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Women's Fall Connections begins Thursday, August 31, with a 12- week study of Ezra and Nehemiah. Our weekly fellowship and Bible study is connecting women of Redeemer and friends across the generations. We meet at the church Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11:15, with childcare; and Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 7:45. Study guides are available in the narthex between services. Contact Janet Chestnut, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: October 4Exploring the Enneagram
Later Event: October 5Women's Connections

subset: commoncrawl


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Top Psychiatrists in Pakistan
A psychiatrist is an expert who deals with the mental health issues affecting people. They are trained to diagnose whether the sign of symptoms of a disease is due to physical issues, psychiatric problems or a combination of both elements.
To aid them making a good diagnosis they can order and conduct tests such as blood exams, Computed tomography scans, Magnetic resonance imaging, and PET scans. They are eligible to prescribe medicines and refer patients to psychologists for psychotherapy sessions. Further specializations for psychiatrists include geriatric psychiatry, neonatal psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, addiction, and several others. Here is the list of best Psychiatrists in Pakistan. Find complete details, timings, patient reviews and contact information. Book appointment or take online video consultation with the listed doctors. Call at Doctors Given helpline Number to schedule your appointment.


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Jill Ball - GeniAus
- Galston NSW 2159 Australia
- Android Genealogy Blog
- GeniAus Blog
- GeniAUS Community on Google+
- GeniAus Family Site
- GeniAus on Twitter
Jill, now an amateur genealogist, has been a librarian, teacher and, most recently, Head of Information Technology in a Sydney Independent School. In 2011 Jill was honoured with Life membership of School Library Association NSW for her work in education.
This connected Granny uses Web 2.0 tools including Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Picasa, and Blogger to communicate with genealogists and family members around the globe. She shares her passion for integrating technology with genealogy through her blogs, GeniAus and Android Genealogy, and with presentations in Australia and internationally. GeniAUS' Hangouts on Air in which she conducts online learning activities for switched on family historians are Jill's latest endeavour in the world of Social Media.
Jill was an Official Blogger for the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Rootstech Conferences in Salt Lake City and the 13th Australian Genealogy Congress in Adelaide. She has written several articles for Inside History Magazine and Unlock the Past.
Jill is a member of The Society of Australian Genealogists, The Society of Genealogists, The Hawkesbury Family History Group and the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society where she is a Committee member and Social Media Team Leader. She holds degrees from the University of Technology, The University of New England and The University of New South Wales.
A list of presentation topics and details of Jill's past and future speaking engagements can be found at http://geniaus.blogspot.com.au/p/presentations.html . Jill can be contacted by email at email@example.com


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With the Mouse siGENOME Phosphatases siRNA library, researchers receive siRNAs targeting enzymes with known or predicted phosphatase activity. Phosphatases play key roles in many biological processes, including cell-cycle progression, replication, transcription, and RNA processing. Cells depend on phosphatases to maintain tight control over the activity of several metabolic enzymes and signal transducing factors. If phosphorylation of an enzyme or transcription factor is necessary for its activation, dephosphorylation, as catalyzed by one or more phosphatases, will be necessary for its deactivation.
siGENOME siRNA reagents are globally recognized and trusted for highly effective performance in RNAi screening applications. Our expertise in siRNA design, experimental optimization, and siRNA screening strategies provide end-to-end support of your screening efforts.
For a complete list of target genes in this siRNA Library, please email Technical Support, or call 1-800-235-9880. International customers, please call 303-604-9499 or your local Sales Representative.
siGENOME and ON-TARGETplus siRNA reagents (SMARTpool and three of four individual siRNAs) are guaranteed to silence target gene expression by at least 75% at the mRNA level when demonstrated to have been used under optimal delivery conditions (confirmed using validated positive control and measured at the mRNA level 24 to 48 hours after transfection using 100 nM siRNA).
Note: Most siGENOME and ON-TARGETplus siRNA products are highly functional at 5 to 25 nM working concentration.
Screening with siGENOME SMARTpool siRNA reagents provide effective target silencing
Effective silencing achieved for 440 kinase genes when screened with SMARTpool siRNA reagents in two cell lines. Under screening conditions these overall results provide validation of siRNA design and SMARTpool technology for effective target knockdown. HeLa and MCF10a cells were transfected with 50 nM of each siRNA using DharmaFECT 1 transfection reagent. Target mRNA levels were determined by branched DNA assay (Panomics Quantigene® Reagent System). The pie chart represents the summary of silencing achieved for the entire data set (880 total data points). The bar graph is a representative sample of genes assayed.
Unmodified and sense strand-inactivated siRNAs were used to target five genes. In four cases, off-targets were increased due to enhanced RISC loading of the antisense strand when the sense strand was modified. The unmodified siRNAs have natural guide-strand loading characteristics. All siRNAs had comparable silencing potency. Data shown represents genes down-regulated by twofold or more. HEK293 cells were transfected with 100 nM siRNA using 0.2 μL of DharmaFECT 1. Data was analyzed at 24 hours by genomewide microarray analysis (Agilent).
Why not modify ALL siGENOME siRNAs to ensure proper strand loading? It has been demonstrated by Dharmacon scientists1 and others2 that forcing antisense (guide) strand entry into RISC may actually INCREASE off-targets due to increased loading of the guide strand and resulting off-target activity by its seed region. siGENOME siRNAs are designed with thermodynamic properties to naturally facilitate guide strand entry to RISC, which has been demonstrated to correlate with functionality1. However, in cases where a high-scoring siGENOME siRNA does not possess ideal strand-loading characteristics, a sense (passenger) strand-inhibiting chemical modification (ON-TARGET) is utilized to promote guide strand entry. Approximately 20% of siGENOME siRNAs carry the ON-TARGET modification.


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And here is The News to get your day going
I have not read Gawker, but this piece from The Other McCain tells me it is a good thing I do not
Ben Shapiro was on Sean Hannity's TV show last night, and brought up the Left's biggest bullies
Could Elizabeth Warren be really behind the whole Occupy Wall Street movement? Read this guest post and decide
h/t to Diane Sori of The Patriot Factor for exposing the Facebook censoring conservatives recently
h/t to Jackie Wellfonder of Raging Against the Rhetoric for her piece on the perfect job for Social Media Addicts
h/t to Sarah Rumpf of Sunshine State Sarah for her piece on what Honey Boo Boo's mom does better than Congress
h/t to Judson Phillips for his piece on it's time to be the party of no
Tune in to Red, Right, and Blue this Saturday at 1:30 PM Eastern on Own The Narrative. We will be discussing the Hagel and Brennan picks, as well as more on Facebook censoring conservatives and also a new project on Twitter by Todd Kincannon called Twitter Gulag Defense Network (#TGDN)
And that is all for the news today. If you have any questions, comments, rotten produce you want to toss at me, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com, hit me up on Twitter (@RickBulow1974 or @RickBulow74) or leave a note on Facebook (Red, Right, and Blue or Rick Bulow, New Media) and I will answer it as quickly as possible. You can also visit my board at http://rickbulow1974.freesmfhosting.com as well.


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For ten years starting in 2004, the Harvard-Smithsonian Digital Video Library was a professional development resource for science teachers, grades K-12, centered on a database of video clips searchable using the AAAS Benchmarks.
Clips were licensed from CfA Science Education Department video productions and from materials sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation.
The majority of the clips are now available at Annenberg Learner.
At the Annenberg Learner website, search by the title of the production ("Case Studies in Science Education," "Science in Focus: Energy," or "Private Universe Project," etc.) To browse a global list of all CfA productions available, enter the search term "Harvard-Smithsonian."
In the future, clips may also be available from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Page updated: 12-23-2014


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Table of Contents
Fiber is found only in foods of plant origin. It occurs in the skins, seeds, leaves and roots of fruits and vegetables, and in the germ and bran layers of grains. Pectins, lignans, cellulose, gums and mucilages are all different forms of fiber found in these foods. Because humans lack the digestive enzymes to break down fiber, it passes through the digestive tract largely unchanged.
Depending on the type, fiber may either slow down or speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract. It contributes to stool bulk and stimulates the colon walls to contract. Foods rich in soluble fiber are often recommended to help improve blood glucose and cholesterol levels, while diets containing high amounts of insoluble fiber are known to contribute to bowel regularity and the prevention of diverticular disease. Since high-fiber diets tend to be satisfying but relatively low in calories, they are often promoted for weight management.
Dietary fiber belongs to one of two types, depending on whether or not it is able to dissolve in water Fiber that dissolves in water is called soluble, while fiber that cannot be dissolved in water is known as insoluble Upon ingestion, soluble fiber dissolves in the fluids secreted by the digestive tract, forming a gel. This gel moves slowly through the digestive tract, thus slowing the rate of digestion and absorption. Diets containing large amounts of soluble fiber have been shown to stabilize blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and have been shown to reduce blood levels of unhealthy (LDL) cholesterol. Foods high in soluble fiber include beans, lentils, oats, psyllium, citrus fruits, barley and apples. In contrast, insoluble fiber acts as roughage. It contributes to stool bulk and promotes regularity. Foods rich in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains, dried beans, nuts, seeds, and those fruits and vegetables with an edible outer skin or seeds.
In 2001, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine established its first recommendations for fiber intake. The recommendations are based on the findings of numerous studies showing a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes with a daily fiber intake of approximately 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. For adults who are 50 years
(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)
of age and younger, the recommended fiber intake is 38 g/day for men and 25 g/day for women. For adults over 50 years of age, the recommendation is 30 g/day for men and 21 g/day for women.
On average, North Americans consume less than 50% of the dietary fiber recommended for good health.
Potential Benefits
- A high fiber intake promotes bowel health by preventing constipation and diverticular disease.
- High-fiber diets may assist with weight management because they tend to be satisfying without being calorie-dense.
- Soluble fiber has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol by binding to cholesterol molecules in the digestive tract, thus encouraging their elimination from the body.
- High consumption of fiber-rich whole grains is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Soluble fiber slows the emptying of food from the stomach to the small intestine, thus causing a gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal. For this reason, a diet high in soluble fiber may promote better blood sugar management in those with diabetes.
- A low-fat, high-fiber diet combined with daily exercise appears to be associated with a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
- Studies investigating whether a high-fiber diet is protective against colon cancer are inconclusive. Those that support the protective effect of fiber suggest that fiber encourages the movement of food waste through the bowel, possibly reducing the body's exposure to carcinogens in the waste products.
- High-fiber foods tend to be rich in phytochemicals that have been linked to cancer protection.
- High-fiber diets that are comprised of large amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains are associated with better blood pressure control.
Fiber supplements such as psyllium may reduce the absorption of certain medications when taken at the same time. In general, medications should be taken at least one hour before or two hours after fiber supplements.
Saturday Evening Post278 (March-April 2006):74-79.
Ward, Elizabeth. "The Incredible Bulk: Fiber is a Nutritional Scouring Pad. Here are 31 Ways to Keep it From Tasting Like One." Men's Health18(June 2003):102-103.
American Dietetic Association.120 South Riverside Plaza,Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. (800) 877-1600.<http://www.eatright.org>
American Heart Association. 7272 Greenville Avenue,Dallas, TX 75231. (800) 242-8721. <http://www.americanheart.org>
Jackson Gastroenterology. High Fiber Diet <http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs01.htm>
Linus Pauling Institute. Micronutrient Information Center(Fiber) <http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phyto chemicals/fiber/>
Mayo Clinic. Dietary Fiber: An Essential Part of a Healthy Diet <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033>
Medline Plus. Dietary Fiber <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfiber.html>
Marie Fortin, M.Ed., RD


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WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin Tuesday said he is confident Democrats and Republicans can avert the so-called fiscal cliff since they agree on so many issues.
In a speech at the Center for American Progress in Washington, Durbin said both sides agree on the need for more jobs and lower deficits, that the U.S. economy should remain the strongest in the world and that our children should "inherit a future filled with prosperity and opportunity, not deficits and debts."
"Congress has less than a month to find ... a compromise so that we can avoid the looming 'fiscal cliff' and keep our economy growing," Durbin said.
"I believe we can meet that deadline and we can then build on that success to reach a deficit reduction agreement that protects the middle class and the most vulnerable and promotes economic growth for everyone."
Unless Congress acts, the George W. Bush-era tax cuts expire Dec. 31 and deep cuts in defense spending kick in. President Obama advocates raising taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year and eliminating some deductions. Republicans reject raising taxes but have said they are open to closing loopholes in the tax code as well as slashing discretionary spending.
Durbin said the country can't just cut spending without keeping protections for the poor in place. He chastised House Republicans for passing budgets that slash safety net programs.
"Let me be clear: Those cuts will not happen. Before we demand greater sacrifices of those who can least afford it, we need to ask the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share," Durbin said.
Durbin said Democrats are not willing to repeal the Affordable Care Act or critical safeguards, won't allow special interest groups to use deficit reduction to gut protections for workers, the economy or the environment, won't abandon entitlement programs, won't privatize Social Security, won't turn Medicare into a voucher plan and won't turn Medicaid into a block grant program.
Durbin said, however, both Social Security and Medicare need tweaks to make them solvent for years to come -- a job that will be easier the sooner the changes are made. But, he cautioned, those discussions don't belong as part of the "fiscal cliff" talks.
Obama Tuesday met with 15 small business owners to discuss tax policy.
"Large and growing budget cuts have had a severe impact on business, particularly micro and small business and job creation -- reducing funding for infrastructure improvements, community economic development programs, housing, job training and much more," American Sustainable Business Council and Business for Shared Prosperity said in a letter to Congress. "America's failing infrastructure is starved of funds and falling further behind our global competitors. ... The high-end tax cuts are hurting our economy. It's time to end them, not extend them. This would be an important step in rebuilding an economy that grows our small businesses and middle class."
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Obama has no meetings scheduled with congressional leaders but is open to talks. He said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is leading discussions on Capitol Hill.
Obama telephoned House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., during the weekend, officials said, and top Republicans are to meet Wednesday with Erskine Bowles, a Clinton administration chief of staff who was the Democratic co-chairman of Obama's 2010 deficit-reduction panel.
After the commission's recommendations failed to garner enough support, Bowles and the panel's Republican co-chairman, former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, started the group Campaign to Fix the Debt.
That group offered a debt-reduction plan last fall in line with Republican principles, GOP aides say. The plan called for $800 billion in new revenue by overhauling the tax code and making significant spending cuts, including big changes to Medicare and other government health programs.
"People in both parties agree we need a 'balanced approach' to deal with our deficit and debt and help our economy create jobs," Boehner said in a statement Monday.
"We look forward to talking to Mr. Bowles and other members of the coalition [advocating a debt deal] about their ideas to avert the fiscal cliff without tax hikes that target small businesses and cost jobs."
Democrats said they were encouraged by Boehner's talk of a "balanced approach" -- a phrase used by Obama to refer to tax increases on wealthy individuals as well as spending cuts -- but they said they wanted details of the GOP position.
"We need more specifics. We haven't seen them yet," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., told reporters Monday.
Talks on the deficit began Nov. 16 with a meeting between Obama and congressional leaders at the White House. Boehner left the meeting saying "revenue is on the table" as long as it's accompanied by "significant spending cuts."
Limiting or eliminating tax deductions is one of the options Republicans and Democrats are considering to generate revenue, aides of both parties say.
Diminishing or ending the mortgage-interest tax break, especially for high-income taxpayers, is likely to be included in that discussion, The New York Times said of the deduction long seen as untouchable.
The National Association of Realtors has strongly opposed eliminating the mortgage-interest deduction, saying it "could endanger property values."
Association President Gary Thomas told the Times in an email Monday, "It has always been the NAR's position that the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy, and we will remain vigilant in opposing any future plan that modifies or excludes the deductibility of mortgage interest."
The conservative Tax Foundation says economists are "basically united in their opposition" to the deduction. It says giving a tax subsidy to housing skews investment toward houses and away from factories, equipment and other assets it says are more productive.
Households saved $83 billion they would have paid in taxes in 2010 with the mortgage-interest deduction, the libertarian Reason Foundation says. Higher earners realized most of those savings.


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Elizaveta Glinka quit her job at a medical clinic to start her own clinic and treat homeless people and seriously ill patients free of charge in Moscow.
Also a blogger and a charity activist, she's a doctor who gives hope to those who have lost it.
All three roles merge in this tiny lady. Every day she comes to a basement office on Pyatnitskaya Street in Moscow, the office from which her charity fund operates.
"I want to help patients who have no faith" that they can recover, says Dr. Glinka, or Dr. Liza, as she is known.
In 1986 she received a degree as an emergency physician from the First Moscow Medical State University. That same year she immigrated with her husband to the United States, but the couple later returned to Russia.
Her first experience in the charity field dates to 1999, when she started the first private hospice in Kiev, Ukraine. Eight years later Glinka created a charity fund in Moscow called "Just Help," which aids seriously ill patients, homeless people, and poor families.
Glinka and her volunteers give medications, food, clothes, and other goods to those who cannot afford them.
Several years ago she started a blog with the nickname "doctor_liza" to promote the activities of her organization. In 2010 she was named blogger of the year in the Russian Internet contest ROTOR.
"People often ask me why I am doing this. It's hard to explain. I just like this job," Glinka says.
Tatiana, a volunteer for the past three years, describes Glinka as "a person who cannot pass by when she sees someone in trouble."
Some time ago one of Tatiana's daughters died in a car accident. The other survived but was severely injured.
"Our grief brought us together. Dr. Liza's mother was ill; my daughter was suffering. That's how we got close," she says.
"Just Help" is a private effort that doesn't receive any financial aid from the Russian government. Glinka has never asked for government aid as she appreciates her financial independence.
Although now she holds the title of executive director, she still treats patients, feeds homeless people, and listens to the problems of those in need.
The organization operates thanks to charity and the money invested by Glinka's team. She doesn't know the exact number of people helping her, but there are about seven volunteers who work on a regular basis at the organization's office.
Glinka gave up her job in the medical clinic to devote all her time to charity work and her own clinic, which costs between $10,000 and $13,000 a month to run.
All sorts of people come to the basement offices on Pyatnitskaya Street. Among them: poor retirees, homeless alcoholics who want to fight their addiction, and lonely people in trouble.
Alexandra Leonidovna is raising her four children alone. She has no money to buy food, so she decided to turn to Glinka's "Just Help" fund.
"It's a wonderful charity fund," Ms. Leonidovna says. "It's good that you get the things you really need. I don't know what I would do if the fund didn't exist."
The fund also provides help to the homeless.
Every Wednesday two cars set off from Pyatnitskaya Street to Paveletsky railway station to provide food and medical care to people who have no place to live; usually about 200 homeless people show up to take advantage of the free services.
Some find out about Glinka's fund from their friends; others read about the Wednesday lunches in a booklet given out at a nearby church.
"We hand out soap, toothpaste, medications, provide first aid. We help them ... start a normal life," Glinka says.
On the other days of the week, the homeless must try to find help elsewhere.
A few years ago the government created a unified record-keeping system in which all the homeless people who have come to the government for help are registered. Currently, the number of homeless in the system is 12,715. The number grows every year and has doubled since 2009.
But it's difficult to estimate the actual number of homeless here. Unofficial estimates vary from 10,000 to 100,000. In Moscow eight government agencies share responsibility for them, all part of the department of social security for citizens living in the Russian capital.
Since 2004, Moscow has decided to allocate some money from the city budget to pay transportation expenses for those homeless people who want to go back to their homes outside the city. However, this hasn't solved the homelessness problem.
Glinka's fund is one of several private organizations that try to make the lives of homeless people here a little bit easier.
Meanwhile, she confesses she doesn't have any big plans for the future. She wants to continue what she is doing. "I decided not to make plans," she says. "The money I have is not getting more, and the number of patients is constantly increasing."
She hopes to find enough funds to carry on with her activities. She loves her job and wouldn't change it for another.


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Obama confronts Bush court
President Barack Obama faced an uncomfortable truth Tuesday: He was powerless to stop George W. Bush's Supreme Court from eviscerating the most consequential civil rights law of the past half-century.
The constitutional law professor sat by helplessly — "deeply disappointed" — as Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a 5-4 majority opinion that tore down one section of the Voting Rights Act and effectively killed another. Obama, who voted against Roberts in 2005, could see it coming. Everyone in Washington could.
Story Continued Below
Roberts had written critically of the Voting Rights Act as a young lawyer in the Reagan administration, making arguments that he dismissed during his confirmation hearing as the work of a hired hand — but that stuck in the craw of civil rights activists.
( Also on POLITICO: Obama's muted response to a civil rights challenge)
"The judge was on the wrong side of history. He was on the wrong side of the Voting Rights Act, not just the letter but also the spirit of the act," John Lewis, the Georgia Democratic congressman who was savagely beaten during a 1965 voting rights march in Alabama, told senators back then. On Tuesday, Lewis described Roberts's opinion as a "dagger into the heart" of the law.
Obama is hardly the first president to govern at a time when the Supreme Court is controlled by justices appointed by the other party — but for a president with big ideas about the government's role in protecting the disenfranchised, Bush's moves loom as a particular obstacle, as Tuesday showed.
The irony, of course, is that it was Roberts himself who wrote what is surely the most important opinion of Obama's first term, enshrining Obamacare as the law of the land. That same justice on Tuesday wrote the opinion striking down key parts of the Voting Rights Act — and could well play a major role in cases Wednedsay regarding gay marriage, barely a year after Obama spoke out in favor of it.
( PHOTOS: 18 defining Obama moments)
The historic pairing of Obama and Roberts — two singular talents of their respective parties at this moment in time — sets them up to be opposing forces on some of the most important issues of the day, long after Obama leaves office and the Roberts court lives on. That clash on Tuesday took the form of Roberts striking down key parts of a law central to the civil rights movement — perhaps doing more in one opinion to change civil rights protections than Obama could do singlehandedly as president to advance them, even by his presence as the nation's first black president.
Likewise, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) knew the Roberts ruling was a sure thing — though the conservative Georgia Republican welcomed it as a sign of progress for the South.
"Today's ruling should not come as a surprise," Westmoreland said. "We no longer suffer from the voting rights issues we saw in 1965 that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court's decision will not weaken the positive impact the VRA had on our country, nor will it diminish the importance of the Civil Rights Movement. It simply acknowledges the progress that has been made since 1965."
( PHOTOS: 21 landmark SCOTUS rulings)
The decision striking down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act — and effectively nullifying Section 5 — did little to settle the political debate over whether minorities still need the federal government to ensure access to the polls in states and counties that have a history of racial discrimination. But it ensures that Bush's record on civil rights will be seen at least as much through the prism of his court picks as his signature on the 2006 Voting Rights Act extension, the fourth renewal of the law since its original enactment in 1965. The Roberts legacy outlived the law.
"There is no denying," Roberts wrote, "that the conditions that originally justified these measures no longer characterize voting in the covered jurisdictions." He was joined in the decision by another Bush appointee, Samuel Alito, conservatives Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, and swing voter Anthony Kennedy.


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Category Archives: women who like older men
First date: 4 topics that just KILL any chances of her wanting to be your sugar baby!
So you're on a date with your sugar baby for the first time and things seem to be going well, but then you notice that she is shying away from you. What did you say wrong? You start thinking about … Continue reading
7 Things You Need To Know To Get And Keep A Man
1. Know things. Our interests tend to be socially-centered in either a nurturing way (health, psychology) or a way that could make us more attractive to others (fashion). These are all awesome interests. But having a scope that narrow makes … Continue reading
Older Men, Younger Women: Fact or Unicorn?
Way back in time, before most people had ever heard of Harold Camping or Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae, I wrote a post titled "The Myth of Older Men Wanting Younger Women." I didn't intend it to be a tired diatribe … Continue reading
How to make your sugar baby feel jealous using these Facebook statuses updates
Jealousy is a slippery slope. Making your sugar baby jealous with Facebook statuses can be a good thing because it makes her want to be with you more and show you she can be the girl of your dreams. In … Continue reading
Five Critical Online Dating Tips for Older Men
Online dating presents unique challenges for older men. Here are five simple but effective tips on how any guy who is over 40 or over 50 can significantly improve his online dating profile that you can't afford missing: 1. Make … Continue reading
20 Tips for Younger Women Dating Older Men
Are you tired of dating immature men who are only interested in sex, have no clue how to treat a lady or spend too much time hanging with their boys? If so, perhaps it's time for you to date an … Continue reading


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Because there are more than 70 schools of pharmacy in the United States, pre-pharmacy should be advised according to the bulletin(s) of the school(s) to which the student is considering transfer. While each program is unique, most programs are either one or two years in length and usually require chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and English, in addition to certain specified courses in other fields. Students interested in pre-pharmacy should contact , the pre-pharmacy coordinator in the Department of Chemistry, as early as possible in the enrollment process.
Previous Degree Maps


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WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The congressional supercommittee Monday admitted it failed to find a compromise to trim the U.S. budget deficit $1.2 trillion in the next decade.
President Obama threatened to veto any effort to undo automatic cuts triggered by that failure.
Deficit reduction negotiators held a flurry of meetings as Republicans and Democrats traded charges of who was to blame for the impasse on finding $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. Failure by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction will trigger $1.2 trillion in spending cuts divided between defense and domestic spending beginning in 2013.
"After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today [Monday] that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee's deadline," the committee admitted on its Web side.
"Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve." ...
Obama subsequently warned any lawmakers tempted to pass any bills aimed at softening the automatic spending cuts, Roll Call reported.
"My message to them is simple: No," he said.
"I will veto any effort" to eliminate the automatic cuts without a balanced deal with equivalent deficit reduction, the president said.
Speaking in the White House briefing room, Obama urged Congress to do what its 12-member supercommittee could not.
"The only way these spending cuts won't take place is if Congress gets back to work" and hashes out a balanced package, he said. "There will be no easy off-ramps."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was "disappointed Republicans never found the courage to ignore Tea Party extremists" while House Speaker John Boehner said the House will "forge ahead with the commitments we have made to reduce government spending."
Seven supercommittee members -- three Republicans and four Democrats -- met in the morning to try to reach a deal by midnight to send to the package to the Congressional Budget Office for scoring so it can be presented by Wednesday, the committee's official deadline, The Hill reported.
After the meeting, the Republicans retired to Portman's office, The Hill said. Aides to Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined the supercommittee members about 30 minutes later.
The supercommittee's apparent failure will trigger $1.2 trillion in draconian cuts beginning in 2013 across all government departments, including defense. Some lawmakers have called for a reconfiguration of the cuts to spare the Defense Department.
Earlier, Boehner blamed Obama for the panel's failure, The Hill reported.
The speaker's office distributed a memo Monday that says the supercommittee "was unable to reach agreement because President Obama and Washington Democrats insisted on dramatic tax hikes on American job creators, which would make our economy worse."
White House spokesman Jay Carney laid blame on the Republicans deciding they are "unwilling to do what the American people say they believe should be done, which is ask the very wealthiest Americans, millionaires and billionaires, to pay a little bit extra so that we can achieve the kind of deficit reduction and long-term debt control that we need."


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Why accept these elections?
As I write these lines, a large group of people angry with the decision of the Egyptian Presidential Election Commission's decision to dismiss allegations of (massive) fraud in favor of candidate Ahmed Shafiq have ransacked set fire to his Cairo HQ, and more are protesting in Tahrir Square and in Alexandria. Only a few thousands have come out so far, but there are calls for larger protests tomorrow and Friday.
I can't say I particularly blame them.
The question is not really anymore whether there was massive fraud, or only minor violations as the PEC stated today. Its ruling is not appealable, it has a past record of dubious decisions, and it behaved suspiciously by distributing last minute supplementary voter lists and blocking access to observers to counting rooms. The PEC had no credibility even before the vote was cast for many people who are unhappy with the results.
The real question is to what extent will the political leaders that supposedly represent the protestors will push the delegitimization of the elections, and how the Muslim Brotherhood (which has alleged fraud but not filed any complaints, perhaps afraid to lose its spot on the runoff) will position itself between the protest movement and the state.
The revolutionaries were right that no constitution should be written, and no election held, under the rule of generals who served Hosni Mubarak. They didn't care about the current interim constitution because it itself has little legitimacy, and the transition has been so mangled as to barely make sense anymore. They never received much backing from political leaders, however (including Aboul Fotouh and Sabbahi until now, since they have rejected the PEC's ruling), unless you count Mohamed ElBaradei's boycott of the election and rejection of the transition process (but he too only half-heartedly called on the generals to step down). The politicians were afraid to alienate the good part of the population that doesn't want to take that risk of confronting the state head on, as well as jeopardize their own position in the emerging order. I don't know whether they'll change their minds now, but one would think the moment is ripe — even if this leads to no concrete gain and probably much pain, the seeds of delegitimization of the future regime will have been laid.
Aboul Fotouh and Sabbahi are mediocre candidates — the former is quite shallow and too much a product of the Brotherhood to be the transformative politician he claims to be, the latter stuck in the morass of Nasserism and has a dubious past of links to Saddam, Qadhafi, and a present position towards the Syrian civil war ("it's an international conspiracy," he says) that is classic fourth-rate Arab paranoid populism. But someone needs to rise to the occasion here and reject this electoral process outright (Aboul Fotouh and Khaled Ali have). If you're going to lose, you might as well drag others down with you — in this case, the PEC, the SCAF, and the (officially) winning candidates. It's just good politics.


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Fourteen cylinders, 1,080 horsepower and six wheel drive. It's what happens when you let our friends loose on an abandoned airfield with a Nissan GT-R and Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.
Here's some jealousy fuel to get you off your ass and to the nearest vacant stretch of concrete you can find. All that space just means more room to drift and more room to get big speed.


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On Friday night's powerful, commercial- free telethon Stand Up 2 Cancer, many celebrities shared their stories, gave amazing performances, and touched the hearts (and hopefully pocketbooks) of many viewers. Taylor Swift was one of the night's performers, and she performed a brand-new song titled "Ronan."
The song was dedicated to a four-year-old boy who fell victim to cancer, and as you can imagine, during the performance there was not a dry eye in the house.
Swift cowrote the song with Ronan's mother, Maya Thompson. The TV program marked the first time Taylor had performed the song in public.
I'm playing a new song 'Ronan' tonight on Stand Up For Cancer. It'll be on iTunes tonight with all my proceeds to cancer related charities.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) September 7, 2012
Taylor learned about Ronan, by following his mother's blog and the story is truly heartwarming. In a "Love Letter To Taylor Swift" written by Maya Thompson, as if her son Ronan was actually writing the letter, you learn how the connection came about. Obviously touched by the superstar's compassion, we get a glimpse into the real Taylor Swift.
"Here you are standing in front of her, one of the most famous girls in THE WORLD, and she feels like you are her friend that she has known forever. She didn't feel nervous. She felt like she was talking to someone who knew me, and really cared. My mama didn't even try to fight back the tears tonight as she was talking to you. She let you see her pain and her sadness. There were no walls up. She's not like that with many people. She must have felt like you are a really special girl. I watched how gracious you were with your time. I watched as you had this huge concert to perform, but it seemed as thought you were only concerned about my story and the story of these other really sick kids who my mama told you she has to fight for, for the rest of her life." Read the complete letter here.
Everything I do, is for you. twitter.com/rockstarronan/…
— Mama Maya (@rockstarronan) September 10, 2012
You can download a copy for yourself of Taylor Swift's new song on the Big Machine website or through iTunes, where it's already hit Number One.
This is a beautiful thing and I love you so much. instagr.am/p/PViFyDDvO6/
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) September 9, 2012
All proceeds from sales of the song directly benefit the Taylor Swift Charitable Fund.
– Nanci Haskin/99.5 WYCD


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'faryad bar dictator' '�?ریاد بر دیکتاتور'
1 track - Download only - 8:56
Mastered by BJNilsen
As you may know, Sohrab managed to leave Iran late last year for Germany, where he appealed for political asylum having been interned in Brandenburg. This appeal has failed and he is trying to raise funds to appeal against this latest ruling.
If he fails, it is probable that Sohrab will be flown back to Iran and arrested at Tehran Airport... Europe is reassessing its policy to 'immigrants' on a daily basis, partly because of the rise of the political right, but also because of the influx of refugees from the 'arab spring'. The vast majority are being unceremoniously shipped back to their point of origin...
This release is a fund-raiser to help pay for a lawyer to help with his appeal against the ruling. 100% of Artist and Label money from this release will be donated directly to the appeal fund.
You can donate more if you wish simply by purchasing multiple copies of this release.
The protest was recorded in Tehran in the autumn of 2009.
On June 12, 2009 the Iranian presidential elections were held, and the results were strongly contested by the population. For the first time after the Islamic Revolution, Iranians expressed their dissent by organizing huge demonstrations against the regime. But the protest was not limited to demonstrations in public spaces; every night at 10 o'clock, citizens gathered on rooftops to continue their protests, chanting "Allah u Akbar" ("Allah is great"). At times, these chants would be interrupted by other, more indignant, chants of "Mag bar diktator" ("Death to the dictator"). During these protests, the dark Tehran nights were haunted by the ghost-like shadows and their eerie voices. Dreams, memories, emotions, and hopes roam around like ghosts on the rooftops of Teheran.
Further information/reviewsFor more information, please visit this product's webpage.
Track 1: Shouting at Dictators


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Last updated: 09/11/2018 at 15:53Tweet
Details about this event:
1st Round
Arthur Havers - Scratch (2nd Round of the Clubs Scratch Championship)
Markham Bowl - Handicap(Nett)
Am - 1st Tee 7.00 - 12.00
Pm - 1st Tee 13.00 - 1.30
Format: 36 Holes Stroke Play
Tees: Blue
Maximum Handicap 24
The winner will be the player with the lowest Gross score total after 72 holes (Stroke Play) from the following events: The Hamilton Scratch 18 Holes, The Arthur Havers Trophy 36 Holes & The Golf Week Medal 18 Holes. In the event of a tie after 72 holes, the winner will be determined by an 18 hole play off. If still tied, the play off will move into Sudden Death commencing from the 1st hole.
Male Country members are only eligible to enter and win the following Silver Competitions: Norman Brown Family Foursomes, Alan�s Putter, Bob Turner Foursomes, Arnold Quick Salver & Lorna Farebrother Salver. Male Country Members may enter and win all Monthly Medals & Stablefords / Friday Qualifiers and participate in Golf Week.
Only Junior boy members with a single figure handicap may enter and win Silver Competitions. Junior girl Members with a handicap of 18 or better may enter and win the Storey Cup & Plumpton Trophy
Knockout Competitions: A match, which ends all square, should be played off hole by hole until one side wins a hole. The play-off should start on the hole where the match began. Handicap strokes should be allowed as in the prescribed round.
Countback Procedure for 18 Hole Stroke play, Stableford and Bogey Competitions:
In either a scratch or handicap competition, ties will be decided by method of matching cards.
The winner will be decided on the basis of the LAST NINE HOLES, LAST SIX HOLES, LAST THREE HOLES and finally the 18th HOLE.
In handicap stroke play competition, one-half, one-third, one sixth, etc. of handicap should be deducted. Fractions should not be disregarded.
Where a multiple tee start is used, the countback will still be holes 10-18, 13-18, 16-18 & 18th hole.
In 36 hole competitions the countback will be on the basis of the FINAL 18 HOLES and then LAST 9 HOLES,etc. as above.
Substitutions for Knockout Pairs Competitions
A substitute may be found for a pairs Knockout Competitions only in the following circumstances.
The competitor not fulfilling his entry into the Competition must have a justifiable reason.
The pairing must not have played in any previous rounds in the competition.
In drawn events the substitute must be from the same handicap category.
There will be no extensions made to the Competition deadlines for substitutions.
All substitutions will require approval from the Captains Committee.
Other events on Saturday 13th July 2019
More Men's Competitions in July


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Assigning costs is necessary in every stage of planning, and, ultimately, constructing a building. Sometimes, unfavorable budgets, zoning requirements, or a tricky economy might preclude a building from being constructed. However, understanding the planning process and the key differences between the various types of estimating strategies (including conceptual estimates, budgets, and design-build) will help you determine where the proposed building is in its planning cycle — and help you make a more informed decision about your participation in the project.
Conceptual estimates, budgets, and design-build estimating all involve assigning a monetary value to a construction project. Conceptual estimates and budgets may or may not result in a building being constructed, while design-build estimates are much more likely to do so. Because they're all based on varying degrees of information, the following three distinct estimate types each have their own characteristics and should be bid in different ways.
Conceptual estimates
The description of a conceptual estimate can range from a feasibility study, which carries ±20% margin of error with regard to the actual project cost, to a complex conceptual design estimate, which only carries a ±6% margin of error. Typically, conceptual estimates happen before a specific approach is decided for the project.
Conceptual estimating is part art and part science. The estimator has to have a "big picture" view, looking for long-range solutions rather than shortsighted projections. Conceptual estimators hone their craft with practice and experience, basing their estimates on real-world examples and past projects. According to the Design-Build Institute of America, Washington, D.C., a conceptual estimate is "the skill of forecasting accurate costs without significant graphic design information about a project." However, the lack of information does not negate the importance of a conceptual estimate, because it can make an appreciable difference in the cost effectiveness, feasibility, efficiency, and outcome of a project.
In developing a conceptual estimate, working with the developer can bring about the best possible outcome. But keep in mind that this approach may not necessarily be the least expensive. An estimator must look to the lifetime cost, which may include higher up-front costs but a lower lifetime cost of the building. You must also be aware that the best interest of the building owner may be at odds with the desires of the developer, who may want to get in and out of the building quickly with the least amount of cost.
For example, let's consider "green" building techniques. The use of photovoltaic panels, green roofs, geothermal wells, and other energy-efficient building materials still cost more than a conventionally built structure. However, the payback of reduced energy costs and reduced carbon footprint over the life of the building can outweigh the initial increased costs.
Research is always part and parcel of the conceptual estimating process, as there is no "outline" for this process. Each estimator must forge his own way and stretch the imagination to put his proposal into an interesting, understandable and usable format to move the project to the next level.
One reason to complete a budget is to obtain full funding for the project and to provide a cost-control mechanism for the fabrication and construction process. Developers can minimize exposure to cost overruns by accurately developing "real" costs. There are many new and exciting tools that can be used to anticipate how a building will look, function, and be built most effectively. By developing an accurate scope of work for the project, contractors can avoid disputes that almost always result in cost overruns. In other words, the budgeting phase is essential.
Construction budgets can be tedious, but the fiscal element of any project can never be underestimated or overlooked, especially in today's economy. The constructability of a design results in a cost-effective budget and smooth construction processes. The Empire State Building in New York City is often referred to as the epitome of this concept, as it was completed on time and under budget, taking just one year and 45 days to complete.
There are at least four types of budgets used in the construction field: conceptual, schematic, design development, and working drawings. Because we've already discussed conceptual budgets, we'll move right into schematics.
Schematic budgets signal the start of work by the architect, allowing him to illustrate the design concept, including the site plan, floor plans, exterior elevations, and key building sections. Design development budgets depict a coordinated description of all aspects of the design, including fully developed floor plans, sections, exterior elevations, interior elevations, reflected ceiling plans, wall sections, and other key details. The basic mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems are also defined in this stage, becoming the basis for the construction documents that follow. Working drawing budgets are the most detailed in the budgeting process. Any information missing from previous budgets will be added at this phase, and the modified drawings will become the construction or bid documents.
A budget can develop in two different ways. A budget can turn into a design-build project, whereby the contractor continues to develop the design and adjusts based on additional information as the project progresses. In most cases, an electrical contractor engages in a design-build project with the anticipation of actually completing the project. Although this is not always the case, it's usually a risk worth taking.
The other avenue is for the budget to develop into a conventional design-bid-build project. In this case, an electrical contractor might have been involved in the budgeting of a project, which was being designed in a conventional manner with an architect, engineer, and team. Once the working drawings are completed, the job moves on to the bidding phase. The electrical contractor who originally budgets the job might have an advantage, but this is not always the case. He will now be bidding against anyone who meets the requirements of bidding the job — be it bonding capacity, staff level, or experience. The contractor who successfully bids the job — and is ultimately awarded the job — will be the contractor who completes the job, regardless of his prior work on the project.
The least like the other two methods, a design-build project approach requires the construction team to be responsible for taking a concept that is developed with the owner, complete the detailed design, and then proceed with the construction. This is different than the conventional design-bid-build process, whereby contractors bid on a design that has been completed before their involvement. If they are the successful bidder, they will build the project. Conceptual estimating often opens the door to the design-build process.
A design-build project is one that is not necessarily drawn or engineered but one that has some sort of written scope and building footprint upon which to build. Design-build estimates are often confused with budgets, but they are not the same. Because most owners have fiscal restraints that affect their capital investment, they depend heavily on the estimator to develop accurate cost forecasts at every stage of the project. Therefore, an estimator must have a comprehensive understanding of the costs of labor, materials and equipment, not to mention the means and methods of both design and construction in order to accomplish the design-build task.
Often, a design-build project will result from a municipal or state request for proposal based on a written scope. Relationships between general contractors, building owners, and an electrical contractor may also result in the parties developing a design-build project. Relationships are not only vital to developing a solid business, but can lend a comfort level to owners or general contractors, to the point where that comfort level influences project development. An electrical contractor might be in the right place at the right time or submit a budget price for a project based on a conceptual estimate, which we already discussed. Conceptual estimates can definitely turn into design-build projects. In addition, the design-build process may be faster and more efficient than a conventional design-bid-build project.
The goal of a design-build project estimate is to identify the true costs of items and to determine along the way if the cost of that item is feasible to the owner or developer. Identifying the proper scope will always be a crucial element of this process. A minimum/spec job will cost less than a building designed to purpose/function. Code issues and utility company requirements must be considered. Some key questions to consider include: What kind of building is it? What is the building construction? What are the needs of the potential tenant(s)? Did the customer give you a list of equipment that needs to be wired?
Cost efficiencies and energy rebates of certain types of fixtures may be important as well. If the design-build project were to be based strictly on "cost to install," the developer may be satisfied but the owner or tenant may not be. In the long run, the total life cost of the fixture will be more important, especially as energy costs rise. The largest risk an electrical contractor takes in a design-build project is doing all of the work, only to have the developer take the design and proposal and put it out to bid, back to the traditional design-bid-build.
Candels is president of Candels Consulting, an electrical estimating consulting firm in Niantic, Conn. She can be reached at [email protected].


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MANCHESTER — PSNH crews worked through the night and around a line of thunderstorms to help restore power to 70,000 customers in the past 24 hours. As of 8:30 a.m., an estimated 56,000 PSNH customers remained without power, compared to 137,000 at the height of Hurricane Sandy on Monday.
"The night crews made great progress, and we are well-positioned to pick up a great many more customers today," says PSNH customer operations manager Dave Bickford.
Restoration efforts will be bolstered by 75 two-man crews arriving today from Hydro Qu�bec, accelerating what has been projected to be a multi-day restoration effort. Several will be dispersed to the Lancaster and Pittsburg area, and the remainder to the hard-hit southern part of the state. The Canadian team will join about 290 PSNH and independent line working and tree trimming crews - each two man crews - who are already in the field. In addition, more than 100 service personnel are working to speed up the process of safely reattaching damaged service wires to homes.
The greatest percentage of customers still without power is in communities along and near the southern I-93 corridor, and westerly to greater Keene and north of Rochester. Crews reported numerous trees down, and spent much of Tuesday assisting municipal workers in the safe clearing of roadways. A comprehensive assessment of damage and the work to be done was undertaken during the day, in order to plan how to most effectively make repairs and restore power to all customers.
PSNH Community liaisons are in frequent contact with designated points-of-contact in each town, and are providing answers to questions regarding the restoration effort. While detailed restoration times are not yet available, we understand how hard it is to be without power, and we will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to all customers.
Hurricane Sandy's impact has resulted in the fourth highest number of customers without power in PSNH's 86-year history, with the five largest storms all having occurred in the past four and a half years. Overall, Sandy has affected more than 8 million people from Maryland to Maine.
Safety Reminders - While the restoration effort is underway, PSNH is urging customers to use extra caution around downed wires and tree limbs, and when using a generator:
Customers should never touch a downed wire, and assume any downed line is live and dangerous. Downed lines should be reported to PSNH immediately at 1-800-662-7764.
Customers using generators should make sure they are installed correctly-for their own safety, as well as that of line workers. A generator should only be attached to the house wiring and completely isolated from the utility supply. Without proper isolation, power that is being generated through the home could also feed into the PSNH electrical system, causing an unsafe situation for both line workers and neighbors. Please take care when installing a portable generator. For more generator safety tips, visit http://www.psnh.com/stormsafety/.
PSNH's call center is fully staffed and fielding customer calls. If a customer loses power, it is important they report their outage once to PSNH. Customers can report outages by calling 1-800-662-7764 or through www.psnh.com. Opportunities for the media to observe the call center in action may be available. Interested media should contact PSNH Media Relations for more information.
Staying Informed - During major power restoration efforts, PSNH uses a variety of communication tools to keep the public informed. Customers can follow PSNH on Twitter @psnh or on Facebook for real time updates. PSNH also uses a news blog, www.psnhnews.com, to post press releases, outage updates, and other important storm related information. Customers can also access PSNH's outage map to see up to date outage information about their community.
PSNH is New Hampshire's largest electric utility, serving more than 500,000 homes and businesses in 211 cities and towns. PSNH is a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE:NU). For more information, please visit psnh.com and follow us on Twitter @psnh
PSNH storm update: Significant progress made overnight; HQ crews to boost effort today
MANCHESTER — PSNH crews worked through the night and around a line of thunderstorms to help restore power to 70,000 customers in the past 24 hours. As of 8:30 a.m., an estimated 56,000 PSNH customers remained without power, compared to 137,000 at the height of Hurricane Sandy on Monday.


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As Spring Training slowly shudders and stumbles underway at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, for the first time in more than a few years the most talked-about infielder in camp for the New York Yankees isn't Alex Rodriguez, despite the franchise third baseman's fresh public relations battle over PEDs.
That's partially because Rodriguez isn't in camp with the Yankees, but in New York rehabbing from hip surgery over the offseason, where he says he will not be a distraction for his team while reporters for New York's most popular tabloids try desperately to prove him wrong. But it's also because, even though the Post and Daily News have been trying to whip their readers into a frenzy over the possibility of Rodriguez never returning to the active roster, there's a very important player actually in camp who stands a much better chance of never wearing pinstripes again after the end of the 2013 campaign.
Robinson Cano, the best second baseman in Major League Baseball across the last four seasons by a comfortable margin (over Boston's Dustin Pedroia, Philadelphia's Chase Utley, and Texas's Ian Kinsler), will hit free agency for the first time in his career next offseason, and he is interested in getting paid a large sum of money for a large number of years. Cano is represented by Scott Boras, after all. You may have heard of him.
* * *
At first glance, there doesn't really seem to be any question that the Yankees should sign Cano to a long-term deal. Last year, all MLB second basemen combined for 20567 plate appearances of .257/.318/.383 (.701 OPS) hitting. The only positions to perform worse at the plate than second basemen were shortstops and pitchers, as one might expect. Centerfielders and catchers, the other position players higher than second basemen on the defensive spectrum (and thus permitted to hit less while retaining similar value due to their contributions in the field) outhit the middle infielders handily, posting OPS of .748 and .718 respectively. At the moment there's a decided lack of hitting talent coming from both middle infield positions.
In 2008, Robinson Cano's worst full year in the majors, he hit for a .715 OPS. In 2005, his first year in the majors, his OPS was .778. Every other year of his eight season career, Cano has beaten this year's average second base line by over 140 points of OPS. It's true that hitting has gotten more difficult over the past few seasons as MLB has become more of a pitcher's league, making a .701 OPS in 2012 relatively more valuable than Cano's .715 in 2008. But Cano didn't put up a .701 or a .715 OPS last year -- he hit .313/.379/.550 (.929). He'd have been a legitimate MVP candidate if one guy hadn't won the Triple Crown and another put up one of the best seasons of all time at age 20.
Cano is also a great defensive player at second. He's not clearly the best at his position like he is at the plate, but of the guys as good or better at it than him -- Pedroia, Kinsler, Utley, Mark Ellis of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Darwin Barney of the Chicago Cubs -- only Pedroia manages to both approach Cano's value now, and project to keep pace with him moving forward. Barney and Ellis aren't even in the same conversation as Cano when it comes to offensive production, and Kinsler and Utley, who are both older, already come with serious concerns moving forward about their ability to remain effective. And it's in those concerns that the case for letting Cano walk starts to take shape.
Due to the grueling nature of the position, injuries are a big problem for second baseman -- the role is more more abusive to the lower body than any other spot on the field except catcher. So far, this hasn't been an issue for Cano: he's been on the disabled list exactly once in his eight years in the Bronx, in 2006, and has played at least 159 games every year since then.
But Cano is 29 years old, and the way second base fragility commonly manifests isn't through a player going in and out of the lineup in his mid-to-late twenties, but a swift and disastrous fall-off in his early thirties. Two of the other elite hitting second basemen in the league, Utley (34) and Kinsler (30), are suffering through this right now. In fairness, Kinsler has had injury issues for years, so perhaps he's just unfortunately fragile, but Utley's medical history is uncomfortably similar to Cano's. Both men had one 15-day DL stint early in their twenties and cranked out four very solid seasons after that, playing the vast majority of their team's games at second; but over the last three years (ages 31-33) Utley has played 115, then 103, then 88 games. The Phillies second baseman is still a valuable player -- his defense remains elite when he's healthy and he's still getting on base -- but he's hitting for a lower average and less power than he did in his prime. At 34, that prime is over, though as with any elite player it'd be a mistake to count him out entirely.
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Cano's impending early thirties, and what they could mean for his health, constitutes the strongest argument against giving him something like $25 million a year for the next 10 seasons, even under the mindset that the backend of the contract is paying for the production of the front. There's always the chance that any player signed to a mega-deal falls off in production rapidly during the first few years of the contract -- Yankees fans reading this are all too familiar with what Alex Rodriguez is going to cost the franchise through the latter part of the decade. But there's at least one reason, beyond the normal concerns about what second base does to a player, to be wary of giving Cano the sort of gigantic contract that Scott Boras has in mind for him. It has to do with the fact that when he was coming up, a lot of scouts thought Robinson Cano would never stick at second base.
When projecting major league middle infielders, scouts look for very specific frames and body types, especially below the waist. When they think a guy is going to fill out in the trunk and legs with muscle they adjust their expectations to the corners of the infield. The reasoning goes that adding size and strength to the lower body will decrease agility and lateral movement, decreasing the player's effective range. This is the reason that young Baltimore shortstop Manny Machado was projected to shift over to third base later in his career, before the Orioles decided to send him there ahead of schedule; it's the reason that when Seattle Mariners middle infield prospect Nick Franklin showed up to camp having added about 35 pounds of weight to his lower body on a high-calorie, heavy weight-training conditioning program, the news wasn't met with full-throated approval in scouting circles.
Big guys like that tend to get moved to the corners. It's just how the conventional wisdom works. The Yankees have a history of ignoring body type concerns over the past decade when developing their middle infielders -- see not only Cano but Eduardo Nuñez and, going back a bit farther, Alfonso Soriano. Soriano was a bit lighter than Cano is right now when he played second, and his last year in the infield was his age 29 season with Texas (he went the other way in the trade that brought Rodriguez to the Bronx; every player in that 2004 deal -- Soriano, Rodriguez, and then-prospect, now-Giants 5th outfielder Joaquin Arias -- played in the majors last season). Eduardo Nuñez, as AL East fans are well aware, has played himself off of pretty much every position except designated hitter.
This doesn't mean Cano is predestined to move over to third base as soon as he hits 30, but the Yankees definitely have a higher tolerance for this sort of thing than most. And this movement to the corners is fairly absolute.
Since 1961, only 15 men have played over 150 games a season between the ages of 29 and 35 and spent 85% or more of that time at second base. The heaviest of those men was around 185 pounds. Robinson Cano weighs in around 210. Weight numbers in MLB, as in all professional sports, are ballpark figures at best, but the margin of error on them isn't big enough to hand wave 35 pounds away. This isn't just a case of ballplayers today being heavier than they were in the sixties and seventies, either, though they certainly are. The guys coming in at 185 on the list are Jeff Kent and Craig Biggio; Roberto Alomar for some reason weighs a precise 184; and Brett Boone and Eric Young played at 180. Ray Durham at 170 pounds is actually the most contemporary of the group, turning 36 in 2008.
While being a lighter guy is certainly no guarantee that a player will remain injury free through his early thirties, the lack of anyone over 185 pounds on that list is concerning. It means that at best, by 32 or 33 larger guys have played themselves off of second base but are still contributing everyday players at third, first, or a corner outfield spot; at worst, it means they're struggling to stay healthy and are hurting their team in the field by not being more wisely deployed. The oft-injured Chase Utley is reported to be a bit lighter than Cano at 200 pounds.
There are some hopeful comparisons as well. Dan Uggla in Atlanta is listed at 205 pounds at 32 years old and has played over 153 games a year the last four seasons. He's an extremely inconsistent fielder at second base, but that's not anything new. The difference between Uggla and Cano, however, is that Uggla is being paid $13.2 million a year through his age-35 season. Robinson Cano is looking for probably almost twice that per year until he's almost 40 years old.
To be worth the sort of contract that Alex Rodriguez is currently rehabbing through, Cano has to stick at second base for at least the next five years, has to remain not only an effective fielder at the position but an above-average-to-exceptional one, has to continue to hit at his career pace and, most importantly, has to play in 145-150 games every year. If the Yankees -- or any team on the open market -- think that Robinson Cano has a reasonable chance of performing like that until he's 35 years old, then they should give him the money and years and hope for the best in his decline phase. But that is tantamount to asking a team to extend a contract in the belief that Robinson Cano will be going to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.
* * *
From the Yankees' point of view, it is far more reasonable to offer him something like $21 million a year over the next six or seven years, with options or opt-out clauses near the end to provide outs for both sides -- probably still an overpayment, but the Yankees will have at least some money coming off the books. It allows them to take another look at Cano in his mid-to-late thirties and see if he's worth a final True Yankee contract, if they should cut ties, or something in between. But that's not a contract Cano is going to sign without at least seeing if someone like the Los Angeles Dodgers is willing to make the sort of decade-long wager described above, and if the Yankees remain firm on a contract length closer to five years than ten, Cano will test those waters. They should, considering the team's newfound "austerity" and focus of an overall budget under $189 million a year. But the combination of Cano's importance and how short-term this budget crunch is -- New York's already-inked payroll allocations for the 2014 season come in a hair under $87 million -- likely mean that if the Yankees do have to make cuts, it will be to ensure that Cano's contract does fit in the budget, instead of letting him walk.
The most optimistic scenario for fans, then, is that the team is careful to keep lines of dialogue open with Cano, talk in the press about how constructive talks are, and so on. They need to make sure that Cano doesn't feel insulted or lowballed, and to remain involved in the process. Then when Cano does go out and get his big offer, the Yankees have to hope he'll give them a chance to match -- and that the contract is sane enough that New York, with all the resources at its disposal, is willing to do so.
It's an unappealing series of risks for the club, but there's reason for optimism that even if Cano hits the market, he'll come back to the Bronx: the Yankees not only have unequaled brand appeal and are perennial contenders, but Brian Cashman and his staff are perhaps the best in the business. This isn't their first time in the ring with Boras or a superstar. I think the odds are high that Cano remains a New York Yankee for at least another half-decade, and on mostly reasonable terms.
Yankees fans had better hope so, anyway. The next best free agent second baseman next offseason is Kelly Johnson.


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Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 15
VIZ Media LLC, May 31, 2005 - Comics & Graphic Novels - 192 pages
Packed with action, romance and historical intrigue, Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most beloved and popular manga series worldwide. Set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, it tells the saga of Himura Kenshin, once an assassin of ferocious power, now a humble rurouni, a wandering swordsman fighting to protect the honor of those in need.
A hundred and fifty years ago in Kyoto, amid the flames of revolution, there arose a warrior, an assassin of such ferocious power he was given the title Hitokiri: Manslayer. With his bloodstained blade, Hitokiri Battosai helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu period and end the reign of the shoguns, slashing open the way toward the progressive Meiji Era. Then he vanished, and with the flow of years became legend.
In the 11th year of Meiji, in the middle of Tokyo, the tale begins. Himura Kenshin, a humble rurouni, or wandering swordsman, comes to the aid of Kamiya Kaoru, a young woman struggling to defend her father's school of swordsmanship against attacks by the infamous Hitokiri Battosai. But neither Kenshin nor Battosai are quite what they seem...
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LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - watertiger - LibraryThing
For American readers it may help to know that RuRouni Kenshin takes place in about the same time frame as the post Civil War era in the United States. If you have ever seen the movie The Last Samurai ... Read full review
Disliked it, read on...User Review - Otaku Cutie - Borders
This manga exceeds at having a good plot for a long time and a long series but fails at being entertaining and exciting the reader even with violent sword fights. The art is beautiful, crisp and clean ... Read full review
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Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Volume 15
Nobuhiro Watsuki,Gerard Jones
No preview available - 2007
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Amakakeru Ryu Aoi-Ya Aoshi assassin battle Battosai Beet the Vandel Benten chain-scythe character comic store Dragon Ball Eyeshield 21 favorite creator/artist fights FUJI REAL NAME Gensai God-Soldier Henya Hikaru no Go Hiko HIKO-DONO Himura Kenshin HITEN MITSURUGI Hitokiri hitolciri Honorific Hunter x Hunter I I A favorite title IDONT KNOW Ishin Shishi Japan Japanese JUMP GRAPHIC NOVEL JUMP SUBSCRIBER CLUB Juppongatana Kamatari KILL Kyoto Legendz manga MASTER OF HITEN Meiji Restoration Mitsurugi-ryu Obata-shishd P.O. Box Prince of Tennis purchase SHONEN JUMP purchase subsequent volumes Q Dragon REAL NAME UNKNOWN Reversed-Edge Sword Rurouni Kenshin RYU NO HIRAMEKI Ryutsuisen Saizuchi sakabato Sanosuke SCYTHE Secret SETA Seven Lucky Gods Shaman King SHINGETSU VILLAGE Shinsengumi Shishio's SHONEN JUMP GRAPHIC SHONEN JUMP Magazine SHONEN JUMP SUBSCRIBER SHUKUCHI Sojiro Special offer story Suncoast Motion Picture swordsman thinking Tokugawa Bakufu Tokyo Vandel Buster Watsuki Weekly Shonen Jump Yahiko's Yahlko Yu-Gi-Oh YuYu Hakusho


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Ed, that is an interesting point. If the show takes place, and if the USFS does not take sufficient action to stop it, anyone harmed would surely have a claim against the USFS as well as the people who conduct the show.
As far as the environmental impact and the wilderness act, if this illegal act occurs only once, the repercussions may be minor. On the other hand, this could be a spark that ignites political and legal action to stop such things from happening. An issue that may be related is flying drones in wilderness. Technological changes since the wilderness act was enacted pose new threats to wilderness. Some of us will fight for the land.


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Best Wii Game - Best of 2011 Award Nominees
These are GameSpot's nominees for the Best Wii Game of 2011.
These are GameSpot's nominees for the Best Wii Game of 2011.
A boy battles menacing shadow enemies.
Daytime brings unpredictable light into the equation.
A young boy passes through a doorway and into shadow.
A boy battles a large shadow monster.
A boy avoids getting crushed by shadow blocks.
This week, we look at Hudson Soft's Lost in Shadow and Southend Interactive's Ilomilo.
Check out the launch trailer for Lost in Shadow.
This video talks about the various gimmicks, music, and other interesting tidbits that you will come in contact with throughout the game.
Join director Tsuchihashi, design chief Echigo, program chief Nakaoka, and sound designer Bando once again as they shed light on the inspiration behind the game's intuitive puzzles and reveal what ...
In this video, director Tsuchihashi, design chief Echigo, program chief Nakaoka, and sound designer Bando discuss the mysteries of the shadow world.
Check out the first of four documentary videos chronicling the making of Lost in Shadow.
On Today on the Spot, we take a look at This Week on the PlayStation Network, check out demos for Lost in Shadow and Oops! Prank Party, and give away ...
Chris and Sophia give us a new look at Lost in Shadow for the Wii.
Get a glimpse of this light and dark manipulation game from Konami.
Get a quick look at Lost in Shadow for the Nintendo Wii!
Check out the latest trailer for Lost in Shadow.
Check out the latest movie for Lost in Shadow.
Today on the Spot we have another jam-packed show for you with demos of Final Fight: Double Impact, Lucha Libre: Heroes of the Ring, and Lost in Shadow. We go ...
A large shadow spider gets in the way.
A shadow boy fights with a shadow sword.
A shadow boy crosses shadow bridges.
A boy's shadow is torn from his body.
Check out this Daily Demo of Lost in Shadow straight out of Today on the Spot!
Latest trailer for Lost in Shadow on the Nintendo Wii from the Konami 2010 press event.
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This week's overrated/underrated: The movies of Steven Spielberg. He first made the scene when I was a kid, and I liked some and wasn't so wild about others. I was usually bored by science fiction, and that Norman Rockwell-ish layer of sugar that we find on some of his films isn't my bag.
But of course he's been all over the lot by now but in terms of substance and cinematic style, and he's certainly made many great ones.
Even so, looking at the filmography list, the needle does jump up and down. You would never really say that Spielberg captured his times, in the way you would have said of William Wyler or Frank Capra or even a Gregory LaCava, whom I would prefer, but I mostly like classic movies.
Okay then, my suggested lists below the fold. And by the way, there was some confusion last week. Just because I put Exile on Main Street on that list doesn't mean I think it's overrated. In fact I said below the fold that I thought it was great. I'm making objective suggestions based on things I read and the sense I have that times and tastes may have shifted public opinion about some work. We hear my thoughts all the time. In these posts, I'm actually interested (sort of!) in yours.
Most overrated:
Schindler's List. Let's just start at the top. I do know some people who fiercely hated it. I think mostly because of the alter kockers at the end, which did feel a bit manipulative. Personally, I thought the rest of it was really strong, but those are two of my favorite actors.
E.T. I've never gotten around to seeing this but can tell I'd hate it. I guess I'll be watching it with my daughter in the coming years and will pretend to like it.
Minority Report. I saw this and don't really remember the first thing about it. Oh wait, this was Samantha Morton in those weird baths? If so, that was fairly entertaining.
A.I. I think this is actually the one I don't remember anything about.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Tried watching this recently. Let's just say I think audiences had more patience in those days.
Most underrated:
Jurassic Park. I think this is his greatest film. Rip-roaring, terrifying, chilling, the first time you see it. And kinda philosophically deep, about how it is inevitable—not likely; inevitable—that plans will go awry.
Amistad. This had riveting and slow moments, but I do credit the guy for making the only movie in modern times about the slave trade, which tells us something.
The Sugarland Express. This was really good. Young Goldie!
Duel. So was this. This is reaching back there, like the same year Sticky Fingers came out.
Empire of the Sun. His worst box-office gross after becoming famous, but I thought this was pretty good. Great cast.
Okay, it's all yours. I left out a lot of 'em on which I'm sure you have opinions: Jaws, Indiana Jones, The Color Purple, Munich, Catch Me If You Can, and these two recent ones, Tin Tin and War Horse, which I haven't seen. Have at it.


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Bridal Shows necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 137 diseños de 36 diseñadores freelance.
Online Bridal Shows
Online Bridal Shows is part of a network of dozens of websites.
Dear Creators :)
We are using 99designs for the first time and are excited about this contest!! We have seen your huge creativity and can't wait to do this with you. A great design is like a music composition. So initially we will just describe the mood so that you can let your imagination run free .... If this works for us here we have more projects we want to submit. The prize is now GUARANTEED because of the GREAT QUALITY of YOUR WORK!!! We put the prize as high as possible for us out of RESPECT for your creativity. So here we go :)
There are no videos on the old site but on the new site it will be very important. We are looking for a web2.0 kind of look... Onlne Bridal Shows offers Brides to visit a Bridal Show online from the convenience of their home. They can do this in 2 ways:
1) on a 2D website consisting of videos and exhibitor/vendor listings
2) on a cutting edge 3D website where visitors can navigate through an immersive 3D convention building.
5 stars *****
Since this is our first contest we are not yet able to do a blind contest. Thus we are rating all with 5 stars. At the end of the contest all people in our office will vote for the winner. For now the stars reflect our appreciation for your GREAT CREATIVITY and for doing this exciting contest with us :-)
PLEASE feel free to ask any questions for clarification. Since this is our first time, we are happy to give you the answers you need. We won't be able to respond on the weekend but will be back again on Monday PST.
PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK the comments area below. We will post UPDATES AND TIPS in response to your questions and to make our brief as clear as possible.
All the best to you, we wish you great luck and lots of inspiration
Have a great day
Brides, Grooms and their parents
Females 18 - 35
Average age 27
United States
In Love and planning to get married
female colors, gentle but confident, pastel
- think of a bride to be being in love who is planning her wedding
- this is the happiest time in her life
- couples looking at each other in love
- when visitors look at the site we would like them to sigh, smile and remember their own wedding day or to wish they would get married
image ideas:
happy people, smiling, couples in love looking at each other, bride and groom at ceremony, bride, cut outs, semi transparent transitions
website visitor objective:
- the bride, groom or her parents is trying to put her wedding together
- she can visit a 2D or 3D bridal show on our site to find the vendors she needs or she can find a bridal show in her own town
- the things she needs include wedding dresses, wedding cakes, wedding invitations, wedding venues such as a hotel or banquet room and more, you can google weddings to see what they need
about the website
- simple, clean, modern and elegant design
- think hulu meets facebook meets yellopages
- very visual image rich - we would love the images to be contagious and make the visitor feel happy
- there are 2 equal top priorities: listings of 2D bridal shows and 3D bridal shows
- second priority will be the listings of the wedding vendors (dresses, cakes...)
navigation menu:
Home, 2D Bridal Shows, 3D Bridal Shows, Exhibitors, Videos, Bridal Stories, About ...... English - Spanish
important pages are:
home page, a video page, a bridal show page, a vendor (exhibitor) page
(you choose how many pages you want to do)
the old site is at http://www.onlinebridalshows.com


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(1955- )
"Studied with Freda Diesing and with master artists Bill Reid and Robert Davidson. Adkins is best known for his jewellery in precious metals, influenced by the work of his teachers and by years of studying anatomical drawings and classical art history. His work has appeared in various exhibitions in Canada and is represented in private and corporate collections in North America."
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
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Phone: 604-669-8813
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