloud-based hosting has made it easier and more affordable than ever for a student to build a portfolio of their own products. The perfect addition to a great information technology degree is to have something you coded that you can show off, whether it be a website, a software application, or a mobile app. This can be even more impressive than previous work or internship experience for graduating students, because it gives interviewers a concrete example that you have initiative to create your own work and that you are good at what you do.


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Much like the first album I bought, I will always remember the first musical I saw on stage. Musicals, or music in general for me, had been restricted to VHS, music channels or CD before then. Everything suddenly become so much bigger, and that is what resonates most in my memory. How could it not, with a cacophony of voices and choreography that was explosively elegant and soft; all under a low hanging full moon?
Cats was other worldly, and certainly set the motion for my own stage aspirations. Now, over a decade later, "let the memory live again". Yet, this wasn't the show I remembered. The same déjà vu moon had me convinced I had been here before, so why was everything so strange?
Based on T.S Eliot's Old Possum's 'Book of Practical Cats', the show is set on a junkyard playground where the annual Jellicle ball takes place. We are introduced to each feline friend and their personalities through song; lyrics from the 1930's poems of Eliot and melodies of composer Andrew Llyod Web'ber. The show has had an impressive life span of over 30 years. Considered as 'ground-breaking' when it opened in 1981, Cats went on to be crowned the longest-running musical in the history of the West End in 1996. It then scooped up the same accolade in Broadway the following year. Translated into ten languages, performed in over 20 countries, while continuing to sell out tours; the longevity of a cat's life holds true.
There are still glimmers of this shining success story during the performance at The Opera House. Sadly, an irresistible curiosity to update the show well and truly killed the cat. One moment in particular being the infamous Rum Tum Tugger scene where we are introduced to the cocky and charismatic Tom Cat of the show. Oozing confidence and sexiness, Tugger satirises the 'bad boy' of a given generation, so earlier performances used Elvis Presley as a model. The instinct to update this is the right one, but the result was oh so wrong and laden with stereotypes that came off almost cartoonish! Dressed with a backwards cap, gold chains and baggy pants, Tugger is updated into our 21st Century bad boy from the streets. Though, give him a slingshot and go back 15 years you've got Bart Simpson. Maybe Mr Webber is trying to relate to the Topshop generation, who are also stuck in the 90s.
Despite the tone given off so far, the cast are all evidently talented; both the choreography and the score are notoriously difficult. A phenomenal range is required from it's singers and a fierce precision from the dancers, but above all, a collective ability to work as an ensemble. This, for the most part, the company did do well. On occasion, performers were in it for themselves rather than as a group, sending key moments out of sync. To be picky, in the opening song 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats', you really can't have a lyric boasting the ability that all cats can begin a scale in high C, to then only have one cat demonstrate. Each cat has their opportunity to have their own moment, so I was disappointed that the ensemble scenes were not joint.
The most famous song of the show, 'Memory', is easily the best thing about this production, and thankfully went untouched. Grizabella (Anita Louise Combe), the Glamour Cat, sings this beautiful nostalgic song of remembrance of her glorious past, and declares her wish for a new life. To dominate a song of such magnitude is an astonishing accomplishment, and one that Combe's performance was nothing short of.
Cats has one more of it's nine lives left to live, and one I feel would be the thriving if it stayed true to what it does best. The rebirth of this classic was understandable but evidently unnecessary. This musical is one that has been passed through generations, and has done so with fond memories from the audience's first experience. Like Grease or The Sound of Music, you can't change the originals. Some memories last forever, it's our job not to forget them.
Words by Kate Morris
Images courtesy of Ambassador Theatre Group


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Today I came with "sunshine" card.
It is last day of Summer today.. Here in Malaysia we are very lucky (I guess) to have summer 365days of year.. But some of you are even more lucky to have all 4 seasons: Colourful Autumn, Snow Winter,.. and Spring.. Spring was my favourite when I have stay in Russia. Not only because my Birthday in March )) lol But because snow and still cold outside but you already can fell and smell and hear sound of Spring.. That was amazing felling!! Ok, till Spring another 2 seasons )) lol
Now about card I have created today. Really love this LOTV image. Cute little Bear with gorgeous flower. When I saw this image first time I already knew I shall make "yellow" card.. (Yes, I think you are not surprise )) May be because of "sunflower" ))) Here it is: