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subset: commoncrawl


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SN 9 | EP 38 | The Golden Rhino
A greedy trader steals both Prince Bakari's golden rhino and a golden Brainy.
Available: Amazon.com
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo (pen name of Pierre Culliford) on October 23, 1958. The original term and the accompanying language came during a meal Peyo was having with his colleague and friend André Franquin at the Belgian Coast. Having momentarily forgotten the word "salt", Peyo asked him (in French) to pass the schtroumpf. Franquin jokingly replied: "Here's the Schtroumpf — when you are done schtroumpfing, schtroumpf it back..." and the two spent the rest of that weekend speaking in "schtroumpf language". The name was later translated into Dutch as Smurf, which was adopted in English.
Danny Goldman,
Brainy Smurf (voice)
Frank Welker,
Hefty Smurf (voice)
Michael Bell,
Handy Smurf (voice)


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Thank you for letting us know about leaving a gift in your will to the Australian Conservation Foundation. It is reassuring to know we are in this together, not just here and now, but for generations to come. The information you provide below will be treated in complete confidence.
Thank you again for your support.


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It's out, ladies and gentlemen. My first but not last book of poetry. Only $7.95 on Amazon.com, or contact me and I'll send you a signed copy.
Poems in the collection were previously published in Poetry Quarterly, Menacing Hedge, Nostrovia!, A-Minor, Word Riot, Commonline Journal, New York Quarterly, Durable Goods, Rosebud, The Foundling Review, Underground Voices, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Mas Tequila Review, Up the Staircase, Existere, Red Fez, Snow Monkey, Clutching at Straws, Gutter Eloquence, Horror, Sleaze and Trash, Zygote in My Coffee, Milk Magazine, Bolts of Silk, Bloody Bridge Review, Pop Serial, Rusty Truck, Calliope Nerve, Breadcrumb Scabs, decomP, Main Street Rag, A Cappella Zoo, Camel Saloon, Ramshackle Review, Thunderclap #2, Rose & Thorn, Sex and Murder, Battered Suitcase, Mad Rush, Full of Crow, Lummox Journal, and Siren
Now is not the time to talk about money,
Chavis, nor the Crimean crisis, nor your father's
cancer, nor your daughter's mother's specially-
augmented piracies.
Now is the time to say so long Care, so long
tormenting Hope, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
and tomorrow; scatter liberally
lilies and purple flowers,
play soft Italian baroque, uncork the vintage rosé.
Every moment has in it the possibility
of rebirth; every moment a dying orchid.
The world is nothing
more than dew-glaze on a grasshopper's wings.
But one day, one night, one hour,
(so you know), the willow flakes
will blow
as though they're hearing music, love's strange
arrow-drawn pricksong will travel
over the waters, and the falcon will find
the falconer's glove.


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How Can Nevada Homework Help Service from Myhomeworkhelp.com, Help You?
Nevada, in terms of Education, is the worst or rather has statistically been proven the worst in the whole of United States of America. The rating of Nevada as the worst has in no way been a one-time thing. This is because Nevada has been rated the worst state pertaining to Education for two or more consecutive years. This, as has been seen, is because of a number of reasons the most prominent one being the lack of proper Homework help in Nevada.
In fact, it's not just homework help but Assignment help in Nevada that seems to be lagging behind too. Homework plays a huge role in helping the Education system of any place progress. And sadly enough Nevada assignment help service is not sound enough to provide them with all the help they actually need.
Faults that Nevada Education system is guilty of
There are a lot of flaws in the Nevada Education system. The main ones are:
Myhomeworkhelp.com- one solution for all your problems
Myhomeworkhelp.com is a homework and assignment help company that has been on the forefront for quite many years now. We have assumed the role of the knight in shining armor by rescuing the damsel in distress or the Nevada Education system. This is because unlike the big mouths which only talk big and mean nothing, we're here to stay and to help.
Services which make us the right choice
We boast of a lot of services. The main ones are given below:
How to reach us?
If you are confused about how you are to reach us, all you need to do is use your Google. We boast of offering the best services for Assignment help in Nevada. Despite the numerous competitors that we have, people choose us over and over again because intelligent students like you know whom to go for!
Once you approach us and get our compliance for the same, we will make sure that it becomes the best assignment or homework help service of your life. Our experts come together to help you experience what can be the most beautiful and fulfilling learning experience that you can dream of.


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Growing a Healthy Community Garden: Managing Volunteers (Newcastle upon Tyne)
How do we keep our valuable volunteers engaged in our outdoor space throughout the year, including the wet and cold winter seasons?
Sponsored by Dobies and run by Social Farms & Garden, this training day is suitable for anyone working within a community growing setting.
Where: Scotswood Natural Community Garden, Newcastle
When: Thursday 16th January 2020, 10.00am - 3.30pm (arrival from 9.30am)
Cost: £20 per person, including lunch. We would never want to exclude any organisation on the basis of cost. Contact Alison for more details: firstname.lastname@example.com
What to expect on the day:
We will explore the principles of good volunteer management including recruitment, volunteer policies, training and retaining volunteers particularly when the bad weather sets in and your garden may not be looking its best.
There will be an opportunity to tour the beautiful Scotswood Natural Community Garden and hear about how they are successfully working with volunteers in all seasons.
Booking notes:
- A simple lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please advise us of any dietary requirements on booking.
- This event is for representatives from SF&G members only. Membership is open to any organisation that provides benefits to individuals/communities by engaging them in meaningful land-based activities (such as community managed gardens and farms, or care farms). Membership is free – it's quick and easy to join here and there are lots of other membership benefits including product discounts. Not sure whether your organisation is already a member? Please contact us to find out.
This training is offered in partnership with Dobies who, as well as offering discounts on their products are sponsoring a year's worth of vital training for members of Social Farms & Gardens. This training will support members to grow a healthy community garden and a healthy organisation.
John Marley Centre
Whickham View
Newcastle upon Tyne
United Kingdom
|Social Farms & Gardens member
|£ 20.00
|£ 0.00
Event terms and conditions


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A cat and their hooman spread from my sketchbook.
Tag Archives: charcoal speed-drawing
Speed-sketches Volume 17
Local views: a reflected bridge and a three-toed box turtle
Speed-sketches Volume 16
The egret and the tomatoes.
Speed Sketches Vol 14
Got another spread from my sketchbook for you this week! Working on a col!or version of the frog now. Stay tuned! Enjoy! Like! Follow!
Speed Sketches Vol 13
Capturing the small and the big on this spread in graphite and charcoal.
Brown Pelican Charcoal speed-drawing
speed-drawing of a brown pelican in charcoal


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For reasons we will never be able to understand, last week, Fred suddenly left us too.
He was a member of the Patriot Guards. http://www.patriotguard.org/
(I did not take this set of photos, they are from the Patriot Guard site about Fred)
It is a group of people who ride together to support the families at the funeral of those who have served our country in the military, some killed in action, others retired. They ride their motorcycles to the funeral and then stand silently holding their flags during the service. Fred was a dedicated member who rode with them as often as he could, which meant he was riding at least once a week. Last Friday, he was on his way to attend a funeral when he was hit by a car and died. It comes as such a shock to a family who is still reeling from the shock of losing their son and brother just months ago.
This photo was taken at our last dinner out on Fred's birthday. Fred was John's closest friend. They have known each other for years. They met at work. Both meat cutters and both were working at what was called Waremart way back when. Their store was way over in Hillsboro and so they ended up car pooling. It was at least an hour each way, (John's description of the drive… 26 potential traffic light stops and 42 miles one way). That was plenty of time for them to really get to know each other over those years and build their friendship. Eventually, the company bought Cub Foods, they were both transferred to Cub Foods in Gateway, and Waremart and Cub Foods became WINCO. Then when WINCO opened in Gresham, they both transferred. Sometime in there, I got to know his wife, Pat, as well. The four of us hit it off and we spent a lot of time together, going out to dinner, to each other's homes, to the weddings of our children, enjoyed the births of grandkids, they were amazing dancers and talked us into going to dance lessons with them, we even went to Vegas together. Five years ago Fred retired. They loved their new life and were helping John count down the days until he retires too. Please remember Pat and their two daughters as they continue to come to grips with the reality of what they have to deal with day by day.
The graveside funeral was Thursday. Now who would have ever thought you would come away from a funeral AMAZED??!!! Well, that is just how it was. I have never seen so many motorcycles in one place, I heard there were about 125, but it sure seemed like more to me. The Navy sent a bugler, the Oregon Guard had rifles, and not sure which branch it was, sent some hummers and representatives. The Patriot Guards had a bagpiper. It seemed as if we were at the funeral for the President. The Patriot Guards met at the boat ramp near where the cemetery is; I figure that the line of motorcycles and cars was about 2 miles long, maybe more. They all rode out past the house where Pat and her family were waiting to go to the funeral home along with the Missing Man Formation. They lead them all back past us at the cemetery continuing on to the funeral home and the Patriot Guards pulled into the cemetery and started getting in place for their return. So many flags! They lined up along the gravel driveway and waited. On Sunday, they held a memorial for him at their church. Again the Patriot Guards were there lining the driveway into the church. Normally, they never attend the service they are standing for, but this time, since it was one of their own, most of them came on in once the family was seated. The church was filled and some even had to stand. Both services were such a beautiful tribute to Fred. Well done, good and faithful servant.
So many times when a person dies, everybody ends up making that person bigger and better than he really was, you never again hear a bad word about him and so many times, the person becomes a sort of hero. Well, as the word began to spread about Fred and people came to remember him, sharing their memories and feelings for Fred, he did become a hero. We all enjoyed Fred and each of us knew he was a special person, very unique, very much himself, a dedicated Christian man, a husband, father, and friend. But even Pat says she has been overwhelmed with pride for Fred with it all, seeing how much and how far Fred touched. As everyone shared, it was genuine real memories, not blown up or glorified words, it was real, just like Fred was, I think even Fred would be amazed at how much bigger and better his impact on others was, more than he even would have imagined himself to be.
Another thing about Fred…He read my blog. He didn't just take a look at it now and then, he was a REGULAR. And he didn't just look over the pictures he READ it! When we would get together, before I even had a chance to say something about what we had just done, he would be asking me questions about it. He always told me that I should be a writer. That always made me feel good. I am really going to miss my biggest blog cheerleader.


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Friday, January 30, 2015
Storm Kari Is Bringing Us More Snow
Good morning everybody. I'll give you three guesses what's happening outside my door. Yup! You guessed it! It is snowing. It's another storm, this one is named "Kari". It's supposed to snow all day, tonight and right on through tomorrow. If that's not bad enough, we are promised another nasty snowy wet day for next Monday too. Sheesh!!
Want to know what Pogo thinks of all this wicked Winter weather? This is how he rides out the cold and the snow. First we pile up a bunch of fuzzy blankets on his little sofa; then he settles in.
I realize that it is sometimes difficult to visualize what something looks like just from hearing about it. I mention my driveway (parking lot) often when we have bad weather, so I took a couple of photos to show just how big it is. The photos don't show it all, but you can see a lot of it. You can see Joe (in the tan jacket) and Mike (in the dark jacket) shoveling. That's my car in the bottom right corner, minus a lot of the snow that it was buried under.
These photos were taken through the storm door, which is why you can see the mesh screen imprint on the photos.
I finally have some good news for daughter Audrey. She has finally found herself a new car to get around in. It's a cute little Nissan Versa. Good luck with it Audrey, and drive safely. Your car carries some very precious cargo in it.
I have another story to share with you. Audrey was riding in a car one day last week when she spotted something very interesting way off in a field. She took as many photos as she could with her phone, and sent this one on to me. Wow!! Would you believe - an Albino Deer. At least, I think that's what it is. I zoomed in as best I could and could not see a black nose.
We've never seen one of these, so of course this was exciting. I looked it up on Google and found that there are Albino Deer, and there are the White Deer. There is quite a lot of fascinating history about the White Deer. The difference between the two is that the Albino Deer has a pink nose and pink eyes. The White Deer has a normal colored nose and normal colored eyes.
Yesterday afternoon, Joe and I went food shopping, so now I'm all stocked up again and ready for the next batch of weather. Now I'm going to enjoy my cup of coffee and catch up a bit on my blog reading. So, till Sunday, (Woo Hoo! It will already be February!) Y'all be warm and have a fabulous weekend.
Hugs, Edna B.
9 comments:
- Unknown said...
What a lovely picture of the deer. It is always nice to get a surprise sighting of animals. At least for me.
Great news about Audry's new car and it is really cute! Your car is really buried in!
It looks like the guys are taking good care of the parking lot!! Way to go.. Take care, Beth
- January 30, 2015 at 8:56 AM
- Kathy said...
I can hardly believe you got more snow! We don't have a lot here and I am so glad.
What a beautiful picture of that deer. I have never seen a white deer.
Your daughter's new car is so cute! Hope she has a wonderful time driving around in it.
Stay warm! Give Pogo a hug for me.
- January 30, 2015 at 12:59 PM
I have had my red Versa 7 years now,and I LOVE IT!
- January 30, 2015 at 1:19 PM
- Debby said...
I am so glad that you don't have to worry about going to work. Do you wonder how The Mrs. is doing without you.
You are getting the storm before the storm. Nasty predictions for her over Sunday. That's probably your Monday storm.
My doggies got haircuts on Tuesday. Bad timing for sure. They ave been backed up ever since last winter. When the groomer said he could take both the following week I took it. They were so stressed out afterwards. Poor Izzy's back legs wouldn't hold her up. It was pityfull. She kept falling. She is much better now. I will have to do something to prevent that the next time. Piper was just shaking all day yesterday. They have their coats washed and put back on. Where do you order PoGo's clothes. He is the best dressed Yorkie ever.
I did all the drive thru errands today...bank, drug store, Wendy's (salad) and to the mail box. It was too slippery out to walk. Hubby will stop at the store tonight for a few things.
Why is your parking lot so big. Is it for more people other than you and the Dwarfs.
I like your daughter's new car.
Stay safe and warm.
- January 30, 2015 at 6:02 PM
- Mat's Merry Memoirs said...
Hi y'all! So sorry the snow just keeps dumping on you and so glad it is not snowing here...LOL! We had 84F on Wednesday, then it was only 60F yesterday and today it was 54F and to steadily go back down to freezing by Monday with a promise of 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain, that we so desperately need! Shame that can't ship that snow here to our lakes to melt! ROFL!
Just dropped in to say hi and have a beautiful weekend. I am like Pogo, if it is cold, I'm gonna be under a blanket with my fur babies. At least that is what I plan to do for the SuperBowl...LOL! Hugs, Mat
- January 30, 2015 at 8:13 PM
- The Queen Jester said...
That's a massive driveway to clear....thank goodness for your crew of helpful men.
- January 30, 2015 at 9:53 PM
- smiekeltje said...
Nothing else to do than sitting out all those snowstorms, isn;t there?
Your poor dwarfs have lots to do and every now and then will need a hot cup of coffee.
What wonderful news that Audrey has her new car. Hope she will drive in it a very long time, and safe!
Amazing, that photo of the white deer! never saw it before.
In this snoowy times, she/he has the right color to not be spotted very easy
You have a wonderful weekend.
- January 31, 2015 at 4:14 AM
- Nani said...
An albino deer is cool! There are white deer on Belle Isle in Detroit. I have a photo in my old albums of a small herd of deer in the street when John and I took the girls to the aquarium and museums there when they were about 7 or 8, so a long time ago, but Audrey's albino deer reminded me of that day. It was a great day!
It looks like we'll both be huddling inside watching the four-letter S-word fall.
Stay warm; enjoy the cocoa...and lots of hot coffee! :)
hugs, Nani
- January 31, 2015 at 1:03 PM
- Annesphamily said...
I am so jealous of Audrey! We drove a Nissan Versa in Vegas and used 14 dollars in gas the entire week! My hubby use to live in Vegas so he still can get around the city. That is a super sweet car. Blessings, Anne
- February 5, 2015 at 6:27 PM


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André Schaffrin
André Schaffrin is a PhD candidate at the Research Training Group SOCLIFE in Cologne (Germany) and is currently project coordinator for "Land Use and Energy Supply at the Municipal Level" (EnAHRgie) at the Europäische Akademie Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. During the last year, he was a visiting research fellow at the Harvard Department of Sociology. He studied social sciences at the University of Mannheim (Germany) and at Flinders University in Adelaide (Australia). He is associated with the Centre of Comparative Politics and is supervised by Prof Kaiser. His co-supervisor is Prof Andreß from the University of Cologne.
(Preliminary) Topic of dissertation project:
|Climate Policy in Europe: Measurement, Causes, Consequences
Research Interest
Schaffrin, A. Forthcoming. "The New Social Risks and Opportunities of Climate Change" In: Fitzpat-rick, Tony. International Handbook on Social Policy & the Environment. Edward Elgar.
Schaffrin, A. 2013. "Who Pays for Climate Mitigation? An Empirical Investigation on the Social Impact of Climate Policy." Energy and Buildings. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2012.12.033.
Schaffrin, A. 2012. "Global Commons, Domestic Decisions by Kathryn Harrison and Lisa McIntosh Sundstrom (eds.)." Political Studies Review 10 (1): 124. DOI:10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00252_6.x.
Schaffrin, A. 2012. "Who Pays for Climate Change?" In: Proceedings of the 35th Congress of the German Society for Sociology, Transnationalism and Society, Oct. 11th-15th, 2010 in Frankfurt/Main.
Schaffrin, A. 2012. "Who Pays for Climate Mitigation? An Empirical Investigation on the Social Impact of Climate Policy." Earth System Governance Working Paper No 23. Lund and Amsterdam. Earth System Governance Project.
Schaffrin, A. 2012. "Living Green but Poor? - Investigating Inequality in Household Energy Costs among Income Groups." Soclife Working Paper Series 11/2012.
Schaffrin, A. 2011. "No Measure Without Concept. A Critical Review on the Conceptualization and Measurement of Environmental Concern." International Review of Social Research 1 (3).
Schaffrin, A. 2011. "Environmental Concern for Climate Change - A Welfare State Perspective." Soclife Working Paper Series 8/2011.
Schaffrin, A. 2011. "The capacities to fight climate change? An empirical investigation on the influence of economic, institutional, structural and cultural capacities on national climate policy efforts and strategies" Series Marie Curie Training Course on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, Freie Universität Berlin, edocs.fu-berlin.de/docs/receive/FUDOCS_document_000000010254.
Work in progress
Schaffrin, A. "Who Cares for Climate Mitigation? - A Welfare State Perspective on Individual Concern for Climate Change."
Schaffrin, A. and N. Reibling. "Household Energy and Climate Mitigation Policies: Investigating Energy Practices in the Housing Sector."
Schaffrin, A., S. Sewerin, and S. Seubert. "How to Pick the Real Champions of Climate Change Mitiga-tion? Measuring and Assessing Climate Policy Output in Austria, Germany, and the UK."
Schaffrin, A., S. Sewerin, and S. Seubert. "The innovativeness of national policy portfolios: innovation dynamics in Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom"
Schaffrin, A. and K. Jankowska. "Explaining National Differences in Domestic Climate Policy Adoption - Political Institutions and Preferences."
Schaffrin, A. "New Modes of Regulation? - A Comparative Analysis on Instrument Choices and Na-tional Climate Policy Developments."
Jagodzinski, W., A. Schaffrin, H. Dülmer, and M. Voicu. "Positive and Negative Consequences of Na-tional Pride - An Empirical Analysis of ISSP Data."
Conferences and Workshops
Sociology and Energy Network
Teaching and Working Experience
|Research Assistant
Institute for Data Analysis and Data Archiving, University of Cologne (Prof Jagodzinski)
|Lecturer Tutorial "Linear Models"
Chair for Empirical Social and Economic Research, University of Cologne (Prof Andreß)


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Editor help
How to create a t-shirt with different print on back and front side
How to create a t-shirt with different print on back and front side
10:40 pmFebruary 14, 2012
posts 143
Today I got a question from someone that could not figure out how to have an image on the lower right side on the back of a t-shirt. This is what I told him to do:
1. Create a new page for the back side.
2. Position the image on the lower right side of the page.
3. In the "Products" panel, in the "Back side" combo box, choose "page 2″.
In the "Products" panel, for each side, you can choose weather you want a page there, or an object. If you choose a page, then you control the position of images on the t-shirt, by moving the objects position on the page. If you choose an object as the source, the object will ocupy the whole printing area, but if you place an object inside that object (A child object), and leave the parent object empty, it will also be possible to position stuff on different places. But its easier to use a page as the image source.
Anyway, you will notice that Zazzle t-shirt print don't cover the full t-shirt area. If that is what you want, then you can try another t-shirt vendor from this list:
There is no point in using image/page size larger then the recommended. Print on fabric cannot have high dpi, so just use the recommended sizes.


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We have created our lakeside Cockatoo function room and 4-star accommodation facilities for your consideration as the perfect destination for a memorable weekend of self-catered celebration. Large lawns, framed by beautiful south coast forests, sweep down to the lake. Together these provide a great backdrop for your ceremony and a later indoor/outdoor reception.
We provide the catering facilities, celebration spaces and core accommodation: you choose the caterers, decorators, celebrants, musicians you want to create the affordable celebration ambiance you want.
A typical wedding at Bawley Bush Cottages uses our entire property from 3pm Friday to late departure Sunday and your core guests (up to about 30) stay in our cottages. Those we can't fit in our cottages either camp on site or stay nearby, choosing from a wide range of local holiday accommodation offerings.
Our facilities limit seated dining to 100 people and cocktail-style functions to 180. We have ample parking. For full details and pricing visit our website.
Location: Bawley Point NSW near the Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla border.
Contact Bawley Bush Cottages
Ph: 02 4457 1580
101 Willinga Road Bawley Point NSW 2539


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Less than a week remains until the Major League Baseball Trade deadline.
Which means that baseball executives in both leagues are busy assessing their rosters and minor league systems for the big swap meet on July 31.
In the American League there are so many teams still in the hunt, it will be difficult for general managers of bubble teams to decide whether they are buyers, or sellers. Only Houston is pretty much assured of a playoff spot, as they are 17 games ahead of Seattle for the AL West crown.
The National League picture is less cloudy, with Washington and Los Angeles holding significant leads and Colorado and Arizona odds-on favorites for the wild card.
The buyers, then, in the senior circuit will be limited to a select few clubs.
In the history of the deadline, there have been some great big and small deals that have had an impact on regular and post-season success. Here are 15, in no particular order.
15. Aroldis Chapman Traded To Cubs – 2016
We might as well start with the biggest deal the Cubs made at the 2016 deadline, one that had a big hand in Chicago finally breaking the "Curse of the Billy Goat." Chapman, a southpaw, was having an outstanding season for a New York Yankees team going absolutely nowhere last year, logging a 3-0 record, 2.01 ERA, 20 saves and 44 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. Six days prior to the deadline, GM Brian Cashman shipped him to the Cubs for Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford. The big Cuban took over the closer role in the Windy City and put up even more stellar numbers. He was 1-1 with a 1.01 ERA, 16 saves and 46 Ks in just 26.2 innings. In the post-season he was fairly brilliant, posting a 2-0 mark, with four saves and 21 strikeouts in 15.2 innings for the champion Cubs.
14. Nationals Acquire Tanner Roark – 2010
This is the kind of deal that requires 20/20 hindsight to assess. On July 30, 2010, the Washington Nationals picked up AA hurler Roark from the Texas Rangers for two-time all-star middle infielder Cristian Guzman. At the time, the Nats were one of the worst teams in baseball, a far cry from the perennial contenders they are today. While Guzman would play out the string in Texas and never really be heard from again, Roark worked his way up the Nationals' minor league ladder, eventually getting his first big stint in 2013. He went 7-1 in 14 games (five starts) with a 1.51 ERA and 0.913 WHIP. The following season he was 15-10, 2.85, 1.092 and a full-fledged member of the rotation. He had a stellar 2016 campaign, garnering enough votes to place 10th in Cy Young voting. This season, he is the fourth best pitcher in a killer roto that includes Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg.
13. Joe Blanton Goes To Phillies – 2008
These days, Joe Blanton is still kicking around with the Washington Nationals as a set-up man. Early in his career the powerfully built righty was a workhorse starter in Oakland who averaged over 200 innings pitched and won 42 games (against 34 losses) between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, he had scuffled to a 5-12 record and 4.96 ERA with the A's when the Phillies came swooping in to nab him for the back end of their rotation in exchange for spare part minor leaguers. Blanton responded well to joining the first place Phillies, going 4-0 in 13 starts. He had three post-season starts for the Phils that year, too. He posted a 2-0 record (the Phillies would win all three games), along with a 3.18 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 17 innings. In his lone World Series start, he limited the Tampa Bay Rays to four hits and two earned runs over six innings, along with seven strikeouts as eventual champion Philadelphia won game 4 by a count of 10-2.
12. Texas Builds For Future By Dealing Mark Teixeira – 2007
The Texas Rangers were three years away from being a contender in 2007 when they decided to pull the trigger on a trade that would send slugging first baseman to the Atlanta Braves, who had a shot at the post-season. Ultimately, Teixeira would hit very well for the Braves, smacking 17 homers and driving in 56 runs in 54 games, but the Braves failed to make it to the playoffs. In return for Teixeira's formidable bat, the Rangers received catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus and pitchers Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz and Beau Jones. Andrus would be the plum prospect, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2009 and becoming a key cog in the Rangers line-up, both in the regular season and playoffs. He owns a career .275 batting average (1,376 hits), with 317 extra base hits, 489 RBI and 261 stolen bases.
11. Mark McGwire Shipped To St. Louis – 1997
McGwire was still at the height of his powers in 1997 with Oakland when the A's agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals that would see him depart for the Gateway City in return for pitchers T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein. None of these hurlers had much of an impact in Oakland, but McGwire, who already had 34 homers at the time of the July 31 trade, positively exploded. In a precursor of things to come, McGwire smoked 24 homers in just 51 games for the Cards over the remainder of the season, giving him 58 total, a career high. Then, in 1998, he and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa stage a home run race for the ages. McGwire would win it, rapping out an astounding 70 dingers and driving in 147 runs (Sosa hit 66 taters). He followed it up with another monster season in 1999, cracking 65 big flies and driving in another 147.
10. Florida Marlins Trade For Craig Counsell – 1997
Around about the time the St. Louis Cardinals were landing a big fish in Mark McGwire, the Florida Marlins made a tiny deal that no one paid any attention to. The Marlins were in the thick of the playoff hunt in '97 when they traded pitcher Mark Hutton to Colorado for second baseman Counsell, who to that point had all of two major league plate appearances. Over the remainder of the season, Counsell would become the Marlins starting second sacker in place of the struggling Luis Castillo, recording a .299 batting average with 12 extra base hits and 16 RBI and playing solid defence. He was money in the playoffs, too, going 12 for 41 with five RBI. He also supplied the dramatics in the deciding game 7 of the World Series against Cleveland. He drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly and then in the 11th scored the winning run on a walk off single by Edgar Renteria.
9. St. Louis Cardinals Get Rafael Furcal – 2011
The baseball team pretty much everyone loves to hate — especially in Kansas City and Chicago — were scuffling to make the post-season in 2011, a year after narrowly missing out. Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal, the 2000 Rookie of the Year and two-time all-star, had played in just 37 games due to injury and was deemed expendable. The Dodgers then shipped him to the Cardinals at the deadline for minor league outfielder Alex Castellanos. Furcal started 50 games for the Cards and batted .255 with seven homers and 16 RBI, a departure from the dismal .197 he recorded with L.A. He was a solid replacement over incumbent Ryan Theriot, helping the Cardinals mount a furious charge to grab the wild card spot in the NL. Later that year, he won his first and only World Series title with St. Louis.
8. Carlos Beltran's Clutch Bat Dealt To Houston – 2004
Carlos Beltran, like a baseball chameleon, is seemingly able to change his stripes and adapt to any team he is traded to. Despite being a nine-time All-Star, he has played for seven different teams in both the AL and NL. In 2004, the veteran outfielder was enjoying an all-star campaign with Kansas City when the Royals got ahead of the trade deadline and sent him to Houston in a three-team deal. At the time of the trade, Beltran was already selected as a member of the AL squad for the All-Star Game, hitting .278 with 15 homers and 51 RBI in 69 games. He was just as good over in the NL with Houston, swatting 23 dingers and driving in 53 in 90 contests for the playoff bound Astros. A clutch post-season hitter, Beltran went 20-for-46 in two playoff rounds (.435), with an incredible eight homers (tying Barry Bonds post-season record) and 14 RBI.
7. Atlanta Braves Pick Up Fred McGriff – 1993
The rich usually get richer at the trade deadline and in 1993, perennial contenders the Atlanta Braves picked the pockets of the mediocre San Diego Padres to get slugging first baseman Fred McGriff. He was the lone bright spot on a struggling Padres squad at the time of the July 18 trade, batting .275 with 18 HR and 46 RBI in 83 games. He caught fire over the latter half of the season with Atlanta, crushing 19 homers and driving in another 55 runs in just 68 games, helping the Braves go 51-19 to overtake the San Francisco Giants for the NL West pennant. The Braves would lose in the NLCS to Philadelphia in '93, but McGriff contributed greatly, going 10-for-27 with a homer and four RBI. He would finally win his only World Series ring in 1995, hitting .333 in the entire post-season, along with four home runs and nine RBI.
6. Blue Jays Add Troy Tulowitzki And David Price – 2015
It had been 22 years since the Toronto Blue Jays had last been in the playoffs, with Joe Carter ripping a series-winning walk-off homer for the ages in the 1993 Fall Classic. After a 18-9 June in 2015, Jays brass could see something in a team that had Josh Donaldson in the line-up. They were scuffling through July, however, but still pulled the trigger on a pair of deals that would pay dividends later. On July 28, they completed a blockbuster with Colorado, trading Jose Reyes and three others to the Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins. And on July 30, they sent top prospect Daniel Norris and two others to Detroit for starter David Price. Tulowitzki would provide the stellar defence at shortstop they lacked in the enigmatic Reyes, while Price went 9-1 down the stretch as the Jays amassed a superb 39-15 record to claim the AL East crown. Tulo, who had just two hits in the ALDS against Texas, had a big one in pivotal game 3 (Texas was up 2-0), driving a three-run homer to help the team win 5-1. He added another big one in Toronto's six-game loss to Kansas City in the ALCS. Price, for his measure, went 1-2 in the post-season, striking out 23 in 23.1 innings.
5. Cleveland Loads Up With Andrew Miller – 2016
Now that the Chicago Cubs have ended their long title drought, all eyes are on the Cleveland Indians to shake a near 70-year monkey off their backs. Having last won it all in 1948, the Tribe went for it last year and may make a run at it again this year. A key piece to their 2016 title run was lights out lefty Andrew Miller, acquired from the Yankees on deadline day for four minor leaguers. Used as a set-up man/reliever, Miller saved nine games for the Yanks and struck out an astounding 77 batters in 45.1 innings. He continued that mastery for Cleveland, going 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA, three saves and 46 more Ks in 29 innings. Miller then made 10 appearances in the playoffs last year, not surrendering a run until the final game of the World Series against the Cubs and fanning 30 in 19.1 innings. He is on track in 2017 for another monster year.
4. Giants Add Marco Scutaro And Hunter Pence For Title Run – 2012
San Francisco was coming off a down year in 2012, missing the playoffs in 2011 after winning it all in 2010. Needing some outfield speed and an explosive bat in the middle of their order, the Giants dealt three minor leaguers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Hunter Pence on July 31, 2012. He paid dividends, swatting 20 extra base hits and driving in 45 runs in 59 regular season games. He wasn't huge that post-season as the Giants were champs again, but had a whale of a playoffs when they won it all in 2014. A less heralded trade the summer of 2012 brought second baseman Marco Scutaro to San Fran. He had so-so numbers playing at Coors Field for the Rockies that year, but positively exploded when he donned a Giants uniform. In 61 games, he hit a lofty .362, with 20 extra base hits and 44 RBI. Scutaro lit it up in the NLCS, going 14-for-28 with four RBI to cop MVP honors. Collectively, he hit .328 with four doubles and eight RBI.
3. Diamondbacks Deal For Workhorse Curt Schilling – 2000
Before he was became notorious for the "bloody sock" Curt Schilling was known for being the best pitcher on a lot of mediocre teams in Philadelphia. In 1998, he led all pitchers with an incredible 268.2 innings pitched over 35 starts, or an amazing 7.2 innings each outing. By 2000 and with the Phillies mired in the bottom of the standings, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who already had 1999 Cy Young winner Randy Johnson in their rotation, swung a deal with the Phils to acquire Schilling. They didn't make the playoffs in 2000, even with Johnson winning another Cy Young, but reaped the rewards in 2001. Schilling went 22-6 that year and again led all pitchers in innings pitched (256.2), was an All-Star for the fourth time and finished second to Randy Johnson for the Cy Young. In the post-season, Schilling was a beast, sporting a 4-0 record (including three complete games in a row during the NLDS and NLCS), a 1.12 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 48.1 innings. His virtuoso performance earned him World Series MVP, too.
2. Johnny Cueto And Ben Zobrist Augment Strong Royals Line-Up – 2015
There was no consoling the Royals after they lost a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Giants in the 2014 Fall Classic. So, with the memory of that still stuck in their craw, they blazed their way to the top of the AL Central standings again in 2015. On July 26 of that year, Kansas City was on cruise control with a 59-38 record when they sent young lefty Brandon Finnegan and two minor leaguers to Cincinnati for Johnny Cueto. The Dominican fireballer was coming off a Cy Young worthy season in 2014 (20-9, league high 242 strikeouts in 243.3 innings) and having a good year to that point. Two days later, the Royals acquired All-Star utilityman Ben Zobrist from Oakland for two promising pitchers (Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks). Cueto pitched well in the ALDS, got rocked in the ALCS versus Toronto then saved his best for last in the World Series, pitching a complete game two-hitter against the Mets in his only start (a 7-1 win). Zobrist was money in the post-season too, starting every game at second and hitting .303 (20-for-66) with eight doubles, two homers and six RBI.
1. Houston Gets Randy "Big Unit" Johnson At Last Minute – 1998
With just minutes to spare at the 1998 trade deadline, the Houston Astros went big — real big — trading promising young pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama and future all-star infielder Carlos Guillen to Seattle for Randy Johnson. A four-time strikeout leader and 1995 Cy Young winner, Johnson was in the midst of a so-so season (by his standards), going 9-10 in 23 starts with a 4.33 ERA for the Mariners. In Houston, he was near unbeatable in 11 starts. He went 10-1, logged a 1.28 ERA, had four complete game shutouts and struck out 116 batters in 84.1 innings. He finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting, despite pitching in just 11 games. Johnson's contribution helped the Astros to their franchise best 102-60 record and a berth in the playoffs. Yet, they couldn't get past the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, losing 3-1. Johnson started, and lost, both his starts in that series, but not because he was mediocre. In game 1, he gave up nine hits and two earned runs while striking out nine in eight innings, but got no run support (the Astros scored after he was pulled) in a 2-1 loss. In game 4, the Big Unit was great again, limiting San Diego to three hits and two runs (one earned) and struck out eight in six innings of work. He left with the score 2-1, only to see the bullpen surrender four more in a 6-1 loss.


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Mia is associate professor in electronics, medical engineering. Her research interest is physiological measurements, both new measurement methods and sensor systems. She studied to Biomedical analyst in Örebro 1988 to 1990 followed by employment as Biomedical analyst at the hospital in Skövde and later at the Swedish Air Force in Stockholm and at the hospital in Eskilstuna. She studied Engineering at Mälardalen University between 1996 and 1999 in parallel with part-time employment at the Swedish Air Force, followed by PhD studies, completed nov 2005. She teaches nurses in biomedical engineering in two courses that she has developed based on a combination of theory and clinical practice.
Evaluation of the IngVaL Pedobarography System for Monitoring of Walking Speed (May 2018) Per Hellström, Anna Åkerberg, Martin Ekström, Mia Folke Healthcare Informatics Research (HIR)
Walking Intensity Estimation with a Portable Pedobarography System (May 2016) Per Hellström, Anna Åkerberg, Martin Ekström, Mia Folke 13th International Conference on Wearable Micro and Nano Technologies for Personalized Health (pHealth 2016)
Wearable Weight Estimation System (Oct 2015) Per Hellström, Mia Folke, Martin Ekström 4th International Conference on Health and Social Care Information Systems and Technologies (HCIST 2015)
Intelligent Wireless Body Area Network System for Human Motion Analysis (Jun 2015) Per Hellström, Lennie Carlén Eriksson, Jonatan Scharff Willners, Mia Folke, Martin Ekström 1st International Conference on Smart Portable, Wearable, Implantable and Disability-oriented Devices and Systems (SPWID 2015)
Posture Sensor as Feedback when Lifting Weights (Jun 2015) Per Hellström, Anna Åkerberg, Mia Folke 4th International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement (ICAMPAM 2015)
Steps measured in relation to different amount of physical activity (Jun 2015) Anna Åkerberg, Per Hellström, Mia Folke 4th International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement (ICAMPAM 2015)
|Project Title
|Embedded Sensor Systems for Health Plus
|ESS-H - Embedded Sensor Systems for Health Research Profile
|IEMI: Intelligent extraction of mental imagery during stroke rehabilitation
|Improving Accuracy of the Cardiac Stress Test by Applying Advanced Signal Processing Methods to an Embedded Sensor Setting
|Interaktiva distanslösningar för genomförande och uppföljning av strokerehabilitering i hemmiljö
|IPOS, Integrated Personal Health Optimizing System
|LACTA - a new method to identify the lactate threshold
|Mätning av näringsstatus och förebyggande av undernäring genom integrering av hälsoteknik i äldrevården
|Measurement system for prevention of pressure sores
|Micro sensors for better health
|NovaMedTech II
|Respiratory monitoring and other clinical applications of measurements of carbon dioxide in expiratory air
Jimmie Hagblad (former)
|Thesis Title
|Design of a portable measuring system for detecting the anaerobic threshold/ Design av ett bärbart mätsystem för verifiering av mjölksyratröskeln
|in progress
|Flygindustrins väg mot miljövänligare bränslen


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Books face new digital challenge

Two new products this autumn are set to test whether consumers really want to replace a technology that has reliably served humankind for hundreds of years: the paper book. The New York Times reports that both Amazon and Google will challenge the printed word with new digital initiatives.

In October, the online retailer Amazon.com will unveil the Kindle, an electronic book reader that has been the subject of industry speculation for a year, according to several people who have tried the device and are familiar with Amazon's plans. The Kindle will be priced at $400 to $500 and will wirelessly connect to an e-book store on Amazon's site.

Also this autumn, Google plans to start charging users for full online access to the digital copies of some books in its database, according to people with knowledge of its plans. Publishers will set the prices for their own books and share the revenue with Google. So far, Google has made only limited excerpts of copyrighted books available to its users.


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STOPit App
Title I Information
Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR)
School Report Card
Federal Report Card
Proof of Residency
Attendance Information
Lunch Menu
Student Handbook / Addendums
Community Folder
Guardian Gateway
Guardian Gateway FAQ
Home Access Center (HAC)
Home Access Center (HAC) Help
Online Payment Systems
Volunteer Form
Student Portal
Emergency Response
8500 Wade Blvd.
Frisco, TX 75034
469.633.2950 (fax)
Report an Absence
Otis Spears was born on November 6, 1915 in Vickery, Texas. The farming family moved to Carrollton when he was five and there he graduated from high school. Spears was licensed to preach in the African Methodist Church in 1937, became an ordained Itinerant Deacon in 1943 and became an ordained Itinerant Elder in 1945.In 1959 he graduated from Southern Bible School, serving a total of 50 years in the ministry before retiring in 1988. The Reverend Spears pastored many country churches in locales such as Corsicana and Bonham during that time.
He moved to Frisco in 1979, and immediately began serving others and his community. The Rev. Spears was appointed to the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission in 1982 and was elected to the Frisco City Council for a two-year term in 1983. He also served on the board of the Frisco's Project for the Future, the FISD's Community Education Advisory Council, and the Housing Authority.
From a family of six children, this father of seven children and six stepchildren and grandfather of more than 30 always had the interest of young people at heart. He preached special sermons for youth and also made himself available to schoolchildren. In his talks with young people he would encourage them to set goals, to use good judgment and to be committed to their studies. A dedicated reader, he never stopped studying throughout his adult life and never stopped helping others. The Reverend Spears was proud of his heritage and tried to impart these same feelings of pride and understanding to those he met. He remained active and involved until his death on April 11, 2000; his influence continues through his family and those who knew him.
© 2019 Frisco Independent School District
If your child is absent from school, please contact the campus with this form before 8:30 AM. Phone calls are a courtesy, but only an email or a written note may be accepted from parents for our attendance records.
If absent more than one day, include all days of absence in the explanation on the next field.
Please include specific information or symptoms; "sick" is not sufficient for our records
Please provide an email (required) or phone number (optional) where you may be reached.
Optional: Upload a doctor's note explaining the reason for your child's absence.


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Smothered chicken – A soul food that looks delicious and has a unique wonderful flavor. In this post, I will teach you how to clean the chicken properly then take you through the steps to making this smothered chicken recipe.
3chicken legs and 3 chicken legs with skin
1⁄2 cupoil
1large onion chopped
1chicken bouillon
2 1⁄2 cupscold water
1⁄2 cupmilk
3 tablespoonsof the seasoned flour mentioned below
1 cupall-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoonsalt
1 teaspoononion powder
1⁄2 teaspoongarlic powder
1 teaspoonpaprika
1 teaspoonblack pepper powder
1⁄2 teaspoonall spice powder
1⁄4 teaspooncinnamon powder
1⁄4 teaspoonheaped ginger powder
Recipe Category:
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Category:Ewe proper nouns
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|Oldest pages ordered by last edit
Fundamental » All languages » Ewe » Lemmas » Proper nouns
Ewe nouns that indicate individual entities, such as names of persons, places or organizations.
- Category:Ewe proper noun forms: Ewe proper nouns that are inflected to display grammatical relations other than the main form.
- Category:Ewe names: Ewe terms that are used to refer to specific individuals or groups.
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
- ► Ewe proper noun forms (1 c, 0 e)
- ► ee:Names (2 c, 0 e)
- ► Ewe names (1 c, 0 e)
Pages in category "Ewe proper nouns"
The following 68 pages are in this category, out of 68 total.


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Roland TR-808 Drum Machine 1980s
Reverb Estimated Used Price Range
- $3,555 — $4,655
The Roland TR-808 (commonly known as just the 808) was an early programmable drum machine that had a major impact on the development of dance music in the early '80s. Because its wide use in a number of popular electronic music styles, original 808s are highly prized by collectors and producers.
Years of Production: 1980 - 1983
Notable Users: Marvin Gaye, Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, OutKast


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Is Your Butt Pain Actually Anal Cancer? These 5 Red Flags Can Tell
Anal cancer is a sensitive issue, and it's one of the reasons why it's not talked about very often. Another reason is that this type of cancer is rare: According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), anal cancer was expected to affect 8,200 people and take the lives of 1,100 people in 2017 in the United States. Of all types of cancer that start in the gastrointestinal tract, anal cancer is one of the rarest.
READ ALSO: Pancreatic Cancer: Main Symptoms, Risk Factors, And Treatment
Even though anal cancer is very uncommon, it's important to know about its symptoms to get life-saving treatment in time. The disease responds well to treatment if it's diagnosed early.
READ ALSO: 8 Simple Tips To Lower Your Uric Acid Levels Naturally
Causes of anal cancer
Anal cancer develops when healthy cells that make up the tissue of the anus and anal canal become abnormal. Healthy cells multiply and die off at a set rate, but abnormal cancer cells multiply uncontrollably and don't die as normal cells do. It causes a cancerous tumor to form.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is detected in most people diagnosed with anal cancer. The virus can also cause other types of the disease, including cancers of the cervix and throat.
READ ALSO: 5 Common Smells Of The Female Intimate Area: Causes And Treatments
Who is at risk of anal cancer?
As we mentioned above, being infected with HPV is a major risk factor for developing anal cancer. Other risk factors include the following:
- smoking;
- older age (according to the NCI, the average age at diagnosis is 61);
- having had cervical, vaginal, or vulvar cancer;
- having unprotected intercourse with multiple partners;
- practicing anal sex;
- having a weakened immune system (due to HIV/AIDS or taking immunosuppressants).
READ ALSO: Pancreatic Cancer: Main Symptoms, Risk Factors, And Treatment
Symptoms of anal cancer
Symptoms of the disease are similar to those caused by hemorrhoids. They include the following:
- bleeding from the anus;
- anal pain, pressure, and itching;
- a lump in the anal area;
- changes in bowel movements;
- discharge from the anus.
These symptoms are unlikely to be caused by anal cancer, but if you have such symptoms, go to a proctologist to find out their cause.
Anal cancer can be successfully treated if it's diagnosed early. If you have any symptoms that concern you, don't hesitate to tell your doctor about them.
Source: Mayo Clinic, American Cancer Society, WebMD, National Cancer Institute
READ ALSO: 5 Personal Hygiene Habits That Are Detrimental To The Feminine Health
This article is solely for informational purposes. Do not self-diagnose or self-medicate, and in all cases consult a certified healthcare professional before using any information presented in the article. The editorial board does not guarantee any results and does not bear any responsibility for harm that may result from using the information provided in the article.


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Project Description
Our group in general
Delta Search & Rescue is an independent organisation operating under the auspices of an incorporated company not for gain (Section 21). While primarily offering LOGISTIC SUPPORT for SEARCH & RESCUE operations, we are a multi skilled organisation with members trained to provide Off-Road Transport, Communications and Field Operative skills for any Emergency or Disaster situation. We provide a professional service to facilitate the smooth and efficient running of an operation for the Ultimate Benefit of the Casualty.
Logistics / Transport
We are able to transport relief and emergency supplies; evacuate casualties to ambulance or helicopter loading points; and assist with any number of logistical tasks. These tasks are carried out in a controlled and co-ordinated manner under the direction of the Incident Commander or a WSAR senior member.
With our communication skills and equipment, we are able to assist in providing an enhanced message handling facility, thereby allowing more informed and accurate decisions to be made by the Incident Commander or planning team. This enables tighter control to be maintained over resources in the field. We are also able to assist with the relaying of radio communications in geographically difficult areas and between different organisations on land, sea and air.
Membership and Training
Anyone who has an interest in our activities is welcome to apply. Membership is divided into four grades: Member, Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Promotion to a higher grade requires the attainment of specific objectives including the passing of written tests.
Members receive training in off-road driving techniques, logistics, radio communications, rope rescue, map and compass, in addition to allied subjects such as call out and operating procedures, incident management, helidrill and search base operations. This enables the members in the unit to work effectively as a team as well as integrate with other organisations.
Get in touch and find out more:
Tel: +27 (21) 851 3559 | Eml: firstname.lastname@example.com | Web: … | Facebook


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If I were a smarter woman, I'd finish the run of this column in a way that neatly addresses the apparent identity crisis I've been exploring for the last, like, 11 pieces. If I were a smarter woman, I'd know exactly what a column like that should look like.
And I am a smart woman, but I'm not that smart. So I'm not going to do any of that.
I'm going to talk about the fact that Sandy Cheeks — prolific Texas-born squirrel, Bikini Bottom transplant — is a lesbian.
I grew up watching "SpongeBob SquarePants," as many did. And while I loved the colorful cast of seafolk, I always had a small infatuation with the genius, karate-loving squirrel. There she was, at the bottom of the ocean in a space suit, and never once did I question it. That's Sandy! Brilliant anthropologist, purveyor of intimate, sea-based knowledge — collecting data through daily interactions with the absurd occupants of Bikini Bottom and leveraging that into getting to stay there longer.
I mean, a female academic? In a children's show? It's more likely than you'd think. There was no grand battle for her affections, no SpongeBob/Patrick face-off to win her love. Instead, in the tide-changing episode aptly named "Survival of the Idiots," we see the two bumbling fools invading her privacy as a means to better understand her.
And what do they come to understand? That in her natural state, she's a hairy, burly, butch woman! Could it be? A lesbian revealed at last?
This is not a revelation that I had the first time I encountered this episode. I watched Pinhead Larry and Dirty Dan square off with the monster of the week just like everyone else. I watched them waste away in the cold, barren landscape that surrounded Sandy in that lonesome winter and cheered for them when they stripped her bare of her protection against the elements.
But then, at the ripe old age of 22, I awoke in a cold sweat, a dream shifting my world view. In the dream, a brand new SpongeBob episode played itself out for me: A new girl comes to Bikini Bottom, capturing the infatuation of all of its inhabitants. But who should win her affections? None other than Sandy Cheeks.
It was as if my subconscious had finally put together a puzzle I didn't even know I had the pieces to: Butch Sandy, the barren wasteland of the cold surrounding her true identity, the isolation, the fact that none of her male counterparts pined for her? I was coming to realize in my analysis that not only was Sandy a lesbian, but after this episode, she was out to her closest friends — at one point going so far as to literally use both of them as beards! And I am not the only one who thinks so. Thank god for SpongeBob and Patrick, toiling through that cold winter, invading the armed and guarded treedome all to come out on the other side as her truest allies.
I sat with this information, unsure of what to do with it. As I'm sure is evident by now, I am usually very attuned to the queer coding of characters in media. This revelation into Sandy's apparent queerness didn't profoundly impact my life. I was still 22. Long gone were the days of sitting in front of the TV, soaking up the antics of Bikini Bottom dwellers such as the sponge that starred in the show. And yet I felt it flip my world like a pancake. A gay, gay pancake.
All of this made me realize something that I both already knew and still grapple with. It is just one more entry into my arsenal of answers to the big "why?"
Why talk about representation? Why is it so important? Why dissect my traumas and pain in a very public way just to explore it further?
Because Michael Jackson was a hero, and Ursula was a villain. Because my songs weren't gay enough, and music — the exploration of racism, insecurity and homophobia — was healing. Because none of the things I watched growing up were gay, Black or inclusive enough. Because one of my most poignant acts of relating to a character was to a hairy, green monster! And most of all, because I am 22 and still find myself shocked to see any trace of myself in the media.
None of this will ever stop mattering to me. Not when I bury my final Oxford comma in this column for my editor to take out, and not when I shut my laptop on this saga of exploring representation. When I have to stop using characters such as Sandy Cheeks as a conduit for being visible, my work will be done. But until then, I'll just keep screaming about representation.
And, you may ask, was this SpongeBob metaphor all just a means to validate the whole of this column? Yeah, but I like to think that at least it was pretty tongue in cheek.
Areyon Jolivette writes the Thursday arts & entertainment column on finding and celebrating identity through art. Contact her at [email protected].


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As we speak I'm hungry a.f and tired from work.
I'm here sitting with a huge 5 gram nug of london pound cake and I'm about to hit it and tell you what it feels like.
Off we go.
Lemon zest, pine and cardboard box hints. (you know that inside of the cookie box cardboard smell that is synonymous with the gsc strain)
Looks: large very dense buds with hues of color and dark orange hairs.
How does london pound cake feel when
Very very relaxing and heavy.
Immediately after the first snap of the the feeling was apparent on the top of my eyebrows and top front of my head.
Of course a a bit of numbing throughout the body was noticeable.
Hard to get stuff done, it was very heavy
So weed is different for everyone however this strain was especially lazy for me.
Getting stuff done was difficult but if you want to lay on the beach be lazy or even reflect on life this is your go to right here.
Especially suggested because due to its indica nature the paranoia or negative thinking was absent.
Instead you are left with a strain that is remarkably relaxing has great stress relieving properties and not as racy .
(This is not medical advice simply testimony)
Dreamy and sleepy
The type of strain where you may end up daydreaming. Obviously this is exactly what just happened to me… Zoned out for about 20 minutes.
Now time to take another RIP or two.
Thanks for reading guys here is a good all around rating.
Strain rating:
Effect: 4.7
Smell: 4.2
Bag Appeal 4.2
Total rating 4.36
Other Dank Strains Worth Checking Out
- Runtz Strain
- Rainbow Runtz Strain
- London Pound Cake Strain
- Mimosa Strain Flavorful As FUUUUUUCK
- Cereal Milk Strain
- Mac Strain (miracle alien cookies)
- Wedding Pie Strain
- White Rhino Strain
- Peanut Butter Kush (Top Notch Weed Strain!)
- London Pound Cake Strain (Very heavy)
- Grease Monkey Strain
- Black Diamond Strain
- Purple Punch Strain


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about WWN
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Kayfabe Commentaries presents
YouShoot: Chyna
Running time: 1:55
She has been a magnet for controversy since bursting onto the wrestling scene. Chyna knows how to grab headlines, whether it's when she began wrestling men, winning titles, mixing it up on The Surreal Life, or joining Vivid Video.
And now her ultimate headline…opening up to YOU! Chyna has taken the YouShoot oath and agreed to take all of your questions! Waltman? Check. Hunter? Check. The YouShoot Games? Check. Steph? Check.
You wanted her…now you got her. Get ready to spend a night with Chyna!


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You might be wondering what dental inlays and onlays are and when your dentist at the Dental Team in Brookfield, CT might recommend one of them for you. It is imperative to consider fillings and cavities when you start asking questions. You're probably familiar with both of them. Read on for more information about inlays and onlays to get a better understanding of what kind of treatment your dentist at the Dental Team might suggest for you if you have a cavity.
A dental inlay is a pre-molded filling that fits right inside the grooved area of your tooth and doesn't go over the edge of that tooth. First, you'll be numbed with a general anesthetic, so you don't feel anything during the procedure. Then the dentist at the Dental Team will start drilling into your tooth. This is to remove decay from the damaged tooth and clean it out. Dental inlays are one type of restorative method that is commonly used to repair your tooth once it's damaged to due to decay or injury that won't have an effect on the tooth's edges.
After the tooth is cleaned out, the dentist will then make an impression and send that impression off to a lab. There the inlay will be made. Inlays are formed from a porcelain material or composite resin that is made to match the shade of your teeth. This makes it almost completely invisible and will not be noticed. It also will restore the surface of your tooth to make chewing easier. Dental inlays are considered to be more resilient than standard fillings that are created from amalgam or composite. Gold inlays are one of the most long-lasting options but also cost the most.
A dental onlay is a process that's done to fix a tooth that has suffered more extreme damage that affects the edges of teeth and the chewing surface. The dentist at the Dental Team will numb the area, just like with an inlay, and drill down to remove decay. They will put on a temporary onlay and then send impressions to the lab. After the permanent arrives, the temporary onlay will be removed, and the new one put in place.


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This "Game Simulation Video" of Fantasy Zone the arcade was produced by the Tyrell Corporation and released by Sony Video Software International Corp. in 1987.
The only sound is the bgm of each stage as it's being played.
The cardboard sleeve completely encases the VHS cassette. One of the long sides slips out like an envelope.
The retail price was 3,500 Yen.
Click here for the full 19 minute video.


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This morning, and every morning for the past couple of weeks, I went out to do fieldwork. When I'm not writing about games, I'm an ecologist, and whilst the specifics vary, lately there's been a routine. Visit a particular site–usually in the pouring rain, of course–pick my way through rocks, mud, and brush, and search out the creatures that inhabit this area that is so little visited by humans.
It is, I realised early on, not unlike No Man's Sky.
At work and in the game, I'm usually alone. In fact, isolation is a commonly reported feeling among No Man's Sky players thanks to the huge universe populated with few sentient creatures. But I feel comforted by the fact that almost every planet is abundant in flora, fauna, or both. Sure, there aren't any people around, but there's something wheeling overhead, and grazing over there, and the lake on the horizon could be teeming with life.
It's the same in any of the game's many solar systems as it is at my daily job.
But more than that, finding these living things bridges the individual and the communal experiences. No Man's Sky's discovered creatures can be uploaded to a galaxy-wide database for a monetary reward, and in this way hundreds of thousands of players are carrying out investigatory biology on a massive scale.
In the same way, when I'm out, I'm thinking about who I need to report my findings to: colleagues, clients, maybe one of the relevant authorities. I'm alone, yes, but there's nothing lonely about it. I'm part of an extensive network. Carrying forward this feeling changes how I perceive the similar mechanics of the game.
In this way, No Man's Sky is a prominent example of a game that reflects whatever you bring to the table, be that a flair for combat, a sense of wonderlust, or a care for the wilds. With a sandbox this open, it can be difficult to know what kind of path to forge, and players viewing the game through different lenses can have vastly divergent experiences.
I'm more likely to be grounded, rather than hopping from planet to planet, so I spend more time stumbling across monuments and trading posts than getting involved in space combat. I'm less likely to rename these creatures–dealing with triturus cristatus and plecotus auritus on a daily basis means that hicenaus yadelin doesn't feel much different. And I would certainly never attack one of the skewed, fat dinosaurs I'd found to use it as a carbon resource. I didn't even know you could do that until recently–it never crossed my mind.
And it lends an interpretation to interactions that could have been bland without them. I met a Vy'Keen scientist before I spoke much of their native language, but correctly guessed that they were asking to see my biological discoveries. They were extremely excited when I showed them what I'd found, and I recognised that excitement from my own life. Because of that connection, I still think fondly upon them, wherever they are in the essentially limitless vastness of the virtual galaxy.
It feels strange to compare my job to something both entertaining and artful–though I'm lucky enough that my job can be those things: enjoyable or beautiful or thought provoking in its turn. But it makes sense - if No Man's Sky is all about Star-Trek-style boldly going, I've used what I know best to narrow myself to the seek out new life part of the mission, and it's been essential to parsing an experience as large as this.
But that's not the only mission in No Man's Sky (or in Starfleet, for that matter), and bringing your own brief and parameters is when the game really begins to shine.
This is not something that everyone enjoys doing, and it's understandable that many wanted No Man's Sky to provide them with more to do without the need to insert their own lens. But it also leads to variety in play between all of those who are finding their own interpretations reflected back among these vast star systems, lending an extra dimension of personalisation to this game that was never going to provide two players with the same experience.


text: We take so much for granted. Is life really that bad? Are you homeless? Do you have a terminal illness? There's no excuse if you don't fall into such categories. Even at those points I see humans being grateful for everything. We're blessed with so much. It's time to appreciate what you do have because you never know when your last breath will be.


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City of Gig Harbor co-hosts Parks Appreciation Day April 23rd
Partnership event with Key Pen Parks & Pen Met Parks seeking volunteers
Gig Harbor, Wash., March 7th, 2016 – The public is invited to volunteer and get involved in Parks Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 23rd. Residents from around the Greater Gig Harbor area will come together for the annual clean up event scheduled from 9am – 12 noon.
Always a favorite day in Gig Harbor, Parks Appreciation Day is an opportunity to show your love of all our local parks by giving back to the earth. PenMet Parks, KeyPen Parks and the City of Gig Harbor all work together to beautify and maintain our treasured park lands annually in April. The event is a fun opportunity for all ages to volunteer. Families, groups or individuals are all encouraged to join in and help plant, prune, push, pull and play! Volunteers should wear appropriate clothes and shoes for the season and weather. There is no need to pre-register. Simply visit one of the sites listed below to help the groups, or drop by your favorite park or school for some cleanup:
Crescent Creek Park, 3303 Vernhardson Street
Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park, 3580 50th Street Ct.
Wilkinson Farm Park, 4118 Rosedale Street
Donkey Creek Park, 8714 North Harborview Drive
McCormick Forest Park, 10301 Bujacich Rd NW, So. of Sehmel Dr.
Harbor Family Park, 70th Ave and 32nd St NW
Sehmel Homestead Park, 10123 - 78th Ave. NW
Narrows Park, 1600 Lucille Pkwy NW
Rotary Bark Park, 10200 Bujacich Rd NW, So. of Fire Sta.
Kopachuck State Park, 11101 - 56th St NW
360 Trails, 10905 - 144th St. NW
Home Park, 213th Ave CT KPN
Rocky Creek Conservation Area, SR 302 at 150th Ave on Crews Road
KP Civic Center, 17010 South Vaughn Road, Vaughn
Volunteers are encouraged to bring gloves, shears, loppers, pruners, mattocks/pulaskis, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows and be sure to label them. It is not required to bring items, you can simply volunteer. In addition, a hotdog lunch will be provided at noon for workers at Sehmel Homestead Park or Gateway Park. See you at the park on Saturday, April 23rd!
If you are a part of a large group or organization, please contact one of the following agencies to help plan:
City of Gig Harbor contact Terri Reed at (253) 851-6170
PenMet Parks contact Eric Guenther at (253) 858-3400 x 1222
KeyPen Parks contact Christina Hallock (253) 884-9240 x 22
Kopachuck State Park, Ranger Dennis Mills (253) 265-3606
Gig Harbor – Washington's Maritime City. www.gigharborguide.com.
Karen Scott, City of Gig Harbor
Tourism and Communications Director
(253) 853-3554


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P!nk Gives Career-Spanning VMA Performance, Accepts Video Vanguard Award
By Nicole Mastrogiannis
August 27, 2017
There is no doubt that P!nk is a pop icon. With a 17-year career under her belt, over 50 million albums sold, 3 Grammy Awards and 6 VMAs won, arenas sold out all over the world, and is a Unicef Ambassador, she is one strong, fierce female superstar.
P!nk was honored as this year's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient at the MTV VMAs, and also performed a stunning career-spanning medley of her biggest hits, including her most recent single "What About Us" from her upcoming seventh studio album Beautiful Trauma.
P!nk literally got the party started by performing hits from over the course of her career, including "Raise Your Glass," "So What," "Get the Party Started," "Just Give Me a Reason" and "Perfect." And while she may not have taken to her signature aerial routine, she did drive out into the crowd in a convertible during a confetti shower.
P!nk ended her performance by re-creating her stunning, choreographic "What About Us" music video with a cast of super talented dancers, at one point going out into the crowd as she moved from one part of the stage to another.
If you are jealous of the bodies attached the hands she's shaking here, you're not alone.
Following her performance, Ellen DeGeneres came out on stage to present P!nk with the Video Vanguard Award. She explained that since Cher, last year's recipient, couldn't make it to present P!nk with the award, the pop star had called Ellen to ask her to fill in. Ellen said, "I think she's the most incredible performer. When she said she'd like me to give her this award, I was honored."
P!nk's family was on hand to see her accept her award first hand, including her husband Carey Hart and six-year-old daughter Willow. They all wore matching outfits on the carpet (so cute).
During her speech, she launched into a story about a moment with her daughter, who told her mom she didn't feel pretty and that she looks like "a boy with long hair" ... to which P!nk's response was to put together a Powerpoint presentation of "androgynous rockstars and artists, who that live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life, and carry on, and wave their flag, and inspire the rest of us." She mentioned artists like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Prince, and more among this list.
Ultimately, she ended with a message for her daughter saying, "We don't change. We take the gravel and the shell, and we make a pearl. We help other people to change, so that they can see more kinds of beauty."
P!nk also shouted out her peers saying, "To all the artists here, I'm so inspired by all of you. Thank you for being your true selves and for lighting the way for us. I'm so inspired by you guys. There's so much rad sh*t happening right now in music. And keep doing it. Keep shining or the rest of us to see."
The newly crowned Video Vanguard Award recipient ended her speech with a message to her daughter, "And you, my darling girl, are beautiful. And I love you."
Congratulations to P!nk! The pop icon is set to perform next month in Las Vegas at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival.
Photos: Getty Images


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Zoram Strand
The Zoram Strand is a stretch of beach in the northwest corner of Ashenvale. While the Horde have set up a minor outpost (Zoram'gar Outpost) in the Zoram Strand, the area has fallen to the naga. The dark creatures have taken up residence, evident in their numbers and in the shipwrecks and beached sea creatures along the shore.
Near the area there was originally a night elven town called Zoram but is long destroyed and submerged beneath the seas.[1]
The Zoram Strand is also the site of the Blackfathom Deeps instance. The Deeps was once a great Night Elf temple, but now lies in ruins from the sundering. The Naga have also made their home in the Deeps, as well as the Twilight's Hammer cult who are seeking the power of the chaotic Old Gods.
In the Zoram Strand, an adventurer may find naga (Wrathtail Sorceresses and Wave Riders) in the level 18 to 19 range. There also crabs (Clattering and Spined Crawler) in the level 19 to 21 range and Mystlash Hydra (Level 20).
In the Midsummer Fire Festival, two quests take place in the Zoram Strand involving the Twilight Cult's plan to summon Lord Ahune into the world to battle Ragnaros. Two camps of Cultists spawn, one due south of the Blackfathom entrance, the other on the beach northwest of there.
- Neutral
- [120] Unusual Activity
- [120] An Innocent Disguise
In Cataclysm
A small Alliance camp with a flight path has been established near the Blackfathom Deeps instance. It also appears the models for the Naga have been updated along the coast.[2]
An overheard conversation during the Midsummer Fire Festival
The second Twilight's Hammer camp in Ashenvale
Zoram Strand Digsite
The Zoram Strand north of Zoram'gar Outpost is a night elf archaeology dig site.


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ANU Bar, ANU Union Australian National University , Canberra
Greenroom Canberra are proud to anncounce Meniscus are to grace the ANU Bar on Saturday 19th November.
This instrumental post rock band are best described by the press as "forward-thinking" and "epic, symphonic and melodic". Meniscus seamlessly blend together elements of Guitar-driven ambient soundscapes, hard-rock, electronic and psychedelic music.
Suppoorted by locals KNIGHTS OF THE SPATCHCOCK, LOCAL HORROR and ESCAPE SYNDROME


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Parents are typically well-skilled in recognizing a bogus email otherwise known as a phishing scam, but what about kids? Would they know the difference especially when it's from a very sophisticated hacker?
Phishing scams can be very damaging and they've gotten more and more believable. Scams coming from legitimate companies like eBay, iTunes, Amazon or Facebook requesting personal information often look very real. The emails may include a link asking to confirm passwords, identity or other personal information. They can arrive in a child's email inbox just the same as any adult. They're often disguised as their email provider, online gaming service, social media sites or even their school.
Some phishing emails are easy to spot like the ones that include misspellings or farfetched requests for money from a foreign country. However, they may also be sent with a company logo that makes them appear official. The emails will usually ask for a response with personal information through email or through a phone number to call back. The email may also provide a link that will download a form to be returned.
It is important to make kids are aware of the dangers of providing personal information to anyone. Kids should know they should ask a parent first or even contact a customer service department to find out if the request for information is legit. A phone number should always be verified before simply calling it. Some numbers can lead straight to a scammer posing as a representative of the company.
Although kids are very savvy when it comes to digital navigating, they can be gullible when it comes to adults requesting personal information and obtaining their trust. For this reason, it is important to educate kids about the dangers of answering unsolicited emails that may very well be phishing scams.
Posted in Digital Safety , Safe Planning on July 03, 2017


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Our Group organises 3000+ Global Conferenceseries Events every year across USA, Europe & Asia with support from 1000 more scientific societies and Publishes 700+ Open Access Journals which contains over 50000 eminent personalities, reputed scientists as editorial board members.
A new approach to redefine thermal comfort temperature for cold climatic hilly regions is presented. This approach will lead to the reduction of base temperature, number of winter space heating degree-days required and helps in the designing and proper sizing of space heating systems, and thus reducing the initial high costs of solar passive features. The new thermal comfort temperature has been proposed and used in the passive solar design of a Bank building at Shimla (Latitude 31.1â¦N, Longitude 77.1â¦E and Altitude 2202 m (above msl)) the capital of Himachal Pradesh, the Western Himalayan State in India. The monitoring of building shows that a new thermal comfort temperature results in reducing the heating requirement by about 44%, thereby indicating the need to adopt this
approach for cold regions.
FOR MORE INFO: omicsonline.org/open-access/thermal-comfort-temperature-standards-for-cold-regions-2090-5009-2-106.pdf


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Inning accordance with the gentle society 33 % of US households own at least one cat, totaling 38.2 million homes. It has actually likewise been reported that approximately 16% of US families relocate to a brand-new house each year. These stats include up to a significant number of felines being taken on long distance moving journeys each year. The following article will evaluate some valuable ideas on safely carrying felines on long distance moving trips.
Find The Top Out Of State Mover In Agra KS 67621
It is time to make the phone call when you narrow it down based on Internet evaluations. This suggests that you're going to ask questions such as what sort of insurance they have. You require to understand what it is they cover and what they don't cover so that you understand you're protected.
Notice if they appreciate information. Not all relocations are alike. Some need additional stops. Some have a need for overnight storage while some need long term storage. Discover out exactly what their policy for these circumstances are in advance.
Cross Country
Typically, trusted out of state mover business use more than just moving your things. They also offer you the possibility to have an assistant when it comes to loading these belongings at the same time. A few of your alternatives as their customer consist of self-packing, full-service packing in addition to the packing for fragile-only luggage. If you choose the self-packing, the moving company must provide you all the necessary materials such as the boxes and the stretch wrap. Nevertheless, if you think that you not have enough time to do this yourself, then the other two options can be a fantastic option.
First of all, remove bed mattress, linens, covers, etc from the couches and beds. Fold them and warp with plastic sheet. Now connect the package with the rope in order to move them to a brand-new place. Now tidy dust from your beds and couches. Cleaning readies to do prior to you begin loading.
It may be said conclusively that inexpensive interstate movers actually are a reliable benefit in regards to moving gathered from one of destination to a distant one.
The Agra Kansas 67621 Out Of State Mover You Can Depend On
The range of the relocation is also an aspect when choosing a business. Various business have the ability to manage close-by moves and others are much better for interstate moving. Homeowners that are prepared to do some of the packaging and moving will save themselves some cash. The secret needs to be to keep the costs down where ever possible.
Web – This is the very best method to get quotes for complimentary considering that you will be able to collect several quotes then quickly compare them to permit you to make the wise decision for you.
To Conclude
Following these easy steps make sure to assist you discover a suitable moving business for your requirements. Continental Van Lines is the best Coral Springs moving company.


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Today's going to be easier. Less Elvish. But still some.
Galadriel finishes her song. So there's that. Frodo gives us a translation, which I wouldn't doubt is the basis for how a lot of people started to study Tolkien's language. Meanwhile, the Fellowship drifts downriver, and Galadriel disappears. Gimli weeps for the loss of beauty. It's terribly more difficult to deal with than evil. In some ways, he would rather be taken and tortured by their enemies. That's a thought.
First Mentions:
-Mount Everwhite: A mountain, if that wasn't obvious. Probably where Varda (Elbereth Gilthoniel) comes from. At least, that makes sense to me.
Technically, we heard about Everwhite for the first time yesterday, but it's hard to glean from the whole "other language" thing. Blah, blah, blah…issues.
Tolkien Songs In Real Life:
Just a little bit left to puzzle about today.
"Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!"
Profoundly simpler, I present:
Elf Days Are Over pt.2
(Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine)
I neglected to mention yesterday that the cool thing about Florence + The Machine is that she's from New Zealand. That's kind of a thing when we're talking about Lord of the Rings. New Zealand is, after all, Middle-earth incarnate.
And the pretty makes Gimli cry too, because Lothlórien has that effect on people. The pain of losing it is worse than he had imagined anything else could be.
Fellowship of the LATE: 103 pages
I, for one, would take the loss of beauty over my enemies any day. Maybe Lothlórien is the most beautiful thing ever, but there are other things that could fill that gap. Torture, pain, and evil-dom? Yeah, not as nice. If given the choice, I'd ditch Lothlórien.
Words My Computer Didn't Like:
So much more manageable! I like that.
"'Elves may see things otherwise. Indeed…'"


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Sci-Fi Saturdays kicks off in earnest with the first major science fiction film of the 1950s.
Rocketship X-M was not the first sci-fi film of the 50s, nor was it the best. But, along with Destination Moon, it helped usher in the space-race to the general public, while also providing some of the first social commentary in the sci-fi film.
First Impressions
"The Future Is Here," proclaims the trailer! It also wants to make sure that the audience knows that this is the "Screen's First Story of Man's Conquest of Space!" It would be unfair to compare trailers from the 1950s to those of today. Films were sold differently at the time, and the final films were often much simpler. The trailer stresses the fact that "Four men and a girl" [emphasis mine] will take off on a runaway rocket, encountering things like meteor storms and potential accidents with jettisoned rocket parts. At the time of this release, no film had attempted to portray a realistic flight to outer space. This was to be the first such film, but only by 3 weeks!
Presented below is the trailer for the film.
The Fiction of The Film
Rocketship X-M is not extraordinary in and of itself. But it does have a prominent place in the history of sci-fi film as the harbinger of the Golden Age of Science Fiction film.
The film opens with the crew of Rocketship X-M (eXpedition-Moon) undergoing health checks to ensure they are all fit to fly. Dr. Karl Eckstrom (John Emery), Maj. William Corrigan (Noah Beery, Jr.), Col. Floyd Graham (Lloyd Bridges), Harry Chamberlain (Hugh O'Brian) & Dr. Lisa Van Horn (Osa Massen) head to a press conference to reveal the flight plan of their trip to the moon.
Strapping themselves into their rocket, they blast off, achieving orbit for escape velocity to the moon. When they jettison their retro-rocket stage, it nearly crashes into the ship. Only Graham's quick thinking saves them. They encounter a meteor shower which causes engine problems, so Dr. Eckstrom recalculates the necessary changes to their fuel mixture. Unfortunately a miscalculation causes the rockets to misfire, sending them careening. A sudden drop in oxygen causes them to black out.
The crew awakens later realizing that somehow they have traveled 50 million miles and are just outside Mars. They decide to land and explore that planet. On the surface they find evidence of an advanced civilization that is now dead, and high radiation levels from an ancient Atomic War. While the crew continues to explore they find a female humanoid native that is blind, with milky cataracts who has injured herself. She screams, unsure what aliens are upon her, and two of her burned and scarred tribesmen begin attacking the astronauts.
Dr. Eckstrom is killed and Chamberlain is injured as the crew tries to rush back to their ship. They take off and head home, but realize that they only have enough fuel to get them back to Earth, and not enough to land. They contact Earth by radio to inform mission control of what they witnessed. As RX-M rapidly descends, Graham and Dr. Van Horn share a brief embrace before the ship explodes over Nova Scotia. The project director, Dr. Ralph Fleming (Morris Ankrum), informs the press that the ship was lost, but also of the lessons they have learned. He tells them that he intends to start building RX-M-2 the next day.
"The RX-M is what is known as a multi-stage or step rocket. Upon reaching escape velocity, the tail section; which has housed the fuel to attain this speed, will be jettisoned. The nose section; which is a complete rocket containing enough fuel for the entire trip, and also containing our cabin, overcomes the gravitational pull of the Earth and heads in the direction of the moon." – Dr. Karl Eckstrom
History in the Making
By the time Rocketship X-M was released, the science fiction film was almost half a century old, but there were only a scant more than 40 films released in this genre by 1950. The majority of these films that can be considered science fiction, are probably better contextualized today as horror films. Films such as Frankenstein, numerous versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or The Invisible Man (and its sequels) are all tangentially sci-fi films, having to do with the speculation of science gone wrong. However, they hold more elements in the Horror genre, including the use of mad scientists or pseudo-science gone awry.
Based on the definitions of the sci-fi genre above, only a handful of films prior to Rocketship X-M would qualify as sci-fi films. Among these include the serials of Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and King of the Rocket Men. Of course A Trip to the Moon and Metropolis are examples of the earliest films in this genre (as discussed in the introductory article in this series). The only other film before Rocketship X-M that can be considered sci-fi would be The Flying Saucer which was released in January 1950. So in saying that this film is the "Screen's First Story of Man's Conquest of Space" is quite accurate.
According to trivia on the IMDb page and Wikipedia's entry, Rocketship X-M was greenlit after the announcement and advertisement of the bigger budget Destination Moon. Shot in just 18 weeks, this film was able to be released to theaters just 25 days before Destination Moon, thereby securing its place as the "Screen's First Story of Man's Conquest of Space!" It provides an entirely different look at the first manned ship into outer space. And while some aspects of the film are lower budget and hokey, there are some interesting social commentary provided by the film (however heavy-handed) that sets it apart from Destination Moon.
Being that this is the first article in this series it's important to get some explanations out of the way. What is a genre? What makes science fiction films, science fiction films?
Most people are familiar with the fact that books, television and films are divided into something called Genres. A Genre is a categorization used to delineate one type or style of story from another. That's why Western films look and behave differently from a Detective film or, in this case, a Science Fiction film. Each genre has some basic rules that it adheres to in order to fulfill the categorization, which may seem self-evident to modern viewers who have grown up with these sorts of classifications.
The sci-fi film, in its formative years, developed some elements that define the genre, including space travel, aliens, spaceships, and advanced uses of science and technological tools. Hence, the "science" in science fiction. When making the determination if a work fits into the sci-fi genre, I always check on its use of "science" versus the use of "magic." Films that have elements that can be considered magical, fit more succinctly into the Fantasy genre. As sci-fi films evolved, other themes and elements entered into the genre, such as time travel, dystopian society, cyber culture, and alternate realities. According to John Clute in SF: The Illustrated Encyclopedia (DK, 1995), science fiction is the "only genre of fiction that directly addresses the true nature of the times we live in, and describes the power we wield." That is, sci-fi also serves as a mirror to the society's hopes and fears in a very powerful and immediate way. It handles these concepts in ways that Horror, Drama or Fantasy (as a few examples) cannot.
Rocketship X-M, being a very early entry into the genre deals with very few genre conventions. These include space travel, faster than light travel, and the concept of life on other planets. The genre themes used by a film do not take into account the possibility of any of the scientific accuracy of the claims. For example: the lack of spacesuits used by the crew while exploring the surface of Mars, we know now, is just plain wrong. That does not change the fact that at the time the film was created, this was considered plausible – or perhaps was done for budgetary reasons. Reality is often a secondary consideration in sci-fi, which leads viewers to criticize the work as "less serious" or as "popcorn entertainment" rather than serious science fiction.
Societal Commentary
Another element of science fiction (not just films, but television and literature) is the use of the genre to provide commentary on current social issues or problems. Sometimes the metaphor or the allegory is heavy-handed or too "on the nose," as it is with Rocketship X-M. But other times, it can be subtle and artful.
This film comes only 5 years after the end of World War II and the decimation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so the threat of "atomic" war was very fresh on everyone's mind. Additionally the United States would test at least six atomic devices between 1945 and August, 1949, keeping the visual imagery of that destruction firmly in the public's consciousness. And with the DPKR crossing the 38th parallel a few months earlier, the world was obviously concerned that things might escalate into war.
Rocketship X-M is not subtle in their handling of a warning to the people of Earth. When Dr. Eckstrom realizes that Atomic War devastated the advanced civilization of Mars, he opines, "From Atomic Age to Stone Age." The warning is transmitted to Earth and relayed to the press to act as a hopeful warning to the nations of the planet. The film also deals with patriotism and the American "can-do" spirit, especially with the closing line that the new version of RX-M will be created and the crews sacrifice will not be in vain.
One other interesting note regarding the Mars sequences: they were ghost-written by Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter. He was suppressed by the McCarthy investigation into UnAmerican Activities (nee Communism) during the 50s, but kept writing scripts, including Spartacus (1960) while being blacklisted. I highly recommend the film Trumbo (2015), starring Bryan Cranston as the eponymous author.
Some additional, although probably unintended, social commentary comes from the treatment and portrayal of the lone female character, Dr. Van Horn. While probably not evident in 1950, the dialogue and treatment of this character belittles the accomplishments that set her up as a brilliant chemist and doctor.
The treatment is evidenced with lines such as "I suppose you think that women should only cook and sew and bear children" being posed by Dr. Van Horn, answered by Graham with "Isn't that enough?" Or Dr. Eckstrom chastising her for getting a different answer than himself (even though in the end, his answer was the wrong one), and forcing her to concede to his answer, she apologizes, to which he replies "For what? For momentarily being a woman? It's completely understandable, Miss Van Horn." These social norms for 1950, stand out today, as very antiquated and sexist.
The Science in The Fiction
Rocketship X-M presents manned travel to the moon 11 years before Russia would put the first man in orbit (Yuri Gagarin; Vostok I, 1961) and 19 years before the United States would land on the moon itself (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, & Michael Collins; Apollo 11, 1969). It predicted several things correctly about the science of space travel.
- Use of a multi-stage rocket
- Distance to moon, length of trip, speed of rocket
- Use of chemical and liquid propellant
There are also many elements of the film that exist solely in the realm of science fiction. These include:
- Turning rocket 90º dramatically to enter Earth-orbit
- Lack of space suits on alien planets (at least they used some sort of breathing apparatus)
- Speed of travel to Mars, indicating faster-than-light travel. Normal Mars trip would take 150-300 days
- And of course, humanoids on Mars
The film also presents an ominous ending with the remainder of the crew dying in a rocket crash. While not common, several accidents have occurred on re-entry including most notably Vladimir Komarov on Soyuz I (1967) & the crew of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
The Final Frontier
Rocketship X-M is a fun and quirky film imagining what a rocket trip to the moon might be like. The film has some good ideas, and even manages to present some interesting warnings about the fate of mankind, should they continue at the present rate. But it suffers from a rushed filming schedule, lack of funding, and a hokey script. However, sometimes that's what makes B-movies enjoyable to watch.
Having grown up on comics, television and film, "Jovial" Jay feels destined to host podcasts and write blogs related to the union of these nerdy pursuits. Among his other pursuits he administrates and edits stories at the two largest Star Wars fan sites on the 'net (Rebelscum.com, TheForce.net), and co-hosts the Jedi Journals podcast over at the ForceCast network.