text: World Dairy Expo Announces 2012 Slate of Judges February 27, 2012 07:08 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By MILK Editors Email Source: World Dairy Expo A slate of sixteen official judges will evaluate over 2,500 head of the finest registered dairy cattle October 2-6 during the 2012 World Dairy Expo. This premier dairy industry event attracts over 65,000 dairy cattle enthusiasts from around the globe. The following list of judges has been named: International Ayrshire Show: Lynn Harbaugh, Marion, Wis. Associate Judge: Chad Ryan, Fond du Lac, Wis. International Brown Swiss Show: Curtis Day, Burnsville, Minn. Associate Judge: Brian Schnebly, Hagerstown, Md. International Guernsey Show: Adam Liddle, Argyle, N.Y. Associate Judge: William Peck III, Schuylerville, N.Y. International Holstein Show: Michael Heath, Westminster, Md. Associate Judge: Dave Dyment, Dundas, Ont. Central National Jersey Show: Mark Rueth, Oxford, Wis. Associate Judge: Cathy Yeoman, Dover, Okla. International Milking Shorthorn Show: Steve White, New Castle, Ind. Associate Judge: Ken Empey, Dorchester, Ont. Grand International Red & White Show: Justin Burdette, Mercersburg, Pa. Associate Judge: Steve Shaw, Williamsburg, Pa. International Junior Holstein Show: Chris Lahmers, Marysville, Ohio Associate Judge: Pat Conroy, Angola, Ind. World Dairy Expo is recognized as the largest dairy-focused event in the world. Dairy producers from across the globe are invited to attend the event that includes eight dairy cattle shows, Expo Seminars, Virtual Farm Tours, youth competition and over 800 exhibiting trade show companies featuring innovative products and services. The 2012 World Dairy Expo theme will be "Market Fresh" and the event will be held October 2-6 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com or call 608/224-6455 for further details. Back to news


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Effective: June 1st 2016

subset: commoncrawl


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Licensed Boiler Installation Near Rockford MI
Boiler Installation Options for Residential Customers in Rockford!
One of the most important decisions a Michigander can make is how to heat their home or business. It's not just that our state's winters are famously cold, and that the quality of your heating system impacts your health and that of everyone under your roof. It's also that your heating system uses an enormous amount of energy, and has a powerful impact on your bills and environmental footprint.
Grand Rapids Heating & Cooling is committed to minimizing both impacts while keeping your house or workplace toasty throughout the season. As a boiler and furnace technician with extensive experience in the Grand Rapids area, we offer comprehensive furnace and boiler installation, repair, and replacement services. No matter where you are or what kind of heating system you use, we'll warm your building efficiently and effectively.
Finding the Right Boiler & Furnace Technician
A quality furnace and boiler repair and installation contractor will be able to install the heating system seamlessly into your home or office, so that it works as effectively as possible while using minimal energy. To find a contractor with the skills to do this, pay attention to:
- Length & Breadth of Experience- The longer a boiler and furnace repair and installation specialist has been in business, the more likely they are to have experience with a range of different houses and heating systems. This increases the chance that they will be able to work on your home or business without issue.
- Licensing & Insurance Coverage- Besides practical experience, you need to make sure your contractor has the formal training necessary to work on your heating system. Your technician also needs to be fully bonded and insured, because if they make a mistake, the cost of fixing it may be high.
- Ratings & References- When you're considering a contractor, see how they're rated by organizations like Google Reviews and the Better Business Bureau. You should also ask them for references from past clients then contact those clients and find out how good a job they did. Pay particular attention to clients who have homes or offices similar to yours.
Select Us For Your Boiler Installation in Rockford!
By servicing the community of Rockford, MI -- we've learned that our reputation with customers is important.
Grand Rapids Heating & Cooling is a fully insured, bonded, and licensed contractor with more than 20 years of experience providing furnace and boiler replacement, repair, and installation services.
For more information or to request heating services for your home or business, visit our website today.
Contact us today or call (616) 818-8850 to partner with an experienced boiler installation today!


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'The Walking Dead' Review: "Home"
'The Walking Dead' season 3 brings to life its tenth episode of the season "Home," as Rick struggles to recover his faculties while an angry Glenn plots retaliation against Woodbury, and Andrea finds her loyalties called into question by the Governor.
Last week's 'The Walking Dead' premiere "The Suicide King" saw Rick rescuing Daryl and Merle from the Woodbury Arena, and beginning to crack under the difficult decisions posed by the new additions to his group, while Andrea attempted to calm a panicked Woodbury and draw the Governor out of seclusion, so what will the latest episode bring?
Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about 'The Walking Dead' season 3 episode 10, "Home!"
Following Rick's outburst, the man stands alone in the exterior corridor looking around the prison, spying Michonne camped out in the overturned bus, and eventually his vision of Lori standing by the graves in the distance. Michonne watches as Rick races toward the vision, which moves elsewhere outside the prison fences by the time he gets there. Rick follows the apparition to the marsh's walkway, and Lori tenderly touches his face while a disturbed Michonne looks on.
Over in Woodbury, the Governor thanks Andrea for her passionate speech, and urges her to lead the town in his stead, though Andrea seems uncertain at the prospect. Elsewhere, Merle and Daryl walk about through the woods, scrounging for food while Daryl tries to warm his brother to the concept of returning to the prison.
Back at the prison, Glenn and Michonne plot to strike back at the Governor, despite Hershel's protests, though Glenn reminds him they'd be too vulnerable out on the road again with a baby and a one-legged man. Meanwhile in Woodbury, the Governor pays Milton a visit and attempts to secure his loyalty, tasking the scientist to keep an eye on Andrea to see where her own loyalties lie. Outside, Andrea notes the absence of the Governor, as well as Martinez and a few other men.
Back at the prison, Glenn attempts to lead a mission around the facility to find the structure's weak points, while Maggie continues giving him the cold shoulder. In private, Maggie admits that the Governor didn't specifically rape her, but resents his inquiry into the ordeal. Outside, Carol and Axel continue fortifying the walkway, as Axel admits that he was imprisoned for armed robbery, despite the fact that the gun police found actually belonged to his brother.
Out in the woods, Daryl hears a baby's cries, as he and Merle discover a Spanish-speaking family desperately fending off walkers at a nearby overpass. The Dixons intervene, and put down the surrounding walkers, but afterward Merle begins rooting through the terrified family's car for supplies. Daryl trains a crossbow on his brother and demands he relent, urging the family to drive away.
Back in the woods the pair argue about who Daryl has become, seeing as they originally intended on robbing the Atlanta camp, and the brothers come to blows. In the scuffle, Merle sees a number of scars on his younger brother's back, recognizing them as the handiwork of their father. Merle admits that he left their family for fear of killing the old man in retaliation, not realizing Daryl would be next in line for the abuse. Daryl resolves to return to the prison, despite Merle's protests he won't be accepted, but Daryl urges him to try anyway.
Over at the prison Hershel attempts to dissuade Glenn from undertaking any dangerous missions against the Governor, but Glenn argues he has become next in line to lead with Daryl's absence and Rick's breakdown. Hershel spies Rick wandering around outside the prison and urges him through the fence to return to the leadership position. Trusting Hershel, Rick admits that he's been seeing visions of both Lori and Shane, and despite knowing them not to be real, feels he must follow them to see where they lead.
Carol and Axel continue their friendly conversation, when all of a sudden a bullet whizzes through the former prisoner's skull, courtesy of the Governor! Carol ducks for shelter under Axel's body as the Governor and his men open fire on the prison with Rick, Michonne, Maggie and Carl doing their best to defend. All of a sudden, a large van barrels through the front gates of the prison, opening up its hold to release a number of captive walkers into the outside grounds!
The Governor and his men speed off as Glenn returns, and Michonne grabs her katana to begin slicing walkers left and right. As Rick finds himself nearly pinned down, Michonne saves him at the last moment, just as Merle and Daryl return to join the fight. The group spirits Hershel behind the remaining fences, as Rick takes stock of Merle and Daryl's arrival, and observes the plethora of walkers now freely roaming the grounds. To be continued!
There were those that argued last week's "The Suicide King" made for a lackluster premiere, even if 'The Walking Dead' needed a bit of a breather episode in order to prepare for the inevitable climax of the season. "Home" does a much better job of balancing the two elements, providing plenty of heated drama even before the bullets start flying and the Governor makes an initial attack on the prison. The action sequences are as thrilling as ever as the predicament becomes even more dire for Rick's group, though hopefully the pacing won't suffer in upcoming episodes that lack such battles. Surprisingly no mention of Tyreese's group, though we're glad to have Daryl back so soon, as even Michonne and Merle seem to have ingratiated themselves a bit. All in all, a definite improvement on last week's hour, and a good sign of things to come.
Did you get your fill of thrilling zombie killing? What did you think about the episode? Check out all our other 'Walking Dead' season 3 coverage, and join us next week for an all-new episode recap of 'The Walking Dead' season 3.5′s "I Ain't A Judas" on AMC!


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Surveillance alert: For almost a decade, the National Security Agency has had the ability to track cell phones, even when they're turned off.
But it all depends on what's meant by "track," "phone" and "off."
This tracking ability was revealed on July 20 by The Washington Post, in an article chronicling the evolution of the NSA's signals intelligence work in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, when intelligence agencies, the military and the FBI created an "insatiable demand for its work product." That demand was driven in no small part by CIA and paramilitary units and clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) teams who wanted to use cellphones as real-time beacons to track (and eventually capture or kill) al-Qaeda leaders.
One of the "products" supposedly on offer from September 2004 was "a new NSA technique that enabled the agency to find cellphones even when they were turned off," reported the Post. "JSOC troops called this 'The Find,' and it gave them thousands of new targets, including members of a burgeoning al-Qaeda-sponsored insurgency in Iraq, according to members of the unit."
That news was reported verbatim by numerous media outlets, including Russia Today, which noted that "12 years after the Sept. 11 attack -- and more than three since al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was executed thanks to tactics employed by the NSA, CIA and others -- these operations have not been scaled back." In other words, adding to the list of programs that are collecting data on Americans, now we have to worry about our location being tracked by cellphones even when they're turned off.
But security experts chimed in that cellphones really can't be tracked when they're turned off. "This isn't true -- at least, it's not what you think," said Robert David Graham, CEO of Errata Security, in a blog post. "If you turn your iPhone/Android off, the NSA cannot track you by your phone number" or any other identifying information broadcast by the phone, he said.
Now come the caveats. For one thing, phones that are turned off may not actually be turned off. "If the NSA elects to modify your phone's firmware, removing the battery is the only way to ensure it's actually 'off,'" tweeted Marsh Ray, who works on Windows Azure active authentication at Microsoft.


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I am working on a project in which I need to make a plot of the velocity loss (coming from using finite-burn instead of impulsive burn) in function of thrust over weight ratio, keeping the same orbit.
The problem is, I do not know how to define uniquely an orbit in GMAT.
In the mission sequence I put the command "propagate" with stopping conditions "Apoapsis", and then "achieve" to RMAG= 12000 km, and then "achieve" again to ECC=0.25, in order to uniquely define the orbit with apoapsis and eccentricity; BUT changing the T/W, I could see from the Command summary the SMA changes, which means I am in another orbit.
I read the manual but I could not find any section in which it was explained.
Can someone help me?


text: Get dressed up with our gorgeous range of glamorous party dresses and long evening maxi dresses. Searching for the perfect outfit for your bridesmaids? Saving up for something special for your prom? We've got the dress - and don't forget the evening and party shoes and statement jewellery to complete your look. So, whether the dress code is black tie, cocktail or dress to party, we've got something for every occasion.


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Hello, and welcome to the First States (Delaware) Photography out and about section
My name is Chris, I am a local photographer here in Bear, Delaware. I typically shoot models (humans) for most of my work, I do this on the side, and for artistic fun. But I really enjoy working with groups...
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Hawaii largely dodges one-two storm punch
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By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and AUDREY McAVOY
HONOLULU (AP) -- The one-two hurricane punch that was supposed to hit Hawaii is looking more like a jab and a missed left hook.
After Hawaii cleared Tropical Storm Iselle largely without deterring sunbathers and surfers, the state looked toward Hurricane Julio, which was expected to pass roughly 160 miles northeast of the islands at its closest point early Sunday and linger near the state into Monday.
While prospects for Julio could quickly change, the storms appear to have been more a scare for Hawaii than a significant threat.
"This was no Sandy or Katrina or any other storm that you remember the name of," said Sylvia Dahlby, 58, of Hilo, on the Big Island. The Big Island took the brunt of a weakening Iselle on Thursday night and early Friday. By late Friday night, the National Weather Service announced that it had canceled all storm watches and warnings for the state.
Iselle knocked down power lines, phones and trees, but it not did not cause major damage or injuries.
People were out and about throughout Hawaii on Friday afternoon after a nonexistent morning commute in usually congested Honolulu and elsewhere.
Wind and rain swept through Maui, Oahu and Kauai and lingered on the Big Island. The National Weather Service put Oahu and Kauai under flood advisories Friday night. Two communities in Puna were isolated by damaged roadways enough to prompt elections officials to postpone voting for two precincts, though state officials said the rest of a primary election planned for Saturday would continue as planned, with results revealed. The ticket in heavily Democratic Hawaii includes two marquee primaries, a Senate race and a governor's race, plus a wide-open House race.
Shawncee Guerrero, a cashier at a surf shop in Waimea on Hawaii's Big Island, said the scariest part was not knowing what elements were coming or how severe they would be.
"Now we have to wonder what's next," Guerrero said as she worked while waiting for power to be restored at her home with her family in Honokaa.
While it lacked power, Iselle was the first tropical storm to hit Hawaii in 22 years. After it hit, coffee farmers on the Big Island navigated flooded roads to assess damage to their crops.
Those staying in shelters were told to return home, while crews and residents used chain saws to clear trees from roads on the Big Island.
On Oahu, surfers rode waves where they could, despite a warning from lifeguards that they would only respond to emergency calls.
"I'm just going to hit the hurricanes and then leave," said Scott Bush, a California surfer who booked tickets to Honolulu with his 14-year-old son after hearing about the possibility of two hurricanes. He planned to surf until the middle of next week. "The power of the ocean is just incredible," Bush said.
The National Weather Service canceled its tropical storm warnings for the islands Friday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday reopened all but the Port of Kaunakai on Molokai.
Still, the National Park Service said it would keep its popular memorial sites at Pearl Harbor in Oahu closed through Saturday as staff keeps an eye on Hurricane Julio.
The state Department of Health warned the public to stay out of floodwaters and storm-water runoff across Hawaii because they are known to attract sharks as they wash dead animals into the ocean.
Hurricanes or tropical storms had directly hit Hawaii only three times since 1950. The last time was in 1992, when Hurricane Iniki killed six people and destroyed more than 1,400 homes in Kauai.
The state prepared for the back-to-back storms by closing government offices, schools and transit services across Hawaii. Travelers faced disrupted plans as several airlines canceled dozens of flights Thursday, but most flights weren't interrupted Friday. Some airlines waived reservation-change fees and fare differences for passengers who needed to alter their plans.
The storms are rare in Hawaii, but they are not unexpected in El Nino years, a change in ocean temperature that affects weather around the world. Ahead of this year's hurricane season, weather officials warned the wide swath of the Pacific Ocean that includes Hawaii could see four to seven tropical storms this year.
Associated Press writers Oskar Garcia, Cathy Bussewitz and Manuel Valdes in Honolulu; Karin Stanton in Kailua-Kona; and Brian Skoloff in Phoenix contributed to this report.
Hurricane Categories
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Safety Procedures
Weather Tracker
Hurricane Tracker
Hawaii Weather Forecast


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So what's it like behind-the-scenes at a major brand during fashion week? We caught up with Liz McDaniel, the director of brand communications at Diane Von Furstenberg (and one of our '35 under 35 in fashion') to get an inside look at the days leading up to a runway show including (of course) what she wears for all of the fashion madness. Here, she documents it all starting with Glamour's fashion week party on Thursday and ending with the DVF runway show on Sunday.
"With three days until showtime, the office was a little hectic! I worked on a blog for Lip Service and our team had a meeting with the videographer to finalize plans for the show on Sunday. I always interview Diane and the hair and makeup artists for our behind the scenes video, so we got everything in order for that. It's one of my favorite things to work on because I mostly get to run around backstage and say "Where's my crew?!""
"I needed something fun that could transition easily from work to Glamour's '35 under 35' party. I opted for a printed pant and a chalk-colored leather jacket from our spring collection. I love the asymmetry of it. After work, I added my favorite bangles I bought at a flea market on Jane Street. My official stance on jewelry is that if it is inexpensive, it should be interesting and if it's expensive, it should be simple."
"Friday I was back and forth into the gallery where they were putting the final touches on the collection which is called 'Glam Rock' and it's all about living life as a party. Who can argue with that? I worked with Diane on the show notes which is always fun because I get to see the collection and start lusting after everything early!"
"A snow forecast threw me a little curve ball. Friday is usually my most laid back day, but I do feel some pressure to take things up a notch for fashion week. I slipped into an Alexander Wang T, a pair of new black leggings from our spring collection, and vintage Ferragamo boots. My bag is our 440 Top Handle satchel, aka "the bag Beyonce wore." (Sort of how the Super Bowl is now known as the sporting event where Beyonce performed.)"
"I finalized the show notes announcing the collection, posted a blog and edited the final proof of the Run of Show before it went to the printer. I also approved some social media copy and ate way too many chocolate covered almonds."
"The snow was still an issue. Hunter Boots were necessary, but I switched back into the sleeker Ferragamo boots as soon as I got to the office. Saturday is super-casual so I went for another Alexander Wang T under a soft grey sweater and a pair of Citizen jeans. I added a quilted leather jacket for warmth."
"In keeping with the Glam Rock theme of the weekend, I went straight from work to see The Post, my boyfriend's band, at Arlene's Grocery on the LES. I kept the jeans but did a quick switch from the T to a camisole with a soft printed blazer and heels. Taxi required."
"It's show time! After a quick meeting with the director of merchandising, I headed up to Lincoln Center to help capture photos backstage for social media and also do interviews for the behind the scenes video. Then I watched the show and started to plan fall outfits in my head. Afterwards, we all zipped downtown to Willow Road for a post-show party, which could hardly be called work. My favorite quote from Diane's speech: "Whether you're getting laid or getting hired, these are the clothes that close the deal."


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Wartburg College
Wartburg offers more than 50 academic majors in the liberal arts and in professional areas such as business administration, education, music, and communication arts among many others. Our graduates find satisfying jobs and are admitted into top graduate and professional schools. With small classes (only about 17 students per class) and an excellent faculty-student ratio of 11 to 1, you will get personal attention from your professors at Wartburg.
The college has a diverse study body with students coming from about 25 U.S. states and 50 other countries. International students comprise approximately 10 percent of the student body.
Our students have the opportunity to participate in campus activities such as service, clubs, sports, and music; the possibilities are endless! We are proud of our Urban Studies program that allows students to intern in urban cities in the U.S. while still living in Wartburg housing and earning school credit. One of our most popular city is in Denver, Colorado.
Here on our campus, you will receive a high quality education in which you will earn your bachelor's degree in a safe, friendly community in the Midwestern United States.
Wartburg College offers scholarships for international students ranging up to $27,000 per year, depending on academic merit, financial need, and participation in activities and community service. All students are considered for scholarship at the time of admission; you don't need to fill out a separate application. Simply complete an application and send all the required supporting documents!
School Information100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, Iowa 50677-0903
Locale: Town: Distant
Open Admissions: Yes
Sector: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Carnegie Basic: Baccalaureate Colleges--Arts & Sciences
Religious Affiliation: Evangelical Lutheran Church
Accrediting Agency: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
Students & Faculty
Available Scholarships
|Award Name
|Wartburg College Loret Ruppe International Student Scholarship
|$1,000 to $24,000
|Wartburg College Meistersinger Music Scholarships
|up to $5,000
Total Tuition $52,240.00
SAT Scores:
25th-75th percentile
ACT Scores:
25th-75th percentile21-26
Note: 25th-75th percentile ranges show the range of scores achieved by the middle 50% of students who were admitted to the school.
Other Requirements:
Degrees & Programs
|Art Teacher Education
|Art/Art Studies, General
|Biology/Biological Sciences, General
|Business/Commerce, General
|Chemistry, General
|Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
|Computer and Information Sciences, General
|Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
|Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician
|Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
|Economics, General
|Elementary Education and Teaching
|Engineering Science
|English Language and Literature, General
|Environmental Studies
|Film/Cinema/Video Studies
|Finance, General
|Forensic Chemistry
|French Studies
|German Studies
|Graphic Design
|History Teacher Education
|History, General
|International Business/Trade/Commerce
|International Relations and Affairs
|Journalism, Other
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19 March, 2012
Today is the 30th Anniversary of the U2Nassau Concerts....a student activity funded group of entreprenurial misfits brought the young and very vibrant Irish rock combo U2 to their "ballroom' for a concert on this date, THIRTY YEARS AGO in 1982. I was the 19 year old 'chairperson' of the concert committee who helped iniate and book this show for our college. Some facts; we booked the date through the promoter in the spring of 1981, almost a year before the actual gig. At the time of the booking, manyt of my fellow committee members hardly knew of the band. U2 had one album under their belt, some airplay on WLIR and other college stations, and had played at some small-med locales in the city. By the time the band arrived for their gig months later, it was a completely different story, as they were way too big for this venue! The event cost $3500 and included sound and lights. This was extremely cheap, even by 1982 standards! I think we paid $4k for one David Crosby earlier in the school year (but that's another story). Bono and the boys arrived in some kind of tour bus, and as they entered the 'ballroom' (really a multi-purpose linoleum tiled cafeteria type facility) you could see the look of reluctance and disappointment in their collective eyes as they peered out the window of the room and spied the 'Nassau Veterans Memorial Colliseum' about 1/2 mile away. They would be playing to that concrete donut arena just a couple of months later! The 'boys' were cordial, however as they checked out the 'stage' which was indeed built from portable risers. Tickets for the event were $5 and only sold at the door. Yes, $5! The room had a max occupancy of 500. Needless to say there was a line wrapped around the building several times. We needed to call in extra rented security hours before the show. The police also made a visit to help with crowd control. We allowed about 450 ticket buyers into the show. Hundreds of fans were turned away. The opening band were a NYC combo called the Alleycats that evidently the band befriended after a recent gig in NYC. U2 did play most of Boy and October to a very enthusiastic and lucky crowd! Unfortunately I did not record a setlist, however there are photos of the show in the 1983 Nassau CC yearbook...I'll see if I can dig some up and post. I also believe that I still have a copy of the original poster...a b&w Psychedelic design .Needless to say, the show was a coup. Tiny college kids brings in rock group on the brink of super stardome! Speaking of 'tiny'...yes, I met Bono and he is atleast 2 inches shorter then my 5'6" stature! If you were at the show...feel free to comment!


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ICT & Education: Eleven Countries to Watch -- and Learn From
As part of engagements with ministries of education around the world, I am often asked to provide lists of countries considered to be 'best practice examples of ICT use in education'. I am asked this so often that I thought I'd provide a representative list here to help point people in some useful directions, in case doing so might be of any interest.
But before I get to the list ...
First, I'd like to say that I prefer the term 'good practice' to 'best practice'. This may seem to be unnecessary semantic nitpicking, but in many if not most cases and places, learning from and adapting 'good' practices is often much more practical -- and more likely to lead to success.
And: Given that many initiatives seem immune to learning from either 'best' or even 'good' practice in other places, I am coming to the conclusion that it may be most practical to recommend countries that have had 'lots of practice' (of any kind). Is this ideal? Obviously no -- but it tends to yield better results. For whatever reason, there appears to be a natural learning curve that accompanies large scale adoption of ICTs in the education sector in many countries, and that there is an important element of 'learning by doing' that appears to be important, even if this means 'repeating the mistakes' of others. (This is a process often known in international development circles as 'capacity building'.)


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Deuce Komradz - Bait (Directed By Mr. Grind) [Label Submitted]
Download the Deuce Komradz New Mixtape titled "Rolling Strong" Hosted by @djfrankwhite on livemixtapes.com today! twitter @Deuce2Komradz @starplayaent @chizeMoney @wildboy706 @fresh_fargo Directed by @mrgrind http://www.songcastmusic.com/profiles/DeuceKomradz
Also purchase from songcastmusic, amazon & itunes today. For Booking call Chainsaw: 334-233-2427
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At five years-old, most kids are joyfully immersed in exploring the world via hands-on play. Swinging across the monkey bars and learning how to cut food with a fork and knife are normal activities most kindergartners can easily achieve — but such accomplishments were not possible for Liam, who was born without any fingers on his right hand. Whole-hand prosthesis are far from perfected, and even the primitive hook-like replacements are quite expensive. Without the amazing connective powers of the internet, Liam might have had to spend his entire childhood without the use of both of his hands. But thanks to two internet collaborators, the miracle of 3D printing, and the growing trend of online crowdfunding, Liam now has a 'Robohand.'
Ivan Owen is an amateur mechanical engineer based in Bellingham, Washington and Richard Van As is a South African man who lost four fingers on his right hand in a 2011 woodworking accident. Just 10 years ago, these men would have no way of meeting or learning each others stories, much less collaborating on a project that could permanently change others' lives. But thanks to the Internet, in December 2011, Van As saw a YouTube video of a huge mechanical hand that Owen had built for fun. Immediately inspired by the project, Van As reached out to Owen and the two spent a year exchanging designs and comments electronically. According to The Guardian, "the process of exchanging design ideas was made significantly easier and cheaper because the pair used MakerBot 3D printers to send plans back and forth."
Finally, the two ingenious innovators decided to meet and make their dream of an affordable, open-source prosthetic hand a reality. In early January 2013, Van As and Owen announced that they were putting the finishing touches on their finger-replacement design. Thanks to generous donations from the internet community and MakerBot, they decided young Liam would receive the first 3D printed hand prosthesis.
It only took a couple of days for the young boy to adjust to his new Robohand, as evidenced in the video above. Within a week, Liam was able to use his new fingers to do everything a human hand can do, including throwing balls and picking up coins. But this heartwarming story doesn't end with Liam.
Van As and Owen have made their design, which has the potential to help thousands of people, available for free on the internet. "Our vision is to make this available for people and locations where there's no infrastructure present," Owen told NBC News. Using lightweight materials and a 3D printer, anyone can create their own Robohand for less than $150… a far cry from the $10,000 Van As was quoted at the time of his accident.
The Robohand design is now available for free on Thingiverse. For more information about the the project's progress and how you can support it, visit the designer's website.
via The Guardian
Images and Video © Ivan Owen


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Free RED Helmet When You Register for Windells Camp
May 25, 2010 – As if getting to go to snowboard camp wasn't enough, RED and Windells have just teamed up to give away a free RED helmet to the next 120 kids who register for a camp session.
It's easy…aspiring campers just need to grab their parents' credit card (okay ask them first) and sign up for a camp session at windells.com. And if they are one of the next 120 riders to register, they'll get to pick out a free RED helmet when they arrive at camp.
Being a camper at Windells is pretty sweet. With parks extending up to a mile long during the summer and two private lifts accessing their terrain, Windells continues to be a leader in park innovation, variety and creativity. The jumps, jibs and halfpipes are legendary at Windells, which is also known for attracting the world's most talented snowboarders and freeskiers. In fact, every US Olympic snowboard medalist to date has been a camper at Windells over the years.
With the latest in lightweight materials, rider-driven features and easily customizable designs, RED helmets make protection easy. Register at Windells now before the free helmets are gone. Summer is coming and camp is calling.
For more information on Windells Camps, head to www.windells.com
For more information on RED, head to www.redprotection.com


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I Don't Take No Orders From No Woman.. I Tell Them To Shut Up: Detroit Man Shows No Respect For This Female Reporter!
Detroit News
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The Service Learning Program facilitates service learning at Marquette in several ways:
For the pilot semester (Spring 1994), all faculty were polled to learn who would want to include a service option in one or more courses. Nearly 60 faculty expressed interest in joining the project and ten courses were selected to participate. A similar process has been employed to locate courses for each ensuing semester.
The Program Administrator meets individually with faculty members before they use service learning in a course for the first time. They discuss the content of the course, which elements might be enhanced by a community experience, and ways of setting up the course. For more information about integrating service learning, please visit the Prospective Service Learning Faculty Resources page.
Current Service Learning faculty are invited to attend many events throughout the semester which provide opportunities for networking. Past events have included guest speakers, community bus tours, and luncheons. For more information about our faculty events, please visit the Current Service Learning Faculty Resources page.
Community service placements are carefully chosen to complement the content of each service learning course. In some courses (e.g., Philosophy of Community), the possibilities for placements are very broad. In others, such as Theology of Non-Violence, the number of placements that will fit the course is fewer and much more specific. Finding these specialized placements often requires both an extensive knowledge of community organizations and a fair amount of creativity.
During the first week of classes, Service Learning staff attend each of the service learning courses to orient the students to the program and to introduce them to the placements selected for the course. The official sign-up for Service Learning occurs in the second week of classes, during Sign Up Night.


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When was the last time you heard someone say: "I am soooo stressed out right now?"
Three minutes ago, right?
Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of workers are stressed out by at least one thing at work, according to a recent work-stress survey by Harris Interactive for Everest College.
Of course, not all job stress was created equal. CareerCast is out with its list of the Most Stressful Jobs for 2013 … and the Least Stressful Jobs.
What makes a job stressful?
CareerCast used 11 criteria, including physical danger, having your life at risk, having responsibility for other people's lives or livelihoods at risk and how much you work in the public eye or have someone breathing down your neck. Other considerations include the unemployment rate and job growth in a particular career, all things that could seriously add stress.
"There are different types of stress. It can be physical danger. Actually being in harm's way," said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. "There can also be stress that's deadlines, competitiveness and being in the public eye," he said.
However, just like with CareerCast's "Worst Jobs" list – the people on the "Most Stressful" list don't necessarily hate their jobs. In fact, some downright love them!
"One man's stress is another man's job! Some are adrenaline junkies. Some thrive off stress," Lee said. "A firefighter may really enjoy running into burning building to save somebody."
So what are the most stressful jobs for 2013? Did yours make the list? Click the arrow above to find out.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO: Gahhhhh! Cindy Perman Talks About Which Jobs Made the List of MOST Stressful Jobs of 2013.
By Cindy Perman
Posted 2013 Jan. 3


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Money, land and power: The secret life of Mutula
Saturday May 4 2013
One of Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo's treasured assets was an old typewriter and a desk kept at his Machakos town office.
Although modern technology has rendered the typewriter irrelevant, the lawyer had no intention of selling or donating either item.
"They helped me make millions of shillings that I have invested in property throughout the country," he once said in an interview.
Mr Kilonzo, who died in mysterious circumstances last week, was referring to the equipment which he used to make his first million as a young lawyer more than three decades ago.
But this was just one of Mr Kilonzo's well-kept assets which, in one way or another, could provide clues to the man's long journey to acquire property, much of which only he knew about.
A long-time family friend who cannot be named discussing the departed Senator's family issues told the Sunday Nation that because of Mr Kilonzo's secretive nature, it might be difficult for anybody — including family members — to trace and quantify all his property, believed to be worth billions of shillings.
There are some details which Mr Kilonzo kept to himself.
A clear example, he said, was the contents of a cabinet at his Ngong Road office which only he opened and had a key.
"Yeye peke yake ndiye alikuwa na ufunguo wa hiyo kabati. Tunafikiria ilikuwa na siri zake. (He was the only one who had the key. We suspect it contains his innermost secrets)," said the friend who has known the family for decades.
Mr Kilonzo divorced his first wife — the mother of Wanza and lawyers Kethi and Mutula Kilonzo Junior — in a landmark court case which remains a reference point for students of family law and married the second wife, Nduku, with whom they had four children.
One of them, Muathi Kilonzo, is a London-based financial expert who helped scout for the British pathologist who flew into Nairobi to investigate the cause of the Senator's death.
The other, Michael Musembi, runs the family's Tracom business college in Nakuru while Mutune works in Nairobi and Musau in London.
Divorce case
After the divorce case in which he was represented by former electoral commission chief Samuel Kivuitu, the lawyer cut off links with the first wife who lives in Nairobi's Riara estate.
Mr Kilonzo kept his family life separate from his official engagements. Our source said his wife hardly ever stepped in his office or the Kwa Kyelu ranch where he died.
At the ranch, where he spent most weekends, he was known to entertain guests, some of whom stayed overnight.
According to our source, Mr Kilonzo had over 50 companies with Nduku recorded as a co-director, probably without her knowledge.
He lived a life of grandeur, maintained expensive tastes — like top-of-the-range cars — and had a lasting love for things rustic. Many of his close friends could not disguise the fact that he loved the good life and had a soft spot for members of the opposite sex.
His taste for the finer things in life was manifested in the magnificent Valhalla home in Maanzoni and at the Kilonzo and Company offices premises on Ngong Road.
In Scandinavian mythology, Valhalla is a hall in which heroes killed in battle were believed to feast with Odin for eternity. (Odin was the supreme god and creator, god of victory and the dead.
Wednesday is named after him).
It was a special place. And perhaps in estimation of this, Mr Kilonzo's Valhalla home was largely out of bounds for the rest of his family.
"It was his hideaway. Not even his wife and children went there. It was his retreat where he spent weekends and rested, away from the rest the world," said the friend.
And yet for all his grandeur and the cash he splashed, Mr Kilonzo never received a salary. In all the 10 years he served as an MP and Cabinet minister, he never took a cent home.
The Kenya Revenue Authority recovered an estimated Sh120 million from Mr Kilonzo over a Moi-era tax demand.
And up until last year, the battle for the taxes of the maverick senior counsel was still on-going.
The rumour mills were always awash with sensational estimates of the actual amount that he owed the taxman and, depending on who you listened to, this was said to be anywhere between Sh300 million and Sh800 million.
Whether these hundreds of millions represented the principal amounts or included accrued interest remains unknown. But Mr Kilonzo acknowledged that he was carrying a huge tax burden.
In an interview with Capital FM in February last year, he mused about his tax burden.
"I'm actually paying my taxes and my salary has been attached. I would even expect you to donate something to me now that you know I haven't earned a single cent from Parliament for the past eight years," he said.
"Can you just calculate for me how much income one would have made to deserve paying Sh350 million as tax?" he was asked.
Fabulously wealthy
He never confirmed what the actual figure was but the staggering tax amount points to how fabulously wealthy he was.
But, despite this, a close political ally and lawyer told the Sunday Nation that Mr Kilonzo always collected Sh200,000 from his law firm every Friday before heading out of town.
Although not known for his generosity — journalists would tell you that they didn't consider him highly in that regard though he was a great news source — those close to him say he surrounded himself with cabinets full of money in his offices and homes (probably a habit picked up from retired President Moi, his mentor and long-term client).
When a Sunday Nation team visited his Valhalla home in December 2010, Mr Kilonzo said he spent Sh700,000 a month to feed his three lions – Mutula, Nduku and Sis — that he had adopted from the Kenya Wildlife Service. In fact, KWS had appointed him a warden so he could keep the animals.
He would later add two cheetahs – Mutula and Ocampo — and the costs could only have gone higher.
In addition, Mr Kilonzo kept at least three buffaloes, a wild pig named Mutula, more than 1,200 leopard tortoises, Ferret monkeys, Thompson's gazelles, zebras, giraffes and elands. He also reared camels, beef and dairy cattle and goats. He was also a beekeeper besides engaging in greenhouse farming and rearing fish.
He told our team that the ranch actually belonged to Mwaki Foundation which he said he founded in 2007 for his philanthropic efforts. Mwaki is Kamba for a builder.
On the foundation's website, the Kwa Kyelu Ranch falls under the foundation but there is no mention of the Valhalla home, which is also on the ranch.
This points to the possibility of layers of trusts and companies that might actually hold what is his real wealth. He is reported to own other ranches and farms elsewhere in Machakos, Makueni and Nakuru where he bought land initially belonging to the Kenyatta family, in addition to homes in Nairobi and Mombasa.
The Maanzoni ranch is named on the Mwaki Foundation website as a "wildlife rescue centre under the auspices of Mwaki Foundation, a charitable institution. It houses animals that are endangered or injured."
The sanctuary welcomes tourists to enjoy the day and spend the night at cottages which are all self-contained from prices that start at Sh2,500 a night. "In the cottages, you get to do your own cooking from already equipped and stocked kitchen with gas and refrigerator plus utensils with provisions from a canteen located a few metres away.
Conserve nature
"I'm building the cottages because I want more and more people to come and see how we can conserve nature," Mr Kilonzo said in December 2010. "For school groups or churches they can come and tour for free as long as it is arranged. The country has to understand the value of conserving our heritage."
The family agreed on Friday to bury the Senator in his home in Mbooni, next to his grandmother whom he proudly called 'susu' (granny), according to his Will.
Mr Kilonzo loved his grandmother even in her death and he kept her memory alive.
One of his buildings in Machakos town is named "Susu Centre" while, in his Nakuru farm, one of the products is called "Susu Ghee".
Mr Kilonzo heavily invested in land. Apart from the 1,500 acres Kwa Kyelu ranch, he had a similar ranch in his Mbooni home and a huge agricultural tract of land measuring hundreds of hectares in Nakuru.
He owned several buildings in Machakos town, among them the Susu Centre where his private office was designed in a way that when he sat in his chair, he had a view of his former school — Machakos Boys.
"It reminds me of many things; the boyhood things", he once told this writer.
But it is at the Kyumbi trading centre on the Machakos junction near the Kwa Kyelu ranch that he had bought numerous plots.
A lot has been written about his work ethic, especially his punctuality and discipline. A lawyer who once worked for him revealed that Mr Kilonzo always arrived in the office at exactly 7 am and never allowed any of his workers to stay in the office after 5 pm.
"He would remain in the office up to 8 pm but did not entertain any of us after five. He would order you to leave if he found you there."
A slave of time, the veteran lawyer had a habit that remains a challenge to many professionals today. Besides meetings, one of the biggest sources of headache for the office worker is correspondence — prompt communication of decisions, replying to mail and all.
Mr Kilonzo replied to every letter addressed to him, regardless of value or importance.
"If he had no position over the subject matter, he would at least acknowledge receipt," the lawyer said.
A proud father and respector of the written word, Mr Kilonzo wrote letters to his children, Kethi and Kilonzo Junior, when they were admitted to the Bar.
"Welcome to the club of lawyers. But I will remain the chairman, secretary and treasurer of this law firm," he wrote to them making reference to his Kilonzo and Company advocates.
Kethi won the admiration of many Kenyans when she appeared before the Supreme Court last month and calmly but authoritatively made her case during the presidential election petition.
Mr Kilonzo believed that without financial independence, one cannot be an independent and professional lawyer. He argued that you'd rather have one case and do it properly than many and handle them shoddily.
Mr Kilonzo never discussed salaries for lawyers who worked for him. Their pay was determined by the amount of work they did.
He would take leave in August.
"That time he will not step in the office. He will not take calls even if he was required to handle a multi-million-shilling client," said a lawyer who once worked with him.
Ruthless man
But the good-humour masked a ruthless man who could do everything in defence of Moi.
During his hey-day, some of his best friends included former Cabinet minister Franklin Bett and lawyers Maxwell Ombogo and Simon Mauncho. Mr Kilonzo was introduced to Moi by Kanu stalwart Hosea Kiplagat.
His close links to power and good fortune are also attributable to his connections with former Intelligence chief William Kivuvani.
He was keen to cut the image of a champion of the rule of law, due process, justice and fair play but critics say Mr Kilonzo's history shows a ruthless main whose conduct contradicted the principles he purported to advocate.
He wore the hypocritical mask very carefully. He could contravene the very principles he purported to cherish in defence of Moi. His tactics included intimidation, blackmail or having his victims sacked.
Two Seniour Counsel who are familiar with his conduct and influence over the years say he engineered the removal of some judges who made decisions that were unfavourable to the Moi regime.
Two of them — Ghananian Edward Torgbor and Briton J.A. Couldrey — had their contracts terminated after ruling that a 1992 election petition against President Moi by Ford Asili's Kenneth Matiba was validly filed.
The bone of contention was that Mr Matiba's petition was signed by his wife, Edith, because he was ailing. Moi's lawyers argued that such was improper and asked the High Court to dismiss the petition.
But the judges were not persuaded by the argument and declared that the case could go on.
Favoured Moi
However, the Court of Appeal, comprising among others Judge Riaga Omollo, who has been accused of favouring Moi, quashed the decision.
Shortly after, the government declined to renew the judges' contracts.
It is instructive that then Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Joseph arap Letting wrote to Justice Torgbor ahead of the expiry of his contract advising him that the government would not be renewing it.
"Mr Kilonzo was key in the move," says the top lawyer.
"I saw correspondence in which he was advising Moi that the foreign judges were working in cahoots with the Opposition to bring down his government."
Another confidant told Sunday Nation how Mr Mutula, at one point, used the state agencies to scuttle former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo's Sololo/NSSF deal over Hazina Estate.
Mr Kilonzo, who was acting on behalf of a group of politicians led by former VP George Saitoti, felt that Mr Jirongo, then chairman of the Youth for Kanu lobby group, was pushing for appointment of a different politician to the position.
YK'92 boss
They them came up with a strategy to cut him to size, by frustrating his business interests, including cautioning lenders against him as well as projecting the former YK'92 boss as a threat to national security. Government agencies such as the Special Branch, the Lands Office, the Registrar of Companies and the Criminal Investigations Department were drawn into the matter.
In a June 16, 1993 secret letter, Mr Kilonzo asked then head of Public Service Philip Mbithi to order the CID to "induce/seduce Jirongo to surrender title deeds, and log books and to ask the Special Branch to mount detailed surveillance on Jirongo and associates to ascertain whether they are a threat to State security as a result of the massive cash believed to be in his possession."
Officials who declined to be involved in the matter were removed or transferred.
Mr Jirongo had borrowed from the NSSF and PostBank to build the Sh1.2 billion Hazina Estate but the Mutula group was working to ensure the lenders withdrew from the deal. They succeeded but a protracted legal battle saw the property returned to Mr Jirongo early last year.


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Korn Hit the Deck In Music Video for 'Chaos Lives in Everything'
Korn team up yet again with dubstep poster-child Skrillex on 'Chaos Live in Everything,' the third single from the band's latest album, 'The Path of Totality.' The Korn-less video for the track portrays the classic battle of Businessman vs. Skateboard Gang with some Matrix-like flare.
Korn reinvented their sound for their latest album 'The Path of Totality,' drafting dubstep artists to add the signature robotic swell to their new collection of tracks. While the project started as an experimental EP, it quickly snowballed into a full album featuring electronic artists like Excision, Kill the Noise, Datsik and others. Jonathan Davis has enjoyed their journey into the world of electronica so much that he is releasing his EDM solo debut under the name "J Devil" later this year.
Korn wisely chose 'Chaos Lives in Everything' as the next single, the third consecutive single featuring the massively popular dubstepper Skrillex — the previous two being 'Narcissistic Cannibal' and 'Get Up.'
In the just-released video for the track, a skateboarder collides with a suited businessman — sending his coffee afloat. The java-less one-percenter gives chase and is eventually ambushed by the boarder's hoodied-up cronies.
A dance fight with some Matrix-y back bends ensues — think of an under-choreographed version of Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' video with skateboards and hoodies in place of knives and leather jackets. Before the clip fades out, the businessman embraces the chaos living within — smashing his cell phone and boarding off into the sunset.


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More than Lipstick
We go beyond making things look good. We make sure whatever we design is easy to use. We are visual thinking- ease masters.
Concept, Fix, or Test
We're pretty versatile. Whether it's a sketch on a napkin, a ten year old PHP web app, or testing what you have we've done it.


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The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba of The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. This is a weekly meme where we can share news of the week and highlight new books received.
Wow! Is it really spring?? It was 15 degrees Thursday morning! Brrrr! This spring has been, on average, 15 to 30 degrees below normal! Here is hoping it warms up soon, and that it is pleasant and sunny where you are!
Check out my current contests! See the Contest Widget on the Sidebar to enter!
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to share new additions to our library. Click here to learn more about it.
New Arrivals at the Café:
The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt
When The Stars Threw Down Their Spears by Kersten Hamilton
School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
Fish Out of Water by Ros Baxter
Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
First Loves by Jean Stone
Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon
Limit Vol 4 by Keiko Suenobu
The Flowers of Evil Vol 5 by Shuzo Oshimi
A great big thanks to the publishers for their continued support!
What did you get? Please leave links and share!


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A powerful and user-friendly GPS-enabled computer
Touchscreen works fine with gloves and also in wet conditions
Lots of new features and functions, including LiveTrack
Will work with any ANT+ enabled power meters
Includes nearly every feature available in any device for swimming, biking, and running
Added indoor lap swimming mode, recording distance/speed/strokes
Efficient, Large screen that gives quick reading
Display isn't very easy to read on a sunny day
Bright touchscreen display
Well designed and logical navigation system
Touchscreen is both easy and fun to use
ReviewGist helps you find the best products to buy by making sense of online reviews.
We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,477 products.
© 2019 ReviewGist.com. All Rights Reserved.


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SportsDirect Inc.
Pirates 3, Dodgers 0: Jeff Locke allowed two hits in seven innings and Andrew McCutchen delivered a two-run double as host Pittsburgh recorded a rare victory over Los Angeles.
Neil Walker added a sacrifice fly for the Pirates, who defeated the Dodgers for only the second time in the last 14 meetings and second in the last eight encounters at PNC Park. Locke (6-1), who has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 11 straight starts, walked one and struck out five while throwing only 75 pitches.
Rookie sensation Yasiel Puig had two hits while Stephen Fife (1-2) yielded two runs in five innings as Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in six games. The Dodgers had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth before Mark Melancon struck out pinch hitter Juan Uribe, who entered the game 4-for-6 in that role.
Puig and Nick Punto led off the ninth inning with singles against closer Jason Grilli before Adrian Gonzalez struck out and Hanley Ramirez popped out. Grilli earned his major league-leading 24th save in as many chances when he struck out Mark Ellis to complete the six-hitter.
Alex Presley and Russell Martin led off the third inning with singles before McCutchen delivered a double down the right-field line. Pittsburgh added an insurance run in the eighth inning as McCutchen scored when Gonzalez caught Walker's foul pop running away from home plate.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Locke is the only starter from Pittsburgh's season-opening rotation on the active roster. RHs A.J. Burnett and James McDonald, and LH Wandy Rodriguez are on the disabled list while RH Jonathan Sanchez was released in April. ... Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly and RHP Ronald Belisario served the one-game suspensions they received for their parts in Tuesday's benches-clearing brawl with Arizona. Bench coach Trey Hillman took Mattingly's place. Dodgers LHP J.P. Howell and utility man Skip Schumaker received two-game suspensions, but they will appeal. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte missed his second straight game because of soreness in his left rib cage.


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Online Traffic School - El Dorado County California
Everyday Course Low Price: $19.95
This County is DMV Approved.
Thank you for choosing FinishFast.com to satisfy your traffic school requirement.
Our course is entirely self-paced. You set your schedule - you decide when to start and when to stop. At FinishFast.com it is all about saving you time.
This course is completely online and can be accessed from any location with Internet access and a computer. You can log on and off at any time - day or night.
The Course Experience
Our course is made up of 12 sections. You will be required to complete a 2 to 3 question multiple-choice quiz at the end of each section. Each section quiz should take less than 2 minutes to complete. You may take the section quizzes as many times as you wish at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. You may complete this course in a few short hours or over the course of several days - it is your choice.
Final Exam and Certificate Processing
After completing the 12 section quizes you will proceed to the final exam. The final consists of 25 questions. A minimum passing grade on the final examination is 70%. The DMV only allows you 2 attempts to pass the final exam. If you do not pass the final exam on your first or second attempt you will need to re-register for traffic school. We offer any student who needs to re-register an opportunity to re-register for a nominal fee.
Your official certificate of completion (proof you passed) is sent directly to the Court.


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Circle of Friends Group
January 31, 2018 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
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An event every week that begins at 1:30pm on Wednesday, repeating indefinitely
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A FREE weekly group for all. Come and check in with and support each other about any wellness concerns and goals. Led by a peer facilitator.
Group meets every Wednesday at 1:30 in the Yoga Space at Another Way in Montpelier, Vermont.


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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Budget airline Ryanair announced plans Tuesday to cut its winter flights schedule from its main UK hub, blaming a collapse in the British tourism industry, rising airport costs and "insane" aviation taxes.
Ryanair is reducing its fleet at Stansted Airport from 40 planes to 24.
The Irish carrier currently operates 40 aircraft out of Stansted Airport, near London, but it plans to cut capacity by 40 percent to 24 aircraft by October 2009.
That will mean a 30 percent drop in the number of weekly flights and a loss of 2.5 million passengers between October and March 2010, Ryanair said in a statement.
But BAA, which runs Stansted, disputed Ryanair's claim, pointing out that the carrier routinely reduced its fleet during the winter -- and that the airline was one of the most profitable in the world.
"Today's announcement means it is business as usual here at London Stansted," said the airport's managing director Stewart Wingate.
"Last winter Ryanair reduced its aircraft fleet here to 28, this year it will be 24. It is common practice for them to reduce frequency to various destinations during the winter season as they have done in previous years."
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said the move was motivated by the refusal of BAA to cut passenger fees despite falling traffic, including a six percent drop during June.
O'Leary also criticized government plans to raise Air Passenger Duty levied on travelers by £1 ($1.6) to £11 ($18) on short-haul flights, calling the tax "insane and damaging."
"Sadly UK traffic and tourism continues to collapse while Ryanair continues to grow traffic rapidly in those countries which welcome tourists instead of taxing them," O'Leary said.
"Ryanair's 40 percent capacity cutback at London Stansted shows just how much (British Prime Minister) Gordon Brown's £10 tourist tax and the BAA Monopoly's high airport charges are damaging London and UK tourism and the British economy generally."
Ryanair said it planned to switch capacity to countries which had scrapped tourism taxes and passenger fees, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Spain.
The UK government argues that Air Passenger Duty forms part of its strategy to reduce the environmental impact of aviation amid wider efforts to cut the country's carbon emissions.
Financial minister Alistair Darling announced reforms to the existing system last November, introducing four bands ranging from £11 for destinations within 2,000 miles (3,218 kms) of London to £55 for flights of more than 6,000 miles (9,654 kms).
Darling told lawmakers he believed the new system would be "effective in reducing emissions from aviation."
Last month Ryanair reported a €169 million ($240 million) loss in the last year -- compared with a profit of €390 million the previous year -- after being hit by higher fuel costs and a writedown in its investment in rival Irish carrier Aer Lingus.


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"All those equations add up to something, I'm guessing," Lukas Haas says of the chicken scratch behind him. "Just don't ask me what it all means."
Haas joins the cast of Touch (returning Oct. 26 at 8/7c on Fox) this season as Calvin Norburg, an algorithm specialist at vaguely sinister Aster Corps, the research facility trying to hunt down Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland) and his brainy son, Jake (David Mazouz). Norburg may be something of a reluctant evil genius, however. "He joined Aster Corps strictly for the money, but what he really wants to do is change the world. Watch for him to break away and go through a lot of unexpected changes."
Haas, best known as the kid who saw too much opposite Harrison Ford in Witness, marks his debut as a TV-series regular in the role. "On television you end up shooting five times as much material in the same amount of hours [as a movie]," he says. "That's an equation I may never understand."


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It's the journey of a lifetime, so why not have a guide? Momtourage's pregnancy information center is here to answer all your questions and help you manage the stress of pregnancy. Whether it's fitness, diet or delivery, Meridian Momtourage is here to see you through every facet of this life changing process. Our circle of experts will provide all the information necessary to keep you pumped and prepared for the day you meet your new bundle of joy.
Make no mistake, being the best parent you can be is the most difficult job in the world -- and no mom can do it alone. Our Motherhood center is devoted to helping you with the many parenting challenges unique to every mother and every child. From their first laugh to their first date, learning to walk to learning to drive, Meridian Momtourage is here to answer every question, every step of the way.
It can't be stressed enough: The single most important part of taking care of your children is taking care of yourself. Whether it's diet and fitness, stress management, emotional well-being or general wellness, your needs become even more important when there are little ones depending on you. Stay healthy, hearty and happy with Momtourage's exclusive Women's Health center devoted to your many health concerns.
Featuring mobile apps for mothers on the move, exclusive videos from the nation's most respected facilities and expert articles penned by Meridian Health's top physicians, the Momtourage multimedia center is where information, interactivity and connectivity come together into the ultimate parenting resource hub.
Sign up and sound off with the Momtourage mothers circle. We're here 24/7, and we always have something to talk about. So stop by and join the conversation! Whether you're looking to socialize, share advice or just let it out, our Community Room is where moms go to be seen and heard.
Momtourage and Meridian Health are committed to the health and happiness of mothers everywhere; quality, patient-centered care and the advancement of modern medicine through clinical education and research. Read more here about the myriad Meridian Health services available to women in our hospitals, communities and in-home settings.
Momtourage's pregnancy center has got all the information you'll need to prepare for your new arrival.
Even the journey of a lifetime needs a guide, and we're here to help every step of the way.
The best way to take care of them is to take care of you. Stay happy, healthy and fit with this wellness channel.
Momtourage's multimedia resource center is your one-stop portal for news and information, interactive tools and expert advice.
Come join the conversation! Whether you're looking to socialize, share advice or just let it out, the Momtourage Community is where moms go to be heard.
Get expert advice and information about everything from pregnancy & motherhood to women's health straight from Meridian Health's most trusted physicians.
Read more about the myriad Meridian services available to women and mothers.
Detailed information on chorionic villus sampling, including the reasons and preparation for the procedure, how the procedure is performed, after care, an anatomical illustration of the fetus in utero, and an illustration of a chorionic villus sampling procedure.
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text: On Thu, 5 Feb 2009, Gus Correa wrote: > Dear Beowulfers > > A mundane question: > > What is the right lubricant for computer rack sliding rails? > Silicone, paraffin, graphite, WD-40, machine oil, grease, other? If you immerse your nodes in olive oil, it shouldn't be an issue, right? ;-) Otherwise, graphite is the only one I'd reject a priori, as it's a fine conducting powder. Personally I'd use WD, but hell, I'd cook with WD if I couldn't find any olive oil... (The main issue in any case is to be sparing and not spray it so it gets sucked into cooling fans.) rgb > > Thank you, > Gus Correa > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Gustavo Correa > Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory - Columbia University > Palisades, NY, 10964-8000 - USA > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


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The Seattle Seahawks have a lot to squawk about when it comes to renewable energy as their stadium is now the home to the largest solar array in the state. The 2.5 acre array will cut their energy costs by 21% using a unique tubular solar panel which makes full use of the sun, even when it is overcast. The Solyndra solar panels click into place and capture light from all directions rather than just one which is good news in a place that does not see a lot of direct sunshine.
The solar panels are thin film CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, and selenide) wrapped in a tube and placed on a white flat roof at the stadium's Event Center. The technology boosts the output of the array in the overcast Northwest by receiving light from all directions, including the white roof on which the panels rest, reflecting usable light up on a sunny day. The white roof also keeps the Event Center a lot cooler, thus reducing the need for AC. The complex has also gone through a major energy retrofit to make sure that hard earned solar energy is put to good use as a part of Seahawks owner Paul Allen's Green Sports Alliance.
The array consists of 3,750 individual panels set on stands which snap together. A two person crew can assemble the array with no tools and the panels do not need to be bolted to the roof nor do they need ballasts to weigh them down. The tubular construction allows wind to blow right through and helps keep the surface free from dust and snow as well as reduce heat buildup which reduces the efficiency of the solar cells. The array is projected to produce 870,000 kW of energy a year, making it the largest of its kind in Washington State. While at first blush, solar seems like an odd choice for Seattle, the city actually has better resources than Germany, which has the most installed solar.


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Back in August 2015 I found myself playing on a lot of modded servers, and the problem I had was working out what changes had been made. This gave birth to the idea of a GUI interface to the xml config files, with support for mods as well.
http://7days2mod.com/ was born as a result of this. What started out as just the blocks, items and recipes quickly grew into a GUI for the entire config of 7days to die. Along the journey to today I discovered a lot about xml and interacting with it via php. The first iteration converted the xml into an array, but that caused a lot of other problems, then I looked at simple_xml, but that too had issues I wasn't happy with. The third complete re-write of the system was the one I finally settled on, using php's DOMDocument class and XPath and I have found this to be a very useful way of navigating xml. This system has nice built in functions for creating consistently clean, well formatted code (ideal when using xml compare tools).
http://7days2mod.com/ has both a GUI view mode, and an XML view mode, which lets you see the data in nicely formatted and sortable/filter enabled tables and detailed views, as well as a color enhanced xml view.
The GUI view mode has links from the data to relevant parts elsewhere in the data. For example in the detailed blocks/items view things like materials, buffs, gun parts, recipe ingredients, upgrade/downgrade blocks etc are all click-able links that take you to the detailed view of those nodes.
In addition to this there are the recipes for each block/item and what books are required to learn those recipes, lists of what loot containers/groups they are found in, entities that drop them in loot, the materials view lists what blocks/items have that material and so on.
I will showcase most of these features in an intro video when I get a chance to record it as listing everything here would take far too long
On the table views you can sort on each column (shift-click to sort multiple columns at once), you can filter every column with a fuzzy search, both of which are pushed to the url so that you can pass sorted and filtered links to others (for example http://7days2mod.com/_blocks#&sort(b...model%2C%2C%2C shows all blocks that contain model in the shape property, sorted by Shape and then Model)
You can also change which columns are displayed on the table view via the Select Columns button. Which columns are shown are controlled via config files and future plans include the ability to customize which columns are displayed which a user will be able to save to their profile.
The Nodelist view (http://7days2mod.com/_blocks_nodelist/view=showcount) shows all of the unique nodes found in the files that have this feature (currently blocks, items, buffs, materials, entity_classes) with a number in brackets to show how many times it was seen.
When it comes to Mods, the system works like this: http://7days2mod.com/ModName/ModVersion/_page (where _page is the name of the section, for example /_blocks or /_recipes), so for example the vanilla code is found at http://7days2mod.com/7d2d/14.6/, however http://7days2mod.com/7d2d/ will also point to the currently selected master version (editable via the Mod Admin page), and http://7days2mod.com/ by itself points to the vanilla mod and latest version. If the mod doesn't include a file that is found in the vanilla code then when you try to view those sections the vanilla code will be shown instead, with a note to indicate it is showing vanilla info.
Each Mod has its own landing page where you can provide any info you want for your mods, including links to additional resources such as dll downloads, instruction guides, forums posts, etc
Some time around early November it became apparent with the XPath system that creating a full fledged xml editor was possible and so work began on this side of the system. The system for this is now in place and the finishing touches on the Save Mod feature is close to complete (work keeps interfering with the time I can spend on finishing this). To access the editing functions requires logging in to the site via steams OpenID system.
The goal of this tool is to allow Mod creators to showcase their code and also be able to edit with a powerful editing tool, but also to allow casual players who like a mod to be able to find all the juicy details of the mod without having to read confusing xml code, and even create a sub version for their own use with tweaks to the original mod. Mod owners will be able to see these sub versions and can choose to publish them under their Mod.
XPath Actions: One way to do edits is through the XPath action system. The strength of this system over something like notepad is in the ability to make vast changes in just a few simple steps, as well as a complete version/edit history and also the ability to apply XPath actions to any config weather vanilla or modded.
For example http://7days2mod.com/_xpath?xpath=//...%22Loot%22]/.. would find all blocks with the <property name="Class" value="Loot"/>
With this search you could then append a node to all of those blocks in one step with the 'Append' action and <property name="description" value="this is a loot container"/> as the xml code.
This generates a file for the xpath search and action, and an action file with the xml to be used. With those generated files you could then apply the same xpath action to any mod.
This method also allows for the parent mod (or master mod as I have named it) to be easily changed via the Mod Admin section and then the config generated based on the new base configs selected (for example: an easy way to update a mod when new patches are released)
It will also allow xpath modlets to be created and then the ability to include these modlets into any mod via a page of checkboxes etc. The modlet can for example add a weapon to the items, and also include it in relevant loot containers.
You can now edit the xml via one of two javascript editors. Codemirror editor is similar to notepad and you can in fact copy/paste between the two programs via this editor.
The GUI edit is a javascript called Xonomy and allows for context menus and code validation.
Some of the major planned features are:
- Finish the Published mods auto listing page.
- Show properties from extended blocks/items in the table view and details pages (currently entity_classes has this function on the detailed view) - Done but too slow so needs recode
- Allow custom views to select which table columns are shown by default.
- Loot tree view, with the loot containers expanded out (current just a flat view is available, for example: http://7days2mod.com/_loot_container/id=11) with drop percentage probabilities included.
- Mod CSS editing to further customize the look of a mod GUI. Currently only the banner image for the mod can be changed.
- Random Entity wizard - Select a group of templates and ranges for variables such as walktype/speed etc and have the wizard create those entities randomly and generate the classes and spawning to include them.
- RWGmixer wizard - for creating a custom rwgmixer with checkboxes for which prefabs to include etc
- API - this system will be created for the editing interface, if people find a need for it I will open it to cross domain access. This system could also allow for a modlet to be run on servers or by server manages to allow for config updates to be pushed to servers without the need to download.


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Uninsured patients needing medical treatment for routine procedures and want to find the best price face an uphill battle in an industry that is constantly in flux.
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A new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found vastly different price quotes for the same procedure from 122 hospitals across the country. Researchers led by Jaime Rosenthal, a Washington University student, called hospitals in every state, claiming their 62- year-old uninsured grandmother needed to pay for a hip replacement out of pocket.
The results were broad ranging, with estimates ranging from as low as $11,000 in total for the procedure to as high as $126,000. The bottom line according to researchers is that hospitals are unprepared to discuss costs.
However, study co-author, Dr. Peter Cram, says the fact that 60% of the 122 hospitals called were able to provide a complete price estimate is a good sign. What's more, he says the top-ranking orthopedic hospitals' estimate costs were in line with the typical price of a hip replacement which is typically between $15,000 and $20,000.
But it's important not to overlook that close to 40% of hospitals called could not provide pricing, says Cram, director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa. Fifteen percent of hospitals could not provide any price estimates, even when researchers called back up to five times.
Curbing Costs
In order to avoid overspending on elective medical care, Cram suggests consumers treat health-care costs as they would any other purchase in life: shop around.
"My take is power to the people here," he says. "It's like a new car, computer or a new phone. If someone told you a gallon of milk costs $13, you would walk out. But if you are in a car accident and are being carted off in an ambulance, you can't ask as many questions."
When a procedure is elective, like a hip replacement, it's important to compare pricing as much as you can ahead of time. Cram likens this to getting estimates on home repairs- the estimates are hopefully in the ballpark of reality, but warns there are always layers of unpredictability.
Another option for curbing costs for those with limited or no insurance coverage is to get treated at an accountable care organization, according to Kip Piper of Health Results Group.
"This will be a lower cost, more efficient, higher-quality and better safety," he says of these hospitals. "The physicians get together and agree to meet certain qualities and safety standards, as well as consider if they can reduce costs to the payer. "
When asking for a price quote, Piper says to ask what you do and don't need from the treatment or provider. Ask hospitals straight out if there are options available for negotiation, including payment plans or paying in cash.
"Do I need this particular drug? Is there a less expensive, or equally-effective treatment? Can this be done on an outpatient basis and what is the likelihood of readmission? These are all questions to ask before you are admitted," he says.
Hurdles and the Future
For the uninsured, shopping around for accurate prices can prove difficult, according to Linda J. Blumberg, senior fellow at The Urban Institute's Health Policy Center. Having coverage allows for competition among carriers to get the best prices. Because of this, she says unless it is a very specific elective procedure, chances are your price quotes will vary.
"There are an isolated number of procedures you can, as an individual, be reasonable in shopping around for," Blumberg says. "When you have coverage, the insurer has providers that are preferred in network, or out of network. "
Once all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is implemented next year, Blumberg says more individuals will have insurance coverage and therefore will not be out seeking cash price quotes on their own.
"State health-care exchanges have the potential to increase competition between carriers and give stronger incentives to bring prices down, but it's not the same for every case."
With that being said, Cram says not to take prices at face value.
"Don't let hospitals walk all over you and say, '$25,000 or $125,000, it's all the same to me,'" he says. "This is complicated because it's health care, but on the other hand, it's your life and its worth asking a few questions."


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A reader asked her specialist a question that befuddled him, so she wrote Doctor D this question:
How is a doctor allowed to mess around with body parts he doesn't understand?
The human body is still a deep mystery. Doctors understand more than most people, but what we know is still a vague approximation. Just because our educated guesses often work out well doesn't mean we have any idea what's actually going on.
I hate to kill your Santa Claus, but MD's don't understand with any real depth what is going on in your body most of the time.
We are still be useful, but we don't always know what's going on behind the scenes anymore than you need to understand the internal combustion in order to press the gas pedal. Human bodies are exponentially more complex and varied than engines so when what we do doesn't work, we can be at a loss to know why, although we can often make up some bullshit that sounds convincing.
Doctor D has tried to disabuse people of this impossible myth, but nobody's listening.
Patients either don't believe me, "How nice of you to be so humble, doc, but I know you know what's going on," or they assume the lack of knowledge is some default in my training, "Okay Dr. D if you're incompetent then refer me to someone who does understand!"
People just refuse to believe that there could be things that no doctor understands. The body is just too complex! Every human body is different and is constantly interacting with your mind, soul, other humans, and the environment. Not only is there a lot we don't know. There is a lot that will always be impossible to know.
So, why is the myth of Physician Omniscience so deeply ingrained? When a wrong idea won't budge it's usually because it satisfies a deep psychological need.
Being ill is terrifying. When your body begins to betray you it is natural to want to know why. Patients need to believe that somewhere out there is a doctor who understands this. In their imagination patients replace doctors' vague, tentative understanding with a mythic understanding that is complete and without doubt. "It's okay that I feel out of control, because my doctor is on top of it!" This is why mystery illnesses are so unsettling. It feels like like being in speeding car with no one at the wheel.
Doctors are also responsible for this myth. We perpetrate this falsehood for 2 reasons:
- First, we want you to trust us. It takes a lot of trust for you to ingest the chemicals we give you or let us cut you open. We fear that if you knew how little we understand the bodies we work on you wouldn't let us near you.
- Secondly, we lie to ourselves. Medicine works. This is a good thing, but it allows us to mislead ourselves about how deeply we actually understand what's going on. It also takes a lot of self-confidence to take on the care an ill person. Imagining we have god-like knowledge of the body helps us banish self-doubt. Unfortunately, banishing self-doubt is a double-edged sword: It can give us the confidence we need to pull of some incredible healing, and it can blind us to the humility and insight needed to acknowledge when we don't understand.
One thing you can take as gospel: If any physician tells you they totally understand your body they are either lying or deluded.
But realizing that the body is a fearful and wonderful thing isn't such a bad discovery. Appreciate your body for the mystery it is!
Doctor D always loves to read your thoughts in the comments.
Do you think that Dr. D is over-stating the uncertainty of medical science?
Patients and Heathcare People: How has this Myth affected you?