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October 6, 2014
I appreciate the opportunity today to present to you our biennial budget proposal for 2015-2016.
Before I get into the numbers, I want to thank you, our department heads, and all city employees who, for the past several years, have helped us maneuver through the most challenging financial times we've ever experienced. Thanks to your support and leadership, and the efforts of city staff, we have continued to provide our residents and businesses with quality city services, while encouraging new investments, jobs and housing options in our community.
I have said this before but it's worth repeating. At a time when the nation's economy was in dire straits, and our population nearly doubled, we successfully faced the challenge of providing services to our expanded population despite a 13% reduction in staff and a reduced budget that totaled millions of dollars over the past six years.
Earlier this year, we established four key priority areas of focus that you agreed with during your council retreat. They include:
While the 2015-2016 budget focuses resources in each of these areas, we already have successes to report from the current budget period.
In the area of Economic Development, we've had a lot of success.
Earlier this year, the city partnered with the Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA) and other industry members to secure $12.5 million of funding from the state to build a new training facility on the former Renton Chamber site overlooking the airport. The AFA recently hired Laura Hopkins as the facility's executive director. Laura's experience and expertise are well respected in both the private and educational sectors, and she has been busy securing partnerships, and clarifying the facility's business plan.
The name of this facility will be The Washington Advanced Manufacturing Training Institute. The city, in its role as project manager to construct the facility, continues to provide support. I am excited at the potential world-class training this facility may offer.
As promised, we have been focusing a lot of our effort to Downtown Redevelopment. This year, I convened a series of meetings with downtown property and business owners, developers, and community stakeholders to seek their input on how to move downtown redevelopment forward.
We received a lot of interest from potential developers. Within the next couple weeks, the ground will be broken on a $10 million dollar downtown apartment complex at S. 2nd and Main St. that will feature 101 apartments and 3,500 square feet of retail on the main floor. And in conjunction with this exciting project, the city will be working on converting Main Street, between S. 2nd and S. 3rd, to two-way traffic with a design that will make one of the primary gateways into the downtown much more pedestrian friendly and inviting.
Later this evening, the Council will consider repurposing some of our Community Development Block Grant funds to create a program that provides financial assistance as an incentive for owners in downtown Renton to rehabilitate their buildings. Such a program will encourage private investment in downtown, provide marketable space for new and expanding businesses, achieve significant visual improvements, and improve downtown's overall health and safety.
Last month, with the help of the chamber, staff convened a successful meeting of nearly 50 downtown business and property owners and other stakeholders to discuss the formation of a downtown business association. We see the formation of such an association as a key piece in our redevelopment efforts. The 2015-2016 budget provides staff and other resources to continue progress in these and other efforts downtown.
And we're happy to let you know that we will be reinstating flower baskets in the downtown area next spring in collaboration with downtown businesses in cleaning-up and beautifying the area.
As you know, the redevelopment of the Highlands/Sunset area has been a priority of the city for over 20 years. In 2013, the Council adopted a revitalization plan that identifies a number of key public and private sector projects to achieve the plan's objectives. In addition to a number of public infrastructure projects completed to date, construction of the Highlands library, and residential projects that are being built by Colpitts Development and Renton Housing Authority, will dramatically change the appearance and livability of the area.
We also plan to request funding from the state's capital budget this next session to help fund a new, 3.7 acre neighborhood park that is part of our vision for the Sunset community.
This proposed budget provides resources that will allow us to continue progress in the downtown and Highlands areas. It also calls for continued efforts to revitalize commercial sectors in the Benson/Cascade area and the North 3rd-4th corridor, in addition to balancing future development in the South Lake Washington Boulevard and The Landing area.
The second key item of building an inclusive city has been one of my priorities for the past seven years. We are devoting a tremendous amount of effort in finding ways to better serve our diverse and vulnerable populations. And we are very pleased that our efforts earned Renton a first-place national award this year from the National Black Caucus of Elected Officials through the National League of Cities.
Earlier this year we engaged Benita Horn, a highly respected authority in this region on cultural diversity and social equity, to help us move forward. In a very short time, Benita has helped us make great progress towards our stated goals.
To address the needs of our senior population, we propose to eliminate the pet license fee for low income seniors. Each eligible senior can have up to three permanent pet licenses.
We are also amending our requirement for reduced utility rates. Currently the rate is available only for "dual occupancy households" where both members in the household meet disability or low income senior requirements. Our proposal changes the requirement to only one member of the household that needs to meet the requirement. The current standard has been a very high bar for many low income senior households to qualify for a utility rate discount.
It is important to recognize that it takes an entire community to best serve our most vulnerable populations. We've made great progress over the past two years thanks to community partnerships.
Benita will be giving you an update in November on our efforts to address cultural diversity and inclusiveness in our community once she completes her assessment and recommendations.
In the area of enhancing productivity and customer service, we have literally changed the workforce culture here at City Hall. We have created an environment that accepts change, embraces creativity and performance improvement, with a management team that provides vision, leadership, training and motivation.
We continue to focus on our goal of being "the best city in King County," with great customer service, strong partnerships, and measurable progress in everything we do. We have created a culture that works to solve issues for our citizens instead of passing the buck.
Our employees, from police officers to our storm water workers, continue to find ways to meet the needs of our citizens while often going that extra mile to provide special service. I continually receive comments from our citizens and business owners praising individual employees for their professionalism and for the services they have provided.
This commitment to service has also equated into improved productivity as employees find new and better ways of doing business. Our ability to meet service demands these past years with fewer employees and reduced budgets is due to the tremendous efforts of department administrators, managers and our entire workforce.
Another indicator that our employees are internalizing the challenge to improve our productivity and customer service is the increasing number of training sessions conducted by fellow employees. And the results can be seen by the number of thank you notes that are posted on "Honor Walls" throughout City Hall.
This proposed budget continues the staff training efforts by utilizing outside expertise when needed, while still leveraging training by our own staff when possible.
The fourth priority is building a sustainable fiscal strategy. Every year, the cost of maintaining basic city services increases but our revenues do not grow at the same rate. Renton is no different than most other cities and many businesses in our state that are struggling to keep pace with inflation and the cost of employee wages and benefits.
In 2000, the motor vehicle excise tax was repealed; in 2001, the state limited the growth of property tax to 1% per year; and last year the state reduced the share of revenue we used to receive from the liquor excise tax and profits.
As you know, cities receive a very small portion of the property and sales taxes collected. For each dollar collected for property taxes, Renton receives 22 cents. For sales taxes, we receive less than 10 cents for every dollar collected. Still we depend on these two categories that represent more than 50% of our total revenues to pay for police and fire protection, city parks, road repairs and many other city services.
And in addition to all this, the years of recession exposed the volatility of our revenue structure and the vulnerability of relying on sales tax. While overall sales taxes have increased in recent years due to the improved economy, they are just now back to the level we received in 2008.
Every year, the cost of maintaining basic city services increases at a rate higher than our revenues grow. Nearly every jurisdiction is facing the same financial challenges of meeting rising costs with the limited available revenue sources.
Take Seattle for instance. Despite a multi-billion dollar base budget and a strong local economy, with hundreds of millions being spent in new construction, Seattle residents recently had to vote to create a new Metropolitan Park District to generate enough taxes to pay for deteriorating parks and facilities. And they are planning to ask voters next month to also tax themselves to meet police and fire needs.
The same scenario is playing out in many local cities and the county. With your support, we have proposed instituting a Business and Occupation Tax to address the budget shortfall, which I'll explain in more detail in a couple minutes.
The choices we have to keep the city financially healthy are very limited. The City Council must balance the budget and is faced with hard choices: either reduce services or raise revenue to close the gap between expenses and revenue.
As in past years, the budget I present here today mixes aspiration with reality, hope with hard truth, and inspiration despite fiscal challenges. And it includes input from you and members of the community.
I convened the Mayor's Budget Advisory Group again this year to meet with each department to review the services we provide, our successes and challenges, and to provide guidance on priorities for the city as we move forward.
This group was comprised of local residents, business owners, and community leaders. They met over a period of several weeks with every department head and our finance department. In addition to examining our preliminary budget projections, they had an opportunity to review several of the policies and programs that we instituted during the last budget process, including the recommendations they had made to us.
They reviewed our recommendation to address the ongoing deficit in revenues with a Business and Occupation tax. In the end, they concurred with the need to raise revenues in order to maintain service levels. They also made suggestions on how to spread this tax more broadly throughout the business community while still protecting small businesses.
As always, they provided invaluable input that has helped guide us through the current budget. This budget reflects several key priorities and suggestions for cost savings recommended by the advisory group this year.
The budget that I'm submitting to you today is not filled with many new programs or initiatives. It was prepared with a continued commitment of improving productivity and efficiency and operating within our means, while striving to achieve our stated goal of becoming the best city in King County.
So this evening, I'm presenting a balanced budget for 2015 and 2016. The total budget for the two year period is $486 million, of which nearly $230 million is for the General Government fund that covers the bulk of our city services that are critical to residents and local businesses.
Iwen will follow me in a couple minutes to provide more detail on this proposed budget. And in the coming weeks, each department administrator will provide you with the specifics of their department budgets. We are not rolling out any new programs but have identified a few key areas where we had made significant cuts in the past and now need to make adjustments to keep up with the increasing demand.
I'm recommending adding back a few key positions that were lost during the height of the recession. Overall, this budget proposes adding nine positions, one that is limited term, two that will be funded by the utilities divisions, and six in the general fund to allow us to keep up with the increased demand in services.
A number of these positions, especially in Community and Economic Development, are funded through the dramatic increase in permit activity and fees.
We are also adding back two positions within the police department to staff the School Resource Officers in our high schools that were eliminated early in the recession. This is possible thanks to the partnership we have with the Renton School District in sharing the costs of three officers dedicated to the high schools.
You will also see a request to increase our Human Services funding by $48,000 over the two year period. This is in response to a request by our Human Services Advisory Committee that recently presented you with its recommendations of funding local human service programs. As you'll recall, we're only able to fund about half of the requests we received due to limited available budget. This added budget request will allow us to meet the financial needs of a number of smaller requests and help these agencies continue to meet some of the critical needs in the community.
This budget also addresses some of our badly needed maintenance and capital projects that we've had to defer for a number of years. Some of these projects include:
As I mentioned earlier, in order to meet our increased costs without reducing services to our citizens and business community, this budget includes the implementation of a Business and Occupation Tax beginning in 2016.
This tax is already being collected by many cities in Washington, and Renton is the only city our size in King County not to have a B&O tax. This is a tax that we have always resisted due to the increased challenges it places on the business community, especially small businesses.
To address these concerns and to protect small businesses, you approved our recommendation that exempts businesses doing less than $1.5 million in annual sales, and places a maximum cap on taxable sales to protect large companies like Boeing. While this tax will help us cover our anticipated revenue shortfall, and allow us to conduct some long overdue maintenance, the rate remains much lower than any other jurisdiction collects in this region.
Before deciding on implementing the B&O Tax, we worked closely with our business community to get their input. We held two forums in collaboration with the Renton Chamber of Commerce, worked closely with the auto dealers, had several meetings with the Boeing Company and other local businesses.
It was encouraging to hear from our business leaders that they believe the city has used its resources responsibly and they understand our need for additional revenue. Even though nobody embraced the implementation of a new tax, the businesses we met with and members of the Budget Advisory Group felt it was important that the city not reduce the level of service we currently provide.
Renton has a rich history of embracing the future and making its mark. We are a city that is proud of its past, but even more excited about what the future holds—a future where all our residents have access to all of the opportunities, jobs and culture that Renton has to offer.
There are exciting times ahead. Last week we participated in the groundbreaking of a new, four-star hotel that will be built at Southport on Lake Washington. This beautiful $180 million dollar facility will feature 350 quality rooms, fine restaurants and a 40,000 square foot conference center.
In addition, IKEA will be building a new $75 to $100 million dollar store in our community, in addition to another $40 million dollars of new projects already in the permitting process for our city.
If we are to remain a city where businesses want to invest and parents want to raise their families, we must build on our successes rather than falling back into status quo.
In closing, what you have in front of you is a fiscally responsible budget—a budget that takes care of basic city needs efficiently and sensibly.
I welcome your thorough evaluation of this proposed budget and am hopeful of your support.
Thank You
Mayor Denis Law
City of Renton | All Rights Reserved | Powered by CivicLive | © 2019 West Corporation. | Disclaimer


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SDAI Project Space @ Horton Plaza
FREE Admission + All Ages
Brian & Ryan
Sound Collection Helmets, 2017
The Southern California artist team known as Brian and Ryan are best known for their assisted sculpture and performance artwork. The underlying focus in their work centers on developing layers of conversations both between themselves and the public. Tduo will be roaming San Diego with black helmets equipped to pick up sounds at both long and short ranges. Large receiving dishes attached to the helmets will allow the artists to record conversations, public space sounds, and the general ambient noise of the city. As the receivers in their helmets collect conversations and record them, other sounds from the city will cross pollinate the recordings and add unexpected layers to the soundtrack. Brian and Ryan will upload the recorded conversations and sounds to an online database. These uploads will be made available to the other artists in the show and interested parties to use in their sound recordings in any manner they see fit.
Brian Black and Ryan Bulis have been working collaboratively in Southern California since 2004. This artist team appropriates iconic activities and challenges preconceptions of masculinity, athleticism and identity. Their assisted sculptures are exaggerated archetypes taken from the workplace, sports and pedestrian life. By adjusting the familiar and pushing the level of absurdity in their art making, they invite the audience to reconsider the sanctity and boundaries of the art institution. Their collective work allows their independent objectives and concerns to converge into what has simply become known as Brian & Ryan.
Jeremy Zierau
Jeremy will be showing an array of 2017 works, including part of his theoretical database series.
Jeremy Zierau is an Artist-Engineer. His work deals with algorithmic process, human communication and the absorption of data sets. Jeremy constructs art objects, applications and algorithms. Jeremy graduated with a BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art in 2013.

subset: commoncrawl


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Great Class with gifts you will enjoy for months!
The chocolate treats has been one of my BEST yet! I had someone want to buy all my chocolates : )
There is one secret ingredient in my chocolates that sets them apart from all other.
Recipes will be posted under Members Section. Enjoy!


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Can I file my case in small claims court?
The plaintiff's demand for money cannot exceed $10,000. (Texas Government Code 28.093). Another restriction of small claims court is that a plaintiff can only seek monetary relief (an award of money). You cannot seek injunctive relief. For example, if you pay a painter $1,000 to paint your house and the painter does not even begin, you cannot ask the court to issue an order for the painter to paint your house. This would be called injunctive relief.
Types of Cases
A variety of cases are handled in small claims court. Cases include damages from an automobile accident, a security deposit from a landlord, or breach of a contract. Under Texas law, collections cases and claim assignments cannot be heard in small claims court.
Can I hire an attorney?
You are allowed to hire an attorney (Texas Government Code Section 28.003), however, most small claims court parties choose to represent themselves. The reasoning behind this is because the amount is $10,000 or less, hiring an attorney becomes cost prohibitive. You are not required to have an attorney, but you are allowed one. (Government Code 28.003).
How are trials conducted?
Unlike regular civil trials, small claims court rules do not follow the Rules of Evidence. In fact, the judge in small claims court is charged with developing facts of the case and may question or summon witnesses. Additionally, the judge is allowed to ask questions of the parties and witnesses, and generally takes a more proactive role in determining the facts of a case. It will likely be pretty quick. If a jury trial is required, the trial could last a few hours.
Can I file my small claims case in Hale County?
You should file your action in the County and specific Precinct where the defendants reside or where the defendant has contracted to perform. (Government Code Section 28.011). Small Claims Court cases for Hale are heard in 2 LOCATIONS throughout Hale County.
Small Claims Court Clerk
The clerk at the courthouse can be an excellent resource for your case. The clerk is an excellent resource for the procedure for small claims court cases in Texas but also any procedures specific to that County or courthouse. It is recommended that you contact the clerk's office to ensure the courthouse is open during the hours you want to visit. While the clerk can help you with procedural issues, the clerk is not able to give legal advice. They will direct you to an attorney if answering your question would require that.
Who is the judge in a Small Claims Court case?
The justice of the peace for Hale County presides over small claims court actions for Hale County.
Are Appeals Allowed?
Appeals are allowed if the amount of the award exceeds $250.00.
Hale County Court Locations
The precinct map for Hale County can be found here.
Precinct 1 Place 1 Courthouse in the City of Plainview
This courthouse is located at:500 Broadway, Rm 10 Plainview, TX 79072-8050
This courthouse handles cases for Precinct 1 Place 1. The phone number for the court is (806)291-5201. And you can email the court by clicking here.
Precinct 3 Place 1 Courthouse in the City of Abernathy
This courthouse is located at:P O Box 217 Abernathy, TX 79311-0217
This courthouse handles cases for Precinct 3 Place 1. The phone number for the court is (806)757-2476. And you can email the court by clicking here.


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We're here to help you help yourself
• Do you find it a struggle to cope with everyday life?
• Do you feel like there is too much being demanded of you?
• Do you feel overwhelmed at times?
From time to time we all need a helping hand to overcome life challenges.
Self-help books and other materials can:
- expand knowledge and understanding of yourself
- understand more about what you are experiencing
- learn how to challenge your thoughts
- learn how to feel more relaxed, both physically and mentally
- improve problem solving skills.
Self help can take time and practice, and you might find that self help alone may not be adequate for you. You can also discuss this with your GP and other health professionals or contact The Welcome Project.
If you would like more information on the Welcome Project and the support we offer, or talk to a member of staff, please go to the Contact Us tab and get in touch.
If you would like more self help advice you can also visit the below websites:
Recovery Star
Helping you
We are here to help you with your mental wellbeing.
The Recovery Star is a well regarded tool to support those who experince mental wellbeing challenges. Recovery usually means changing things in a number of areas of your life so that things work better for you. Making changes isn't easy but understanding how change works can help.
Many people who have experienced mental challenges have found it useful to think about recovery as a journey with different stages. They find it helps to think about which stage they are at and to see where they are on their journey. The Welcome Project uses the Recovery Star to help with this.
For more information download the Recovery Star introduction and worksheet here:
Recovery Star Introduction (PDF)
These documents are in PDF format, you can download them, print them out or just read them online.
Anxiety Quick Reference (148 kb)
Coping With Suicidal Thoughts (390 kb)
Finding Alternative Thoughts (144 kb)
Happy or Horrible Holidays (187 kb)
Healthy Eating & Depression (249 kb)
Helicopter View Worksheet (157 kb)
Increasing Motivation (198 kb)


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Learn about
Each month we send news, tips, and info about the art of espalier and our available trees.
We respect your privacy and your inbox. We will never share your email with any 3rd parties and limit the number of emails we send to you.
Thank you! Please check your email to confirm your subscription.


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Fox-trot, ballroom dance popular in Europe and America since its introduction around 1914. Allegedly named for the comedian Harry Fox, whose 1913 Ziegfeld Follies act included a trotting step, the fox-trot developed less strenuous walking steps for its ballroom version. The music, influenced by ragtime, is in 4/4 time with syncopated rhythm. The speed of the step varies with the music: half notes (minims) require slow steps; and quarter notes (crotchets), fast steps.
The fox-trot consists primarily of walking steps, chassés (step side, close step), and quarter turns. Couples usually hold each other in the traditional ballroom position, but numerous variations are done in other positions. Fox-trots for fast music include the one-step (one walking step to each musical beat) popularized by Irene and Vernon Castle shortly after the dance's inception and the peabody (with a quick leg cross).


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Chelsea Chelsea .....
Chelsea flower show is now well under way and this years gardens have been absolutely stunning. As designers we are always looking for inspiration and this year there are plenty of floral and botanical wallpapers, fabrics and accessories to choose from. Below you will see a Chelsea inspired collage which I have pulled together which offers both modern traditional and contemporary options. I am now away to do some Chelsea inspired weeding so I have kept this short and sweet! If anyone would like details of where to buy the products below please get in touch.
Tracy Smith
I am an interior designer who loves all things design. In the past I have worked as a Manager in 4 and 5 star hotels in Scotland so have always been surrounded by beautiful interiors. I have recently graduated from the National Design Academy with a Degree in Interior design. I love being creative whether it is upholstering an old chair, making cushions or cooking for friends I am never happier. I believe that you do not have to spend a fortune to have a lovely home and I hope to inspire you with my blogs giving tips and trends along the way.
January 2017


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You are here
Letter from GLSEN Greater Kansas City
GLSEN Greater Kansas City (GLSEN-GKC) is a local chapter of the national organization, GLSEN. We center our attention on communities in the Greater Kansas City area in Missouri and Kansas. However, we encourage community members in Missouri that are closer to Kansas City than to Springfield to contact us as well. Community members who live in Kansas, other than in Greater Kansas City should contact GLSEN Kansas.
Nationally, GLSEN works to ensure safe schools for ALL students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. There are 39over 40 Chapters around the country, which work closely with the national staff of GLSEN and with each other to implement programs, and to keep national staff informed of local events. GLSEN-GKC, like all GLSEN chapters, plays an important role in bringing GLSEN's programs and visions to its local community and like most GLSEN chapters, GLSEN-GKC is entirely volunteer-based. We are always looking for new volunteers to help us ensure safe schools for all students. If you would like to volunteer with our chapter, sign up at our volunteer page.
Much of our work right now focus on training and supporting school personnel who wish to establish Safe Spaces for LGBTQ students in their school communities. We collaborate with other organizations that have similar missions to ensure safe schools for all students. With the help of volunteers like you, we will be able to expand our service here in the heart of America.
We will attempt to keep our website updated so that you can find out more about our work here in the Greater Kansas City area and to learn about the ways you can involve yourself in local and national events, programs and activities. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions that are not answered on this site. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you.


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Is it Better to be Lucky Than Good?/
Many, many years ago, in a former career that I had (as a Senior Director of IT for a Fortune 50 company), a colleague remarked to my boss how it was better to be lucky than to be good. To be clear, she was talking about work. I remember my boss telling me about this conversation and needing to be calmed down. That boss, who is still a good friend of mine to this day, is a person I consider to be one of the very best at what he does. The notion that someone would rather be less skilled but lucky drove him nuts. Quite frankly, it didn't do much for me either.
In the roughly two decades since that conversation happens, I've found myself thinking about that phrase many, many times. Usually, when some piece of dumb luck comes my way. I'm dealt four Deuces on the top line of a Multi-Strike game and I'm thinking how 'lucky' I was. But, this really isn't luck. I've played thousands of hands of video poker (potentially millions by now). I'm going to get dealt some Four of a Kinds off the Deal. It is going to happen. Now, perhaps it was a bit fortuitous that it was Deuces in a Double Double game on the top line of Multi-Strike as my number of hands on that game is far smaller. But, even that is not completely luck.
It is possible that the only reason I still have a bankroll at the point that I'm dealt this hand is due to the skill I use in the prior hundreds (or thousands) of hands. So, in the end, perhaps what I'm really thinking about is how my skill helped to bring about this short term incident of luck. Couldn't this, then be the case for everybody? Is luck a component of skill?
I think the answer to this is 'no'. Gambling is part luck, especially in the short run. Even the best poker player might get beat in a hand by someone who by all reasonable Poker playing should fold early, but chooses to make the call and winds up pulling some absolutely absurd Turn and River cards. Over time, the better poker player will prevail. You can't make stupid call after stupid call and get away with it. Most times you'll get burned and lose your bankroll. Once in a while, you'll just get lucky DESPITE your skill or lack of it.
Earlier, I used the example of being dealt Quad Deuces on the 4th line of a Double Double Multi-Strike game. But, what if, instead of being deal the Quad Deuces on the Deal, I was dealt them on a Draw? What if I was dealt a garbage hand and appropriately discarded all five cards and then drew the four Deuces? What if, instead of doing this, I just to keep a 3-Card Inside Straight that was part of the mess of a hand I was dealt? I'm never dealt those Four Deuces as a result. In this case, my choices would be to play the hand the right way and get rewarded with the Four Deuces. This is hardly the 'average' hand I would expect to draw, but it IS part of the expected value calculation that drives us to discard all five cards. Similarly, I could play the hand the WRONG way, and in essence, get punished for doing so by NOT being dealt the Four of a Kind. Of course, I'll never know this is what happened.
Now, perhaps the end result of me holding that 3-Card Straight is that I'm dealt the Straight. Now, I've been rewarded (but not as strongly) for doing the wrong thing. A single Straight will not leave me with much of an impression, but what if playing the hand the wrong way leads to a big win? What if I choose to hold a single Jack over a Pair of 2's and I wind up drawing a Royal Flush?
It is this situation that brings me back to the true essence of the conversation from two decades ago. Would you rather be a Player who makes all the wrong moves and have it turn out great or would you rather be a Player who knows how to play the game. At the moment you hold that Jack at the expense of a Low Pair and wind up with a Royal, you'd rather be lucky than be good. But, few things in life are that short term. If you're a regular video poker player (or any type of gambler), in the long run, you'll be better off learning how to play the game the right way instead of relying on dumb luck to save you from yourself.


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Photography Classes in Jay ME
Looking for photography classes in Jay ME? No matter if you are a hobbyist, professional, or beginner, the best approach to improving your photography abilities is through hands-on classes with knowledgeable instructors.
There are numerous accredited and recognized photography schools in Maine. Photography classes cover subjects such as digital capture, lighting techniques, exposure, composition, outdoor photography, and many other basic and advanced camera techniques. Being an accomplished photographer can result in a successful professional career or lifelong hobby.
There are many Photography Classes in Jay ME:
- Jay Studio Photography Classes
- Jay Photography 101
- Jay Digital Photography Classes
- Jay Nature Photography Classes
- Jay Editorial Photography Classes
Jay ME Photography Classes
University of Maine at Augusta
46 University Dr
Augusta, Maine 04330-9410
Phone: (207) 621-3000
24.65 miles away


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Nanotechnology Eye Implant Could Help to Restore Sight
Engineers from the University of California, San Diego and Nanovision Biosciences Inc., a start-up based in Southern California, have developed technology that is one step closer to helping millions of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases that affect eyesight.
The technology blends nanotechnology and wireless electronics into a new type of retinal implant that has the ability to respond to light in the retina. The engineers demonstrated how the technology responds to light in a rat retina with a prototype device.
An array of optoelectronics nanowires interact with cortical neurons in a retina prosthesis. Source: UC San DiegoVision diseases such as macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and loss of vision due to diabetes are problems that impact millions of people worldwide. Treatment options today help regain functional vision but still severely limits patients leaving them legally blind in most cases.
The engineers went about looking at crafting a new class of devices that would dramatically improve vision. The prototype prosthesis consists of arrays of silicon nanowires that simultaneously sense light and electrically stimulate the retina accordingly. The nanowires improve the resolution in the prosthesis while a wireless device transmits power and data to the nanowires over a wireless link.
Engineers tout that their development does not require a vision sensor outside of the eye to capture a visual scene and transform it into alternating signals to stimulate retinal neurons. Instead, the silicon nanowires mimic the retina's light-sensing cones and rods to stimulate retinal cells. This makes for a simpler yet scalable architecture for the retinal prosthesis, engineers say.
"To restore functional vision, it is critical that the neural interface matches the resolution and sensitivity of the human retina," said Gert Cauwenberghs, a professor of bioengineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego.
How It Works
To power the prosthesis, power is delivered wirelessly from outside the body to the implant through an inductive powering telemetry system. The device is energy efficient because it minimizes energy losses in wireless power and data transmission and then recycles electrostatic energy within the inductive resonant tank during the stimulation process.
Engineers say up to 90 percent of the energy that is transmitted is actually delivered and used in stimulation resulting in less RF wireless power emitting radiation in the transmission and less heat being generated in the surrounding tissue.
When testing the device, engineers inserted the wirelessly powered nanowire device in rat retina resulting in the degenerated retina interfacing with the microelectrode array. The device then activated when a combination of light and electrical potential was exposed and went silent when either light or electrical bias was absent. This confirmed the light-activated and voltage-controlled response of the nanowire prosthesis.
Engineers are currently testing the device on animals and the goal is to translate their findings for clinical use to restore vision in patients with severe retinal degeneration.


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By Sara Wiseman
When you hold that strand of pearls once worn by your grandmother, do you sometimes imagine you can smell her perfume, a subtle lingering impression of the Blue Grass she kept on her dresser?
When you sit in that chair you bought in that antique store so many years ago, do you sometimes sense the places that chair lived before: in other living rooms, with other families?
When you walk past that historical home and peek in the windows, do you sometimes feel you can sense the entire household, right down to the children playing in the living room, the parents reading in the parlor, the toys sprawled in joyous array on the floor?
We tend to think that we can only ready other people, or animals, or at the very least, other living things.
But objects hold energy. So do buildings. So do places.
In fact, everything: living or non living, holds its own energy.
In this article, we'll look at how you can learn to sense the energy of objects and places in your world, and to receive the information that is there.
In future teachings, we'll look at how to look at buildings, places, even environments and regions.
Later still, we'll look at things that aren't physical form or matter.
It is all available to you!
With practice, you can sense everything that you can recognize, living or non living, matter or beyond matter. The approach is the same.
It's all about becoming conscious.
Everything is a Universe
The first thing to understand is that everything is a Universe of energy, and everything is One.
A stone is a Universe of stone energy.
You are a Universe of "you" energy.
A house is a Universe of house energy.
A city is a Universe of city energy.
And so on, from small to big.
Within each Universe, we find all the energy inherent in the object, place, person that reflects the beingness of that object, place or person.
We understand the past of that Universe.
We can see the future.
We understand all emotional content.
We understand the different energy levesl from other Divines.
We "get" this all at once, when we tune into the Universe of an object, place or person.
Our Oneness allows connection
The true nature of our reality: our Oneness, is what allows us to connect or tune in this way. We are all souls, part of collective Soul. We are all one, part of One.
This way of being—that we are a part of everything while also being everything at the time— means it's very easy for us to tune into other objects, places, people.
In essence, we can tune into something, because we are also that something.
Thus, in order to sense a stone intuitively, you simply become the stone. In order to read a place, you become the place. In order to know a person, you become the person.
You don't do this permanently—you always return to your own particular Universe or container of your self. But you learn how to simply inhabit, become or be whatever it is you'd like to look into.
Your spirit or soul self merges with the spirit or soul or energy self of the object or place, if only for a short moment. But in that short millisecond of sharing space, of inhabiting the same Oneness, you immediately KNOW all there is to know about that object, place.
Of course, it works with people, animals, guides and so much more. We're just working on objects and places, right now.
Matching vibration
One of the ways we learn to sense objects, is by inhabiting the vibration they are existing in. We learn to match their vibration.
Of course, it's very hard to put the HOW of this into words. As humans, we are new to this work, and we don't have easy ways of describing how this works with language.
But the core idea is this: if you want to understand a stone, where it has come from, how it feels, what it would like you to know… simply become the stone. In your human form, simply match yourself in all the ways you can, to the stone's vibration.
What I have found in my own practice of vibration matching is this:
• Usually, stone vibration is quite still and solid. It's very dense.
• Usually, crystal vibration is quite busy, buzzy, electric. It's dense too, but in a charged, buzzy way.
• Usually, wood vibration is very mellow; it's lively without being irritating or pushy.
• Usually, animal vibration is very lively: there's a lot of heat and feeling.
• Usually, machinery vibration is very cold, with a sense of death or separation.
• Usually, computer vibration is super buzzy, yet also with a coldness or irritation.
Simply begin to sense and sort this vibration, until you can easily feel and recognize what "stone" feels like, vs "computer" vs "dog."
And, then begin to practice matching your own vibration.
Simply go within, and become the object you are reading. Allow your soul self to simply inhabit this Universe or container for a moment.
You're still coming back to your human form. You're not staying there very long.
But one moment as a piece of wood, for example, and you will understand all there is to know about it: where it has been, what it has seen, the energies around it.
Sensing the energy of objects
Let's go back to the idea of sensing the energy of objects.
The key would be to step aside, and allow your spirit or soul self to sense and match the vibration or frequency of that object, and to become that object.
Let's say you want to sense the energy of your grandmother's string of pearls.
You might hold the pearls in your hand, and simply enter into Divine space: you might enter into that psychic sweet spot where you are can most easily access visual information, language, symbolism, emotion, future thinking and so forth.
Go into that sweet spot, not too far in the ethers, not too close to earth.
And then, simply sense the energy of the pearls. As you sense this vibrational quality, begin to match in with your own body.
Sink into a place where you are one with the pearls.
Now, go a step further, and simply as to become the pearls. You may feel a transition in your body, such as your chest expanding, or skin tingling, as this happens.
Your body will stay where it is! Your spirit will experience the shift.
It is very subtle.
If you do not have much practice with meditation and spiritual intuition, you may find it hard to find this sweet spot at first. The more you practice, the easier you will be able to go there instantaneously, simply upon the breath.
As you become the pearls, you will begin to see and sense and hear from the pearls point of view.
You may find yourself going into the pearl's memory: seeing or sensing places the pearls have been: in a house, in a drawer, around a neck.
You may find yourself going into the pearl's energy, which we might call emotions: you might sense sticky, happy, clear, loving, sentimental energy, that show the relationship of your Grandmother, as she was in relationship to the pearls.
You may find yourself going into the pearl's past: in the ocean, forming in the oyster, the salt and brine of the sea.
You may find yourself attaching to a memory of your own, in which some message, vision or understanding presents itself: a way for you to relate an event in your own life, to the pearls.
You may find your grandmother arrives in your consciousness, and has a message or vision for you.
Stay in. Explore. Allow what arrives to arrive.
When you are complete, call your own energy back into your own body. Come back to this reality. Write down what has been revealed to you.
You may be surprised and even shocked by how much you receive, when you do this practice of becoming the object.
Practice on other objects, and see what arrives.
Much love,
Linda SMith
10/24/2014 02:29:27 am
Very much related to this article. Thank you. I live in a min-museum filled with almost 3000 supposedly inanimate angels and other seasonal collections. They bring must color and light energy.
Sara Wiseman
10/26/2014 03:49:33 am
Thank you, Linda.
This article really spoke to me. I've known for years the energy found in inanimate objects. I've given voice to that energy - usually to myself and sometimes others who are interested in knowing. Many years ago, a friend of mine was showing me some gifts she had recently received from her, at the time, significant other at the time. The relationship she was in had become difficult. I had never met the other person, but was able to describe her to my friend while holding the gifts Although I didn't let on - I was as amazed as she was - as I had not ever shared the experience of sensing energy/information found in objects with anyone but myself. I recently experienced this same sensing of an inanimate object while chatting with a group of like minded colleagues. During a search of the world wide web, I came across your website. So thank you for being here and sharing this article. I look forward to continued learning. I've not nurtured or explored this part of myself as I should have and would really like to make more of a concerted effort in 2017.
1/1/2017 11:44:19 pm
Are you the same Sarah that was in the Dr. Neruda interviews? I'm very curious
4/16/2019 10:37:57 pm
I've occasionally felt energy from objects, but today I had the most intense experience. I was speaking to a coworker after hours, and he showed me a book he had regarding writing styles and grammar, topics which we had been discussing. As he presented it to me, I had a strong impression of menace from the book. There seemed to be some kind of negative energy surrounding it, and I found I couldn't touch it. He saw my face, and I explained what had happened. I said, "Where has this book been?" He said that he had just bought it used that day. I can't say what brought it this very strong impression, but it was palpable. My co-worker threw the book away because he said he was superstitious. However, I bought him a new copy, so all's well that ends well.
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Texas was certainly hoping for a better roadtrip result than .500 but then again, when you look at the circumstances, you really can't be upset with that mark. Texas finished their 4 games in 5 days roadtrip today with a regulation loss to Grand Rapids.
Texas started off the scoring in the first period on a Griffins power play. A pass from Greg Rallo found Travis Morin in the slot to make it 1-0 early on a shorty. The goal was Morin's team-leading 12th of the season. Jordie Benn looked to have earned a secondary assist on the play but was not granted one. If the scoring is changed later, it would be his first AHL point.
The Griffins had the only goal of the second period as Francis Pare beat Beskorowany off Trevor Ludwig. At the end of the period, Texas was being outshot 27-17 but was holding on at 1 all.
Sadly the third period brought a Griffins comeback instead of a Stars resurgence as there was last night. Ray Sawada got the lead for the Stars off a homerun pass from Trevor Ludwig just past the 9 minute mark. The backhand shot for the winger extended Sawada's point streak to six games. He has been on a tear ever since being placed on the line with Sceviour and Tousignant. Additionally, he has been getting some PP time as well.
Ninety seconds later, however, the Griffins would counter with former Star Doug Janik beating Besko to tie everything at two. The Griffins would go up for good 3 minutes later when Tomas Tatar tipped a Derek Meech pointshot to make it 3-2. Grand Rapids got an empty netter with 31 seconds left as well.
Given the depleted corps of players for the Stars, the rapidity of the games, and the travel involved, going 50% on points in the road trip is astounding. Tyler Beskorowany got the start in all 4 games and saw 159 shots over the 5 days.
Texas will rest up and travel back to Austin where they may or may not be joined by Richard Bachman for their Tuesday night battle against Manitoba. The Stars' ace goalie had his first NHL minutes last night in relief of Andrew Raycroft. The rookie stopped all four shots he saw. Kari Lehtonen's back will dictate whether Texas keeps rolling with Besko and LeMay or gains the rookie out of Colorado College back soon.
Tonight's lines:
Injuries, scratches, and notes:
Spang, King, Fortunus (scratched)
McCulloch (upper body)
Krahn (lower body)
Bachman, Gagnon (call-up)
Tonight's attendance was 3,373.
AHL Gamesheet - Texas at Grand Rapids - December 12 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Stars Fall to Griffins 4-2, Split Road Trip
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Code of Conduct for WoA Members
Members of our group agree to abide by the following Code of Conduct. These rules are designed to enhance our members enjoyment of events, and keep us safe. Violations of these rules is grounds for expulsion from the group.
PERSONAL ETIQUETTE: Always be polite, courteous and respectful of other members. Be considerate of other visitors and their experience. Bring a positive and enthusiastic attitude. Make sure to express your gratitude to your organizers, their assistants, people you carpool with, and anyone else who makes the experience possible.
RSVP ETIQUETTE: Always RSVP for events you plan to attend and include +1 for any guests that will accompany you. If you change your mind and won't come, make sure you email the coordinator of the adventure, especially if there is an attendance limit for an event. Try to finalize your RSVP at least two days before the adventure to allow your spot to be filled. Repeat no-shows will result in a suspended membership (no refunds for membership fees will be given).
ADVENTURE ETIQUETTE: Always follow the rules of the adventure. Remember you are a guest for any adventure. Please act like one. We strive to create a safe and encouraging environment for women to try new things. This can be a very scary and challenging way to get out of our comfort zone. We do this to challenge ourselves. We are not creativing a competitive environment, we are not trying to be better than our fellow adventurer.
CARPOOL ETIQUETTE: In general this applies for out-of-town trips where you meet at a predetermined spot, get into fewer cars, and share the ride to the Adventure. In these cases, it is expected that passengers reimburse the driver for gas, parking fees, and any other trip expenses incurred during that day. You should discuss this and agree on the formula before leaving the carpool spot! For gas, the best way to do this is to have the driver fill up at the carpool spot before leaving at their own expense. (Alternatively they can arrive at the carpool with a full tank). Upon return, fill up again and that the cost of that is the dollar amount for gas split among the Adventures. Costs that do NOT count towards passenger share include vehicle wear, damage, tickets, accidents, flat tires, etc. Those are risks incurred by the driver when they volunteer. Also not included are annual parking passes, the driver would have that expense whether they used it or not.


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Mixed Up
Everything, but really everything is already a must to see.
All you can find here is a cartoon becoming a The VALiens one.
Check out, go with your mouse on the bar on top and expand the category..
Cartoons mixed up, not related, free and wild!
Stay tuned on thevaliens.com
Are you ready?


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You just closed your last textbook and opened a new chapter of your life – you graduated college! Although many parts of adulthood may have you feeling overwhelmed, your style should not be one of them. Here are a few tips that will hopefully make your transition from student to professional a little easier: 1. Simple Staples: These are the pieces in your wardrobe that you should feel completely comfortable investing money into. Lets be honest, graduating college also means paying off student loans + living paycheck to paycheck. However, investing in and taking care of simple staples (such as these pixie pants from J.Crew and simple black dress from Lily and Violet) will eventually have your wallet thanking you for not having to replace worn out clothing.
2. Accent Pieces: Keep in mind that sometimes less is more; you're an adult now! But this doesn't mean that "business casual" needs to be limited to neutral colors + pants suits. Spice up any outfit while still looking professional with accents of patterns (like these Steve Madden leopard flats and Stripe Blazer from ASOS) or bold colors.
3. Interview "Must Haves": A very wise businessman once told me , "two things you always need to remember for an interview: an extra copy of your resume + a watch." (thanks, dad). Not only does a watch add a great touch to any outfit – but it shows that you respect your time + the time of your interviewer.
4. Accessories: It's time to bid farewell to your backpack and opt for a sleeker, more stylish way to carry around your laptop. For example, this Architect Bag from our own Minneapolis local Spring Finn & Co or the Transport Tote from Madewell.
Check out our Pinterest Board for more inspiration!


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Buy the Book
Sixth printing is complete and books are ready to ship within 48 hours of payment receipt.
What Terry Coats has produced is good, thorough, interesting, and readable. He adds to the body of works that herald Grandpa's Road and contributes to a lasting foundation of support that will endure long past our lifetimes.
What a wonderful resource! I was expecting a dry reference book on structures and depots, and was blown away by the history, anecdotes and stories as well as the multitude of photos. The index alone makes it "must have" for anyone interested in Grandpa's Road!
Lectures & Book Signings:


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A court has heard today that Shrien Dewani was framed for murder by his wife's killers, after their attempt to kidnap her and blackmail him for a ransom went wrong and she was accidentally shot.
Shrien, whose wife Anni was murdered on their honeymoon in South Africa in November 2010, is currently standing trial in Cape Town for plotting her murder. However, this new information, delivered by defence lawyer Francois van Zyl, threatens to collapse the case against him.
According to van Zyl, convict Bernard Mitchell confessed that he'd had a conversation with the taxi driver, Zola Tongo - who is currently serving a murder sentence after admitting his part in the death of Anni Dewani - while they were both in prison. Mitchell had been located in a cell near to Tongo while he was serving time for an unrelated crime, and during their time in prison together, the taxi driver had apparently admitted that Mrs. Dewani was in fact shot by accident.
Tongo reportedly explained to Mitchell that the original plan was to kidnap Anni Dewani, and to ask Shrien for ransom money to release his wife. But during her kidnap, Anni's captors begun arguing over what to do with her, which was where it turned fatal.
Lawyer van Zyl told Tongo during his cross-examination: "When your accusers were on the way with her to the place where they wanted to hold her hostage, one of them wanted to rape her. A quarrel ensued and she was shot."
The court heard that the killers then planned to blackmail Shrien Dewani, by threatening to blame him for the murder if he refused to pay them a substantial amount of money, but upon receiving advice that this was unlikely to work, they decided to frame him for plotting the murder.
Van Zyl said that his witness, Mitchell, claimed Tongo told him that while the world suspected Mr. Dewani of planning the murder of his new wife - potentially because he was gay or bisexual and wanted out of the marriage - in reality, he had "done nothing".
But Zola Tongo vehemently denied such claims, which would place more blame on his shoulders for the murder if found to be true. He rubbished Benrard Mitchell's claims, calling them "nonsense and lies", and saying they were simply thought up by someone who "saw this on television".
Zola and two other South African criminals have all admitted their roles in the murder of Anni Dewani, and are all testifying against Shrien either in exchange for immunity from prosecution, or for reduced sentences. So it would make sense that they wouldn't want claims such as these to come out in court. It remains to be seen if the judge in the case will take the allegations seriously, and Shrien will be found innocent.


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The company that guarantees to deliver smiles and move more than just sea cargo and money remittances is once again making the upcoming holidays more exciting.
In the spirit of spreading more smiles this season, LBC is giving away over $250,000 worth of prizes through their Smile and Drive promo which launched on Sept. 1.
A total of nine brand new Toyota Corollas and numerous gift certificates will be raffled off to LBC customers who avail of their cargo and money remittance services through any LBC branch or partner agents in the U.S. and Canada.
Smile and Drive runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2014.
All transactions during the promo period will be automatically entered in the electronic draw during the monthly raffle, the first of which will happen on Oct. 3, 2014.
For more details about the promo, you may visit www.lbchome.com or www.lbcexpress.com.
To coincide with the launch of the Smile and Drive promo is LBC's answer to the expected holiday rush.
Dubbed as the LBC Premium Service, our trusted friends from LBC will move your balikbayan box to your loved ones in no more than 15 days of your next shipment is FREE.
This unique offering from LBC was introduced to mitigate the congestion and uncontrollable delays happening in the Philippine ports.
Now, with LBC's Premium Service, you will have more time to catch the best sales of the season and give you less worries about missing those special occasions.
LBC's Premium Service is priced at a minimum of $130 for the timely delivery of a 50-pound balikbayan box.
To avail of this service, simply visit participating LBC Branches or call 1-844-LBCFAST (1-844-522-3278) to schedule a free pick-up.
Tim Lyncecum See details


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With the bitcoin growth remaining fairly slow, it is interesting to see that applications are trying to see how they can make use of the technology sustaining the bitcoin, the blockchain.
By 2016, the market for smartphone users is forecasted to be 2 Billion consumers worldwide (eMarketer) and according to StatCounter, the number of mobile phones being used to have access to Internet increased by 67% over the last 12 months. These numbers just briefly show the impact the mobile industry has on today's economy. The startup ecosystem is persistently trying to tailor the mobile phones to customers' needs, meaning that users start relying more and more on their phones to provide them with products and/or services they need on a daily basis. With mobile wallets such as ApplePay, Google Wallet etc. on the market, phones slowly become the only object people really need to carry with them as everything can be stored on it and so can their identity. But in how far is it safe to store the ID on mobile phones?
During the TechCrunch Disrupt NY event ShoCard showcased their solution to this specific matter that is supposed to revolutionize the way banks review individual's identities. Indeed, the co-founders of Shocard, Armin Ebrahimi and Jeff Weitzman explained how they use the technology behind the bitcoin called blockchain to encrypt and store the user's identification information.
Could the blockchain remodel the way private information is safely stored?
"Identity has always been a problem on the internet" said co-founder Jeff Weitzman. Safety has always remained the top priority for banks and even more so with technology being embedded in almost everything we do today. Thus ShoCard's process of creating an ID starts by users scanning and signing their identity via the mobile app. The identity credentials are then handled in a very unique way, as ShoCard does not rely upon a third party. It rather uses the decentralized blockchain technology to store this information very confidentially. Rather than sitting on a server, this technology distributes the information through nodes across the bitcoin network by generating a set of identical keys (private and public) to seal the records. The information is kept private through enterprise-grade encryption. Basically one can refer to the blockchain as a secure database, which stocks all the documents. Once the ID has been established it will provide individuals with a proof of identification. For instance when doing an online purchase some websites are more sensitive than others and require user identification and these security checks can very often be complex and confusing to the user. ShoCard would enable users to easily approve transactions via the use of the mobile app. Instead of being redirected or having to answer security questions, the ShoCard app will notify the user of the occurring transaction and will ask the user to either accept of decline the purchase.
Is Shocard going to disrupt the conventional management system of banks?
Potential partnerships with banks could lead to a more convenient user experience. If for instance anyone would want to certify that another person is holding the correct ID, in this case a bank,they'll send them their ShoCard, which allows the bank to verify that the user holds the data matching the sealed records which can be proved through the private key the user has. The bank will then issue its own set of private keys, encrypted as well, that will tie to the user's ShoCard and will allow the bank to identify their ShoCard whenever they use it for a transaction. The same benefits apply also of course to credit cards and in case of a stolen credit card, users will be alerted immediately and have the ability to instantly block the transaction.
Other startups such as miiCard, a European based startup or Jumio, located in California, are also offering identity verification processes however none of them have used blockchain, which is ShoCard's main differentiating factor. It remains to be seen how well the newly founded company will perform but if they were to be successful, there could be a major cutback of $27 billion losses caused on a yearly basis through identity theft (InsideBitcoins). Given this figure, it could be very interesting for financial institutions to have a deeper look into the benefits of the use of blockchain when storing personal information.


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Bridgette Meinhold
Bridgette Meinhold is an encaustic painter and freelance writer based in Park City, Utah, where she lives in a small A-frame cabin in an aspen grove with her husband and dog. When she is not creating art or dreaming about it, she writes about green design, architecture and sustainability for Inhabitat. She is fascinated by how to make wax act the part of the atmosphere in order to create ethereal and dreamy landscapes. She works from her own photographs and memory and uses encaustic as a way to capture and preserve those moments.


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Car Forums / Acura / Acura RDX
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2013 and earlier-Acura RDX Prices Paid and Buying Experience
Never heard of window etching? What is that? Something beneficial or just another add on money making trick?
Also with things like doc fee, cleaning, etch... although dealers break it down separate at the end of the day this all should be taxed right? Only the Vehicle reg would be a part that is not taxed?
Seem like at the end of it all the only legit "doc fee" is really the vehicle registration/license which generally should be $200 to $400?0
The etching, I believe but am not sure, is your VIN etched into all your window glass which makes less of a target for theft. It is another add-on money maker for the dealer but at least you're getting some value out of it but nothing close to what they charge. That's why I just threw out a number of $50. It's probably not worth even that unless your car is stolen. Then it may be worth something.......to your insurance company. I don't ever my insurance company asking me if my windows are etched!
Doc fees are different by state and regional custom and vary greatly. They are not required by law usually but in IL they are limited to about $161. Also in IL, if a dealer charges doc fees they have to be charged to all customers the same or charges of discrimination can result.
Registration fees can also vary greatly by state and some states are pretty expensive. As far as which items are taxable or not would depend on the particlular state. In this case even if add up all the junk and apply tax, the tax amount for just those items shouldn't amount to that much.
Really, it doesn't matter what they add in or what they call it. It's the bottom line that counts. I know people that will pay hundreds more for the car but they are so proud that they talked the dealer out of this fee or that. Go figure.0
I have been quoted a price of $37500 for 2013RDX AWD TECH with wheel lock and door guard. Price excludes title and taxes. Includes destination. Is this a good price? And what is the popular color?0
rdxer1 Posts: 5I was quoted 37310 for the sAme car with roof rack, running, boards, all weather mats. I am still trying to carve out something for a nontech all wheel drive lease. Im thinking a snowy day like today may be a time to strike at the dealerships with the rock bottom offers.0
FYI, the 2014 RDX's will be produced in Mid April for deliveries beginning in May.
I am hoping they will include fog lights with the 2014. My wifes CRV exl has them and her car cost $6K less then the RDX. Crazy to pay an extra $500 for something any luxury vehicle should have standard.
How do you know the 2014's are coming out in May? Dealer told me the fall.
Do you know if they made any improvements?
I am debating between Subaru Outback 3.6 (what Icurrently drive) , Forester 2.0XT and RDX.
I am a Honda/ Acura /Subaru guy (last car was a TSX). Switched to Subaru during recession.
I think i am ready to switch back but it all hinges on the deals or lack there of that are out there.0
I was going on past history of Acura intros which is why I said "probably". Where did you get your info???0
wasn't your post i was responding to.
I think and hope April makes sense.
Local dealer in MA told me the fall.
I know years back when I bought a TSX they added fog lights in the second year of production.
Not sure if I am willing to wait more then another month or two.
Someone posted that they got the dealer to install and bought an AWD for 33,500? That deal might work for me but i think i'll have a tough time duplicating it.0
lol. And it wasn't your post I was responding to. I still think it will be later this year as I haven't read or heard anything about the 2014s yet and if they are getting ready to put in production in a couple of weeks I think there would have been something leaked. The 2014 MDX is going to be shown at the NY auto show soon and there has been all kinds of info on that. To my knowledge that doesn't come out until summer or fall. I realize the MDX is complete redo but I'm sure they will make some changes(like maybe foglights) to the 2014.
I think they leave some things off the base that are really wanted in hopes that people will upgrade to the Tech to get them.0
I agree that they leave things off in the hope that people will upgrade to the tech. Everybody has a different opinion on this stuff but the only thing that's missing that i really care about is HID & fog. I can live without HID but it drives me crazy when cars have cutouts for fogs and they cover them with plastic covers. Risdual is also higher for non tech units. I guess i either need to wait or see if a dealer witll give up margin and include them in an agressive deal. If not then Subaru keeps me as a customer.
I really want to keep to a budget of around 30K. I am willing to consider 33-34 but after that i get cold feet. I put 30K on a year and cars depreciate fast under that kind if mileage.0
Don't forget, it's not just the end of the month; but the end of the quarter for most dealers...time to MAKE THOSE NUMBERS!!!
I'd be all over the best no/no lease I could find right now...fall in love with the vehicle and buy it in three years.0
"I agree that they leave things off in the hope that people will upgrade to the tech"
That's the whole idea behind various trim levels. Volvo will build a vehicle for you exactly as you wish if you want to pick it up in Europe. I think Lexus and Acura(among others) are smart to have package(s) deals for combos of options. One buyer wants fogs no matter what; another, like me, couldn't care less about them. Same for 19" wheels that some think should be standard or even HID w/LED tail lights that some think are de rigeuer. Others feel that way about roof rails...can't please everybody for $30K. Build a bundle, discount it a bit, put it on the vehicle...smart marketing.(Flexibility to change the recipe in subsequent years...something may come along to replace in-dash Nav, for example).
BTW, the difference in the driving experience between the RDX and any Subaru, for me, puts them in different segments. I understand the appeal of the OB, but it ain't no RDX on the road.0
westcoastipa Posts: 2This looks like a good price...can i get the dealer name please? Thanks0
How much is this worth? I notice that some RDX have it and other do not. Dealer says it adds 400 to the overall cost of a base RDX.
For base AWD RDX (no body side molding) i am at $34,600 plus tax and doc OTD would be $36,800.
My wife still favors the Mazda mainly cause she likes the power hatch and because the price we got was below invoice. By my calc the price i am at with the RDX is 4.4% above invoice.
What is worse is the color that she likes seems to be the on base RDX which has the molding which will add to the price. Is this something they could easily through in at No Charge?
The wife still favors the Mazda ( I don't) mainly cause she likes the power hatch and because the price we got was below invoice.
Wife says she would go for the rdx only if she can get the color she wants and that it would cost less or equal to the deal of the mazda which has a OTD just below $36,000. Or if we can get it with the power hatch (basically tech pack out of our bduget).
My wife favors the Mazda mainly cause she likes the power hatch and because the price we got was below invoice. Also because of rear AC vents and bigger car.0
alvares Posts: 75What color she wants on the rdx. I know no rear vents is something that worries me on this car. They most likely leave it at invoice for you...0
I work for an Acura dealer in Cary, NC. The 2014's are being built in April. Delivery in May. No word on any changes. They tell us when they tell the public.
Side molding is a $250 option...Is the dealer charging $150 to install? Yikes.0
funken_a Posts: 5Tell your wife that the Acura RDX is final manufactured in USA< and has 65% of its parts made in the USA. She is supporting American Jobs
Mazda's are mostly foriegn with little USA parts or manufacturing
If it wasn't for this FACT I wouldn't even be considering the RDX.
If we want the country to get better we have to support Jobs for our brothers and sisters0
Purchased new acura rdx awd with tech package $39000 which includes tilte and taxes. my state tax is 6%0
That's a great deal. Are you from Michigan? It which dealer did you buy from? Does your price include destination charges?0
The price is OTD price which includes all tags and tiltle destination fees and documentation fees no i am not from michigan0
Hugo_Stiglitz Posts: 167Posting an OTD price is really a waste of everyone's time.
What was the MSRP?
What did you pay for the vehicle?
What 'fees' did the dealer pop you for?
Exclude the taxes, title, and reg which varies with each state.0
And include the dealer name and city as well. If you are truly trying to help others why make them ask????0
Thanks for sharing this john. I doubt this will happen but i kinda want to wait for the 2014 in hopes of getting power liftgate and rear AC added to the base RDX and also better pricing on the 2013. Would like to hear your opinion of this?
I maybe be able to hold off my wife who likes a CX9 as the color combo she wants for the CX9 out right now and the dealer is waiting on a new ship so if the 2014 RDX are just 2 months away that could be good news for me if the above happens.0
Just heard from an Acura dealer at another site that the 2014s are scheduled for production the first week of April for May delivery at about the same time as the new MDX hits the street. NO changes noted except one color change. Keep in mind that this is coming from an Acura dealer employee so it doesn't necessarily mean it's gospel but it seems to jive with other stuff we've heard lately.0
I'd kinda hate to see you get a vehicle that's a foot and a half longer, over 500 pounds heavier and sticks you with a third row you may not need just to get the color combo your wife likes.0
3 things the wife likes about the CX9 vs. RDX.. The price, The Power hatch, The rear AC and better color options both interior & Exterior.
The Power hatch seems to be most important missing feature on the base RDX but does not make sense for to dish out 4k just for that plus it would be out of our price range.0
What was the MSRP? 40315
What did you pay for the vehicle? 36300
What 'fees' did the dealer pop you for? 200 processing
Bethesda MD acura Showroom0
Thanks. Was there a trade involved or something? That price is way, way below dealer invoice. On a hot selling vehicle it's just strange to see that kind of discount. It's easily $1000 lower than any other price I've seen for an AWD Tech.0
No Trading involved really its very good price more than $1000 lower0


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Lee Bohl, Chartered Market Technician at Charles Schwab
Lee Bohl
Chartered Market Technician
Lee has over 30 years of trading and investing experience. While he has been involved in many facets of the brokerage industry, his current areas of expertise include technical analysis, trading strategies, and trading software.
Get an exclusive look at the tools and resources Lee uses in his personal trading
Chart the markets with Lee every week.
Follow along on Lee's screen as he uses charts to spot potential trends and discuss strategies that may help you take advantage of them. After he shares his technical perspective of the market, you'll have a chance to ask your own questions during a Q&A session.
Register for a webinar that fits your schedule.
Space is limited so ensure your spot by signing up today.
View Lee's weekly blog, Midweek Market Trend
Chartered Market Technician Lee Bohl uses charts to spot potential trends and discuss strategies that may help you take advantage of them in his weekly blog Midweek Market Trend. Read more >
4 Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Trading
Chartered Market Technician Lee Bohl shares what he's learned from his decades of trading experience. Read more >
Finessing the Double Bottom
Chartered Market Technician Lee Bohl explains what to look for and how to manage the "Double Bottom" technical chart pattern. Read more >
Risk Management in Volatile Markets
Lee Bohl discusses how to adjust your trade strategy during times of high volatility. Read more >
Important Disclosures
Diversification strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets.
Options carry a high level of risk and are not suitable for all investors. Certain requirements must be met to trade options through Schwab. Please read the options disclosure document titled Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.
Investors in ETFs should consider carefully information contained in the prospectus, including investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. You can request a prospectus by calling 800-435-4000. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Investors in Closed-End Funds please note that since these securities are not continuously offered, there may be no prospectus available.


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|Corrupt Legion
|Welcome To Corrupt Legions Central. Consisted of a friendly and helpful community, We will supply you with your needs as best as possible! Our profession in PSP gaming is mainly on Star Wars Renegade and Elite Squadron, and we are the best known at what we do!
To see and use all qualities of the forum (like the chatbox) please register.


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2016: A Year in Music
January 2016. I started the year off in the middle of finishing Lions on the Beach. After mixing, and mastering the album in the fall, winter was about going the distance and FINISHING something I was proud of, and finally sharing it with the world.
On March 4th, I released Lions on the Beach, finally sharing my songs with the world. The Huffington Post actually called it "Pet Sounds for the millennial generation." As most of you know, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys are my heroes and Pet Sounds is one of my favorite albums of all time. So yeah, pretty cray.
That same week, I debuted Lions on the Beach with my band at The Hotel Cafe, LA's premier songwriter venue. The Hotel Cafe is where artists like John Mayer and Katy Perry all got their big breaks. I imagine a lot of things, but I never imagined I'd eversell out a venue. You guys are the best.
Then I finally came home to SF to perform for a lot of you guys for the first time after 3 years in LA. Years ago at my desk in Menlo Park, I made a mental note that the #1 Thing to Do in SF Before You Die (out of 100) was to see your friend's album release show at Hotel Utah.
We can all die happy now haha.
Have you ever done an interview in mandarin for your first time on TV? Well, I did. I got to do a lot of interviews – sharing why I went from brooks brothers to busking among other fun facts.
Crescendo Ice Cream printed my Santa Barbara lyric on their ice cream cups! Then I partnered with VAVA Sound (the speaker passed my Coachella test with flying colors).
I performed a ton around LA and had a lot of fun hosting the open mic at The Songwriting School of LA
Now in case you're wondering, "has Peter been writing new music since his album release?"
Have no fear! I have indeed been making new music – including an electronic yoga song, theme song for a web series, and hip hop track – and collaborated with some awesome people on live shows and videos.
In November, I got to take Lions on the Beach on tour across the country, hitting up my musical cities – SF, Austin, New Orleans, Nashville, and Denver. In December I even was able to perform at a jazz club in Taipei – which basically means I'm an international sensation now xp.
That's it for 2016! Thank YOU again for helping me make Lions on the Beach and everything possible! I couldn't have done it without you guys.
Upwards and onwards!


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Event Series, Venice Biennale
David Neustein and Grace Mortlock have been invited to participate in a public debate events series at the 2014 Venice Biennale.
Titled 'Towards a New Avant Garde,' the event seeks to engage public debate that will confront the motivations of a new generation of Italian architects with the legacy of the radical architecture movement of the 60s and 70s.
"Towards A New Avant-Garde event series instigates a permanent attitude of questioning and debate, while promoting a new kind of architectural reflection, harnessed by the large-scale printer installation that allows for real-time publication of the debated issues and topics."


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all images on this site are personal photos/creations unless otherwise credited. plz don't steal them k thx.
ddayporter [at] gmail [dot] com
Recent Posts
Monthly Archives: January 2011
my life as a googlebot
Did you ever see The Puppet Masters? Where people get those creepy aliens hooked into the back of their necks? Sometimes I feel like one of those people, and the creepy alien in my neck is Google, I just do … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 6 Comments
taxes, and the work yet to be done
I did our taxes the other day, and got a special thrill out of the fact that it was our first year filing as a married couple. I also got a special thrill at the amazing refund we ended up … Continue reading
Posted in goals, marriage, rambling 5 Comments
a tribute
During wedding planning, I pretty much lived on two sites: Etsy and APW. I'm still crazyface over APW (obv), but I am not AS much on Etsy just because I have no extra spending money and sometimes I resent that … Continue reading
Posted in etsy, weddings 5 Comments
first he graduated from beginner obedience training. Then he grew out of the harness we gave him. Now he's learning to lift a leg to pee (he used to always just lean forward a little in the most … Continue reading
Posted in my dog 11 Comments
"Desperate Times" Recipe Series: Sweet Potato a la Rachary
I think "recipe" is kind of overkill in this series. These instructions for food I'm going to share are for when you're feeling poor, lazy or both, but don't want to eat a meal entirely devoid of nutrients. Today's Desperate … Continue reading
Posted in breakfast, dinner, lunch, Recipes 2 Comments
maybe lists aren't really my friend
I accomplished exactly one thing from my weekend to-do list from last Friday: the post about the wedding. But honestly that wasn't even the post I had planned to write; sometimes words flit around in my brain and never make … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 3 Comments
baked beans. New England style. sort of.
So, I'm from Maine. We like our baked beans in Maine, and it may or may not be the same way they like them in Boston, but it most definitely is not out of a can. I made the mistake … Continue reading
Posted in dinner, Recipes 7 Comments


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A patchwork friend was asking me about them just yesterday....
I have posted these before but, I thought some of you may not have seen them ...they are so easy to do and with a little help, great project for kids to do...
Christmas is not too far away, and a great time now to start making presents and decorations..
Bottle Top Christmas Decorations.....Requirements:
Plastic milk or juice bottle tops with O-ring seal (washed and dried)
Small pieces of plain fabric (3 ½ inches square) or 14 count Aida cloth for cross-stitch
Or Fussy cut Christmas fabric
Threads, ribbons, beads, charms any bits and pieces to embellish the decorations
Thin card to back decoration
Braid to go around the outside of decoration
Narrow ribbon to hang decoration
Clear quick drying craft glue.
General hand sewing requirements
A little time and imagination.
Embroider or cross-stitch your design onto the centre of your fabric piece. (Keep the design small so it will fit on the bottle top)
Embellish the design with tiny seed beads, metallic threads, ribbon bows, glitter fabric paint or anything you like.
Place the embroidered design over the bottle top, then place the O ring seal over the top.
Push the seal down as far as it will go to hold the embroidered fabric in place.
Smooth out any wrinkles.
Trim away the excess fabric.
Cut a cover for the back out of the card by tracing around the top and glue to the back.
Starting at the top, glue braid around the outside of the top to cover the plastic ring.
At the top where the braid joins, glue a piece of narrow ribbon long enough to hang the decoration.


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My Nonprofit Reviews
112 profile views
1 reviews
Review for Golden Slipper Club Charities, Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA
The Golden Slipper Club and Charities has two primary missions: to serve the Greater Philadelphia Jewish Community's Geriatric Community through Golden Slipper Senior Center and underprivileged children at Golden Slipper Camp. I have had the pleasure of being involved with the Senior Center since it's founding 18 years ago. It is about giving back. It is so enjoyable to see Seniors who would otherwise just be sitting in their homes have a place to go where a hot meal is served with programming. The looks on their faces is reward enough.
More Feedback
Would you volunteer for this group again?
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
Role: Volunteer


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Ya'll! WE ARE IN JUNE. Can you just, like what?! &)*29$3588!#%_+$! That's half way done with the year. THE YEAR. As in 2017. Wowzers. I'm usually not this dramatic, peroooooo...
So okay, it's June... got it. We have done so much these past few months and have come a long way... it almost feels like I'm making it up. From awesome and enlightening features, to honest and funny content from our writers, it's been a sweet journey so far. I'm excited for what lies ahead for us as the month and the year goes on. Especially because if you haven't seen it all over social media by now - our first TGM DAY (theGIRLMOB DAY) is Sunday June 11th! And putting this together has been a serious rollercoaster for me and the team.
You would go crossed-eyed looking at my spread sheet. Creating a small event is hard, but creating a big event with multiple moving parts - that's kind of like painting your nails on a moving car going 100 mph as you rush to get to your meeting that you're 30 minutes late to. But thankfully we have came out on the other side stronger, smarter and happy. The last part is executing with ya'll in the room! So we're beyond grateful for your support and encouragement. I know for me, it's what keeps me going on days when I just want to hide under my sheets.
June will be a smorgasburg of celebrations for us on the site. It's Black Music Month, Pride Month, Father's Day ... the list goes on. So you'll see us focusing on that. We also have a few giveaways for July that you won't want to miss, let's just say we're going to make sure you're covered Coast to Coast
I leave you with this (and this is me being both real and dramatic but with reason)- being able to celebrate all these things are only possible if we have a space to celebrate them in... (stay with me) and that can mean on our website, on our social, at an event... around the country... around the world (almost there)... and so to that I say, cherish the spaces you're in that allow you to celebrate the things you care most about. For me that space is called home, it's called PLANET EARTH. We are living through some wild wild wild times where our head of state is at war with our planet. Does that even make sense? The answer is no it doesn't. No planet = no more life = no more celebrations. We don't have another Earth to drive to MOB. This is it. So in whatever way that you may, add your two cents to help fight global warming. I know that sounds grand and exhausting, but even if it's just educating yourself on what's happening and telling your elders - that's a big help. Let's not end up like a hollywood catastrophe film
Okay now! Grab your SPF and keep your skin right!
peace & light
yari b