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I originally wrote this post in 2010, when I was looking for alternative ways to store and transport papers. I had my laptop, but due to its weight, limited battery life, and the LCD screen, an e-reader such as Kindle seemed like a good idea at the time. (Also, at the time of the original post, I had never owned a smartphone, let alone a tablet.)
Aside from the Kindle, are there any other electronic tablet or pads, or other devices that you'd recommend for this type of purpose? What are some of your experiences?
As for my self, I purchased a Pocketbook Reader 602 from PocketBook International four years ago. At the time, it seemed like a smart purchase, as it PBR handles a while array of file formats without needing to convert anything. However, I don't use the device as nearly as much as I thought I would.
The device itself works the way it should. It is a bit slow with the page rotation. And as user641 points out, the PBR can be a bit sluggish with larger files. The text-to-speech feature is completely useless when it comes to reading math. I tried utilizing the internet connectivity. While it is amusing to see websites in e-ink, in the end it's too sluggish to be of any use.
Here are a few things that I had originally thought would be convenient, but wound up being an annoyance instead.
Lack of Touch Screen Capability. I purposely chose the model that didn't have a touch screen capability. Reports of glare and the idea of getting smudge on the screen led me to that. However, the alternative is an extremely painful, unintuitive, tedious navigation.
Small Size. I opted for the small size of PBR 602 for its portability. While I have no problem reading novels, for math this is just unbearable. The slow page turn / search interface / zoom makes the problem even worse. Basically, reading anything that requires jumping from one part to another, looking up index or keywords, is extremely painful.
Note that the small size wouldn't be as big of an issue, if the interface was quick and seamless. For instance, I don't find reading math on my smartphone as painful.
I still use my PBR 602 from time to time. In fact, I go through periods where I would use it extensively. Unfortunately, its inconveniences prevents it from regular usage.


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Big Ten M5: 10.09.12 EditionPosted by Deepak Jayanti on October 9th, 2012
- The preseason accolades continue to flow in for the Indiana Hoosiers. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller was selected to the pre-season All-American team by CBSSports.com and was also selected as their player of the year. Zeller's selection should come as no surprise but he is accompanied by a few other talented teammates who are just as important if Indiana hopes to make a run at the title — freshman Kevin (Yogi) Ferrell, senior guard Christian Watford and junior wing Victor Oladipo. Ferrell will need to share point guard duties with senior guard Jordan Hulls and Oladipo needs to assert himself as the defensive stopper for the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers gave up 1.06 points per possession last season and need to be more consistent on defense against teams that have similar offensive talent.
- Wisconsin's big men have always been unique in their style but also very efficient. Bo Ryan's former players such as Jon Leuer and Mike Wilkinson had amazing shooting range but also improved their inside game as they progressed through their college careers. Senior forward Jared Berggren hopes to have a similar impact during his final upcoming season for the Badgers. ESPN interviewed the big man about the upcoming season and his experience in playing for Bo Ryan. Berggren improved his game tremendously during last offseason by increasing his average from 2.5 PPG during his sophomore campaign to 10.5 PPG during his junior season. By Ryan will need Berggren to contribute heavily on the offensive end to pick up the slack after Jordan Taylor's departure, especially during the non-conference season until stud freshman Sam Dekker gets acquainted with the offensive schemes.
- The Jared Uthoff saga at Wisconsin has been well documented over the last few months. He wanted to transfer out of Wisconsin but there were certain restrictions in place with respect to his final destination. But after an intense offseason, Uthoff will finally begin practicing with Iowa this week. Uthoff is very excited to be at Iowa and believes that he can add depth to Fran McCaffery's frontcourt. The 6'8″ wing should fit in well with an up-tempo Hawkeyes offense that averaged 65.8 possessions per game last season and ranked first in the Big Ten. He was also named Iowa's Mr. Basketball in 2011 but will be not be able to play this season due to NCAA transfer rules. Uthoff will learn a fair amount during practice from such key returning players as Roy Devyn Marble who averaged 11.5 PPG and 3.6 APG and is hoped to lead Iowa back to the NCAA Tournament over the next two seasons.
- Speaking of new faces on campus in the Big Ten, the Michigan freshmen class is considered as one of the best in the country. Featuring two top 75 players – forward Mitch McGary and wing Glenn Robinson III – the class is supposed to aid an already star-studded roster for the Wolverines. MGoBlue.com has compiled a video that introduces the five freshman to Big Ten fans. McGary will add some size to the frontcourt in addition to junior forward Jordan Morgan who averaged 5.6 RPG game last season. The Wolverines ranked tenth in offensive rebounding (25.8%) in conference play last season and will need a more consistent presence in the paint if they hope to make a run at the Final Four. Robinson will add depth to the scoring attack in addition to Tim Hardaway, Jr., who averaged 14.6 PPG last year.
- In addition to compiling videos to introduce the freshmen to the fan base, schools also host events as part of Midnight Madness celebrations to let the fans get their first peek of the team in live action. And when it comes to this annual event, Michigan State's Tom Izzo never ceases to surprise Spartan fans with his antics. What will Izzo's grand entrance be this year? Nobody knows. In the past, Izzo has shown up to the event on a motorcycle, on a horse and in the old-school Volkswagen van. Izzo's demeanor on the sidelines can be very intimidating during the games but he has always shown his lighter side during these opening practice events. MSU will host their latest event this upcoming weekend which is also Homecoming weekend in East Lansing.

subset: commoncrawl


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"The Cat That Eats Diodes"
To Liu Dao, virtual reality is no oxymoron. In fact, the electronic art collective delights in blurry, buzzing gaps between what appears to be real, what we hope is real, and what is – in the most aloof, technical sense – truly real. Opening in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, The Cat that Eats Diodes is Liu Dao's 50th show in their m50 Shanghai space and their 2nd at the brand-new baby, island6 Hong Kong. The multimedia show explores issues of reality, illusion, representation and identity through interactive artworks and installations.
The Cat that Eats Diodes celebrates the art collective's six-year love affair with all that resonate with electricity and life. From animated goldfish to lasercut trees, the story of our world is retold in Technicolour glory through LED, video, photography and contemporary sculpture. Re-appropriating iconic scenes from Shanghai and Hong Kong, Liu Dao brings together the essence of two metropolises that are impelled by technology, but inspired by life.
Toying with reality is a tantalizing game for many of us. It is fodder for the intellectual, gold mines for the commercial-minded and, increasing, a way of life for the rest of us. Quantum physics has weighed in with cats that may or may not exist; enthusiastic students toss about clunkers like "phenomenological reality" and pretend to discuss the Matrix Hypothesis. Virtual worlds such as Second Life boast user accounts in the multi-millions, as avatars become astoundingly customisable. Reality shows tease and lie to billions of mesmerized viewers. What then in our world is real, and what is illusion?
The eager eyes of the digital – but oh so appealing – kitty implore you not to jump to immediate conclusions. Lest we get unthinkingly nostalgic over the good old times, Liu Dao argues that the "good old times" were as much a construction of one's memory and imagination as electronic guppies are. Time after time, humans have been representing themselves according to their perceived truths and preferences. Today, technology is merely the messenger – don't shoot it. Suspend your preconceived notions about what should or should not be, and what you will find is no less lovely, graceful, compelling, and utterly real.
island6 presents a series of multimedia installations that explore issues of reality, illusion, representation and identity.
(read more >>>)


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I've thought about this regularly since 1997 but never posted it anywhere that I can remember. FFVII seems to have a lot in common with Akira, to the point that I believe the developers were inspired by Akira. Here's a short list off the top of my head:
- The cat slide in Midgar that Cloud climbs onto is the EXACT same slide that you see on the playground when Kaneda and Tetsuo are younger. It's possible that there was an actual slide like this IRL and that Otomo Katsuhiro and some FFVII designers each referenced it.
- Both feature motorcycle chases through the main city, and the same kind of motorcycle combat.
- Midgar is basically Neo Tokyo. They look and feel very similar.
- Shinra is basically the Japanese government from Akira.
- Midgar and Neo Tokyo are both destroyed by cataclysmic events.
- Sephiroth was experimented on and controlled by Shinra. Tetsuo was experimented on and controlled by the government. Basically Sephiroth is Tetsuo.
- Shinra creates numbered test subjects injected with Jenova cells in an attempt to recreate a supersoldier like Sephiroth (correct this if I'm misremembering), The Japanese government experiments on numbered test subjects in an attempt to recreate someone with Akira's abilities.
- Jenova is basically goo that's stored in a facility in Mount Nibel, guarded by Shinra. Akira is basically goo that's stored in a facility under the olympic stadium, guarded by the government (Anime only, different in the manga). Basically Jenova is Akira.
- Cloud has to kill his former friend, Sephiroth. Kaneda has to try to kill his former friend, Tetsuo. It's tough to draw a lot of similarities between Cloud and Kaneda, though, other than the motorcycle and maybe the attitude.
- Sephiroth loses his mind at Mount Nibel and tries to kill Tifa, later does kill Aeris. Tetsuo loses control of his body and kills Kaori.
- Sephiroth summons meteor to destroy Midgar and reset the planet. Tetsuo self-destructs and destroys Neo Tokyo, resetting the city.
- The lifestream and holy intervene to save the planet from meteor. The other telekinetics intervene to contain Tetsuo's explosion.
- Tifa is a primary member of Avalanche and becomes Cloud's romantic interest. Kei is a primary member of the rebels and becomes Kaneda's romantic interest.
It's been years since I've played FFVII or watched Akira, so I'm sure that playing through each and taking notes would uncover a lot more details that I'm forgetting. Does anyone else see a connection here?


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Judas, Juda, Jude [Jū'das]—PRAISE OF THE LORD.
1. The disciple surnamed Iscariot, who betrayed the Master and then hanged
himself. He was the only one of the Twelve who was not a Galilean. He acted as
treasurer of the apostolic band (John 6:71; 12:6; 13:26, 29).
The Man Who Was Guilty of a Horrible Crime
The Gospels represent the betrayal of Christ by Judas as a horrible,
diabolical crime. And it stands out as the darkest deed in human history. The
word "betray" is a remarkable one meaning "to deliver up." This is what Judas
did—delivered up Jesus. Yet such a dastardly action was overruled, for Jesus
was delivered by the determinate counsel of God.
Judas is a strange character and everything about his choice and conduct is
mysterious. Why was he chosen? All we can say in answer is in the declaration,
"that the scriptures might be fulfilled" (Matt. 26:56). The greater mystery
is, why did Christ choose you and me to be His followers? Think of these
I. Judas'terrible crime was predicted (Ps. 109:5-8; Acts 1:16).
II. His cruel bargain was foretold (Zech. 11:12, 13).
III. He became a devil incarnate. "One of you is a devil." As Jesus became
God-incarnate, Judas became the devil-incarnate.
IV. He is called "a son of perdition." Because the same designation is used of
the Man of Sin, some writers feel that this grim figure will be Judas
incarnate (2 Thess. 2:3).
V. He was a thief. He kept the bag which represented responsibility. Christ
chose Judas as treasurer for the Twelve because of his commercial instinct and
business acumen, but he prostituted his gift. His very endowment became a
snare. A blessing was turned into a curse.
VI. He betrayed Christ with a kiss. The hatefulness of his crime reached its
limit when he gave the enemies of Christ the symbol of affection. How wicked
is the human heart—deceitful above all things!
VII. He was the recipient of divine patience. Why he persisted in following
Christ we cannot say. All we can do is marvel at the love and patience of
Christ as He bore with Judas for three years. He knew all along that this
so-called disciple would betray Him, yet He kept the door open. Even when He
met Judas after his contract with the foes of Christ, He greeted him as
"friend." We would have scorned the traitor and hissed "enemy" or "traitor."
Not so Christ, who is patient toward all men.
VIII. He went out to his own place (Acts 1:25). It was in
self-excommunication. Christ did not excommunicate Judas—He only ratified the
choice. Up to the last He gave Judas a chance to halt and turn from his
wickedness. But when the die had been cast, Jesus said, "What thou doest, do
We leave our glimpse of the despicable man of the Bible with two lessons in
The journey into sin gains momentum. We never know where a wrong path may end.
Sin only needs opportunity to carry us to its utmost depths.
It is sadly possible to be associated with Jesus, to hear His gracious words,
witness His wonderful works, yet refuse Him our heart's allegiance and be
ultimately lost.
2. Half-brother of Jesus, brother of James and writer of the epistle known by
his name (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13; Jude 1). See JUDE.
3. An apostle also known as Lebbeus or Thaddeus (John 14:22).
4. A Galilean who stirred up sedition shortly after the birth of Christ (Acts
5. One with whom Paul lodged in the street called Straight (Acts 9:11).
6. The prophet surnamed Barsabas, sent with Silas to Antioch (Acts 15:22, 27).
Today's reading taken from Herbert Lockyer's "All the Men of the Bible."
"Have a blessed day!"
In Christ,


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From www.filmmakers.com
The honorees were selected by the active Guild membership nationwide.
Karl Malden was presented with Screen Actors GuildÆs highest honor, the 40th Annual Life Achievement Award by Michael Douglas, following a filmed tribute featuring Kirk Douglas, Patty Duke, Angela Lansbury and Eva Marie Saint.
Honored with individual awards were Johnny Depp, Tim Robbins, Charlize Theron and Renķe Zellweger for performances in motion pictures and Frances Conroy, Megan Mullally, Al Pacino, Tony Shalhoub, Meryl Streep, Kiefer Sutherland and for performances in television. Screen Actors Guild originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles. The Actor« for a motion picture cast performance went this year to ōThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingö and the Actors« for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went this year to ōSix Feet Underö and ōSex and the Cityö. Commemorating the Screen Actors Guild Awards« 10th annual ceremony, Sean Hayes introduced ōAnd The Actor Went Toģ,ö an exuberant look back at a decade of memorable SAG AwardsÖ moments.
PEOPLE magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) hosted the Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala for the eighth-consecutive year. This exclusive event honors the philanthropic causes and good works of the members of the Screen Actors Guild. The gala, benefiting the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, immediately followed the SAG Awards on the backlot of the Shrine Exposition Center and celebrated the 10th Annual SAG Awards, the 70th Anniversary of SAG as well as PEOPLEÆs 30th Anniversary.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards« is a presentation of Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild. Jeff Margolis is the executive producer and Kathy Connell is the producer. Yale Summers, Karla Tamburrelli, Daryl Anderson, Shelley Fabares and Paul Napier are producers for SAG. Gloria Fujita OÆBrien and Mick McCullough are supervising producers. Ron De Moraes is the director and Stephen Pouliot is the writer. Benn Fleishman is executive in charge of production. The complete list of recipients of the 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards« follows.
NOTE TO MEDIA: A downloadable version of this announcement is available to you online at www. sagawards.org.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Johnny Depp / PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL - Jack Sparrow Buena Vista Pictures
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Charlize Theron / MONSTER - Aileen Wuornos Newmarket Films
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Tim Robbins / MYSTIC RIVER - Dave Boyle Warner Bros.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Renķe Zellweger / COLD MOUNTAIN - Ruby Thewes Miramax Films
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING New Line Cinema
Sean Astin Sam Gamgee Sean Bean Boromir Cate Blanchett Galadriel Orlando Bloom Legolas Greenleaf Billy Boyd Peregrin ōPippinö Took Bernard Hill Theoden Ian Holm Bilbo Baggins Ian McKellen Gandalf Dominic Monaghan Meriadoc ōMerryö Brandybuck Viggo Mortensen Aragorn John Noble Denethor Miranda Otto Eowyn John Rhys-Davies Gimli Andy Serkis Gollum Liv Tyler Arwen Karl Urban Eomer Hugo Weaving Elrond David Wenham Faramir Elijah Wood Frodo Baggins
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Al Pacino / ANGELS IN AMERICA - Roy Cohn Home Box Office
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Meryl Streep / ANGELS IN AMERICA - Hannah Pitt Home Box Office
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kiefer Sutherland / 24 - Jack Bauer FOX
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Frances Conroy / SIX FEET UNDER - Ruth Fisher Home Box Office
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Shalhoub / MONK - Adrian Monk USA
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Megan Mullally / WILL & GRACE - Karen Walker NBC
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
SIX FEET UNDER Home Box Office
Lauren Ambrose Claire Fisher Frances Conroy Ruth Fisher Ben Foster Russell Rachel Griffiths Brenda Chenowith Michael C. Hall David Fisher Peter Krause Nate Fisher Peter Macdissi Olivier Castro-Staal Justina Machado Vanessa Diaz Freddy Rodriguez Federico Diaz Mathew ST Patrick Keith Charles Lili Taylor Lisa Kimmel Fisher Rainn Wilson Arthur Martin
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
SEX AND THE CITY Home Box Office
Kim Cattrall Samantha Jones Kristin Davis Charlotte York Cynthia Nixon Miranda Hobbes Sarah Jessica Parker Carrie Bradshaw
Screen Actors Guild Awards 40th Annual Life Achievement Award
Karl Malden
Web site: http://www.sagawards.com/index.asp
© Copyright 2003 by www.filmmakers.com


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In the last five years, the graduation rate at Cleveland County Schools has increased by 15 percent. This year, the rate was 5.6 percentage points higher than last year.
What caused the change?
�It�s been a multifaceted approach,� said Cleveland County Schools Superintendent Bruce Boyles. �Probably foremost we�ve had teachers and schools and administrators who have been emphasizing the importance of graduation. I think that�s been a key.�
Boyles said all four high schools in the county have implemented freshmen academies, programs which keep freshmen together throughout the school day and dedicate teachers specifically to their classes.
�That just gives them a better transition from middle to high school,� he said.
Another strategy that is improving graduation rates is the Cleveland Early College. Students there had characteristics that tend to lead to drop-outs, like being first generation college students or having attendance problems.
�They�ve been successful in the smaller environment of the early college,� said Boyles.
The Turning Point Academy similarly has helped students who might be prone to dropping out.
Boyles said graduation coaches through Communities in Schools, and alternative diploma programs that give students alternative routes to graduation have also helped.
�It�s been many things that we�ve done,� he said. �Certainly it�s the work of students, teachers and the support of parents that�s made it happen.�
Boyles pointed out that many subgroups are improving significantly as well.
�Black students are graduating at a higher rate in three of our high schools than white students,� he said.
Overall, Boyles said the graduation rate improvement is significant.
�I�m pleased that it�s up 5.6 percentage points this year. And in the last five years, it�s been a 15 percent increase,� he said. �The numbers are trending in the right direction.�
Graduation figures for students graduating in four years or less:
2009-10 entering ninth graders:
-Overall: 83.3 percent
-Male: 80.2 percent
-Female: 86.5 percent
-Black: 84.0 percent
-Hispanic: 73.3 percent
-White: 83.7 percent
2008-09 entering ninth graders:
-Overall: 77.7 percent
-Male: 72.9 percent
-Female: 82.6 percent
-Black: 71.6 percent
-Hispanic: 55.8 percent
-White: 80.5 percent
-2007-08 entering ninth graders:
-Overall: 73.2 percent
-Male: 69.5 percent
-Female: 77.1 percent
-Black: 69.4 percent
-Hispanic: 75.6 percent
-White: 74.8 percent
-2006-07 entering ninth graders:
-Overall: 71.8 percent
-Male: 67.2 percent
-Female: 77.1 percent
-Black: 66.4 percent
-Hispanic: 50.0 percent
-White: 75.3 percent
-2005-06 entering ninth graders:
-Overall: 66 percent
-Male: 59.3 percent
-Female: 72.8 percent
-Black: 60.4 percent
-Hispanic: 57.1 percent
-White: 67.8 percent
Reach Molly Phipps at 704-669-3339, at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @MollyAPhipps.


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Out of office reply
Hello and thank you for visiting Cake Wrecks, where all of your hopes for humanity are dashed on a daily basis. Sadly, we are unable to meet your humor requirements today due to:
__ Travel
__ Plague
__ A pack of wild rodents gnawing off our extremities
__ All of the above
X Nap time
Instead, please take this opportunity to entertain yourself by:
- Correcting this cake:
- Guessing what this is supposed to be:
- Brainstorming at least three (3) suitable puns for this:
Always Butterflies: Now with wings!
- Writing a short story to explain this scene:
Suggested title: Revenge of the lobsters
- Leaving a colorful message after the beep.
Thanks to Gin M., Lori R., Elaine K., and Anne M. for continuing to hold.


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13,468. This is the number that comes up when you visit the plugins section of the wordpress.org website. Wow! If you're a blogger you can choose from more than 13,000 different plugins. This is incredible. There's a second number there as well. One showing how many downloads there's been. It's quickly approaching 160,000,000 at the time of writing this piece. This is even more incredible.
So who am I to say that you only need 16?! Well, I'm not saying that you need only these 16. I'm saying that they are the absolute minimum.
1. All in One SEO Pack
With more than 7,000,000 downloads this is one of the most popular WordPress plugins. And not without a reason. The same reason why it's the #1 on this list. This is the best free plugin for getting your blog properly set up in terms of SEO. If you don't have it installed yet (and you're not using any worthy alternative either) do it right away.
2. Broken Link Checker
This is a big one. I mean, not big in kilobytes sort of way, but rather a kind of a big deal. Broken links can hurt your SEO. However, the problem lies in discovering them. If your blog has been running for quite some time you've probably linked out to hundreds if not thousands of different places. Some of these places are long gone, and discovering these broken links by hand is, in a word, impossible. Fortunately, Broken Link Checker can do it for you. And once it finds these broken links it can unlink them for you as well. Job done in 2 minutes.
3. Contact Form 7
Having a contact page on your blog is a must. You can either simply give out your personal email address or use a cool on-page contact form. Contact Form 7 lets you create and customize multiple forms (in case you want to use them for different purposes). The best thing is that it supports CAPTCHA, which should reduce the amount of daily spam. Plus, it's delivered in a multilingual package. Besides, 3,400,000+ downloads can't be wrong.
4. FD Feedburner Plugin
If you're not familiar with Feedburner it's a service that lets you gather data about the people who have subscribed to your blog's RSS feed (but not only that). FD Feedburner Plugin integrates your blog with Feedburner by redirecting your main feed (and optionally the comments feed as well). Of course, to make it work you have to visit feedburner.com first and configure ("burn") your blog's feed.
5. Google XML Sitemaps
A sitemap is an important element of your blog's inner SEO structure. Basically, it's an easy to read list (that is if you're a search engine) of all the separate URL addresses that your blog consists of. This plugin is the best one for getting the task done, mostly because it's optimized to produce the most google-friendly sitemap possible. And since Google is the 800 pound gorilla of the market… you get the point.
6. MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer
First order of business – pinging. Pinging is simply a way of notifying various search engines that something new has appeared on your blog (that it has been updated with fresh content). In theory, it can get your content indexed quicker. In practice, abusive pinging can get you banned from pinging services. Second order of business – the plugin. The guys from MaxBlogPress have come up with a plugin to prevent your blog from being banned and to optimize the way it sends pings.
7. Pretty Link
In essence, this plugin lets you take any URL from the internet and redirect it through your own domain/blog. I.e. it does some bit.ly-magic within your own blog. This is great for cloaking every kind of affiliate links, short versions of long post URLs, and all sorts of other stuff. It also provides tracking, so you know how many people have clicked on your pretty links at all times. You can go either with the lite version (which is perfectly sufficient for most users) or the pro version (which costs money, obviously).
8. Robots Meta
This plugin can help you to bring your blog's SEO to the next level. You can use it to play with the "nofollow" and "noindex" tags to get your blog uber-optimized. WordPress is a great platform, but it creates many separate pages that can be easily considered a duplicate content by Google. Robots Meta prevents such a situation from happening. That is, of course, if you configure it properly. One of its many cool features is the ability to edit the .htaccess and robots.txt files from within WordPress.
9. SexyBookmarks
OK, I have to start by pointing out a flaw cause it's too annoying. It seems that not one day goes by without an update of SexyBookmarks. I kid you not, every time I check my admin panel there's an update for this thing available, but what a GREAT plugin this is though. It gives you a sexy way of providing a set of share buttons for your content. The number of available services is just ridiculous. Of course, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, Stumble Upon, and Delicious make the top of the list.
10. Sharebar
Yet another plugin for displaying various social media share-buttons. Only this time the buttons are contained within a dynamic vertical box that scrolls along with the page. That way the buttons are visible and easily accessible at all times. Cool and equally sexy to SexyBookmarks.
11. Subscribe to Comments
By installing this plugin you're showing your readers that you really care for them. It lets every commenter to subscribe for email notifications, so whenever a post receives some subsequent comments each commenter receives a quick email. It keeps the conversation going even after big periods of time.
12. W3 Total Cache
As the authors say themselves it's "the fastest and most complete WordPress performance optimization plugin." What it does is one important thing – it caches every dynamic element of your site, and then displays it when needed.
WordPress is essentially software, an app. An app accessible from a web browser. That means that whenever you want to view a WordPress blog some operations need to be executed. This takes some time and server's resources. All of this can be sped up by caching the results of these operations and then fetching it whenever someone requests them. That's what the plugin essentially does (I'm sure it's a bit more complicated, but we don't need to go into this here).
13. What Would Seth Godin Do
Interesting name for a plugin, isn't it? This plugin lets you display a special message to every new visitor to your blog. The message disappears after the fifth visit by default (this can be changed). Welcoming every new visitor is a great idea. You can use this opportunity to offer them a gift, ask them to join your newsletter, or to subscribe to your RSS feed. The possibilities are endless. Very simple and very cool plugin at the same time.
You can use it along with this: How to Create WordPress Shortcodes.
14. WordPress Backup
Having your current WordPress installation backed up at all times is a very good idea. This plugin does just that. It backs up the upload directory, your current theme, and the plugins directory. Each directory is turned into a zip file.
I'm disappointed to admit that I haven't been able to find a proper plugin for backing up the database. There's always something not quite right with each one I check. If you know of something worth checking out, by all means let me know! For now I just recommend exporting your data via the standard WordPress' export function.
15. WP-Print
It creates a very nice print-friendly version of your posts and pages. Your readers will appreciate this plugin a lot. Enough said.
16. Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
YARPP is the best solution for displaying a list of posts related to the current one. If you want to encourage readers to keep browsing from one post to another, this is the thing that's going to help you. The plugin utilizes a very effective algorithm, so once you have a significant portion of content on your blog you can be sure that relevant posts will be displayed every time. Of course, don't expect much if you're just starting out and have only a handful of posts.
Bonus plugins to put your blog on steroids
17. Comment Relish
This little plugin lets you communicate (sort of) with visitors right after they commented on your blog for the first time. You can set up an autoresponder message that will be sent to them via email. This email is a great place for a thank-you and letting people know what else is going on at your blog. Since that's the first time they've commented they might be interested in some further interaction with your blog and its community.
18. Get Recent Comments
A plugin for providing some quick social proof, so to speak. If you have some commenting going on you should consider installing this plugin. It'll display some information about the latest comments in your sidebar. This conveys a message that your blog is alive and people are interacting with each other.
How about you? What plugins do you consider as must-have ones? I'd love to get your input on this.


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NCLB Update
Moment of Remembrance
Congressional Action
New Commissioner
School-Business Partnerships
Ready for College?
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
NCLB Update (http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/)
On May 10, Secretary Spellings presented further details of a new No Child Left Behind policy designed to help states better assist students with disabilities. The guidelines follow-up on the Secretary's declaration last month that she would provide states with additional alternatives and flexibility to implement the law. The agency already allows states to test one percent of studentsthose with the most significant cognitive disabilitiesusing alternate assessments, based on alternate achievement standards, and "count" their proficient scores as such. Now, another two percent of students with disabilities may be allowed to take alternate assessments based on modified standards.
In order to be eligible for this short-term flexibility, states must meet certain requirements, including:
- testing at least 95 percent of students with disabilities;
- putting in place appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities;
- for students with disabilities who are unable to take the regular assessment, making available alternate assessments in reading/language arts and math; and
- adjusting the minimum number of special education students required to calculate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), or "N-size," so that it is no larger than the overall group size.
Also, each state must request to amend their accountability plan by June 1 and furnish specifics on their actions taken to raise achievement for students with disabilities, with evidence that such efforts are improving achievement.
After meeting those requirements, states have two options for 2004-05 AYP decisions:
- Option 1. States that do not have modified achievement standards for students with disabilities may make an adjustment to provide additional credit to schools or school districts that would miss making AYP solely because of students in that subgroup. Essentially, states will add a "proxy" passing percentage to the proportion of special education students who actually passed the tests; the actual passing percentage plus the proxy would determine the special education subgroup score.
- Option 2. States that do have modified achievement standards for students with disabilities may count in AYP calculations the proficient scores of students tested on the modified standards, up to the two percent cap. These states must also show they have administered tests based on modified standards for over two years, established clear testing guidelines, used a valid method to craft the tests, and trained teachers in how to use them.
In addition, the Secretary will consider other options offered by states. However, the same option must be used statewide.
The Department is working on a final rule. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/05/05102005.html. ("The Pursuit of Raising Achievement," which explains the process for requesting approval of flexibility in general, is available at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/raising/disab-amendment.html. "Interim Policy: Accountability for Students with Disabilities Accountability Plan Amendments for 2004-05," referencing the special education flexibility above, is available at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/raising/disab-acctplan.html.)
Meanwhile, speaking May 6 at the annual meeting of the Education Writers Association, the Secretary called on the broadcast and print media to focus on "the quiet revolution" made possible by the No Child Left Behind Act. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2005/05/05062005.html.
Moment of Remembrance
In a letter to educators, Carmella LaSpada, executive director of the White House Commission on Remembrance, asked schools to hold a Remembrance Ceremony as close to Memorial Day (Monday, May 31) as possible and actively encourage students to pause on Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m. local time, to think about the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. The idea of a moment of remembrance was born in 1996 when children touring Washington, D.C., were asked what Memorial Day meant to them. They responded, "That's the day the pools open!" Four years later, Congress established the White House Commission on Remembrance. The mid-afternoon time was chosen because it is an hour when a majority of Americans are enjoying the holiday. For more information, please go to http://www.remember.gov/.
Congressional Action
Several important pieces of education legislation are working their way through Congress. First, on May 18, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce unanimously approved a bill that would introduce greater competition into the federal Head Start program, as well as strengthen school readiness and increase the role of states and local communities. (Secretary Spellings praised the action in a statement: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/05/05182005a.html.) Second, recently, the full House passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. House and Senate lawmakers are working to reconcile differences in their bills. And, this week, Govs. Tom Vilsack (IA) and Mitt Romney (MA) testified on high school reform (http://edworkforce.house.gov/hearings/109th/fc/
New Commissioner
Edward Kame'enui, an international authority on learning problems and special education, has been named the nation's first Commissioner for Special Education Research. He will lead a newly established office within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the Education Department. A native of Hawaii, Kame'enui started his special education career in 1971 as a teacher and houseparent at a residential treatment center, in Wisconsin, for children with serious emotional and behavior problems. He joins IES from the University of Oregon, where he has been a faculty member for the past 17 years. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/05/05182005.html.
School-Business Partnerships
"The How-To Guide for School-Business Partnerships," an exciting new resource from the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, is designed for school officials and/or business leaders who are interested in effective partnerships. The guide is a result of extensive research and personal interviews with individuals who have experience creating, implementing, and evaluating successful partnerships. For more information, please go to http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/guide.shtml. (Quite appropriately, the Council notes that the guidelines are not intended to serve as an exact prescription, but rather to provide a framework in which to build a partnership that fits local needs.)
Also: On May 17, Secretary Spellings addressed the Business and Professional Women's Leadership Summit, calling education "the key" to "helping the next generation take advantage of the freedoms we enjoy." For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2005/05/05172005.html.
Ready for College?
"Troubling" is the word Indiana University researchers used to explain the findings of its 2004 survey of 90,530 high school students in 26 states, when compared to earlier surveys of community college and four-year college students. For example, fully 55 percent of high school students polled said they devoted no more than three hours a week to class preparation (with 65 percent reporting getting A's or B's). On the other hand, half the first-year, four-year college students reported spending over 10 hours a week studying outside of class, and one-quarter of community college students (with less than 30 credit hours) spent 11 or more hours preparing for courses each week. For more information, please go to http://ceep.indiana.edu/hssse/pdf/hssse_2004_overview.pdf .
Quote to Note
"As we watch nations...take the first steps toward democracy, we remember that democracy begins with education. And after more than two centuries, education still lies at the heart of our great experiment and our quest for 'a more perfect union.' We can't fulfill the promise of equal opportunity until we first provide every boy and girl with a quality education. It's a promise we need to keep."
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (5/17/05)
Upcoming Events
On June 1, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Sumner School (1201 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.), the National Center for Education Statistics will hold a briefing on the results from "The Condition of Education 2005." This congressionally mandated report contains 40 indicators on conditions and trends in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, with a special analysis on the teacher workforce. To RSVP, please contact Elizabeth Osterman at email@example.com by May 27. (Note: On June 1, the report will be posted by 9:00 a.m. at http://nces.ed.gov/.)
Then, on June 2, the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will host a workshop in New Orleans to assist faith-based and community organizations applying to become supplemental educational service providers. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. The deadline for registration is May 31. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/suppserv-workshops.html.
The Department's next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast, the final broadcast of the 2004-05 season, is scheduled for June 21. The topic: service learning. For more information, please go to http://registerevent.ed.gov/downlink/event-flyer.asp?intEventID=186.
Credits, Subscribe & Unsubscribe
Please feel free to contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs with any questions:
Deputy Assistant SecretaryKen Meyer, (202) 401-0404, firstname.lastname@example.com
Program AnalystAdam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, email@example.com
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/index.html.
This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.


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No. 14 UCSB dropped their fifth straight match on Wednesday night, falling to the seventh-ranked Pepperdine Waves in straight sets, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 26-24).
Now 0-4 on the homestand, they run the risk of going winless throughout their current five-match spell at home. USC will visit Santa Barbara on Friday in UCSB's last chance at earning a home win in the month of March.
The Gauchos used 14 of their 15 eligible players on Wednesday night, the highest amount of players inserted into the lineup by UCSB Head Coach Rick McLaughlin this season, in an attempt to inject fresh blood into a discouraged side.
Junior outside hitter Miles Evans, one of only two Gauchos to play in all three games, led his squad with nine kills on 17 swings for a respectable .294 hitting percentage.
The Waves came out on fire the in the first game, hitting for a blistering .632 hitting percentage as a team. They only conceded two points to the Gauchos while on the serve receive, and consistenly put pressure on the UCSB middles.
The Gauchos responded with a .071 hitting percentage and 10 attacking errors, four of which were on Pepperdine blocks. Evans had six of his nine kills in the first frame.
McLaughlin made wholesale changes to the lineup to start the second game, but to no avail, as the Waves once again pounced on the Gauchos. The Pepperdine block restricted the Gauchos to a -.150 hitting percentage in the middle set.
Changes were in store again for the Gauchos lineup in the third game, and this time the change had a positive effect. Senior outside hitter Blaine Nielsen led a balanced UCSB attack by picking up four kills in the game on just seven swings.
Freshman opposite Chris Hartig, receiving extended playing time for the first time since Feb. 1 at USC, put down three kills on eight swings.
Miles Evans matched Hartig's kill output, and freshman middle blocker Jake Staahl picked up a pair of quick-strike kills and teamed up for a pivotal block with Hartig. That foursome spurred the Gauchos to a .407 team hitting percentage in the third set.
The Gauchos battled the Waves to the bitter end in the final game, forcing six ties and a pair of lead changes. Down 17-20, UCSB made Pepperdine sweat by claiming back-to-back points to bring the score within one.
A Miles Evans kill forced the first of two late Pepperdine timeouts. At one point up 24-23 and on the verge of claiming the game, Pepperdine saw consecutive kills from Josh Taylor, Matt Tarantino, and Maurice Torres clinch the game and the match.
Despite the loss, UCSB Head Coach Rick McLaughlin was encouraged by his squad's third set performance.
"The last game was our best for sure. We just need to keep improving. Our guys have been lacking confidence lately, so any little victories like that will pick us up for sure."
The Waves received standout attacking performances from a pair of players. Maurice Torres led the team with 16 kills on a .417 hittin
g percentage. Not to be outdone, Josh Taylor put down 14 kills and tied for the team lead with Chase Ross's .500 hitting percentage. As a team, Pepperdine outblocked UCSB 8.0 to 3.0 and finished with a lofty .442 hitting percentage.
Only three home matches remain for the Gauchos in the regular season. Their next match, as alluded to before, will be against USC on Friday at the Thunderdome. For tickets to all remaining home matches, click here.


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This Shit's Cursed
Head over to the Lost clubhouse after getting a phone call from Billy. When you arrive, you'll find Jim and Billy at each other's throats over the heroin that the gang just stole from their rivals. It appears that the Angels of Death were in cahoots with a much, much more dangerous group of Chinese gangsters. That heroin belonged to them, and they want it back. Billy is eventually convinced by Johnny that the best idea is to get rid of the heroin as soon as possible, so as to dodge the LCPD/federal investigations and the Chinese gangsters out for blood simultaneously.
After the cutscene ensues, you'll find yourself in the alleyway next to the Lost clubhouse. It's time to ride in a convoy for the first time in a while. This convoy will ride fairly slowly, as there's a lot all of the characters have to say to each other. Patiently ride in your proper place in the convoy to fill up health en route. When you finally get to Algonquin, Billy will give the okay for everyone to race to your destination, which is at the far southern end of Algonquin. More specifically, you're headed for the intersection of Albany Avenue and Diamond Street, due west of the Broker Bridge. But don't worry -- once the race begins, the route to your destination will show up on your HUD.
Things are clearly suspicious as the crew of four roll up to deal with the Triads. It appears that Billy and his rabid yes-man have no intention whatsoever of heading into this meeting with you. Whether or not this is a setup is yet to be determined, but what's for sure is that Johnny and Jim head in to meet the Triads on their own. And naturally, when the Chinese gangsters make it clear that they have no interest in buying back the heroin that was stolen from them in the first place, they open fire on Jim and Johnny. It's time to get the hell out of here.
After Jim and Johnny made a run for it, they jumped onto the roof of the building. So, first things first -- we have to fight our way off of the roof and back inside. Standing in between you and that goal, at least initially, is about eight Triad soldiers. Immediately seek cover and begin returning fire on the foes in your vicinity. While Jim concentrates on enemies directly around you, take out the three enemies using heightened positions to fire down on you. Then, destroy any residuals and swing around to the side of the building. You'll be able to ultimately hook back into the building from here, but you'll need to deal with a handful of foes en route.
When you're back inside, you're going to again have to deal with a group of enemies that attack both on-level with you and from a wooden catwalk surrounding you. Utilize the same technique here that you did earlier -- concentrate first on the enemies above, and then below (you can find some health atop the catwalk, however.) Then, bear rightward back outside, and head back on in to your left. Here, you'll need to deal with the final Triad resistance, but this time, you've managed to mostly flip the script on your adversaries. Shoot down on them from above, concentrating fire on the explosive barrel there to send their burning corpses flying. When all enemies are felled, this story-intensive mission will continue.
The inevitable has finally happened here. All of the gunfire and gang fighting here in Chinatown has attracted the attention of the LCPD. As Johnny and Jim overlook the street below, the police surround Billy. Billy screams that it was all a setup, but it's irrelevant at this point. Though he vowed that he would never be captured by the cops again, there he is, with his hands high in the air. With Billy under arrest, expect his yes-man to converse with Johnny briefly on the cell phone. Hereafter, it's time to head to the bikes and get to his location.
Naturally, once you find your bikes around the corner from the Triad's building, you'll reunite with the questionable Brian and be able to ride back to your clubhouse on the western edge of Alderney. Remember -- as the highest ranking member in the small convoy, you lead the way. No more following. Thankfully, your HUD's GPS will guide you rather briskly along the path you have to take to get back to your destination. Just try to keep your cool with all of the conversation and back-and-forth during the ride!
When you arrive back at the Lost clubhouse, things will start to get heated. Jason is pretty much 100% convinced that Johnny called the cops and ratted out Billy so that he can take over the crew. Bravely, he talks about Johnny like that even after Johnny threatens to kill him if he continues. Nonetheless, Johnny is now officially the president of the Lost, and with Billy in police custody, it seems like it's probably going to be like that for a while. As for Jason, well... how that whole mess is going to be straightened out is yet to be seen.
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where the fuck did you go, b? did you forget the true meaning of friendship? how dare you walk out on us in times of need.
write me back you jizzlicker.
But dropping in with a shamless plug out of nowhere with a self-made post that's full of hype is just a turn off, that's all.I think if you'd have come in and said "Hey, I checked out the board back in the PTA days" or "I just found this place" or whatever... Then continued on to tell us a little about yourself, your background, and the movie you made, we'd not only have received it, but embraced it and looked forward to checking it out ourselves.It's like a salesman walking into wedding reception and standing on the tables yelling "buy from me! buy from me!" You'd get tossed out! If that same salesman brought a gift for the newlyweds, shook some hands, introduced himself and later handed out a few business cards, he'd accomplish a lot more.At least that's the way I see it...


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This will make more sense if you first read my post "Three of the Hardest Words in the English Language," written last week. In that post I proposed three common scenarios where "Three Words" could possibly have changed the outcome.
I also included the story of a young man who learned to say those words early and often. His wisdom helped him build stronger relationships and establish an exciting career. Here are what some of you guessed the words might be.
- I am sorry
- I was wrong
- God help me – These ARE very good words, but not what I was thinking
- Pass the bacon – There's a life-changer for you!
- I love you
- I'm sorry, no
- I need you
- We're not lost
and my favorite…..
- I don't know!
All of these are valuable words. Most of you guessed the exact words I was thinking of,
"I need help"
- Those are the words that helped me recover my health when I was 60 pounds overweight.
- Those are the words that helped me face moral failure in my life.
- Those are the words that brought me to faith in Christ.
- Those are the words that brought healing when I was drifting mentally, spiritually, and physically.
Those are the words that have saved
- addicts
- broken marriages
- alcoholics
- men and women facing depression, and
- people facing spiritual darkness
So why are we afraid to say them? Because we believe these lies of pride.
- I will look weak
- I will lose respect
- I can do it by myself
- I don't need anybody
Do you remember when your child came to you and said, I need help? My guess is that you held not an iota of disrespect, or feeling that your child was week. Their request indicated a willingness to learn and grow. It was sign of maturity.
My mom use to say, "Don't talk with your mouth full." The fact is you CAN'T talk with your mouth full, especially if it is full of pride.
Until one swallows his pride he cannot say "I need help!"
If the CEO in last week's post had asked her workers and associates for help she would have discovered a wealth of information that could have helped saved her company. Think of how empowered her team would have felt. Imagine the possibilities that could have arisen from the synergy of the group and the admiration her team would have had for her management.
Had the performer been willing to say, I need help he might have had a chance to salvage both his personal life and his public career. Think of all the fallen "stars" today who refused to ask for or receive help.
How many marriages end unnecessarily because no one asks for help until it is too late.
On the contrary.
Only the strong can say, "I need help."
Only the wise say it early and often.
Only those who lean on the help of a wise and loving God experience life, Fully Alive.
Only those who ask for help and take advantage of the strength, wisdom and experience of others approach full potential.
This image was used to design one of the most popular t-shirts on our site. After decades, people still ask for it.
[reminder] What has been your experience with asking for help? And how do you respond when someone asks you for help?[/reminder]


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The Thekla Archives: 2014
Download Freezes Over Tour ft. King 810, Thekla presents The Download Freezes Over Tour: 14+ event
- Tuesday 23rd September 2014
- Supported by: Hang The Bastard / Astroid Boys
You've never been somewhere like this before. You won't forget it though. It's only about six miles, and there's no looming and booming metropolis to retreat to. Instead, wilderness chokes the outskirts as abandoned homes, warehouses, and factories line these streets that play host to thousands of faceless ghosts.
Flint, MI, the forgotten city, is where KING 810 call home and it's the dystopian dwelling that sets the back drop for the band's debut LP, Memoirs of a Murderer. With no mayor to preside over the bereft community and a miniscule police force, Flint, MI teaches its young to fend for themselves. Memoirs of a Murderer is an embodiment of KING 810's life within this pressure cooker, a glimpse into the personal account of this disappearing metropolis where tree branches live longer than the children do
Memoirs of a Murderer is a memoir of the life of frontman David Gunn set to the backdrop of Flint, MI. Cut to a crackling old tape recorder, Gunn's narrative eclipses three distinct movements, traveling from a very real place down a rabbit hole into the abstract. The three movements align with Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, in which the three elements of personality - known as the id, the ego and the superego - work together to create complex human behaviors.
Whether shootings at nine-years-old or knife fights as a pre-teen, the first act of Memoirs of a Murderer captures the violence that plagues the streets of Flint. Songs like the introductory tracks 'Killem All' and 'Fat Around The Heart' are blood-spattered evidence of that. This is a lament born out of the necessity for survival as Gunn and his bandmates - Andrew Beal (guitar), Eugene Gill (bass) and Andrew Workman (drums) - have formed a bond forged by the pressures of the streets. They are a family who look after each other, there is love in the belly of this beast.
The first of two spoken words found on Memoirs of a Murder transitions the record into its second movement where Gunn explores themes of love. Unlike the brotherhood discoursed in part one of the record, tracks like 'Eyes' and 'Devil Don't Cry' immerse the album in echoes of lost love.
Transcending the tangible, a second spoken word acts as the vehicle to the final segment of Memoirs of a Murderer which includes a message from Gunn's mother urging him to let go of the violence back in the battlefields of Flint. During an extremely candid song, 'Write About Us', Gunn rattles off loved ones in his life by name-and their own trials. During the final musical memoir, 'State of Nature', Gunn pleads not for redemption but remembrance as what may or may not be left of him floats off into the ether, further than ever from where he first began this journey of self-examination.
These are David Gunn's Memoirs, chilling and starkly poetic, introspective and brutally honest. Keep this in mind as you listen to these tapes.
Support from:
The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB
Doors 6:30pm
Ages 14+
Advance tickets available from:
Bristol Ticket Shop
0844 871 881


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Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers says that team owner Donald Sterling reached out to him but that he declined to speak to him.
Rivers, who said he slept 45 minutes Saturday after the Sterling comments came out, talked to reporters for a while Monday.
"I'd just like to reiterate how disappointed I am in our - in the comments attributed to our owner, and I can't tell you how upset I am, our players are," Rivers said.
SPONSORS: Clippers losing money now
NOTHING MAJOR? Boot unlikely from NBA
When asked about addressing the situation, Rivers said, "The longer we win, the longer we keep talking about this and that's good. That's where I'm at, and I haven't changed from it.
"We've all decided that this is the right course, but it doesn't mean we haven't wrestled with it."
Rivers said he met with quite a few employees in the organization about it.
"When you're around all these people (in the organization), you realize that they're just as upset and embarrassed," he said. "That's the thing I got from them. They didn't sign on for this, but they're part of this."
Facing a Warriors team in Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs first round series, that's tied 2-2, Rivers was asked about how to keep the players focused despite the obvious distractions.
"It's very difficult to get everyone to think in one likeness right now, and that's what we're trying to do," Rivers said. "That's what I'm trying to do."
Something that has been discussed the past couple of days is how Clippers fans could and should react.
USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour weighs in on the controversy surrounding Donald Sterling. USA TODAY Sports
Rivers was asked if he thought they would show up to Tuesday's game at the Staples Center.
"We need them. I can tell you that," he said. "We need unbelievable support right now from other people, and we're hoping we get that tomorrow."
Warriors coach Mark Jackson said he thinks they should stay away from Staples Center, and Los Angeles radio host and former Los Angeles Lakers player Mychal Thompson agreed.
NBA SPEAKS: News conference for Tuesday
PLAYERS UNION: Johnson explains their side
"I think Mark has a right to his opinion, you know?" Rivers said. "And I don't think there's a wrong opinion here. ... If this was a normal thing, I would say that Mark's trying to get no fans to come because he wants to win this game. That has nothing to do with Mark's comment. It really doesn't. I think he's speaking from his heart, and from his emotion, and I can't fight Mark on anything with this, or anyone. I think everyone has their own opinion. I don't share that. I hope it's packed and people are cheering for us. ... But if they feel differently, who can say they're wrong?"
Rivers was asked if he or someone else with the team would address the crowd.
"Yeah, that's still being discussed, and we're going to continue to discuss it. I don't know which way we'll go with that," he said. "We don't know the right answer. I can tell you this. We want to do right here," he said. "We want to make the right decisions here. We're doing our very best to try to do that. If we feel like that is something that will help our fans, then it will be done. If we feel like that's something they don't need, then we won't do it.
"We want them to cheer for their players, and their team, because it's still their players and their team and it will be their players and their team."
On what he told his players: "One of the things I told them was (that) the way to keep this alive is by continuing to win," he said,"If you want a big statement, that's it. The more we win, the more this (conversation about racism) stays alive. And that's what we're going to try to do."
Rivers was asked about how the league should handle and he said that he was confident it would be handled correctly.
"There's a lot of people involved in this, when you think about it. From one man's statement, a lot of people have been affected, and the conversations that we're all having need to be had. And we're going to do our best."


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The New Zealand United States Council believes that New Zealand and the United States should negotiate a comprehensive, high quality free trade agreement which provides a pathway to the broader Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.
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Founded in 2001, the New Zealand United States Council is committed to fostering and developing a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between New Zealand and the United States. The Council is an advocate for the expansion of trade and economic links between the two countries including a comprehensive free trade agreement achieved either bilaterally or in the context of an expanded Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).
The Council works closely with its counterpart in Washington DC, the US NZ Council, with business groups in New Zealand and with government agencies, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Embassy in Washington.
2015 United States–New Zealand Pacific Partnership Forum
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An overview of our relationship - its history, highlights and opportunities
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The First US NZ Partnership Forum was held in Washington in April 2006, the Second US NZ Partnership Forum was held in Auckland in October 2007, the Third US NZ Partnership Forum was held in Washington in October 2009, the Fourth US NZ Partnership Forum was held in Christchurch in February 2011 and the 2013 US-NZ Pacific Partnership Forum was held in Washington in May 2013.
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
The NZ US Council supports the conclusion of an ambitious, high quality and comprehensive Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) now under negotiation between eleven economies in the Asia Pacific region.
A successful conclusion to the TPP negotiations will provide a freer trade and investment relationship between New Zealand and the United States. This is a goal that has been central to the NZUS Council since the Council's inception in 2001. TPP will also provide a pathway to a broader Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).
For more information on the Council's point of view read


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Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup)
This Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup) recipe is easy to make, and full of the best fresh and delicious flavors, including lots and lots of cilantro!
Hey hey! It's new soup day!
Well, this one is at least a new favorite of mine. Have you ever tried aguadito before? It's basically the Peruvian version of chicken and rice soup, and it is muy delicioso. The base of the soup is the basic chicken, rice and veggies that we all know and love. But the Peruvian version adds an extra fresh and fun kick by having you puree a ton of cilantro, chile peppers, onions, garlic and lime juice in a blender. Then just before serving, you stir in the cilantro mixture in with the chicken and rice, and — poof — it instantly turns this classic into a show-stopping vibrant, fresh, and flavorful green soup! (And yes, it really is that green. It practically glows!) ?
So if you happen to be feeling all the spring vibes lately — but mayyyy not be quite ready to transition out of winter "soup season" just yet (I'm a 365-soup girl myself ) — I feel like this recipe is the perfect bridge between seasons. It's definitely been the delicious bridge between mine this year.
Let's make some.
Aguadito (Peruvian Chicken Soup) Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Alright, so let's talk about this magical cilantro sauce that takes this simple chicken and rice soup from classic…to fantastic. ? ?
Before you start making your soup base, begin by sauteeing some poblano pepper and onions and garlic and aji amarillo paste (or a serrano or jalapeño pepper) in your stock pot until they're soft and cooked.
Transfer them to the blender, and let them sit and cool down a bit while you make the rest of the soup. Then, once your soup has been simmering for awhile, the potatoes and rice are nearly cooked and ready to go, finish up that sauce! Just add a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves (some stems are ok) and lime juice to the blender…
…then puree the heck out of it until the mixture is super-smooth (about 1 minute). Once the soup is ready to go, stir in the cilantro mixture at the last minute until combined. Garnish with extra cilantro and green onions…
…and serve!
See? SO GREEN! And seriously, SO GOOD.
Also, if you want, you can totally make it SO SPICY. The traditional Peruvian version of this soup uses aji chiles (or much easier to find in the U.S. — this aji amarillo paste) as the heat in this soup, and you can add as much or as little as you'd like. Or if you can't find the paste, feel free to just add in a serrano or jalapeño pepper. (Or skip the chile peppers altogether, if you're not into spicy food.)
However you make it,
Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken and Rice Soup)
Learn how to make traditional Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken and Rice Soup) with this delicious and easy recipe.
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 large poblano pepper, cored and diced
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (or 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, cored and diced)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 6 cups chicken stock, divided
- 2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup white or brown rice
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
- juice of 1 lime
- optional garnishes: extra chopped fresh cilantro leaves, thinly-sliced green onions
- Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced poblano pepper and white onion, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent. Stir in the aji amarillo paste (or diced serrano or jalapeño) and garlic. Continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the entire mixture to a large blender, and set aside to cool.
- Return the stockpot to the heat. Add 5 cups chicken stock, cooked chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice, peas, cumin, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low so that the soup maintains a low simmer. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the rice is cooked.
- Once the soup is ready, add the cilantro leaves and lime and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to the blender along with the pepper mixture. Pureé for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Stir the cilantro mixture into the soup. Taste, and season with a generous pinch (or more) of salt and black pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with your desired garnishes.
Feel free to also add in 1/2 cup whole kernel corn if you'd like. And some traditional recipes also add in diced red bell pepper, which you're welcome to add. Also, if the soup is too thick to your liking, feel free to add in an extra cup of chicken stock.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #gimmesomeoven. I'd love to see what you cook!
This post contains affiliate links.
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67 comments on "Aguadito De Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup)"
It looks really green and healthy, my kind of thing. I've never heard of this type of soup but I'd love to try it myself!
Charmaine Ng
Yummmm! This soup sounds amazing!
Looks delicious! Is this supposed to be warmed through after adding the cilantro mixture or served as is?
Sooo cooool! I must try it.
Your photo looks like you have carrots in the soup, but I do not see carrots in the ingredients list. Is it red bell peppers instead? Looks yummy! I'm looking forward to trying it.
This is so bright and vibrant! I love it! Perfect springy soup
looks good
I made this last night. It was FABULOUS! Really easy, too. My grocer did not have pablano chilies so I substituted a can of diced chilis. I also added the red pepper you suggested.
Next time I will make sure I get the pablano and will probably roast it first. Also, I may add more peas (because I love peas). This will definitely be a regular at my house.
This looks and sounds incredibly satisfying and fresh flavored!!
That looks delicious!! I have never heard of this kind of soup but I love love peruvian green sauce that goes on roasted chicken! This seems like it uses a lot of the same flavors. I am certain I would LOVE this too!!! YUM!
I LOVE this! It's like a chimichurri chicken soup! I am going to try this, I'm a soup kinda girl:)
nice! looks jam-packed with healthy flavors, thank you for this recipe!
My husband was sick and he asked me for a chicken soup. I found your recipe and I wanted to tell you that my husband really liked your Pollo Peruvian Chicken soup.
Looks great! I make a big pot of soup every Sunday to have through the week. Would that be a problem if the puree isn't supposed to go in until right before serving?
I made this last night and it is outstanding! My new favorite soup! Even the kids liked it! Thanks for another great recipe! Your blog is my favorite and I hope you do a cookbook someday!! Congratulations on your engagement!
The recipe looks good. Im from Peru and I would like to share with you that the original recipe calls for blended cilantro and blended parley (only leafs no stems) and no cummin if only a bit of black pepper. (Its not pleasent to have soup and feel the leafs) The aji amarillo is really what makes the based of the seasoning. The onions are chopped finally and the based is done with chopped garlic as well and usually we dont blended it. Jalapeño could be usedsince is also mild in flavor but it wont taste the same. Its better to use white rice since in Peru brown rice is not commonly used (plus it would take more water to cook changing the texture from the soup) Lemon juice is only added once served if the person who is going to eat likes it. You can add minced cilantro.
Traditionally, the Aguadito is done with chicken bones to get more flavor and its usually made the day after New Year's after all the partying is done.
Here is the recipe we make at home, in case you are interested. This soup comes from the coast and my grandmother (she is from the North part) used to make it after New Year.
2 tablespoons oil
6 pieces of chicken (preferably drumsticks)
1 cup red onion minced
3 tablespoons ají amarillo paste (you can find it in specialty stores)
1/2 cup cilantro puree (take a 3/4 cup of leafs and blended them with water , use only leafs)
1/2 cup green peas
1/4 cup carrots smalldiced
1/4 cup red peppers medium diced
1/2 cup Peruvian corn (is big compared to Sweet corn, if not available leave it out)
1 cup white rice
3 medium size yellow potatoes diced (any starchy variety will do)
8 cups chicken stock (a simple way to do it, its to boil water with chicken bones for 30 min )
salt and black pepper
Warm up the oil on a medium pan at medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper. Sear them well until you get a light golden color out. Take the chicken pieces out and in the same pan, add the red onions and sweat them well for 3 minutes approximately. Then add the yellow paste and the cilantro paste, stir it well trying to get all the moisture out for 5 minutes aprox. Add the green peas, carrots, red peppers, the rice and the chicken ( and the corn if you have it). Add the chicken stock, if not just water. Adjust heat to medium intensity and put the lid on top of the pan, let it boil for half hour. Then, add the potatoes and let it cook for 10 min.
Serve with a bit of rocoto paste (a very spicy chili but not as hot as an Habanero chilli) and a bit of lime juice.
The green peas, red peppers and carrots are use traditionally. Its better to not use green peppers (too mild) and green onions (are too strong for this soup) they would really change the flavor for this.
This looks delicious! If someone isn't a meat eater would you recommend subbing for something else or just skipping the chicken and carrying on as usual? Thanks!
I was curious about how to turn it vegetarian as well. I might experiment with some black beans too.
How many calories are in an 8 oz serving? This is such a great recipe 😊
I made this for my wife today (yes, I am the cook of the house). I read a TON of internet recipes. I stuck with a version close to this one because yours is one of the few with cumin and oregano, and you have much more garlic than other recipes. Those are attractive additions to me!
I did the blender thing a little different than you—I add my cumin seeds, a lot of mexcican dried oregano, some dried chile arbols, and juice of 2 limes, and ground them fine. But kept the rest of your blender stew the same. I like the blender stuff to go into the fresh broth already seasoned. Personal preference…
Fresh carrot and frozen corn were added straight to the homemade broth base for short simmer.
Came out fantastic. She loved it. I loved it. I think it should of been spicier but aji paste is hard to find–had to make do per your recipe. The dried arbols and two fresh serranos were not enough (but she likes it mild).
So I don't think I got the 'authentic' kick it should have had, but overall the tastes are out of this world.
Thanks for the recipe, it was excellent.
I did make this recipe and it was fabulous! I served it right away. Can this be made ahead and frozen? Thanks!
Have you tried to make this in the Instapot? I'm on a mission to cook as many meals as possible with my Instapot. If you have any suggestions for how to do it, I'd love to know what they are.
I'm using my Instant Pot right now to make the broth. All of these directions are NPR, unless you want soup spraying all over your kitchen. Yes, it's a few steps because things cook at different rates, but in between steps I'm ignoring my pot and doing other things, so it's still convenient for me.
I got my broth going, then made step 1 as normal in a pan on the stovetop, putting that in my Nutribullet and setting aside until I need it.
When the broth is done, strain it and return broth to the IP. Add brown rice and the chicken breast and cook (12 minutes, Poultry setting). Remove the chicken and set aside. Leave the rice in the pot.
Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook manual for 5 minutes.
Once you've opened the pot, make sure your rice is cooked through enough, then add the chicken (diced) back into the pot, add the peas (I use frozen), and cook on Saute until everything is warmed through. Then add your cilantro/pepper/onion mix.
I don't add the lime to the soup for before serving. I just have a bowl of cut up limes on the table for people to use as they want, because one family member is not overly fond of citrus.
I always use brown rice, because it's less likely to get overcooked and explode. If I want white rice, I'd rather use already cooked white rice and toss it in to warm at the end.
Hope this helps.
Super useful: good for detox after drinking, and try hominy next time instead. Check, check.
Thank you for this great recipe! We have a local Peruvian restaurant and love their soup. Yours is perhaps even better. Followed your directions exactly and received rave reviews from my family. Thanks, again!


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I used Shutterfly for the cards and I highly recommend their site. I've ordered several photo books in the past but this was my first time ordering cards. I love the fact that you can upload addresses through Excel and have them send the cards!
Merlot loves milk, so I was fairly confident my photo idea would work, but it took several tries as you can see below. I'm celebrating Christmas with my parents this morning and tonight Chris returns from Colorado from celebrating with his family! Just in time to make a trek to the Twin Cities for my brother's wedding, a baptism, and a Packers/Vikings party.
Want to see more cute Christmas cats? Check out Love and Olive Oil. I'm really impressed their cats tolerated hats and scarves long enough for a photo.


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Let me tell you, the bunnies in this box were just multiplying like rabbits. ;-)
On the left side of the Sassy bento box is a bunny shaped hard boiled egg in a pale yellow silicone cup, a pink bunny pick with colby cheese cubes, a small green heart cup with strawberries (can you tell I tried to arrange the pieces to look like a bunny head?), and of course rabbits need a couple carrots. :)
On the right side is a little pink silicone cup of Annie's bunny cookies, a peanut butter sandwich cut in the shape of a bunny (ears are fruit leather, features are sprinkles - "glued" to the bread with dots of honey), with some bunny shaped marshmallows around the sides.
So I am off for a weekend of soccer games and birthday parties, cheers and some tears too, I'm sure. It's so bittersweet, these birthdays! (and as I type, my tears are flowing - I'm such a sap!) :)
Happy weekend, everyone!
Supplies used to make this lunch:


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Pop the Question With the Saturdays
British invasion is in full swing, and the next artist to breakthrough in the U.S. are svelte girl-group the Saturdays. Last month they made a trip to the States to partake in New York Fashion week, walk the red carpet at the MTV VMAs, and ink a deal with Island Def Jam. But they also visited the PopCrush office to talk about their upcoming U.S. debut album and their next single, as well as try their aim in a game of Pop the Question.
Can we just say that these girls are not only drop-dead gorgeous but absolutely adorable – especially when they are throwing darts! We actually felt a bit guilty that we made Frankie Sandford and Mollie King partake in the game once we found out they both are terrified of the popping sound -- so don't be alarmed if you hear a lot of squeals!
Vanessa White was first up, her aim dead-on the first throw. She spilled to us the three things she looks for in a guy. What else did we learn about these gals? Una Healey always gets a plethora of local tea bags from fans when they're on the road (which she adds is a "lovely gift"); Frankie chews the inside of her mouth when she's nervous and stressed; Molly chats about the quintent's odd dinner date with David Hasselholf; and Rochelle Humes shows us her cheesiest dance move, which involves flailing her arms.
Before all the hilarious squealing and commotion, the Saturdays sat down to talk to us about what's in store for their yet-to-be titled album. Their first single 'What About Us' – featuring reggae artist Sean Paul -- will make its way to radio airwaves in January, a song that they performed for the first time at Perez Hilton's MTV VMA after-party. "We were so scared," admits Frankie, being that it was also their first performance in the States. They also talked about the treatment for the single's music video, which is "laid back -- it's the five of us just having fun in L.A., and then we go over to a baseball field."
The album is far from completion, but already they've been working with producers the Jam and heavyweights like Dianne Warren and Rodney Jerkins. One song they're absolutely in love with that they hope makes the album? 'Leave the Light On' – which is produced by the Jam. "It's a ballad with a beat behind it as well," they stated.
"Next year is going to be a good year for us," Rochelle admits. "We obviously can't say too much about it but it's going to be so exciting. We've got so much in the pipeline."