text:
Style # 217163
AVAILABILITY: Unavailable for immediate shipment.
In this season's hottest color combination and accented by sheer mesh cutouts, this bebe fit and flare dress is sure to be a weekend fave. Try it with a pair of metal-accented sandals for an effortlessly-glam look.
- 65% rayon, 30% nylon, 5% spandex
- Center back to hem: 34" (86 cm).
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Mesh Inset Fit & Flare Dress is rated out of 5 by 2.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Enigma from Perfect!!!! I love this dress. I'm 34-25-41 and this dress fit perfectly. I wouldn't suggest this dress for people with large bust. I'm 34A and it's a perfect fit. Also, my only complaint about this dress is the fact that the white is kind of see through. But i love the dress too much to return it so i'll probably take it to the tailor and get it lined.
Date published: 2013-05-17
Rated 4 out of 5 by SewerGal1 from Tight fit in bust The style of this dress is cute, but for me it was very tight fitting in the bust. I am a 34D and purchased a size small. The bottom fit perfectly but the top portion of this dress clung uncomfortably. Also, it is a dry clean only white material. That being said, I couldn't see myself paying for dry cleaning bills which surely would add up, so I sent this back.
Date published: 2013-04-06


text:
Powerpuff Girls Pint Glass Set
Straight from Townsville!
- Because perfect little girls are boring
- Celebrate your love for PPG with that "X" factor
- Set of 4 colorful pint glasses
Everybody knows that good girls are made of sugar, spice and everything nice. What a coincidence! That's what the tastiest drinks are made of, too. But you never know what a drink will turn into if you spill a mysterious substance into it. With a little Chemical X, it could turn into... the Powerpuff Girls.
If your love of the Powerpuff Girls spills over into other areas of life (spills -- see what we did there?), then you have to grab a set of these Powerpuff Girls pint glasses. This fun and colorful pint glass set features all of your favorite characters. Pink Blossom, blue Bubbles, and green Buttercup each get their own individual glass, and all three are featured together on the fourth if you can't decide on a favorite.
Product Specifications
- Powerpuff Girls Pint Glass Set
- Officially-licensed Powerpuff Girl merchandise
- Set of four glasses features three glasses with individual characters and one featuring all three
- Capacity: 16 oz.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
J.J. Abrams, who has made a name for himself writing, directing and producing such hits as "Lost" and "Star Trek," was tapped in January to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII." (Tracey Nearmy / European Pressphoto Agency)Link
Abrams made his first foray into television in 1998, co-creating the coming-of-age drama "Felicity," which starred Keri Russell as the title character. The show won a Golden Globe and an Emmy. (The WB)Link
Abrams created the Jennifer Garner-starring spy thriller series "Alias," which won four Emmys and a Golden Globe. (Norman Jean Roy / ABC)Link
J.J. Abrams on the set of "Mission: Impossible III," the first feature film he directed. The film earned nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office. (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and star Tom Cruise on the set of "Mission: Impossible III." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and star Tom Cruise pose atop Shanghai's historic Bund 18 building after wrapping up filming in China for "Mission: Impossible III" on Nov. 30, 2005. (Associated Press)Link
Abrams co-created "Lost" with Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof. The suspense-filled show followed a group of people after their plane crashed on an island. The massively popular series became a cultural touchstone, with millions of viewers tuning in for twist after twist. (ABC)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Los Angeles in April 2006. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles TimesLink
J.J. Abrams, second from left, poses with the cast members from "Fringe," a sci-fi television series he co-created with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. (Rich Lam / Getty Images)Link
J.J. Abrams reveals his first casting for his 2009 reboot of "Star Trek" during a 2007 Comic-Con panel in San Diego. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)Link
A scene from Abrams' 2009 film "Star Trek," which raked in more than $385 million worldwide. (Paramount Pictures)Link
Steven Spielberg, left, co-produced the 2011 film "Super 8," which J.J. Abrams wrote and directed. The pair are shown here at a 2009 dinner honoring Spielberg in Beverly Hills. (Michael Kovac / WireImage)Link
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Director J.J. Abrams and actor Kyle Chandler on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
Young actors Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths discuss a scene with director J.J. Abrams on the set of "Super 8." (Paramount Pictures)Link
J.J. Abrams, left, and Eric Kripke executive produce the post-apocalyptic adventure series "Revolution." The pair are photographed here at Abrams' company Bad Robot in Santa Monica on Aug. 20, 2012. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)Link
Abrams, second from left, shares the stage with "Star Trek Into Darkness" actor Benedict Cumberbatch, star Chris Pine and producer Bryan Burk during a December 2012 press conference for the sequel to their 2009 blockbuster. (Koji Sasahara / Associated Press)Link
J.J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath are co-chairs of the Children's Defense Fund of California. They're photographed here in December 2012. (Mark Davis / Getty Images)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Beverly Hills in June 2011. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)Link
J.J. Abrams is photographed in Beverly Hills in June 2011. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)Link
J.J. Abrams is set to direct "Episode VII."
Sources have confirmed the "Star Trek Into Darkness" filmmaker will helm the next "Star Wars" movie, the highly anticipated installment in the landmark franchise scheduled to reach theaters in 2015.
PHOTOS: 'Star Wars' at the box office
[Updated: 10:30 a.m. Jan. 25]: The news first broke on The Wrap website Thursday afternoon.
Abrams, who previously had denied that he would be involved with the project, is now in a position of creative control over the two most beloved franchises in the science-fiction universe: "Star Wars" and "Star Trek."
Abrams rebooted "Star Trek" for the big screen in 2009 to much acclaim and rousing boxoffice receipts, with the film collecting upwards of $385 million. His follow-up, "Star Trek Into Darkness," is due in theaters May 17.
His decision to direct a "Star Wars" film, however, throws into question his future with that Paramount franchise. Scheduling commitments most likely would preclude him from directing a potential third "Trek" movie.
"Star Wars: Episode VII" will be written by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3."
Simon Kinberg and Lawrence Kasdan have been tapped to write "Star Wars" projects as well, but it's unclear whether their scripts will be for future episodes or for films outside the official trilogy.
Kasdan co-wrote the screenplay for the "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back."
The upcoming trilogy of new films was announced Oct. 30 when the Walt Disney Co. went public with its plans to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion.
George Lucas is expected to serve as a creative consultant on the new movies.
— Gina McIntyre
Follow us on Twitter: @LATHeroComplex
'Star Wars' director watch: Who's out, who's in?
Obama White House says no to Death Star petition
'Star Wars': Michael Arndt signed to pen Episode VII
New 'Star Wars': Lucas won't write or direct
'Trek": Meet the villain, Benedict Cumberbatch
"Sherlock" and "Star Trek": Benedict Cumberbatch lights it up
LeVar Burton engineers new career chapters
Zachary Quinto getting in Spock shape
Nimoy: "Live long and prosper, my friends"
Nimoy: "Trek" fans can be scary


text:
Don Cherry snubbed for Order of Canada — again
Maybe we'll get it right by Canada's 200th birthday and give the Order of Canada to Don Cherry.
We missed our chance for the 150th.
Yes, the legendary hockey coach, commentator, animal lover and humanitarian was snubbed again.
Cherry, who has raised millions for charity, should be there.
But the people who block conservatives from getting the honour just run out the clock: My late Toronto Sun colleagues Peter Worthington, Bob MacDonald, George Gross are examples.
Their Liberal peers from the hay day of newspapers certainly all got the nod.
If I had any say, my Order of Canada List would include retired Toronto Police staff-superintendant Gary Grant, who started Crime Stoppers. He's not an actor or singer, but has helped save a lot of lives.
Another no-brainer is Trent Hills Mayor Hector Macmillan, who took on the province on behalf of pancreatic cancer patients like himself.
I was pleased to see street nurse Cathy Crowe receive the honour because she's earned it. Another person like that is none other than Charles McVety and his team at Canada Christian College who — without fanfare — have a van out on the streets of Toronto every night feeding and helping people.
Same goes for Nav Bhatia, known as the Raptor's superfan and for his famous Hyundai car dealership, but not as much for his charity which has taken thousands of children in need to Raptors games.
My own Sun colleagues Michele Mandel, Steve Simmons, Michael Peake, Mark Bonokoski, Sue-Ann Levy, Tarek Fatah and Andy Donato should all be in the Order of Canada — and if they were Liberals they would be.
One guy who will not be getting the Order of Canada is Russell MacDonald, who, at 97, died just two days before the 150th he was so looking forward to celebrating. Sun day-one legend Bob MacDonald's brother came back to Stellarton, N.S., after the Second World War.
A great Canadian. A great guy. Rest in Peace Russell.
If he ever gets out of the North Korean labour prison camp, I'd also give one to Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim, who has spent 30 years feeding the hungry.
How about the Order of Canada to bartender Alina Budzinski at the York Station Bar in the Royal York hotel? She and the tiny, train-car style bar retired Friday for good but the memories will remain. She made great martinis but also kept big secrets — everything from stock tips to royal travel plans — for 42 years. And always with a smile.
Also on this Canada Day, happy birthday to Dan Aykroyd. The same to my son, Joshua, who proudly shares a birthday with Aykroyd on Canada Day.
Danny turns 65 and Josh five. Both are proud Canadians.
Danny is so cool. The other day I stopped into Sydenham, near Kingston, for some amazing French fries at Jim's Gourmet Fries chip wagon and heard a great story. Jim was serving the fries to none other than Aykroyd. He was just glad he had his camera, because he was sure no one would believe him.
Last but not least hats of to Peter Mansbridge on his final broadcast on the CBC's The National and his retirement. For a long time, he's brought the country its news with grace, fairness and integrity.
We'll keep working on getting one for Cherry before he 200th.
Happy Canada Day. Scrawler out.


text:
Hey all!
As usual, the news section has been left inactive for a few months so here's an update! I'm currently enjoying my holidays for a few weeks. The first thing my fiance and I did was leave for a trip to Italy. Here are some photos: https://goo.gl/photos/QZaUvKGqYXWRp4616
What about you guys? How are you spending your summer or life in general?
See you in the froums!
- Oscar Johansson


text:
My name is Pierre. I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I have been living in Austin for two months now and I would like to meet people to start a study group using Familia Romana or the Desessard's Assimil method or both. If anyone on this forum is living in Austin and interested I would love to meet you.
Vobis gratias multas ago.


text:
June 23. 2013 4:34PM
NH teams sweep Twin State lacrosse games
New Hampshire captured wins in both the boys' and girls' Twin State Hanover Lions "Byrne Cup" all-star lacrosse games Saturday in Hanover.
The New Hampshire boys defeated Vermont 12-9 and the New Hampshire girls won a slugfest over Vermont, 19-16.
On the boys' side, New Hampshire had 13 players reach the scoresheet, led by Mackenzie Tetreault (two goals) and Dan Auger (two goals, assist) and single tallies from Galen Antolino, Jesse Brown, Mitch Burke, Jason Campbell, Patrick Goff, Brendan Megan, Matt Milne and Taylor Wallace.
Riley Keenan and David Phelps added assists and goalies Mitchell Green (six saves) and Sebastian Olsen (8 saves) backstopped the New Hampshire team.
For the Granite State girls, Emily Whitney scored four goals and added three assists, and Olivia Eaton and Devon Parker each scored four goals.
Emily Baker (goal, assist), Gemma Bready (goal, assist), Jackie Geisler (assist), Abby Lui (assist), Maureen Moran (goal), Alison Otto (goal), Nicole Pettiglio (two goals, assist), Callie Santos (two assists) and Julia Wasserman (goal) rounded out the New Hampshire scoring. Goalies Megan Kolopsky (four saves) and Erin Turner (two saves) shared the cage duties.


text:
Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck following his role in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old was handed a start ahead of fellow forward Chicharito for the Premier League clash, and despite not getting on the scoresheet, proved a thorn in the side for the opposition defence throughout.
"Danny was fantastic," Sir Alex told MUTV. "I thought he gave them a real hard day of it, the two centre-backs.
"He and Robin [van Persie], particularly in the first half, gave them a very difficult time.
"The reason Danny played was because we wanted someone who would drop on top of their centre-midfield player. He did that well and put in a great shift.
"He ran his legs off today and deserved the man-of-the-match award really."
Welbeck's strike partner Van Persie also came in for praise from his manager, with the ex-Arsenal man opening the scoring before sending in the free kick for Nemanja Vidic to score what would prove to be the winning goal.
"It was great build-up, terrific football, and a great finish by Robin but we should have been three or four up," added the boss. "I thought we should have had a penalty when Shinji was brought down.
"All in all, it was an engrossing game as we expected in a Manchester United-Liverpool match. It's full of emotion, intensity and it's great to win them.
"I think winning is important - it doesn't matter what league position we are in. I've said many times it's a fantastic challenge between the two most successful teams in the country. I think those three points today are very, very important ones."
The Red Devils defence and goalkeeper David de Gea were subject to criticism, however, with Daniel Sturridge allowed to hand Liverpool a lifeline after his second-half introduction.
"I've not seen their goal again," he admitted. "But, to me, it looked a bit soft for us. Once again, the goalie has parried one out and there's nobody following in on the rebound.
"It did lift them but some of our defending was a bit erratic and desperate even at times. But we managed to get through it. There was a period of three or four minutes where they were shoving players into the box and some interchange between players that we had to defend very well.
"We got through that and the name of the game in the big matches are the moments where you have to defend. Today was one of them."


text:
Mayor Walt Maddox's proposed budget for fiscal 2014 calls for a 4 percent increase of water rates and a 2.1 percent cost-of-living raise for all city employees.
Mayor Walt Maddox's proposed budget for fiscal 2014 calls for a 4 percent increase of water rates and a 2.1 percent cost-of-living raise for all city employees.
The budget, presented to the City Council on Tuesday, estimates a $130.56 million General Fund with a contingency balance of $301,568.
The Water and Sewer Fund, which does not balance because of the inclusion of depreciation, lists $41.77 million in revenues against $44.19 million in expenses.
Without depreciation, expenses would be estimated at $36.99 million, Maddox said.
The total estimate in surplus dollars is $44.39 million. Maddox said this is based on the reserve estimates from the fiscal 2012 annual audit.
"The reason this city is so financially strong is because this City Council has had the political will to be fiscally conservative," Maddox said. "I encourage you to keep that conservative philosophy."
The City Council took no action on the fiscal 2014 budget. It is scheduled to review and offer amendments, if any, prior to next week's regularly scheduled council meeting in a series of open meetings.
A council vote on adopting the final budget could come as early as Sept. 17.
Finding a conservative balance for the Water and Sewer Fund was one of four key challenges the mayor said influenced the fiscal 2014 budget, which begins Oct. 1.
Maddox said the heavy and frequent rain in recent months made it difficult to predict next year's water sale revenues.
"Water and sewer, for the most part, is a stable revenue source ... ," Maddox said, "but with the recent rainy summer it's put quite a question mark on what we can expect for the coming year."
As a result, the estimate of $22.71 million in water sales is the same amount of revenues that the city expects to tally by Sept. 30, which marks the end of the current fiscal year with, despite the 4 percent rate increase next year.
Likewise, the estimated sewer sales is $16 million, which is the exact figure that officials predict fiscal 2013 will bring in to the department.
"We're going to have to prepare for this as the new normal," the mayor said. "The years where we have dry weather, for the foreseeable future, are few and far between."
The largest departmental expenses in the Water and Sewer Fund also are the same as in recent years. Operation of the wastewater treatment plant, the water treatment plant, water distribution efforts and the water works office operations together make up $18.15 million, or 41 percent of the fund's projected expenses.
For the General Fund, the city's primary departmental expenses are in public safety. Together, the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service amount to $49.22 million, or 37 percent of the fund's overall expenses.
"It really shouldn't be much of a surprise that that's where our main investment is," Maddox said.
Adding to this year's police and fire expenses is the assumption of all costs associated with the hiring of 12 new firefighters and 12 police officers that, for the past two and three years respectively, were funded through federal grants.
Maddox said the addition of these 24 positions to the city's payroll amounts to about $1.5 million in new expenses for fiscal 2014.
Also new in fiscal 2014 is the first of a 10-year commitment by City Hall to add to the incentive package offered by the state government to entice Mercedes-Benz U.S. International into expanding its operation plant near Vance. For this, the city of Tuscaloosa will contribute $800,000 annually for the next decade.
This total factors in to the total of $8.43 million in citywide debt for next fiscal year, a figure that Maddox said isn't that bad considering the amount of Tuscaloosa residents.
"This is one of the lowest per capita debts in the state of Alabama," Maddox said.
Other key expenses projected in next year's budget is $13.78 million for the operation of the Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation, $7.33 million for the city's Environmental Services Department and another $5.04 million for the Facility Maintenance Department.
Agency funding for fiscal 2014 is predicted at $12.32 million, which amounts to the fourth largest expense total of all city departments.
The mayor's budget also calls for the creation of four new positions that will be funded with federal dollars provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
All but one of these positions are expected to go away after the $43.9 million awarded by HUD earlier this year is used up, Maddox said.
To pay for these General Fund expenses, Maddox predicts a 2 percent increase over the $127.75 million that is expected to be collected by the end of fiscal 2013.
Maddox said he is expecting $130.56 million in revenues in fiscal 2014 because the previous years' revenues were temporarily enhanced from storm recovery spending that is not expected to repeat year-after-year, such as the revenue jump from $112.12 million in fiscal 2011 to the $129.83 in fiscal 2012.
"Our revenues did not grow by $17 million in one fiscal year," Maddox said.
But that does not mean increases are not expected.
For example, Maddox has budgeted a 2 percent increase in city sales tax revenues to $34.15 million, although the average monthly increase in fiscal 2013 has been about 3.2 percent, which makes the estimated city sales tax collection for this fiscal year at $33.47 million.
County sales tax revenues, which averaged a monthly increase of 6.7 percent over that collected in fiscal 2012, are expected to increase by 3 percent to $13.93 million in fiscal 2014.
Current fiscal year projections project the city's portion of the county sales tax to reach at least $13.52 million by the end of fiscal 2013 on Sept. 30.
Additionally, business licenses are expected to reach $18.8 million next year (a 1.6 percent increase over fiscal 2013 estimates), property taxes are budgeted at $12.52 million (a 3.4 precent increase) and building permits are predicted to reach $1.6 million (a 5.6 percent increase) in fiscal 2014.
Reach Jason Morton at firstname.lastname@example.com or 205-722-0200.


text:
What alternative rock radio should sound like.
Now Playing: tunng - Dream In
Listeners: 151
Spanning four decades of great alternative, post-punk, indie rock and noise pop, you'll hear artists like Frightened Rabbit, The White Stripes, Metric, The National, Tune-Yards, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Thermals, The Smiths, Blur, Radiohead, Mission of Burma, Chameleons UK, Siouxsie & The Banshees, X, and just about every Slumberland Records band ever. And every Friday is 480 Minutes: Ted plays and discusses the latest and greatest music in real time. For eight hours. Seriously. From 9am-5pm Eastern.
We could really use your financial support today. Please make a donation or buy something in the SomaFM Store. Summer donations were historically down, so we'd really appreciate your help to get us back on track.
If you don't want to use our webplayer, these links will work with external media players:
What alternative rock radio should sound like.
Problems listening with the above links? Get a compatible media player here or try these alternative stream links for internet radios and other media players.
SomaFM Studio Sessions limited edition 7" clear vinyl release, featuring Mr. Loveless and Birdmonster; recorded live, in-studio at SomaFM.
Only 500 copies made. Clear vinyl. Full color jacket, a heavyweight white inner sleeve and a polybag to protect the outside jacket. Get it now!
Copyright ©2000-2017 SomaFM.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
Groove Salad, Drone Zone, Cliqhop, Secret Agent, Space Station Soma, Digitalis, PopTron, Suburbs of Goa and Illinois Street Lounge are trademarks of SomaFM.com, LLC.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Lone DJ photo ©2000 Merin McDonell.


text:
91 members42 Comments 3 Likes
281 members13 Likes
92 members4 Likes
130 members3 Likes
160 members7 Likes
Hari has not received any gifts yet
I am new here, level 2.5, any suggestions, I am not sure if you are still using this site.
Please let know. thanks.
Hey Hari,
Want to play sometime? How about tomorrow? Would Carmel Valley or La Jolla work for you?
Want to hit this weekend? I play @ RPTC
Would you like to play sometime? I'm a 4.0 and looking for somone to hit with me.
hey Hari,
Can you hit sometime in san diego? Cory
What can you do here? At Tennisopolis, you can:
- network with your tennis friends. Invite your tennis friends and build your network now.
- meet new players. Here's a primer on how to find partners.
- join a Group. Members have started over 400 Local Groups (and other types of Groups too.) Search for one in your area, or start your own.
- follow the pros. There are over 1900 blog posts on Tennisopolis. Have a good read, or write your own.
- improve your game. Get tips in the Forum and check out video lessons.
- post your own Videos and add your own Photos.
Thanks to everyone inviting their friends, we now have over 25,000 members. Invite yours too!
If you need any help, let me know.
Friend me!
© 2018 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
The Arab Beat from Switzerland
Already in the mid-1980s, Pat Jabbar and his band Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects mixed Arab traditional music with dub, trance and house elements. Stefan Franzen talked to Jabbar about his label and the collaboration with the "Pope of Dub", Bill Laswell
The scene is a nondescript apartment building on a quiet side street in the center of Basel. A heavy cellar door swings open to reveal a Moroccan flag, assorted leather couches and chairs, a bare-bones recording studio, and a profusion of computer chaos.
This is the creative hotbed of Pat Jabbar, a friendly lanky dude whose bright eyes shine out from under his ski cap as he takes us along on a blast through the past:
"I had a totally normal childhood here in Basel and we kids had our trash bands in the city with musicians who had more of a background in punk. In 1984 I was in Israel and heard real Arab music for the first time. It really got under my skin and I absolutely had to find out more about it. A year later I went to Morocco and happened to run into some musicians on the beach. We had some percussion sessions and kept adding more and more instrumentalists and that's how Aisha Kandisha's Jarring Effects was formed."
Arab dub music pioneers
The legendary band mixed Arab elements with dub, trance and house – long before Natacha Atlas or Fun-Da-Mental got their start. To market the album they founded the Barraka El Farnatshi label and were so successful that they were able to send 100 LPs a week to New York.
That's where a certain Bill Laswell soon noticed the Arab-Swiss label and was quickly convinced to embark on a musical collaboration. Even today the heavy bass beat of the pope of dub, as Bill Laswell is often referred to, can be heard on the Swiss musician's albums. Jabbar recalls their first meeting:
"I took the tapes to New York and went to his studio. He just threw them into the machine and immediately found the base note, recorded it when he heard it the second time, and by the third time it was mixed. It's really amazing to see how he works, how quickly he can work his way into a foreign culture."
Using the puzzle approach
The musician from Basel quickly dropped out of university and focused exclusively on his music. Aisha Kandisha served as the impetus for a series of spin-off bands. Jabbar composes using the puzzle approach. The basis and the beats are laid down in Switzerland, then he travels to Marrakech (or sometimes to Casablanca) where he ties things together with local musician friends.
These days, the Barraka label has put together a catalogue that includes 26 albums. Moroccan Rai, the popular Châabi style, and the sounds of Gnawa and Berber musicians have all been integrated into an electronic setting. Hamid Baroudi, ex-singer of the German band Die Dissidenten, has collaborated with him, as has Moroccan-born singer Sapho. Even German punk icon Nina Hagen has made a guest appearance on one of his albums.
Jabbar likes to keep a low profile about all that: "Switzerland is an ideal base. Things are quiet here so I can work. I don't depend on having a certain degree of fame. From here I can focus on my main sales market in Germany."
Streets not paved with gold
Recently, however, he has been expanding his musical contacts in Basel. Barraka has released the albums of the Basel-based Turkish hip hop crew Makale and the latest album by the group Maghrebika also has lyrics that deal with life in Jabber's home town. Two exiled Algerians have also climbed on board for the ride. "They came to Basel roughly ten years ago and sing about their experiences here. Their songs are an attempt to convince the kids back home to forget the dream that the streets are paved with gold in Switzerland and all your problems can be solved here."
In addition to the Algerian youngsters, the mature female voices of the group B'Net Marrakech add rough vocal nuances to the arrangements. The new Maghrebika album is called "Neftakhir," which means pride. Today's Arab youth could do with a good deal more pride, says Pat Jabbar who, as a practicing Sunni, adheres to a pacifistic Islam:
"The kids shouldn't let themselves become too westernized by all these soaps on TV and these values that we cultivate in the West. They should focus on their own culture to avoid losing the identity that can teach us much more than what can be learned from Western culture. We've made this the focus of our new album, with edifying lyrics that combat prejudice, inform people about what Islam is really all about, and tell them not to be deluded by the media, which is always trying to cast Islam in a poor light."
Next year Barraka aims to achieve another milestone. After a long break, the label intends to release the fifth production of Aisha Kandisha. Then German audiences will be able to experience the Arab dub pioneer once again live on the stage.
Stefan Franzen
© Qantara.de 2007
Translated from the German by Paul Cohen
Moroccan Youth between Rock and Gnawa
Shouting for Change
Many young Moroccans feel that the country's mainstream media are offering them a very limited notion of musical culture. But with the evolution of the Internet, international music has become more easily accessible. Layla Al-Zubaidi reports
Trip-Hop from Beirut - Soap Kills
A Band That Sets Itself Apart from Commercial Arab Pop
The Lebanese electro-acoustic band "Soap Kills" is among the current stars of a music scene that shuttles back and forth between Beirut and Paris, prefers to sing in Arabic, and feels at home in Europe. By Christina Förch in Beirut
Musical Worlds
The Islamic world and Europe are home to a longstanding independent, modern music scene that transcends belly dance and folk music clichés. In this dossier we present some of its most important figures, styles and encounters.


text:
Caltrans appears to have backed off its initial effort within the past week of confiscating just about every sign in the Delta region protesting Gov. Jerry Brown's twin tunnels proposal. Now it is citing an 80-year-old state law prohibiting signs placed within 14 feet of the pavement edge of a state highway. Anything beyond that limit is OK.
Caltrans appears to have backed off its initial effort within the past week of confiscating just about every sign in the Delta region protesting Gov. Jerry Brown's twin tunnels proposal. Now it is citing an 80-year-old state law prohibiting signs placed within 14 feet of the pavement edge of a state highway. Anything beyond that limit is OK.
"We clean up what's in our rights-of-way. All of the signs have been returned to their owners. They can put them up just so long as they comply with the rights-of-way. It's a law that we apply equally throughout the state," Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco said Thursday.
That's not good enough for Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla and her organization, Stockton-based Restore the Delta, which has voiced strong objections to the governor's $14 billion plan to build two tunnels under the Delta to divert Sacramento River water to Southern California.
Her group is organizing a protest at 10 a.m. today outside Caltrans headquarters, 1120 N St., Sacramento, with Delta business operators and landowners who have had their signs that state "Save the Delta! Stop the Tunnels!" removed from their private property and believe their constitutional rights have been violated.
"They have recanted, but not to us. They are sending individual replies now citing the right-of-way that they can't put their signs up within 14 feet," said Barrigan-Parrilla, acknowledging that some, but not all of the confiscated signs, were within the 14-foot zone.
She said a Caltrans crew drove up to one home approximately 60 feet off a Delta highway and removed a sign from a yard.
"We know they are pretty arbitrary and random," Barrigan-Parrilla said. Caltrans had originally cited a state Business and Professions Code section that says "temporary political signs" cannot be placed within the right-of-way of any highway or within 660 feet of the edge of a "landscaped freeway."
There is some question as to whether the signs are political, since there is no upcoming election or candidacy associated with their message, and people can't vote on the tunnels.
"We are outraged that the Brown administration is trampling the rights of business and land owners who have posted signs on their property opposing the Peripheral Tunnels. This is biased enforcement of little-used provisions to silence critics of the governor's proposed Peripheral Tunnels. Anyone driving on I-5, Highway 99, and other state highways in the San Joaquin Valley can see signs from Westlands Water District mega-growers and others blaring their views on water. Caltrans has happily left those signs in place," Barrigan-Parrilla said in a prepared statement.
During an interview Thursday, she said Restore the Delta is asking Caltrans for clarity on the 14-foot law, how signs should be posted correctly to avoid future conflicts, and "we expect assurances from Caltrans that the law will be equally enforced throughout the state, not just a law that applies to the Delta."
Since news of the confiscations became public, she said demand for "Save the Delta" signs has never been greater.
"The great irony now is that everyone wants one. We have them up throughout the state," she said.
Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or email@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/goldeenblog.


text:
Jaime Hernandez:
From the year 2000-2008 the Mint produced Sacagawea Dollars with the same obverse and reverse design. Then in 2009 the Mint introduced a new version called the Native American Dollar. These coins had the same obverse design as all Sacagawea Dollars, except for the reverse as they now contained different designs. These new reverse designs honored Native Americans as well as their significant contributions made to this country.
The 2001-P Sacagawea Dollar is one of the more common issues in the series as it has a very high mintage of over 62,460,000 coins struck. Compare its mintage to that of the 2008 Sacagawea Dollars with a mintage of 1.82 million. The 2001-P Sacagawea Dollar is only somewhat scarce in MS68 but they still exist in the thousands. In MS69 condition they are very scarce with less than 100 examples known and none being graded higher.
© 1999-2018 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT


text:
Manchester residents are trash talking over pay-as-you-throwBy TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
January 30. 2014 11:40PM
MANCHESTER — Many city residents don't like the smell of a plan that would require them to buy special bags to throw away their garbage, at least based on telephone calls they've place to their aldermen in recent days.
Several aldermen say their constituents have had an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the prospect of the city adopting a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system of trash collection. The plan was put forward earlier this month as a way to generate revenue for the city in the face of a tightly constrained budget.
The city's public works director has estimated that PAYT, which has also been referred to as bag-and-tag, could yield up to $3.5 million in revenue and savings, both through the sale of the $1-$2 bags and by driving up the recycling rate.
On Wednesday, Public Works Director Kevin Sheppard and representatives of WasteZero, a company that administers PAYT programs around the country, held closed-door meetings with small groups of aldermen to brief them on the plan.
Alderman-At-Large Dan O'Neil, chairman of the board of aldermen, was unable to attend the presentation, but he said the message he's received from residents is similar to the one he heard the last time a similar idea was floated.
"They say that's what I pay taxes for," he said. "People are concerned they'll end up paying more in the cost for bags than if taxes went up, even above the tax cap."
Ward 1 Alderman Joyce Craig, who chairs the aldermen's Special Committee on Solid Waste, said the presentation Wednesday did not address all her questions about how the program would work in the city. One key question is who would be responsible for buying the bags at rental buildings, the tenant or the landlord. "They said need they to do more research on Manchester," Joyce said, referring to WasteZero.
Craig said she's working on scheduling meetings in the community so the public will have a chance to learn more about the program before the issue is formally taken up by the committee.
Mayor Ted Gatsas has indicated that the PAYT program may be the only way to avoid going over the tax cap. "If the question is $3.5 million (in revenue) or increasing taxes by 2 percent, (residents) might prefer bag-and-tag because they can regulate what they're doing," he said.
For his part, O'Neil said it was too early to talk about whether the tax cap needed to be overridden, which requires a two-thirds vote of the aldermen. "We have to see what the mayor's priorities are in his budget," he said.
The other at-large alderman, Joe Kelly Levasseur, said he had already heard enough negative reactions to the PAYT even without going to the presentation earlier this week.
"I don't appreciate the mayor having us go into back rooms and having us get lobbied," he said. "There can be a presentation in front of the committee."
Levasseur added that he thought that there were other things that could be done to save money on garbage collection, such as having all trash placed in the green toters similar to the ones some households use for recycling. The special toters allow the city's recycling contractor, Pinard, to handle collection with fewer workers per truck than the city, which sends out three workers per truck to pick up trash.
"I'm not overriding the tax cap, and I'm not voting for this," Levasseur said of PAYT. "We're going to have to find other ways of getting things done."


text:
Budget 2012 Report
March 22, 2012 Leave a comment
This Report, written immediately after the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Budget Speech, provides an overview of the announcements most likely to affect you and your business.
This Budget was heralded as a Budget for economic stability, tax simplification and growth, but was set against a relatively benign economy that is endeavouring to break out of the constraints of reductions in public expenditure coupled with lower household disposable income and growing job insecurity. With little room for manoeuvre the Chancellor's aim was to balance the books while making strategic advance toward promoting business growth and the ongoing reduction of the public purse.
The last year has provided yet further evidence of our interdependence on the global economy and the impact of events beyond our shores continue to provide a challenge to business confidence.
The politics of the coalition Government continue to influence policy decisions and the need to satisfy the constituents in the two political parties are evident in some of today's announcements.
The Budget announces the Government's budgetary plans and this serves as a reminder to us all that we should ensure that our personal and business budgets and plans reflect the reality of our available income and necessary expenditure. Debt remains embedded in our economy and the obligation to repay must be balanced with the need to save and invest.
We can help you review your plans; adapting them as necessary to take into account the ongoing challenging economic environment and your own personal circumstances, plans and objectives.
- Please read the Report as soon as possible
- Contact us to discuss any action you may be considering, and to review your longer term plans. We always welcome the opportunity to advise.
The Report is generally based on Press Releases and Reports issued immediately after the Budget on 21 March 2012. These proposals may be amended. Professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. No responsibility can be accepted as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this Report.
Economic and fiscal update
A summary of the economic backdrop to this year's Budget.


text:
Creighton University Dorms
Deglman Hall
Deglman is a traditional style residence hall with a shared community bathroom in the middle of each floor.
Dorm Registration:
Only one person can register and pay for the dorm room. After you register, please forward your roommates full name, e-mail address and ADA requirements (if applicable) to firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you are interested in finding a roommate or sharing a ride to the conference check out the Room Ride Share Form.
Find out more and become a part of SM2011 on: Facebook| Twitter
Some photos courtesy of VisitOmaha.com


text:
If you read "Slender Problem" then you already have an idea as to what this is about. I have been searching for evidence of the "Slender Man", or the real thing itself. I have talked to many people now, searched many websites, and even read a few books. My research didn't turn up much that I didn't already know. I met a few people who told me they saw him, but I remained very skeptical during our talks. I've been told time and time again that he was created online, and is not real. I have met people whose research goes back further in years than mine, and even further than the websites' postings.
Now I am here to ask a question, and make a statement.
First, my statement is:
I have seen him in person, with my own two eyes. I don't care what anyone thinks of this. I saw what I saw. I was not asleep, I don't drink, nor do any sort of drug. I know now for myself that he is real. He was tall, pale, and did indeed seemed to be wearing the suit he is described to have. The only part of him that moved was his head. He watched me when I sat up to look at him. He was in my room, but he was not alone.
I need to know if anyone has seen the strange being that was with Slender Man. It was smaller than him, and humanoid. It had no hair, or facial features, or an other features like a belly button. It wore no clothing. I didn't get a chance to see what its hands looked like. It's was probably around six feet tall. It didn't move or speak. I was more scared by this thing than I was of Slender Man. When I called out for my friend, they were gone.
Ever since this experience, things have been normal. I have not been afraid, but I have been confused.
My question is:
Has anyone seen something like this "blank", that's what I'm calling it for now, or does anyone know what it might be?
Again, if all you're going to say is that I'm nuts, don't expect me to bother with your answer. I got my answer about one thing, now I need the answer to another.
Slender Problem Continues
Started by roku , Dec 05 2012 01:59 AMSlenderman Slender Man
1 reply to this topic
Posted 05 December 2012 - 01:59 AM
Kat Roku
Posted 05 December 2012 - 06:34 PM
I've seen a black-eyed person, so I will be the last person to tell you that you are nuts... Now I would like to suggest that you might want to start looking at Alien encounters. Dig into aliens and ufo stuff. This is almost sounding along those lines. Other than that suggestion, I have no clue. Good luck.
Don't take life too seriously, no one ever gets out alive.
Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: Slenderman, Slender Man
Town Square →
General Board →
Slender Problem
Started by roku , 06 Oct 2012 slender man, the operator
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users


text:
The Colorado Rapids finished the first day of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by selecting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville goalkeeper John Berner with the 35th overall pick, the 16th in the second round.
The pick was originally acquired from Houston in the Macoumba Kandji trade in February 2012.
MLSsoccer.com editor Simon Borg had this to say about Berner following the MLS Combine: "Berner's the real deal. The experts will tell you: You can't teach presence. Berner owns his box and the air above it. He'll make an MLS roster."
A regular over his final two years in college, he started 19 matches last season and was won his second consecutive conference Goalkeeper of the Year award after posting 6 shutouts and a 0.86 goals against average.
On his bio on MLSsoccer.com, he's described as: "Big wingspan, pretty explosive athletically...Good hand-eye. Strong. Physically a professional frame. Good kicking game. Distribution good, both with throws and with his feet ... He's exceptional in terms of balls in the air. Good organizer and sees the game well ... He's more of your prototypical big organizer goalkeeper. Anything in his range is his. Big presence...What impressed me about him was his presence and leadership. Kept calm with young guys in front of him."
The 3rd & 4th rounds of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Tuesday, January 21 via conference call.
Position: Goalkeeper
College: Southern Illinois Univ., Edwardsville
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
Date of Birth: February 14, 1991
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Citizenship: USA


text:
Storage Utility Offering is available with these products
IBM FlashSystem® A9000
IBM FlashSystem A9000 provides high-performance, all-flash storage for hybrid cloud environments. This breakthrough solution integrates the market-leading performance of IBM FlashCore® technology, parallel architecture and flash-optimized data reduction in one innovative system, purpose-built for the cloud. Choose FlashSystem A9000 and gain a groundbreaking mix of speed, power and scale-out simplicity.
IBM FlashSystem A9000R
IBM FlashSystem A9000R is an all-flash grid storage solution that provides the consistent, reliable and efficient performance you need for dynamic data at scale. With the extreme performance of IBM FlashCore technology, FlashSystem A9000R delivers an excellent platform for rapidly growing cloud storage in large mixed workload environments.
IBM Storwize® V7000
IBM Storwize V7000 is an enterprise-class storage solution that offers the advantages of IBM Spectrum Virtualize™ software. It can help you lower capital and operational storage costs with heterogeneous data services while optimizing performance with flash storage. IBM Storwize V7000 enables you to take advantage of hybrid cloud technology without replacing your current storage.
IBM Storwize V7000F
IBM Storwize V7000F is an all-flash, highly scalable storage system that provides high performance and advanced management functions. Built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize software, this solution consolidates workloads into a single system. You gain ease of management, superior performance and high availability. Hardware-accelerated data compression delivers faster performance and reduces costs. Get all the features demanded in the largest enterprise environments, at a cost-effective price.
IBM FlashSystem 900
IBM FlashSystem 900 all-flash storage arrays accelerate applications, delivering Tier 0 performance with consistent low latency and inline hardware data compression. This high-speed, reliable, and cost-effective system supports your most demanding applications such as online transaction processing, anaytics databases, virtual desktop infrastructures, technical computing applications, and cloud environments.
VersaStack is a converged infrastructure solution, jointly developed by IBM and Cisco, that delivers extraordinary efficiency, performance and economics. The VersaStack portfolio addresses the latest in IT trends, such as data center modernization, hybrid cloud and software-defined storage.
IBM Storwize V5000
IBM Storwize V5000 is a flexible storage solution that offers extraordinary scalability from the smallest to the largest system without disruption. Built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize software, it can help you lower capital and operational storage costs with heterogeneous data services. Storwize V5000 is an easily customizable and upgradeable solution for better investment protection, improved performance and enhanced efficiency.
IBM Storwize V5030F
IBM Storwize V5030F is an all-flash, virtualized storage system that provides high performance and advanced management functions. Built with IBM Spectrum Virtualize software, this solution features highly flexible, easy-to-use storage. Now organizations with mid-range application workloads can efficiently and affordably meet the challenges of rapid growth and constrained IT budgets.
IBM Cloud Object Storage
This highly scalable cloud storage service is designed for high durability, resiliency and security. You can store, manage and access your data via our self-service portal and RESTful APIs. Connect applications directly to Object Storage and integrate IBM Cloud services.
IBM Elastic Storage Server
Performance and growth for clusters, cognitive workloads and analytics. A modern implementation of software-defined storage, combining IBM Spectrum Scale software with IBM POWER8® servers. IBM Spectrum Scale, the parallel file system at the heart of the solution, delivers high performance throughput, simplifies management, eliminates data silos and consolidates unstructured data capacities by providing a single namespace for your new demanding workloads.
Learn more about IBM Storage Utility OfferingRead the solution brief


text:
I'm thrilled to announce my joinning the Parker Mouthpiece team!
This is the first time I've been using a stainless steel mouthpiece, and I've got to say that I'm really enjoying it. The intonation is the best out of any mouthpiece I've ever used (ever!), and the size allows for maximum power and projection, combined with maximum dynamic, range and articulation contrast. I'm also enjoying the 3-piece modular design, which allows for more options. The smooth stainless rim is a big help, as there are days where I might play 4 or 5 different gigs all with different bands all in different styles, and fatigue can be an issue. I have put this piece to the test and it performs remarkably well. Parker and Hitz have put together a great product. You should buy one! or two!


text:
Owner Mark Davis told colleague Tim Kawakami earlier this month that the Raiders are ending their "deconstruction" phase and entering a "reconstruction" phase. If so, then now is as good as time as any to measure the progress.
With that in mind, close emphasis was placed on Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers as a means of gauging what Davis, McKenzie, Allen and the Raiders have to show for their two-year tear down of a Raiders team that went 8-8 and came within a season-ending loss to the Chargers from making the playoffs.
In short, not much, and we're not solely talking about the fact the Raiders lost 26-13 and dropped to 4-11 on the season.
Part of the lack of progress owes to many of the players on the roster being under one-year contracts and several others on the verge of hitting free agency unless McKenzie uses some of the league-most cap money at his disposal on them to bring them back.
Some of that owes to McKenzie failing to land any game-changing players of the 16 he selected in the NFL draft the past two seasons. The rest is a result of McKenzie not signing any free agents that are indispensable.
Add it up and the Raiders don't seem much closer, if at all, to turning the corner than they were in 2011, when then-coach Hue Jackson got the Raiders within a final-game collapse of the Raiders first playoff berth since 2002.
The knee-jerk reaction is for many to call for Allen's firing. Davis and/or McKenzie very well might decide to go that route.
If so, McKenzie needs to answer how he expected Allen to win without a proven quarterback, with a patchwork offensive line, no standout running backs, wide receivers or tight ends and a defense devoid of impact players.
Those calling for Allen's ouster also need to explain how it's his doing when fullback Marcel Reece has a ball fall through his hands in the end zone in the final minute. Or why it's Allen's fault when Lamarr Houston and Jason Hunter jump offsides, Greg Jenkins fumbles a kick return, Jeron Mastrud drops a pass in the open on a third-down play or Mike Jenkins and Miles Burris keep alive Chargers drives with senseless penalties.
The Raiders still are in the market for a quarterback and McKenzie might be faced with a major roster turnover for a third straight season.
Lest you disagree with this assessment, you better be able to provide a lenghty list of players worthy of coming along for the ride next season, when this so-called reconstruction phase is in full swing.
From here, and based what we saw today, again, it says that the Raiders still have a long way to go.
On the bright side, the Raiders likely will have a top-five draft pick to help with their latest infusion of talent next year. As of now, they are in line for the No. 3 pick, behind only the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins.
Then there's the matter of McKenzie having north of $60 million in salary cap room to spend on re-signing players such as left offensive tackle Jared Veldheer, defensive lineman Lamarr Houston and other prospective free agents, his draft class and whatever free agents he feels can help the Raiders get over the proverbial hump.
— The Raiders committed 12 penalties for 73 yards, while the Chargers got flagged only three times for 24 yards. This harkened to the Jackson Era, when the Raiders set the league marks for most penalties and yards penalized.
— Sebastian Janikowski appeared to strain a groin muscle on a pre-game kick. However, he remained healthy enought to convert both his field-goal attempts against the Chargers.
— Running back Darren McFadden scored Oakland's first touchdown on a 5-yard burst up the middle in the second quarter. That turned out to be the lone highlight for McFadden in his most extensive action since he suffered an ankle injury against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
McFadden rushed four times for 8 yards and caught one pass for 8 yards. Rashad Jennings led the Raiders with 45 yards rushing on 10 carries.
— Rod Streater caught one pass for 2 yards Sunday. What seemed like a safe bet two weeks ago, now is a long-shot of Streater reaching 1,000 yards.
He needs 152 yards against the Denver Broncos in the regular-season finale to become the first Raiders receiver with 1,000 yards or more since 2005, when Randy Moss accomplished the feat.
Streater got denied of 35 yards or so late in the game, when a long pass he caught and turned into a touchdown got overturned when the ball came loose at the end of the play.
It's something that happened to Louis Murphy a few years ago, when the officials ruled that Murphy didn't control the ball through the play.
— If you thought the Streater call was brutal, how about the officials waiving off a play the Raiders ran because of a clock malfunction and then taking back a penalty on the Raiders because a fan blew a whistle from the stands?
— McGloin completed 20 of 36 passes for 206 yards and no touchdowns, with one interception. He made a handful of nice throws, missed badly on a slew of passes and had the kind of game you might expect from an undrafted rookie.
In other words, the Raiders still aren't much closer to having a franchise-type quarterback, and McKenzie and Allen have only one more game to evaluate McGloin and Terrelle Pryor to see if either might fit the bill.
Given Pryor didn't play today, it's unlikely that he'll be used against the Broncos, unless Davis intervenes and orders a change, as he did before the finale last season.


text:
Father & Son
Lynn Crawford 2/5/2005 11:25:32 AMThis is a really cute shot, so precious of the little feet. #212506
Douglas N. Jameson 2/5/2005 5:15:29 PMWonderful shot! #1086193
Jessica Hughes 2/5/2005 5:22:42 PMWonderful idea! The black and white tones are wonderful. Excellent composition, and I love the shallow depth of field that you have used for this image. Nice work! #1086204
Kara L. Hendricks 2/5/2005 5:43:44 PMThis is a splendid father and son shot.. I love feet shots.. This is one of the best I've seen.. Great job John.. #1086231
john dunne 2/6/2005 2:59:58 PMThank you all for your nice comments #1087851
Lani Allen 2/9/2005 10:50:21 PMCreative comp.and beautiful to view. #1094797
Monique Bogaerts 3/17/2005 3:29:18 PMCongrats on your winning picture!!! #1185859
Ed Heaton 3/17/2005 3:30:35 PMHi John,
Kelly Abernathy 3/17/2005 7:04:57 PMCongratulations on your first place win! -K #1186567
Peggy Wolff 3/17/2005 8:07:23 PMI love it, congratulations! #1186848
Susi Lawson 3/17/2005 8:28:48 PMI love it too! Congrats!
Danilo Piccioni 3/18/2005 9:45:48 AMCongratulations!!!
Lynn Crawford 3/18/2005 10:15:22 AMCongrats John on being a finialist, great shot #1188677
john dunne 3/18/2005 1:22:31 PMThank you all so very much for your nice comments. I am a very amateur photographer and am overwhelmed with winning a First place. I used to look at the photos on the site and think there is no point entering the competition, the standard is so high. This shot was so simple almost just point and shoot in my friends living room, no lights, no planning. So let it be encouraging for anyone who feels they are not up to the standard on here to give it a try. #1189002
Michelle Lea Guinn 3/18/2005 2:06:27 PMLove this kind of photo, so sweet and loving!! You keep up the good work and you will go even further, congrats!!! mlg #1189056
Monika Sapek 3/18/2005 4:04:13 PMMany congratulations on your First Place Win, John! I like the way those tiny feet and big hands are beautifully shaped in a heart.
Fintan Kennedy 3/19/2005 10:50:33 AMBeautiful composition, this is a superb photo. Congratulations. #1191130
Robin L. Wehrman 3/19/2005 1:36:12 PMCongratulations to you John on this magnificent first place win!!!! #1191352
Leonard Pierce 3/19/2005 3:16:42 PMCongratulations on your First Place win, John!!! #1191434
Dolores Neilson 3/20/2005 8:53:48 PMBig congrats on your first place win, John!! Precious image! #1193845
Wendy Stevenson 3/21/2005 11:52:29 AMCongratulations on your FIRST PLACE win with this timeless image. Simply beautiful!! #1195482
Sherry S. Boles 3/23/2005 10:05:34 AMCongratulations...absolutely precious! #1200838
Kristi A. Howson 3/23/2005 10:54:11 AMCongratulations on your First Place Winner John. Darling! #1200952
Nancy Grace Chen 3/26/2005 7:42:41 PMReally adorable and well-done. Congratulations!
Nancy #1208726
samia s. hendal 3/30/2005 1:54:57 AMCongratulations on the hand that take the photo.very nice :) #1215896
Hurk (Steve) Hurkett 4/20/2007 6:18:05 AMSuper capture, John .. really like this inspired thought and Idea ... Excellent!! .. steve #4189949
Lynn Crawford 4/20/2007 7:38:19 AMCongrats John on the beautiful 1st Place Win, great work :) #4190280
Hurk (Steve) Hurkett 4/20/2007 11:55:12 AMSorry, John ... Forgot to say congrats on this super 1st place win ... steve #4190960
Lisa J. Boulden 11/18/2007 9:12:38 PMGorgeous and sweet!
augustus gillian 1/18/2008 8:50:57 AMprecious. love image. how would be color one #5358729
Heather L. Haderly 2/27/2008 4:53:06 PMWonderful!!!!! Congrats on the well deserved win!!!! #5563914
Cable Phillips 8/16/2014 8:17:04 AMLove it...fantastic idea. #11109538
desaturated and cropped in photoshop
Uploaded on 2/5/2005 11:05:38 AM
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to john dunne. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
Junior jumper posts multiple top-fives on her way to weekly honor
MACON, Ga. (Dec. 7, 2011) – Junior Kelly Monteleone (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was named Atlantic Sun Women's Field Athlete of the Week following her multiple top-five finishes at the Appalachian Collegiate Indoor this past weekend, announced the conference office on Wednesday.
"I'm happy for Kelly, as she is finally starting to come around," said ETSU assistant coach Eli Sunquist. "The past few seasons she has struggled with injuries, so I'm excited to see what she is capable of when she is at full strength. It's also nice to see her triple jump so well from a short approach so early in the season."
The weekly award is the second of Monteleone's collegiate career, having been given the honor the week of May 12, 2010. Monteleone also becomes ETSU's first female Field Athlete of the Week since Leah Oakhill the week of May 5 of last season.
Monteleone posted top-fives in two events at ETSU's first meet of the indoor season, placing fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 11.71m, and third in the long jump with a leap of 5.51m. Her two top-fives were part of 14 for ETSU in the two-day invite, as Monteleone was the lone ETSU woman to finish fifth or better in more than one event.
For more information on ETSU track and field, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the track and field links.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
This year, the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation provided scholarships to six Los Alamos High School graduates who are either pursuing college or vocational training.
Each recipient chose an Educator of Distinction, a teacher or education professional who had the greatest impact on them while attending Los Alamos Public School.
The recipients included Rebecca Boerigter, Elyse Dinehart, Noopur Goyal, Jeremy Kasik, Allen Pittman and Kelsey Souza.
Boerigter will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., to pursue a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, with the intent of attending graduate or medical school in the future.
Boerigter participated and served in a number of orgazinations during her years at LAHS: varsity track and field, yearbook, National Honor Society, teaching vacation bible school and Sunday school at White Rock Baptist Church and working part-time as the physics department intern at Los Alamos High School and as a server at Chinshan Restaurant in White Rock.
Boerigter chose Debbie Smith, her sixth-grade teacher at Chamisa Elementary School as her Educator or Distinction.
"The lessons that she taught I still use today," Boerigter said. "She was kind, but challenged me. She designed curriculum that would interest me and build upon my personal skills. While a student in her class, I learned that being your best is better than just being."
Dinehart will attend the University of Dallas, in Irving, Texas, a small Catholic liberal arts college. She will major in mathematics and pursue a minor in secondary education. Dinehart intends to teach high school mathematics in New Mexico maybe even at Los Alamos High School.
During her years at LAHS, Dinehart participated and served in the following ways: varsity tennis, yearbook, National Honor Society, leadership team for Caf Scientific, Alter Server at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and Chamber Orchestra.
She chose Anne Ryer, her sixth-grade teacher at Pion Elementary School, as her Educator of Distinction.
"She challenged me to learn those hard spelling words and solve difficult math problems," Dinehart said. "That year ,I was struggling, especially with math, and she would stay after school to make sure I understood what we had learned in class so that I would be able to complete my homework. Ryder is my inspiration for wanting to become a high school math teacher."
Goyal will attend University of California at Santa Cruz to pursue a degree in biology with the intent of pursuing a career in medical or research science.
During her years at LAHS, Noopur participated in varsity tennis, National Honor Society, Student Council, Los Alamos Heart Council. She also served and was named as Rotary Student of the Month, Key Club president, New Mexico Star Scholar and was a junior volunteer at Los Alamos Medical Center.
She chose Beth West, her Advanced Placement World Literature and Composition teacher, as her Educator of Distinction.
"I have chosen her as a teacher of distinction because of the positive and energetic attitude that she brings to the classroom," Goyal said. "West speaks about literature with the greatest passion and because of this, I was eager to learn from her. She always supports her students and believes that they are capable of anything. She instilled in me the greatest sense of pride in learning and for that I am forever thankful."
Kasik will attend the United States Naval Academy as a member of the class of 2012 as an undeclared major. Upon graduation, he will serve the minimum five years as an officer in the Navy, but intends to serve until the point at which he can retire.
Kasik served as the varsity captian for the football and baseball teams and was the commanding officer in the NJORTC. He also participated in JUNTOS and Los Alamos Youth Leadership, and National Honor Society.
Catherine Puranananda, his freshman literature and senior Advanced Placement Literature teacher is Kasik's Educator of Distinction.
"My experience at LAHS and my life were positively impacted by Ms. P," Kasik said. "The writing skills I learned in her class during my freshman year, prepared me for advanced studies as a sophomore and Advanced Placement courses in my junior and senior years. I feel thankful for the brilliant instruction that she has given me and am confident that she will remain a life-long friend."
Pittman will attend the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque to pursue a degree in psychology or microbiology with his focus on a degree in medicine.
During Pittman's years at LAHS he participated and served in the following: varsity cross country and track and field, National Honor Society, Peace Club, Student Council, Los Alamos Youth Leadership and JUNTOS, he also worked at the Los Alamos Ski Hill as a ski instructor.
Pittman chose Rob Hipwood, health teacher and cross country coach as his Educator of Distinction.
"I met Hipwood my freshman year of high school after doing track in the spring," Pittman said. "Through knowing him, I learned not only how to pace myself in a race, but also how to have fun and look at life with a laugh. As my role model, I see Hipwood as the perfect balance of seriousness and fun. I see him as my teacher, coach, and lifelong friend. Hipwood, I'll miss you."
Souza will attend the University of California at San Diego to pursue a dental degree with the intent of studying and practicing orthodontia.
Some of the Souza's participation and service during her years at LAHS included: Key Club, Juvenile Justice Advisory Board Youth Sub-Committee member, National Honor Society, yearbook, piano, and she was a semi-finalist in the UNM/PNM state-wide mathematics contest.
Souza chose Shannon Seitz, yearbook teacher and her advisor as her Educator of Distinction.
"As my yearbook teacher and advisor for two years, she made a difference, teaching me skills I never learned from studying the traditional subjects," Souza said. "Seitz taught me to believe in myself. When I was working on the yearbook, she pushed me to my limit, encouraging me to meet deadlines, be creative, and reminding me that I was a great leader as a co-editor in chief. I have achieved more in her class than I ever thought possible and learned about the value of hard work."
The mission of the LAPS Foundation is to enrich the educational experience of students through community investment.
The LAPS Foundation was entrusted with funds by the Los Alamos Community Foundation to give the scholarships to Los Alamos High School graduates.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
Arts and culture in pictures by The Times | Hammer Biennial
The first Los Angeles biennial, "Made in L.A. 2012," organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART, was presented at the Hammer, LAXART, and the Department of Cultural Affairs Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park. The exhibition featured works by 60 artists, such as Pearl Hsiung, from the L.A. region, with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists, and will debut new installations, videos, films, sculptures, performances, and paintings produced for the biennial. This exhibition offered a snapshot of the current trends and practices coming out of Los Angeles, one of the most active and energetic art communities worldwide. More: Hammer biennial lends artists a helping hand
Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 2018, Orlando Sentinel


text:
Elon Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a South African-American engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for co-founding PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity. According to Jon Favreau, director of the Iron Man movies, Musk is the inspiration for his and Robert Downey Jr.'s interpretation of Tony Stark.
Musk was born and raised in South Africa, the son of a South African engineer and a Canadian mother who worked as a New York City dietitian and model. Musk bought his first computer at age 10 and taught himself how to program; by the age of 12 he sold his first commercial software for about $500, a space game called Blastar.
After matriculating at Pretoria Boys High School he left home in 1988 at the age of 17, without his parents' support and in part because of the prospect of compulsory service in the South African military: "I don't have an issue with serving in the military per se, but serving in the South African army suppressing black people just didn't seem like a really good way to spend time." He wanted to move to the US, saying: "It is where great things are possible."


text:
Flourysh necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 25 diseños de 8 diseñadores freelance.
NB - Read comments posted by me on the contest!
A new website is required with a creative layout.
The motivational speaker currently has two websites:
- http://www.motivational-speakers.co.za/ : focused on the South African market
- http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/ : focused on the United Kingdom
He now requires a third website.
Meerkat Motivational Speaker
NB - Read comments posted by me on the contest!He now requires a third website that will be built around the themeof Meerkats and will promote his "Meerkat Motivational Talk" to theSouth African market.
Site must have a fixed width of 780px.
Download logo and photos: http://www.jws.co.za/client/meerkatsa.zip
Meerkat photos
NB!!! Following the example of http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/ do not use entire photos. Rather blend them into the background or cut around them with a border. This is to prevent people from right clicking on the image and saving it to their computer.
The winning designer will be provided with unwatermarked photos as required.
Style and layout
The style and layout of the third (new) website needs to be different to the two existing websites: http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/ , http://www.motivational-speakers.co.za/.
We are looking for a creative layout which is still professional. The target market for the Meerkat Motivational Talk is corporates.
Navigation - (horizontal or vertical).
* Home Tunnel (Home Page)
* About the Meerkat Motivator
* Mingle with Meerkats
* Blog
* Links
Homepage Content
Include the following on the homepage:
- photo of Estienne de Beer (estienne.jpg in zip file)
- photos of Meerkat included in the design
- 'Sign up for your FREE personal development newsletter' icon
- 'Tell a friend!' icon
- Quick Contact bar (should be renamed to 'Talk to Us') with the following fields (see http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/ for an example)
---- Topic (drop down)
---- First name
---- Cell number
---- Country
---- Enquiry
---- Submit button
- Client Testimonials block to show one testimonial
Dummy text for the homepage: (see http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/):
The Meerkat Motivator (Main heading)
African wild life motivational talk and slideshow (sub heading)
Main paragraph:
"Set your next conference on fire with this globally renowned motivational talk. Ancient wisdom has often pointed to the lessons nature can teach us – and now Meerkat Motivation for the Marketplace can show us how to prepare ourselves for sucess in the corporate world. Presented by the infectiously energetic Estienne de Beer, this inspirational talk will astound your next conference or teambuilding event with the lessons we can learn from the charismatic African Meerkat. This award winning motivational speaker and leadership coach, is sure to dazzle with this unique presentation which has taken the way of the Meerkat worldwide, to great acclaim."
sub paragraph:
"Animal Planet's top billing television show "Meerkat Manor" has fixated viewers in over 160 countries with this real-life tale which reflects the synergic character of Meerkats...
Natural impulses command a flight or fight reaction in the wilds of Africa. Corporates can learn from the Meerkat's strategy and amazing ability to outsmart dastardly defiant adversaries. Never more apt than in the information age where competion has intensified and the corporate battlefield become more perilous, survival is a familiar feeling in business.
For an hour, Estienne de Beer presents a fixating and exceptionally inspiring visual of these mammals' masterminds in "Meerkat Motivation for the Marketplace". See how your business can profit from their unprecedented example. With the odds against them daily, Meerkats forge their careers in a 3 square mile sandy environment surrounded by minacious maws and claws; bureaucracy; professional jealousy and competition – making corporate hostile takeovers or business challenges insubstantial compared to the day-by-day expeditions of the skilful Meerkat.
"Meerkat Motivation for the Marketplace" will inspire your next conference or teambuilding event to follow the Meerkat's way and strive for higher heights – examples of remarkable valour, working together in a cooperative effort, and a tried and tested ability to lead.
Click here to download the 'Meerkat Motivation for the Marketplace' brochure as a PDF
The most renowned of the "Shy 5" animals, the Meerkat's triumphant victory is because of 5 explicit behavioural patterns, which just happen to be the same "Shy 5" behavioural patterns that are evident or lacking in the workplace:
1. Good Old Fashioned Hard Work – Meerkats spend every day digging – they shift 50 times there own weight in a morning.
2. Rigorous Personal Development – Meerkats function in a learning organization, continually coaching and mentoring one another as they pass on what they know through mutual teaching and training.
3. Unshakeable Courage – Meerkats rally to repel inimical opponents far bigger than themselves.
4. Relentless Teamwork – Meerkats bring new meaning to teamwork by meting out tasks and being masters of cooperation. For the sake of staying alive, they forever validate and reinforce their relationships with each other.
5. Leading from the Front – Meerkats shine in a system based on ability where leadership is by the most seasoned and skilled in the group. The rest of the members are always hot on the heels of their leader. Irrefutably, Meerkats have mastered the art of working together as a winning team."
- creative/different layout compared to existing two sites: http://www.motivational-speakers.co.za/, http://www.meerkat-motivational-speaker.co.uk/
- professional look and feel
- photos of meerkats
- difficult to read text


text:
Company Returns
Share This!
You may also like
The ABC's of Alternative Lending for 2018
Helping Students Pay Off Student Loans as an Employee Benefit
Capital Markets – Capital Introductions Database
Latest Index
Add Comment
"Your daily letter is great!" , Ram , Founder and CEO, PeerIQ
"Hi George - just want to tell you that you are doing a great work with Lending Times;-) Brgds, Kasper" , Kasper, Partner and Co-founder at Dansk Faktura Børs A/S
"I've been following your newsletter for some time now and have been very impressed with the content." Charlie,Co-Founder | Bolstr
"Hey George, I must say I really enjoy your site. It has inspired me to do some changes at our platform and we are the biggest consumer lender in Sweden." , Ludwig, CEO @ Savelend Sweden AB
"Your daily email is very useful. It gives quick update on what's going in the market. Thank you very much for all that info." Yann Murciano, Head of Base Metals Trading at Morgan Stanley
Recent Comments
- Hugh Blane on How to Give Millennial-Friendly Financial Advice
- Jeffrey Ordoñez-Triana on Monday July 24 2017, Daily News Digest
- Ron Suber on the Future of Marketplace Lending - LEND360 on The State of the Industry: Prosper President, Ron Suber Examines the Past, Present and Future of FinTech
- Edward on Monday April 17 2017, Daily News Digest
- Ryan on Defining the New Middle Class And Solving Its Credit Problem


text:
- Home
- Editor's Desk
- Features
- Columns
- Arts & Culture
- Special Editions
- Advertising
Sunday October 21, 2018; 08:03 am EDT
Did Ray Caden Catch Diamond Jim?
Fifty thousand dollars is at stake in the Maryland Fishing Challenge.
Catch a Maryland fish, and you may also catch some of the money.
The big bucks — $25,000 — are riding on Diamond Jim. Jim's a rockfish whose identity changes throughout summer. Each month, Maryland Department of Natural Resources fishers catch, tag and release one genuine Jim plus hundreds of imposters.
Catch one, and you're guaranteed $500. Catch Jim, and your prize soars. June's Jim was worth $10,000.
That's the fish fisherman Ray Caden hopes is the real Jim. On June 28, Caden caught a 2013-tagged Diamond Jim rockfish while fishing with Captain Shawn Brumley out of Deale on the charter boat Lucky Strike ([email protected]). DNR Facebook updates indicate this 19-incher is the first 2013-tagged rockfish caught this year. It could be Jim.
If Caden's catch isn't quite so lucky, July's Jim is swimming free with a tag worth $20,000. If July's Jim isn't caught, the value of August's Jim rises to $25,000.
If no Jim is caught, the prize money is divided among all the anglers who've caught a tagged rockfish.
Caden won't find out how lucky his strike was until the Maryland Fishing Challenge Finale on September 7. That day, anglers who've caught tagged fish get the chance to win big door prizes.


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Did you know that lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.? In fact, each year nearly 400,000 people in the United States die of lung disease, and over 35 million people in the U.S. suffer from a chronic lung disease.1
Some NetWellness health topics focusing on lung diseases are asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, and tuberculosis.
What is the Respiratory System?
The respiratory system consists of the organs involved in t (More)
Understanding Lung diseases
Commonly Asked Questions
Additional Information
Meet Our Experts
James N Allen, Jr, MD
Research and Your Health:
Get Help With ...
Related Topics and Conditions


text:
The 11 unknown men, each dressed in black robes and sitting in a line, were spotted making strange synchronized gestures during the league match, which Bayern won 3-2.
Situated six rows from the pitch just beside the halfway line in the stand opposite the broadcasting gantry, the group was also seen by TV viewers all across the world.
One fan, Torsten Schmidt, said: "It was very weird. They sat very still for a long time but then would hold their hands up together, or stand up in unison and then sit down again. Everyone near me was very confused. Some people laughed, some looked astonished. It was just very weird."
A key feature of their clothing was a circular symbol on the chest of their robes. It clearly resembled the logo spotted at a series of linked unexplained event over the past week.
The same symbol has been seen at locations across the globe, starting with the appearance of a hologram on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf mountain on Sunday, 20 October.
A three-meter football displaying the sign then gouged a huge hole in the turf at London's amateur football hub Hackney Marshes 24 hours later, while New York City's Times Square was struck by similar images on the tourist spot's world famous digital billboards.
Further sightings of the symbol have been witnessed in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio and on the Brazilian city's Santa Marta hill, but this is the first time that the mystery has spread to a professional football arena. Also repeatedly spotted at the locations has been the message: #WINNERTAKESEARTH


text:
created 2002 · complexity intermediate · author Erik Remmelzwaal · version 6.0
A user can sometimes experience long load times on very large files. While the definition of a very large file depends on the user, their machine specifications, and their patience, at one point or another any user can experience a load time delay. A method to load these files faster is to remove some of the options available like undo histories, syntax parsing, and swap file creation.
By adding the following to the .vimrc file, the user can automatically remove certain options for files over a certain size (in this example, 10mb).
:let g:LargeFile=10 :e
" Protect large files from sourcing and other overhead. " Files become read only if !exists("my_auto_commands_loaded") let my_auto_commands_loaded = 1 " Large files are > 10M " Set options: " eventignore+=FileType (no syntax highlighting etc " assumes FileType always on) " noswapfile (save copy of file) " bufhidden=unload (save memory when other file is viewed) " buftype=nowrite (file is read-only) " undolevels=-1 (no undo possible) let g:LargeFile = 1024 * 1024 * 10 augroup LargeFile autocmd BufReadPre * let f=expand("<afile>") | if getfsize(f) > g:LargeFile | set eventignore+=FileType | setlocal noswapfile bufhidden=unload buftype=nowrite undolevels=-1 | else | set eventignore-=FileType | endif augroup END endif
See alsoEdit
- Edit large files quickly plugin to handle many of the above changes and more
Improvement proposalEdit
I changed the code a bit here and the final result is the following. Differences are:
- Files with filesize too large are recognized too (getfsize = -2)
- Readability
- Message that options are changed at startup
- Got rid of things like my_autocommands_loaded (I didn't get the use...)
- And what about the first <pre.. block? (didn't get the use too...)
" file is large from 10mb let g:LargeFile = 1024 * 1024 * 10 augroup LargeFile autocmd BufReadPre * let f=getfsize(expand("<afile>")) | if f > g:LargeFile || f == -2 | call LargeFile() | endif augroup END function LargeFile() " no syntax highlighting etc set eventignore+=FileType " save memory when other file is viewed setlocal bufhidden=unload " is read-only (write with :w new_filename) setlocal buftype=nowrite " no undo possible setlocal undolevels=-1 " display message autocmd VimEnter * echo "The file is larger than " . (g:LargeFile / 1024 / 1024) . " MB, so some options are changed (see .vimrc for details)." endfunction
--DartThis (talk) 13:34, March 7, 2015 (UTC)
The point of the "my_autocommands_loaded" part is to prevent errors if the script happens to be run more than once. Like the #ifndef BLAH_H in C++.


text:
VibeStudio Designer
VibeStudio Designer
VibeStudio Designer
"The feeling should be persistent and focused. I especially wanted the cinematography to create a pressure on the main character."
Blackmagic Design announced today ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, Teranex Mini and its Mini Converters were used as part of massive indoor spatial projection system by Epson Sales Japan Corp.
Blackmagic Design today announced that Red Bull's Gaming Sphere in London has been built on a live production workflow incorporating the URSA Mini Pro, Micro Studio Camera 4K, ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K and DeckLink 8K Pro.
Today's large-scale sporting events, as well as their technical broadcast requirements, are growing at an astounding pace. To meet and surpass these requirements, Riedel Communications has initiated their Managed Sports Services division, comprised of custom-engineered technologies paired with extensive supervision and support by Riedel-qualified engineers. Among the first to profit from these services is DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, who has partnered with Riedel to design a reliable infrastructure for German Bundesliga referee communications.
RTI, a leading control and automation manufacturer for residential and commercial settings, today announced that Cyrille Vergely has joined the company as its Dealer Experience Manager, Europe and Middle East. In his new role, he will ensure an exceptional experience for the company's dealers in the region by providing training, technical support and project design assistance.


text:
Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World is now the eighth movie to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while the filmmakers behind the franchise have done a great job of making sure that each of the titles stand as independent stories, there is still plenty of backstory, continuity and mythology that is helpful to know before walking into the movie theater. Rather than let the series newcomers and non-comic book fans get lost in the dark, however, we're here to help.
Just as I do whenever a new superhero movie comes out, I've constructed a list of people, places and things that audiences should know a bit about and be on the lookout for while watching the newest Marvel Studios movie. Read on and enjoy!
WARNING: This article contains some minor spoilers about Thor: The Dark World at the very end. While the first eight entries are safe, the last two may affect the surprise element of certain aspects of the film. We'll give you another warning before you get to those!
ThorWho Is He? Thor is best known from Norse legend as The God of Thunder. He hails from the mystical land of Asgard where he is next in line to the throne. In addition to his incredible strength and speed, Thor's power is given to him by Mjolnir, a powerful hammer that the hero can use to conjure lightning and fly. He also happens to be the brother of Loki and they take sibling rivalry to a whole new level.
How Does He Fit? Where do we start explaining Thor's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was banished to Earth in his first solo movie so that he could learn a bit of humility (which he did), and then he had to save our entire planet from his power-hungry, scheming brother in The Avengers. The character has had to do a lot of growing up in the last few years, but he has met the challenge. At the beginning of Thor: The Dark World he is a confident leader and warrior, has the love of Jane Foster, and is still expected to be the next king of Asgard. What could possibly go wrong?


text:
UN General Assembly: Agenda Item 63: New Partnership for Africa's Development: Progress in implementation and international support: Statement by Counsellor Jyrki Nissilä, Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, New York, 11 October 2011
Mr. President,
Sustainable economic growth is one of the key elements of poverty reduction. In particular, during the ongoing global economic crisis, we have seen that efforts in Africa to improve economic performance and private sector development have started to bear fruit. In fact, as many developed economies have been struggling to keep growth going, many African countries has shown enviable GDP growth figures. Economic growth, investments in infrastructure, social protection systems, the promotion of good governance and human rights are all key elements. While developing appropriate social protection mechanisms, it is important to pay particular attention to the promotion women's and girls' rights, and the promotion of social equality.
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has been one of the key players in these developments. Finland believes that the active cooperation with other international organisations that NEPAD has engaged in can further enhance sustainable economic development in Africa. The process of economic integration in Africa is very important for the development of the continent. The African economy has to be strengthened, diversified and integrated into the world economy.
Thus, Finland has been a strong supporter of the NEPAD-OECD Africa Investment Initiative. In particular, the initiative supports a large-scale programme on Unlocking Investment Potential in Southern Africa. It assists members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in identifying and implementing concrete policy reforms to strengthen their investment climate. The programme entails four country-level investment reviews and facilitates the sharing of national experiences through regional forums and peer review. Zambia and Mozambique have started to assess their investment regime within the framework of the programme.
Finland currently acts as Co-Chair for the Africa Partnership Forum, a high-level dialogue forum for the G 8, NEPAD, the AU and OECD. As a Co-Chair, Finland has stressed the development of Africa´s own capabilities as well as the issue of responsible investment.
Mr. President,
I would now like to touch upon agenda item 63 (b), relating to the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa and to thank the Secretary-General for his excellent report.
The report highlights a number of crucial issues, such as youth, education and employment as well as issues relating to conflict and natural resources. The report stresses the importance of more active engagement of young people in the promotion of peace and security.
I want to take up some examples of how Finland supports its African partners in the field of peace and security. Firstly, Finland has supported the building of mediation support capacity of the African Union through a three-year project financed through development cooperation funds. The project has made good results and it will continue. The purpose of this programme is to develop Africa's own capacities to prevent and resolve conflicts, including support in the participation of women and adequate consideration of gender issues in peace processes. We wish to congratulate the African Union for its work in advancing the agenda on Women, Peace and Security.
Finland also contributed to the work of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, led by former South African President Mbeki. It is also important to stress the role of non-governmental organizations in mediation and all peace building efforts. Finland has together with a South African non-governmental organisation ACCORD established "the African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme (APCP)". The Programme focuses on enhancing coherence and coordination in peacebuilding, with the aim of promoting local ownership in peacebuilding processes, as well as supporting the design and implementation of peacebuilding policy frameworks. We have also been a longstanding supporter of Femmes Africa Solidarité; most recently in their work in assisting DRC (the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Ruanda and Burundi in the preparations of their National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security.
Mr. President,
Peace and Security is a pre-requisite for sustainable development. At the same time, economic and social development, including the rule of law and human rights, is a major contributor to political stability and, ultimately to the peace and security. It is of utmost importance for Africa and for the international community to strengthen peace and development, which allows African countries to use their resources for human development and the well-being of their citizens.
Updated 2/21/2012


text:
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - November 5, 2012 --A Pennsylvania man accused of stabbing another man over $20 in marijuana is scheduled to stand trial this week.
Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Marlatt is charged with first-, second- and third-degree murder as well as robbery and aggravated assault in the Jan. 16 slaying of slaying of 20-year-old Tyler Struble in Lemont.
Authorities in Centre County say Marlatt and others went to Struble's home to claim money from a deal when Marlatt stabbed Struble to death.
Marlatt's girlfriend pleaded guilty to robbery and drug charges.
Marlatt's attorney has said he was acting in self-defense.


text:
Miss. Paranormal Society Investigates Suspected Haunting
Group Uses High-Tech Equipment To Search Out Ghosts
On the outside, a home in Rankin County looks like any other. But on the inside, it's anything but normal.
"The candle just got up and landed over there. It didn't just tip over. It didn't shoot over. It just kind of levitated over there -- we both saw that," the homeowner who wanted to only be identified as "Alice."
Alice reported seeing floating objects and mysterious lights, feeling cold spots and hearing phantom footsteps. She said she's shared her home with spirits for the past two decades.
Alice believes the spirit of her late husband "Ed" and other ghosts are haunting her home. She called 16 WAPT's Darren Dedo for help. He asked her if she had any idea why it was happening.
"I don't. I would be curious to know. That's why I called you," Alice said.
Dedo called in the Mississippi Paranormal Society to get her some answers. Brian Riley and his team brought in their high-tech equipment to search out the spirits.
"It could it be something attached to the land, or maybe even an object in the house," Riley said.
Even before the lights were cut off, a 16 WAPT camera caught something strange -- an orb of light flew out from behind Alice. Investigators believe orbs are balls of energy -- possibly spirits.
The group uses what's called the Flashlight Method, where they ask the ghost to make itself known. In theory, spirits can manipulate the flashlight by turning it off and on.
The Paranormal Society also believes ghosts can communicate through the team's scientific gadgets that can detect changes in the electromagnetic field.
"If you could make the K2 meter light go all the way to red, I'd appreciate it very much. Oh my God, it did it. It went all the way to red," Riley said during the investigation.
After the investigation was completed, Riley and his team prepared to analyze their findings. They hoped to learn if Alice's home is really haunted.
"We had a lot of hits on the K2 meter," Riley said. "The flashlight technique -- having the spirit turn it on and off -- worked several times."
"I really can't process it right now -- I really can't," Alice said. "I'm confused. I'm a little overwhelmed. It was very interesting."
Monday on 16 WAPT News at 10, Dedo will reveal the findings. You'll learn if Alice's house is really haunted.


text:
Fashion picks to brighten April showers
; Photo Credit: Handout
This season, designers and retailers are offering up smart, stylish, lively rainy day fashion that explodes with color and pattern.
Michelle Smith, the designer and founder of Milly, is among those who have put a fun spin on rainwear. "I wanted to add some humor and wit to the classic rain trench this season, so I made it transparent," says Smith. "Rainy days are universally rather depressing, so my hope is that this coat will make you a little more excited to get out of bed and get dressed in the morning."
Rain, rain, go away? Not so much this season.
Not your father's galoshes, these "over-boots," by PYSIS, slip over most shoes or boots and protect your shoes from the elements. $165 at pysis.com.
This adorable polka dot anorak by Merona will be a bright spot on a rainy day; $39.99 at select Target stores or target.com.
This graphic, pop art check umbrella by Kate Spade New York is a sure way to brighten up a gray day; $78 at katespade.com.
An unexpected pop of turquoise will have you wanting to wear this Via Spiga double-breasted patent trench rain or shine; $149 at amazon.com/fashion.
Taxi cab yellow rain boots by Bongo are serious traffic stoppers; $19.99 at Kmart stores and Kmart.com
Bring on the shine, even when the sun's not out, with this shaped slicker by Jane Post; $325 at Saks Fifth Avenue and saks.com.
You'll be proud as a peacock to wear these fun rain boots -- a collaboration by Havaianas and Brit designer Matthew Williamson, $125 at us.havaianas.com
The weather may be rainy but handle it with a sense of humor in this transparent trench from Milly, $528 at millyny.com.
Cute "bumbershoot" (that's what they call an umbrella at Mackenzie-Childs). It's $88 at mackenzie-childs.com
A hipster take on a classic raincoat, this double-breasted DKNY rain cape comes in black or khaki; $208 at Bloomingdale's and bloomingdales.com
Slither into spring showers with these snakeskin printed rain boots by Hunter; $195 at Bloomingdale's and bloomingdales.com.
Don't be caught in a downpour without one of these reversible rain ponchos, conveniently packed in a travel pouch that fits into your handbag, glove compartment or suit case in 10 vivid color combos; $60 at rainraps.com
These easy slip-on short booties boast a graphic animal print; $150 at Bloomingdale's and bloomingdales.com.
Aptly named the "Spritz" jacket, this pretty print will protect you from April showers; $98 at Athleta stores and athleta.com.
Hate the idea of rain boots? Consider these chic, water-resistant loafers from Swims in cheerful coral -- they won't get wrecked in the puddles and offer unexpected fashion flair for a rainy day; $149 at islandtrends.com.
Cute "bumbershoot" (that's what they call an umbrella at Mackenzie-Childs). It's $88 at mackenzie-childs.com
Boden's "rainy day mac" chases the gloom out of a rainy day with its graphic, mod print in chartreuse and white; $178 at bodenusa.com.
Super waterproof and super fashionable - that's the calling card of Terra New York, where all styles are named after New York City streets or neighborhoods and the gear has been worn by fashionable types like Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts. Here, the Leonard rain hat ($92) in frosted white; at terranewyork.com.
Terra New York's Tribeca trench, $320, in chocolate brown. The coat comes in a pouch that is touch screen friendly, so if needed, you can work your smart phone or iPad underneath without getting wet; at terranewyork.com.