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5/4 Swagger
I love playing the Reds. I don't know how people will take this but I love their swagger. I love the way they play. I love how they go out there and they feel like they're the best team. They're the defending Central champs but at the same time, I feel we can match their swagger. My boy, Brandon Phillips, I love the way he plays, I love what he brings. A lot of people think it's over the top but that's the way your team is and it helps you win then so be it. That's the way you should be. That's one thing I remember talking to a lot of guys in Texas when I was there is having that team swagger and not worrying about what other teams are thinking — it's about what you're doing and winning games. I feel if we can get that feeling over here, teams start see us having fun, sort of like what I do after I catch balls. I give my salute to Soriano, I give my salute to Fukudome after outs. I'm having fun out there. I think if we get to the point where we're just having nothing but fun out there, I don't think there's a team out there that can beat us. It doesn't matter who it is — St. Louis, Cincinnati — they won't be able to play with us. We have to get to that point. At the same time, with swagger comes winning. It's hand in hand. With winning comes swagger. Until we start winning, it's hard to walk that walk and talk that talk. These series are going to be big. It's going to be a battle.
— Marlon
11 Comments
I too think you are part of a team that can win big time. You, Mr. Byrd, may be able to do the swagger without it turning to bragging? But, I doubt the majority of your teammates can. When it turns to bragging, you, as a team, will start losing again. So, I hope you and the team develop the self-confidence to win big time without the need of the swagger.
Marlon –
Watching you have fun makes watching the cubs fun. I know I'm not the only fan and I hope you know the fans gotta appreciate the hustle you put in man, so I just wanted to say thank you. Keep it up, and it's clear your tutorship has had an impact with Barney, another outstanding attitude on the team.
I'll be in chi-town june 13th and can't wait. Go Cubs.
Perfectly said marlon. And we enjoy what you bring to this team, and it is not only the stats. Your a mentor to the young players, a great example, a good hitter, fielder and like you said you have fun. You deserved that all star nomination last season and its good to have you on this team!
F-in right Mr. Byrd. I think that swagger is one of the intangibles you help bring to this team in a big way. And way to knock off the Dodgers. You guys are really coming together. Go Cubs Go.
Hi Marlon i hope we can at least win this series, but first we need some run support for Garza to claim the first game of the series, then more support Coleman and Russell if Quade decide to put them in………
Hi Marlon!
Swagger is fine. Pitching is essential.
Brandon Phillips…I remember when he came up in Cleveland with the Tribe!! He called himself "the franchise"…what a joke!!!
I am a big fan of swagger when it's being backed up. It's hard to imagine the Cubs being able to have any swagger when:
A. routine plays are constantly botched in the field.
B. the club is as bad as it is with runners in scoring position.
C. the club refuses to steal bases and play fundamental baseball like the Cards or Reds on the division.
Beat the Reds this weekend, the Cards after. Kick their asses. Then we'll talk.
Hi, marlon
I am from Slovenia and I am professional handicapper and I analyse every your game based on statistical facts – I am not involved with my feelings. I see some things, that your coach maybe does not see. You have in your lineup Soriano, who is the best HR hitter in the league right now. Why he does not play on the third spot? This is like putting Pujols on the 7th spot or something. I know Soriano is just .250 but he has some power and I think 3rd or 4th will be the best for your club. We all know that your club is one of the worst running team, but ok, this is not so bad because you have some power potential, but your manager has to make some rotation in the lineup, because you have good avg and you left to many on bases.
It is just friendly advice, I see a lot of potential in your team and I wish you good luck!
i totally agree….reds are swagged out…


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The worst fears Tuesday night became reality Wednesday afternoon, when the University of Kentucky announced that freshman power forward-center Nerlens Noel tore a ligament in his left knee in the loss at Florida and is done for the season.
The NBA impact is that the contender for the No. 1 pick is also probably out of the 2013 draft. Noel could still choose to come out and would go in the lottery, maybe even the top half of the lottery given the underwhelming group of prospects, but the bad news could prompt him to stay in school, prove to executives and scouts in 2013-14 he is healthy, and turn pro in a year.
Either way, the top of the '13 draft board just became more of a game of darts while wearing blindfolds, which is saying something considering the level of uncertainty that existed before as teams privately acknowledged this was a good year to get as far away from the top pick as possible.
Two wings, Ben McLemore of Kansas and Shabazz Muhammad of UCLA, become the odds-on favorite — for the moment — for No. 1. UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett is also getting mentioned by front offices. If a team has a pressing need at point guard, Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State prominently enters the conversation.
The biggest implications of the Noel fallout? Indiana's Cody Zeller goes from facing a lot of criticism from talent evaluators – no real improvement in his game, a safe pick for a solid career but no clear path to stardom – to arguably the best big-man prospect available. That could mean a move of several spots forward come June 27, even with the concerns and questions whether he is able to play center in the pros or will be a power forward.
Noel hurt the knee when he landed awkwardly going for a block in the second half of the game at Florida. He was on the ground in obvious pain for several minutes before being carried to the locker room and going to a Gainsville, Fla., for X-rays that showed no bone damage. He returned to Kentucky with the rest of the team and underwent a different procedure Wednesday that detected the torn anterior cruciate ligament.
He will undergo surgery in two to three weeks, the school said. Recovery time is estimated at six to eight months.

subset: commoncrawl


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TriedCharcoal Lemonade Only Yesterday And It Was One Of The Best Shop Bought Juices I Have Had. Thanks
These guys are just an amazing company to work with & the staff are truly awesomely awesome. :-)
Thank you @BarakatME for the green juice!
Tried the Barakat Juices and they taste just real.. The best part is they have no sugar added..
I wasn't expecting the taste to be so good.. Glad I made a healthy choice.. give me some discounts for my daily juice diets


text: The announcement of the closing of the ICE Futures U.S. trading floor made us remember the movie "Trading Places," which was filmed on the old New York trading floor at the World Trade Center. Soon we began naming some of our favorite trading movies, a list of course that kept expanding. So here - pared down from a much longer list - are 10 of our favorite movies that either focus on or have trading, finance and global markets as part of the theme. We'll begin with a couple of our favorite documentaries, and then move into fiction. Some honorable trading floor scene mentions not included here are "What Happens in Vegas" and "A Good Year," which have stories not centered around the markets. Surely there are more movies, and if you have suggestions, please note them in the comments section.


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Raymarine E165 15.4" HybridTouch Multifuncton Display
Navionics+ North America
The all-new e-Series 15.4" multifunction display (MFD) is designed to deliver no-compromise performance, incredible networking capability, and a superior user experience. Ideal for sail and power boats of all types. The e165 has an ultra-bright, sunlight viewable LCD screen and LED backlighting for maximum power savings. e-Series MFDs all feature Raymarine's HybridTouch user interface offering full touch screen or button-based control.
The e165 MFD includes a standard built-in high sensitivity GPS receiver. The e165 has dual chart reader slots for Navionics charts on microSD cards.
The e165 is a networking powerhouse with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Wireless Networking. Use the e165's Wi-Fi to stream its video display to your Apple iPhone or iPad. Synchronize waypoints and routes wirelessly to the Navionics Lakes and Marine app. Control your e165 display right from the helm with the optional RCU-3 Bluetooth Remote Control (sold separately.) The e95 can also control your smart phone or MP3 player?s music playback using Bluetooth control right from the MFD.
The e165 also offer robust wired networking including SeaTalkhs, SeaTalkng, NMEA2000, NMEA 0183 and one composite video input. The e165 offers expanded video capability with an additional composite input, and high resolution video output using the optional e-Series Video Accessory Cable (sold separately). Network up to 6 displays together and match them with your choice of Raymarine HD Color radar scanners, sounder modules, thermal imaging cameras, SIRIUS weather receivers, AIS transceivers, marine cameras and more.


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Children's Hospital of Orange County on Monday announced a $27-million donation — its largest ever from a living donor — from a Newport Beach man.
Hospital administrators said the gift was the product of a relationship with retired local businessman Bill Holmes, 84, that has developed since 2007.
The donation will help fund the construction of a new pediatric care tower named after Holmes on the hospital's main campus in Orange.
Holmes said Monday he hopes his most recent contribution to CHOC will spur other major philanthropists to give.
"They were looking for a healthy donation to start this tower up, and to get some big donors to help them out more so," he said. "What they're doing is a very good thing."
Holmes' donation came as part of a larger fundraising push, said Graig Eastin, CHOC Children's Foundation vice president.
Change CHOC, Change the World is a five-year program that aimed to raise $125 million for an endowment to help recruit top-tier pediatricians, who will help drive research initiatives in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Medicine, as well as the construction of the tower.
The initiative has garnered millions in donations — though Eastin said the total won't be announced until the program ends in June.
But, he said, "We're confident we'll exceed that $125-million goal."
The seven-story pediatric care tower will house the county's only emergency center exclusively for children, Eastin said.
That center will be named for another big-ticket local donor: the family of billionaire former ambassador George Argyros, who donated $5 million in September, Eastin said.
Set to open in spring, with a community open house scheduled for Feb. 2, the building is the hospital's first major new building since the 1990s, Eastin said.
It will also house "world-class research" and state of the art facilities for families, he said.
Holmes previously contributed $200,000 to the hospital to name a room in the new building.
"Together we helped developed a dream and he was so excited to do this," Eastin said.
"The new tower expands on what CHOC can do for the children in our community," Holmes said in a statement. "Orange County residents should take tremendous pride in having a world-class pediatric facility here."
Holmes, who ran a hot-tub and spa manufacturing company, said he contributes to about 18 charities — some local and some across the country.
Most of those, he said, help children and young people.
"They're a little too young to make it on their own," he said.
For more information on CHOC or to donate, visit choc.org/giving.
Twitter: @jillcowan


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"I don't want to freak you out, but I have someone in the trunk," a drunk driving suspect reportedly told officers in — where else? — Florida on Wednesday.
UPI reports that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers stopped a car at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Hollywood on Wednesday to conduct a sobriety test on its driver, who was found to have an open container in the car and the smell of alcohol on his breath.
That's when things got weird, or at least, what places that aren't Florida would consider weird: He told them not to freak out, but that he had someone in the trunk.
I think that's a pretty surefire way to freak out a cop, don't you?
The man was handcuffed and officers opened the trunk, where they discovered a man. The two men told officers the man in the trunk had left his court-ordered community service job at the park to go drinking and he was trying to sneak back in so he could sign out and get credit for the hours he skipped.
Remember: Don't drink and drive when you have someone in the trunk.
Photo credit Miramax


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Related SitesPage address: https://www.mnsu.edu/hr/relatedsites.html
Employee Recognition
The Employee Recognition Program at Minnesota State Mankato is designed to help supervisors recognize and employees feel the value of their contributions to our university. Recognition of employees is a vital aspect to supervision and performance management.
Professional Development
We are committed to developing the talents of Minnesota State Colleges & Universities' employees. Supporting successful leaders at all levels also builds institutional capacity to better serve our students and our communities.
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The Wellness Committee is a free organization for MSU Faculty and Staff that promotes nutrition, fitness, workplace environment, and mental/emotional health.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The Employee Assistance Program is designed to assist in identification and resolution of personal, family, and worksite problems faced by state employees.
President's Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission serves a three-fold purpose pertaining to women's concerns and issues: 1) identify and define the issues, 2) make recommendations and review progress, and3) provide advice and guidance in the implementation of new policies and programs.


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3 Steps to Simpler QA/QC of Polymeric Materials
- Date: Jun 19, 2012 - 15:00 - 16:00 (local time)
- Presenter: Dr Mustafa Kansiz and Dr Alan Rein
- Categories: HPLC / Electrophoresis / Detectors / Ion Chromatography / Proteomics & Genomics / Sample Preparation / Gas Chromatography / Laboratory Informatics / X-ray Spectrometry / Proteomics / Atomic / Raman / MRI Spectroscopy / UV/Vis Spectroscopy / Chemometrics & Informatics / Base Peak / Infrared Spectroscopy / NMR Knowledge Base
Latest webinar from Agilent Technologies
3 steps to simpler QA/QC of Polymeric Materials
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 – 15:00 UTC
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This seminar will discuss in detail some common applications and how Agilent's unique sampling technology can provide a better solution to many of your daily challenges.
Your Presenters
Ned Davis
FT-IR Product Specialist
Agilent Technologies
Ned Davis: Biography
Ned Davis is a FTIR Product Specialist focusing on Agilent's routine use FTIR products. He has over 12 years of experience in product management and sales spanning from chromatography to spectroscopy. In his role he is responsible for developing and growing new opportunities for routine FTIR spectroscopy in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and materials industries.
Dr Alan Rein
Market Development and
Strategy Manager
Agilent Technologies
Alan Rein: Biography
Alan Rein is market development and strategy manager for Agilent Technologies Out of Lab Products in Danbury CT. His Ph.D. is in physical chemistry and he has been involved in the application, development and marketing of molecular spectroscopic instrumentation for more than 30 years. His main focus has been identifying, developing and growing new opportunities for infrared spectroscopy in the pharmaceutical, chemical and materials industries.


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On Tuesday, gold (NYSEARCA:GLD) futures for February delivery, the most active contract, increased $15.90 to settle at $1,662.20 per ounce, while silver (NYSEARCA:SLV) futures for March gained 38 cents to close at $30.47.
Both precious metals showed strength as central banks around the world continue to show monetary desperation. Japan's Finance Minister, Taro Aso, said the nation plans to use foreign-exchange reserves to purchase bonds from the European Stability Mechanism fund.
Continue Reading Below
The move is an effort to weaken the yen. Aso claims, "The financial stability of Europe will help the stability of foreign-exchange rates, including the yen. From this perspective, Japan plans to buy ESM bonds." The amount of bond purchasing is still undetermined.
New Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has been calling on the Bank of Japan to take more powerful monetary actions. In addition to the ESM purchases, Japan may sign a policy accord that will set inflation and job growth goals, according to Reuters.
In afternoon trading, the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV) both increased 0.80 percent. Gold miners (NYSEARCA:GDX) such as Yamana Gold (NYSE:AUY) and Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) jumped about 1 percent. However, silver names such as First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) and Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) traded in the red.
Don't Miss: Is The U.S. Debt Ceiling Really A Debt Target?
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Stock up on a variety of breakfast items, beverages, snacks, frozen entrées and more, any time—all on the honor system.
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Located near the I-X Convention Center and easily accessible from the Airgas Business Support Center, our extended stay hotel accommodates the business traveler's needs. Onsite services such as, free Wi-Fi access, free laundry services and our 24-hour Candlewood Gym, offers our business travelers the convenience of keeping their daily routine.
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As the highest-ranking female executive at Fox Networks Group, Tuzon oversees a 50-person business affairs and legal team that, in the past year, was front-and-center of Fox's legal efforts to protect its negotiating window for programming rights to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Working in sports is a terrific challenge," she says. "It's one of the few assets that have a 'live' aspect to it every day, not to mention the passion it instills in our viewers." Her team was instrumental in helping Fox secure distribution deals, including retransmission consent fees and cable network renewals with DirecTV, and is leading the Fox legal challenges regarding Dish Network's ad-skipping technology and the Aereo time-shifting and streaming service. In addition, she's ground zero for what can be controversial content from Fox shows, including "Family Guy," "Sons of Anarchy" and telecasts of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Outside the Office: Biking, skiing, watching the L.A. Kings
Top cause: Mentors young female law aspirants; supports public education and reading initiatives.


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This fall, the L.A. Times asked readers to share their special cookie recipes for the third annual Holiday Cookie Bake-Off, and then to help narrow down their favorites to the top 50.
And this year, Glendale and Burbank staked out a strong showing in the top 10.
The Times received close to 200 submissions, and more than 2,500 votes were cast. The top vote-getters were taken to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, where students spent one Saturday morning baking batches of cookies.
L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons, Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter and features Web producer Jenn Harris joined Lachlan Sands, dean of the cooking school, and culinary student Donna Feoranzo to taste and test each cookie, narrowing it to their top 10.
Below are the local bakers who made it into the top 10 this year:
Laurel Gillis, Glendale
Almond Sweeties
"My 98-year-old mother was a wonderful baker, and this was one of her specialties."
Kelli Abrahamian, Burbank
Rosemary apricot bars
"I just moved to Los Angeles this past summer, leaving family, friends and a wonderful group of food bloggers in Minneapolis. This will be my first sunny Southern California Christmas, and I know I will make these bar cookies and remember the loving friendships I have across the miles."
Christina Conte, Glendale
Snow cookies
"When I was a little girl in Scotland, my mother used to make a very simple yet delicious snow cake, which was topped with white icing and shredded coconut."
For the full list of winning recipes:
-- Los Angeles Times; compiled by Jason Wells, Times Community News


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I am looking for 1 more player for this campaign.
Please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com, if interested.
(Electronic character sheets)
This is a role-playing campaign based on mythology in a historical timeline and story set in the ancient lands of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia in the time period c. 800 BC.
It involves adventure and exploration in the mythological world of the Hellenic lands (Greek civilization), Hesperia (Italy/Spain), Sicania (Sicily), Anatolia (Asia Minor), Cimmeria, the Assyrian and Babylonian Empire, the Kingdom of Van, Phoenicia, the Semitic lands in the Middle East, Egypt, Kush, and the lands of the Celts, Teutons (pre-Norse), Finns, Slavs and Balts.
This setting is very different than a medieval setting (the standard setting used in D&D) and involves a lower level of technology. However, historians have attributed a higher level of knowledge during ancient times than during the Dark Ages or the Medieval Ages.
The campaign takes the viewpoint of a person living during ancient times and uses mythology to introduce magic and related fantasy elements existing in a standard D&D campaign.
Rule changes are based on the mythological aspect of the world and historical accuracy as best as possible. Most of the core races and classes exist with changes based on their mythological counterparts of the time period. The rules system used is a hybrid of 3.5 D&D with some 4e D&D rules and house rules.
There is an age requirement of 21 years old for this campaign:
This is a mature content game. Topics such as war, plague, discrimination, torture, slavery, pillaging and raping are encountered. The moral views of ancient people are not the same as modern people. One civilization considers another barbaric, while the supposedly barbaric civilization believes the opposite. Discrimination is rampart to the point of causing war and internal strife. Laws are non-existent to self-serving for the rulers of the land you are in and depend on the land you are from, your sex or even the color of your skin. Some rulers believe themselves to be gods or godlike and wield absolute power.
If youre morally apprehensive of the above, if you are not interested in role-playing in such an atmosphere, if you are only interested in how powerful your character can become or obtaining the best magic item in the DMG . . . this campaign is not for you.
If you can role-play your character morally accepting things you would not accept in your real life, complying with political rulers that believe themselves to be gods to survive, losing everything, including your dignity, only to persevere, as well as enjoy a mythological setting, then this campaign could be for you.
My experience:
I have run campaigns in 1st ed. AD&D, 2nd ed. AD&D, 3.5 ed. D&D and 4e D&D for well over 20 years. I have also run several adventures at Gen-Con and I-Con, as well as won awards playing RPGA and non-RPGA events.
The campaign will run monthly on a Saturday of each month starting at about 1 PM. The schedule is flexible and dependant on the players schedules. The only requirement being Saturday. The location of the game is in Old Bridge, NJ, close to the NYC metro area. Accessible by NJT bus #139 from the Port Authority or by driving. Parking is not a problem. There will be an introduction session, involving the rule system, an explanation and view of the campaign world and creation of characters prior to starting the campaign.
I require meeting anyone interested in person, obtaining an idea of their gaming experience and interest in the campaign, as well as confirming their availability for Saturday gaming sessions. You must make at least a 6 month commitment to remain and play in the campaign due to the time and effort I will be putting in to evolve a campaign around the characters. Miniatures and other gaming aids can be used in the campaign. Food and drink can be brought or ordered and eaten at the game sessions.
You may use non-core rulebooks subject to my review and approval.
You may not use metal dice or metal miniatures without felt pads or plastic stands.
You may not be under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs at a game session.
You must make a diligent effort to show up for scheduled sessions and on time.
You must provide a phone number and e-mail address for contact purposes.
For more information please contact Fabio at firstname.lastname@example.com
Last edited by shadowfax7; 09-30-2012 at 11:35 AM.
If it wasn't for Shadowfax . . . Gandalf never would of made it.
Shadowfax, the real hero of LotR.
I am looking for 1 more player for this campaign.
Please e-mail email@example.com, if interested.
If it wasn't for Shadowfax . . . Gandalf never would of made it.
Shadowfax, the real hero of LotR.
I am still looking for 1 more player for this campaign.
Please e-mail email@example.com, if interested.
If it wasn't for Shadowfax . . . Gandalf never would of made it.
Shadowfax, the real hero of LotR.


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Alopecia areata is a condition that causes round patches of hair loss. It can lead to total hair loss.
Alopecia totalis; Alopecia universalis
The cause of alopecia areata is unknown. Some people with this condition have a family history of alopecia.
Alopecia areata is thought to be an autoimmune condition. This occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue.
Alopecia areata is seen in men, women, and children. In a few people, hair loss may occur after a major life event such as an illness, pregnancy, or trauma.
Forms of alopecia include:
Hair loss is usually the only symptom. A few people may also feel a burning sensation or itching.
Alopecia areata usually begins as 1 to 2 patches of hair loss. Hair loss is most often seen on the scalp. It may also occur in the beard, eyebrows, and arms or legs in some people.
Patches where hair has fallen out are smooth and round in shape. They may be peach-colored. Hairs that look like exclamation points are sometimes seen at the edges of a bald patch.
In alopecia totalis, total hair loss often occurs within 6 months after symptoms first start.
A scalp biopsy may be done. Several blood tests may also be done to check for autoimmune conditions and thyroid problems.
If hair loss is not widespread, the hair will often regrow in a few months without treatment.
For more severe hair loss, it is not clear how much treatment can help change the course of the condition.
Common treatments may include:
Wigs may be used to hide areas of hair loss.
Full recovery of hair is common.
However, some people may have a poorer outcome, including those with:
Call your health care provider if you are concerned about hair loss.
Sperling LC, Sinclair RD, El Shabrawi-Caelen L. Alopecias. In: Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, Schaffer JV, et al., eds. Dermatology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2012:chap 60.


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Here's a fun Photoshop Tutorial to take you into the weekend. I originally wrote it for the Scrapbook Dimensions blog, where it appeared earlier this week.
I'm a big fan of creating my own embellishments. But sometimes I'm short on time and just want something that looks handmade. That's why I love this technique. I am going to show you how to create a digital template that you can use over and over and over again!
1. Open a new 12x12 file (File>New) in Photoshop.
2. Choose the "Rectangle Tool."
4. You now need to change all those vector shapes to regular shapes. From the Layers menu, choose Rasterize>All Layers.
5. Save your new layered template! It's important to do it now so that you don't mess it up with the next few steps. You just did all of that work and want to have it around for a long time!
6. Drag patterned paper into your template. Place it just over the layer you want to cover in patterned paper. Here is a screenshot of the Layers Palette:
6. Choose "Create Clipping Mask" from the "Layer" menu.
This will make it so that the paper "sticks" to only the one shape it's over, like so:
7. If you like it, merge those two layers together (Layer>MergeDown) to make it permanent.
8. Continuing adding patterned paper until you're satisfied with the area you've filled.
You can see here that I've only covered one part of the template. I'm doing a small embellishment, so there's no reason to cover the entire thing.
9. Flatten the entire template (Layer>Flatten Image) so that you can cut out the embellishment shape you want.


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Strong 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hit Cebu (Philippines)
A strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake, at a depth at 29 miles, struck off the Philippines Monday, southeast of Bacolod in the Negros islands at 0349 GMT, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Philippines Earthquake & Tsunami Update:
Aftershock: A 6.2 aftershock jolts the Negros, Cebu region at 10:10am GMT(06:10pm Local time).
|35 km
Tsunami Warning: Level 2
Two aftershocks of reportedly 4.9 & 5.7 magnitude hit the Cebu region on 04:03am GMT & 04:20am GMT. (12:03pm & 12:20pm Local Time)
Teams search for Philippine earthquake survivors
Army teams were carrying out search operations, said Ver Neil Balaba, operations officer at the regional Office of Civil Defence, and police had been deployed to prevent looting.
"The most urgent needs now are water, tents and food," he said.
The quake hit 70km north of Dumaguete city on Negros island.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 11:49 (03:49 GMT) at a depth of 20km, according to the US Geological Survey.
As of 08:00 local time, the toll was 15 confirmed dead, 44 reported missing and 52 injured, according to an official report.
The death toll includes two children, according to the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
One local report on Monday put the number of dead at 43, including many people killed in a landslide in the badly-hit coastal area of Guihulngan.
But this report has not yet been confirmed by the central authorities.
A series of aftershocks followed the initial quake, one of them registered a magnitude of 6.2 at the epicentre.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami alert for the area, but had lifted it by 14:30.
'Trapped inside'
On Tuesday, public schools and two universities in Negros Oriental province were closed.
Regional officials and an administrator from Manila had also arrived in the area and were assessing damage and needs, said Mr Balaba, who is based in Cebu.
Damaged roads and bridges added to challenges faced by rescue workers and the transport of aid and supplies.
In the town of Guihulngan, about 90 km north of Dumaguete, reports said some houses had been completely buried by landslides, and the market and court house were also damaged.
The town's 42-strong police force, joined by army personnel and volunteers, had been searching for survivors and clearing debris, said Inspector Alvin Futalan, police chief of Guihulngan.
"The army (troops) had to walk about 50 km from the last stop reachable by vehicle to reach us," he told the Agence France Presse news agency.
Nine bridges were damaged in Negros Oriental, with four no longer passable, said Governor Roel Degamo.
The quake also caused a landslide in the mountain village of Solongon in La Libertad town, in the same province.
"We're now getting shovels and chain saws to start a rescue because there were people trapped inside. Some of them were yelling for help earlier," La Libertad police chief inspector Eric Arrol Besario told the Associated Press by phone.
One child died and a local tsunami alert was issued after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake followed by two aftershocks struck off the Philippines island of Negros on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and a local monitoring service.
The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it warned residents along coastal areas to be on the watch for unusual waves as it raised a tsunami alert at level 2.
The institute also warned structurally weak buildings may sustain damages. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that based on all available data a Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected.
The quake, with depth of about 10 kms (6.2 miles), according to the institute, and centred just 5 kms off the shore of Tayasan, Negros Oriental, was felt at intensity 7 in Dumaguete City and intensity 6 in Bacolod City, according to the institute.
The USGS put the quake at 6.7 in magnitude and a depth of 12.4 miles (19.8 kms).
Two aftershocks, of 4.8 and 5.6 magnitude on the USGS scale, followed within 30 minutes of the earthquake.
"Damage is possible in areas hit by at least intensity 5 and if the buildings are structurally weak," Renato Solidum, head of the volcanology and seismology institute said in a radio interview.
Earthquake Fatality Report:
A child was killed in Taysan town in Negros Oriental after a concrete wall collapse, pinning the helpless child to death, reported the National Risk-Reduction Disaster Management Council.
NRRDMC executive director Benito Ramos said initial reports showed that the child, whose gender and identity has yet to be determined, died after the wall collapsed onto him.
He said he has received a report that earthquake shattered several glass panels of a shopping mall in San Carlos City.
While the tsunami alert was raised, Ramos said the possibility of its occurrence is very slim.
Official Earthquake Report:
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has occurred NEGROS- CEBU REG, PHILIPPINES at:
10.14N 123.35E Depth 40km 06/02/2012 at 03:49:16 (Universal Time)
Earthquake location with respect to nearby cities:
41 km SW Toledo (pop 156916, local time 11:49:16.7 2012-02-06)
9 km E Guihulngan (pop 22931, local time 11:49:16.7 2012-02-06)
8 km E Malusay (pop 2473, local time 11:49:16.7 2012-02-06)
Comments :
Manual location disseminated on 06/02/2012 04:02 (UTC)
USGS Earthquake Report:
|6.8 Mw
|46 km
|Location Uncertainty
|Horizontal: 13.5 km; Vertical 11.5 km
|Nph = 75; Dmin = 744.7 km; Rmss = 1.03 seconds; Gp = 46°
M-type = Mw; Version = 8


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Seth2 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 153 designs submitted by 58 freelance designers.
RocketAce.net is a small web/mobile application development shop with big ideas, that is just getting started.
RocketAce.net's vision for the next 18 months is to produce small web properties that serve a single purpose and are geared to a more tech savvy audience.
Most of these apps will be productivity based, others based on social media platforms (Delicious, Twitter, Facebook), and we might throw in a game for good measure!
All the apps will be branded as "RocketAce.net Web Properties"
The target audience for the apps will be for the more tech savvy user.
We like anything Apple makes from a design perspective, and will use a similar design style in the apps we create, so the logo should complement that style.
I would really like a logo which includes a rocket flying through space. Think more Flash Gordon then NASA.
Solid colors are nice, and if possible to incorporate an 'Ace' inside or riding the outside of the rocket.
I'd like the text 'RocketAce.net' to be included in the logo design
Something that is in a comic book style, and comic book fonts for the typeface would be great... clear, simple and bold
A logo that is fun and whimsical with a hint of retro cool.
Please feel free to experiment with colors!
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
Hopefully that's enough to run with!
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Mustang MonthlyFeatured Vehicles
1968-1/2 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet - Jet Black!
Scott Fuller's '68½ Cobra Jet is a one-of-one rocket ship ride
Mustang collector and faithful steward to the breed, Scott Fuller calls the far northern reaches of the Los Angeles high desert his home. It is the perfect place for a guy like Scott because there's plenty of room to grow in a place where everyone minds their own business and Scott can practice his passion. Beneath Scott's Mojave Desert tiled roofline is a growing collection of low-mileage unrestored original Mustangs, including several Shelbys. There are also nicely restored gems like this Raven Black '68½ Cobra Jet convertible that recently arrived in his personal museum.
Access to Scott's collection has never been easy for anyone because Scott likes his privacy. We were honored to be invited to his shop to visit with Scott and admire his collection. Before you is something you may never see in your entire lifetime—a Cobra Jet convertible in Raven Black with Gold Nugget vinyl ordered on May 11, 1968 as a standard dealer retail order for Keck Motor Company in Mount Vernon, Indiana. On June 11, 1968, Scott's CJ convertible was serialized and scheduled for assembly at the Dearborn, Michigan assembly plant according to the coveted Marti Report. It was bucked and assembled on June 25th and shipped to Indiana the next day. It was sold July 13th.
Not much is known about the car's early life except it was in Northern Indiana until the 1990s when it wound up in the hands of an avid Ford collector in North Carolina and received a concours restoration. Scott snapped it up in 2011 and added it to his collection. Scott then shipped it off to Jim Ellsworth in North Canton, Ohio who freshened up the dated restoration. It was returned to Scott in August of last year.
Scott tells us Ford produced just 34 '68½ Cobra Jet Mustang convertibles. When you consider Ford did 518 Shelby GT 500KR convertibles, this makes Scott's CJ drop top one of the rarest. Scott Hollenbeck of the Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Registry tells Mustang Monthly 17 of the 34 convertibles are accounted for. Kevin Marti adds this is the only Raven Black and Gold Nugget '68 CJ convertible produced with a four-speed and a 3.91 geared Traction-Lok.
Before you is a penciled out order to the dealer's liking as a drop top "fun as the all outdoors" big-block Mustang with a four-speed and dragstrip ready gears. In theory, this car should have taken a car crusher nap 40 years ago amid abuse, thrashing and trashing. Instead, it has been a well-cared for timepiece passed along to those who have understood its worth. When we asked Scott how often he drives the car, he responded "Never!" because he understands just how rare it is as a polished gem.
Mustang Snapshot
- 1968½ Mustang GT Cobra Jet convertible
- Raven Black
- Gold Nugget Vinyl standard interior
- 428 Cobra Jet, 335 horsepower
- Top Loader four-speed
- 3.91 Traction-Lok
- GT Equipment Group
- Power Front Disc Brakes
- F70x14 Belted Traction Tires
- Styled Steel GT wheels
- AM radio


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The first of its kind, this global satellite-based augmentation system (GSBAS) provides five centimeter positioning accuracy on a worldwide basis, completely independent of geographical boundaries, allowing users to roam freely while maintaining the most precise positioning information.
The StarFire™ global subscription service provides real-time accuracy typically better than 5cm (<2 inches). Its globally corrected signal is available virtually anywhere on the Earth's surface on land or sea, from 72ºN to 72ºS latitude.
To accomplish this, StarFire™ utilizes a network of more than 40 GNSS reference stations around the world to compute GNSS satellite orbit and clock corrections. Two completely redundant processing centers and multiple communication links ensure the continuous availability of StarFire™ GNSS corrections. These corrections are broadcast via geostationary satellites, providing worldwide coverage and enabling precise real-time navigation without the need for local ground base stations.
As an alternative to delivery of corrections via satellites - NavCom offers a StarFire Over IP software option that allows users to access StarFire corrections over the Internet, giving them access to the same reliable five centimeter global positioning accuracy without the need for a base station. Users are able to access StarFire corrections in those situations when satellite delivery might be unavailable, such as deep urban canyons or very high latitude locations.
The StarFire Network is a major advance from earlier ground based augmentation systems because it considers each of the GNSS satellite signal error sources independently. GNSS satellite orbit and clock corrections are calculated from a global tracking network of dual frequency receivers. These corrections are transmitted via geo-stationary satellite links direct to StarFire receivers, resulting in minimal data latency and worldwide operation with a minimum 10° look angle to the geostationary satellites. All StarFire receivers use a multi frequency GNSS receiver that measures the ionospheric delay for each satellite. Tropospheric zenith delays are calculated from a multi-state time and position model aided by redundant satellite observables.
Redundant data links, geographically separated processing hubs, and dual satellite uplink equipment ensure continuous reliable positioning. The system is inherently robust, with the ability to calculate a full set of corrections even if multiple reference stations were to become unavailable. With an uptime of 99.999%, customers can be confident of the global availability and accuracy of the system.
During the mid-1990's, Deere &Company challenged NavCom with developing a proprietary, global, cost-efficient GPS correction network capable of providing greater accuracy than existing available systems.
In response, NavCom implemented a fully redundant, worldwide, dual-frequency GPS reference network that was free from regional boundaries. It also devised new processing algorithms to allow for optimal compression of GPS correction data, to reduce both satellite bandwidth needs and operating costs. Launched globally in 1999, the StarFire™ Network uses the GPS satellite system, L-band communication satellites, and a global network of reference stations to deliver real-time high precision positioning.
In, 2011, NavCom launched StarFire™ GNSS, which supports GPS + GLONASS corrections and also provides improved real-time accuracy of five centimeters. StarFire GNSS utilizes Deere proprietary algorithms combined with high precision measurements from Deere's upgraded global tracking network of multi-frequency, multi-constellation SF-3050 integrated StarFire™/RTK GNSS receivers to provide enhanced accuracy and performance anywhere, anytime.
As a Global Satellite-Based Augmentation System (GSBAS), the StarFire™ Network holds a significant advantage over differential GNSS (dGNSS) systems. Since no base station is required, the StarFire™ user is free to roam, with no limitations on range. StarFire™ provides one set of corrections for the entire world, as opposed to dGNSS systems' baseline-dependent regional corrections, which are geographically limited.
Learn more about GSBAS vs. dGNSS systems.
In order to evaluate the satellite positioning options available, the primary error sources contributing to the corrections need to be understood.
Reference and rover errors include:
How these are handled can be placed into two broad classes: differential GNSS (dGNSS) systems and Global Satellite-Based Augmentation System (GSBAS) systems.
dGNSS provides relative positioning; these positioning options determine corrections at the Earth's surface, either at individual sites or averaged over a region. These corrections are an amalgam of primary reference error sources and are transmitted to the user via radio or satellite link. User coordinates are determined relative to the reference site(s). Accuracy degrades with distance from the individual reference site or the regional boundary, primarily because of differential ionospheric and tropospheric effects, satellite orbits, and clocks. Examples of correction services include:
Widelane RTK is a relative newcomer, which is only available in the few areas of the world that require high accuracy on a regular basis for oil and gas exploration surveys.
Importantly, GSBAS systems provide absolute positioning, meaning they do not determine position relative to some fixed point of the Earth's surface. Instead, they determine a position within a space-based reference frame, thus they may also be considered to be within the Space Domain group.
Satellite communication links are used for some dGNSS systems, so the term GSBAS does not relate to the communication link used but instead describes the nature of the corrections, i.e. that they are for the satellites. This class includes:
Augmentation for Standalone GPS consists of satellite orbit and clock updates which are generated by the GPS Ground Control Segment and distributed to the user with an ionospheric model in the GPS signal structure. It is this basic principle of determining each error source instead of amalgamating them which distinguishes GSBAS from dGNSS.
In addition to our standard StarFire™ subscription service, NavCom provides select StarFire™ Reference Data to customers in more specialized application areas such as the wireless, LBS and military industries. This Reference Data, both real-time and archival, is ideally suited for the following applications:
StarFire™ five centimeter positioning is available on a subscription basis to end users of our SF Series GNSS receivers. There are two types of StarFire™ subscription licenses:
Licenses can be purchased for the following time increments:
Typical applications that benefit from StarFire™ performance, accuracy, and availability include:
NavCom now offers StarFire via Over the Air Licensing: NavCom's Over The Air (OTA) StarFire Licensing is the easiest way to install a StarFire license. The installation of a purchased license is accomplished via radio broadcast. OTA StarFire Licensing is especially convenient for receivers in remote locations in the field.


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Last year, I had an opportunity to help automate the registration process for the STC India Conference 2009. I created a PDF form using LiveCycle Designer and designed a simple workflow around it.
The presentation at this link discusses this workflow, together with guidelines for both form authors and end users. A snapshot of the workflow is captured in the schematic below.
Some 475 delegates registered using the form without any glitches.
If you are looking for the right learning resources to get started with LiveCycle Designer, refer to Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES2 Help (HTML). If you are looking for more information about the product or want to download a free trial copy, visit this page.


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23 Jan 2013, 12:00 PM
I have a multiline chart which it's x axis is based on time and it's y axis is based off of calculations performed. The first line is the total calculations per hour. The 2nd line is the average calculations per hour. Occasionally the calculations will spike drastically causing it to be much larger than the average line. When this happens, the larger line will extend off the viewable area of the chart. Is there a way to force the chart scale according to the larger line so that all results can be viewed?


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Moderator: Cartographers
demonfork wrote:Paris D does not work with clickable maps. I had to use the drop down menu to attack from that position.
fumandomuerte wrote:Mmm there are discrepancies between bonuses as BENJIKAT IS DEAD pointed months ago. Baltic express has 3 territories, only 2 of them in the border and it can be attacked only from 2 outside stations. It should give a +1 or +2 bonus, not a +3, that's even more than oceania in classic risk!
The other mentioned case is, again, Rail Iberia. 7 territories, 2 borders, 2 foes... It should give a +3 bonus...
Ukraine Rail +2 bonus is OK, but a +3 bonus could work too. It's hard to conquer a 6 territories bonus to only get a +2.
Vilnius Express: 3 territories, 1 border, 1 foe... That sounds like a +1 bonus to me
cairnswk wrote:I won't change the bonuses on the say of one or two persons. You know that.
Get other lots of support to have this change and it has a fiar chance of happening.
fumandomuerte wrote:cairnswk wrote:I won't change the bonuses on the say of one or two persons. You know that.
Get other lots of support to have this change and it has a fiar chance of happening.
I'll start my campaign then
nikola_milicki wrote:can somebody plz explain why is M bonus +3? bcuz it has 2 borders and N and A have only 1? kinda makes P +2 with twice as many lands and also 2 borders ridiculous?
koontz1973 wrote:cairnswk, I would rather you did not. Whilst it is not played by me a lot, it is one of the funny maps that is not perfectly balanced and bland. I like the fact we have some maps like this. Just my thoughts on this issue.
isaiah40 wrote:I believe they are! Good job cairns!
ManBungalow wrote:I like it.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


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Billy is a happy-go-lucky, hyperactive idiot. He's far too stupid to be scared when faced with monsters, and his curiosity leads him into all kinds of trouble. Also, strangely, Billy is terrified of clowns and has recurring nightmares about them.
Mandy is Billy's closest friend. Almost always angry, she hardly ever smiles (and denies it when she does), and usually gets what she wants by being scary. Grim sometimes refers to her as "horrible demon child" and even Mandy's own parents are scared of her!
Grim is over 137,000 years old. He's clever and distinguished, and his previous job was to collect and deliver spirits to the underworld. By losing a limbo contest to Billy and Mandy, Grim is unfortunately fated to be their "best friend" forever.


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Melvin B. Tolson: Biographical Note
Melvin B. Tolson was born in Moberly, Missouri, on February 6, 1898, and he died at the age of 67 on August 29, 1966, in Dallas, Texas, a few days after undergoing surgery for cancer. In 1922 he married Ruth Southall, and in 1924 he graduated with honors from Lincoln University. From 1924 until 1947 he taught at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, taking a years leave in 1930-31 to pursue work in a Masters degree from Columbia University. His project for a thesis centered on interviewing members of the Harlem Renaissance. From 1947 onward he taught at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma (where he also served three terms, from 1954 to 1960, as Mayor).
From his year in New York emerged his first poetry, a group of short narratives, loosely allied with the free verse of Edgar Lee Masterss Spoon River Anthology. A few of the poems from that manuscript were published from 1937 to 1939, but the whole work would await printing until the late 1970s when Robert M. Farnsworth presented it as A Gallery of Harlem Portraits.
Some elements, a few character-types, and the urban setting in these early poems all reappear in Tolsons final published work, Harlem Gallery (1965), a long poem in several sections (each with the letter of the Greek alphabet), subtitled The Curator, and the first of a projected series of long poems on African American life. But the distance Tolson traveled in his own career can be dramatically measured between these two texts. A Gallery of Harlem Portraits reads as versified prose: "The big-bellied man limped / Toward the door of The Zachary Eat Shop," is the way that the poem entitled "Dave Zachary" opens: "Breathing a sigh of relief, he entered his domain. / Hello, Zachary, came a din of voices." Tolsons interest, in the 1930s, lies in accurately capturing aspects of a black vernacular excerpts from songs, usually in a black dialect, appear scattered through the texts but also in presenting black experience with a normalized face. In this poetry, Harlem is a viable community, held together by individuals both good and bad, both self-destructive and willing to help others. In Harlem Gallery, by contrast, Tolson writes within the artificial and highly intellectualized discourse that he began to develop in the postwar years. Now his lines, to use a phrase from 1930s jazz, "jump" as if galvanized: they are a heady mix of colorful slang and intellectual allusions, with an uptown / downtown overlap that is just barely held together by the ravishing sound of the words and a syntax that rips along at breathtaking speed:
It was I who taught Black
his first lesson in the Art of Picassos Benin,
at Waycross, Georgia
aeons before Africa uncorked an uppercut:
many a tour de force of his
executed in Harlem dives and dead ends
has greened the wide-awake eyes
of such masters as
Giglio and Gentile,
Bufalino and Profaci.
O schoolmasters,
living and half-alive and dead,
the Zulu Club
is not the fittest place to recall,
by fits and starts,
Senecas young Nero
Aristotles youthful Alexander!
"Black Diamond," now a powerful underworld leader, was once a student of the Curator, in this passage set within the Zulu Club. It is characteristic of Tolsons late work to allude to this pupil-student relationship in cultural terms that integrate local black experience with well-known historical referents by recalling Seneca and Nero, Aristotle and Alexander. It is no less characteristic to find lines moving swiftly, pushed by elegant alliteration and strikingly odd slang-like metaphors ("aeons before Africa uncorked an uppercut"). If immense pleasure is to be taken in the voluptuous sound of Tolsons lines, there is just as much to admire in an intellectual presentation that is designed to be impressive. The identity, for example, of "Giglio and Gentile / Bufalino and Profaci" was tracked down by Robert Huot, in his 1971 University of Utah PhD thesis that annotates many (though by no means all) of the references one of the first, but certainly not the last, of literary scholars who have paid their homage to Tolsons work through scrupulously annotating it.
Tolsons 1944 collection, Rendezvous with America (his first published book), revealed a poet in need of annotation, a poet who would take exceptional interest in matters of history but with special attention paid to that history which had fallen into obscurity. Names and events that have been forgotten often become, for Tolson, an index to just where a ruling ideology has successfully exerted its pressure. But little in the fairly straightforward stanzas in Rendezvous with America prepares for the quantum leap that Tolson took in 1947 when, invited to compose a centennial ode for the African republic of Liberia, he embarked upon a symphonic epic as detailed, as organized, and as rhapsodic as any of the major experimental long poems of the twentieth century. Self-consciously deciding that the African American poet had to become a "modernist," that the idioms practiced by Sterling A. Brown (and that Tolson had imitated in his own Gallery of Harlem Portraits) had to be set aside for an experimental discourse that invited a dense blending of various voices, he completed an eight-part sequence that, by any standard, must count among the most successful achievements of modern poetry.
Libretto not only sketches with admirable intensity and vividness a history of the founding of Liberia, but it restores the narrative of a significant African civilization (the Songhai empire). What is more, it positions itself carefully at a distinctive moment in world culture, at the close of a second major war, as a preparation for looking ahead prophetically to a genuinely transformed future. It accomplishes this through a range of distinctive writing styles, often displaying a staggering erudition. In a set of nearly two hundred footnotes, Tolson not only further justifies his work on explicit intellectual and historical grounds but he extends the thematics of his text even further, undertaking brief guerrilla forays where he unearths forgotten events and overlooked narratives and where he creatively and subversively associates texts and movements and historical facts.
Return to Melvin B. Tolson


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There are thousands of Americans who have not filed tax returns in years. Many are afraid of coming forward because they haven't heard anything from the IRS, and they do not want to draw attention to themselves. Others are on the run, and are afraid of the repercussions should they suddenly become law-abiding taxpayers.
Continue Reading Below
The good news is that the IRS is not interested in putting anyone in jail. There are certainly a few exceptions, but those mostly pertain to celebrity cases that will draw media attention and to set examples that no one is above the tax code.
The IRS wants voluntary compliance, and the agency will treat anyone who comes back into the fold like the long lost prodigal son.
Years ago, an IRS agent told me that it is the agency's goal for everyone to work, make money and pay taxes—not put anyone in jail. And in the 30 odd years that I have been doing tax work, I have not seen a single non filer, or any taxpayer for that matter, end up behind bars.
In fact, I've helped a non-filer safely re-enter the system after 18 years. He had not filed a tax return since 1985 and he was engaged to be married but his fiancé refused to tie the knot until he had his situation in order. I prepared his 1986 through 2004 income tax returns and luckily, he had the data well organized and in storage. He was terrified of what he would owe. But as it turns out, he would have received more than $65,000 in refunds had he filed timely.
He didn't get the refunds and here's why: The IRS is required to provide you with a tax refund if--and only if—you are due one and have filed no more than three years late. So for tax year 1986, my client would have had to file his tax return no later than April, 15 1990 in order to collect his refund. On the other hand, if you owe a tax liability, the IRS has 10 years from the date of assessment – which is usually within a couple of weeks of filing – to collect said taxes.
Many people don't file because they do not have the required documentation: W2s, 1099s, K-1s and other tax documents are missing. Well, there's good news on that front. The IRS has a record of every third-party document you would have received. It's a simple matter of getting a transcript, which can be ordered for free, from the IRS. The tax return can then be constructed from this data.
In fact, the IRS often takes this information and files a substitute filed tax return (SFR) for you. The agency doesn't apply any tax deductions and arrives at a tax based on the least beneficial filing status. Naturally, this creates a tax bill – which it sends to you – that is outrageously expensive and not at all accurate. But hopefully it gets your attention and urges you to file an accurate return.
If you are self-employed, you will need your business income and expenses in order to complete Schedule C. The data can be compiled from bank records or if those are not available, the IRS will accept estimates based on industry standards.
If you wish to never speak to anyone at the IRS, you may hire a tax professional to handle your situation. You will be required to sign IRS Form 2848 Power of Attorney allowing the tax pro to speak to the IRS on your behalf and obtain your confidential tax information.
If you are unable to pay any outstanding liabilities, there are several recourses available from being deemed non collectible to installment agreements and offers in compromise.
Just don't be afraid. The IRS is happy to work with you to reach a resolution of these problems. I find that almost everyone I've dealt with at the IRS has been courteous and fair.


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This past year, the Mix It Up at Lunch was a major success in all schools that tried it. As far as I'm concerned, this activity should not be restricted to a school-wide lunchtime encounter once a year, but is something that can easily be used–with minor modifications–in every classroom as both a classroom management tool and, more specifically perhaps, a teaching tool. I said so in this blog when re-blogging Teaching Tolerance's "How to Seat Students" back in October of 2011. The whole point is to get students–ones who would not normally make an effort to talk to each other–to get to know each other through a structured discussion. In some ways, that makes this activity a school-wide application of classroom-based collaborative learning techniques.
Specifically, however, the intent of Mix It Up at Lunch is to break down the walls of intolerance through discussion on about a safe topic in a safe environment. I loved the idea of it when it was first publicized, and I continue to love the idea of it today. It's an activity every school should try, at least one day a year every year. Even if we can dispel some of today's hate myths, there will always be new ones to address.
So let your school become part of the solution toward ending hate. Click on this link and get your school involved. Add Your School | Teaching Tolerance.
If the link does not work, copy and paste this URL into your browser. http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up/add
And for your convenience, here are the URLs for my blog about ", "mixing it up" followed by the URL for Teaching Tolerance's original blog on the event.


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Opinion: Hillary Playing With Benghazi Truth?
Editorial board member Matt Kaminski on Hillary Clinton's Benghazi testimony. Photos: Pool
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... the worst ... with the attachment something spring on ... Salt spring out there ... and that was easily ... the tainted that was not the Fed but in the American people have known that within days and they didn't know with all due respect the fact is get four dead Americans with an eye to eye protester was because of guys out for a walk when I decide to go kill some Americans ... what difference at this point does it make is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can ... to prevent it from ever happening again Senator ... welcome to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel that was Hillary Clinton ... in Senate testimony earlier today ... saying on the one hand we need to protect Americans but ... what's the difference we don't really know why Americans were misinformed ... editorial board member Matt Kaminski is here to wade through ... the swamp with me ... in that ... so as I was the case with the crazy how fast the question did she really answer ... any of the important questions for example ... the one that Senator Johnson was asking which is why we misinformed ... well ... I was with the Clintons ... she did she didnt ... on you know I think on this case ... means the seat of Bass exchange of the whole hearing in the one that people are women the most ... aam ... she not really I he was trying to list and why ... the message according to the first eight he said that it is not a terrorist attack it was a spontaneous demonstration ... YouTube really didn't want to go there I stood there was possibility for the intelligence briefing points are given to him faster rice ... from the unlit pianists they talk shows the following Sunday ... and she did not set of June St we still don't really know what the motivations of these people wear where outside the consulate ... and we don't know to what degree it was pre planned McLean noted was corrugated ... at is is ... this of them goes to her whole testimony ... that she did it to some of these things but very carefully avoided ... and what he once did you know she may still be running for office ... in Korea met Matt and I wanna go a little deeper into why center Johnson asked that question ... is this really an issue about politics attacking the politics of Howell was handled where is her deeper question here about the reasons behind the way the American people were informed of the woods for policy making by ... Cristobal versus ... Politics looking politicians to politics in writing to ... a politician and everyone in their rooms of TV ads and the partisanship you too ... at the same time the reason why this question has lingered on for Elias to ... unify months ... because it hasn't been fully answered the FBI ... a question that people were moved out of the gonna see the day after because they were moved to Germany ... FBI investigators new bike that ... I get ... the milk eyed by September twelfth and thirteenth this was not a spontaneous attack ... so why did the administration ... itself clean on snow and why were these intelligence briefing points and the reason why this matters use one as the center's pointed out perhaps to political fashion the American people deserve to know ... what happened ... in these are the best information ... from their elected officials ... and that was not provided including was not is the story was down to the fall imagine we know why stay in and many other agencies failed to provide security despite him master Stephens constant requests for help each answer that question ... a machine very much so that she did not know about the US for security issues presented really gotten that answer should not see ... any of the skin was accounting that came from and gauzy ... she was not aware of the security shortcomings ... and she said the failure lay at the midlevel bureaucratic levels ... on ... especially the euro for the nearest payers and the Bureau for security ... and that's when the county ability really should not least of ... soup ... he'll grow into the ... overall responsibility ... without taking responsibility for big Ozzie was ... a classic went on to take responsibility they actually it was sort of somebody else's fault ... one last question that warning is surprising how hawkish Secretary Clinton was ... on al Qaeda's presence in Africa ... which was very obvious to the was the most striking thing in the ways ... either that or he she said ... we're not doing enough in North Africa wheat to do for me to a better policy we can allow Mali to become terrorists if even ... we do more if you did here ... yet you know she is still in the administration that has ... they carried out a policy of the lake but couldn't ... that in some ways is responsible for the tacky in in Libya because we very much disengage from the yen after the fall of Ghadafi ... so here she positioning herself for twenty sixteen and uncovering caucus bases ... and she ... made the same points within the administration ... and then turned our board and she actually along for the ride with the dominant Obama position which is the tide of war has receded ... I we shouldn't be real one to get ... dragged into the more ... problems in the Muslim world well one thing's for sure a couple days it won't be her problem ... I anymore couple a couple weeks and months that the Senator Kerry coming up editorial board member ... Matt Kaminski thank you so much for being with us ...


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Welcome to Planteck's web site, THE place for Itoh, tree and herbaceous peony micropropagation. Planteck is dedicated to the tissue culture propagation of plants and was the first and is still the only lab in the world offering large quantities of peonies from tissue culture to the horticultural market.
Itoh peonies (also called intersectional hybrids) represent for many in the peony market the future of the garden peony industry. Itohs have a number of advantages over either herbaceous or tree peonies:
- Stronger stems that hold the flower upright even after wind and rain
- Vigorous growth and extreme winter hardiness (equivalent to herbaceous peonies)
- Flower colors previously only found in tree peonies (yellow, orange, flares)
- Floriferous when mature (up to 50 flowers on one plant!) with flowers carried above the foliage
- Healthy and attractive foliage right through fall
- Symmetric, bushy shaped plant that is cut back in the fall like herbaceous peonies
- Less attractive to ants than herbecaous peonies
Planteck, through its tissue culture technology, can offer a large variety of Itoh peony cultivars easy to acclimatize and grow by every gardener, nurseryman and grower.


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Trakk Sound Productions Presents: Killa Kyleon, Lil O, Delo, Fame Sity, Mookie Jones, M.U.G, Yung Red, Scooby - Houston Smokers Only [User Submitted]
"Trakk Sound Productions Presents: Houston Smokers
Only All Stars Video
Full Length Audio Ft. Devin The Dude, Killa Kyleon, Lil' O, Delo, Fame Sity, Mookie Jones, M.U.G., Yung Redd, Scooby, and Surreal featured on www.trakksounds.com
Co Produced by Trakk Sounds and B Don
Directed by Michael Artis
For Beats/Info/Etc. visit www.trakksounds.com Follow on twitter @trakksounds " [m]
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Women who bemoan the absurd standards of beauty society demands of them have an unexpected ally in Dustin Hoffman. The Mary Sue released a 2012 AFI archive interview with the two-time Academy Award winning actor in which he discusses his role in Tootsie.
Hoffman recalls how a makeup test for his cross-dressing role in the film inspired an epiphany about society's expectations of women. While Hoffman passed as a woman in the initial test, he immediately requested to be made more beautiful. Echoing a thought many women probably experience on a daily basis, Hoffman explains, "If I was going to be a woman I would want to be as beautiful as possible." After the makeup team explained that was impossible ("That's as good as it gets") Hoffman relates how he returned home to his wife and broke down crying, determined to make the film.
"I think I'm an interesting woman," Hoffman explains, "and I know that if I met myself at a party I would never talk to that character because she doesn't fulfill, physically, the demands that we're brought up to think woman have to have in order for us to ask them out." A tearful Hoffman laments, "There are too many interesting woman I have not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed."
It's telling that Hoffman, a successful male actor, was reduced to tears after being subjected to the expectations of female beauty for one screen test, expectations that women are subjected to for their entire lives. A choked up Hoffman finishes the interview with a simple, "That was never a comedy for me." One can only hope Hoffman's thoughtful and honest comments will inspire other such epiphanies.


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Ron Browz Freestyle On Radio Planet! "Dont Get Your Head Smacked Off Like Queen Pen. F*ck Ballin, Ya Niccas Old & Ringin"
Ron Browz Freestyle
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Telemedicine and e-learning put communities in touch
Looking to bridge the digital divide, the French Senate hopes to replicate winning applications. Two telecommunications projects are being introduced at the Salon des Maires at Porte de Versailles, Paris later this month.
The annual event is held for mayors, local government officials and parliamentarians from every region of France. Each year 5000 - 6000 mayors attend.
The itinerary includes a series of demonstrations of European Space Agency (ESA) Telecommunications projects focused on bridging the Digital Divide. For many guests this will be their first opportunity to assess technologies developed in other ESA member states. The French Senate – in a move to address the imbalance that exists in terms of digital access - is hosting ESA Telecom's demonstration.
The French Senate, in partnership with the ESA, is planning to hold a colloquium on the subject of 'Satellites and Bridging the Digital Divide' in Paris on 22 January. The aim is to evaluate the potential role of space infrastructure for the development of Europe's regions.
Two ESA funded projects have been invited to demonstrate their potential for France; both with proven contributions to bridging the Digital Divide. TeLeCare from Canada is a telemedicine project allowing remote patient diagnosis and monitoring via satellite. It allows nurses to videoconference with a patient several hundred kilometres away.
The other project is the award winning 'Espresso for Schools'; this UK-based e-learning project broadcasts multimedia content to the nation's students and teachers. Currently reaching 1750 institutions, the service goes out to over 400,000 users.
Satellite technology is also the perfect solution for delivering video-rich material because it is so much faster than terrestrial networks and can reach remote areas where a terrestrial connection is not an option.
Both projects have been in operation in their home countries for some time already. Le Salon des Maires will be a valuable opportunity for them to show how France can benefit from them. The invitation-only event will be held on November 18 to 20 at the Parc des Expositions in Porte de Versailles, Paris.


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MUMBAI–Indian direct-to-home television-service provider Tata Sky Ltd. is likely to apply soon for an initial public offering to raise 25 billion rupees ($466.2 million), according to a person involved in the process.
The company recently selected investment banks Kotak Mahindra Capital Co.,500247.BY +0.64% Morgan Stanley MS -1.35% and Citigroup Inc. C +0.57% to manage the offering, this person said.
Tata Sky–a 70:30 joint venture between India's Tata group and Star Group–declined to comment. Star is a television unit of News Corp NWSA +0.88% ., which owns Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
The company is likely to file a draft prospectus with capital-market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India as early as February, the person said. It plans to use the proceeds to pay off its debt and to fund expansion within India, the person added.
Tata Sky competes with state-run DD Direct, Bharti Airtel Ltd., 532454.BY -1.82%Reliance Communications Ltd., 532712.BY -3.86% Dish TV India Ltd.,532839.BY -1.01% Sun Direct TV Ltd. and Videocon Group 511389.BY -1.50% in India's direct-to-home TV-service market.
Last month Videocon Group's Bharat Business Channel Ltd., which provides services under the brand name Videocon D2H, filed a draft prospectus for an IPO to raise up to 7.0 billion rupees ($130 million). Of this, it would consider raising up to 500 million rupees by selling shares to certain investors before the issue opens for public subscription, according to the draft prospectus.
Bharat Business Channel's company secretary, Amruta Karkare, didn't immediately comment on its IPO plan Thursday.
Subject to regulatory approvals, Bharat Business Channel expects to list in March, one person involved in the process said recently.
India's TV market was estimated to be $6 billion in 2011, according to a report last year by KPMG and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
But India's nascent direct-to-home TV-distribution companies get a relatively small piece of this pie, say analysts. Most of these companies have been bleeding because of heavy debt and lower-than-expected sales amid high competition.
Bharat Business Channel, which commenced commercial operations in July 2009, said in its prospectus that it had incurred losses every year between 2009 and September 2012, adding up to around $260 million in losses. This was despite massive growth in its subscriber base and revenue, according to the filing. The company had around $350 million in debt as of Oct. 31.
But the prospects look better, thanks partly to India's push for greater digitization.
The federal government has set a deadline of December 2013 for all cable-TV networks to convert their transmission signals to the digital format from analog. This may lead more people to sign up for direct-to-home TV services as they are already digital.
Bharat Business Channel, like Tata Sky, plans to use its IPO proceeds to expand the company's business as well as to retire some debt.
The Bharat Business Channel IPO is being managed by five banks, including Axis Bank Ltd.'s 532215.BY +0.07% Enam Securities Pvt. Ltd., UBS Securities India Pvt. Ltd. and IDBI Capital Market Services Ltd., according to the prospectus.


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Photos: Daniel Blom
Words: T-Bird
Captions: Pat Bridges
For the second day in a row at the Superpark 14 presented by Gatorade hosted by Mammoth, the Loon jump was the centerpiece feature for one insane day on-hill at Mammoth. Though the jump remained the same, there were some new additions to the roster. It seems that Cinco De Mayo celebrations the night prior prevented some of the DC team from sessioning the jump, but all hangovers pass, and when Halldor Helgason and Jonas Carlson were feeling back at about 90 percent, they pointed it at the monster and put down some of the heaviest tricks of the day. Teammate Lonnie Kauk came back for a second day and picked apart the colossal kicker with every variation of spin you could possibly imagine. Newcomer Mark McMorris set a few tricks down himself while Jeremy Thompson came back to prove that once just wouldn't cut it. One of the more impressive riders of the day on the Loon jump was Kyle Mack. Not necessarily because he's insanely good at snowboarding, but mainly because he weighs a little more than a wet beach towel and he was spinning over a jump that was 1,000 times his size. Chas Guldemond took it to the feature well into the early evening with the small crew and landed his now (almost) patented backside 12. Parker Duke stepped into the session and capped off his day with a huge front ten. In other news, Marc Swoboda might have the best style in snowboarding. Just sayin…
Sunny skies and little wind opened Superpark up to longer-than-normal shoots, and the photographers, filmers and riders were on the setup well into the evening hours. Hell, they might still be up there as I type this. As for us though, we're heading in to town for the Superpark Wrap Party in the village. Tomorrow will cap off 14 years of Superpark, and you can read all about it in our January issue, on newsstands right around Christmas. Keep an eye out for more photos, videos and behind-the-scenes footage from Superpark 14, only on snowboardermag.com.
-Tom Monterosso


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Hello all Rockabilly and Fairytale fans... It is time for something special today. KaTnipZ Events brings you another challenge with the theme "Enchanted Rockabilly". You ask what that is? Well it's simple. Every designer got a different fairytale character to recreate as rockabilly version. They used colors, key features, characteristics, props etc to make them a unique outfit.
But enough talking, there are 45 totally different outfits and accessories waiting for you to be found. What are you searching for? A flaming 8 Ball.
Additional Information:
-This is a 5L Hunt - it is not free!
- Please do not contact the designers with anything, search help in the group KaTnipZ Events or contact Kralicecik Dufaux via NC.
- Please be aware that some designers may have dropped out or are not ready in time. Follow the hint page for updates!
Happy Hunting!
KaTniP (Kralicecik Dufaux)


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Are Planners to Blame for the Mortgage Meltdown?
"Subprime mortgages were only a symptom of the real problem, which is unaffordable housing. But what made American housing unaffordable? University of Washington economist Theo Eicher knows the answer: land-use regulation. As reported in the Seattle Times, Eicher has just completed a study showing that land-use planning is adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of homes in many states.
Eicher's research confirms my recent Cato policy analysis, The Planning Tax, which shows that growth-management planning has made housing unaffordable in a dozen or so states, particularly Hawaii, California, Florida, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, and most of the New England states. Meanwhile, housing remains pretty affordable in most other states, including the fast-growing states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas, because land-use planners have not yet seized power in those states.
Research by Harvard economist Edward Glaeser has shown that land-use regulation not only drives up housing prices, it makes them more volatile too - more prone to crashes.
Sadly, planning advocates are trying to convince legislatures and city councils in most states that don't have growth-management planning to pass such legislation and write such plans. Those plans not only deny the American dream of homeownership to low- and moderate-income families, they put the U.S. economy increasingly at risk of a Japanese-style crash."


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Home sellers who receive an abundance of offers might be tempted to grab the highest price and call it a deal. But that might not be the smartest way to choose the best offer of the bunch.
Continue Reading Below
A better approach is to consider a variety of factors, including the buyer's ability to pay cash or obtain a home loan, according to Kris Berg, co-owner and broker at San Diego Castles Realty, a real estate brokerage company in San Diego.
"One of the first things we address is how strong the buyers are financially and how confident we feel that they're able to close," she says.
Cash Only
An all-cash offer always merits consideration because a failure to obtain financing is "the most prominent reason" why transactions fail to close, Berg says. In some cases, the buyer is unable to qualify for a mortgage. In others, the appraiser's opinion of the property's value falls short of the purchase price, causing the lender to quash the financing due to a so-called low appraisal. With a cash offer, no lender is involved, so both risks are eliminated.
A cash offer isn't a guarantee, however. And there's another downside for the seller: Most cash offers come from investors looking to "fix and flip" houses they buy at a discount, says Bert Carpenter, senior loan officer at Nova Home Loans in Chandler, Ariz. These investors don't plan to occupy these houses for the long term, if at all.
Given cash buyers' expectations that they will get discounts, Carpenter says, sellers must weigh the risks of cash offers.
"You can take the all-cash offer," he says, "and it's a safe bet that you will get your cash at the end of the day. But you're only going to get X dollars. If you do your homework and pick a good, comfortable, reliable buyer who is looking for financing, you might make X-plus dollars. But the question is: How safe is that bet?"
'Prequal' Letters
The answer is where pre-qualification letters, or "prequals," come into the analysis. Prequals are written by lenders to inform sellers that would-be buyers are qualified to obtain financing. But Carpenter says not all prequals are equal, so sellers -- or their agents -- need to do some legwork to assess which prequals are credible.
"My advice to a seller would be to take a look at the qualifications of the individual who wrote that letter," Carpenter suggests.
While loan officers shouldn't disclose the buyer's personal information to the seller's agent, that agent can call the loan officer and engage in a conversation about the buyer's strengths, Carpenter adds. One question might be whether the buyer could be characterized as "qualified," "well-qualified" or "barely qualified."
Steven Ornellas, a real estate broker at Steven Anthony Realty in Fremont, Calif., suggests that the seeds of this investigation can be planted even before the offers are received. The seller's agent can insist on a thorough preapproval and an understanding of the buyer's true financial capability.
FHA Stigma
Some sellers automatically give the cold shoulder to buyers who want to get FHA or VA loans. FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, and VA loans are guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both government agencies require sellers to pay to fix certain defects.
Ornellas says he sees the motivation to avoid such costs from the seller's perspective, yet he also says he thinks FHA loans don't deserve the stigma.
"Sellers might say they don't want FHA, but there's no reason for that," Ornellas says. "It's a case of not knowing what the facts are."
One fact is that most states require sellers to disclose and, in some cases, repair known property hazards regardless of the buyer's financing.
Berg mentions another twist, which is that VA loans require the seller to pay in full certain closing costs that might otherwise be shared with the buyer. Those costs can add up, again prompting sellers to kick VA loan offers to the curb.
"My husband is a veteran," Berg says, "and this breaks my heart ??? it's all about the money."
Closing Deals
Naturally, there's a bit of self-interest in all advice of this type. Real estate pros say some agents push for cash offers to improve their chances of a commission and some loan officers tout a buyer's financial prowess to increase their odds of a paycheck. Either way, sellers should have the final say and the opportunity to choose the offer they prefer.
Copyright 2013, Bankrate Inc.


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Big data joined the business lexicon in a big way in 2013. Some days it seemed like every press release and technology news item crossing our desk included the phrase. In fact, the wild popularity of the term might have masked important developments -- technical, operational, and other -- involving big data and its associated technologies.
As we look ahead to 2014, we put out a call on social media asking for 2014 big data predictions. Here are some of the responses we received:
"The hot new data of 2013 was 'exhaust data' powered by the Internet of Things. This will take further hold during 2014, but the hot data of next year will be human data. With knowledge that employee data has been shown to do everything from help manage organizational health to be a leading indicator of quarterly consumer demand, this area will be a hot area for startups. Expect another round of TOS updates from LinkedIn." --Dan Malligner, data science practice lead, Think Big Analytics
"The data-information-insight-decision lifecycle will get shortened due to machine learning-based automated decision systems; increased adoption of Cloud ETL to analyze on-premise and off-premise open data; open-source solutions such as R will replace legacy solutions like SAS; the number of offerings of reporting solutions embedded in cloud with 90-day deployment will increase." --Milind Kelkar, leader, Smart Decisions Lab, Genpact
[Who are next year's rising stars in business intelligence? Read 2014 BI Outlook: Who's Hot, Who's Not.]
"The future of big data in 2014 will be 'where.' Location intelligence is of paramount importance to companies as their customers are increasingly handling the majority of their daily activity on mobile, from online banking to restaurant check-ins and social sharing in real time. Having precise location data helps organizations understand relationships between specific locations so that they can identify growth opportunities, improve information sharing internally and to their customers, and make better strategic business decisions." --James Buckley, SVP, customer data and location intelligence, Pitney Bowes Software
"It's a major problem for businesses that their online and offline data management systems don't talk to one another. For example, when prospective customers start their buying process online but choose to make a phone call for assistance, the online analytics vanish. Businesses will be seeking means of appending specified data points to those interactions so they have the appropriate IDs and device information to retarget that customer on any given channel. The focus will increasingly be on automating how that data is reported, packaged, and sent to other systems." --Eric Holmen, CMO, Invoca
"While Hadoop is still immature, technology advances like YARN are contributing to an enterprise-friendly big data future. Because of YARN, we'll increase opportunities to use new and more optimally efficient engines and expand Hadoop possibilities." --Mike Hoskins, CTO, Actian


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Stylish party supplies for a summer flower fairy themed children's party. Tableware, balloons, party bags, party bag fillers, cake toppers, cupcake cases, fancy dress, decorations.
Stylish and cool party supplies for childrens parties. All in one party kits or packages which contain everything you need for a party. Party bags, tableware, balloons, banners, confetti, birthday candles, cake toppers, party invitations and fancy dress