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Article by Senator David S. Rust,
I'm always amazed which bills generate attention from the public and media. I'll touch on a couple. The eighty miles per hour speed limit on interstate roads only got a "Do Pass" recommendation from Senate Transportation. I did vote in favor of it. The bill now goes to Senate Appropriations to deal with the cost of speed signs and then to the entire Senate for passage or defeat.
The daylight savings and central time bill is still in committee. Most comments we've received through e-mails, etc. favor staying on daylight savings time. At issue are the problems cities along the Red River would face with North Dakota on standard time and Minnesota on daylight time. Bismarck and Mandan faced similar time zone issues until Mandan voted in 1960 by nearly a two to one margin to go on central time.
The decision to place the entire state on central time is more of a mix. Those doing business across the state favor it, while those on mountain time feel it is a local decision. I will vote against the bill as the law currently provides a means for cities and counties to let the voters decide that issue. I'm for leaving well enough alone as you solve one set of problems only to create an entirely new set for another portion of the state.
There are a number of "gun bills" in the House. The one generating the most enthusiasm deals with "constitutional carry." That bill would make it legal for people in North Dakota who are at least 21 years old to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, unless otherwise prohibited by law. The other would allow school boards to possibly designate individuals to conceal carry in school. This permission would mostly be used in schools of small towns and remote areas that are miles away from law enforcement. I'll discuss those more as they come over to the Senate—if they pass.
Probably the most significant bill the Senate Education Committee is working on is SB 2272. This is a "big idea" bill that deals with the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund, after the passage of Measure 2 in the November election.
The bill would roll current and past school construction funds, along with additional dollars from the above fund, into a School Construction Assistance Revolving Loan Fund for loans up to $10 million over a 20 year period of time at less than or equal to 2% interest. Projects would require voter, and DPI, approval with the loans administered by the Bank of ND. This would be a perpetual fund; eventually the interest payments would fund future loans.
Utilization by schools will result in direct property tax relief as interest rates will be lower when repaying school construction bonds.
SB 2272 would also set up a fund for "unanticipated" construction or replacement and for emergency repair. Administered by the Land Board, a school board could borrow, without voter approval, up to $1 million for up to 20 years at an interest rate of less than or equal to 2%.
In addition, SB 2272 includes (for 2017-19) $2.477 million for Career and Tech Ed, $10 million for Rapid Enrollment Grants, and $1 million for English Language Learners. CTE would also be added to allotment exemptions, but paid out of the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund.
SB 2180 would have mandated that the state and the schools of the state refuse federal funds. Most of those dollars pay for Title services, special education costs, and hot lunch programs–to name a few. For the record, schools already have the option of not taking federal dollars. Two of the 179 schools in ND don't; they have a combined student enrollment of 28 students. If schools did not take any federal money, they still would have to abide by the federal mandates—such as Civil Rights, disabilities act, and a host of others. In other words, no money, but nearly all of the mandates. The entire Senate defeated the bill on a 3 – 43 vote.
If anyone is interested in observing the legislative process, I can arrange for you to sit with me on the floor of the Senate. I also appreciate contacts from District 2 residents, even though one person may be passionate about having me vote "no" on a bill while another feels just as passionate about having me vote "yes."
The best way to contact me is by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
–This article was written by District 2 Senator David S. Rust. Rust served in the House from 2009-2014, he is currently serving in the Senate.. Rust serves as vice-chairman of the Education Committee, he also serves on the Transportation Committee.
– Ian Grande is the Editor of the Stanley Gazette. If you have any comments or concerns please email firstname.lastname@example.com
- Make sure to follow the Stanley Gazette on Facebook and Twitter for more updates!
- The Stanley Gazette covers community news in the Stanley, ND area.
Categories: Local News


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Our Comcast Xfinity Review
Comcast Xfinity's variety of plans — and its ability to deliver on those plans — makes it one of the best internet service providers (ISPs) in the US. Comcast is one of the most widespread cable internet providers, servicing 39 states and territories, and as a result is able to offer competitive pricing for its low and mid-speed plans (15 Mbps to 150 Mbps). This helps make up for Comcast's traditionally low-ranking customer service.
That said, Comcast's fastest plans (which include a 1,000 Mbps option and a 2,000 Mbps fiber option) are more expensive than other high-speed ISP's plans. If you're looking to purchase at this service level, you'll save money (and almost always see better customer service) if you choose a different provider — that is, if you're fortunate enough to live in an area with multiple options.
The Claim
Comcast claims that Xfinity Internet delivers the most reliable high-speed Internet and WiFi for all devices, all the time.
Is It True?
Almost. Looking at reliability alone — how well Comcast delivers on its advertised speeds and keep its customers online at all times — Comcast does well, even if it's not technically the best. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s latest report found that Comcast reliably provided download speeds at least as fast as advertised, but so did most major ISPs. The FCC's benchmark for reliability is what they call the 80/80: at least 80% of subscribers experienced at least 80% of their advertised speed rates during peak periods. Only satellite ISPs failed to meet this benchmark, so by the FCC's standards, Comcast is as reliable as a dozen other cable ISPs.
If we raise this benchmark to 80/95 — that is, 80% of customers receive 95% of their advertised speed rates, the competition gets tougher. Only two companies meet this higher standard: Comcast and Optimum. Optimum has the highest overall score, so as of 2016 (the date of the report), it gets to claim the title for most reliable internet. However, Comcast's second place title is nothing to sneeze at. It provides reliably fast internet for the majority of their customers, and it does so across 36 more states than Optimum.
Other Considerations
Comcast comes close to being the most reliable ISP, but it's also one of the speediest ISPs — both for the range of speeds offered and the average speeds it actually delivers. SpeedTest rated Xfinity as the fastest national provider in the first half of 2017 (the most recent data available), meaning its customers were receiving faster download rates than any other major ISP in the US in this time.
This in part because Comcast's plans offer some of the highest speeds available — the more customers on higher plans, the higher Comcast's average speed. Most customers get to choose between plans that range anywhere from 15 Mbps to 350 Mbps.
However, while Comcast has the fastest average national speed, it has a hard time competing with truly high-speed companies on a city-by-city basis. Of the 100 cities SpeedTest analyzed, Comcast was the fastest ISP in only 18 of them. Its average speed across all 18 cities was 68 Mbps. That's fast enough to make Comcast a competitor in most cities, but not in cities where high speed internet — fiber — is available. Fiber internet is still extremely rare, but the thirteen fastest cities were largely won by companies specializing in the service. Comcast might not be winning fastest national ISP because it's the best, but because it's the most widespread in areas where there isn't significant competition for speed.
To compete with fiber networks, Comcast is currently rolling out two "Gigabit" plans. These plans advertise download speeds up to 1,000 Mbps (through a standard cable connection) or 2,000 Mbps (if you connect directly into their fiber line). Currently, these Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) and Gigabit Pro (2,000 Mbps) plans are only available in a few cities — you'll need to check to see if you qualify for these hyper-fast speeds.
A Closer Look at Features
|15 Mbps-1,000 Mbps
|People looking for a reliable provider with a wide variety of plans and availability (almost) anywhere they go
|People looking to get the most value for ultra-fast internet (1,000+ Mbps)
|40.30% by Broadband Now
|1 TB of data per month, unless you enroll in their Unlimited Data Option ($50 per month)
Our Deep Dive
- Modem rental: Like most ISPs, Comcast rents a modem to you for $10 per month. If you choose to buy your own modem rather than rent, you'll need to make sure that it meets Comcast's qualifications. However, unlike most ISPs, renting Comcast's XFi Gateway comes with some perks. The Gateway allows you to take advantage of Comcast's Xfinity app, which can troubleshoot any network errors without calling in a technician, figure out where your dead zones are (and how to fix them), and set rules on your WiFi network. It's an easy way to install and enforce parental controls on your network, as you can restrict what hours your kids are allowed to be online and the types of websites they can visit.
- WiFi Hotspots: Comcast also offers a hotspot program called Xfinity WiFi, which allows you to connect to thousands of Xfinity Wifi hotspots across the country for free. This is particularly useful if you're trying to avoid draining your cellular data plan; download the app, find a hotspot, and connect to WiFi instead.
- Data Usage Plan: Comcast received a lot of criticism in its initial roll-out of a data usage plan — their preferred term for data caps imposed on internet service plans — which charged people for using more than 300 GB of data in a month. Most consumers are now upgraded to 1 TB of data per month, with a $10 charge for every 50 GB of overage (up to $200 per month). Comcast also offers an Unlimited Data Option for $50 a month, but it recommends monitoring your personal usage to see how much you actually use before springing for this upgrade. While we would prefer to have no data cap at all, we'll admit that Comcast's is a pretty high bar to hit; Comcast itself says that 1 TB is plenty for 99% of its customers. For context, even if you had two people playing online games nonstop (24 hours a day for a month straight), you'd still have enough data left over to watch all 629 episodes of The Simpsons in high-def. If you do accidentally cross over the 1 TB threshold, Comcast gives you two grace months before they start charging for the extra data use. If you consistently use more than 1 TB, they have an unlimited data option, too ($50 per month).
- Flexible Data Option: If you're on either the Economy Plus or the Performance Starter plan and consistently use less than 5 GB of data each month, you can opt into Comcast's Flexible Data Option. In exchange for using less than 5 GB of data, you can earn a $5 credit towards your monthly bill. The catch: If you use more than 5 GB of data in a month, you'll be charged $1 for each extra GB, up to $200 per month.
- Internet Essentials: When Comcast acquired NBCUniversal in 2011, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required Comcast to launch a program offering low-cost internet service for qualifying families. Internet Essentials requires you to have a child currently enrolled in free or reduced price school lunches and offers reduced priced internet (starting around $10 per month) and computers (starting at $150). Similar offers from other internet providers can be found at EveryoneOn.org.
- Customer Service: ISPs are notorious for scoring poorly in customer service, and Comcast is particularly infamous for having terrible customer service, with long wait times and difficulty disconnecting services. Comcast is striving to make improvements by hiring more representatives and creating appointment slots to reduce hold times, but it's clear that these are still ongoing. The American Customer Satisfaction Index, which conducts thousands of surveys annually to rate companies, has consistently rated Comcast as below average in this regard compared to competing cable ISPs, currently listing it as eighth best out of 12 providers. J.D. Power, another independent 3rd party, rated Comcast fourth best ISP (of five providers) in the North Central US and Eastern US for customer service.
- Gigabit Pro: For most people, the speeds offered by fiber are overkill, but for households with a lot of heavy internet users — or people who require nearly instantaneous internet connections — a fiber connection is worth its high price. Comcast's fiber option is still in the early stages, only available in a few select cities. If you can get it, it offers the fastest speeds on the market at 2,000 Mbps, for a steep price $300 per month with a two-year contract. You'll also be on the hook for a $500 installation fee and a $500 activation fee, and installation may take two months (or longer) to complete. If you're in an area with Google Fiber, and can settle for half that speed, its pricing is competitive: the same 1,000 Mbps plan is $70 with Google and $90 with Comcast. However, if you truly need 2,000 Mbps and live in an area where it's offered, Comcast is the only ISP currently promoting this level of speed.
What Others Are Saying
- PCMag highlights Comcast's reputation for poor customer service — a trend among all ISPs. They point to fines levied against Comcast by the FCC in 2016 for allegations of overcharging customers, as well as citing low J.D. Power rankings. Comcast is making improvements on previous years by hiring additional customer service representatives, providing additional training, and setting up reservation times so you won't have to wait on hold, but it's going to take them a long time to recover from their poor reputation.
- MacWorld also points out an important security issue with Comcast's Xfinity Wi-Fi roaming hotspots: Until you've opted out of the program, your network can be shared with people wandering nearby. Vice-versa, if you're at home, you might be automatically connected to your neighbor's Xfinity Wi-Fi if they happen to have a stronger signal at the time. It's fairly straightforward to opt out of both these programs, but it's a hassle to be forced to do so.
- Last fall, TechDirt discussed how lack of real internet competition in many areas of the US ramps up prices for sub-average speeds — and how not having enough competing ISPs in any one market can lead to "usage caps and overage fees." In particular, they called out Comcast for suing Vermont. Vermont is attempting to impose regulations on Comcast, requiring them to improve their cable services in the state. This may seem like an overreach, but the closest thing to competition Comcast has in Vermont is Fairport Communication, which "struggles to offer 3 to 6 Mbps" — not enough competition to incentivize Comcast to improve its services.
The Competition
- AT&T is our top pick for customer service, earning top marks in J. D. Power's customer satisfaction awards. However, most of its options require bundling an internet plan with their DIRECTV service. Like all ISPs, plans and prices vary depending on your location, but Comcast is likely a little more bang for your buck: A sample $30 plan from AT&T caps at 50 Mbps, while a sample $30 plan from Comcast caps at 60 Mbps.
- Charter Spectrum has plans starting at 100 Mbps and tends to offer slightly reduced prices at these higher service tiers (between $5 and $20 less than Comcast). It also doesn't impose data caps and will pay up to $500 to buy you out of your current plan. However, 100 Mbps is excessive for users who use the internet primarily to check email, stream video, and surf the web. Comcast's plans start out at a more reasonable 15 Mbps for a $30 promotional price — compared to Charter's lowest plan at $45 — so if you don't need those higher speeds, you'll save money by choosing Comcast's lower tiers of service.
- Cox Communications does fairly well when it comes to customer service, winning best for customer service in the Western US by J.D. Power, but scores poorly for value. They offer a lower speed plan compared to Comcast, clocking in at 10 Mbps, but this will cost you a base price of $30 per month.
The Bottom Line
Your first step in choosing an ISP is to see which companies are available in your area, and to compare the plans available and the pricing for those plans in your area — ISPs vary their prices based on location and promotional offers. However, Comcast Xfinity is worth a look as you start your search, particularly if your internet needs run under 200 Mbps. With multiple speed options, decent value, and certified reliability, Comcast is a solid choice no matter where you live. While its low customer service rating is a sticking point for the company, all signs point toward a more positive experience for the future of Comcast.
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subset: commoncrawl


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My whole life I dreamed of what it would feel like to fall in love. Listening to love songs and watching romantic movies as a teenager, I was excited to find my own love story. But the realities of my society slammed hard in my face. I was told that I had to chose someone that would be able to support me properly, someone who was from the same social class as me (or higher), and someone I could get along with. Whether we were in love or not, was immaterial.
Over the years, I would look at people on the streets: I saw happy couples holding hands, hugging each other or even giving each other a peck on the lips. Such simple common gestures were so far away from my reality. I felt alone and empty in my marriage. The man I had married, well, He Never Deserved Me.
Meeting Lucca turned my life upside down. I never saw it coming and it hit me like a runaway train. We slowly got to know each other and we both realized how good we were for each other. I was happy that I was finally experiencing love for the first time. That someone I loved loved me back the same way was a revelation.
What we have found in each other is exceptional. Not only do we have a connection at the soul level but we experience a physical chemistry that is nothing short of explosive.
It doesn't always work that way for a couple. That we have found both qualities in each other is incredible. We are able to open up to each other and share our deepest secrets. But most importantly, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with each other. And that has made us even closer.
Aside from having a strong bond of friendship, our sex life is out of this world. Before meeting him, I had no experience other than the coldness and the selfishness of my ex-husband. But when it's explosive, you just know. Experience is not necessary to know that what you have is out of this world. His touch on my skin is enough to ignite me and I have this exact effect on him. The best part is that sometimes we laugh during sex; we realize how lucky we have been to have found each other. We loved to play and see how to make it more fun in bed. We liked to constantly learn what we both enjoy and we feel free but especially safe to try it. Our bodies are always in synch. We listen to each other's breaths, to our bodies. We understand each other's desires and give each other what we need.
Every aspect of our relationship blows my mind. He is a man of small loving gestures, he constantly compliments the way I look, the way I am, my smile makes his face light up. I know that I should never ever take what we have for granted and I never will. We make each other extremely happy and ultimately that's what is important.
With him I feel like I have come home. I know that people easily throw this phrase around, but I have truly experienced what this is like. I know that he loves me and that he will never hurt me. To be able to trust a man, like I trust him, means the world to me.
I honestly believe that every experience and every painful moment in my life was worth it, because they led me to him.
Want to be a published writer? Take a look at our writing contest, where TWO Grand Prize winners will become Booktrib Contributors!


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BELGRADE, December 25. /TASS/. The Ukrainian government is seeking to fully suppress, Ukrainianize and assimilate the Rusyns, a Slavic ethnic minority living in the sub-Carpathian region of Ukraine, Grigory Mironov, a Russian expert on Rusyn history and culture said on Monday during a presentation of his book on the formation of the Rusyns' ethnic identity.
The presentation took place in the city of Vukovar. It was supported by the Association of Croatian Rusyns.
He also did the presentation in Serbia's Skupstina, the national parliament, at the invitation of Serbian MPs.
"The actions of the current authorities in Kiev are aimed at the terminal subjugation of the Rusyns inside Ukraine and outside it, too," Mironov told TASS. "Like many times in the past, the Rusyn ethnic movement has to put up resistance to one more attempt to assimilate and Ukrainianize it by force, to fight to keep its ethnic identity."
"It was only at the end of the 20th century that the Rusyns began to develop the awareness everywhere that they are an entirely separate people, a people that doesn't resemble anyone else," he said. "My book dwells on the causes behind these changes. The events unfolding in Ukraine in the past several years and the [Ukrainian] nationalistic propaganda have compelled many Rusyns to stop speaking openly about their ethnic identity. They have to conceal their ethnicity."
Still, the Rusyns "constitute an absolutely separate European nation that is split by the borders of several countries," Mironov said with confidence.
"They are not Ukrainians because they have an authentic history and culture of their own," he went on. "Their culture was preserved carefully in the Carpathian Mountains and handed down from one generation to another. Most Rusyns have carried the sense of ethnic self-identification through centuries. They have been repelling attempts to assimilate them throughout centuries, and have done so with great success."
The Rusyns have always held Russia in high respect, but orientation towards Ukraine has been coercively imposed on them in recent years. "Russophile tendencies were strong among the Rusyns as of the mid-19th century and they used them as a safety net against immersion in neighboring peoples and as a means of showing their exceptionality."
"Russophile tendencies were voluntary impulsions of the Rusyn people but they were never Ukrainophiles," Mironov said. "The formula claiming the Rusyns are a fraction of Ukrainians was imposed on them, first by the authorities of Austria-Hungary and then by the Communists [during the Soviet era - TASS]."
His book titled "The Rusyn Ethnic Identity" is to roll off the presses in Russia at the beginning of 2018.
The Rusyns, historically known as Ruthenians, are an Eastern Slavic nation. Various sources put its numeric strength at 1.5 million to 4.0 million people.
About 700,000 Rusyns live in the sub-Carpathian region of Ukraine. Large Rusyn communities are also found the Banat and Backa areas of the Balkans.
Their independent state was registered as an object of international law in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 1919.
The state was formally eliminated and annexed to Ukraine in 1945. However, the Rusyns have been pressing the Ukrainian government over the past 20 years for the recognition of their status as a separate nationality.


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7 Time Management Hacks to Get More From the Day/
By Donald Burns, Foodable Industry Expert
The world keeps moving faster and we must move along with it. So as the world gets more connected, our lives get more complex and yet we all seem to run out of hours in the day to get all we want accomplished. Let's face the facts that most people are terrible at spending their time wisely. In the world of business coaching, the topic of time management is almost always on the agenda. Even those who are defined as being "successful" are looking for ways to streamline tasks in an effort to bend time to their will.
The only real lesson to time management is to understand this basic concept: You never manage time, you manage yourself. Here's 7 down-and-dirty time management hacks to get more done in 24 hours.
1. Set the first meeting of the day with yourself.
The best way to set yourself up for success is to make sure you are investing in your No. 1 resource: yourself. Starting the day out fully charged is insurance to get the most out of any day.
Just like you would not skip an important business meeting, you need to schedule a morning meeting with yourself, for yourself. Have a morning "hour of power" to get your mind and body in sync. You can go to the gym, go for a walk, do yoga or martial arts. The main thing is that you need to move your body to get the blood going. The restaurant industry is notorious for burnout and unhealthy lifestyles. You work long hours (mostly on your feet) and we get little time to exercise. If you want a long career in this business, then self-care has to become a primary need. Notice the word need, not want. You will do whatever you have to do to get your needs met. If it's a want, it'll only happen if all the elements come together.
2. Pick three.
Life balance is a myth. That might be hard to swallow since, for most of our lives, we are told that to be ultra successful we need to find the ever-eluding balance of personal and professional. It's not going to happen.
If the world was perfect and there were no outside demands on your time and focus then you might be able to achieve life balance. Since we know the restaurant world is not rose-colored and rainbows, let's focus in on what works. Pick only three top projects or things you need to accomplish in any given day. You can easily fill up a to-do list and try to make it through that daunting task of trying to get it all done. If you pick only three things for the day, your chances of getting them done greatly increase.
So, start the day with you "hour of power" or self-care meeting to make sure you are fully charged up for the day. Then look at your Big Three. Take immediate action on getting one of those projects moving. The key here is that the demands of others will come for your focus and time. Dedicate time to make sure that your agenda is getting the energy and focus it deserves.
3. Learn to say "no."
People who work in the restaurant industry tend to be people-oriented (which is a good thing). We also tend to try to please everyone (which can become a bad thing). You will need to learn to say "no" gracefully to things that do not serve you. Time is the most precious commodity we have. You cannot get more of it and once it's gone, that's it.
Now there are things that get put on your plate from outside sources that you may not have an option to decline. However, there are things that are totally within your control — watching TV, playing video games, surfing the internet and other things that pull your focus away from what is important to you. The best question to ask yourself if you want a better life is this, "Is this (insert task or activity) going to move my life forward towards my goals and dreams?"
The quality of life you have is in direct proportion to the quality of questions you ask yourself. It's quite easy… if you want a better life, ask yourself better questions.
4. Have a plan.
Having a written plan is still the best way to stay on track and on focus. You can use the old school method of pen and paper or use technology to get a handle on what you need to focus on. We're going to take a concept from David Allen's Getting Things Done Methodology to help clear our heads from the minutia that consumes most of our cognitive processing. When something pops in your head to do, you need to get it into a safe place to process later.
The note app on your smartphone is perfect for this. Get it out of your head or else it will begin to form a "mental loop." The issue with loops is that they tend to bounce around in our heads until they get solved. (Neuroscientists claim we have around 60,000 random thoughts going through our brain a day). This is a great way to get them in a place where you can go through them and sort them into either action, reference or just plain delete them.
5. If you can, delegate.
This one ties into learning to say "no." So many restaurant managers do tasks that others could easily take care of. Things like scheduling, recording invoices and receiving orders from vendors are all tasks that can be trained. Here is the bonus: when you train your team to take on more responsibility, they have a chance to learn and grow. That is a winning element to team retention.
If you give the excuse that you have to do everything yourself, then you have either one of these two issues:
a. You are obsessed with control and perfectionism. While striving for excellence and consistency is a common thread among great restaurants, it's very hard to ever be perfect.
b. You do not trust your team. If you do not trust your team, then you need to get a team you can trust. This might lead you to look at option A once more.
6. Focus more on results than tasks.
Focus is the only thing you ever really can control. What you focus on and put energy toward gets done. The question to ask yourself is, "Are you focused on things that really have an impact?"
While most restaurant owners and managers are always "busy," they tend to be focused on things that have little impact toward improving the restaurant. They focus on the price of their food from a vendor and spend a lot of time "shopping" pricing from multiple purveyors when they have never actually figured out the food cost of every item on their menu.
Most people become very efficient at their job duties. They're just usually not incredibly effective in those jobs. Focus on the things that have a bigger impact on your business. If you have trouble figuring out the "right things" to focus on, then consider getting a business coach to help you.
7. Manage your energy, not time.
Here is the best time management hack of all! Time is just a construct of the mind. You cannot change time or manipulate it. It is an uncontrollable variable that most people seem to either be chasing or a slave to. To break free from that, you need to look at your natural energy patterns and, when you are in the peak energy "zone," use that energy to get the right things done.
Our bodies have a natural circadian rhythm (it's called chronobiology and it studies the effect of how our bodies and minds work during the day). If you tap into this rhythm, it can give you the ability to really get some sh*t done. Most people find that the mornings are best for cognitive thought, analytical thinking or problem solving. Afternoons are great for physical demands. The evenings tend to be a better time for creative processing.
Keeping your energy levels at peak states requires a commitment to exercise, drinking plenty of water and making sure you are eating properly. These three basic elements provide the fuel your brain needs to handle all the variety of tasks that come at you during the day. We all know what happens when you run out of fuel in your car. Your natural energy levels are the fuel you need to get things done.


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What Happened to My Marriage?
He hardly looks at you at the dinner table. You argue over the slightest things. You can't remember the last time you had fun together, or even what attracted the two of you to each other in the first place. He tells you that you don't listen. You tell him he doesn't understand you. You find yourselves going around in circles, not getting anywhere, and you feel angry. Frustrated. Maybe even afraid of where all this is leading…
I Don't Recognize My Own Daughter…and It's Affecting All of Us
Your teenage daughter seems to have lost interest in everthing she used to enjoy. Her grades are slipping, and she is either sullen at the dinner table, or she picks fights with her brother or her friends. You overheard her on the phone, saying she feels like her parents' divorce is all her fault. Even worse, she goes out at night and makes up stories about who she's with. If you don't get her some help, you're worried she'll end up hurt, or she may even run away from home…
I'm Here to Help
As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I have specialized training in relationships, family dynamics, and psychotherapy. I diagnose and treat a wide range of emotional and psychological issues that can arise for both couples and family members, and I listen to and analyze issues with a balanced, objective approach. Through a variety of state-of-the art therapeutic approaches, I provide counseling for couples and family members experiencing a variety of challenges, in areas such as:
- Communication problems
- Conflicts about child rearing
- Couples conflict
- Trust issues
- Substance abuse
- Financial problems
- Anger
- Infidelity
- Divorce
For couples or partners, my approach is to help open the channels of communication between both individuals, so that they can learn to express themselves freely and get to the root of their problems. I also look at emotional triggers and their sources, and explore the common pitfalls many couples experience, with a solutions-oriented approach that enables them to heal and rediscover the joy in their relationship.
With Family Therapy, I focus on improving troubled relationships, and helping family members discover and better cope with situations or events that may be causing stress, grief, anger, or conflict. Family therapy has been used successfully to treat many families in different situations, including those in which:
- The parents have conflict within their relationship.
- A child has behavior or school problems.
- Children or teens have problems getting along with each other.
- One family member has a long-term mental illness, such as an alcohol use problem or severe depression.
My goal is to help family members understand one another better and become closer.
A HEALTHY and HAPPY family is one of the most fundamental values that we want in this life.
I can be reached at 650-539-9662 or use the online contact form. I would love to discuss how couples therapy can help your marriage or relationship; or, if Family Therapy is right for you and your loved ones.
Click here to download your free copy of "7 Ways to Fight Fairly" by Alina Steingberg Baugh, LMFT.
If you are looking for a licensed marriage counselor, couples counselor or family therapist in Burlingame, San Mateo, San Bruno, Hillsborough, Millbrae or San Fransisco, call Alina Baugh, LMFT today at 650-539-9662 or use the online contact form!


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Published on January 22, 2008
Author: PALPROD6
Source: slideshare.net
The following program is classified M, and should only be viewed by mature audiences 15 years and over.
A-town Park Newy crew Summer 08
Episode 2 ' The SekWal' The TREK
One Day The Boys Attempted to catch a bus to the beach from GARDO Where Pat said they would be able to catch it. " Trust me, well just wait here" ' Nar Fuck off Pat U don't have a clue!'
So after a while of seb arguing with pat, thew bus came and seb had nothing left to do exept board the bus
Although the bus went know where near the beach, it took them to the end of the line, in the newcastle CBD! " Pat u retard were in the CBD u lanky fuck"! W8 up guys! (car honks)"SHIT!" " Seb SHUT UP,hurry up turtle u fat fuck!
They Walked to the cliff overlooking newcastle beach, where they spoke to a man, a very VERY mysterious man! Tobin:"Hey um do u no the quickest way to Bar beach?" MAN;"I know the quickest way to a mans heart SEB: " Wheres turtle?" Tobin" He's Fuckin walkin up the hill!!" AJ & KERROD:" HURRY UP TURTLE!" PAT:" YA FAT FUCK!"
As They began their journey around the cliffs, which was the quickest way…according to pat!, Turtle began to throw up many crazy ideas like swimming swimming across here. " See Guys we'll swim just here!" " FUCK OFF TURTLE!" I Don't Wanna Die! " You Go First Ya fat prick!"
So with turtles silly idea cast aside, the boys continued their journey… Pat:"turtle ur so dumb, how could we swim across with our bags ya fuckin dumb shit!" Kerrod:" This is fucking hard…like my dick is during a horror movie!"
But because of Turtles body fat he bounced back up, thus causeing an earthquake effect, but Kerrod wasn't quite so lucky…. AJ: OMGGGG KERROD!!! Tobin:"Lucky we fed turtle before we left." Pat:"c'mon guys, he's a lost cause, we have to keep moving."
So the boys finally reached sussie gilmoure, the nudist beach, and so they climed down the rocks, and went into the water, as they approached sussie gilmoure they met Karl, who had been awaiting their arrival. Turtle:"look guys topless chicks, im gunna take a photo of them… Seb:"Can I ask a question turtle?Why do u have to be such a fuckwit!" Karl:"Hey guys, I've only been waiting 5 hours…" AJ:"will u fuckin fatty and ranga shut the fuck up!"
All the boys then decided to go for a swim, they were having a great until someone decided to take a shit in the water! Turtle:"AWW WTF is that a mars bar, yum..oh wait, nar its shit, who shat in the water! AJ:"I think it drifted in" Karl:"It was seb" Tobin:"Seb that's dirty!" Pat:"Seb you filthy fuckin ranga Seb:"Fuck off guys I had to do it!
Piece of shit, Seb's Crap, Cbas Doo-Doo, Dawso's Fieces, Turtle's lunch! Tobin:"aww Yuck, aaahhhhh, that shit is following me!! Seb:"haha go my little shit! (ALL ON SHORE):LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!
Then they all decided not to go swimming for various reasons…. AJ:I'm not going swimming in there, it's contaminated with Ranga Shit, it could infect us all!" (ALL): LOL! Tobin:"My Pubes are going red already!" Seb:"Can I ask a question?What do you have against my people?
So After they realised they had wasted a day they went to where kerrod had fallen and made a gravestone which read…
R.I.P. Kerrod Oliver Buller 27 .10.92- 15.01.07 God May you bless my soul for what I've done, In the end I just got one step closer, and became numb, from now let my body bleed it out so my soul may be the shadow of the day, it was time as you thought that in this world I would be wasted, for i cannot show no more sorrow, and let those who love me keep their hands held high….
R.I.P. Kerrod Oliver Buller
27 .10.92- 15.01.07
May you bless my soul for what I've done, In the end I just got one step closer, and became numb, from now let my body bleed it out so my soul may be the shadow of the day, it was time as you thought that in this world I would be wasted, for i cannot show no more sorrow, and let those who love me keep their hands held high….
The End…FOR NOW!
This has been a presentation by PAL PRODUCTIONS ©. No Offence was intended to any of the 'characters' in this production, and if the people who they are based "on' did get offended AJ AND PK suggest u harden the fuck up! * Some extra help for T.J.D. Enterprizes© for their editing help!
A-Town Originals; Cart; Waiver. http://www.atascadero.org/files/CS/SkatePark/A-Town-_GCB_Waiver_updated_5_2 ... © A-Town Park / More Than Just a Place to ...
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Actor Aadi, who awaits the release of forthcoming Telugu entertainer "Chuttalabbayi", says his approach towards his career and selection of scripts is set to undergo a drastic transformation.
"Post 'Chuttalabbayi', my approach towards career will be very different. Audiences will see a different Aadi in the coming months and if the process requires transformation, I'm game for it. This is exactly why I haven't signed any new scripts," Aadi told IANS.
The "Garam" actor is pleased with the output of "Chuttalabbayi", which is slated for release in cinemas on Friday.
Calling it an out-and-out entertainer, he said: "The entire team is very positive about the film. Unlike my last two releases which focused more on appealing to the masses, this project has been made keeping in mind all sections of the audience."
"There's nothing heroic about my character. There are no punch dialogues," said Aadi, heaping praise on his director Veerabhadram.
"He's a hard worker and he's someone who doesn't compromise on his vision. He's known for making highly entertaining films and he has lived up to that image. He has made a Chuttalabbayi' stand out with its presentation," he said.
In the film, which also stars Namitha Pramod and Sai Kumar, he plays a character called "Recovery Babji".
"I play a recovery agent. I accidentally get involved in a problem and how I find my way out of it forms the crux of the story. I laughed through the narration and that's when I realised this is going to be a great entertainer," he added.
Aadi's last two films earned lukewarm response at the box-office. Asked what according to him went wrong, he said he might have chosen wrong scripts.
"I did characters above my age and I think that didn't suit my on screen image. Also, I don't want to do heavy characters, as I feel audiences might not be able to relate," he said.


text:
Argyle talisman and playmaker Graham Carey is staying at the club.
The 28-year old midfielder signed a new contract today and puts an end to the immense speculation surrounding his future.
Championship side Sheffield United were heavily linked to signing Carey with former Blades players even tweeting that they would like to have Carey at Bramall Lane, however the saga is now over and Carey extends his two year stay at Home Park.
Carey staying at Argyle is the biggest signing since the Greens were in the Championship.
With Carey in the team and Derek Adams as manager Argyle have reached a play-off final at Wembley and then secured automatic promotion from League Two the following season, only missing out on the title on goal difference.
Let's hope for similar success in the season ahead.
Welcome back on board the good ship Mayflower, Graham!
Carey Stays At Argyle
Argyle talisman and playmaker Graham Carey is staying at the club.


text:
First and most importantly. APR claims the chip is unrecognizable to a dealerships VAG diag tool. This is of utmost importance to me because i have an extended warranty, and the last thing i need is to drop 5k on replacing turbo's etc because i was chipped and the warranty was denied.
The second thing i was curious about is the fuel economy hit.
Other than that my main concern is reliability. If i chip it can i just expect the turbos to be toast after 70 or 80k miles? Am i risking tranny failure? Is the stock cluth up to the task of the additional hp/torque?
Hrmmm, you guys don't think just spending a little extra on the revo thing would be easier than swapping out the computers?
Hrmm, i found a company that sells pre chipped ECU's, the whole unit, so i can keep my stock ECU and swap it if something happens.
Forgive my n00bness but CEL is check engine light?
If thats the case, i assume by your last message you pretty would just have to say "well here is what happened, etc etc" whereas normally they would pull the code and discover it that way.
Regardless, the chip is from AWE Tuning, and GIAC chipped.
What do you guys think? Probably a good idea given my situation?


text:
- bspscottAsked on August 14, 2015 at 11:47 AM
- JotForm SupportBJoannaAnswered on August 14, 2015 at 02:51 PM
I have inspected Email Notifications in mentioned form and they look like this.
It seems that you have change default setting of email notification and because of that you are not receiving all data form your submitted forms. You are receiving data from only 4 fields. When you change settings inside of email notification and after you add new field in your form, that fields will not be shown inside of Email Notification.
I would suggest you to create new Email Notifications and delete old ones. When you create new Notification all fields and values of fields will be automatically added inside of your Email Notification. Inside of this guide you can find out how to create Email Notification:
Hope this will help. Let us know if you need further assistance.
- bspscottAnswered on August 15, 2015 at 01:05 PMI think I might have described my problem wrong. I have existing emails
set up as you saw when you logged in but when I go to modify they
existing emails it brings me back to the wizard as if I was setting up
the email for the first time.
see attached screen shots.
Not sure what is causing this problem but as it stands I cannot edit my
existing emails on any of my forms.
Dennis Sedilko
Bill Smith Photography
Campus Color Studios
Capture Today...Tomorrow is a Different Picture
Office: (916)749-1026
- JotForm SupportabajanAnswered on August 15, 2015 at 06:49 PM
Hi Dennis,
Unfortunately, I was unable to replicate the issue. When I logged into your account and clicked on the email alerts in a couple of your forms, including those of the one to which you referred (http://form.jotform.us/form/50956076862162) its Compose Email section (as shown in my colleague's screenshot) loaded. In none of my checks did I encounter the screen to add a new email alert (shown below):
I've cleared your form caches in case that would help. Please check again and let us know if the issue is still occurring.
- bspscottAnswered on August 15, 2015 at 07:00 PMhmmm.... any ideas on how I can resolve this issue on my machine because
it seems to work and then not work at different times. Maybe we could
set up a remote session and see if there is something i'm overlooking?
Dennis Sedilko
Bill Smith Photography
Campus Color Studios
Capture Today...Tomorrow is a Different Picture
Office: (916)749-1026
- ShadaeAnswered on August 16, 2015 at 09:49 AM
Hi Dennis,
I do apologize we do not offer remote session. Please attempt to clear your browser cache and attempt to edit your email notification once again.
Please see the screenshot below:
You can see the steps take to edit the email notifications on your form.
Please inform us if you are still experiencing an issue.


text:
WHAT IS A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM? From: http://www.mrsolar.com/solar-power-system-kits/ Also called a solar electric system or photovoltaic PV system, solar power systems use solar panels to collect photons of light from the sun and use them to create an . To learn more about solar PV s...Read more »
from: http://www.mrsolar.com/grid-tie-solar-power-systems/ Grid-tied, or grid-connected, solar photovotaic electric systems use light from the sun to generate electricity that can be used to power homes and businesses. These systems are designed to offset utility power usage and to compensate sys...Read more »
From: http://www.leonics.com/support/article2_12j/articles2_12j_en.php How to Design Solar PV System What is solar PV system? Solar photovoltaic system or Solar power system is one of renewable energy system which uses PV modules to convert sunlight into electricity. The electricity generat...Read more »
FROM:http://www.leonics.com/support/article2_15j/articles2_15j_en.php The increasing demand of electricity, the high price of oil and the growing concerns for our environment are some of several factors that forcing us to enhance the uses of alternative energy sources. Among a variety of renewabl...Read more »
Which Solar Panel Type is Best? Mono- vs. Polycrystalline vs. Thin Film Last updated May 18, 2015 by Mathias Aarre Maehlum From:http://energyinformative.org/best-solar-panel-monocrystalline-polycrystalline-thin-film/ You are thinking about buying solar panels, but got confused about whi...Read more »
1. Triple-junction Uni-solar amorphous solar cell processing technology The Trip-junction technology makes our amorphous silicon foldable/flexible solar panel can absorb more photons of the sunlight as compared with the crystalline solar panel; 1).Top layer of solar cell uses a-Si alloy with an ...Read more »
Scientists have spent a good part of the decade trying to improve solar-powered panels which are used in harvesting energy from the sun. While modular panels are widely being used in houses and commercial spaces, the idea of installing them on roadways is picking up steam fast. But the latest id...Read more »
ONE 40 FEET CONTAINER LOADING SITUATION — KELAN SOLAR EXPORT DEPARTMENT Read more »
Dragon's Day is coming, Kelan solar workers received a present from the company, that is the tradisional Dragon's day food Tsung Tsu, and salty duck eggs. Dragon Boat race Traditions At the center of this festival are the dragon boat races. Competing teams drive their colorful dragon ...Read more »
The sun is an everlasting source of energy that never runs out. It is cleaner, safer and more sustainable than fossil energy, guaranteeing a more sustainable future. Compared to its alternatives, solar energy has substantial advantages that make it a more viable and reliable energy source. Solar...Read more »
The sixth edition of Power & Energy Africa is an imposing demonstration of its importance to the successful development of the power and energy sector in Kenya. The expectations with the first show were not only fulfilled, but clearly surpassed. The 6th Power & Energy Africa is being he...Read more »


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Bush to Meet with Autocrat
From the Washington Post:
President Bush launched an initiative this month to combat international kleptocracy, the sort of high-level corruption by foreign officials that he called "a grave and corrosive abuse of power" that "threatens our national interest and violates our values." The plan, he said, would be "a critical component of our freedom agenda."
Three weeks later, the White House is making arrangements to host the leader of Kazakhstan, an autocrat who runs a nation that is anything but free and who has been accused by U.S. prosecutors of pocketing the bulk of $78 million in bribes from an American businessman. Not only will President Nursultan Nazarbayev visit the White House, people involved say, but he also will travel to the Bush family compound in Maine.
Nazarbayev's upcoming visit, according to analysts and officials, offers a case study in the competing priorities of the Bush administration at a time when the president has vowed to fight for democracy and against corruption around the globe. Nazarbayev has banned opposition parties, intimidated the press and profited from his post, according to the U.S. government. But he also sits atop massive oil reserves that have helped open doors in Washington.
Nazarbayev is hardly the only controversial figure received at the top levels of the Bush administration. In April, the president welcomed to the Oval Office the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who has been accused of rigging elections. And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosted Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the president of Equatorial Guinea, who has been found to have millions of dollars stashed in overseas bank accounts.
Click here to read the entire article.


text:
I thought again about that scene with the two women
Something hard glanced off my right ear. I dove for cover behind a fallen tree. My companion dove too. He landed in a spot that was just frozen dirt, I was next to a pile of icy snow. Somebody threw an ice ball at me!
My companion… I realized it was Tom. I peered over the log and saw two women with an ice ball in each hand – Molly and Cindy. I started packing an ice ball of my own. Tom said, "I got no ammunition! No ammunition!" I got ready to blast Molly, and…
Why is it that I only remember the unpleasant dreams? I stirred in bed, then half awake, I realized there was a point to it. Tom didn't fight back against Molly and Cindy because he had no ammunition. I had invasion of privacy and the threat of a lawsuit. Maybe I should revisit the cold shoulder I've been giving these guys. Eventually I drifted back to sleep.
When I woke, I resolved to apologize. We hadn't known each other long enough to develop a strong friendship, but I felt like I was out of line – at least somewhat.
After the gym, the three guys were shooting pool again. I stopped by to say hello.
"You guys still cheating each other in eight ball?" I asked?
Tom said, "Look what the cat dragged in." He and Frank had reserved smiles.
I took the lead. "Hey, I've been thinking about that whole scene with those women, and I have been kinda hard on you guys. I had something to defend myself, and you guys had nothing on Cindy. I'm sorry."
Tom smiled and said, "No, we should have stood up to her. In any case, it's good to see you again."
I bullshitted with them for a few minutes then made my exit; it was coffee time. On the way, Frank said, "The invitation is still open for cards."
I smiled and said, "Yeah, sounds good. See you Tuesday."
After she got my coffee, Andie told me she had spent the night with her ex and ex's lover. I asked, "Good time?"
"Better than I expected, I guess I was worried. I'm getting to like the guy, and I still care for Emma, though it's different than it was."
"Good, I hope it works out." She asked, "I saw you talking with the guys, what's new?"
"I thought I'd try to thaw things out. We'll see."
When I got home, I felt like doing some work on the house. It was late fall and I mulched the flowers and cut down the perennials. When I went in for lunch, my mind wandered to going over for "cards". I remembered the first time I sucked a cock, and how Tom dumped his load in my mouth. Then how Bill made me cum. Nice thoughts, I was looking forward to going back with them. And I had a stiff cock at the thought. So I went to my bedroom and got out my toy. I stripped and laid on the bed, looking down at my hard cock. Touching it with my fingers, it bobbed up and down. Hot. Then I started to touch my balls with one hand, and wrapped the other around my shaft. I stroked for a few minutes, then reached for the Fleshlight. I slid it down onto my dick, damn this is good. Slowly, I began to pump it up and down on myself. It didn't take long before I felt my orgasm start to rise. A few good pumps, and I exploded into the toy.
Later, I called Jerry. I wanted to invite him to the boys' night out, but I wasn't sure if he was comfortable around the drinking. If he wasn't, I could just have him and Bill over. But Jerry was ok with it, said he regularly spent time socializing around liquor, and still was dry for many years.
Tuesday came along eventually. I'd left my bottle of bourbon at Tom's, so all I needed to do was show up. Jerry met me at my place with a bottle of white grape juice, and we walked over. The fellows were psyched to see that I'd brought a friend. They got acquainted with Jerry for a bit, then I asked, "So Jerry, anything special under those clothes tonight?"
The other guys gave me a quizzical look. I explained, "When I met up with Jerry, he loaned me some sexy underwear. Which I proceeded to make a cummy mess out of."
Frank chuckled and said, "My ex used to make me dress up in her panties and bra."
"I'd like to see that," Jerry replied. "But to answer your question, Pete, I do have some nice knickers on."
Tom offered that the idea was making him hard. So we retired to the theater room. We started a flick about a guy who fucked a series of chicks, and while the action started up, Tom asked Jerry to model his undies for us. So he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. No bra this time, just a cammy. I walked over and reached into it and felt his man tit. Jerry continued to undress, dropping his pants to show some lacy white panties… with a big lump in the front. Tom stepped over to him and reached down to feel Jerry's cock in his panties. Tom took out his cock and showed it to Jerry, and Jerry went to his knees and began to kiss it. All the while, Bill just watched this unfold.
I felt a hand on my ass. I turned to find Frank, who said, "I think we have some unfinished 69 business." I reached around him and pressed my crotch against his. Frank and I went to the futon and watched each other undress. I was done first and laid down, then Frank laid down the opposite way. I had a great view of his long, thin cock and began to play with it. Frank had other ideas and immediately put his mouth on my cock and slid down on it. "Damn, Frank, you like that thing, don't you?" I followed suit and put my mouth on his cock and went deep. We both began to slid up and down on each other's cocks.
I looked over at the other guys, and saw both Tom and Bill working on Jerry. They had pulled down his cammy and each were sucking on one of Jerry's nipples. Jerry's cock was hanging out the panty leg, and looking mighty hard.
I reached around Frank and pulled him towards me. After a while enjoying cock in my mouth and my cock getting sucked, I said I wanted to change. I pressed him down on his back, spread his legs and got between them. I took hold of his cock and stuck my face down where I could lick his balls. This was doing the trick, Frank started to groan and hump, and I squeezed his cock harder. Then he cried out in pleasure as his orgasm hit. I could see streams of cum squirting out of his cock as I held it.
I got up on my knees and scooped up as much of his cum as I could in my hand. I wrapped my cummy hand around my cock and stroked it, hard. In about one minute, I groaned as I came. Pointing my cock down, I poured my load out on Frank's cock and in his pubic hair. Just to give my self a nice finish, I knelt down and licked it up off his dick, then put it in my mouth for a while.
Meanwhile, Tom had returned to his knees and had Jerry's cock in his mouth. He was kissing Bill. Now Bill took his cock out too. Jerry said, "I heard that your cock was beautiful, and he was right. I want you."
Tom got off Jerry's member and Jerry laid down on his back and told Bill, "Come up here and fuck my mouth." Bill knelt over Jerry and leaned down until his cock was in Jerry's mouth. He stuck it in and began to pump in and out. Tom was back on Jerry's cock. After a bit, Bill started making croaking noises then buried his little dick in Jerry's mouth, and put shots of cum in there. And almost at the same time, Tom's work was bringing off Jerry – who put his cum in Tom's mouth.
I got up and went over to them. I rolled Tom over and started giving him head. It didn't take long; he had gotten really turned on by playing with Jerry and sucking him off. Next thing I know, Tom's fat cock was squirting into my mouth.
Everybody just laid around for a while. But round two was about to happen.
Other Chapters: The Retirees Club – by NormJohnson
- The Retirees Club - Chap 2: I agreed to try out the men's play group
- The Retirees Club - Chap 3: After my first blowjob
- The Retirees Club - Chap 4: I just got an amazing blowjob
- The Retirees Club - Chap 5: I meet an old acquaintance
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 6: An extra afternoon at Bill's house
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 7: At the next guys night out
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 8: Just what is going on?
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 9: It's meeting night at last
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 10: Moving on
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 11
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 12: After getting wonderful head from Andie
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 13: At least that one is resolved
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 14: Meeting with lawyer
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 15: A nature lover
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 16
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 17: The old guys just finished round one
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 18
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 19
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 20: The girls too!
- The Retirees Club - Chapter 21 End - Some discussions and some sex


text:
A few weeks ago, as we are now well-acquainted with, government contractor Edward Snowden leaked some information about the government's surveillance programs which include the seizure and analysis of personal communication data from such companies as Verizon, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and others. Snowden was hiding out in Hong Kong to avoid retribution for his whistle-blower efforts to alert the public to the extent of the federal government's data collection. He is now on the run.
At first, this made a pretty big stir with newspapers and citizens expressing outrage especially as this came in the wake of revelations of executive seizure of journalists' phone records.
But then the coverage changed and in a very disturbing way. President Obama and various Congressmen not only defended the programs, but acted as though they were routine, well-established and not newsworthy. Then came the attacks on Snowden's person that he was low-level, interested in notoriety and had no business fleeing the country. As if any of that would discredit the information revealed. Sadly, these NSA programs are real regardless of the merit of the messengers who pulled the curtain off them. The undermining of Edward Snowden as a noble person is nothing more than a basic ad hominem tactic. Though ad hominems are logical fallacies, they often work with surprising ease and success. That is happening this time.
In the ensuing weeks, national outrage about the unprecedented level of government snooping has quelled. It barely makes headlines. When it is mentioned, Snowden is presented as a traitor.
This is shocking and scary.
Snowden did not reveal any dangerous information that compromised sensitive programs or persons (unlike Julian Asaange's Wikileaks scandal that outed many undercover agents and lead to their deaths). Snowden only alerted us to government programs that target living, breathing American citizens and thousands (millions?) of people around the globe. And for his trouble, he is being charged with spying! [Note: If there is more to this than I realize, and there was dangerous information involved, I would be willing to reconsider my view.]
The spin regarding the Snowden leaks amounts to 1984-esque suppression of historical facts, manipulation of public opinion, and a troubling induction of amnesia in our collective memory.
I don't talk politics much because as a trained student of political theory, I am often jaded and have views that fall far away from that of both Republicans and Democrats. But this is important. Here is my analysis of the Snowden coverage and six reasons why the spin amounts to tactics used by the totalitarian regime of George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984. Continue reading


text:
BSM Group are representing a client seeking Senior Internal Auditor with roles available in: NYC, Charlotte, Chicago, Raleigh, D.C., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conducts execution of internal audit plan by leading or conducting financial, compliance or operational audit projects including the examination and evaluation of the adequacy of internal controls.
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- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
- Professional certification or advanced degree is desired
If you require any more information please contact Gregory Pallay: firstname.lastname@example.com or (646) 618 8862


text:
I had a surprise lunch with erragal, devilstears, and gunn that was both delightful and delicious! I had my suspicions about the 'surprise' which turned out true, but not to the level I could have expected. She threw rock, he threw scissors. Its quite wonderful to see important Persons after two years, and yes there are changes, but they have remained essentially the same. Same unique postures and mannerisms, hand inflections and glints in the eye. It means they won't ever be strangers, even if it's another 2, 5, 10 years.
She says I should write more. I make some dumb-ass comment about needing to read more first, because I can't accept the compliment. I have problems with that.


text:
Affair: Macy's Welcomes Tennis Superstar Serena Williams
When: Thursday, August 25, 2016 @ 4PM
Hot Spot: Macy's Herald Square, NYC
Deets: Macy's welcomes tennis superstar and face of Berlei Lingerie, Serena Williams!
Join Macy's as we celebrate the US launch of Berlei Lingerie with Brand Ambassador, 22-time Tennis Grand Slam champion Serena Williams! We're serving up a special Q&A session with Serena, fresh off of her recent win at Wimbeldon, on Thursday August 25th. Shop the collection of sportswear and shapewear, which is as high performing and vividly fun as Serena herself.
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Who You May Spot: Serena Williams
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What's Trending: @macys @SerenaWilliams @BerleiUK


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LTA Machining operates out of a fully temperature controlled facility in a high technology industrial zone in Ventura County, California. We are 50 minutes north LAX, 30 minutes west the San Fernando Valley, and 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara.
1071 Avenida Acaso Unit C
Camarillo, CA 93012
805.482.3888 phone


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Good morning Friends,
I would like to share a Shadow Box I created using Ike's Art "Ninja Baby." This digi can be found on Ike's World Challenges!
As of this post there is 4 days left to enter Ike's World Challenges, the theme of challenge #8 is "New Year/ New Beginnings."
If you would like to qualify for the prize then you must use a Ike's Art image. So good thing that Ike is a super sweet heart and has provided a freebie for you!
This is the prize: a $20 GC to Ike's Art store
Here is what I did with Baby Ninja:
I have colored the image with Prismacolor pencils (I used Copics on the baby's skin.) I sponged the back-ground with SU's ink in Pool Party and Basic Grey.
The 2 bottles are chipboard that I colored with my new Gelotos, then used my label machine to add the words. The swirls are from Recollections
The "Happy New Year" banner was created with my new Stampin' Up! banner stamps and matching banner punch!
I hope you hop on over to the challenge blog and play along here is the link again: http://ikesworldchallengeblog.blogspot.com/
Please don't share the freebie, please direct your friends to Ike's challenge blog to pick it up. Thank you.
Thank you for your visit and for your comments! Stay Crafty my Friends!
I wish all of you and all of yours a wonder 2014!


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StatoilHydro Cites Record Year for Apprenticeship Program
The number of applications to StatoilHydro's apprenticeship program is record high. 168 of 1500 applicants have passed through the eye of the needle.
StatoilHydro is presently one of the companies in Norway with most apprentices and every autumn the company takes on apprentices from the whole country.
Onshore and Offshore
A good 60% of them are offered an apprenticeship at one of the company's onshore facilities and almost 40% are given offshore assignments.
"The apprenticeship program is important to ensure the expertise needs of tomorrow," said Jens. R Jenssen, senior vice president for corporate human resources. "StatoilHydro finds it important to take on as many apprentices as possible and help them qualify for their certificates of apprenticeship. We therefore have a good tradition for taking on more candidates than the company needs for its own recruitment."
"Locally we see a good interaction between our places of apprenticeship and the local schools which provide us with clever candidates suited to our needs," continued Jenssen. "Our presence helps stimulate the local interest in the various disciplines included in the program."
Long-term Effort
"Working much with apprentices we know that this is a long-term effort, and we are pleased to see that the company maintains its steady course also this year as the number of new apprentices is on the same level as that of the past years," said Else Sorstronen Amundsen, responsible for recruitment and head of the apprentice team in Bergen.
"I am pleased to note the good results of our effort relating to the apprentices, who see StatoilHydro as a good and attractive company for their training," said Amundsen.
Stays in the Company
In their training period in the company the apprentices continue their theoretical and practical competence training at a high level. Many of the candidates are offered a job in the company. Apprentices who have passed their qualifying examination after completing their training in the company are entitled to a job in StatoilHydro for two years following their training period.
"We also encourage our apprentices to continue their theoretical education and we have special support programs for apprenticeship candidates who want to take supplementary studies qualifying for higher education in engineering or other disciplines," said Jens R Jenssen.
- Samsung Heavy Industries Lands Statoil FSU Construction Contract (Sep 14)
- First Movers in Eco-Drilling: Going 'Dope'-less (Apr 25)
- StatoilHydro Delays Hammerfest LNG Start Up (Nov 23)


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The Shine Nursing Home Project has been shortlisted in the Nursing Times Award 2011 the Care of Older People category . This is a fantastic achievement as the number of nominations this year rose by 138% over last year's. Read full story
The Shine Nursing Home Project has been shortlisted in the Nursing Times Award 2011 the Care of Older People category . This is a fantastic achievement as the number of nominations this year rose by 138% over last year's. Read full story
To address the needs of Clinical Commissioning Groups, and ensure all staff involved in commissioning have the necessary commissioning skills and knowledge, Unique Improvements have developed a range of commissioning training courses specifically designed for NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups. Read full story
Four of the UK's leading skills-development organisations have come together to form a commissioning campus. Read full story
Unique Improvements are proud to be working in partnership with the Institute of Commissioning Professionals to provide our Teesside University Accredited Commissioning and Engagement training courses. Read full story
As of Friday 29th July 2011 our Domain www.uni.gb.com has been taken down by the domain registrar. This is due to a legal dispute over the rights of the domain between two registration organisations. The impact of this for Unique Improvements means that we have had to shift our domain from www.uni.gb.com to www.uni.uk.net Read full story
What is a Uni Bursary?
A Uni Bursary is a match funded initiative from Unique Improvements. It provides one free place for every purchased training place on one of five university accredited courses. Read full story
Free training places on University Accredited Courses
Unique Improvements, a North West based Social Enterprise specialising in Commissioning & Engagement Training, is pleased to announce the launch of Uni Bursaries. Read full story
On the 5 May 2011 at the SHINE celebration event, Manchester Care Homes rightly celebrated the success of the SHINE programme. The event, which was attended by clinicians, GPs, care home staff, residents and their relatives celebrated the success which was achieved within a 12 month pilot funded by the Health Foundation. Read full story
GP registrars call for commissioning training amid the widespread apprehension across the UK about the up-and-coming changes to the GP role that the NHS reforms will bring according to a recent report by pulsetoday.co.uk. Read full story


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Pateena Alexa Judd
Pateena Alexa Judd (Australia, NSW)
Pateena Alexa Judd Poems
|Fishing Dream
|A Plea From Me To You
Comments about Pateena Alexa Judd
Best Poem of Pateena Alexa Judd
A Plea From Me To You
Tonight my love walked away
My heart was crying with dismay
My feelings are a tangled mess
How can he leave me when I care?
I feel like running, I know not where
I love this man with a gentle soul.
How can he leave me in the cold
This man I thought was mine has gone.
To greener pastures he may think
Just spare a thought for me my dear
I look for you and you're not there
IÕll love you till the day I die.
DonÕt throw my love right back at me
I need you and you needed me
My hurt is strong but IÕll survive
Our heaven ...


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Upcoming Events/Readings (Summer/Fall 2014)
Not only do we have further entries in our Summer Reading Series coming up, but a couple wonderful bookfairs that we'll be attending, too!
All details of the readings are below, along with links to public Facebook events (where even more information resides, such as author bios), so if you can make any of them, stop by, say hello, and support local writers!
Literati Bookstore
When: Monday, August 11 @ 7 PM EDT
Where: 124 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Who's reading: Julie Babcock, Fritz Swanson, Michelle Webster-Hein, Jeff Vande Zande
Facebook event link
City Lit Books (co-hosted with Curbside Splendor)
When: Thursday, August 21 @ 6:30 PM CDT
Where: 2523 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, Illinois 60647
Who's reading: Peter Jurmu, Megan Stielstra, Sarah Carson, E. Ce Miller
Facebook event link
Well Done Marketing (co-hosted with Punchnel's)
When: Friday, August 22 @ 7 PM EDT
Where: 1043 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, Indiana 46203
Who's reading: Jen Bingham, Angela Palm, Anne Valente
Facebook event link
What: Kerrytown Bookfest
Where: Ann Arbor, Michigan
When: September 7, 2014
Additional details: http://www.kerrytownbookfest.org//
What: Detroit Art Book Fair
Where: Detroit, Michigan
When: September 14, 2014
Additional details: http://www.dittoditto.org/2014-detroit-art-book-fair/
What: Pygmalion Lit Fest
Where: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
When: September 25-28, 2014
Additional details: http://www.thepygmalionfestival.com/


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Shortly after "The Walking Dead" aired this week, I noticed the following on a friend's Facebook thread: "I stopped watching a few episodes ago, but let me guess. Lots of talking. Talking talking talking. A philosophical conversation about life, god, how the world is now. Even more boring, poorly written talking. And then a zombie attack at the end."
Wow, pretty much exactly.
Except this week we lost the "voice of reason," Dale. I guess we'll have to find a replacement "V.O.R." to tut-tut around the farm spewing morality. But once again the show threaded its dull needle through the show's most boring character, Carl. When Dale tried to convince Rick to spare the "prisoner's" life, whose name did he invoke?
When Rick was seconds away from killing said prisoner in the barn, who interrupted the execution with his approval?
And when Dale was finally slaughtered by that persistent Zombie, who felt responsible because he may or may not have lured the walker to the farm?
Yep...yet another episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead!" Did anyone else's nipples stiffen with delight during the scene in the woods when Carl almost became that muddy zombie's dinner? I actually deluded myself into thinking they might kill him off (and violently), but then remembered that the Walking Dead is the safest show on TV, and they wouldn't dare. They really need a new trick because the age old "do it for the children" routine is stale. Actually, it was never fresh to begin with, though the Walking Dead drinks from that pond like the show is the Sahara and Carl is the only oasis.
Also, the Walking Dead has a habit of creating "important moments" through incredibly forced and unnatural motivations. Dale was slaughtered by the zombie because, for some reason, he decided to take a midnight stroll on the perimeter of the farm. Earlier, Dale was upset because his opinion on the execution was overruled, but, regardless, why was he storming around like a petulant child? Where the hell was he going? Similarly, Glenn and Herschel's conversation in which Herschel gives him a family heirloom was just...amazing. And by amazing I mean amazingly shitty. From his deeply unnatural "check-in" on Herschel's other daughter (who is still "sick" in bed) to the "heartfelt" passing of the torch of Maggie's keeper...ugh, the whole thing was a bigger mess than the guts coming out of the side of the dead cow that Dale happened upon moments before his demise.
Also, a weekly suck award can also go out to Andrea, as her Annie Oakley persona is getting old quick. I did enjoy the fact that she eventually sided with Dale, showing an inkling of humanity, and maybe she can carry that torch from now on.
T-bone showed up this week! Is that his name? T-bone?
How many more weeks till Game Of Thrones again???
Monday, March 5, 2012
What March 3rd - 5th Means To Me: Weekly Walking Dead Hate
2 comments:
I wasn't sure where to post this but wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book. It has been quite awhile since I have read something and couldn't put it down because I enjoyed it not only because I HAD to know what happened next. I hope to see many more books written by you. On another note I would have loved to find out if Mr. Fong showed up?ReplyDelete
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1. How will you share your photos with us?
Yes, Dropbox
2. Any photos you can add this week (companion, apartment, etc.)?
Yes, I did
3. Did you get the letter I mailed to the Portugal Mission Home?
Yes, thanks a lot! and Grandma's and one from the older Ericksons
4. Have you seen improvement in your language ability since you arrived?
Yes, I can understand a lot more now, speaking is slowly getting better, but I usually
know what is going on. Direct questions are also very difficult
5. Did you get reimbursed for the airlines' luggage fee?
Not yet, nobody showed me but I'll work on that this week
6. What were your impressions of your mission president and his wife?
They're amazing! I didn't get too much time with them though
7. Do you live in a high rise apartment building?
Yes. Everyone lives in apartments here. We live on the top floor of one
8. How many Elders in your apartment?
9. What kinds of meals do you eat?
We make rice and beans and noodles and chicken
10. Do you do any door-to-door tracting?
Street contacts. Lots of street contacts
11. How are the missionaries generally received by the local people?
Most of them just tell us they are in a hurry to get somewhere and try to just walk
Away; or they say they are familiar with us, even though they don't know very much
about us.
12. What do you do for daily exercise?
13. It sounds like you walk everywhere. How did you get to this city from the mission home?
14. Where do you access your weekly emails?
At an electronics store; we pay by the hour
15. How long do you have to read and write them?
Like an hour, and reply to the mission president
16. Are there any foods you have noticed that they don't have in Portugal?
Peanut butter. It doesn't exist
17. Do they sell Gelato (a type of ice cream) from street corner vendors?
Not in Figueira, but the word Gelado in Português means ice cream, haha!
18. What is Elder S like?
Elder S was a boss, a really hard worker. But his most defining characteristic was
his optimism. He was NEVER down on himself or me or the work. He truly relied on the
Lord all the time. He was a consecrated missionary
19. How did it go this week with your new investigator, A?
Not so good. We haven't been able to see him again….. We'll find him though.


text: When, earlier on Monday, Serbian PM, Ana Brnabic was opening the 17th Serbian Economic Summit named The Road Map to Improve Competitiveness, she was saying that her country is totally different than four years ago, with plenty of potential ahead of it and healthy foundations "for sustainable and dynamic economic growth whose effects will be felt by the citizens."Brnabic also highlighted how well things have gone thanks to "tough but necessary reforms" that were launched and breathed life into Serbia's economy. Tanjug reports, that the reforms helped reduce public debt, they introduced fiscal discipline and consolidated public finances.A bit later, however, when Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia President Marko Cadez spoke, he underlined how greatly needed qualified workforce is in the country, since this is one of Serbia's major challenges on the path to improving its competitiveness.In his important address at the Summit, Cadez made special reference to his visits in various regions of Serbia, where people tell him that workforce is non-existent.../IBNA


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This recording should showcases the complete depth of your technique. For example, this could be a portion of what you are currently working on in your lessons, a piece you recently performed or an orchestral excerpt you used for an audition. Be sure your choice shows your range and capabilities as a player.If you do NOT take lessons, you may choose to play a section of a piece you are playing in your orchestra.
*Please Note* This submission is a required part of the application. While the content is not a factor in acceptance, if we do not receive your file by the application deadline, May 1st, you will forfeit your spot.


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Join IGN in a 30 minute podcast investigation into the biggest news events shaping the games industry, including:
Is your local games store headed for extinction?
The moral question of used games.
Sony's Terms of Service and bullying tactics.
Are Facebook games the future?
An assessment of Vita's chances.
Your hosts are former PC Gamer EIC, and Hollywood script-writer (The Book of Eli) Gary Whitta, and IGN's head of news & features Colin Campbell , both formerly of the Game Theory podcast. Send us comments and questions below, or via Twitter.
IGN's Game Business Episode 1
Inquiring minds: e-mail us your questions.


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We pride ourselves on providing quality independent advice with no surprises or unexpected fees.
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Credit services provided by Credit Representatives of VOW Financial Pty Ltd ACN 138 789 161 (Australian Credit Licence 390261)
Vow's Privacy Policy


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Sando Plastic Bags Can Kill Geckos, So What?
Sando plastic bags can kill geckos. So what, you may say, but geckos play a very important role in your home that might change your attitude towards this friendly reptile. Here are facts about geckos that are worth pondering.
Geckos in Homes
Many people dislike the presence of geckos in their homes. They would do anything to shoo off the animal away or get rid of them by killing them. Some animal enthusiasts keep them as pets, however, and enjoy the cold feet and rough skin of the geckos.
What many people don't know is that geckos play a very important role in the house. They get rid of pests in the house because of their feeding habits. They feed on cockroaches, swarmers (these insects are the flying precursors of termite colonies), mosquitoes, centipedes and even rodents. Of course, they could not prey on the big rats; rather, on rat litter. These animals, therefore, should be treated as a friendly member of the house to keep the pests at bay. You just have to be sure that no gecko is on the ceiling when you eat because they might suddenly unload their poop. It also takes patience to sweep their exrements from hidden places they like to stay.
Sando Plastic Bags Can Kill Geckos
Sando plastic bags can kill geckos. How? They mistake sando plastic bags for something else because these plastic bags produce a sound similar to that of a struggling moth.
Just this morning, the author noticed a gecko struggling with a white sando plastic bag. Thinking this would likely kill the animal upon ingesting its "prey", the author tried and eventually removed the plastic bag from the gecko's grasp successfully after a few minutes of chasing and struggling.
The photo on the right showed that one end of the sando plastic bag has already made its way into the gecko's gut as evidenced by the soiled portion. As it escaped, the plastic bag was actually gradually ingested by the gecko but the author forced it out of the gecko's mouth.
What Does This Small Incident Mean?
This incident may mean nothing to the non-observant and those who take things lightly and shrug their shoulders about how wastes are being disposed. But there is wisdom in this incident that might have some implications on what is going on in our planet.
Plastics can make its way not only into the diet of geckos but many animals as well. Many sea turtles die due to the ingestion of plastics. Marine animals like the leatherback turtles mistake floating plastic bags for their natural food, the jellyfishes. Just like the geckos, ingestion of plastics can obstruct the gut, lead to absorption of toxins and reduce the absorption of nutrients from their real food (Turtles.org, 2004). According to Earth Resource Foundation, 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement.
Banning Plastics
Plastics have already become an integral part of modern society. Many countries have banned the use of plastics. Other countries, however, dislike the idea of banning plastics as a measure to prevent environmental problems associated its use. Plastics which take many forms, are very useful inventions of man which can make life more convenient. It can even save human lives.
Therefore, the real issue that should be dealt with along this concern may not really be to undertake the extreme action of banning all plastics. There are always ways to manage this important product of human innovation.


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Have you ever seen the Excedrin commercial where the guy says he uses Tylenol for everything except headaches? I always thought that was a really lamebrain ad because it mentions the competitor's product before - and almost as often - as the one it's trying to sell.
Why am I talking about an Excedrin commercial instead of Powerslave, Playmate Interactive Entertainment's entry into the insufferably crowded first-person shooter market? Because at PIE's web site they do exactly the same thing: In the section for Powerslave is a caption that reads, "Duke May Rock But Ramses Rules" - not a wise comparison when the game you're pushing lacks several key features of that classic.
Hey, I'm not saying Powerslave is a bad game: When you stack it up against stuff like ZPC, Alien Trilogy, and Rex Blade, it comes out smelling like roses. But put it against the cream of the crop - Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, SKYnet, and the freeware demo Redneck Rampage - and it moves quickly into the "just OK" zone.
You play as a covert operations specialist who's been ferried into the Egyptian city of Karnak to find out who or what has sealed off the town from the rest of the world. The only information you have is from a villager who somehow managed to escape; before he died, he said someone had invaded the city, stolen the mummy of the Pharoah Ramses, and was attempting to bring him back to life. The intruders are also embalming and mummifying live villagers to keep the populace in line.
As you start the game, all you have to defend yourself is a machete, but just as in any one man war, there are plenty of weapons and pgwer-ups just waiting to be grabbed: an M-60 machine gun, hand grenades, a flamethrower, and a slew of magical items that do everything from making you invincible to replenishing your life meter.
For a 3-D shoot-'em-up, Powerslave has a couple of nice twists. Some areas aren't accessible unless you push objects around, either revealing new doorways or providing a stepping stone to jump over a wall. Because there are several places where you have to perform some accurate leaps, the inclusion of a third-person perspective can be a big help in calculating jumps. And the magical items add depth to gameplay because you have to decide what to use and when to use it, not to mention collecting enough "magical essence" to enable to you unleash the spells. And a training mode allows you to get used to the interface and various commands without worrying about enemies.
Powerslave also earns fairly high marks in the graphics department: The enemies are nicely textured and shaded, and you have to get almost on top of them before you start noticing pixels. The sound effects are also good, marred only by your character's apparent multiple personality disorder: He sounds like three or four different people, depending on what he's doing.
So far, so good. But compare it to Duke Nukem 3D - they did it, not me! - and its weaknesses stand out like the Great Pyramids in the Valley of the Kings. Probably the most annoying is the game's wretched save-game feature, which reveals the game's PlayStation's origins. Instead of being able to save a game at any point during play, you have to give a new game a name and then save it at certain points within each level; your progress is automatically saved at the end of a level.
What this means is that if you quit and load a saved game, you're forced to start at the beginning of a level regardless of how far you progressed in that level the last time you played. The save game feature is a little more forgiving if you don't exit the game because you're only taken back to the last mid-level save point, but it's still a far cry from being able to save every single bit of your progress as you can in Duke, Quake, or about any other quality shooter you care to name. I've got no problem with a PlayStation game being ported to PC so long as the translation takes advantage of the new platform - something that clearly wasn't done here.
There are other problems in Powerslave probably related to the slapdash conversion from console system to PC. Want to use your fancy programmable gamepad to play Powerslave? Well, that's too bad, because there's no joystick or gamepad support whatsoever. Since most of us like to move as fast as we can in these kind of games, the absence of an "always run" button - another common feature in first-person shooters - is a real mystery. There are no adjustable difficulty settings; strafing left or right is too slow to be effective, even if you're holding the run button; and at seven weapons, counting the near-useless machete and a boring (but effective) Cobra Staff, the arsenal's not exactly breathtaking. And the shortcomings continue in multiplayer mode. While 12 multiplayer-only levels is acceptable, it doesn't begin to approach the number of multiplayer levels in Duke or Quake. What's more, there's no option to play with monsters on, and you can't exit from one level to another - to move to a new level you have to quit and start a new game. There aren't any armor bonuses in the levels, so the only way to get new armor is to die. And though the advertising copy at the Powerslave web site claims you can use Windows 95's dial-up networking for head-to-head play, a call to the PIE Tech Support department revealed the truth: The game only supports multiplayer games over an IPX-compatible network.
If you can find a copy of Powerslave at a discount - say, $20 to $25 - it might be worth a look; despite all its flaws, I still had fun playing it. Pay any more, though, and it will be like shelling out full price for day-old falafel.


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Former Stepinac Athlete Brian sweeney has been recalled to the Seattle Mariners
Stepinac Player of Week- Brian Sweeney
Posted Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by Michael Odonnell
Mariners recall Yonkers native Sweeney
Yonkers native Brian Sweeney is getting another shot at the majors after a stint in Japan.
The Seattle Mariners on Tuesday recalled the right-hander, who signed as a minor-league free agent on April 16.
Sweeney, who turned 36 on Sunday, was 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in 28 2/3 innings of relief at Triple-A Tacoma, with 32 strikeouts and eight walks. He had spent the last three seasons playing in Japan for the Nippon Ham-Fighters. Sweeney last pitched in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres in 2006.
Sweeney originally signed with Seattle as a minor-league free agent in 1996. Prior to that, he starred at Stepinac High and Mercy College.


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Identifying Waste
by theleanthinker
So what is waste?
Waste can be summed up as everything which does NOT add "value" to the end product or service. As a customer, anything which costs me money, but doesn't add value to the service, I do not want to pay for. Hence why it is known as waste or MUDA (Japanese term). Waste is known to appear in 7 "Deadly" ways:
- Transport
- Inventory
- Motion
- Waiting
- Over-processing
- Over-Production
- Defects
These are all forms of waste, as they provide no gain for the customer, however cost the company money. These extra costs are then off-loaded to the customer and therefore make the product/service more expensive than it could be.
Often these wastes occur as they become part of the everyday function of the factory. There is often a need to step back, and look at all the steps and processes creating a product/service, and evaluate which activities are value adding, and which are not.
So why should we reduce waste?
Reducing waste ultimately saves money. It also reduces cycle time, allowing smaller batch sizes and more customer flexibility. By reducing waste such as inventory it can allow for better factory utilisation. Reducing transportation of materials and motion of workers means more time can be spent productively, and workers gain better job satisfaction.
To summarise a quote from Akiko Busch:
"Make less, buy less, use less, throw away less."
Source: "Reflections on Consumption and Minimalism" in Business Week


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Chris Rock - Tea Party Is Full of Racists
Shut up and go get your Ripple, moron. One more example of IDIOTS talking about things it knows nothing about. Hollyweird asshole. Go figure.
One more idiotic comedian that just needs to be a comedian and STFU. I guess all Tea Partiers are racists and we all include everybody that loves the USC. Amazing.
The Snooper Report.
Join us as we Take Our Country Back.
Sic vis pacem para bellum
Fight Accordingly