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My Theme This Week: Anything happening in the Good Ole USA. : )
The big conference for Autism Society of America is coming up soon. It will be held July 9-12 in Orlando, Florida. One blogger from Florida will be covering the conference starting July 10th on her blog Cafe Autism. The author, Nancy N., is taking requests via the comment section of her blog. On a comment posted at my site on Friday's post, Nancy wrote:
"If anyone has any requests about what they would like to see me cover at the conference I would love them to contact me through the site at www.cafeautism.com! I'm going to focus on stuff for parents."
My thoughts: I checked out the ASA conference schedule, which I'd suggest visiting before making a request. There will be an Exhibition Hall with vendors, poster sessions, and keynote speakers which include Temple Grandin, Dr. Robert Hendren, and James Ball.
There are also several educational sessions geared toward parents. It looks like there are a lot of great topics to choose from. One session (3225) that looked good to me was titled "With Open Arms: Creating School Communities of Support for Socially Challenged Kids by Mary Schlieder."
Unfortunately another one that looked really good is to be held at the same exact day and time, which is I believe is Saturday July 12 from 10:45 to noon (although this should be doubled checked as I am blogging in the morning when I tend to have brain fog). It was titled: "Ten Things you need to know Before your child turns 18" by Jaime, Tracy and Bryan Parent.
Perhaps, Nancy should blog about how to be in two places at once. That one would be a particularly useful skill to parents of children with ASD. ; )
Anyway, although my child is just about ten and Nancy's daughter is only five, the very last session listed looks interesting too. It's titled "Teaching the Hidden Curriculum of Sexuality: Guiding Adolescents" by Kristi Sakai. I'm thinking ahead!!!
Note of Interest: While I have only been living here for five years, Nancy grew up in Mt. Pleasant, MI. She writes, "I live in FL now though - no snow here! My grandmother is still in Mt. P, in assisted living at Maplewood. I haven't been up there since 2001 though, unfortunately. I miss it."


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I was looking around the net for gluten-free candy info this morning and while there hasn't been any update to the Silly Yaks list, I did find another list that may be helpful. You can find that list here.
I hope this is helpful and I will post updates as I get them. Another option is to subscribe to Zeer.com and then you can check the status. I did a mini-review of Zeer here. Basic is free and the select has been lowered to $4.95/month! A great resource, especially if you or a family member is newly diagnosed or gluten-free.
LiveJournal Tags: gluten free candy,halloween,zeer
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products |

subset: commoncrawl


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Q. Are you required to bond isolated sections of metal water pipe that are connected to a nonmetallic water piping system?
A. No. An isolated section of metal pipe is not a metal water piping system. A metal water piping system must be bonded as required in 250.104(A)(1), (A)(2), or (A)(3). The bonding jumper must be copper where it is within 18 in. of the earth [250.64(A)], securely fastened to the surface on which it's mounted [250.64(B)], and adequately protected if exposed to physical damage [250.64(B)]. In addition, all points of attachment must be accessible [250.104(A)]. In addition, you're not required to bond isolated sections of metal water piping connected to a nonmetallic water piping system (Figure).
To remove dangerous voltage on metal parts from a ground fault, electrically conductive metal water piping systems, metal sprinkler piping, metal gas piping, as well as exposed structural steel members likely to become energized, must be connected to an effective ground-fault current path [250.4(A)(4)].


text: New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publishers Weekly calls Susan's prose "luscious and provocative," and Booklist says, "Novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling." While Susan appreciates the critical praise, she is most honored by the enthusiastic readers who write to tell her that her books made them laugh, made them cry and made the world a happier place to live. Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle. She's there for the coffee, not the weather.


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A durable, 1200D hay bag that holds 2 to 3 flakes of hay. Each bag features 2" x 2" slow feed openings in the front and no back openings. 24" x 21½" x 7" Read More
Nylon Slow Feed Hay BagThis super strong hay bag features 1200D durable nylon reinforced with 108 cross stitches. Two removable heavy-duty snaps with adjustable & replaceable top straps. Velcro® closure on top & snaps on both rings prevent horse from accessing hay from the top of the hay bag. Top & bottom straps fasten to stabilize the hay bag. This slow feed hay bag features 2" X 2" slow feed openings in the front (no back openings) & easily holds 2 - 3 flakes of hay.
- Color: Black
- Dimensions: 24" x 21½" x 7"
- Brand: Derby Originals
- Dimensions: 24" x 21.5" x 7"
- Material: Nylon
- Color: Black
Reviews (16)
I had to wait 4 weeks for this product to arrive because it was on back-order. I wanted to use it for a metabolic mare who cannot be turned out to graze. I mounted it on the pipe gate with two flakes of hay in it, and stood there to watch and see what she did with it. She nibbled some hay out of the little squares but when she couldn't get enough in her mouth at one time, she opened the top with one jerk of her teeth and proceeded to eat out of the top of it. The top velcro closure certainly is no match for a hungry horse. I'm very disappointed in the design of this product.
"would be best for trailer feeding, NOT for everyday use"
The netting holds up very well and I prefer this type of feeder to the net, but the solid back is not up to the task and shreds easily. It was destroyed by my horse in about three weeks, shredding the canvas back. The Slow Feed Haynet lasted for nearly a year and is less money. If you want a feed bag like in this style, I would suggest spending the extra and buy the NibbleNet without the solid back.
"Not for Daily Use"
I bought these to slow down my fat geldings hay consumption, after only a few weeks use the stitching was ripping and the D rings were pulled out. These are a complete waste of money. Granted it did slow down my geldings hay consumption but are now useless because they have large holes in the netting. They worked great until the stitching started to rip.
"love these bags!"
I ordered several of these for my kids to use during 4-h shows. I also used a couple to feed a mare while at my house. I love how much they hold, - I can fit a whole flake from a big square bale! The only problem I've had is the horse reaching into the bag from the top & then pulling too much out. To help prevent that I added clips to the top rings to help hold it shut. I believe these bags will last us many years since we primarily only use them a week out of the year, we don't use them at all at home, the horses are either on pasture or big bales at home.
After reading good reviews on this product thought it would be a great buy for a great price compared to nibble nets pricing. I have used it maybe four times in a stall, with only one flake of hay, not over stuffing it and this morning was wondering why hay was on the ground. The back totally tore away at the bottom seams from the front net. Maybe I received one of the old bags with bad seams... Very disappointed!
"Constantly improving"
A while back when this was first available I bought one. It lasted the winter, but the plastic backing on the inside of the bag was coming off(so a horse could eat it by accident), the part where the hooks would attach the seems were coming undone, so I had to add a Caribbeaner to one of the hay holes to help keep the bag up. Also the clips on the straps were kind of cheap. by the end of winter it was pretty gross looking from my horses slobber, and I didn't want to wash it. for $20 at the time it was worth it compared to a $75 or more bag I thought. So I ordered a new one, WOW did they work on improving it, they made it so the seems will no longer break from force, they added a bottom string so you can help tie the bag against the wall, they have better plastic lining in the back, so it doesn't look like it will flake off ever. They have much better quality clips on the straps now. I think they may have added velcro... maybe, but I over stuff that thing so much velcro is useless to me. I can put 3 largish flakes of have in it plus some scraps. last year when I filled it I usually put scrap hay in it only(so I used this for extra hay on top of my horses normal rations), so I would stuff the bag, and then stand/jump in it to pack the hay in, then add more, and repeat until no more would fit. I had no issues with any of the seams that held the bag together. Also since they keep improving this bag, I would say this company really cares about the product they are selling. I have had no issues so far with the current new one I have. Since this is for sale today on there frugal friday sale, I'm planning to buy another one or two. I've got a pony that I'm working with that could use one of these. Lastly, what my horse thinks of this: so my horse walks into his stall after being ridden he sees 3 huge flakes on the ground, and a bag stuffed with scrap hay. Which one does he go f
I ordered this bag to feed my baby goats and it worked great for them. Later I rescued a Arabian when she was abandon and it worked excellent for her also.
"Perfect for goats"
I love this hay feeder! It holds 2 large flakes of hay and stands up to goats pulling and tugging at it. Most of the hay gets eaten and little falls to the ground. Easy to fill too.
"Poor Quality"
Cheap chinese quality. Fell apart in less than a week. Snaps, stitching, vinyl all substandard. I learned my lesson, if you want American quality buy American made products.
"not worth it"
The bag is small. I bought two. One was destroyed in less than a week. They are not very sturdy. All in all, a big disappointment. Maybe it would work for a pony.
"Bottom came out"
In one week the bottom of the bag came apart.I feel it is poor quality.
"Great bag for the money"
This bag has held up great for my 3 yr old colt. He has a history of demolishing every hay net and bag I put in his stall. For the money I would recommend this bag, even if it does not last forever. It has lasted longer than any other hay bag has, even the ones I used with less destructive horses.
"Poor Quality Materials and workmanship"
The hay bag's bottom ring tabs tore off with the very first use. The hardware is lightweight and the snaps broke with a second use. I feel I wasted what meager funds I have in my equine budget. Inferior materials and poor quality workmanship - I oculd not recommend this product.
"Great Buy"
This is a great hay bag. It stands up to my mare's vigorous biting at it to get a the hay. I wish I had bought it on sale, but still a great buy at full price. No problems with hardware. My mare really pushes this thing around and there hasn't been a problem.
"Very Little Waste"
I bought these bags to use on a week long vacation. I used them morning and night.There was very little hay on ground. Only problem was one of the bottom rings broke where it is stitched and another bag is starting to rip in same place. Top rings held up and so did rest of bag. Overall happy with quality and would recommend. People that was with me liked them as well, there cheaper hay bags didn't last the week.
You May Also Like
Super Tough 4 Sided Slow Feed Hay Bag
Natural Grazer Slow Feed Hay Bag
Ultra Slow Feed Hay Net, Royal Blue


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Australians just love surfing - ABS
Half of the households in Australia (3.5 million households) had a home computer and 28 per cent (1.9 million households) had home Internet access by February 2000, according to the latest quarterly survey released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
In comparison, 45 per cent of Australian households (3.2 million) had a home computer and 18 per cent (1.3 million) had home Internet access by February 1999. The increase in the number of households with home Internet access (662,000 households) was more than double the increase in the number of households with home computers (322,000) over the 12 months to February 2000.
An estimated six million adults (43 per cent of Australia's adult population) accessed the Internet in the 12 months to February 2000.
When the characteristics of Internet users are analysed, some interesting trends emerge.
More than 5% of all Australian adults (740,000 adults) used the Internet to purchase or order goods or services for their own private use in the 12 months to February 2000. This is a significant rise from the 480,000 adults who did likewise in the 12 months to February 1999. Books, magazines and computer software were the two most common (35 per cent and 28 per cent respectively) types of goods or services purchased or ordered for private use in the 12 months to February 2000.
Male Internet shoppers outnumbered female shoppers by more than two to one (8 per cent and 3 per cent of adults respectively) and adults with incomes of $40,000 or more were four times as likely to be Internet shoppers than those on lower incomes (12 per cent of adults compared with 3 per cent).
Details are in Use of the Internet by Householders, Australia, February 2000 (cat. no. 8147.0) which is available from ABS Bookshops. The summary of the publication are also available on this site. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS bookshop in your capital city.
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Bahrain has backed off its move to dissolve the kingdom's strongest political opposition bloc after the US criticized the decision made by its tiny ally – home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and other military installations critical to American operations in the Persian Gulf.
The Ministry of Justice and Islamic affairs announced yesterday it was seeking court approval to ban Al Wefaq, a Shiite political bloc that is the government's strongest opposition, and the smaller Islamic Action Association. It accused both groups of violating laws and harming "social peace and national unity."
But after the US State Department spokesman criticized the move, Bahrain's official news agency removed the original statement and said that the ministry would wait for the outcome of current investigations before deciding to take action against the political societies. The abrupt U-turn suggests that the US, which has been largely silent over the past month, still wields influence over the tiny kingdom despite its acquiescence to Saudi interests there.
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Al Wefaq member Sayed Hadi AlMosawi, contacted in Manama by phone, says he believes the reversal was a direct result of US criticism.
"I think that [Bahraini officials] got the message clearly and that's why they withdrew it," he says. "Still we feel there is an intention to do something, but we don't know what. The situation is not clear for us."
State department spokesman endorsed a reversal
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Thursday that the US was "concerned" about the decision and "we would welcome them reversing this particular action."
"These were legitimate political societies that were recognized by the government of Bahrain, especially the mainstream Shia opposition group, Al Wefaq," he said in a briefing in Washington. "We call on the government of Bahrain to support freedom of association and expression and to foster an environment that encourages political pluralism and participation." Political parties are outlawed in Bahrain, and they are known instead as political societies.
The US has been largely silent as Bahrain has undertaken a campaign to crush the largely Shiite protest movement that began in February calling for democratic reforms by the kingdom's Sunni rulers.
Human rights advocates in Bahrain say that at least 31 people have died during the government crackdown. More than 400 have also been arrested, including many activists and those who spoke out against the campaign, and four of those detained have so far died in police custody. Hundreds of the Shiites have been fired from their jobs, and others are targeted at checkpoints for beatings or arrest.
US envoy headed back to Bahrain next week
While the US initially urged Bahrain's government to negotiate with the opposition, it had issued no strong condemnation of Bahrain's use of violence and intimidation since the middle of March, when Saudi Arabia sent more than 1,000 troops into Bahrain to help quell the protests.
On April 1, the State Department spokesman, in response to a reporter's question, did criticize the detention of prominent blogger Mahmood al-Yousif, and Bahrain later released him. This week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton mentioned Bahrain in an address at the US-Islamic World Forum in Washington, saying, "Violence is not and cannot be the answer. A political process is – one that advances the rights and aspirations of all the citizens of Bahrain."
Bahrain's original decision to close down Al Wefaq was yet another indication that the government of Bahrain was not interested in pursuing a political solution to the unrest. Al Wefaq did not organize the original protests that began Feb. 14, though it later supported them, and it never called for the overthrow of the ruling family as some protesters did.
The group was in contact in March with US envoy Jeffrey Feltman, who was trying to bring the government and opposition to the table for dialogue. That effort failed when Saudi troops were called into the country on March 14 to help put down the uprising. Mr. Feltman, assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, will head back to Bahrain next week.
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Get an overview of this hotel 3.5-star hotel near Dulles Sportsplex
Popular highlights
Situated near the airport, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Dulles Sportsplex and Dulles Golf Center & Sports Park. Dulles Town Center and Herndon Centennial Golf Course are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Hotel Features
A restaurant, an indoor pool, and a 24-hour fitness center are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free WiFi in public areas is provided, as well as free self parking, a free airport shuttle, and a free shopping center shuttle. Additionally, a bar/lounge, a snack bar/deli, and a 24-hour business center are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 171 rooms offer conveniences like refrigerators and coffee makers, along with free WiFi, free wired Internet, and pillowtop beds. Other amenities available to guests include iPod docks, flat-screen TVs, and room service.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport features an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center. The hotel offers a restaurant and a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. A computer station is located on site and wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary.
Business-related amenities at this 3.5-star property consist of a 24-hour business center and limo/town car service. Event facilities measuring 5171 square feet (465 square meters) include conference space. This business-friendly hotel also offers a library, a terrace, and multilingual staff. An area shuttle within 5 mi and a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours) are complimentary for guests. Limited complimentary onsite parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport is a smoke-free property.
- Express check-in
- Library
- Bar/lounge
- Free shopping center shuttle
- Elevator
- Free airport transportation
- Indoor pool
- 24-hour front desk
- Conference space
- Express check-out
- Meeting rooms
- Restaurant
- Year Built - 2010
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free wired Internet
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Computer station
- Smoke-free property
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Free area shuttle
- Conference space size (meters) - 465
- Terrace
- Luggage storage
- Long-term parking (surcharge)
- RV, bus, truck parking (surcharge)
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- ATM/banking
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 5171
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shared microwave
- Snack bar/deli
- Shopping on site
- Ballroom
- Banquet hall
- Reception hall
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Total number of rooms - 171
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Television in common areas
- Number of floors - 6
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Multilingual staff
- Fireplace in lobby
- Free newspapers in lobby
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Indoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Area shuttle (complimentary)
- Snack bar/deli
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Long-term parking (surcharge), Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking (surcharge), Parking (limited spaces)
Room Amenities
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Room service (limited hours)
- Premium TV channels
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Bathtub or shower
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Number of bathrooms -
- iPod docking station
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Pillowtop mattress
Where to Eat
Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 6 AM and 10 AM.
DoubleTree Restaurant/Bar - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). A children's menu is available. Happy hour is offered.
Late night fare is available from room service (during limited hours).
Start your morning with a full breakfast, available each day from 6 AM to 10 AM for a surcharge. You can order up room service during limited hours.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool and a 24-hour fitness center.
- Golfing nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them in the special requests field on the booking page after selecting your room.
- Wheelchair accessible path of travel
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- Wheelchair accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Assistive listening devices available
- Braille or raised signage
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-in time ends at midnight
Minimum check-in age is 21
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed (service animals welcome)
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
Only service animals are allowed
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available
Debit cards
- Deposit: USD 50.00 per stay (for guests under 21 years old)
- Breakage deposit: USD 499 per stay
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: between USD 6 and USD 19 per person (approximately)
- Late check-out fee: USD 99.00 (subject to availability)
Hotel Name
- DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Sterling Dulles Airport
- DoubleTree Hilton Sterling Dulles Airport
- DoubleTree Sterling Dulles Airport
- DoubleTree Hilton Sterling Dulles Airport Hotel
- DoubleTree Hilton Dulles Airport Hotel
- DoubleTree Hilton Dulles Airport
- DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling Dulles Airport
- DoubleTree Hilton Dulles
- DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport Hotel
- DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport Sterling
- DoubleTree by Hilton Sterling - Dulles Airport Hotel Sterling
We should mention
This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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Reptiles is a wonderful collection for the little animal lovers out there. This collection comes in two sizes, one for the 4x4 hoop and one for the 5x7 hoop. PCS and SEW users please note that as your machines do not support a 5x7 hoop, the 5x7 size is not available in your format and PES has been provided instead. See our full range of Boys Embroidery Designs. View all Bunnycup embroidery designs
Unless otherwise stated on each design set, all machine embroidery designs typically fit a 4 x 4 hoop (or your embroidery machines standard hoop - each format has been sized for the specific standard hoop). If you would like design information such as the design size, stitch count and needle changes, please click on the thread chart to the right.


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So goes the theme of our group blog chosen this time around by Persolaise. Please take a few moments to check out the posts of my peers as well:
Candy Perfume Boy (our special guest)
Fragrant Moments
(Yep, just me and the boys this time-- just as Madge herself would have it)
I sort of thrive off of different arts coming together for any purpose, but music, fashion and perfume? That's the mother-lode. I'm going to share two of my favorite Madonna eras and pair them with what I consider to be the ideal perfume for that era.
Not many of us knew anything about the real Vogueing scene happening in NYC when this song and video came out, so Madonna's ultra-stylized version in her video gave us a taste of something new (to us, anyway). The best part about the statement that Vogue made at the time was Madonna's homage to the most fabulous women and men of the past, mostly in the Golden Age of Hollywood. When Madonna sings "Greta Garbo gave good face", no one could argue with that. Madonna shows love for those style mavens who came before her, and it's every bit as delicious as the dapper minimalist suits worn in the video.
All these classic references deserve a classic perfume, and to my mind, it must be a Guerlain-- more specifically, Mitsouko, an exemplary chypre created in 1919 by Jaques Guerlain.
The delicate but persistent anisic note in the classic Mousse de Saxe accord is my favorite part of the Mitsouko experience. Brightly aromatic and rich, spicy and overtly sexual, this is a fragrance for grown-ups. Even though the heart boasts a punch of peach, I think it suits men and women equally. If you're lucky enough to possess even a few drops of the vintage extrait, you understand the earthy power of natural oak moss.
Into the Groove
Nobody does a healthy combination of the sacred AND profane like Etat Libre d'Orange, and Antoine Maisondieu's Encens et Bubblegum is the perfect example. Even the perfumer's surname fits right in.
Okay, so I can't ever recall a time when Madonna projected innocence exactly, but her music heavily leaned towards bubblegum in the early days. The incense represents the consistent use of religious symbols (whether they are subtle or meant to be obvious) in practically everything she's ever done. I mean, nothing says "I'm a reformed Catholic!" quite like sugary-sweet, hot pink bubblegum paired with the intoxicating, ecclesiastical cool of frankincense, right?
Have any of you tried Madonna's perfume Truth Or Dare? I love the visual aesthetic of the bottle and graphic on it, but I've not sampled it yet. I'm tempted to, though. The power of pop compels me!


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If online ad targeting continues to follow the lead of Wall Street in relying on automated systems that work at real-time speeds, then we may be looking at a future where some marketer chase trends by the nano-second. Among stock traders, machine trading has become so efficient and and inhumanly fast that algorithms hunt down every hint of a trend in order to detect and capitalize on it before competitors dilute the first mover advantage.
That was the analogy that came to mind when MIT announced that one of its research teams is claiming to get ahead of the Twitter trending curve. In coming weeks, Associate Professor Devavrat Shah and his student Stanislav Nokolov will present a new algorithm that can anticipate what topics will appear atop the Twitter trending stories list an average 90 minutes before they appear. The duo, which is from MIT's Interdisciplinary Workshop on Information and Decision in Social Networks, says that the algorithm can make these predictions with 95% accuracy, and many times they can tell four and five hours out what topics will be appearing as a Twitter Trend.
The researchers say they use machine learning algorithms that pore over data sets of topics that have and have not trended to find patterns. They say that the big difference in their approach is that the search for patterns makes no assumptions about the patterns it should find. In other words, the search imposes no hypothesis of what a trend should and should resemble. If I am understanding what these guys do correctly, they are letting "the data decide," as Prof. Shah describes it.
I will just mangle getting the details right, so let me quote at length from MIT's explanation of the process: "In particular, their algorithm compares changes over time in the number of tweets about each new topic to the changes over time of every sample in the training set. Samples whose statistics resemble those of the new topic are given more weight in predicting whether the new topic will trend or not. In effect, Shah explains, each sample 'votes' on whether the new topic will trend, but some samples' votes count more than others'. The weighted votes are then combined, giving a probabilistic estimate of the likelihood that the new topic will trend."
The researchers used 200 Twitter topics that did trend and another 200 that did not trend as the sample set that "voted" on the topics analyzed. They say that accuracy will only improve by expanding the data sets. They also suggest that the basic approach could be applicable to a number of cases where a quantity changes over time, such as ticket sales or stocks.
More immediately, the algorithm certainly could be applied by Twitter itself or third parties in selling keywords and topics to advertisers looking to get the same edge on targeting that a nano-second stock trader gets on micro-shifts in the market. Ultimately, it is an open question what kinds of products and offers really would benefit from this kind of 90-minute advance knowledge of social media trending. But the idea of real-time targeting in advance of trends certainly is an interesting one if applied to a wider variety of ad types, social and search platforms. Perhaps even more valuable for marketers would be segmenting the trends so they could aggregate social inventory by about-to-trend areas. And of course, this MIT-bred algorithm is addressing only the content side of the equation, not the audience. Ideally, you want to know with whom a topic is trending.
And of course, this is just the sort of thing that invites an algorithm arms race, with everyone trying to predict trends earlier and earlier in the cycle. Perhaps the natural logic of a real-time information morass like the Internet presumes faster is by definition better. But there must be diminishing returns to this. Sure, these kinds of predictive analytics applied to ad targeting can help a platform identify a trend, and lock in the most precious inventory at an advantageous price before anyone else. But unless there is a real strategy and messaging to apply against that "win," what value does it add? The machine can tell you where to aim, but at some point it takes us sluggish humans to ensure you don't shoot blanks.
Machine Trading is about making bad predictions about what will happen in a few milliseconds (they only need to be right slightly more than a random guess to make money), while this is about allegedly making good predictions (95%!) an hour and a half ahead. Apart from these both using computers, I don't see the similarity. But can the researchers get 95% accuracy? Of course - anyone can do that. Just choose twitter topics completely at random, guess they will not trend, and you'll get 99%+ accurancy. Unless these researchers pin down exactly what they, are predicting a lot more precisely than in this report, then it's not interesting to marketers.
It's not a tell us what you think but we'll tell you what to think.


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Tag Archives: mail list
Direct Mail Marketing Vs. Email Marketing: What's Best For Your Small Business?
Synopsis Direct mail marketing and email marketing both have their advantages and disadvantages. But, both are an efficient and cost-effective way to find new customers, make new sales, up-sell to current customers, and stay connected with existing customers. And best … Continue reading
Direct Mail Marketing For The Self-Publisher
Synopsis Many self-publishers have probably forgotten the power of this marketing strategy – or don't believe that this method can work for a tech-savvy self-publisher. But, for the authors of non-fiction, especially those that own a business, a book's marketing … Continue reading
Posted in Book Marketing, Carnival Of The Indies, Direct Marketing, Mail Marketing, Podcast Tagged Book Marketing, Carnival Of The Indies, Customers, Direct Mail Marketing, mail list, Mail Marketing, Marketing, marketing materials, Marketing Strategy, Podcast, prospects, Self-Publishing, Small Business Leave a comment


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September 5 is Cheese Pizza Day and the sales of cheese and pizza have increased significantly over the past few days.
Creative lobster and discounts & allowances design elements will boost your sales in National Lobster Day marketing.
Halloween is just around the corner! Unleash your creativity for making stunning Halloween Party invitations like a pro with these creative spider web design elements.
Watermelon is called "the king of midsummer", refreshing and quenching thirst, tastes sweet and juicy, is a good summer fruit.


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Wisconsin Safety Engineering Expert Witnesses
Wisconsin Accident Reconstruction & Safety Expert Witness Listings
You may limit your search for Safety Engineering expert witnesses to a specific area by selecting a state from the drop down box.
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Featured Experts
C.J. Abraham (Technical Director, Scientific Advisory Services, Ltd.)
Dr. Abraham has over forty years of international experience consulting to insurance companies, municipalities, government agencies, and the legal profession. He has consulted in more than 3,500 matters involving human factors, safety, personal injury... Learn More ›
MORRIS S. FARKAS, P.E. (Consulting Office of Morris S. Farkas)
MORRIS FARKAS, Professional Safety Engineer, has 39 years of experience in construction, demolition, industrial and electrical safety, with the following credentials: Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, Master of Science Degree in Safety,... Learn More ›
Accident & Safety Consultants
($180ph review NY, NJ, MD, PA, DE, VA, DC, WV) • Accident Reconstruction: Car, Bus, Truck, Pedestrian, Bicycle, Motorcycle, Rollovers • Biomechanics,Occupant Injury • Safety Standards, Falls • Building Codes, Regulations, Standards & Compliance •... Learn More ›
Martin M Balaban, PhD, PE (AR TECH Forensic Experts, Inc)
PhD Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, MS Mechanics from Illinois Institute of Technology, BS Civil Engineering from Cooper Union. Licensed Professional Engineer (Safety) State of California. Accident Reconstruction technical disciplines: Failure... Learn More ›
Janine McCartney, Ph.D, CSP, CHST, RPIH, CSI (ML), MBA (HHC Services, Inc.)
Dr. McCartney is a Senior Safety Engineer and Expert Witness. Dr. McCartney holds certifications as a: Certified Safety Professional, Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist, and Certified Safety Instructor with 38 years of experience in both safety... Learn More ›
Mark Webster (Webster Engineering, LLC)
Location: Wisconsin
Areas of Expertise: Licensed Professional Engineer with 34 years of experience with conveyors, material handling systems, and a wide range of industrial machinery and control systems. conveyor systems, elevators, material...
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Ronald D Schaible, CIH, CSP, CPE (Robson Forensic Inc.)
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Areas of Expertise: Ron Schaible, CIH, CSP, P.E. is Certified in the Comprehensive Practice of Industrial Hygiene (CIH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), a Registered Professional Engineer #36714-Safety (Massachusetts),...
Peter Chen, M.S.M.E, M.B.A., P.E., CFEI (ARCCA, Inc.)
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Stephen E. Fournier, P.E., NCEES (Robson Forensic, Inc.)
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Areas of Expertise: STEPHEN E. FOURNIER, P.E., NCEES Construction Injury, Construction Equipment, Workplace Safety, Ladder Expert Steve has over 35 years in the construction field and has performed more than 1,000 forensic...
Consolidated Consultants
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Areas of Expertise: Consolidated Consultants (CCc) continues to deliver high quality expert witness and medical expert witness referrals nationwide since 1995. CCc is the only referral service where you can view the full,...
Brian O'Donel (Robson Forensic Inc.)
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Areas of Expertise: Facilities Engineering and Workplace Safety Expert Brian has 30 years of experience in Facilities Engineering and Workplace Safety. His expertise reaches nearly every aspect of Facilities Management,...
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Areas of Expertise: Dave Gardner is a licensed Professional Engineer with more than 25 years of professional experience. He applies his expertise to construction claims and injury investigations involving residential, commercial,...
Safety Engineering Expert Witnesses by State
All States, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming


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Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking a court to delay introduction of evidence about his wife's actions or statements in their corruption case.
McDonnell says in court papers that prosecutors should be required to show he participated in a conspiracy before introducing evidence about what Maureen McDonnell did or said.
The McDonnells are charged with accepting more than $165,000 from a dietary supplements maker in exchange for helping to promote his products. Their trial begins July 28.
In the motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Richmond, the former governor says the indictment's "most inflammatory allegations'' involve his wife. He says the jury could be improperly influenced if evidence about Maureen McDonnell is permitted and the government then fails to show he participated in a conspiracy.


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HomeTeam Home Inspection
At HomeTeam, we take great pride in being fast, trusted and accurate. You've made a major investment in your home. Make sure you protect it with a comprehensive home inspection by The HomeTeam Inspection Service. Our team of professional home inspectors will cover every area of your home, inside and out, including: Read More
- Foundation
- Roof and Attic
- Electrical System
- Heating and Cooling
- Siding and Exterior
- Plumbing System
- Gutters and Drains
- Flooring and Walls
- Porches and Decks
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- Water Heater
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After your home inspection is complete, you receive a personal introduction to your home, accompanied by a thorough and easy to read report that contains information you will find valuable for years to come. HomeTeam offers a variety of inspection services that you can add to your home inspection, to help ensure that your home is a safe place.


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Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow."
~Rosemonde Gerard
at projects that make meaningful
handmade Valentines Day gifts for children.
From Little Becky Homecky
feel free to grab a "featured on" button
from the sidebar.
Now it's time to link-up and share your creativity!
5) OPTIONAL - Leave a comment -- I'll comment back -- simple as that.
Visit ONE other link and leave them a comment.


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Cisco's webinar with Morgan Stanley on SDN strategy
On May 30th, David Ward, Vice-President and Chief Architect/ CTO of our Service Provider group, and I sat down with Ehud Gelblum of Morgan Stanley, where we shared our perspectives on Software-Defined-Networking and our strategy to address the same at a high level. You can access the replay here on our investor relations website.
We discussed the diverse set of requirments that we are seeing across our customer base, what Cisco's vision was with multi-layered programmability, and where emerging concepts like SDN and protocols like OpenFlow fit in the scheme of that vision.
Something we continue to encounter is the lack of clarity around definition around these concepts. We shared a few definitions, many of which are the current industry definitions as framed by standards bodies and consortiums. Cisco is strongly plugged in and leading several of these initiatives across various standards bodies.
Time will tell how these definitions evolve.
We also shared some of our customer insights on this topic, which provided very interesting data points on the diverse set of requirements around network programmability. Understanding the use-cases is especially important. We see requests for SDN/OpenFlow mostly coming in from Universities for research purposes and experimental deployments. Others customer segments have varied requirements for programmability whether it be through OpenStack, or rich set of APIs, or automation. Clearly there is no "one-size that fits all". This helps put a very broad set of customer requirements across various segments into perspective – an advantage due to Cisco's installed base here.
We also discussed about standards and standards-bodies. We're very actively plugged-in, contributing to and leading several efforts across all of these bodies including at Open Network Foundation and at the OpenStack initiative. Many of these new standards bodies and consortiums are just beginning to engage with the main standards bodies like IEEE, IETF and ITU that drive the Internet standards today. We expect a process of rationalization in this process as these different groups establish channels of communication and sort of where different elements fit within their charters.
I encourage you to listen to the webinar and share your perspectives. We have had good feedback on these webinars as and our strategy in general. Several investment banking research reports have come out that appreciate the pragmatic approach and strategy. Some address the perception of commoditization directly. Deutsche Bank for example put out a statement to this effect…"We share a more pragmatic view, noting that Cisco (for example) is likely to view SDN as a TAM expansion opportunity…" Similar sentiments have been expressed by other investment banking firms that realize that Cisco is in a unique position to harness the intelligence in the network, tie it into analytics and policy engines and help drive strong business value.
For those attending Cisco Live, San Diego, or watching it online at www.ciscolive365.com, try and tune in to Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior's keynote at 10AM on the 13th of June. Or tune into the press conference. We will get into the next level of details. A recorded version of it will also be available if you are unable to make it.
Stay tuned and keep networking 🙂
Shashi Kiran
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.
2 Comments
Will it be possible to view the webinar at a later point, or is it only possible to view it live?


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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Gonzaga served as the model program for college basketball's non-power conference schools for more than decade.
Butler took that blueprint, revised it and came up with even better results.
On Saturday, college basketball fans will finally get to see America's two biggest little schools play each other at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse with all the trimmings: A prime-time tip and a national audience on ESPN.
``You talk about the Final Four, bucket list. You talk about Maui (Invitational), bucket list, Preseason NIT, bucket list,'' Butler coach Brad Stevens said. ``So when (College) GameDay comes to town, you play when they tell you to play.''
The showcase also happens to pit two of America's best teams, No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 13 Butler, and both are on a roll.
Two-time national runner-up Butler (15-2, 3-0 Atlantic 10) has won 12 straight since losing to Illinois in Maui two months ago. It has already upset then-No. 1 Indiana and then-No. 9 North Carolina, as well as three traditional A-10 front-runners in St. Joseph's, Dayton and Richmond. It has beaten teams from the ACC (North Carolina), Big East (Marquette) SEC (Vanderbilt) and two Big Ten schools (Indiana and Northwestern), none of them at Hinkle.
A win this weekend would make this the first Butler team to beat three top 10 teams in one season.
One thing fans won't see is Butler's top scorer, Rotnei Clarke, who will miss his second straight game with a severely sprained neck. It didn't bother them in Wednesday's 62-47 win over Richmond, and the Bulldogs insist they won't do anything different Saturday, either.
``It's just our next game,'' said 7-foot center Andrew Smith, the only active college player to start in two national championship games. ``They're a great team, but we'll play just as hard as we always do.''
The Zags, meanwhile, are making a cross-country journey less than 48 hours after playing at Portland.
Gonzaga (17-1, 4-0 West Coast Conference) has won eight straight, is off to the best start in school history and has its own laundry list of big-time wins. The Zags have beaten Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia of the Big 12, Clemson of the ACC and Washington State of the Pac-12. Like Butler, Gonzaga's only loss came to Illinois.
Unlike Butler, the Zags have never reached a Final Four and haven't played in a regional final since 1999.
Maybe that will change in 2013. These Zags are big, strong and deep as Portland found out when 7-foot center Kelly Olynyk, the WCC's top scorer, spent 14 minutes of the first half on the bench because of foul trouble. Gonzaga still won 71-49.
``They have the No. 1 frontcourt in the country,'' Portland coach Eric Reveno said after the game. ``We forced them to go to Plan B, and their Plan B is almost as good as Plan A.''
What Butler and Gonzaga have done goes far beyond their campuses.
Both have consistently brought in players who fit their systems rather than Top 100 recruits, and they manage to keep those guys around campus long enough to develop their talent. And they did this while scheduling the big boys of college basketball.
Other non-BCS conference programs took the cue and wound up with similar results.
A glance at this week's Top 25 shows Creighton at No. 12, San Diego State at No. 15, New Mexico at No. 19 and Virginia Commonwealth at No. 22. Another Missouri Valley Conference school, Wichita State, was ranked last week.
George Mason, VCU and Butler have all made Final Four appearances in the past decade. Ohio University of the Mid-American Conference came within a whisker of upsetting North Carolina and going to the regional final last season.
With all these non-traditional teams in the Top 25 now, it could happen again.
And the mantra, from Indianapolis to Spokane, Wash., to Omaha, Neb., sounds the same.
``We'll play anyone anywhere as long as they'll come back to Omaha,'' Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. ``Gonzaga isn't playing anyone anywhere without a return trip unless it's on a neutral floor somewhere. That's something we'd be open to do as well. We have got 17,000-plus coming to our games. We've got to play some home games. We owe that to our fans. We'll continue. ``
McDermott acknowledges he's reached out to Butler and Gonzaga but has not yet been able to get either on the schedule.
Gonzaga won last year's meeting with Butler 71-55, and Stevens did have some second thoughts about keeping the second straight meeting on the schedule.
``We scheduled this before we were in the Atlantic 10 and when I looked at the schedule in September, I thought, `I'm an idiot,''' Stevens said. ``I should have scaled it back.''
He didn't, and college basketball fans might get to see one of the best games all season.
``We have unbelievable respect for Gonzaga and it has been that way for a long time,'' Stevens said. ``But we're going to do what we do. We have half a season still ahead and we have to do what we do.''
AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Omaha, Neb., contributed to this report.


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Doodle Fit
What do you need help on? Cancel X
Doodle Fit, the best-selling puzzle game, is finally here! Your task is simple: fit the given sets of blocks into given shapes. Drag the blocks inside and outside in search for the layout that covers the whole shape. A level is complete when all blocks have been used and there's no more space free in the shape. The game features over one hundred different levels with a variety of unique shapes to play with. There are almost 550 solutions in total, which means you can enjoy near unlimited replayability.
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Course ID: INS015FL60
Availability: In Stock
Demonstration Courses
These demonstration courses allow potential students to experience portions of our actual online courses. If you have any questions please contact us toll-free at (866) 357-0841.
When you click on Course Demos you will be taken to a menu of our available course demonstrations.
There may be other full courses listed as well on the menu, but you would have to register and pay for those courses to enter them.
Course Demos are now available for all areas without student registration or enrollment.
Simply enter a demo by clicking on the Course Title. Our Demonstration courses are available to guests.
However, if you would like to take the sample quizzes you will
need to be logged in. Use our Demo User account for full access to our
Demo Courses.
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This Florida-approved 20-44 Personal Lines 60-hour pre-licensing course includes the following topics:
- Personal Automobile
- Property Insurance
- Inland Marine
- Homeowners
- Dwelling and Related Coverages
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be eligible to sit for the state examination (state exam must be taken at a PearsonVue site). Work at your own pace with your instructor available by email or telephone. It is designed and taught to comply with the State requirements for the Personal Lines Agents State examination.
Students have 90 days to complete the course.
Required Text: Florida General Lines Study Manual, current edition
*Please note: Starting in the 2019 Edition, the General Lines and Adjusters manuals have been combined. The publisher's ordering form calls it "General Lines & Adjusters Printed Manual." Don't be confused when you receive it, the book cover says "Florida Property & Casualty Insurance Licensing Study Manual." Additionally, the title page says "Florida General Lines Agent, Personal Lines Agent, Adjuster, and Industrial Fire & Burglary Study Manual." Rest assured, it is the correct manual!
Course Provider: OnLine Training Institute
FLDFS Provider #: 366468
Course Approval #: 95149
|Provider Info
|Provider Name
|OnLine Training Institute
|Provider #
|Course Approval #
|Course Info
|Satisfies State Requirements
|License Type
|Course Length
|60 hours
|Enrollment Length
|3 months
|Extension Availability
|Yes, a 30-day extension, for a $49.00 charge, may be requested a maximum of three times and should be requested BEFORE the course expires.
|Jan Bradburn
|Required Text
|Florida General Lines Study Manual, current edition
|Required Work Experience
|No Required Work Experience!
|Residency Requirement
|Florida resident
|U.S. Citizenship Required


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A reception from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Peninsula Museum of Art celebrates new exhibits featuring wood block prints in "Tom Killion: The Hand-Carved Landscape" and glass sculpture by David Ruth in "Inner Space." At the adjacent Peninsula Art Institute is the group photographic exhibit "The Song Inside My Head."
Killion combines traditional Japanese as well as modern techniques to create his vibrant Bay Area landscapes. He prints his works on a German hand-cranked proofing press using oil-based inks and handmade Japanese "kozo" papers.
"My landscape prints develop from an intuitive, largely unplanned, interaction between the observed world of nature and the created world in my art studio," he notes.
A Mill Valley native, Killion graduated from UC Santa Cruz in the 1970s and completed a doctorate on Ethiopia at Stanford in the 1980s. All the while he was producing his woodcut prints.
He created his large-format "The Coast of California" in 1979. Work with a medical relief program had him traveling in war-torn Eritrea. In 1990 he produced the book "Walls: A Journey Across Three Continents," combining his African experiences with woodcut print making. In 2000 he collaborated with poet Gary Snyder on the large-format book "The High Sierra of California." In 2009, the two completed a second book, "Tamalpais Walking."
Killion lives in Point Reyes with his wife and two children.
Ruth creates sizable sculptures from glass. Inspiration for his work comes from both the principles of current science as well as the avant-garde. The work features "internal spaces where metaphors for life are displayed and explored." He says, "This show is somewhat unique in that I have both pieces named after islands in the South Pacific and also Regulus, named after a star: Outer Space, Inner Space."
Both shows will continue through April 27.
The Peninsula Art Institute show is on view through March 16. It features work by members of the Peninsula Photographic Arts Guild. Images include digital prints, traditional film work, experimental "camera-less" work, infrared photography and digital collage.
Featured photographers are Linda Barsotti, Jerry Barrack, Nancy Garcia, Barry Fleisher, Martha Ketterer, David Massolo, Mary Scarpetti and Tom Watson.
The Peninsula Museum of Art and Peninsula Art Institute are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is free. Call 650-692-2101 or go to www.peninsulamuseum.org or www.peninsulaartinstitute.org.
Congratulations to Laurie Johnson, who won first place in the Society of Western Artists show for her oil painting "The Renaissance Maiden." Helen School won second place for a pastel, third place was presented to Sherry Eidhammer for her oil and Yvonne Newhouse won honorable mention for a watercolor.
The show was judged by Victoria Chiafalo, Doris Guzman and Decker Walker. A reception for the exhibit will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 22. The exhibition is on view through March 28 at the SWA Headquarters Gallery, 2625 Broadway St., Redwood City. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Call 650-839-1318 or go to www.societyofwesternartists.com.
Also of note, SWA will present a watercolor demonstration by Ferenc Besze at its 1 p.m. meeting Feb. 15 at the gallery. Demonstration meetings are free and open to the public.
Letters home
Works by Joyce Savre Hutt are presented in the exhibition "Letters Home Across the Fields" at Gallery 9. The show includes fields of poppies, images from the book "Violin," which she co-authored with poet Charlotte Muse, and recent "white" paintings.
The exhibition will continue through March 1. Gallery 9 is at 143 Main St., Los Altos. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Call 650-941-7969 or go to www.gallery9losaltos.com.
Photography featured
The South San Francisco Cultural Arts Commission's Photography Exhibit is on view Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Betty Weber Gallery at the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive., South San Francisco. Admission is free.
The artistic life
"Transitions" at Viewpoints Gallery tells the story of the artistic journey of Taryn Curiel, from pastel portraiture to highly abstract watercolors. The show will remain through March 1. Viewpoints is at 315 State St., Los Altos. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Call 650-941-5789 or go to www.viewpointsgallery.com.
Information on visual and literary arts can be sent to Bonny Zanardi at email@example.com.


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The TI MSP430 family of ultra-low-power microcontrollers consists of several devices featuring different sets of peripherals targeted for various applications. The architecture, combined with extensive low-power modes, is optimized to achieve extended battery life in portable measurement applications. The device features a powerful 16-bit RISC CPU, 16-bit registers, and constant generators that contribute to maximum code efficiency. The digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) allows the device to wake up from low-power modes to active mode in less than 5 µs.
The MSP430F5510, MSP430F5509, and MSP430F5508 devices are microcontroller configurations with integrated USB and PHY supporting USB 2.0, four 16-bit timers, a high-performance 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), two universal serial communication interfaces (USCIs) [In the 48-pin packages, the USCI functions that are pinned out are limited to what the user configures on port 4 with the port mapping controller. It may not be possible to bring out all functions simultaneously.], a hardware multiplier, DMA, a real-time clock (RTC) module with alarm capabilities, and 31 or 47 I/O pins.
The MSP430F5507, MSP430F5506, MSP430F5505, and MSP430F5504 devices are microcontroller configurations with integrated USB and PHY supporting USB 2.0, four 16-bit timers, a high-performance 10-bit ADC, one USCI, a hardware multiplier, DMA, an RTC module with alarm capabilities, and 31 I/O pins.
The MSP430F5503, MSP430F5502, MSP430F5501, and MSP430F5500 devices include all of the MSP430F5507, MSP430F5506, MSP430F5505, and MSP430F5504 peripherals, except that they have a comparator instead of the 10-bit ADC.
Typical applications include analog and digital sensor systems and data loggers that require connectivity to various USB hosts.
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The Weekender
This post is going to have a lot of pictures. Because when you spend a week making the daunting Amy Butler Weekender Bag, you take a lot of pictures. Those of you that follow me on Instagram got to watch this bag come together a bit more each day. That was a lot of fun, instant support group!
If you aren't familiar with this bag pattern, it's kind of notorious for being a {naughty word} to put together. Many people are starting to make this bag using the Quilt as You Go (QAYG) method to avoid all the interfacing required. I might try that next time but for starters, I wanted to stay true to the instructions (with a couple minor changes that I will talk about below.)
I have had this bag on my to-do list for awhile. I almost consider it some sort of sewist rite of passage. I heard it was a challenge and I wanted to see if I could do it. My only holdup was I could never find a fabric I wanted to use. The pattern recommends home dec weight and that is pricier than quilting cotton, so I wanted the fabric to be something I loved. Fast forward to the Sewing Summit. Joel Dewberry was a speaker one afternoon and he brought samples of his new line Notting Hill. As soon as I saw this fabric, I was in love. And then he said it was a Cotton Sateen/Home Dec weight! I knew immediately I was going to use it for my Weekender.
My choice for the lining and piping was a bit of a surprise for me. I know almost everyone out there seems really excited about all the plaids that are coming out in fabric collections lately. I'm not really a plaid person. (ducks for cover) But I just felt like it really complimented the floral print, so I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and decided to use it.
When I first opened the pattern and cut out the pieces, I thought "Only 4 pieces? This is going to be so easy!" LOL Don't be fooled. Not only do you cut out multiples of each out of your outer and lining fabrics, you also cut multiples out of 2 types of interfacing (not pictured). I spent several hours cutting.
Based on Stephanie's weekender, I decided to cut my handles a bit wider (6").
I was really lucky to have been loaned a cording foot (#60c) for my Bernina by the wonderful Catherine Redford from my local modern quilt guild. This made everything involving the piping SO much easier! I highly, highly recommend using a cording foot rather than a zipper foot for your piping. I'm actually going to buy my own now, it was that awesome.
Also, a general note: I used the pattern-recommended jeans needle for my machine. You have a lot of layers to sew through, and you need the extra strength.
The side panels came together easily, even if applying all the interfacing took forever.
For my second change to the pattern, I once again followed Stephanie's example and used a shorter zipper, 24". It was easily available at JoAnns and works just fine for the bag.
So, up until this point, I wasn't sweating this bag. You make the large front and back. Then you make the top/sides with the zipper and sew that piece to the bottom to make a big circle of fabric. Then you have to sew this circle to the larger front and back panels. I know I've read of other people having this problem...they weren't an exact fit. Now I'm not sure if the problem was I wasn't using exact seam allowances or maybe the pattern is wonky, but it was a bit frustrating. Add in the fact you are sewing through a LOT of stiff interfacing, well you can see where one might start cursing. ;)
I highly recommend getting some binder clips to hold your pieces together rather than pins. I only had 2 binder clips on hand so I was forced to use pins and now they are all bent and ruined.
Again, I used the cording foot to guide my sewing and it worked great!
So I've finished the bag. I'm not sure if I'll ever make another one. LOL But I'm super excited to have it and I'm very happy with my fabric selection. As my husband told me when he saw it "they certainly will see you coming with that." Yep, it's not subtle. But I love it.


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Camp Lejeune art therapy showcases healing and promise.
ABOARD CAMP LEJEUNE � For Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Warnick, art is his release. Last week, he was able to bring others into his world during an exhibit at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune.
�Art has really changed our lives � almost every facet of it,� said Warnick, a Marine with Wounded Warrior Battalion East. �It�s been a great way to express myself, to get lost.
�It�s grounding.�
The Naval Hospital aboard Camp Lejeune hosted the exhibit, Healing Wounds Through Expressive Freedom, which included the artwork of 30 Marines and sailors from aboard the base. The arts program is part of the adjunct therapy program aboard the base where service members can express themselves through art.
�For me, the process of painting relaxes me and give me a focal point so things aren�t out of control,� said Warnick, who has been struggling with post traumatic stress disorder since 2004. �It�s a calm place in the storm. It�s where I run to when things fall apart.�
Warnick said he lived in denial before being recommended to treatment in 2012 after dissociating while on a Navy vessel.
�My provider said I should look into art therapy,� Warnick said. �At the time I didn�t think it was going to work out. It sounded like hippie stuff. It paid off quickly though. It didn�t take but once or twice for me to be sold.�
Warnick�s wife Kellie is also sold on art therapy.
�It has really opened up communication for us as a married couple and as a family,� said Kellie Warnick, 34. �It gives the children more understanding. It made it so we can all accept it instead of living in denial.�
Seeing her husband in pain was the hardest part, she said.
�From a spouse�s perspective, it�s hard processing it all and watching him go through it all,� Kellie Warnick said. �It�s hard balancing between wife, friend and caretaker � it�s a juggling act.�
For Gayla Elliott, the art therapist for the Naval Hospital, it�s all about healing, she said.
�Art therapy offers a visual therapy so they can process their memories in a visual way,� Elliott said. �With the drawn images, they can recall details. It helps them fill in the blanks in memories, which aids them in their talk therapies.�
It�s more than just paint or pencil on paper, said Elliott.
�Sometimes when people do art therapy it reduces anxiety,� Elliott said. �It has a calming and soothing affect on the nervous system.�
When combat veterans come back they have a lot of intense emotional energy, Elliott said.
�Art gives them an outlet for their rage and anger, their anxiety and stress. It gives those feelings a voice,� she said.
Giving those feelings a voice is beneficial to the overall care and treatment of the patient, said Navy Capt. Sawsan Ghurani, the director of mental health for the Naval Hospital.
�These therapies integrate well with their individual psychotherapies,� Ghurani said. �We have completely diversified our adjunct therapies such as art, meditation, mindfulness, yoga and spirituality.�
Mental health care on base has expanded significantly since 2007, Ghurani said.
�Each of the available therapies bring out different qualities of expression thereby the patients are able to explore different avenues of communication,� Ghurani said. �It helps them figure out what treatment works best for them.�
The exhibit not only allows the Marines and sailors to showcase their work, it allows them to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment, Ghurani said.
�It�s important to educate the public, patients and families on available treatment and that help is available,� Ghurani said. �We plan to make art therapy and adjunct therapies more publicly recognized and accepted.�
You can reach Thomas Brennan at 910-219-8453 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @thomasjbrennan.


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Leave it to LeBron James to overshadow the most positive news out of the Sixers camp since Nerlens Noel actually played a game in a Philadelphia uniform.
Shortly after Ohio's prodigal son announced his return to Cleveland, where his NBA career began, the Sixers accomplished something few thought possible: They won the Orlando Pro Summer League title.
Really, we're not kidding. You can look it up. It's on the Internet.
Even more amazingly is that the Sixers recorded their fourth straight win in Orlando, a 91-75 triumph over the Grizzlies to claim the title, without center Noel (rest) and second-round pick K.J. McDaniels (left ankle sprain).
Swingman Hollis Thompson led five players in double figures with 21 points. The 6-8 Georgetown product shot 8-for-15 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out three assists. Thompson did play in 77 games for the Sixers last season.
Point guard Casper Ware also was impressive. He had 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Ware also has some NBA experience. Draft pick Travis Bader (16 points), and free agents JaKarr Sampson (13) and Ronald Roberts Jr. (12 points, 11 rebounds) also came up big for the Sixers.
But before you start ordering your playoff tickets, let's put this 'championship' into perspective. We're not talking about a parade-level achievement. We're talking summer league, not The League, as it is known in basketball circles.
The Sixers didn't beat the Grizzlies of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, but a Memphis team with one player from its regular-season roster (guard Jamaal Franklin), one draft pick (guard Jordan Allen), one player acquired in a draft-day trade (Jarnell Stokes) and a bunch of free agents.
The purpose of the summer leagues is to evaluate your young players and draft picks and, hopefully, find a hidden gem, like Roberts. He's an undrafted free agent who will play for the Spurs in the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts Saturday. The 6-8, 240-pound forward showed he deserves an invitation to someone's NBA training camp. He averaged 10.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and shot 65.6 percent from the field in five games.
Most of the players on the Sixers roster in Orlando will be playing in the D-League or overseas, if at all. Noel, McDaniels and second-round pick Jerami Grant are the only players who will be in Las Vegas when that summer league begins Saturday.
Still, for a team that had the second-worst record in the NBA last season (19-63), winning the Orlando Pro title is a step in the right direction. You have to learn how to win before you become a winner.
'It's a building block,' said Sixers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, who served as the head coach in Orlando. 'I think all of them came in with the right attitude, and more importantly they were just unselfish all week. Defensively, they were committed to each other, and then offensively, we had a lot of great looks.'
Could Sam Hinkie's mad master plan actually be working? The jury is still out.
The plan to bring Noel along slowly is still in effect. Noel only played in three of the five games in Orlando and only once on back-to-back days. When he did play, Noel was impressive. The 6-11 center averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, three blocked shots, 2.3 steals per and 25 minutes per game.
McDaniel averaged 10 points and shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range, which bodes well for him and could fill a much-needed void. The Sixers have plenty of shooters, what they need are makers, especially from beyond the 3-point arc.
Point guard Michael Carter-Williams, the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year, liked what he saw of his potential teammates.
'They played really well together,' said Carter, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. 'Everyone was attacking the glass and doing the little things to get them to win the championship.'
Still, it's a summer league championship, not an NBA title, which is what Sixers fans covet. It's been 31 years since the team took part in its last championship parade so let's not blow this thing out of proportion.
It's a nice accomplishment and the Sixers did show some progress, but they're still a long way from being a playoff team let alone one that can compete for the NBA title.
Contact Terry Toohey at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on twitter @TerryToohey.


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Lap Lee necesitaba un nuevo diseño de papelería y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 55 diseños de 16 diseñadores freelance.
tech labs LLC
My company handles all technology related issues with small businesses in the greater New York City area. networking, surveillance, cabling, procurement, wireless, POS, data recovery and telephony.
I am looking for a business card that has my company name and logo. I have enclosed the logo in jpeg and eps file format. My slogan or motto is "Finding Technology Solutions" and that should be under the logo. It is going to be a two sided business card. The front is going to have the logo and my info and the back should have the type of work I do.
Front side should have my info:
Lap Lee, Consultant
I am not creative so I can not really give a specific requirement for this business card. I say go crazy and as I see them I should start giving more details of what I like.
My email address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Medicare Explained
Medicare can be quite overwhelming as you sort through your options and try to figure out what healthcare you need. For many of us, it's the first time we really have to read the fine print, compare plans and understand the different options. But don't worry, we've done the hard work for you and summarized Medicare in simple terms to help you find your best options. Once you have a level of comprehension under your belt, shop and compare Medicare plans to make sure you're getting the best prices and coverage.
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Marc Kramer necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 22 diseños de 6 diseñadores freelance.
Matt & Willy's BBQ
I am a father of three and have a passion for cooking BBQ (traditional southern/texan style - smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, etc.). While I work on wall street in an investment management position, cooking bbq has been my singular hobby - and, one day, maybe my full-time job. I have a commecial smoker on a trailer which I take to football games and do tailgates for 75-100 people (as well as birthday and other parties). My two boys (Matthew and William ages 9 and 5, respectively) have an interest as well as an interest with spending time with me through this hobby. We have discussed opening a small BBQ restuarant that would be a family affair - with me and the boys cooking the bbq and waiting on customers and my wife and daughter making the desserts.
We live in NY where there are a lot of southern transplants, who know good bbq as well as many other local folks who don't know good bbq. We want to create a fun, casual, "down home" bbq restaurant with good/aspiring local blues bands and local music where people come for a very casual, but fun bbq experience.
We are looking for a logo to represent our bbq restaurant - Matt & Willy's.
Something fun that would look good on a t-shirt, where the name stands out and an image that represents the smoking, smoker, cooking, smoked meat type theme.
Nothing cartoonish.
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
and - whatever else is necessary to use for t-shirt development.
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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NAME | Description | Attributes | See Also
Specifies how many transactions are batched before being committed. You can use this attribute to improve update performance when full transaction durability is not required. This attribute can be dynamically modified using ldapmodify.
If you do not define this attribute or set it to a value of 0, transaction batching will be turned off and it will be impossible to make remote modifications to this attribute via LDAP. However, setting this attribute to a value greater than 0 causes the server to delay committing transactions until the number of queued transactions is equal to the attribute value. A value greater than 0 also allows you to modify this attribute remotely via LDAP. A value of 1 for this attribute allows you to modify the attribute setting remotely via LDAP, but results in no batching behavior. A value of 1 at server startup is therefore useful for maintaining normal durability, while also allowing transaction batching to be turned on and off remotely when desired. Bear in mind that the value you choose for this attribute may require you to modify the nsslapd-db-logbuf-size attribute to ensure sufficient log buffer size for accommodating your batched transactions. In practice, values should be positive numbers. Values larger than 100 bring few benefits.
The nsslapd-db-transaction-batch-val attribute is only valid if the nsslapd-db-durable-transaction attribute is set to on.
cn=config,cn=ldbm database,cn=plugins,cn=config
-2147483647 to 2147483648
0 (meaning turned off)
nsslapd-db-transaction-batch-val: 5
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
Stability Level
Obsolete: Scheduled for removal after this release
NAME | Description | Attributes | See Also


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Being caught belting out the entirety of Phantom of the Opera in your living room can be pretty embarrassing. (In my defence, I was nine and I could, in fact, hit those notes. Mostly.) This fall, you can at least try to recapture some of your dignity (you won't succeed, but you can try) by claiming the Wii made you do it.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals: Sing & Dance, which has been in the works for several years, is now due on September 14, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ambitious players with Broadway dreams can play the career mode, singing and dancing their way to success, fame and imaginary Tony awards.
For those who have a more competitive musical streak, up to four players can compete against each other in singing and dancing routines, or solo players with high self-confidence can try "sing-offs" against well-known Broadway performers Elaine Paige, Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford and Donny Osmond.
The game promises to feature 32 songs from 13 musicals, including Phantom, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, and others. Including Cats. Of course Cats. And yet even the ghostly memory of my shameless nine-year-old self is not sure the competitive singing of Cats is a good idea. For the sake of my many neighbours, I don't think I'll try.
Andrew Lloyd Webber sets score to new Nintendo Wii video game [LA Times]
Original top photo: 2007-2008 Cats US tour/official site


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In a food mecca like Portland, there are endless opportunities to discover the unique culinary bounty of the region—from farmers markets to local cafes to home kitchens. And as the city's flagship university, Portland State is making strides this year to offer more sustainable, local food on campus.
As part of this effort, PSU's food service provider, Aramark, hired their first ever sustainability intern this past fall to track local and organic food purchases.
"They brought me in and said 'we want to buy more local food,'" said Daniele Minniti, sustainability intern for Aramark and a recent graduate of PSU's Environmental Studies program.
Student Danielle Grondin worked with Aramark staff to launch a compost program in the residence halls.
Baselines for local food purchases have been in the PSU-Aramark contract since 2007, but until Minniti was hired, no one at Aramark was tasked with tracking food purchases to ensure these baselines were met. Once Minniti tallies up purchase data to determine which foods are coming from where, Aramark can seek out more local producers and distributors to replace foods that are currently coming from outside the region.
In addition to sourcing more local food, PSU is working to cut down on food packaging and waste. This past fall, Aramark unveiled the green box reusable to-go program at the Viking Food Court in Smith Memorial Student Union. For $3.50, diners can purchase a reusable to-go container to be used at any of the food court vendors. After the meal, the box can be returned to the food court and exchanged for either a clean box or a voucher.
With the assistance of students working and living on campus, Aramark also recently launched a compost program for the residence halls. Students can pick up a personal compost bin—a repurposed plastic yogurt container—from Victor's in Ondine, collect food scraps in their dorm rooms, and return the bins to Victor's to be emptied and cleaned out.
"It's really easy for students, and there's no extra cost to Victor's since they're just reusing yogurt containers," said Danielle Grondin, senior sociology major and food systems coordinator for the PSU Sustainability Leadership Center.
Like Minniti's position with Aramark, Grondin's position with the Sustainability Leadership Center is new this year.
"Since we've never had someone assigned to food systems, these projects were always pushed to the back burner," said Grondin. "Creating this food systems coordinator position was a great push to say 'let's do this.'"


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Tuesday tech deals: $500 off 13" Dell AdamoBy Matthew DeCarlo
Dell Adamo 13" Ultra-Slim Laptop for $1,499 + free shipping
Dell Home offers the .65-inch-thick Dell Adamo Notebook in Pearl (pictured) or Onyx for $1,499. With free shipping, that's a $500 drop and the lowest total price we've seen.
It features an Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 13.4" 1366x768 WLED display, machined-aluminum chassis, 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel GS45 256MB integrated graphics, 802.11n wireless, 1.3-megapixel webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, one eSATA and three USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth, and Windows Vista Home Premium.
Five more tech deals after the jump.
Satellite laptops on sale at ToshibaDirect: Deals from $424 + $25 shipping
ToshibaDirect discounts a selection of its Satellite notebooks, with prices starting at $424. That's among the best sales we've seen on these items from ToshibaDirect. Shipping starts at $24.99, but orders of $499 or more ship for free. Sales tax is added where applicable. Deal ends July 27.
Notable is the 15.4" Satellite L300D-ST3503 for $424 with $24.99 for shipping. That's a $75 savings and the lowest total price we could find for this particular system.
Sharp Notevision XR-32S DLP Projector for $400 + free shipping
Staples offers the Sharp Notevision XR-32S DLP Projector for $649.99. This $250 rebate chops the price to $399.99. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $154. Features include a maximum resolution of 1600x1200, 2,500 lumens brightness, 2000:1 contrast ratio, serial port and USB connectivity, and VGA, S-Video, and RCA video inputs. Rebate expires July 25.
Staples also offers the Sharp Notevision XR-32X DLP for $749.99 before this $250 mail-in rebate, $499.99 after. With free shipping, that's another deal.
DVD / DivX Player for $35 + free shipping
DEAL800.com offers this DVD/DivX player for $34.99 with free shipping. That's $15 off and the lowest total price we could find. This DVD player features playback capability for DivX video content downloaded from the internet and stored on a CD-R/RW disc, as well as MPEG4 video files, WMA and MP3 music files, and view JPEG images.
eMachines 19" all-in-one desktop PC for $320 + $9 shipping
Newegg offers the 9-lb eMachines All-in-One Desktop PC (model EZ1601-01) for $379.99 plus $18.99 for shipping. It features an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 18.5" 1366x768 widescreen LCD with built-in speakers, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, dual layer DVD burner, 802.11g wireless, gigabit Ethernet, webcam, card reader, and Windows XP Home.
Fry's Electronics also lists this (or a similar system) for $319.99 plus around $9 for shipping. No specs or model number are listed at Fry's, but eMachines only lists one configuration at its site.
Mini video spy camera for $55 + $8 shipping
Today only, ExtraChit.com offers this Mini Video Spy Camera for $54.99. With $7.99 for shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $36. This AVI video recorder features a 3.6mm pinhole lens, 640x480 resolution, 25fps, microSD card slot, time and date stamp, and more.


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'X Factor' cuts its losses -- and Khloe Kardashian
Khloe Kardashian officially has been kut.
Simon Cowell continues to cull "The X Factor" herd in hopes of finally -- finally -- finding that magic combination of hosts and judges that will help his singing competition achieve the audience of 20 million that he promised in the fall of '11.
Cowell announced Monday that Khloe's co-host, Mario Lopez, would return in the fall -- but this time flying solo.
"Hosting a live show and keeping the judges -- especially Demi -- in line is not an easy job. . . . Mario is a pro, and we are glad he's coming back," Cowell said, by way of praising Lopez while kind of announcing the cut of Kardashian, who was not mentioned at all in the announcement.
Funny his mentioning Demi Lovato, who is the only other show regular to survive this latest talent purge. It also claimed as victims the other two judge/mentors, Britney Spears and L.A. Reid, both of whom issued announcements that they had discovered, regretfully, their dance cards were too full to come back for another season.
In February, when reports got out that Khloe "K2" Kardashian was kaput on the show, she told the Huffington Post that when she debuted last season and "lost my confidence," Cowell tried to buck her up by telling her: "I hired you for you -- I could have hired any trained host, so be yourself."
Herself, it appears, did not cut it.
For those of you who missed it, the second season of "X" actually debuted in September host-less. Not long before the actual competition rounds began, Khloe took to her official website and announced: "Hi loves. I'm sure you've been hearing the rumors and I'm SO excited that I can finally confirm the news -- I am joining 'The X Factor' as co-host with Mario Lopez!!!!"
Kardashian and Lopez replaced the first-season's Too Tall Steve Jones, who had been tossed out, along with judge/mentors Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger.
When the show fell far short of his pre-launch ratings prediction, Cowell replaced Abdul and Scherzinger with the much younger Spears and Lovato, for the second season -- resulting in even less viewers.
It was up to Kardashian and Lopez to bring in additional viewers. That, sadly, did not happen.
Kardashian was a newcomer to show-hosting, but Lopez came with experience to spare, having hosted "Pet Star" and "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew."
He also got rave reviews for his romancing of professional dance partner Karina Smirnoff on "Dancing With the Stars," has appeared on "Hollywood Squares" and worked the red carpet for "Extra." The versatile Lopez is also an accomplished actor, specializing in playing doctors (Mike Manoui on "Nip/Tuck," Christian Ramirez on "The Bold and the Beautiful"), cops (Bobby Cruz on "Pacific Blue") and, of course, Bayside High School's star quarterback (A.C. Slater on "Saved by the Bell").
That is not to say Kardashian had no TV experience. She was a veteran -- it's just that she had focused exclusively on the role of "herself" and let the writers, camera operators and editors do all the heavy lifting on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," "Khloe & Lamar," "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," "Kourtney & Kim Take Miami" -- although she did actually compete in one season of "The Apprentice."
Kardashian and Lopez worked together before debuting as a team on "X," when Lopez appeared in an infomercial for Khloe, Kim and Kourtney's "Perfect Skin" skin-care system.
Jones was known for being very tall, looking wonderful in a suit and offering his perspicacious observations. Khloe broke new ground as a competition show host, with her DMV Eye Exam style of reading from the teleprompter and her perfection of the question "How does it feel?" through incessant repetition to the exclusion of all other questions.
In interviews long before Monday's non-shocking news, Kardashian said the producers told her not to take any lessons before debuting on 'X" -- no doubt thinking that a hosting-virgin piloting "X" would make for good TV and great ratings.


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Validation Therapy is a communication technique that allows caregivers to better relate to Alzheimer's/Memory Care residents by connecting with residents where they are on life's journey on a given day. For example, if a resident sees themselves as a 35 year old working professional, then the caregiver joins the resident in their reality. This is primarily accomplished by accepting the values and beliefs of the resident without confrontation. Trying to reorient a resident to "facts" often is confusing and unsuccessful for the resident. The caregiver is putting themselves in the shoes of the resident, not simply by trying to move an individual's attention from one thing to another; it is also about validating feelings and emotions.
A resident does not want to go to dinner as she states she is waiting on her husband to join her. The caregiver knows that the husband is deceased. If the caregiver tells the resident that the husband is not coming because he has died, it can often confuse and confound the resident who may well believe that her spouse has just died. This can cause the resident to grieve her loss all over again.
A better approach using Validation Therapy might be:
Resident: I don't want to go yet. I am waiting on Charlie to come.
Caregiver: Charlie can't come to dinner tonight, but I would love it if you joined me for dinner. I would like to hear more about Charlie, he sounds like a wonderful guy.
Resident: Oh yes, he was a wonderful husband! What are we having for dinner?
The key is to agree with the resident's wants/needs but gently steer them through conversation to do something else – without the resident realizing that redirection is occurring.
We'd love to answer your questions about Spring Arbor of Salisbury. Please fill in the boxes below and click the "Contact Us Now" button. We will respond in 1 day or less. If you need help right away, please call us at (804) 601-0910.


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I think that some of the TouchStream owners already know about this but they did not think that it would have been a good idea to share it here.
Here it is: A worth mentioning burden with gestures is about Finger Arrangement. This is specified by the Chording Type attribute in the editor. There are two of them: Neutral and Spread.
They triggers two distinct collections of gestures. Sometimes, just to make sure, I tend to emphasise the spreading. When I do that, it works fine but it is not very comfortable and natural. Most of the time I hit the tablet border and that's a bad feeling.
Thinking about all I've read from Wayne Westerman's Dissertation on how gestures get recognized, I came up with the following idea:
- Finger combination is recognized at the very beginning of the sliding when it happens less than 400ms after first finger touchdown. The idea is to wait this amount of time and lift all fingers but one before making the slide. And ... this works perfectly! Well no surprise here, it just had to
I feel this will make the difference right away with my gesturing... Just try one. I have a Minimize Window gesture needing 3F + thumb. I cover the whole right pad when I start this one. Now, I only slide my pinky and the window flies away.


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The most recent debate which Ive attended was: "Should smoking be banned in public places?" Its useful both in terms of health and language. Its useful for language as students need to use various vocabularies, such as medical, legal, chemical, social. I think, I dont need to explain the health reasons. Plus, its neither advanced nor controversial (dont know about China). Strongly recommended.
English Teacher