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Ups and downs, louds and softsby Jessica Bianchi February 4, 2014
In dimly-lit music venues across Cape Town, South Africa, a captivating psychedelic rock scene is bubbling. At the forefront of this tight-knit community is The Very Wicked, a five-piece band whose members – Andre Leo, Lucas Swart, Calvin Siderfin, Lucy Kruger, and Werner Von Waltsleben – see themselves as passionate non-conformists leading a revolt against mainstream commercial music. In all this going forward, though, is a going back. Experiencing their music is akin to dusting off your parents' old vinyl and feeling every crackle and pop. And their look mirrors the decade in which this movement was born.
Vocalist Andre Leo is a pioneer in his own right, having co-founded the "Psych Night" series in Cape Town. Since August 2012, Psych Nights have offered a platform for budding musicians and artists to demonstrate their talents on their own terms. For The Very Wicked, that means both an audio and visual trip complete with a backdrop of vibrant, swirling lights. Repeated monthly, these events have rapidly generated an electrifying movement that is beginning to fill a void in the South African music scene.
The Very Wicked is currently working on a debut album, scheduled for online release later this year. Leo recently spoke with SCOPE about Psych Nights, the band, and the rising rebellion against pre-packaged music he has helped spark.
JESSICA BIANCHI: Tell me about the first real gig you performed as a band. How did it go?
ANDRE LEO: We played our first show in September 2012. We'd been rehearsing and writing for almost a year prior to playing live. We'd all been in bands before and knew that if we were gonna do this, we wanted to do it well and not rush anything. That being said, playing that first show was worth six months in our little rehearsal room. That's really where you learn your craft, the live stage. Lucy had actually just joined less than a month before that show. I think she was a bit nervous!
The show went down pretty well. And it just got better from there.
What pulled you all together in the first place?
Well, Lucas and I had been playing together for a few years and when our old band kinda hit a point where it couldn't go any further, we decided to start something new. This was around the end of 2011. Seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club was a real turning point for me. That's when I really realized the power that live rock and roll can have over people. After that it was pretty obvious that this is what I need to do.
Why decide to focus on psych rock?
To us, it just feels better playing very splashed out psych music. And this band is very much about what feels good to us. It was also something very few people were doing in South Africa. It's grown a lot since then, which is nice.
I think of "psych rock" as more of an umbrella than one genre. It's very much open to interpretation. I guess that's the feel thing. I mean, last year bands like The Night Beats and The Cult Of Dom Keller both put out records on the same psychedelic record label (The Reverberation Appreciation Society). To a passerby they would probably sound worlds apart. But there is a very strong core to it all.
What would you say that strong core was? And what makes South African psych rock different?
That core is the psychedelic element of the music. I don't think there's any real difference between what we're doing in South Africa and what's happening in the rest of the world, besides that it's an extremely young movement. The great thing about this kind of movement is that there's a real sense of camaraderie between the bands. That helps it grow and blossom.
The South African psych movement of the '70s wasn't able to reach its potential due to political restrictions. Where do you see the movement headed this time around? And do you feel that your country's political history has had any effect on this generation's music?
The fact that musicians from here can travel abroad, and musicians from all over the world can come play here, means that this generation's possibilities are a lot greater than they were during our country's bullshit apartheid years. Rock and roll is still a tiny fraction of the market in South African music, but the possibility of a community greater than just South Africa is what's gonna make this grow. You can't limit yourself to just South Africa. Well, you can, but you'll either be very hungry or probably make terrible music.
The political history has affected a lot of music from our generation, for sure. There is still a lot of conservatism here that musicians and artists are constantly battling against. But it's like that all over the world, really. I think we're just a bit newer to the battle.
How do Psych Nights fit into this? And how did the band get involved in them?
Psych Night was started by me and four friends about a year and a half ago. We wanted to provide a platform for musicians who didn't fit the mainstream mold to properly showcase what they do, and at the same time, have a killer party. We also have events promoting local fine artists, graphic artists, photographers, film makers, etc…
Our first show was at the second Psych Night, and we've been on the bill pretty regularly since then, alongside bands like Wild Eastern Arches, The Future Primitives, Bilderberg Motel, and more. It's been the biggest pleasure working on Psych Night. The people involved are all super-passionate and talented. The highlight so far has been hosting The Night Beats in December last year. It was the first time we brought down an international band and also the first time we visited Johannesburg. From when we started, we knew we wanted to bring out bands from all over the world and wanted Night Beats to be the first one. So to see that vision materialize was something real special. There was magic in the air at all those shows. I think people were really reminded what good, live, loud rock and roll can do to humans.
You've said you want your music to "hit from the inside out." What do you mean?
I generally don't like "rock" music. It seems like so many bands just try to rock out and that's it. There's nothing more to it. It's easy for crowds to bang their heads and sing along to, but that's not my idea of a good band. I prefer music that tells a story: ups and downs, louds and softs. I want our music to kind of resonate out of you, instead of coming down on you.
I dunno, maybe I'm sounding like a pretentious douche-bag here.
Tell me about your debut album. What are you hoping to achieve with it?
The album has no title yet. We're throwing some ideas around at the moment.
We recorded the bulk of it over a weekend in November last year with Warren Fisher and Johnny Tex from the Future Primitives and finished tracking on Monday, actually. We have no record label, and pressing your own vinyl in South Africa is real pricey. We have no vinyl press, so we have to look overseas. The shipping and all that comes to more than we can afford, unfortunately. So at the moment it will only be available online, with hopes that someone takes a liking to it and decides the world needs it on a record. Otherwise, there has been talk of doing a split with some of our friends. But no solid plans. We'll see how it goes.
We're hoping for what most artists hope for with their first album: to reach a bigger audience and expand our horizons. We'd love to be able to tour different parts of the world soon.
It's been a long time coming, so I hope people like it.


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|Professional Automotive Repair Technical Discussions for March 26, 2010
International Automotive Technicians' Network (iATN) - Members Only
|(Also Available: All, Asian, Chrysler, European, Ford, GM.)
|Vehicle Owners: If you are seeking an automotive repair professional to service your vehicle, visit the iATN Repair Shop Finder.
Open Help Requests for Chrysler
|Help Request
|1997 Dodge Dakota 3.9L 3-4 shift VIN: 1B7GG23X3V
This truck came into the shop with complaint of no overdrive. Road tested the vehicle and there is no 3-4 upshift. Pulled the codes and we had a trans code of 37. Road tested the vehicle with scanner attached and noticed that when the 3-4 shift should occur th...
|1998 Dodge Caravan LE 3.3L Excessive Emissions, Poor Idle Quality, Hesitation, Cuts out, Stall, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1B4GP44G7W
the jasper engine that was installed would not idle from the minute it was started, the misfire counter was counting misfires faster than the scanner would count. we checked spark, injector pulse and pattern, and compression. there is alot of emissions exiting...
|2002 Dodge Neon SE 2.0L Poor Idle Quality, Surge, Misfire VIN: 1C3ES46C32
hi dodge guys, i have a neon here that the idle is allover the place, starts up at about 4000 rpm, and surges around 1500 to 2000, came in with a bad intake gasket fixed that first, no change in idle or surgeing cat will start to glow in about 1 min, also ther...
|2008 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie 6.7L MIL Lamp on, LACK OF POWER VIN: 3D7MX38A08
hello to all. thank you in advance for the assistance. this dodge diesel came in for the 2 codes listed above and reduced engine power. in researching the codes it sounds like the "soot" particulate filter is plugged. is this the catalitac converters? in the d... Trouble codes: P0242, P1451 (particulate filter system preformance)
|2009 Dodge Durango Limited 5.7L Transmission VIN: 1D8HB58T49
We are using Starmobile to do the re-flash, and briefly these are the steps we did: - We downloaded the Flash File using the ORIGINAL Part# (Old PCM), There is no New reflash file Available yet - Reflash was done successfully. - Imput New VIN - Imput SKIM ...
|2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.7L Unknown VIN: 1J4GR48K45
Hello, This customer, my niece, complains her Jeep feels like it chuggs at 30mph. I can't tell if it misses, or not. I guess I'm too insensitive. It does, however, have a code for the trans temp sensor: P0710. The dealer has no listing for such a sensor, and M...
Fixes & Summaries for Chrysler
|1999 Chrysler Sebring JX 2.5L No Start VIN: 3C3EL45HOX
Turns out this car had 2 problems. The PNP was causing the starter to not work. I guess there was a recall on it. Anyway Hugh said it short and sweet,turn the ignition on and hook a battery charger up and let it sit for and hour,then cycle the key and start it...
|2005 Chrysler Town & Country 3.3L Lacks power VIN: 2C4GP44R55
It was the flex plate that was brokien. As most of you told me, the patterns showed that the cam was ahead of the crank when scoping those sensors. There was some rusty dust in the bell housing but not much. The crack was almost perfectly round and the brok...
|2000 Dodge Neon High Line 2.0L No Start VIN: 1C3ES46C3Y
I had a few replies to check ignition switch and or battery, but as I had stated all inputs were there even when there was a no crank situation. Retested and there was times when vehicle would run for about three minuites and then would lose signal from pcm t...
|2002 Dodge Stratus R/T 3.0L Misfire VIN: 4B3AG52H72
Took the intake off today. Checked compression and had no compression in #1 cylinder. Removed the valve cover and found no problems. Took a flashlight and looked in the intake ports. I found the head of a 6mm bolt laying on the intake valve. It was just lay... Trouble codes: P0301.
|2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie 5.7L MIL Lamp on VIN: 1D7HA16P45
I am using a DRBIII. I missed the Misc. menu on page 2 of the engine menu. entered the vin & reset all other modules. Life if good again. Thanks for your speedy help! Quentin Trouble codes: P0630 (No VIN stored).

subset: commoncrawl


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It is my pleasure to welcome you to Nigerian Breweries Plc. Very often when we invite you to unveil a brand or public relations led campaign. For the first time in a very long while we have asked you to join us this evening to unveil a human resource campaign. The campaign is in itself unique because it is a first of its kind that showcases fun, enjoyable and "very cool" opportunities available in our organization. We call it the Go Places Campaign.
As you may be aware, Nigerian Breweries provides employment to over 4,000 Nigerians in our various Breweries and offices. Through auxiliary industries that provide inputs like cans, bottles, crates, cartons and label manufacturers we also support further job creation in the wider economy. By the last socio-economic study done in 2013, Nigerian Breweries prior to the merger was already supporting over 279, 000 jobs in its value chain without including the farmers in the agricultural sector.
As a member of a reputable international organization, we have expatriate colleagues working in our business just as we are also proud to be a net exporter of jobs in a sense because we now have more Nigerian managers currently working in positions of high responsibility across the Heineken group. We have been able to meet this standard because, in line with our parent company's ideal, we are constantly in search of high quality graduates to fill available vacancies across the world.
Finding the right people is key for any business that desires to achieve the best. We believe that the successes recorded by our company over the last 70 years would not have been possible without having the right quality of employees. This means that we have developed enough competence to identify and attract the right people to our company.
As a company within the global HEINEKEN heritage, we understand that today's talents are not looking to fill just about any vacancy in faceless business entities but, are strategically looking for opportunities to invest in a place where they can exploit their potential and make a difference, preferably in a place, that itself makes a difference by creating those opportunities.
To help attract these stars of the future, Heineken has developed a global campaign with actual HEINEKEN employees and brands.
Distinguish Gentlemen of the Press, I invite you GO PLACES with us. GO PLACES is a novel global Employee Value Proposition (EVP) campaign to support and inspire Heineken Operating Companies to strengthen talent attraction, engagement and development. GO PLACES is aimed at attracting potential hires while simultaneously engaging current employees. It is about winning-in-talent and winning beyond talent.
The campaign has too basic assets- The "Manisfesto" and "The Interview". The Manifesto is a video which provides an interactive experience that perfectly illustrates the distinctive career prospects employees could expect from working at any of the HEINEKEN operating companies in 70 countries. The interactive Interview consists of 12 timed questions, designed to reveal the unique character traits prospective candidates will bring into the HEINEKEN world.
The Go Places Campaign is therefore calling on interested candidates to visit http://www.theheinekencompany.com/goplaces and watch 'The Manifesto before taking "The Interview". After answering the questions a profile is generated based on the responses. The profile is HEINEKEN's interpretation of the candidate based on their responses to the questions asked, with all the strengths and skills the answers reveal. To progress the application further a link with the "Apply Here" tag will lead the candidate to where he or she can apply for available openings. Prospective candidates can follow our LinkedIn and Careers pages as well as share the links on other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
The advertised positions are open for 4 weeks, starting from today, Monday, 17th October 2016. After the campaign is concluded, we believe we would have pulled in our stars of the future who will then go through our recruitment processes which involves standard tests and interviews.
As an operating company of HEINEKEN, Nigerian Breweries employees are exposed to enormous opportunities to develop their careers not just for the local market but also globally. The Go Places Campaign, is our way of attracting the emerging talents and exposing them to the endless opportunities within the world of HEINEKEN.


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Accelerating Gender Parity
Video message delivered for International Women's Day 2016, 8 March 2016 by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning.
AuthorKanwar, Asha
- 2016-2020 [73]
MetadataShow full item record
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Launching of the "Lifelong Learning for Women's Empowerment" Kanwar, Asha; Balasubramanian, K (Commonwealth of Learning (COL), 2011-05-19)Launching of the"Lifelong Learning for Women's Empowerment", Mauritius, 19 May, 2011, presented by Prof. Asha Kanwar and co-written by K. Balasubramanian, Commonwealth of Learning // It is a privilege to be part of this ...
Preventing Child Early and Forced Marriage Kanwar, Asha; Ferreira, Frances (Commonwealth of Learning (COL), 2015-11-24)Presented at CHOGM Malta 2015 at the Commonwealth Women's Forum on 24 November 2015 by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO (co-written with Ms Frances Ferreira, Education Specialist).
Setting the Context: Why women's voices are important and Women's Reservation Bill in India Kanwar, Asha; Monaghan, Amy; Samdup, Pema E (Commonwealth of Learning (COL), 2010-04-22)Slides from Programme Update Meeting, Commonwealth of Learning, 22 April 2010. Setting the Context: Why women's voices are important presented by Professor Asha Kanwar and Amy Monaghan, Commonwealth of Learning. Women's ...
Girls' and Women's Education Mensah-Williams, Margaret (Commonwealth of Learning (COL), 2013-12-04)Seventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning Keynote Plenary - Girls' & Women's Education, 4 December 2013, International Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria by The Honourable Margaret Mensah-Williams, Member of Parliament, ...
Young Women's Unemployment: The Education Factor Dhanarajan, Gajaraj (Commonwealth of Learning (COL), 1996-07-10)When the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) came into existence in 1988, the United Nations Decade of Women with its theme of Equality, Development and Peace had contributed greatly to the process of eliminating obstacles to ...


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A difficult year for Europe and likewise for the shipbuilding industry is ending with encouraging signals from European Institutions, which underline the importance of the sector and the respective understanding of policy makers. The Council, the Commission and the European Investment Bank have each concluded deliberations related to shipbuilding, much appreciated by the industry. The Council took note of a clear report by European Commission Vice President Tajani about the worrying business situation and short term prospects. A large number of Member States welcomed the initiative of the Commission and offered full support for the approach outlined. The Council reconfirmed its view of the shipbuilding and maritime technology industry as being of indispensable strategic importance and endorsed in particular to undertake a renewal of the strategic sectorial policy.
With the prolongation and streamlining of the Framework for State Aid to Shipbuilding the European Commission confirmed again that the specific nature of the industry requires specific reflection in the state aid rules. While falling short on a number of recommendations CESA and other stakeholders have made during the consultation process, the modifications now adopted are largely welcomed. In particular, the possibility for Member States to award an increased level of support for innovations which serve to protect the environment will be very useful for the industry. Already since 2008, horizontal rules applicable to all sectors allow support for eco-innovation up to 60% (80% for SMEs) of the eligible cost subject to certain conditions. The incorporation of respective provisions directly within the Framework will make the implementation for Member States easier, albeit at a reduced support rate of maximum 30% and a maximum eligible cost limit to 10% of the total investment, i.e. resulting effectively in a maximum aid of 3%. The Framework does not establish any preferential treatment nor any special subsidization.
With high appreciation, CESA has also taken note of the new Transport Lending Policy endorsed by the EIB Board of Directors last week.
The Bank will ensure that shipping projects it finances contribute to an overall improvement of the environmental performance of the fleet concerned. Furthermore, it will check, in close cooperation with the Commission services responsible, for the existence of any outstanding issues concerning (i) Intellectual Property Rights, (ii) potential breaches of trade agreements and, (iii) as far as possible, the risk of distortions caused by anti-competitive practices (including, inter alia, state aid, direct subsidization, injurious or below-cost pricing, or subsequent public rescue of bankrupt companies) in the producer country or in the shipyard concerned. The Bank will not finance shipping projects where such satisfaction cannot reasonably be obtained.1 Maritime industries play a vital role in Europe's capability to address major global challenges including population growth and resulting challenges of security of basic supply of food and fresh water, depleting natural resources, and climate change.
Advanced technology is the precondition for a sustainable exploitation of the vast array of growth opportunities in various maritime operations. European companies in the field hold technology leadership but nevertheless face major challenges. The current deep crisis causes a serious threat to their long-term existence. Not only in the financial world, also for the real economy strategic policy decisions at European level are required to master such global challenges. Substantial restructuring of the industry is necessary and adaptation to the reduced demand level will be unavoidable. In that respect, the summarised policy decisions do not mark a turn-around. However, they put Shipbuilding back on the radar of policy makers making it a priority issue in industrial policy. CESA is convinced that these developments are leading the way towards the definition of a successful strategic path. Europe's maritime leadership will also in future be able to generate prosperity and high skilled employment, provided the current difficulties are bridged.


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Beautification of Sterling Manor
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- Hi Everyone:On Saturday November 10, 2007 Phi Theta Kappa will be participating in a beautification project in East Orange. We will be cleaning, planting flower, and having fun while doing this. We are looking for anyone who would like to volunteer their time and energy for a good cause. If you are interested in giving back to the community, please contact Anmarie at anmariestewart@.... We need to known in advance how many people will be there, since we are providing lunch.Thanks in advance.Anmarie StewartPresidentPhi Theta KappaEssex County Colleg
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DTU PhD Summer School - Micro Mechanical Systems Design & Manufacturing 2015
DTU PhD Summer School
22th June to 3th July, 2015
This course is situated in the context of emerging micro/nano technologies. Micromechanical components play an increasing role in micro systems. The use of metals, polymers and ceramics for miniature components requires product development methods as well as manufacturing technologies. Product dimensions will range from micrometre to millimetre. The attendees will get insights on the complete product development from requirements and technology possibilities to manufacturing and testing, in an industrial perspective. Indeed it is now well known that micro/nanotechnology is not only a matter of downscaling applications and methods.
After the course the attendees will:
• Get an understanding of applied product development methodologies adapted to micro technology in general and to micro mechanical products in particular
• Be able to choose and apply the most relevant process chains given the requirement of micro mechanical systems
• Have an understanding of supporting technologies such as metrology, handling and assembly in a micro technology context
• Gain understanding of the complete product development, collaboration and integration.
Registration deadline May 17th, 2015
NEW DEADLINE: MAY 22nd, 2015 at 16:00
- Registration fee 400 EUR
- Accomodation (for students requesting is) 450 EUR
For accomodation details please see the menu on the left.
For questions concerning accomodation please contact: Pia Holst Nielsen, email@example.com
For questions concerning course content and organization, please contact: Giuliano Bissacco, email@example.com
NOTE: ONLY FOR MEK PH.D.-STUDENTS: Please contact Pia Holst Nielsen for further information.


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December 2017 Federal Update
Wednesday, December 13, 5:00-6:00 p.m. EST
The clock is ticking and there is much to be done before Congress enters recess and prepares for the second session of the 115th Congress. What is the prognosis on tax reform? Will we see a bill reauthorizing the Higher Education Act before 2018? With so much piled on Congress's plate, what will get done and what will not? How can you affect the process?
This webinar will include a presentation and time for Q & A. It also will be recorded and posted in the AACTE Resource Library for future reference.
Presenter: Deborah Koolbeck, Director, Government Relations, AACTE
Location: Webinar
Previous Webinars & Resources
- Webinar: Principals as Transformation Leaders: Support for New Leaders | 19 December, 2017
- Webinar: Principals as Transformation Leaders: High-Quality Preservice Preparation | 30 November, 2017
- Webinar: Student Loan Solutions: Helping You Prepare Students | 15 November, 2017
- Webinar: Principals as Transformation Leaders: Changing School Cultures | 9 November, 2017


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Bless you, Portland, Oregon. Just when I am starting to grow thoroughly sick of the national press and its fawning over your smug, self-righteous obsession with veganism and 1980s nostalgia, you surprise me. You actually throw me a curve-ball. And fortunately, the nation's press is paying our city and state some attention for the RIGHT reasons, for a change*. We raised taxes, moderately, on the very rich, and corporations! Here's Bloomberg:
"It's a go-after-the-rich strategy," said John Matsusaka, president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "It shows that some voters have switched their minds and they're more likely to go after the rich."
"How do you protect the middle class?" said Kevin Looper, who ran the campaign to pass the measures. "The only way you can afford to do that is to tax those who can afford to pay."
The Wall Street Journal:
The twin ballot measures also served as a gauge of anti-business populism and highlighted a nationwide debate over whether to fix state budgets by targeting the affluent. But they also fueled resentment of "tax and spend" legislators, as well as public-employee unions whose members enjoy job security at a time when thousands here have lost jobs.
Here's Pat "too-chicken-to-show-for-his-endorsement-interview" McCormick bitching in The LA Times:
"The biggest issue is we were substantially outspent by the public employee unions. They were able to double, and more than that, the money we were spending on the broadcast media, and were able to get that much more of their message out," said Pat McCormick, spokesman for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes.
God bless the New York Times, of course, and WHOAH, WE ARE NOT IN THE ATLANTIC ONLINE...Sheeee-it...lay it down, Derek Thompson:
The second observation is that I think this vote has nothing to do with Left or Right. It has to do with money and anger. With double-digit unemployment, eight-digit Wall Street bonuses and thirteen-digit federal deficits, Americans are feeling inundated with a lot of numbers that tell a simple story: America's workers have no money, America's coffers have no money, but America's rich people have a lot of money.
Then, of course, there's the statewide press. The Bend Bulletin gets snippy because local readers didn't want the changes. The Statesman Journal says that "healing rifts between sides" is important (yeah, right, not today, it isn't...suck it! suck it, Pat McCormick! SUCK IT, MARK NELSON! SUCK IT!!!) and the Coos Bay World quotes a moderate Democrat, desperately trying to cling to her seat. Enjoy the afterglow, peeps. Now, let's raise taxes on the rich in Washington state, too!
*Astute readers will know that I like nothing more than to relax in a pair of locally sourced alfalfa booties, while wearing a Van Halen headband and eating eggplant casserole. Still, even I grow somewhat weary of myself sometimes, innit.


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SAFE Reinforced Concrete Design
SAFE automates several slab and mat design tasks. Specifically, it integrates
slab design moments across design strips and designs the required reinforcement;
it checks slab punching shear around column supports and concentrated
loads; and it designs beam flexural, shear, and torsion reinforcement. The design
procedures are outlined in the chapter entitled "SAFE Design Features" in
the Key Features and Terminology manual. The actual design algorithms vary
based on the specific design code chosen by the user. This manual describes
the algorithms used for the various codes.
It should be noted that the design of reinforced concrete slabs is a complex subject
and the design codes cover many aspects of this process. SAFE is a tool to
help the user in this process. Only the aspects of design documented in this
manual are automated by SAFE design capabilities. The user must check the
results produced and address other aspects not covered by SAFE.
Start Download


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Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
Mr. President,
The European Union has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which remains a priority in our human rights agenda.
Acts of racism have a deep impact upon those who are targeted by them. Victims who have been subjected to racism from an early stage in their lives may develop a sense of inferiority as well as hatred and resentment towards the perpetrators. As for the perpetrators, they often learn their prejudices during childhood, carry them over to adulthood and may transfer them to the next generation. These two elements create a self-perpetuating vicious cycle, which we need to break through education, tolerance and a united fight against racism. The importance of education cannot be overemphasized. Schools should never be allowed to become venues for teaching racism, xenophobia and intolerance.
The world is plagued by many different forms of racism, all equally dangerous to society and a threat to human rights. These extreme manifestations have evolved over time, but all can result in discrimination, hate speech, violence and other deplorable acts, whether they be a result of fear, suspicion or racist sentiments between people of different ethnic or cultural background; Anti-Semitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia; Neo-Nazism; discrimination against migrants, minorities or indigenous peoples; extremism, or other forms of discrimination based on multiple grounds. These manifestations of racism and intolerance may be exacerbated by globalization, which has accelerated social and cultural change in an unprecedented manner in every part of the world, and can lead to increased scapegoating and xenophobic and isolationist tendencies. All these forms of racism must be combated with equal force, and more effective tools must be generated to enhance worldwide cooperation on this matter.
In this context, the European Union reiterates the fundamental importance of fully implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and of States complying with their reporting obligations in a timely manner. This constitutes a powerful instrument with which to fight the many different forms of racism and intolerance which we face today. The answer when facing racism is to ensure that member states fulfil already existing obligations. In this context, the EU does not support the elaboration of new international standards or legislation. The principle of non-discrimination remains unfulfilled in many parts of the world. This is especially the case when it comes to minorities. Steps should therefore be taken to ensure that all States review legislation and policies that may directly or indirectly discriminate against particular groups, including especially minorities.
The EU also emphasizes the important role which regional mechanisms play in this issue. In the European Union, discrimination is prohibited by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as by several Regulations and Directives. The EU has also adopted legislation which bans incitement to violence or hatred on grounds of race, colour, religion, or ethnic or national origin. Additionally, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights plays an important role collecting information about the situation in the Member States and providing advice to them. The EU also supports a wide range of civil society organisations in their work against racism, xenophobia and non-discrimination through its European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, and has furthermore implemented a wide number of public awareness measures, increasing the exchange and the analysis of information on racism and xenophobia, and improving judicial cooperation and cross-border training in this area. Finally, the EU is committed to implementing the objectives of the Durban World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance of 2001.
The EU also wishes to stress the important role played by NGOs in combating prejudice within societies, through processes of education and dialogue. NGOs have the trust of the population, especially the minorities, and their participation in the fight against racism is indispensable in order to get the population mobilized. It is therefore of paramount importance that NGOs who are fighting against racism receive the political and financial support, including protection from retaliation by racist and xenophobic groups, which they need in order to carry out their activities in the best possible manner.
Mr. President,
The issues that we are discussing here today take on a special importance in light of the recent inauguration of the football World Cup. Racism and xenophobia in sport, especially present in football stadiums, is something that should be eradicated. The fact that South Africa is hosting the World Cup this year is very significant. We cannot help but remember the turbulent past of the country and the devastating effects racism had upon its people. At the same time, we must not forget the powerful positive effect that sport has in bringing people of all nationalities and ethnic and cultural backgrounds together. The EU hopes that this event, being televised throughout the entire world, will serve as an inspiration to all. South Africa was the very example of the effect sport can have when all its citizens united as one to give South Africa the 1995 Rugby World Cup victory through their unconditional support. This example shows that racism and xenophobia can be overcome if we all make a conscious effort to do so, all the while respecting fundamental human rights, including the freedom of expression, which, if limited, closes the door on meaningful discussion within and between societies by disseminating correct information and removing prejudices. As history teaches us including European history to do so only serves to foster increased intolerance, lack of understanding and violence within and between societies.
To conclude, the EU notes that the fight against racism is a global one, and cooperation between all States is crucial to combat this scourge, which affects every country in every corner of the world.


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Marine. Entrepreneur. Family Man.
Michael is a Marine and combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. He served eight years as an infantryman and weapons instructor before following his passion for entrepreneurship. He currently works as the Program Director for the Raleigh-Durham Chapter of Bunker Labs, a nationwide nonprofit organization built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans as leaders in innovation. He is also the founder of Cigars and Sea Stories, a podcast focused on empowering veterans to share their own experiences during and after military service.
LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Rallypoint


text: I am sorry but I almost peed myself when I saw your new Avatar. I had to keep looking! That is one of my all time favorite SNL skits. I saw some guy wearing a "I need more Cowbell" t-shirt one day and I started busting up on the street. Thanks for giving me a big laugh today! Much needed.


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Excellent diapers! I love the Earths Best brand, its an excellent alternative to non-eco friendly disposable diapers. Also, these diapers absorb well and hardly result in leakages. I definitely plan on purchasing these diapers again in the future.
These reviews are the subjective opinions of ChickAdvisor members and not of ChickAdvisor Inc.


text: Oral mucosal color changes as a clinical biomarker for cancer detectionLatini, Giuseppea,e; De Felice, Claudiog; Barducci, Alessandroh,i; Chitano, Giovannab; Pignatelli, Antoniettac; Grimaldi, Lucad; Tramacere, Francescoc; Laurini, Ricardoj; Andreassi, Maria Graziaf; Portaluri, Maurizioc,eEuropean Journal of Cancer Prevention: July 2012 - Volume 21 - Issue 4 - p 360–366 doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0b013e328350de51 Research Papers: Head and Neck Cancer Abstract Author Information Screening is a key tool for early cancer detection/prevention and potentially saves lives. Oral mucosal vascular aberrations and color changes have been reported in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer patients, possibly reflecting a subclinical extracellular matrix abnormality implicated in the general process of cancer development. Reasoning that physicochemical changes of a tissue should affect its optical properties, we investigated the diagnostic ability of oral mucosal color to identify patients with several types of cancer. A total of 67 patients with several histologically proven malignancies at different stages were enrolled along with a group of 60 healthy controls of comparable age and sex ratio. Oral mucosal color was measured in selected areas, and then univariate, cluster, and principal component analyses were carried out. Lower red and green and higher blue values were significantly associated with evidence of cancer (all P<0.0001), and efficiently discriminated patients from controls. The blue color coordinate showed significantly higher sensitivity and specificity (96.66±2.77 and 97.16±3.46%, respectively) compared with the red and green coordinates. Likewise, the second principal component coordinate of the red–green clusters discriminated patients from controls with 98.2% sensitivity and 95% specificity (cut-off criterion≤0.4547; P=0.0001). The scatterplots of the chrominances revealed the formation of two well separated clusters, separating cancer patients from controls with a 99.4% probability of correct classification. These findings highlight the ability of oral color to encode clinically relevant biophysical information. In the near future, this low-cost and noninvasive method may become a useful tool for early cancer detection. aDivision of Neonatology, Perrino Hospital bEuro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute (ISBEM) cRadiotherapy Department, ASLBR dMedical Physics, Perrino Hospital ASL Brindisi, Brindisi eClinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR) fGenetics Research Unit, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa gNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Le Scotte University General Hospital hDepartment of Information Engineering, University of Siena, Siena iInstitute for Applied Physics 'Nello Carrara', National Research Council of Italy, Florence, Italy jInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway Correspondence to Giuseppe Latini, MD, Division of Neonatology, Perrino Hospital, Ospedale A. Perrino, s.s. 7 per Mesagne, 72100 Brindisi, Italy Tel: +39 0831 537471; fax:+39 0831 537861; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Received October 6, 2011 Accepted December 23, 2011 © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.


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Tags: birthday bash, Giveaways, shabby apple


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- HubPages»
- Religion and Philosophy»
- Atheism & Agnosticism
Counter Arguments for the Arguments 'Proving' God
For each argument suggesting that God is real, there are at least two or three suggesting otherwise - this hub attempts to tackle the most famous arguments arguing for God's existence that are all found here: Summary of the Arguments for God.
I accept that there will be many more arguments against God but the following are specifically countering the ones mentioned in the afore mentioned hub.
Feel free to leave your input at the bottom of the hub and cast your vote on your favourite counterargument.
1. Pascal's Wager
Pascal's wager states that you should believe in God because then you have a chance to go to heaven and avoid hell.
- This is primarily fallacious because religions require people to truly believe in their God in order to claim these benefits - believing in religions for selfish purposes is seen as unacceptable and gambling is seen as wrong by many of them.
- Lastly, as David Mitchell explains, there is no more evidence for the idea of heaven and hell as an after life than there is for an afterlife reserved specifically for atheists. Therefore, making an active decision to believe in afterlife would deny yourself of just that and those that never believed, would ironically receive it.
David Mitchell Explains His Argument for Pascal's Wager
3. The Anthropic Principle
As deGrasse Tyson explains below, the Universe has been (and still is) so uninhabitable and so dangerous to humankind (and all life) that it is simply ludicrous to suggest that the universe must have been created for us because the conditions in our world are just so 'divinely perfect'.
In fact, it seems that our universe's conditions are so bad at accommodating life that Earth is the only place we've ever found life on (and believe me, we've looked around for our extra terrestrial friends!)
Even then, 99.9% of all species that have ever lived here on Earth are now extinct and it took a bewildering 3.5 billion years for the multi-cellular life that we know formed the foundation of life on Earth to come about - hardly a warm welcome!
2. The Design Argument
- Evolution gives an obvious solution to why everything seems to be adapted for its purpose - the main crux of this argument.
- Even without the idea of evolution looming about, the design argument fails simply because there is no consistency in it. If the universe and everything in it was designed with a purpose in mind by some great creator, then many things shouldn't exist at all.
- Taking the human as an example, why would a great God create man so that he must breathe and eat out of one orifice - leaving him the chance for choking on food to his death or less extreme: burping. As well as that: male nipples, vulnerability to disease, DNA malfunction, sleeping, and degenerating with age all have no clear advantages to our lives.
- Even the human eye, used most commonly as evidence for how perfectly we are 'designed,' has flaws of its own: worsening function as we age, cataracts and blindness. In fact, the eye contains a 'blind spot' which means that our view of the world is forever incomplete - what almighty creator would design such a flawed organ?
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Weaknesses of the Design Argument
The Lottery Objection
Another popular argument, the lottery objection states that even if an event has a very small chance of happening it still does have a chance of happening and therefore if it does happen there is no need to suggest it was the will of a divine being. When someone wins the lottery he never had a large chance of doing so, but nevertheless he did.
Likewise, if the conditions of the universe are very unlikely it still does not arise that it is impossible for them to be without some god or creator.
4. The Ontological Argument
The 'Ontological Argument' defines God into existence and states that since he is defined as being perfect and since part of being perfect is actually existing then it naturally follows that God is in fact real.
There are two big problems with this argument:
- A definition either describes something that we know is not real: like a unicorn or santa claus, or, it describes something that we know does exist, like a chair or a rock. It does not serve, therefore, to define a unicorn as something that exists and then claim that it does simply because it is defined to which is the basis of this argument. When we define God, if we are defining something that exists we must be sure that that is what he really is - we cannot simply state that he is perfect without actually knowing that this is true. If we accept that God is fictional however, then we can define him however we like, since there will not be a real God that will become apparent and prove our definition incorrect, since by definition, that would not be the God that we created.
- Even forgetting the above dismantling point, It is important to question the idea that being "perfect" necessitates existence at all - especially since 'perfect' is a very subjective term. Could the perfect holocaust be no holocaust at all? To summarise, It is an unjustified leap to assume that perfection includes existence.
5. The First Cause/Cosmological Argument
- To say that everything must have a cause and then to state that there was something with no cause is complete contradiction - if you take the idea that things can exist without a cause, then why not simply state that the universe came into existence without a cause - there is no need for a god middle man.
- Infinity could exist and therefore there is no need at all for a 'first cause', merely an infinite regress.
- Forgetting the above, there is absolutely no reason to assume that the 'being' that was the first cause was: a god, just one God and not a team of gods, still alive or present today and more importantly the god that is mentioned in monotheism (Christianity, Judaism, Islam).
- Science has given plenty of alternative solutions to how the universe came to be, with Stephen Hawking claiming that he knows for sure that the universe was not created by a god through his scientific knowledge.
- Science has found particles that seem to come into existence without a cause and then disappear just as purposelessly - giving rise to the idea that not everything has a cause. Perhaps then, the universe came about via such circumstances.
- The Big Bang was the start of time and therefore it logically follows that nothing could cause the Big Bang, since there was no time before it to be created.
6. Saintliness
- It is sadistic to cause huge amounts of suffering in the world just so a few of them could become 'saintly' or 'heroic', a truly loving god would not have caused billions pain for the pleasure of some few individuals.
- You might argue that the pain helps individuals on a personal level, but in many cases the pain merely crushes them and they commit suicide or acquire depression - there is no godly justification for this.
- God could have created the conditions of the universe so that there was no pain for humans at all but still retain the option for good deeds to be done - a man that helps his neighbour paint a fence is not preventing any pain (just his time) but is still doing a good deed. Pain is not necessary for goodness to be in existence because the absence of goodness is not pain but neutrality.
7. The Artistic Analogy
- When thought of practically, the argument fails - it is difficult to see how a young child dying of cancer helps the world be 'beautiful' and 'in harmony' and then would this pain and suffering even be worth the end 'beauty' and harmony that it would create? The way we define beauty often excludes human suffering (but part of the problem is that 'beauty' is for the most part completely subjective).
- If we take this 'harmony' and 'beauty' to be what 'good' really is, then it makes it impossible for us humans to ever judge what actually is good or evil, because we would need to be an omnipresent god to see the overall effects of an action on this 'harmony'.
- The analogy itself also seems to fail: a painting uses dark and light pigments and music uses contrasting notes to please our senses. Without this contrast the painting or music would be less pleasing to us. But that does not mean everything that contrasts is better with that contrast. To extend that argument and state that without suffering the pleasure we feel would be somehow less valuable to us, is simply unjustified.
8. The Argument from Miracles
- [David Hume]: Miracles are by definition very unlikely to happen (because if they were likely to happen then they would not be miracles) and therefore we should be reluctant to believe them. Since the proposed 'miracles' by other people are very unlikely and always without proof or scientific or logical explanation, we shouldn't accept them as evidence for god's existence.
- The miracles in the Bible are not worthy of considering in arguments because the validity of the information in the Bible is not high: a book written by over 40 people thousands of years ago with the intention of converting people to christianity is not likely to include a great deal of scientific understanding and rigorous testing when faced with 'miracles'.
Which Counter-Argument Is Your Favourite?
Umm wait a second Philanthropy, that was for you. I thought it was franto because of the previous sign off....you where just saluting.....oh never mind... the previous letter was for you philanthropy2012
Creationism for me is what the ancients used to call idol worshippers. Only today's Asherah or Baal is the bible and all the images it inspires. The bible is just a book created by humans by my perspective, but for miilions of others, it is a god and a word of a god.
As for Santa clause, even this idol or legend is based on some reality. Surely you can not deny the existence of a historical Saint called Nicolaus?
Even the fictional disney characters, I know have some social basis of reality.
It is shocking to note, that the ancient founders of many religions where in fact actually originally, more like philosophers who produced many original thoughts. It is their followers throughout the ages, who continued with the old traditions, that are into the whole religion thing.
Most arguments of creationists are ultimately silly because they first point to some god who can only be as limited in his ability to reason, as the best of these creationists collectively ... so their misconceptions are built right into their arguments, while the real nature of things is obviously, that the constant change in all forms of life on earth, and all forms of energy and matter here and else where in the universe has it's own relative and constantly changing purpose totally independent of our human interpretation of reality, no matter how well developed our level of science is today. It is only further limited by the introduction of such silly ideas of gods cooked up by some creationists who don't want to learn how to face reality first in which there is no evidence of any gods being ever required by nature, before trying to apply any kind of science in their misguided way!
If nature clearly has no use for any irrational gods, and humans are of natural origin, why would any rational human require a god for their physical, emotional and intellectual development?
All forms of religion are stagnant ideas, outdated and a major obstacle for the global socialization process of humanity.
We have greatly outlived any usefulness for such mental retardation!
Franto Hruz
"Except that the design argument specifies that every aspect of a human is designed to increase his survival "
Completely incorrect. The prevailing position among creationists in now way asserts that humans are currently without defect.
You're actually arguing against particles-to-people. Be careful. The evolutionist position has always been that traits will persist if they confer a survival advantage. When you assert that "many things" have no useful purpose, you are poking holes in your own position.
Your conclusion is based on your assumption that 'many things' have no useful purpose. Your conclusion implies that there is no such useful purpose because if there was then you'd know about it.
The basis for your argument becomes your assertion of this lack of useful purpose, which is specious.
Argument from incredulity..
It's a rather closed-minded argument from a scientific perspective. Science is obligated to consider the unknown: you dismiss it because you can't think up a reason for it.
To extend your analogy, a person seeing an apple for the first time would be justified in asserting that the thing does not exist because he knows of no useful purpose for it. Argument from incredulity.
"If the universe and everything in it was designed with a purpose in mind by some great creator, then many things shouldn't exist at all."
Argument from incredulity.
Quite good and interesting hub! It summarises and give answers to many things.
Believers of things don't actually make anything real!
Reality requires an objective understanding of what ever it is we are talking about ... and that critically objective observation and examination is a fundamental part of scientific thought which requires some education ... but believers don't want to follow a formal structure of thought to make sure their mind didn't just go over the deep end into the irrational, and that's fine if they just like to relate to their dreams, wishes, imagination or fantasy as something that originated in their own head, but has no place in the real world even if they manage to make it into a work of fiction, a painting, film or any work of art ...
Micky Mouse doesn't exist any more than Donald Duck or St. Nick and his flying rein deer along with all the mystical gods ... no matter how hard Walt Disney worked on creating them or how real all the special effects in any of the Hollywood movies try to make them look ... art is only a reflection of what some people may have come up with in their own mind ... these are the limits imposed by nature and the forces of the real world, no matter how many times they say 'god bless America' ahahaha ... :)
Very entertaining... yet also somehow a serious issue.
Here are some comments left for consideration:
Their is the physical reality. (Things in the universe)
Then their is the stuff of language, meanings, ideas, etc; (things that originate from the human mind)
Their is God, as a word with meanings, and as a set of ideas.
Then, their is God, (for believers), as a reality.
Problem #1: People are different, and so are their ideas about God. Therefore, under this logic, their seems to be many gods.
Problem #2: The very notion of being able to prove or not prove God is so absurd. (As if this is a scientific experiment on a physical object)
Problem #3: How can faith be subject to scientific methods? Science by its nature is not based on blind faith, but on provable and observable facts.
Problem #4: Being anti God, or being for the promotion of God, is so futile. It is like fighting for the wind or for the void of space. What on earth do people accomplish by getting all stirred up about the void of space?
Just some things to consider, I thought I would share...
Love it. I tend to just ignore the argument but it's nice to have some knowledge in case someone pushes the subject.
Hello Philanthropy, great job here. Very interesting and thorough, your points are well defined. Whenever I need a chuckle, I must admit, I read through the design debate, MyBad. I understand the need for deities, after all, we are only human. Good job and thanks for a great read!! Pinned it, FB'ed it, Nailed it, and shared it!!
Just a technical note -- you have two paragraphs numbered "1" in the section on Pascal's Wager. You should probably change that second one to "2."
Please feel free to delete this comment after making the correction.
Ahahah - good comment, thanks!
I am clear on the fact, to belief in miracles, you have to be irrational enough to think, anything is possible, there are no limitations to reality because god is almighty and can do anything any time he wishes ... :)
Yeh, and the main point is, when you pray to god to win the lottery, and even if you only get $10, in the mind of the believer it's clearly a sign that god responded ... ahahahaha
Ahahaha - the lottery objection works both ways though!
If all you nasty atheists had just a bit more faith in the almighty ... after all, human kind has to be seen as some thing more than just another form of infectious outgrows, or sexually transmitted disease to make planet earth decay a bit faster towards extinction ...
It's the job of religion to cover that fact up and make you happy so you can experience gods blessings being a sexually perverted man size mega virus!


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We spent part of our Sunday at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. This is the best time of year to get out and see the blooming flowers. It's been awhile since we've strolled around this gorgeous property. And the new StoryBook House exhibit was enough to get us to load up the car with camera packed and explore something new with the houses. Holding hands and watching our girl run from house to house was just what the big Stud and I needed. I guess you can call it a date since it was just one kid! Day Date Light, yes, that's what I would call it. I hope you enjoy the pictures as … [Read more...]
Listen to your Mother San Antonio
Listen to Your Mother! Does this sound like good advice? Well it is. And it's also a brand new production making its way to San Antonio on April 23 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. I know all of this because I was convinced to audition a piece of work that I had written by a friend who knew I would need a little nudging. I'm shy y'all. And when I did my reading, I had tears streaming down my face and I was a big, hot mess. There's just something so vulnerable about telling your story of motherhood out loud. I had never done it before that moment. When I got back in … [Read more...]
ThriveWell Against Cancer
As women of a certain age, we've all been there. The time between our annual mammogram and waiting on the results can be excruciating long, especially for those of us who have a family history of breast cancer. We wait. We worry. We pray. And for the majority of women, the result of their mammogram screening is negative for cancer. And for others, it is not. This starts the emotional roller coaster ride of being a cancer patient. It's the label that no one wants and after the initial shock and realization of their new reality, most wonder where to turn in the journey to fight … [Read more...]
The Little Church
Last Sunday morning, I made the long drive home from East Texas. I was all by myself and had hours to ponder life, soak in the beautiful scenery from my childhood and pray. There was so much to pray about. Where did I start? There were so many family members and friends heavy on my heart. I kept thinking of my sweet mom. She always had a list of people to pray for on a daily basis. When I couldn't immediately find her in the house, I knew to look for her in her bedroom. She escaped away with her rosary. It was her source of comfort, especially as she grew older and had a … [Read more...]
Amy is Getting Married
My niece Amy is getting married in a couple of months. It's hard to believe that she's all grown up. She was the cutest toddler. She had these curly blonde ringlets and beautiful blue-green eyes. And the sunniest personality, just like her momma Deb Deb! Oh my gosh, everyone loves this young lady. She was the school mascot for all four years of high school. She cheered for those Bulldogs with pride and all the while in that big, heavy costume. Our girl has some grit! I am pretty sure she gets a lot of her sense of humor from her daddy. My brother Jimmy is going to have a hard … [Read more...]
Magnolia Market Silos and Food Trucks
In case you haven't heard, Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame are kinda popular! And if you need proof of how popular, just count the number of out of state license plates there are on the cars parked outside of Magnolia Market in downtown Waco. It was a lot! You might need one of those clickers to count them all like they use at Costco to count their customers! Yes, my friends, Waco is a certified tourist destination! I made a quick trip on Friday on my way to East Texas. I've been used to stopping on this part of the interstate in travels to Kilgore for the seventeen years … [Read more...]
Goldilocks and the Three Gyms
I have been trying to decide what gym to join. Again. Do y'all remember Bally's? That was the first gym I ever joined in Dallas back in the late 80's and early 90's. It was the one on Greenville Avenue. It was back when J. R. Ewing and big hair was in style, you know the good 'ol days! Sigh. I mean I can totally commit to marriage for over 21 years but to commit to workout facility is asking a lot. I broke up with my last gym because it was too far. It was one of those fancy gyms with all the amenities and a cafe. We even had the twin's birthday party there a couple of … [Read more...]
Moms and Sons
Do y'all remember Theresa and Monica? They've been on the blog several times modeling clothes for our Sassy Mom Model series. Weren't those fun? We are about to start doing those again! Anyway, I went to a mom and son luncheon at my son's school this morning. It's where the senior boys stand up and tell their moms how much they love and appreciate them. Theresa's son Isaac and Monica's son Marshall are both seniors this year. I wanted to go and support them as well as see what those handsome boys had to say about their mommas. To say there wasn't a dry eye in the house would be an … [Read more...]
Daddy and Daughters
Sometimes it is hard to believe that I ever had daughters. It took us so long to have another child after our boy. I never dreamt that it would be two at once. I will never forget the moment they told us that we were having two girls. The men of the house chimed in with, "What are we going to do with two girls?" And now they don't know what they would do without them. I was looking through pictures and came across these that I took right before the twins left for their first "Daddy and Daughter Valentine Dance." It was a night of firsts. The first time they got dressed up … [Read more...]
By Denise
The other day as I was quickly scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post by a friend who grew up in my hometown of Kilgore, Texas. She had posted a poem that she had written. She prefaced it, "I don't write often much less do I share when I do write. I wrote this tonight and am just putting it out there." We have been FB friends long enough for me to know that this was very out of character for her. She always seemed so shy in high school. I had a feeling that this might have been her moment to take a chance and be brave. There is such a feeling of vulnerability when you do something … [Read more...]


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Note: Calculations and statistics based on games through March 2.
The 2012 Missouri Tigers finished the season on a roll, winning the Big 12 postseason title and claiming a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Led by first-year coach Frank Haith, the Tigers overwhelmed opponents with the most productive offense in college basketball, scoring 1.21 points per possession.
We all know what happened next. Missouri lost to Norfolk State in its first tournament game. Although no one predicted the Tigers would lose to the MEAC champions, Haith's team suffered from a major flaw that made a title unlikely. The Tigers' defense allowed 1.00 points per possession on the season, and 156 Division I teams allowed fewer points per trip.
At TeamRankings.com, we project the likely NCAA tournament seeds for each team in the nation and the probability of each team winning it all. Our projections favor teams that amass large point differentials over the course of the year. One-dimensional teams such as the 2012 Tigers have a harder time racking up large point differentials, making them unlikely champions. And we could see something similar play out this season.
The following are three NCAA tournament-bound teams that have been ranked highly in the AP poll yet are likely to disappoint in the bracket. In all three cases, our models project shockingly low chances for an NCAA championship.


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11th Circ. Upholds Sentence In $110M Ga. Mortgage Fraud
The appeals court ruled that a lower court correctly sentenced Phillip E. Hill, 54, according to sentencing guidelines, and that the sentence was not unduly harsh even though co-conspirators in the massive scheme received comparatively lighter prison terms because he was the "kingpin" who "orchestrated the whole thing."
"Without Hill there...
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Travel Channel We Are Summer Sweepstakes & Instant Win Game
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About "The Flat Earth" by coreyrtabor
A scientific diagram of the Earth as it was understood way back when. Objects are shown to scale.
Four colors on a dark, dark tee.
Design by coreyrtabor
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Hope comes with double Fletcher return for Scotland
Friday will see the return of both Fletchers but which one will have the greatest effect on the already faltering World Cup qualification campaign?
Scotland captain and Manchester United midfielder, Darren Fletcher should return to bolster a weak looking centre of the team. Fletcher's calming influence and dynamism was sorely missed in the recent games against both Serbia and Macedonia.
His unexpected return to first team action in the EPL and Champions league for United after a career threatening illness has provided the long suffering Tartan Army with a rare boost.
After an inauspicious start at Old Trafford Fletcher has gone on to become a regular starter in Alex Ferguson's team. Combative and cultured, on his day Fletcher can make the difference in midfield, even popping up with the occasional goal. Although slight in build he is capable of bossing the midfield with tenacious tackling and solid marking.
Aged 28 Fletcher has made 58 appearances for Scotland, scoring 5 goals. He is an integral part of the Scotland team and a rare class player in a quality starved squad. The only question that remains is if he can last for two tough international after such a long absence especially as against Belgium he will, alike his team-mates spend a lot of time chasing the ball.
Scott Brown will also return to the squad for the game against Wales and his partnership with Fletcher should give Scotland a strong midfield base.
Steven Fletcher returns to the Scotland squad after a 2 year self-imposed absence. During the summer he completed a £14 million transfer to Sunderland and since then has started the seasons impressively scoring all of the Black Cat's goals. Fletcher is an accomplished striker and target man with a decent record in the EPL. Although he does not do the running and tracking back of Kenny Miller Craig Mackail Smith he is deadly in front of goal. His starting 11 inclusion is a "no brainer" it just remains to be seen if he receives the adequate service to convert chances.
The childish spat between Fletcher and Craig Levein was finally healed, after media and fan pressure last week hopefully their new found amity will produce results on Friday and Tuesday.
Squad for games against Wales and Belgium:
Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Allan McGregor (Besiktas), David Marshall (Cardiff City)
Christophe Berra (Wolves), Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic), Daniel Fox (Southampton), Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers), Alan Hutton (Aston Villa), Russell Martin (Norwich City), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Andy Webster (Heart of Midlothian)
Charlie Adam (Stoke), Scott Brown (Celtic), Darren Fletcher (Manchester United), James Forrest (Celtic), James McArthur (Wigan Athletic), Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic), James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich City)
Steven Fletcher (Sunderland), Jamie Mackie (Queens Park Rangers), Kenny Miller (Vancouver Whitecaps), Matt Phillips (Blackpool), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers)
Although the inclusion of both Fletchers and Scott Brown has been praised by all there are still many criticising Levein's omission of Celtic midfielder, Kris Commons. Although Commons has started the SPL well and impressed in Europe the Scotland coach has again omitted the player from his squad, even after Steven Naismith's 2 match ban for violent conduct. His non-inclusion is puzzling in the extreme.
probable team to face Wales on Friday 12th October:
On paper Wales are too daunting an opponent but they do have two genuine European class players in Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsay. The Celtic duo of Adam Matthews and Joe Ledley should not hold any surprises however Joe Allen in midfield will be a player to watch. The Welsh have had a poor start to their campaign and are coming off a 6 – 1 hiding against Serbia. They know already that a loss to Scotland may end their faint qualification hope.s
Belgium have an extremely talented group of players at present.Not only is the majority of the team playing in the EPL but they are also flourishing for their respective teams, all of which are currently in the top 6 or in the Champions League.
Dembele, Hazard, Felliani and Lukaku have hit the new season running and Vincent Company was the player of the season last year.Added to this Vertonghen, Vermaelen and Van Buyten (the three V,s??) are experienced quality defenders.
Scotland needs Levein and Fletcher to bury the hatchet
Craig Levein is currently riding a small wave of popularity after last week's 3 -1 of Australia but for many Scotland supporters the jury is well and truly out in regards to his tenure as coach of the national team.
Last year's Euro 2012 qualification campaign was dreadful in the extreme. Although we managed to push it to the last day Scotland only managed to record 2 wins against the mighty Liechtenstein, a home win and away draw against Lithuania and a home draw against the Czech Republic. Added to this we had the national embarrassment of playing against the Czech Republic with no strikers and his infamous ultra-defensive 4–6–0.
The friendly games have been only slightly more successful with credible wins against Denmark, Northern Ireland and Australia. But with equally soul destroying humpings against the USA and Sweden his record is mixed at best: Played – 20, Won – 10, Drawn – 3 and Lost – 7.
On his current record it is hard to understand why the SFA (Scottish Football Association) had the confidence to award him with a five and a half year deal.
His win percentage is 50 % in all games is also reflected in his competitive ratio of Played 8, Won 3, Drawn 2 and lost 3.
However it is not the underwhelming statistics that created doubt in the Scotland supporters minds but more his poor handling of several player problems in his short tenure.
Last week it was his erratic decisions in regards to Rangers players Lee Wallace and Ian Black which created a tsunami of criticism and forced grudging explanations from Levein and his right hand man Peter Houston. Levein then countered the media based assessments by banning the Daily Record from the following match press conference. An act which could be viewed as retaliatory broadside or a childish swipe.
All this pales into significance compared to the problem of Steven Fletcher and his exclusion from the national team. The ambiguity surrounding the Wolves strikers omission form recent squads is frustrating and confusing to the Scotland fans. Recent transfer speculation has seen Fletcher being valued at up to £15 million, an astronomical amount for a Scotland player even with consideration of the accepted British player premiums. Fletcher is a quality striker in the English Premier League and it could be argued the best British striker in a top 3 European league. Scotland can ill afford to discount such an asset.
The coach/player stand off seems to have been created from the exchange of several text messages (how 2006) in regards to previous team exclusion and involvement. Whatever happened in the past, now we have to grown men unable to pick up the phone; or even text to give the slightest inclination their feelings or concerns. Maybe neither want to lose face; maybe one or both need to grow up.
With the possibility of a potent attack of Steven Fletcher and Jordan Rhodes backed up with an English based squad of more than competent players, Scotland have team of great potential. The likes of which we have not seen since the late 90's. Unlike Burley or Vogts before Levein cannot use the old of excuse of player quality as although his team is not top quality they better than previous squads.
The World Cup qualification draw was not kind to Scotland which was not surprising considering our recent tumble down the rankings. On paper Croatia and Serbia are better teams with more skillful individuals but with a little luck and a capability to score goals we can realistically hope to win some points, especially at home.
Belgium maybe a bridge to far and they should top the group in a similar fashion to Spain in the last group. With players like Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini and Kevin De Bruyne its hard to look past the Belgians.
In truth Wales and Macedonia are of a similar level to Scotland and if we cannot take points against these teams then all is probably lost. The first two games are both at home against Serbia then Macedonia and realistically if we do not win both of these games we can forget qualification and dispose of Levein at the same time.
However if Levein can smooth over his teething problems and realise his SFA considered potential he will be given the opportunity push for our first successful qualification since 1988.
However in order to this he must have the Steven Fletcher in attack and a country 100% behind him neither of which he has right now.


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Friday night high school football trumps 'Hamilton's America' doc on GPB
This was posted on Friday, October 21, 2016 on Rodney Ho's AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Atlanta "Hamilton" fans were outraged that Georgia Public Broadcasting was airing high school football tonight instead of a documentary about the runaway hit Broadway musical.
Why? GPB is contractually obligated to air football.
It chose to live stream it online at http://www.gpb.org/hamilton as an alternative.
GPB will air "Hamilton America" at 8 p.m. on Monday, then repeating at 9:30 p.m.
Here are a sampling of Twitter complaints:


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- Uganda has firmed up plans with Tanzania to run a KSh 400 billion pipeline through the coastal city of Tanga, Tanzania
- Kenya had hoped to get in on the massive pipeline deal but may not be able to after a meeting between Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda and John Magufuli, the President of Tanzania on Tuesday, March 1
Kenya may find themselves on the outside looking in regarding a massive oil pipeline deal, worth an estimated KSh 400 billion.
The pipeline was discussed by President Magufuli of Tanzania and President Museveni of Uganda, who further discussed the possibility of the pipeline going through Tanga, Tanzania. The two presidents reached an agreement to begin construction on the huge project.
READ ALSO: In Photos: How President Kenyatta Graced The Ugandan Parliament
Kenya had hoped that the proposed pipeline through the Northern Lamu route. Uganda and Kenya had agreed to start construction using the route in 2015, but the proposal was vetoed by France's Total, an investor in the pipeline, as being too risky.
READ ALSO: Deal Struck Between Kenya, Uganda For KSh 400 Billion Pipeline
Officials from Total have visited Museveni in recent months to convince him that the Tanga, Tanzania route is the most viable option for the pipeline.
President Uhuru Kenyatta traveled to Rwanda in December of 2015 to firm up plans regarding the future construction of oil pipelines, as a major aspect of the East African Community's (EAC's) Northern Integration project.
Militant group al-Shabaab are one of the major causes of concern within the Lamu region, as the group has launched repeated attacks within the area.
READ ALSO: President Uhuru Kenyatta Off To His 44th International Trip
Image: Road and Track
Source: Tuko.co.ke


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Christy Wilhelmi is a tremendous gardener! She's author of the beloved Gardening For Geeks book, and has one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes for the entire community. She loves heirloom vegetables and teaches organic gardening classes and food garden design.
Christy's message is simple. She empowers people to confidently grow more of their own food, to be more self-reliant and to reduce pollution and waste.
In This Episode You Will Discover:
- secrets to growing amazing kolrabi and cabbage – it's NOT what you think!
- why BLIGHT is a source of frustration for gardeners
- drought-resistant garden strategies – do you know about DRIP yet?
- Christy's favorite seed catalogs – DROOL FACTOR 5!
- How healthy are you really? Take the test at http://NutritionWeCanTrust.com
- Looking for a fun gardening gift? I Love Gardening Tee
Peaceful Valley – http://www.groworganic.com/
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – http://rareseeds.com
Bountiful Gardens – http://bountifulgardens.org
Products from Amazon.com
Price: Check on Amazon
This is the book Christy mentioned on the show!
Interview Links
Follow Christy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gardenerd1
Check out Christy Wilhelmi's blog: http://gardenerd.com
Subscribe to Gardenerd Tip of The Week: iTunes Podcast
Download Christy's amazing book on Amazon!
Watch the Podcast Interview Here:
Coming Soon!


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|Home | Articles | News | Blog | About | Mailing List | Resources | Prominent Islamists | Middle East Forum | Keep Us Informed | Donate
AP Scrubs 'Muslim' from Obama's Self-Referential Joke
by Robert Spencer
Warner Todd Huston reported at Breitbart Monday that "in some of its reports on Saturday night's White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD), the Associated Press failed to include one of President Obama's own gags."
Obama said: "These days I look in the mirror and have to admit, I'm not the strapping young Muslim Socialist that I used to be." But, noted Huston, "in one version of the night's story (as seen at Huffington Post, Time Magazine, Breitbart Wires, the Ottawa Citizen, and The Columbian to name a few), the AP's Bradley Klapper forgot one part of the President's joke," reporting his words as "I'm not the strapping young Socialist that I used to be,"
Why? Did they think it had too much of a ring of truth?
Read the complete original version of this item...
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Creeping Dhimmitude


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A business woman. A friend, wife and daughter. An environmentalist. But like most women out there, I am, first and foremost, a mom. My name is Sandra Beck and I'm the proud founder of Tidy Tots Diapers. I find inspiration and motivation from our smallest, sweetest, messiest, most adorable creations. Our children. And I strive to make their world a better place.
After decades of owning and operating a software company, I decided to turn the page and take on a new challenge. Since then I have dedicated my endeavors to changing the environment our children live in and making it safer, cleaner and healthier. During my research I learned that it takes 500 years to biodegrade disposable diapers. That's a pretty long time, don't you think? I sure did. So I've created a cloth diaper that is sure to revolutionize the market. I bring you Tidy Tots Diapers.
They say, "It takes a village to raise a child." And it took a village to create this diaper, too! With the help of over 100 families, during the course of 6 years, I have tested, re-tested, refined and perfected Tidy Tots Diapers. Most importantly, these diapers have a disposable insert called Flushies that snaps and locks into place. That means no leaks. No diaper rash. No "ick-factor!" I believe it's the most natural and most effective way to diaper our little ones and create a healthier environment for their future.
It's been my pleasure to work with so many wonderful parents and their incredible little babies as I developed Tidy Tots. I'd like to thank them for joining me on my mission to make a difference. Our children thank you, as well.
Ick Free
Flushies liners fasten securely no shifting or bunching.
Simply remove and flush.
Rash Free
Hemp diapers and boosters are naturally anti-microbial, flushies are made of cornstarch, a natural remedy for diaper rash
Leak Free
Water resistant trim prevents wicking, special gussets and flaps keep messes contained


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DIAMOND TPU Soft Case for Iphone 5/s/SE, 6/s, 6s/s+, 7 & 7+
Getting This
Getting This
Swipe to see product units > Highlights High quality grade TPU material that keeps your phone away from scratches. International Advanced Printing technology design only for you. Easy to Install Shipping Promo: #FreeDelivery worth Php1,000 Regular Shipping Rate: Php140 via LBC or 2GO nationwide Php70 via XEND within metro manila Php110 via XEND provincial areas Dear customers, pre order items may take up to 10 days from your payment. As a trusted seller its 100% sure that you'll be receiving the item as fresh as your moms recipe today. All we need is an agreement of pay-to-order basis, once we received your payment all we have to do is wait. And surely we will update you as soon as we can. For orders that we might fail to process, we will refund the money you paid for the order in full amount. And we in thethriftzone assures good product at its reasonable price. Mode of Payment: LBC, Cebuana, Villarica, Palawan, Western Union. No service charge: PNB Savings Bank. (Soon in PayMaya and BDO) Thank you so much for chosing @thethriftzone. #iphonecase #iphone6 #lowestprice #budgetfriendly #cheapcases #cheapiphonecases #cheapestprice #iphoneaccessory #androidaccesorry #androidcase #cheapandroidcases #listforfood #oppo #samsung #oppocase #samsungcase
Bocaue, Philippines
Please ensure to bring the exact money. Php20 for Handling fee Bocaue Crossing/ McDonalds Php40 for Handling fee in SM Marilao
140 additional fee for LBC, 2GO and JRS Express.


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Gone Fishing Novice Fishing Rod Set is the complete combo fishing system. It will give any angler everything they need to start fishing today. Includes fishing rod and reel, bobber, split shots, sinkers, lures and hooks.
- Materials: graphite, aluminum, plastic
- Color: black and yellow
- 2-piece fishing pole
- Dimensions: 84 in. x 5.5 in. x 3.25 in.
- Rod length: 7 ft.


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Over 20 years of Archived Content from Real Amateurs around the world
Posted by: CharlotteS
Apr 5, 2016
We loved all your comments on our first submission so here is me using my toys.. I really get turned on by this and love my ass being fingered while I am playing with toys .. so my bf does this .. Hope film not too shakey .. lol
The Gigantic Amateur Archive!
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Uploaded byCharlotteS
Contri Views154,245
Legal Notice: The photos and/or videos above may only be downloaded for your private pleasure.
You may not republish them on another website or anywhere else.


text: FXStreet (Bali) - Aus Q3 GDP is due on 2/12, with consensus looking for a 2.3% rise. However, given the disappointing Australian capex in Q3, there is likely to be downside revisions in the days to come, which should be a negative input for the Australian Dollar. For more information, read our latest forex news.


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B.Sc. (G) Mathematical ScienceMaharaja Agrasen College
Price on request
Important information
|New delhi
- Bachelor
- New delhi
Course programme
B.Sc. (G) Mathematical Science
For admission to B.Sc. (Gen) Mathematical Science, the college will entertain applications from candidates who have secured atleast 45% marks in the relevant subjects and 40% marks in language at Senior School Certificate Examination or an examination recognized equivalent thereof. The candidate should have studied Mathematics at 10+2 level.
Course Outline
First Year
i. Maths I: Algebra
ii. Maths II : Calculus
iii. O.R.-I: Statistical Methods
iv. O.R.-II : Optimization-I
v. Computer Science-I: Programming in C
vi. Computer Science-II: Computer Org. & OS
Subsidiary : English
Second Year
vii. Maths III : Geometry
viii. Maths IV : Vector & Differential Equation
ix. O.R.-III : Inventory Management & Marketing Management
x. O.R.-IV: Optimization-II
xi. Computer Science III: Object Oriented Prog.
xii. Computer Science IV: Computer Networks & Internet
Subsidiary : Economics/Financial Accounting
Third Year
xiii. Maths V : Real Analysis
xiv. Maths VI : Statistics/Mechanics
xv. O.R.-V : Queueing theory & Reliability
xvi. O.R.-VI: Statistical Quality Control & Forecasting
xvii. Computer Science V: Data Base Systems
xviii. Computer Science VI: UNIX, SE, Multimedia