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557 Bell Road
Otto, NC 28763
Adorable little cabin in Otto, NC on 15 acres of beautiful UNRESTRICTED mountain land! This 2 bedroom, 1 bath home has everything you want from plenty of cabinet space to that awesome brick fireplace in the living room. It even has a spacious sunroom and a bonus room that could be used as an office or a 3rd bedroom. Outside you'll find a relaxing creek AND a pond! You just won't believe how pretty this setting is until you actually step on the magical grounds!
Watch the video tour below!
Call us today to view this home in person!
Click Here for more information!


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How to use a Polarising Filter/
Reflections are often unwanted, and glare will wash out an image. Polarising filters counter the reflective measures and will deepen blues and add contrast to skies, reduce or remove reflections from water and windows and increase contrast and saturation. It does this by cutting out a single wave of direct reflected light, or polarised light, by means of unicorn farts and magic. Ok, maybe science has something to do with it too, but I shan't overwhelm you with the technicalities, it is not that important. What is relevant is how to use it, when, and what the results are.
Once a photographer would be foolish not to be armed to the teeth with a selection of coloured, warming and cooling, graduated, and speciality filters, but editing software has primarily made most of these photography filters superfluous. I would argue that a photographer needs no more than an ND filter and a polarising filter these days, and here we will discuss the latter.
The most common polariser is the Circular Polariser or CPL, and if you have an autofocus camera (I would be surprised if you didn't) then the circular polariser is for you. It is comprised of two filters stuck together that can be rotated until it absorbs reflected sunrays and the desired effect can be obtained. It is essential that you turn the filter each time you compose an image or shift from horizontal to vertical framing; merely putting the filter on the front is not enough. As you rotate it, it will cut specific waves of light that are reflected or refracted. The filter will remove about 1½ stops of light from your image, but your camera's light meter will automatically adjust for this.
Deepen blues in skies
Polariser filters are fantastic for a sunny day outdoor photography and you can see why in the image above of Blois in the Loire Valley. It has deepened the blues which in turn has made the clouds stand out much more. The reflection from the slate roofing has also been reduced. The river too has become more solid.
There are post-production techniques to achieve a similar result, but they are often time-consuming and result in artefacts, such as a halo on contrast points. In the image below of the Château de Chambord I increased the saturation and reduced the luminosity of the blues. Note how there is a visible radiance around the edge of the top of the château where it meets the sky? One now could painfully go through and remove this with a lighter clone brush, or you can simply use the polariser in the first place, get a richer more natural deep blue without the effort.
Removing reflections
Reflections can be easily removed with a polariser. Windows of a building, reflections in a car window, the shine on the top of a lake or river can all be reduced drastically by rotating your polariser filter to the precise angle. Below I managed to remove the glare from water that was sitting just on top of these water lilies in Monet's Garden in Giverny, giving them back their colour and form. Further below, I shot a decorative door ornament in Paris. The reflection of the sky in the glass behind the figure was distracting and unnecessary. The polariser cuts it out completely.
Use in portraiture
Polarising filters are often thought of as outdoor, landscape photographers companion, but they have a practical purpose in portrait photography as well. While they do reduce the amount of light coming into your camera by about 1½ stops, they will also reduce unwanted reflections in glasses, and can reduce the shine on people's skin, giving them an even illumination. In this image, look closely not only the spectacles but the forehead and the tip of the nose.
Quality and price
People have asked me what the difference between a €20 and €200 polariser filter and the answer lies is the quality of the glass. Photography is all about the glass; it would be disappointing to put a cheap filter over a superb lens; it is akin to shooting through a dirty window. The higher quality the filter is, the less colour casting it will have, the less susceptible to scratches it will be, and the more robust the build quality will be. This being said, if you are a mid-level enthusiast and you treat your property well, there will be nothing wrong with the cheaper filter. It won't be until you start pixel peeping that you will really see the difference. For those of you interested, these images have been shot using the Hoya Circular Polarising Filter on my Nikon D500 with an AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm 1:2.8G ED lens.
A polarising filter won't work on every situation, the direction of the light needs to be at right angles to the source. Sunsets, where the sun is in the frame, or directly behind you, will do very little to your image. The best results come with side light or reflections at 90˚ angles and on polarised light. Try twisting it to see what it will look like on any given scene. Often things are more reflective than we think, like foliage in a garden, wooden table tops, skin and a whole lot more.
A polariser often is the difference between an average photograph and one that truly pops. Once you get the hang of them, you will wonder how you ever shot without them. Remember to take them off if they're not giving you the desired effect, as they do rob you of about 1½ stops of light.
If you liked any of the images in this article and want to get to know your camera better with the Château de Chambord or Blois or any of the other magical places in France, join him on our Normandy and Loire Valley Workshop this April for an eight day intensive photography workshop.
Author: Alexander J.E. Bradley
Alexander is the founder of Aperture Tours: professional photography guided tours, designed to help you get the best out of your camera whilst exploring wonderful cities with a local. A professional photographer for over a decade Alexander enjoys shooting the surreal by mixing dreamlike qualities into his conceptual images.
Join Alexander in the Loire on our Normandy and Loire Valley Workshop
View more of Alexander's work on his profile

subset: commoncrawl


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(See the readings for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 16)
"Well done my good and faithful servant…. Come share your master's joy."
The end of the liturgical year is quickly approaching. Next Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, which is the last Sunday of the liturgical year; the following Sunday begins the new year with Advent.
When we consider the "end" of something we think of finality or completion, for example finishing a project or job or an event. After the work is completed we might evaluate the performance of the past or we might be evaluated on that performance.
The Scripture readings for the past few weeks have had the common theme of the "end times." Part of this theme is judgment; an evaluation of our lives by God. Yet in all these readings there is the corresponding thought that we should be motivated to live now in preparation for the final judgment. Jesus will return at the end but while we wait we live in his love and share that love with others.
Jesus' parable of the talents highlights this theme in this Sunday's reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. The man going on a journey refers to Jesus who will be departing soon. He will entrust his mission to the church and her members. Each will be entrusted with a role in the mission corresponding to their abilities and/or their responsibilities just as the "talents" were apportioned five to one, two to another and still one to another. Each recipient has the responsibility to "invest."
The talents mentioned in the parable were a form of money or currency. The word, as used in the New Testament, refers to a "weight" that was used in commerce or trade. It was actually the largest weight or highest on the scale. In contemporary terms we might think of money. Certainly we would appreciate the results of the first two servants' work; they invested their money and earned a 100 percent return; in other words, they doubled the original amount given to invest.
The final servant had a zero return on the investment. This would be like the old "shoe box" savings that sometimes become popular if banks are having difficulties or are not trusted. Not only was there no return on the investment, that which was given him most likely lost value because it was not used.
The master's return brings the expected reaction. He is overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for the first two servants. They invested his hard-earned wealth and increased it. Overcome with joy he says to each of them: "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." The reaction to the third servant was opposite: "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you have not then have put my money into the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?"
The parable culminates in Jesus' saying: "For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Through the parable Jesus urges his disciples to live in this world waiting for the end — the master's return — working diligently to use the gifts he has given in stewardship to us.
When the master will return is not important — notice that in the parable the master returns only after a "long time." What is important is to live in the present with joyful expectation, not in fear, and to take what has been given us by God (everything) and develop it. One primary gift is that of faith. We have received the gift of faith, a gift offered to everyone. Using this gift as an investment can have a multifaceted meaning: living by that faith, having our lives transformed through faith, inviting others to faith, growth in understanding the faith, and so forth.
The gift in the parable is represented by the "talents." As mentioned above, the word in today's language would probably be "money." Over time, however, talents took on the meaning of abilities or gifts that we possess and use; this is how the word "talent" is used today. Often this parable is interpreted in this sense, meaning that we should use the gifts and abilities God has given us. We should develop these gifts and have them bear fruit according to the type of gift.
One gift we might recognize in our lives is the gift of family. The first reading for Mass, from the Book of Proverbs, speaks of the "worthy wife." Her value "is far beyond pearls." Because of this her husband will "entrust his heart to her" and because of this he "has an unfailing prize." The author concentrates on the virtue of the wife in the manner in which she works and lives: she "works with loving hands" and "she reaches out her hands to the poor and extends her arms to the needy."
Like the servants in the Gospel parable who invested their talents, she will be given a reward, as the author says: "Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates." As we prepare for the World Meeting of Families next year perhaps each of us might think of our families as a gift that needs to be developed and "invested."
Whether we are wives or husbands, daughters or sons, mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, grandparents or grandchildren, aunts or uncles, nephews or nieces or cousins, we have received a great gift and the corresponding responsibility to develop these various relationships.
Investing in the family could mean spending more time with family members, having family dinners, speaking regularly with each other, having an active interest in each other's lives, caring for sick family members, visiting infirmed relatives, helping those in need, doing things together as family, and so forth. Investing in this gift will bear great rewards for the return on this investment is inestimable.
As we approach the end of the liturgical year we remember that the Lord will return in the "end." As we live, we live in expectation and hope. We strive to live by the gift of faith and to develop that gift in love of God and each other especially in our families. The words of St. Paul from the First Letter to the Thessalonians give us encouragement and confidence as we continue our journey in life: "But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober."
Msgr. Prior is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Morrisville.
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Your source for the latest technology information of interest to credit unions across America.
Subscribe to our weekly e-mail newsletter and/or our monthly newsletter and stay on top of the latest technology trends in Hardware, Software, ATMs, Biometrics, Wireless, Online Banking, Marketing, Security, Internet Access and Call Centers.
~ This Week's News is Sponsored by Better Branches ~
* Sharetec & Allied Payment Network Partner
* ORNL FCU Implements Kony`s Mobile Platform
* EPL Forms Partnership with the NFCDCU
* CU*Answers Deploys Burstable Capacity
Sharetec System, one of the fastest growing core systems, announced that they have partnered with Allied Payment Network to provide credit unions Picture Pay technology. The Picture Pay mobile photo bill pay solution enables credit union members to pay any bill by simply taking a picture of the bill with their smartphone.
Kony, a leading enterprise mobility company, announced that it has helped ORNL Federal Credit Union develop an enterprise mobility strategy built on Kony`s cloud-based mobile platform. In addition to providing a mobile banking app for its 167,000 members, Kony developed two other features for ORNL: Focus Money Manager and a Community Events module.
The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions has formalized an agreement with EPL of Birmingham, AL to develop CU Impact, a shared core banking platform to scale up the delivery of products and services offered by credit unions serving low-income and undeserved communities. They say that this technology platform will accommodate ongoing innovation, facilitate collaboration and shared services, generate growth and ultimately increase the impact of credit unions working in low-income and underserved communities.
CU*Answers, the Grand Rapids, MI-based cooperative CUSO, is now activating "burstable capacity" on its core IBM servers that support an online user base of nearly two hundred credit unions. They note that elastic capacity on demand (ECoD) allows them to activate memory and/or processors on a daily basis as their business needs dictate.
Giada USA manufactures low cost servers and thin clients that use very little power. The company has just come out with its new F103D mini PC which is designed for digital signage and thin client deployments. It features the latest Intel Braswell chips, 2 GB of memory, an integrated Intel HD Graphics engine that can be connected to a display using a VGA port or an HDMI port, and a no-fan design. An optional remote control can be used when the F103D is deployed as a signage device, and the small unit can be easily mounted behind a display. The F103D supports Windows 7, 8.1 and 10, in addition to x86 Linux operating systems. Android compatibility will be coming in 2016, according to the company.
Hewlett-Packard just launched their new Skylake mini PCs. The EliteDesk 800 comes in either a 35-watt version that supports Intel's quad-core Core i7-6700T, or a full 65-watt unit that uses a Core i7-6700. Both will support up to 32GB of DDR4/2133 and M.2 SSD, plus a 2.5-inch drive. The EliteDesk 800 is somewhat unique in that it supports configurable ports, e.g., RS-232, DisplayPort, HDMI, serial, etc. For the security conscious, HP sells a full cage for the Mini PC that locks down the system and the cables. An optional LockBox cover can physically block port access, too.
Splunk has unveiled a monitoring solution dubbed IT Service Intelligence (ITSI) that they say provides new levels of visibility into health and key performance indicators of IT services. The software uses advanced analytics driven by machine learning to highlight anomalies, detect root cause and pinpoint areas of impact. Splunk ITSI also scales to collect and index terabytes of real-time and historical events and metrics across multi-datacenter and Cloud-based infrastructures.
Tamr offers a free, downloadable tool designed to help tackle the "dark data" problem. Dark data generally refers to unstructured or qualitative data an organization collects, processes and stores but doesn't use for analytics or other purposes. Tamr says that their solution can help organizations create an inventory of their data sources, including metadata about who owns the source, what tags have been applied to it and profiling metrics about its tables and attributes. The tool can also document different kinds of data sources as well as the people who might be associated with them.
The ATM Industry Association is reporting an uptick in fraudulent ATM withdrawals and is launching an investigation. Research commissioned by ATMIA shows that about 20–25 percent of these disputes are fraudulent, and cost the industry some $20 million annually. In action, scammers make withdrawals of $100 to $200 from numerous ATMs and then file a dispute for each, claiming that no cash was received. The group said that it is in discussions with numerous ATM networks and is working towards resolutions.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) prints nearly $20 billion dollars worth of notes per month. The BEP prints tens of millions of $20 banknotes - which is the denomination most commonly used in ATMs - each month. U.S. banknotes cost an average of 10 cents each to produce, and 90 percent of new notes printed are replacements for bills removed from circulation.
Here is a chance to learn about real life credit union success stories from various technology vendors through the words of their clients. This week's vendor is:
and their client is:
Pradeo provides mobile application security solutions for smartphones, tablets and connected objects (IoT). They offer three products:
* AuditMyApps: a web platform of Application Security Testing with an objective to provide the user a full security report for one or several mobile apps
* AuditMyApps: an auditing tool available as a Cloud service or as an on-premise appliance
* CheckMyApps: next-generation antivirus for mobile applications
Kony announced their new Mobile Retail Banking Quick Start solution which is a managed services offering that they say enables mid-sized credit unions to implement a fully-functional and personalized mobile app for their members within 100 days. The platform combines a retail mobile banking app template, personalization and integration services, and mobile app platform runtime into a single solution. Annual upgrades to the latest versions of mobile operating systems (iOS and Android) are included.
Some observers believe that the EMV card and POS rollout represents a great opportunity to get your cardholders on board with Apple Pay and Android Pay. That is because the "chip dip" is time consuming compared to the use of NFC. They say that the "tap and go" aspect of NFC is measurably faster than plastic EMV cards and this creates a better user experience.
The MAP App™ is the first network-branded prepaid card exclusively serving credit unions to offer mobile banking -
contact us now to learn more about this market-leading innovation for credit unions:
(866) 598 - 0698
Tanium says that their platform allows IT Departments to proactively look for abnormal, anomalous, and potentially malicious activity occurring within their network. They state that their "linear chain communications architecture" collects information from every endpoint in the environment, and takes a subsequent action — all in less than 15 seconds.
According to the Department of Justice, almost 18 million people were victims of identity theft in the United States last year, with the majority of crimes targeting credit cards and FI accounts. The figure represents 7% of the U.S. population aged 16 or older and is a rise of 1 million people from 2012. About half of all victims first became aware of a problem when they were contacted by their financial institution, with a further one in five noticing fraudulent charges in their account.
Cyber attacks that exploit privileged and administrative accounts – the credentials used to manage and run an organization`s IT infrastructure – represent the greatest enterprise security risks, according to survey results from CyberArk. Respondents were asked which stage of an attack is the most difficult to mitigate:
Respondents were asked what attack vectors represented the greatest security risks:
Core Systems:
Supporting Omnichannel Delivery with the Core System
Celent - http://www.celent.com
Read Stephen Greer's comments:
Corelation - http://www.corelationinc.com
Read Theresa Benavidez's comments:
CUtopia - http://www.cutopiasolutions.com
Read John Pantaleon's comments:
D+H - http://www.dh.com
Read Spencer Jones' comments:
Enhanced Software Products - https://www.espsolution.net
Read Matt Lefler's comments:
Fiserv - http://www.fiserv.com
Read Mark Sievewright's comments:
Share One - http://www.shareone.com
Read Teri Van Frank's comments:
Symitar - http://www.symitar.com
Read Ted Bilke's comments:
Synergent - http://www.synergentcorp.com
Read Fred Barber's comments:
Blue Ridge Bank is the first institution to take advantage of a change in Virginia law allowing prize-linked savings (PLS) accounts. The law was designed to be an inducement for people, especially lower-income consumers, to put money into an emergency fund rather than buying lottery tickets. Each month, the Luray, VA-based bank has a drawing with one $200 winner and four $50 winners. At the end of the year, it will give away a jackpot of $5,000. In 2009, the non-profit D2D group and Michigan credit unions created Save to Win, the first scaled PLS-based program. Save to Win Michigan has grown to over 50,000 unique accounts saving more than $94 million. Meanwhile, more states are ending their bans on FI jackpots, including Oregon, Illinois, and Minnesota.
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
The WalkMe platform, which can be used on any HTML platform accessed from a standard web browser on a PC or mobile device, is designed to guide and engage website visitors through any web experience. It includes the following features: Walk-Thrus, analytics, pin-pointed search, onboarding and surveys. The company says that their software can be used for selling, customer service, training and to generally improve the overall user experience.
Crowdnetic announced the launch of "Marketplace Lending Gateway" which is a centralized technology platform that connects loan applicants from FIs and retailers to alternative funding sources through a real time matching and allocation engine. The company says that Gateway provides an attractive referral alternative for credit unions by allowing them to connect members to a broad range of third party loan products and to monetize loan turn-downs. Gateway is designed to support a number of loan sourcing channels including in-branch, online and email-originated loan applications. Gateway also accommodates credit union branding preferences by offering a variety of white label solutions designed around specific partner branding strategies.
AT&T is working on a project known as Network on Demand, or Domain 2.0. Cisco, Juniper Networks and Brocade are helping to develop virtualized network functions (VNF) products for AT&T. For example, Brocade will develop cloud-based access routing for the carrier`s Managed Internet Service. It means customers won't need to buy additional routers at their locations. The products overall are intended to give customers more control by allowing them to quickly update network functions.
Teleconference and group-calling solutions provider iotum announced enhanced service offerings such as HD audio, free video conferencing and screen sharing. The new features offer pre-packaged upgrade bundle plans with high-quality sound, reminders, PIN-less Entry, and in-call dashboards. FreeConference.com now also offers transcription, toll-free numbers and recording controls for a small fee.
In some surveys, up to 60% of callers have said that they believe that one minute is too long to wait for an agent. For many call centers, this is simply an impossible target to meet. One great option is to implement a callback system. This helps lower abandon rates, reduces agent idle time and saves the credit union money. It also gives the caller the freedom to work on other activities and helps validate that the credit union values their time and business.


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Happy Birthday to our pride and joy.
I'm blessed with an angel,
Like heaven might send,
And I call her (Jenny),
My daughter and friend,
Have a lovely Birthday
You grow sweeter with each passing year.
Side by side
Or miles apart,
A daughter like you (Jenny),
Is always close to the heart.
I'm so proud to have you as a daughter.


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Scholarship Database
In-Region Scholarship Programme – CHR • DAAD
As part of the "In Country / In-Region Scholarship Progamme", the DAAD offers scholarships for PhD studies The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and aims at university staff in the first line, without neglecting the public sector demand of academically trained personnel.
Who can apply?
- have successfully completed generally a three-year university degree (Master candidates) or a two-year university degree (doctoral candidates) with above average results (upper forth of class)
- clearly show motivation and strong commitment
- have thorough knowledge of the language of instruction
- have completed their last university degree not more than 6 years ago at the time of application
- must be nationals or permanent residents of a Sub-Saharan African country, excluding South Africa
- should generally be a) staff member of a public or private university, b) candidate considered for teaching or research staff recruitment, c) from the public sector
What can be funded?
The scholarships at CHR are available in the following field:
Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa
Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa
Duration of the funding
The duration
- of the PhD programme is 3 years
- of the Master programme is one year


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Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Member2085114, Nov 24, 2018.
Who left the door unlocked?
(welcome back! )
Mate, what's the deal here? I already explained that it was flagged up as a possible sock account, and sometimes we get erroneous reports. As a mod, it's my duty to investigate these things. We know why it happened, but I can't divulge the anti spam measures of the forum.
Can we now bring this matter to a close, instead of raking it up in whatever thread. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. Please let it go.
Aww, thanks guys!
It feels great to be back
If I may ask a silly question - Why can't I post something in the private chat with staff?
Just curious here guys
Thank you so much fir all your kind and welcoming spirit! This is why I love this place so much it truly is unique the people here are amazing.
I think I want to immigrate to a sane country with loving and like minded people that actually care and have a loving heart.
Not live in fear of my life like here.
Yeah you're him...
Welcome back!
'cos we don't want to talk to you.
Is it a post count issue? Can you PM?
Did you find EarlyMon while you were away?
Join the Brexit party and enjoy the fun here in good old Blighty.
You're not staff? That's probably it.
OT: Are you folks ever going to recycle that bridge?
I didn't think they started colonizing Mars yet.
Matt Damon might still be up there. He probably wants some company.
There goes the neighborhood.
looool I would love to go to Mars! XD
My old man was sitting there and I was complaining about this crappy country and he smiled sarcastically at me and said "Have you thought about immigrating to Antarctica? :-D"
looool I got a bad reputation for never being happy with anything hehehe
Well lol yes I was being kind of paranoid again and wondering if maybe I could have that one photo of me deleted in the private chat with staff?
I am being ridiculously paranoid though I don't want to be known at all any more! I have always been a little bit on the paranoid side of things hehe
But I gotta work on it somehow
1 of these days I really think I am really going to end up in the loonie bin!
looooool! xD
"they out to get me man!!!!!"
"Trust NO ONE!!!!!!"
I need a tin foil hat!
What AAARRREEE you talking about? Your IN the loonies bin.
Welcome back to the site. Love your avatar. Just wanted to say if you don't want to be known, you must change the photo of said creature in your avatar on a regular basis. Sort of like regular password changes.
Don't fuel the paranoia
Hey @Stinky The Legend !!!! The world is much brighter with you back my bro!!!!
hey stinky...
guess this time.. i need to get a bigger shoe this zombie roach!!! just wont die!!
Words fail me .
Hey thanks buddy its great to be back!!! I really missed you big time buddy! XD
I missed you guys all so much lol
lol we all best friends!!!
lets be friends foreva!
a bit of fortune and seeing what possibly could be coming around the corner has made me as paranoid as heck!
this world can be crazy people always trying to ruin someone elses life from only god knows what.
not even god knows I think sometimes
Also another interesting fact did you guys know that Wernher Von Braun married his cousin?
Isn't it hilarious that people don't realise that Wernher was the reason why mankind went to the moon?
His technology is also used for ICBM's today. What a brilliant guy!
When he surrendered to the Yankies he was very cautious of who to entrust with this new kind of warfare and wanted to give it to those who were led by the Bible - so he said - just thought that would be pretty kick ass or food for thought
sometimes I can be very random lol
We got a thread for that But there's always room for a bit more Stinky randomness.
I agree! I like reading your blogs! Friends forever!!
Everybody in America knows that. We educate everybody.
I never did ask what business you are in. I kind of remembering your past posts...
Einstein married his cousin as well. Perhaps that gives a man more time to think.
Braun = Brown


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** This is a pre order only product - $100 deposit secures/guarantees your product. The full price for this product is $350. You will be notified by email for final payment of the remainder, prior to arrival date. This deposit is non-refundable. Final payment can be made via: Paypal; EFT; Credit card; Cash on pickup. Postage options are: Shipping with tracking number – $19.95 (for further information on our shipping policies, please click here) OR local pick up from any of our stores.
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~ Movie Masterpiece Series ~
"We're bad guys, it's what we do."
The eagerly awaited DC Comics' upcoming blockbuster, Suicide Squad, is finally hitting theaters around the world soon. Fans can't wait to see their favorite female villain Harley Quinn on the silver screen having her in action as a member of the suicide squad the secret government agency recruited and her relationship with the psychotic Joker.
Now Hot Toys is extremely thrilled to officially present the highly anticipated1/6th scale collectible figure of Harley Quinn!
The movie-accurate collectible figure is specially crafted based on Margot Robbie's image as Harley Quinn in the film. It features a newly sculpted laughing expression head sculpt with moveable ponytails and make-up, an all-new specially developed body for Harley Quinn with a large variety of tattoos all over her body, finely tailored costume, and a specially designed Suicide Squad themed figure stand with character backdrop.
A Special Edition only available in selected countries will specially include a hammer as bonus accessory.
Hot Toys fans shouldn't miss the chance to add the widely beloved Harley Quinn to your DC Comics collection!
The 1/6th scale Harley Quinn Collectible Figure's special features:
- Newly sculpted head sculpt with authentic and detailed likeness of Margot Robbie in a laughing expression as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad
- Detailed hair sculpture with movable ponytails
- Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed make-up, skin texture and tattoos
- Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulations
- Approximately 29 cm tall with high heels
- Eight (8) pieces of interchangeable hands including:
- One (1) pair of relaxed hands
- One (1) pair of gun holding hands
- One (1) pair of bat holding hands
- One (1) gripping right hand
- One (1) open left hand
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
Costume :
- One (1) red, blue and white colored tee top
- One (1) red and blue colored bra
- One (1) shoulder holster
- One (1) pair of red and blue colored hot pants
- One (1) black belt and gold colored embossed patterns
- One (1) pair of stockings revealing the tattoos on lower body
- One (1) pair of black, white, and red colored high heels shoes
- One (1) baseball bat
- One (1) revolver pistol
- Two (2) speed loader
- One (1) silver colored handbag
- One (1) neck choker
- Two (2) gold colored bracelets
- Two (2) purple colored leather-like bracelets
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Courts & Crime
Prosecutors: No further charges against John Hinckley in '81 shooting
John W. Hinckley, Jr., will not be charged with murder following the death of President Ronald Reagan's former press secretary James Brady, prosecutors said Friday.
But Hinckley, now 59, will not be going free. He will remain at St. Elizabeths Hospital,where he has been held for the past 32 years, since being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the March 30, 1981 attempted assassination of Reagan.
Reagan, Brady and two other men were shot. All survived, though Brady remained incapacitated by a bullet to his brain.
Brady died Aug. 14, 2014 at the age of 73. The Commonwealth of Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Brady's death a homicide and concluded it was caused by the 1981 gunshot wound. Prosecutors noted, though, that a Washington, D.C. rule in effect at the time of the 1981 shooting precluded murder prosecutions if the victim died more than a year and a day following the attack.
"The Brady family respects the decision of the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia not to move forward with prosecution," the family said in a written statement. "We deeply appreciate the extraordinary outpouring of love and support since the Bear's passing. We miss him greatly."


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Official journal of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
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THE skipper and navigation officer of the Rena, which ran aground off New Zealand last year causing the country's worst maritime environmental disaster, have been jailed for seven months each.
Captain Mauro Balomaga, 44, and navigation officer Leonil Relon, 37, both Filipinos, were sentenced on Friday in the Tauranga District Court, in NZ's North Island, on a raft of charges laid after the cargo ship struck Astrolabe Reef in the early hours of October 5 last year.
It spilled about 360 tonnes of heavy fuel oil into the sea, which washed up on local beaches and killed wildlife. Containers were washed overboard and clean-up crews are still picking up debris from the wreck which broke apart in January after being pounded by heavy seas.
Both pleaded guilty to wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering the ship's documents after it grounded in October last year.
They also pleaded guilty to charges under the Maritime Transport Act for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk.
The pair, whose name suppression was lifted on Friday, also admitted another charge laid under the Resource Management Act relating to discharging harmful substances from a ship, where the heaviest penalty is two years in prison and a $NZ300,000 ($A233,480) fine.
The ship's owner, Greece-based Daina Shipping, has also been charged with discharging harmful substances from ships and was due in court on Friday.
The bow of the ship is still stuck on the reef while the stern section has sunk.


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Let's grow together!
Since its founding in 2001, PCI has experienced sustained growth thanks to its close relationships with clients. For them, we aren't just a service provider, but more like an extension of their engineering department.
Of course, these relationships would be impossible without our employees, who are our greatest ambassadors. Making sure they're happy is a priority for us. We try to provide them with more than a work space, but one that makes them feel at home.
To provide integration services in process control, manufacturing control, robotics, industrial software and MES. We serve industrial- sector clients who are seeking partnerships and not just service providers.
We will provide you with an experienced, dedicated, multi-disciplinary team with various areas of expertise and having worked in diverse industries.
To be for our clients an extension of their project staff so they can focus completely on their core expertise. To be appreciated for our excellence but also for our user-friendly methods.
Using the latest technology to help our clients remain competitive in their field.
User-friendly | It's easy to work with us
Commitment | We give 100% to each project and listen to our clients' concerns.
Employee satisfaction | Rewarding projects, motivated work teams, friendly workplace.
Pro-activity and initiative | We put forward a vision for the future, offering solutions that take into account technical and operational details.
Rigour and flexibility | Rigour in the quality of our work, flexibility in its execution, with an understanding of a project's realities.
Reliability | We show up prepared, stick to a project's timetable and provide support after it's completed.
Management team
Christian Perrier and Alain Gagné founded PCI in 2001. Their goal has always been to offer customers the best possible service. Over the years, PCI has developed a growing and loyal customer base. It has transformed from a local firm to one that serves an international market, through which it has developed some of its most important relationships.
We have a team of 70+ employees, who work primarily as engineers. The company has garnered a reputation for the quality of its service, its stimulating work environment and its satisfied customers and suppliers.
|2001 -
|Founding of PCI, established at 10500 St. Laurent Blvd.
|2002 -
|First major project, as part of the construction of Lallemand's Memphis plant
|2005 -
|First project for Pfizer (formerly Wyeth)
|2006 -
|First project in Europe: the expansion of Lallemand's SAS plant in Saint-Simon, France
|2008 -
|The start of the BioExx project in Saskatchewan, which allowed us to move to 350 Louvain St. W. We had seven staff members at the time, but thanks to the BioExx project, as well as projects for Lake States Yeast and Lallemand GB in England, we quickly expanded to 16.
|2011 -
|Company moves to 9500 Meilleur St.
|2013 -
|Start of the MES project for Keurig, our first MES project. This project and the ensuing projects allowed us to grow the team to 27 employees.
|2017 -
|The PCI team has grown to more than 50 people.
|2018 -
|The PCI team has grown to more than 70 people.
|2019 -
|Opening office in Ontario.


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Art philanthropist Fiona Campbell, who established the Real Art Roadshow for New Zealand secondary schools, has been featured on TV One's Close Up. Click here to hear more about Fiona's background and the Roadshow collection, which features Page Blackie artists Harry Watson, Sarah Munro, Paul Hartigan, Dick Frizzell and John Walsh.
May 22, 2010


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Errand GirlAugust 18, 2009
Just a casual look for today, inspired by my endless list of errands at the moment. When a huge list of run-here-do-that presents itself on a nice summer day which would be better spent at the beach, I can tend to get a bit cranky. The only antidote, really, is to be sure that I procrastinate the errands as much as possible by choosing a cool outfit I will enjoy wearing. Hence– today's look. I wish I had this ensemble in a RL version, for sure!
The top is a great tee I picked up at Pink, and it is really fun! The pink and green color combo drew me in immediately. And did you get a good look at the design? *sigh*
I paired it with a skirt that is actually part of a dress, and part of a FREE dress I got from Elate through the DSN group. It is a great dress, but the part I really fell in love with was this skirt. It is high waisted, which… SQUEE. The layers are lovely. And… (look! look below!)
There is a mini bustle going on in the back! How cute is that? (Answer… impossibly cute.)
I also decided to bring out a favorite new bag of mine, from Gbberish. This is such a cool texture, and it is fashioned like some sort of kerchief that is folded expertly… the kind that you could put on a long stick and carry on your shoulder if you were a hobo. Cool, right?
I treated myself to some new hair, too, and this is from lamb. I heart lamb! The color is so sassy, fulfilling my urge for carroty redness in a still-wearable color. Like, hyper Irish. And the smooth, lush texture. Mmmmm. Put that together with my beloved Miel Jane shoes and some ruffly socks, because… well, comfort doesn't have to be ugly!
Speaking of ugly– or not… I am also trying out my newest skin splurge, from My Ugly Dorothy. The detail is uniquely lovely: the slightly chapped lips are executed so perfectly, the little beauty mark on the lip… yay! I think the best part is that I can wear this skin when I do not want to look like I had 4 hours to do my makeup, when I just want to look like a girl who rolled out of bed, had a bowl of cereal, and is now on her way to the dry cleaners. It is beautiful in the most raw way. (Well, as raw as a gorgeous, glowing complexion can look. :))
OK… in case you hadn't guessed, this post was MY way of procrastinating a few errands. Time to face RL, the supermarket, the drug store, the post office, and the DMV. Must… motivate…
In the meantime– happy shopping!!Details Skin: My Ugly Dorothy, Joe 1
Hair: lamb, Baby's on Fire in sunset
Shirt: Pink, Glam Graphic Tee in shamrock
Skirt: Elate, Amy in Sky – just the skirt part of the dress
Socks: Sn@tch, Lolli ankle socks in pink
Shoes: Miel, Plaid Jane in dark
Bag: Gbberish, Pappillon wrap bag
Earrings: Pididdle, Feather Earrings
Ring: LaGyo, Octupus Ring (from Designer's United Event)


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Women's Micro Fleece PJ Set by Steve Harvey
Additional Information
Product Details
Polyester; machine wash. Imported.
Additional Information
Ratings & Reviews
Women's Micro Fleece PJ Set by Steve Harvey is rated out of 5 by 66.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Kim from comfy & soft I absolutely love my sleepwear i order 3 weeks ago soft comfy and great fitting would order again
Date published: 2019-06-26
Rated 5 out of 5 by Quintessence from Very soft My opinion, the sizes run large. But very warm & very soft. Looks nice on me
Date published: 2019-06-25
Rated 4 out of 5 by Bell72 from Comfy and Warm This set came to me as a gift and I absolutely love the fit. Doesn't shrink or loose it's color and is soft and warm. Order a size up for hip space for curvy women. I'm a size 8 and a small is fitted on hips and legs .
Date published: 2018-12-10
Rated 5 out of 5 by phester2 from Pjs Love them! They fit real nice. Never had a Steve Harvey brand.Think I'll check into his brand.
Date published: 2018-11-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by Candy from nice and warm nice and warm would buy again . love them and thinking getting more
Date published: 2018-11-14
Rated 5 out of 5 by prissy from My Mother loves these PJ's Wish they had more varieties. Already bought both styles would like to get more colors.
Date published: 2018-11-13
Rated 5 out of 5 by Sis from Wonderful soft, cosy material I'd been looking for microfleece p.j.'s and hadn't found any till I got the Swiss Colony catalog. Couldn't wait to order them for myself (called "gift") but that's ok. They are even better than I imagined. Fit perfect true to size. I am so happy with the "Starry Nite" pair.
Date published: 2018-10-16
Rated 2 out of 5 by Carmen from Size was uneven Pants were smaller than the top. Quality of fabric not flannel. Disappointed.
Date published: 2018-04-04
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This now-defunct site was run by Miranda July before she got famous. It serves as a tribute to all that is good and beautiful in the world, and not contributing to it is something I regret.
And before you say anything: nope, not too twee, and if it is I don't care. One of my friends once said that too much self-awareness ruins your ability to enjoy things. I'm pretty sure he's right.


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Iranian movies line up for Asian Film Festival Barcelona
TEHRAN – A lineup of Iranian movies has been selected to go on screen in different sections of the Asian Film Festival Barcelona underway in the Spanish city, the organizers have announced.
Hossein Namazi's debut feature film "Appendix" and "The Villa Tenants" by Monir Qeidi are competing in the official section.
Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian's "The Midday Event", Ramin Rasuli's "Lina" and Sadeq Sadeq-Daqiqi's "Forty Baldies" are entries to the Discovery section.
"Leaf of Life" by Ebrahim Mokhtrai and "Mothering" by Roqieh Tavakkoli are competing in the NETPAC and Panaroma sections respectively.
"Azar", a debut film by Mohammad Hamzei, will go on screen in the Special Section of the event.
The Asian Film Festival Barcelona (AFFBCN) celebrates its sixth edition from October 31 to November 11, 2018.
The festival is holding a retrospective of the Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2018 with "Shoplifters".
Photo: Saber Abar acts in a scene from "The Villa Tenants" by Monir Qeidi.


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Canal Point Marina
Located one hour from New York City, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, our full-service marina is at the top of Barnegat Bay and at the east end of the Pt. Pleasant Canal. With 275 slips, we provide the finest boating location in New Jersey. Allowing boaters to enjoy the Toms River or Barnegat Light, the Manasquan or the Metedeconk River, Beaver Dam Creek, Tice's Shoal, Silver Bay or the Atlantic Ocean from the Manasquan Inlet, our marina is perfectly situated. We have the cleanest marina and baths in the area, fitted with laundry rooms, gas grills, cable, and a pool club. You can also grab something at the snack bar next door, making your stay that much more enjoyable.


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Having tried so hard to be close to the one she loves, Julia has become him. To return to herself she has to take him off, literally.
The people we love influence and change us. It cannot be helped, and often it is a wonderful thing taking on someone else's mind. But it can become suffocating and stifling in equal measure. Taken from 'To the Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf, the title speaks to the feeling of dilution by a lover, and the need to find a way back to yourself.
Follow and Support the firstname.lastname@example.com @annacmaguire annamaguire.co.uk


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Hearing aids in Glens Falls NY
We found 19 hearing aid clinics with 118 reviews within 53.4 miles of Glens Falls NY. Choose an audiologist or hearing aid specialist from the list below to schedule a hearing test in your area. Show clinics near me.
Schedule a hearing test with an audiologist or hearing aid specialist
Center For Better Hearing (1.2 miles)
Cara Bedore, Au.D.
Cara Bedore has been a practicing clinical dispensing audiologist for over 10 years. She has (read more)
The Hearing Center - Glen Falls Hospital (10.2 miles)
Tammy Monroe, AuD
Dr. Tammy Monroe is an experienced audiologist who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (read more)
Hearing Care Resources, LLC (13.8 miles)
Saratoga Springs Hearing (16 miles)
Dr. Gary Guilfoyle (23.6 miles)
Southern Vermont Audiology (30.6 miles)
Katherine Lowkes, AuD, FAAA, Board Certified
Dr. Katherine Lowkes is a licensed and board certified audiologist. She earned a master's (read more)
Center for Hearing (31.6 miles)
Sunnyview Hospital (36.3 miles)
Kevin Ihrman, AuD, FAAA
Dr. Kevin Ihrman is the Chief of Audiology at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital. He is a New (read more)
Fidelity Hearing Aid Center - Bennington (36.9 miles)
Fidelity Hearing Aid Center - Rutland (39.2 miles)
Advanced Audiology Services PC (39.9 miles)
Robert Ferguson, MA, CCC-A
Experienced and licensed audiologist Robert Ferguson has been helping people hear better for decades (read more)
Madison & Saratoga Hearing Center - Albany (43.3 miles)
Albany ENT & Allergy Services PC (44 miles)
Deanna Ross, AuD
Dr. Deanna Ross manages the Hearing Center at Albany ENT & Allergy Services. Dr. Ross earned her (read more)
Saint Peters Hospital (47 miles)
Audiologic Solutions, Inc. (47 miles)
Stefan Fosco, AuD, FAAA
Dr. Stefan Fosco is a licensed audiologist who graduated from Ithaca College and Salus University. (read more)


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Kevin R. Donelson
Kevin R. Donelson
Litigation & Trial Practice
Administrative & Regulatory Practice
Class Actions
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
Kevin Donelson practices in the areas of labor and employment law and civil and commercial litigation. He has represented clients in defense of cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and the Fair Labor Standards Act. He has handled cases involving retaliation under various federal and state laws relating to employee discipline; in addition, he has provided compliance advice regarding employment issues, including day-to-day questions about the application of various laws, as well as issues related to discipline and discharge.
Donelson's experience also includes representation of class-wide suits involving the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Moreover, he has successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements on behalf of employers. Donelson has represented officers and directors who have been named as defendants in employment-related lawsuits, as well as suits in which the actions of the individuals are at issue in relation to their dealing with third parties.
In addition to having tried and arbitrated a number of employment-related matters, Donelson served as an administrative law judge for the Oklahoma Department of Labor.
In relation to commercial and civil litigation, Donelson has represented financial institutions, corporations and individuals in a wide range of matters, including claims of unfair competition, slander, fraud, fiduciary obligations and business disputes. He has represented clients in numerous multimillion-dollar claims.
- Juris Doctor (University of Oklahoma, highest honors, 1988)
- Phi Delta Phi
- Order of the Coif
- Oklahoma Law Review (member, 1986-1988)
- Bachelor of Arts (Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 1984)
Bar Admissions
- Oklahoma, 1988
- U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern and Northern Districts of Oklahoma
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- Oklahoma County Bar Association
Awards & Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America (2008-2019)
- Labor Law
- Employment Law
- Commercial Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Super Lawyers (2006-2018)
- Employment & Labor
- Civil Litigation: Defense
- Administrative Law
- Oklahoma Top 50 List (2009, 2010, 2013)
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Rating
- Leadership in Law Award (2009)
Community Leadership
- Oklahoma Bar Foundation
- Board of Trustees (2008 to present)
- President (2017)
- Vice President (2015)
- Secretary/Treasurer (2014)
- Co-Chair, Oklahoma Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (2013 to present)
- Board of Directors, Oklahoma County Bar Association (2013)
- Member, Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
- Oklahoma City, Board of Adjustment, Board Member (2015-present)
Representative Matters & Clients
Donelson was lead counsel on Oklahoma Public Employees Association v. Oklahoma Military Department, 214 OK 48, ____ P.3d ____ (2014). In this case, the Oklahoma Military Department refused raises to individuals who were part of the classified service of the state of Oklahoma unless they resigned their positions to become unclassified. The Oklahoma Supreme Court held there is no authority to require declassification in order to obtain a pay raise. The Court further held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in restraining and enjoining the Oklahoma Military Department from conditioning pay increases on declassification of the permanent classified employees.
Donelson also was lead counsel on Oklahoma Public Employees Association v. State of Oklahoma ex rel. the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management and Oklahoma Office of State Finance, et al, 2011 OK 68, 267 P.3d 838. In this case, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association (OPEA) filed two lawsuits for declaratory judgment seeking to prohibit the release of state employees' birthdates, claiming it clearly was an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Various media outlets, including World Publishing Company and The Oklahoma Publishing Company, intervened in the lawsuit. Local television stations, the Oklahoma Press Association, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and FOI Oklahoma all filed amicus curiae briefs. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion, found that the release of the birth dates of state employees was clearly an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and prohibited the release of such birth dates under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. The case represented a major victory for state employees' personal privacy.
Donelson again was one of the lead counsel in cases involving the Randolph-Sheppard Act, providing food services to major military installations in the state of Oklahoma. Lawsuits filed on behalf of his client have resulted in his client remaining as a subcontractor of a multimillion-dollar contract at such installations.
He also was one of the lead counsel in one of the largest collective actions under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Older Worker Benefits Protection Act filed in the state of Oklahoma. Settlement was reached, on behalf of displaced employees in such collective action, in the amount of $10 million.
Published Cases
- Sanchez v. Nitro-Lift Techs., LLC, 2014 BL 220924, 10th Cir., No. 12-7046, Aug. 8, 2014.
- Oklahoma Public Employees Association v Oklahoma Military Dept., 2014 OK 48, __ P.3d __.
- In re Sturgeon, 496 B.R. 215 (B.A.P. 10th Cir. 2013).
- In this bankruptcy case, Donelson represented the creditor, who had determined the debtor engaged in fraudulent conduct. This finding was upheld by the 10th Circuit Bankruptcy Appeals Panel.
- Nitro-Lift Technologies, L.L.C v. Howard, __ U.S. __, 133 S. Ct. 500 (2012).
- Oklahoma Public Employees Association v. State of Oklahoma ex rel. the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management and Oklahoma Office of State Finance, et al, 2011 OK 68, 267 P.3d 838.
- Edwards v. Urice, 2004 OK CIV APP 86, 99 P.3d 256.
- This was an estate planning and probate matter in which Donelson helped his client exercise her power of appointment in a revocable trust.
- Kester v. Ives, 1998 OK CIV APP 109, 960 P.2d 865.
- This was a tax-collection matter.


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air conditioning
19May 2017
What is Daylighting? Daylighting is the process of introducing daylight into an environment. Adding Natural Daylight to a building is sure to boost morale and increase productivity. A facility can get more sunlight, for much less cost, with a Natural Daylighting device. Plus, since most of the Moffitt Daylight units are also ventilators, the building


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Google It/
There is just something about sitting back in your lawn chair, in the front yard and by the fire pit, surrounded by your neighbors that does something uniquely good for the soul.
Sounds good, right!? But how in the world do you start a neighborhood gathering? Well...I used Google. That's right! I went to Google and searched "random holidays :insert current year:" and I discovered that National Good Neighbor Day was Sept 28th. So, I invited some neighbors over to celebrate it. What better day to host a hot dog roast?
You can find an entertaining holiday like "Funny Hat Day" (which naturally comes with conversation starters, am I right?) or "Talk Like a Pirate Day". Once you have decided your excuse to host a celebration, invite people! I'm talking good old fashioned pen to paper and boots to ground inviting. Get out there and personally invite your neighbors face to face.
For my gathering, I wanted to offer free grub to draw a larger crowd. So, I went to my local grocery store and loaded up on hot dogs, fixins, a few bags of chips, s'more ingredients, cookies, and apple cider. We ended up coming $40 out of pocket, but you could simplify that list. Or make it a potluck.
When it was all said and done, we had over 20 neighbors stop by our front yard to roast hot dogs and s'mores while meeting and conversing with each other. I felt so deep in community at the end of the evening. I feel confident in my neighborhood's community. I saw that they care. They enjoy doing life together. They will be there for their neighbors. They have a lot to offer. They just needed one brave soul to step past that awkward uncomfortable space of talking to strangers and extend an opportunity to gather together. Changing the lens with which I view strangers is changing my life.
I went to bed that evening feeling so refreshed and so fulfilled. It also jump-started the little hamster wheel in my mind and I've already got ideas rolling for future gatherings. Next will be a potluck evening of story telling featuring a few of the more veteran residents sharing a little bit about the history, stories, and changes they have witnessed in our neighborhood.
What ideas for a gathering are you thinking of? Here is your call to action. Pick one and run with it. Be that brave soul on your street. Cross barriers and gather with your built in community around you right where you live. You will thank yourself later and your neighborhood will be all the better for it.
- Rhonda Stevens


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nichts ist geschehen. is my very first fully digital animation. everything you see is illustrated from scratch and animated using Adobe After Effects.
the audio was given and the visuals are meant to underline the impact of it:
with something in the water., i took the skills learned from the clip above and used them to support my first live action short film with digital effects.
the whole movie was scripted, shot and edited within 10 days, so please don't judge it too harshly:


text: Share: Comments Print October 16, 2008 at 7:03 AM Panchan etiquette: the dish on those Korean side dishes Posted by Nancy Leson "Thanks for your write-up of Chicky Pub and other delights at Pal-Do World," wrote Astrid Bear. "I'll get over there for that soon! One question though. When Korean restaurants put out all the lovely plates of panchan goodies, are you supposed to eat them while waiting for the main dish, or save them for savory nibbles during the main part of the meal?" In case you don't know from panchan (also spelled banchan), Astrid is talking about the complimentary side dishes that come as part of a Korean meal. Like these, served with the Chicky Pub-chicken at Cho Dang Tofu in Lynnwood's Pal-Do World: And these, which my boy is seen enjoying — along with kalbi and (gulp) a Diet Coke — at Hosoonyi, in Edmonds: And this handsome array, offered at BCD Tofu House in Edmonds' 99 Ranch Market complex: Also, these — at Nae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari in Shoreline: The answer to Astrid's panchan question? They're yours, sis — to do with as you like. Panchan is an integral part of a Korean diner's table and meant to be enjoyed throughout the meal. I promise: no one's going to give you six lashes with a wet buckwheat noodle if you nibble before your "main course" is set down. At Korean restaurants, you'll invariably see other diners putting bits and bites of those nibbles into their accompanying rice bowls. And you should be aware that the array of panchan varies from one place to the next (and one day to the next). You'll find that it generally includes kimchi, bean sprouts, daikon radish, fish cake and leafy greens — among other spicy and salty savories. And if you're lucky, you may also get a small dish of teensy dried fish: sweet as candy and undeniably delicious, once you get past the "Hey! This looks like dead minnows!" factor. Feel free to ask for more of any of these side dishes, bearing in mind you're not meant to make a meal out of them — though believe me, I could. Among the Korean restaurants I frequent are Hosoonyi (famous for its soft-tofu soup) Cho Dang Tofu (where I photographed that "chicky" from the adjacent Chicky Pub), Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari (whose parking lot houses my favorite taco bus), Shilla (downtown, near the Seattle Times office) and BCD Tofu House (where the panchan includes spicy crab in its shell and the doors are open 24/7). I'm fortunate to live north of Seattle, where there's a huge Korean community and lots of restaurants catering to it, but the South End (particularly Federal Way) is also a hotbed for the salty/spicy foods of Korea. So tell me: Where do you go for Korean food? Comments | More in Restaurants


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Lately, the game world has witnessed many changes. There are some new ways to paris from online players developed, while betting on sports. Paris Exchange Online is one of the latest trends in fashion are called paris online exchange.
This exchange offers several advantages over traditional forms of Paris as to which bookmakers. For example, you can easily participate in the online platform of paris paris horse. You can not spend the money on the winning horse, but you can also lose your bet on the race. Well, that was not possible with traditional bookmakers, a bookie could not save a loser.
There are several online exchange of paris paris in sports. The first idea is more punters to get all the different views and provide a platform where they can place paris. Some people still practice the old way of placing the strange horses Paris and back as always.
First, you must choose one of the exchange sites and create an account. Once the account is created, you must place a bet between two existing situations. It's based on your knowledge and experience, you can save a team to win or lose. This gives you a better chance of winning your bet. There are many critical tips will also enjoy support, the correct result for a game. However, you may have to make a business practice, and you must determine your goal, several tips on working with the replacement of learning paris.


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In case you're new to the universe of online poker, you may feel like things are everywhere throughout the spots. Once in a while, online poker may be a frightening thing for the fledglings, however once when you get a hang at these online play rooms you will clearly cherish it. Those online poker legends out there once began as an amateur and develop their way there.
You may know your poker hands and have your techniques at prepared for a decent poker qq amusement, yet every one of that works just for a land-based live club. With regards to online poker recreations, even the accomplished live poker players need to begin as novices. Here are a couple of tips that would enable you to begin playing on the web poker amusements:
Begin utilizing the free alternatives and advantages
At whatever point you agree to accept an online poker site, they give you a tenderfoot's reward that can be spent for playing for nothing. There are some allowed to-play alternatives on an online poker diversion, as freerolls, online poker with companions, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. These are extraordinary choices for the fledglings to attempt their hands at various poker variations that are played on the web.
Join offers now and again come as money stores of some base sum, as $25 in your poker account. You can use this reward for playing in online cash wagering recreations, or spare it for some other time. You can use these free alternatives to hone in maybe a couple sorts of poker qq amusements and comprehend the gameplays. When you are certain of your gaming aptitudes, you can begin playing in competitions and genuine cash wagering.
Know where you are heading
Settle on a shrewd choice with regards to picking your poker room. All the poker rooms are not the same and it shifts significantly as far as aptitude and trouble. There are additionally numerous recreational poker tables accessible on the web and it's a best alternative to begin playing at a solitary table. Getting the opportunity to pick your own poker room is both great and terrible, in light of the fact that numerous end up picking the wrong table and lose their wagers.
While you pick a poker table, set aside some opportunity to take a gander at its different highlights, similar to the diversion activity, security, extra alternatives, and more before you really begin playing. The prizing, stakes, and rewards will fluctuate starting with one poker then onto the next. Ensure that your preferred poker room has a reasonable play arrangement and wouldn't cause you any huge misfortune.
Find out about the distinctive online poker diversions
One astounding part of going on the web is that online poker sites are stacked with various variations and sorts of poker diversions. You likewise gain admittance to various kinds of poker competitions, as Sit and Go, multi-table competition, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Before you really begin taking an interest in any competition, you have to find out about the distinctive sorts of poker qq amusements.
A no-restriction hold'em amusement alone can be played in a few ways, similar to full ring, short-hand, and heads-up. You can't bear to lose by playing at a table without comprehending what variation of amusement that is being played there. On the off chance that you would prefer not to lose much attempt your hands at money diversions and some multi-table competitions. The money recreations ordinarily have dynamic plays and the blinds don't change, so you can without much of a stretch rebuy if your get busted.
Become acquainted with about the extra alternatives
All online poker rooms give out a few sorts of reward for each new client who agrees to accept playing with them. These rewards can be anything; some poker sites give you free trials, openings, and one-time play at a money wagering table, while others even give money stores. The prerequisites and states of these rewards may shift, yet most rewards just require a join.
You additionally get rewards and rewards when you win in some poker qq diversion. Each reward would have some particular prerequisites to be met, such as winning a full flush, collapsing a full house, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. You have to comprehend these extra necessities and techniques while putting down the wagers.
Set up a savvy demonstration
Try not to wager unless you are certain of your gaming aptitudes. In case you're extremely uncertain of an amusement, begin playing low-stake poker to comprehend the intricate details of wagering. Continuously hold a base sum in your poker record and exchange your rewards to your own record at whatever point it achieves a specific esteem.
Above all, make the most of your chance playing. Attempt diverse poker recreations and wager on ones that is simple for you. Go investigating the universe of online poker, have some good times!


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Beekeeping and Pollinator Conservation
Beekeeping at Cal Poly is a longstanding tradition begun in the 1950's with the construction of the Honey Room, and has since grown to a Bee Unit maintaining over 100 hives. Students interested in bees and the management of bees for honey production, queen bee breeding, and crop pollination, as well as the thrill of handling hives of live bees, can get involved through the Beekeeping class (FRSC 123) and the Honey Student Enterprise (FRSC 202-05) within the Horticulture and Crop Science Department. Through the Beekeeping class, students can gain an understanding of the fundamentals of bee biology, their fascinating behaviors and social structure, and their commercial applications while getting directly involved with beehive care and the honey production process. Those in the Honey Enterprise gain a more thorough hands-on experience with honey processing and marketing, the maintenance of healthy hives, the breeding of pest and disease-tolerant bees, and the transport of hives throughout Cal Poly lands to pollinate campus crops.
The Honey Enterprise produces up to 4 barrels of honey a year (one barrel is 55 gallons and weighs nearly 650 pounds when full!). The finished product is bottled as Cal Poly Honey and is available at the Campus Market and the Poly Plant Shop year-round. The health and breeding of bees within the Bee Unit are maintained without the use of antibiotics or fungicides. A new food grade miticide called HopGuard (derived from the same hops that are used to brew beer) is now being used to control the Varroa mite, an ectoparasitic mite that contributes to bee declines by vectoring a slew of pathogenic viruses. In addition, as the queen of each bee colony is the only female responsible for reproduction, a new technique called mechanical insemination, a microscopic technique for artificially inseminating the queen bee, is being introduced to breed strains of managed bees that are hardy and have other desirable qualities. The Cal Poly Bee Unit is one of only a few beekeeping labs in California to host this technology.
Global Perspective: Beekeeping is one of the oldest systems of agriculture in the world, and the sweet and soothing properties of honey have been appreciated for thousands of years. Today, Americans consume over 400 million pounds of honey a year, but the agricultural importance of bees extends beyond their production of honey.
Approximately one-third of U.S. crops worth more than $20 billion a year (in 2000) rely on pollination by bees for reproduction. While feral and managed honey bee populations have been declining for several decades, the rate of disappearances accelerated drastically beginning in 2006, attributed to a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). A number of factors have been proposed as contributers to CCD, including viral and fungal infections, antibiotics, malnutrition, and exposure to pesticides.
The 2008 Farm Bill began a government commitment to support honey bee and native bee research and conservation programs and for the first time established pollinator conservation as a "national priority resource concern."
Pollinators provide an ecological service that is vital for the world's wild and agricultural ecosystems, and their recent global declines have drawn concern from the media, community groups and international government agencies. Urban and rural communities are increasingly involving beekeeping, swarm recovery, and pollinator-friendly landscaping on their lands in an effort to combat the effects of CCD. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is currently coordinating a Global Pollination Project among seven countries to identify and implement sustainable agricultural practices that enhance the conservation of pollinators.
Cal Poly & Cal State-
Cal Poly Land - polyland.calpoly.edu/topics/florafauna/studentsites/2006a/index.htm
Bee Campus USA - www.beecityusa.org/current-bee-campuses.html
Local bee services
Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance - http://www.centralcoastbeekeepers.net/
California Bee Company - http://www.californiabeecompany.com/
Save the Bees Project, TheraBee - https://therabeehoney.com/pages/save-the-bees
American Beekeeping Federation - www.abfnet.org/
Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory (USDA Maryland) - www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-45-33-00
Carl Hayden Bee Research Center (USDA Arizona) - https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/tucson-az/honey-bee-research/
California State Beekeeper's Association - www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/
Scientific Beekeeping - http://scientificbeekeeping.com/
National Honey Board – www.honey.com
Honey bee and Pollinator Conservation-
Partners for Sustainable Pollination (Bee Friendly Farming program) – www.pfspbees.org
Global Action on Pollination Services for Sustainable Agriculture (GEF/UNEP/FAO) - www.internationalpollinatorsinitiative.org/
Project Apis m. - www.projectapism.org/
Xerces Society - www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/


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I recall hearing the sound of goat-bells early in the morning, back when I used to live in the old town center of Cercedilla, a melodious tinkling coming from up the valley towards Siete Picos, the age-old, aleatory, jangling musicality of rudimentary bells hanging from the necks of moving animals, resonating across the valleys and across the centuries and striking a chord deep within me on an early 21st century Sunday morning. It is not however very usual to see (or hear!) herds of goats or sheep in the central Sierra area in recent times. The traditional pastoral way of life, for many synonymous with hardship, has been in decline for many decades, replaced by the local building industry, the hotel and restaurant business, outdoor leisure services or, where livestock farming survives, limited to the breeding of cows and horses, animals that forage independently over the hillsides needing neither pastor nor, more often than not, bell.
Nevertheless the pastoral lifestyle survives, perhaps more visibly on the "other" side of the Sierra in Ávila and Segovia, but also in Madrid and particularly in the less "developed" Sierra Norte. One small proof of this is the annual sheep-shearing festival, La Fiesta del Esquileo, held in Puebla de la Sierra, a village nestling in a relatively remote valley in the North of Madrid bordering Guadalajara, about 20km EastNorthEast of Buitrago. I attended this event last weekend along with several hundred other people. The upper valley of Puebla is surrounded by mountains with attractive peaks over 1800m, the terrain is often abrupt, the landscapes beautiful, the hillsides covered in mixed forest of replanted pine and oak. Just outside the village is a picnic area along the river shaded by rebollos (Pyrenean Oak) and chopos (Poplar), and here the masses gathered. In this very Spanish place the day's first entertainment was provided by a Scottish dog speaking excellent French(!) Well ok, the dog, a Border Collie, while undoubtedly a very intelligent animal, did not actually make a speech in the Gallic tongue, but, due to the fact that it had been trained in France, responded expertly to the shepherd's commands in French, and gave an impressive demonstration of how a man and a dog can direct a flock of sheep.
Set up along the river were a series of stalls and tables offering locally made sheep's and goat's cheeses for sale, demonstrations of traditional wool processing techniques, information on local communities etc. But the main entertainment of the day was of course the sheep-shearing demonstration. Now, watching a bunch of guys, however well-muscled and tanned, cutting the wool off the backs of sheep may not be everybody's idea of a cool way to spend their Saturday afternoon – though I'm not sure I wouldn't prefer it to being a member of the herd watching a bunch of guys, however well-muscled and tanned (and overpaid), chasing an "inflated sheep's bladder" around the Santiago Bernabeu stadium – but I was keen to see sheep getting sheared at least once, even if only for the anthropological value of the experience. Here I don't mean to make the typical urbanite's mistake of converting traditional rural practices into transcendental cultural rites just because they are rather different from everyday city routines, trying to produce a silk purse from a sow's ear, so to speak. Chris Stewart, Órgiva's most famous immigrant sheep-farmer, makes it very clear that sheep-shearing – as practised by him in Sweden, Spain and elsewhere – is tough, dirty work and hardly what you would call fun. Nevertheless, sheep-shearing, and more broadly sheep and goat herding, is a practice that has been close to our souls – and our skins – for millennia; it is intrinsic to the development of civilisation in Europe and the Middle East. We are quick to forget.. little over half a century of petrochemical fibres and our former dependence on wool – and other natural fibres – has faded into oblivion.
So, the show began and the wool started to fall away from the sheep, before the assembled crowd. Among the sheep-shearers displaying their skills with the electric shears was an older man using the traditional manual shears. Whereas the younger men dispatched their sheep in less than five minutes, he took half an hour to carefully separate the fleece from the black sheep at his feet, but without a single cut on the animal's body. Undoubtedly masterful.. but think about the scenario if you had a herd of several hundred sheep in front of you waiting to be shorn? Technology, love it or hate it, it has its upsides.
The day was rounded off by the journey home, driving down the valley. The lower valley of Puebla is less spectacular with its treeless slopes and rounded hilltops, but Nature still had an ace up its sleeve. Lying in wait for us was the spectacle of the jara (rock rose) in bloom. Never have I seen such an extension of these beautiful white flowers.. jaras covering the hillsides as far as the eye could see.


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The Girl in the White Dress by Ebonie Moulton
13-15yo Catherine Martin Literary Category Winner
And there they were, a young boy from the crisp red dirt of the outback whose hand felt warm pressed against the chest of the girl in the white dress.
The girl in the white dress. That is how Waku described the one who discovered the difficult decision between desire and justice within him. Waku's life is different than most teenage boys. As a young, indigenous Australian living in a time of decree, opinions and multiculturalism, his is a story of how one person can influence and change another.
Waku's mind runs wild as the Australia day dispute continues to make its way into every advertising platform across the nation. He sits at the old stark desk listening to the radio, which to no surprise is a broadcasted interview about the 'change the date' campaign. Procrastinating, he moves the pen across the edge of his lined notebook where it dances.
The pen moves swiftly across the page as if it were twirling to a Marvin Gaye classic, swirls and lines, each stroke reflecting his most riveting thoughts, as he ignores the radio and admires how life would be if he were loved by one whose heart sees nothing but the good in him. Not the "dirty brown skin or "pig nose", but the beauty that lies within the walls of his complexion.
As his pen merges with the rhythm of his mind swaying he tries to block out the sound of his parents arguing. Waku comes from a violent family, his life is filled with screams and sobs, banging and crashing, but all Waku wants is to find someone, someone who sees the world a little differently.
Waku's eyes fill with tears and the world soon becomes a blur. He races outside, ignoring the anger that lingers like thick smoke, making it more and more difficult to breathe. He makes it out the door when suddenly a voice captures his attention
"Excuse me?" A soft voice speaks as he quickly turns his head.
"You okay?" A girl wearing a white dress holding two cans of VB beer caught Waku's eye as she quickly walked towards him.
"Ermm" Waku's mind went blank
"Beer?" she asked
"No thanks" Waku replied quietly
The girl smiled "I'm Emily"
"Waku" He answered
"Waku? Interesting" Emily brushed her sandy blonde hair behind her ear
"Indigenous name" he replied nervously
Waku saw something different in Emily, something more than a pretty girl.
For a moment everything was silent, she looked at him with her brown eyes that shone honey brown like sunlight through a glass of cool whisky.
She breathed in "Want to get out of here?"
"What?" Waku was confused
"To be honest I think Australia day is a load of Bullshit. I mean, this "change the date campaign", do they have no decency for people like you?"
You could hear the rage in Emily's voice and as she stared at him for a second time, she grabbed him firmly by the hand.
"Let's go"
Something within Waku was unleashed, a rebellion. He had always wanted to run away but never imagined running away with one who seemed sweet and innocent, but spoke like they had nothing to lose.
So it began, the story of two teenagers, a young Waku whose world felt like nothing more than a confused and deranged place, and Emily, the girl in the white dress.
Days went by and the journey of Waku and Emily continued as if life remained the same and their parents weren't frantically searching for them back home. The pair had only known each other for three days and began to feel something very unfamiliar, love.
On the fourth day the two were curled up on a beach a few miles from town and were awoken by the sound of a man shouting
"Get your filthy black hands off of my daughter!"
Emily took a gasp of air "Dad?"
"Emily! Why are you here with this disgusting boy?"
"Don't call him that!"
Emily and her father continued shouting at each other, however Waku heard nothing but Emily and it was then that he truly began to believe in love at first sight. Before Waku could even speak, the most unimaginable took place, a summer rain began to fall and as he lifted his face up to the sky he was shaken by the sound of tears, Emily was struck on her left cheek by the evil, wet hand of her father. She was frightened and ran over to Waku throwing herself into his arms.
"So this disgusting coon has won my daughter's heart?" the father said with a wicked smile
Emily's father laughed as he opened his car door, violently slamming it shut before driving off into the rain. They watched him fade into the distance as they stood in the bushland, damp, exhausted and in love.
And there they were, a young boy from the crisp red dirt of the outback whose skin felt warm pressed against the chest of the girl in the white dress.


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American Exorcism: Republican Power and Politics in the Age of Trump
We could have had taco trucks on every corner.
For those of us lamenting the loss of Hillary Clinton, this has been a rallying cry over the past year. Said partly in jest, it represents the larger idea that our country could have had so much more if Hillary Clinton had been elected. We would have had a competent administration, made up of qualified individuals and experts in their field. We would have had stability in the healthcare system, including continuing coverage for 9 million children. We would have had fair, just, and more importantly, qualified judges appointed to circuit and appellate courts. We would have had appropriate and timely federal responses to natural disasters. We would have had 800,000 young, talented men and women with limitless potential pursuing their dreams in the only country they've ever known. And, most importantly, we would have had someone whose demeanor, intelligence, and work ethic would have been praised by foreign allies and international communities.
But despite all this, a Hillary Clinton presidency would not have been all sunshine and roses. In fact, she would have run up against the same opposition that plagued Barack Obama for his second term; a Republican-controlled House and Senate. Starting with the filling of the 9th Supreme Court seat, a President Clinton would have been forced to negotiate with a Republican Party that would undoubtedly be working to make her a one-term president. With a continually-improving economy and consistently low unemployment, Clinton would not be facing massive civil unrest. But that wouldn't prevent Republicans from trying to drum up fake scandals, likely led by Trey Gowdy leading his committee to investigate Hillary's role in Benghazi, the use of her email server, the Clinton Foundation, uranium one, Pizzagate, or any combination of the five. The American public, unaware of Republican obstruction efforts, would continue to see President Clinton as a stable yet not spectacular president and her approval ratings would likely hover in the mid-40s due to her inability to pass any meaningful, progressive legislation.
There is no doubt that this would have made the Republican Party perfectly content. They could blame President Clinton for any and all misgivings including ISIS' role in Iraq, the continuing civil war in Syria, North Korea's efforts to create an ICMB, or any domestic (non-White) terrorist attacks here at home. They could continue to polarize and demonize political movements like Black Lives Matter. Should President Clinton have the audacity to use her authority via executive order, Republicans would cry foul and claim it to be a gross abuse of power. Fox News would have enough material for round-the-clock coverage of the Democratic president. And former presidential runner-up Donald J. Trump and his former campaign CEO and Breitbart editor Steve Bannon would make sure to remind conservative America just how much better off America would have been under a Trump Administration.
And all this would be lost among average Americans. Their lives would remain more-or-less the same. They would continue to enjoy all the benefits of the policies Barack Obama put in place while simultaneously not realizing how and why there were able to enjoy those newfound benefits. The auto industry would continue its recovery. Alternative energies would continue to be explored while coal country workers would continue to blame Democratic politicians for their dying industry. White supremacist websites would continue underground but would lose traction due to the fair complexion of the new president. Gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia wouldn't be seen as significant and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions would still have his seat in a Senate that would continue to hold a 52-48 Republican advantage. Despite pleading from prominent Democrats, it would appear that there simply wouldn't be enough positive momentum to buck the historical trend of first-year presidents losing significant seats during their first midterm elections. With continued obstruction and unlikely midterm gains, President Clinton would be facing a difficult reelection campaign.
Instead of that, we got this. The most corrupt administration in history. Open grifting from the president on down. A musical chairs effort to try and identify competent government employees. A complete assault on both historical norms and the rule of law. Aiding and abetting a foreign adversary who openly attacked the sovereignty of our elections. Openly intimidating the FBI Director. Waging war on individual states' rights to end marijuana prohibition. Giving away American public lands to mining corporations. Passing a tax cut adding nearly $2 trillion to the deficit while simultaneously raising taxes on middle-class Americans. Unconstitutional executive orders targeting Muslims, immigrants, and refugees. Failed disaster relief for American territories. An inability to disown White nationalists and an active inclusion of them in our government. And an America First foreign policy that has alienated our allies, emboldened our enemies, caused our country to lose out on trade and climate agreements, and made our government the laughingstock of the world.
All of this has happened because Republicans in Congress did nothing to stop it.
They knew. As Michael Wolff's book has verified, Republicans closest to Donald Trump know how unfit he is for office. The gravitas of this has been secondary to passing their agenda. A political party once concerned about our national security has willingly handed over the nuclear codes to a man engaged in a pissing contest with the North Korean dictator. A political party once concerned about manufacturing job losses has now willingly given CEOs extra money with zero guarantees that money will ever make it into the hands of their workers. A political party once concerned about rising deficits (remember the 2012 deficit counter at the RNC Convention?) has now willingly voted to add $2 trillion to the deficit. A political party that once prided itself on compassionate conservatism has now willingly endorsed a child molester for Senate. And a political party that once warned of an overreaching federal government is now willing to trump states' rights in order to send more people of color to private prisons.
In short, Republicans have been like the family members of a drunkard. But rather than seek help for that drunkard, they not only let him keep his keys but they walked him out to his car and encouraged him to take it for a ride. They have done this with Donald Trump because they saw him as a means to an end: a way for the party to enact its regressive agenda after having endured 8 years of successful progressive policies that positively impacted the lives of millions of Americans. The extent to which they sold their soul remains to be seen. But in due time it would not be surprising to see prominent Republicans like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsay Graham be called before the Special Council to answer questions as what they knew and when they knew it. Like giving that drunkard the keys, Republicans may not be feeling guilty about anything now. But when the police show up at their door asking what they know about the accident down the street, they will be quick to give answers and sell each other out to save their own careers.
The great irony in all of this is that every day America needed to witness all this first hand to truly understand who Republicans were. It's easy to be the Party of No but it's a lot harder to be the Party of Yes when your yeses demonstrate what your true priorities are. Over the past year, we've seen what Republicans value: they want to make America great again by instituting racist policies that protect wealthy White men and roll back protections and advancements for women and people of color. They care nothing for the people they were elected to represent. They are willing to take health care away from 22 million Americans. They are willing to support a White House that employs Nazis and fails to condemn their rallies. They are willing to slow track disaster relief to Puerto Rico. They are willing to jail peaceful protesters. They are willing to demonize Muslims, immigrants, and refugees. And they are willing to ignore the concerns of their constituents, the vast majority of whom have been women.
Republicans haven't changed who they are over the past decade. But in finally achieving power they have shown everyday Americans their true evil intentions. None of this would have been possible under a Hillary Clinton presidency. For Americans to finally turn on Republicans, it required them to see what the party would do when finally given the opportunity to inject their values on to everyday Americans. It's easy to bitch and moan when your party is out of power, it's a lot harder to complain when you have control. With unlimited checks and balances, Republicans have shown Americans exactly who they are over the past 11 months and if Virginia and Alabama are any indications, Americans are not impressed. Ultimately, the legacy of Hillary Clinton may actually be just how low Republicans were willing to both undermine her potential presidency and to enact their massively unpopular agenda on America.
In the era of the #MeToo movement, leave it to a woman to singlehandedly destroy a whole cabal of corrupt, conservative men.
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