text:
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. See firefly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. Another name for the firefly.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. a luminous beetle. See Firefly.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A firefly or phosphorescent beetle of the family Lampyridæ, related to the European glow-worms.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. nocturnal beetle common in warm regions having luminescent abdominal organs
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Sorry, no example sentences found.


text:
This incredible X-ray shows just how a 10-year-old boy cheated death after getting impaled on a 2ft iron bar.
Weverton Silva fell from a tree and landed on the metal spike which pierced his left side and came out close to his right ear.
Doctors who treated the youngster in Rio de Janeiro say it's a miracle Weverton survived as the spike narrowly missed an artery and his heart.
Surgeons removed the spike during a five hour operation.
Dr Rodrigo Chicralla told Brazil's Globo TV: "It (the bar) had passed through basic arterial routes, and to have something like this happen, it is difficult to arrive at a hospital with such a situation. I think it was just God (that meant Silva survived)."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Just one day after winning the Time Magazine online poll for "Person of the Year," Julian Assange, founder of the secrets outlet WikiLeaks, has been granted bail.
He had been sitting in a British prison pending extradition to Sweden on allegations of sexual assault not connected to WikiLeaks' release of secret US State Department cables. His lawyers suggested the arrest was part of a larger plot to have Assange extradited to the US, where he may yet face espionage charges.
Though granted bail, Assange may not actually be freed on Tuesday, as it was already late afternoon when the ruling came down and prosecutors had time to appeal the decision. One of his supporters, Sarah Saunders, offered the court £150,000 -- or "pretty much all I'm worth," according to a reporter on the scene -- to ensure Assange did not flee.
He also received help from US filmmaker Michael Moore, who offered $20,000 for Assange's bail. He called the WikiLeaks founder "a pioneer of free speech" and said he'd host their site on his own web servers if needed.
Bail was set at $315,000, or 200,000 pounds UK.
Once the decision was announced, the courtroom erupted with cheers, according to The Guardian.
The court required that Assange surrender his passport, submit to a curfew and wear a tracking device.
In an MSNBC live broadcast, a reporter suggested that "the whole of the world's media" and a massive throng of supporters had gathered outside the courtroom, and that the scene was one of celebration.
But not everyone was happy. Republican strategist Boris Epshteyn, speaking to MSNBC, claimed that Assange was "out there murdering individuals."
"He's costing people's lives and putting our people, our men and women in uniform, in harm's way and I really despise him for that," the former McCain adviser said.
"US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted in a letter to the US congress that no sensitive intelligence sources or methods had been compromised by the Afghan war logs disclosure," Assange wrote last week, in an editorial published the day he went to jail. "The Pentagon stated there was no evidence the WikiLeaks reports had led to anyone being harmed in Afghanistan. NATO in Kabul told CNN it couldn't find a single person who needed protecting. The Australian Department of Defence said the same. No Australian troops or sources have been hurt by anything we have published."
Award-winning journalist and documentarian John Pilger also told MSNBC, "there is no case against Julian Assange," adding that it's a "disgrace" for the British to keep him in solitary confinement for so long.


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Bambino Mio Reusable Nappies
Bambino Mio reusable nappies are fast drying, easy to use and 100% cotton. Nappies deliver natural containment and absorbency with the comfort and convenience of a disposable nappy.
Naturally soft, breathable and absorbent, nappy covers are shaped and tailored for a better fit offering baby maximum comfort. Velcro style fasteners make the nappy system quick and simple to use.
They help to reduce exposure to chemicals for your newborn - especially if you have sensitivities in your family.
I bought these nappies a while before I had bubs as I knew I wanted to try cloth. I liked the fact I could buy extras from Big W if needed, instead of over the internet and waiting for them to arrive.
The same time I was buying other (very popular) cloth nappies, and was thinking to myself 'how can these compare!?'
One day I ran out of my normal cloth nappies so gave the Bambino Mio's a go. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to change her nappy that it had contained everything! When other brands hadn't at this point.
I also use these overnight, they hold all of DD's wee (she doesn't do poos at night so I don't know if that affect anything) no problem.
If you do buy them I recommend washing the liners at least 3 times.
These nappies are worth it for the convenience.
I also use their bamboo liners in all my cloth nappies and they are fantastic
We tried Bambino Mio Nappies for our new born along with a few different other brands. While they were easy to clean and use, I found they weren't the best for my daughter. As soon as she soiled herself, she required immediate changing as she was wet, uncomfortable, and unhappy. This was particularly tricky at night. She was also more prone to nappy rash from the moisture and very regular wiping. We also tried pocket nappies, which has a protective layer to keep the moisture away from my daughter's bum. This solved our issues. Besides when she does a poo, I only need to change her every 3-4 hrs, like disposables, and the absorbancy is adjustable. They are also one-size so no need to keep buying all of the different sizes, which we were dreading with the Bambino Mio brand. While these pocket nappies by Green Kids (GK) also require washing to build up absorbancy (pretty standard with cloth nappies), I found the Mio covers were great to put over the GK nappies during this time! So not at a complete loss... I also use the Mio cloth as an extra insert for the GK pocket nappy when the my GK bamboo inserts are being washed and drying! (They aren't as absorbant as GK though, so be warned!)
I trialled Bambino Mio reusable nappies on my 9 week old son for one week and honestly for a reusable nappy first-timer I was pleasantly surprised.
Here are the PROS & CONS from my personal experience with this product.
Great fit! - My baby boy weighed just over 5 kgs when I started using these nappies, and they really did seem to fit him perfectly. The velcro straps made it really easy to adjust the waistband, (which was handy after he just finished a feed and had a bloated tummy lol), and also made nappy changes quick. The nappies are much slimmer than I thought they would be, which is definitely another plus when it comes to the way they fit.
Aesthetically appealing! - The overall design of the nappies (namely the covers) was eye-catching and modern, which I loved. Even when my baby was just in his singlet and nappy, the brightly coloured circle pattern looked very cute, stylish and fresh.
Quick drying! - I don't own a tumble dryer yet had no problem at all drying the nappy covers and liners on a regular clothesline. They dried quite quickly which was very convenient (even when hanging them inside the house rather than outside).
Environmentally friendly! - I am a big advocate for the environment, so the fact that Bambino Mio's are much better for the environment than disposables was an added bonus.
Easy to use! - As a reusable nappy first-timer I thankfully found these nappies very simple to use. Granted it took a few times of reading the instructions and practising to get it right, but once I got the hang of it there was absolutely no issue. I only really used the tri-fold method because I always change my baby's nappy every few hours, plus he is fully formula fed and very rarely has loose stools, so I didn't feel the need to try out the other folds. In the end using these nappies became as quick and easy as using disposables!
Easy to clean! - Washing these nappies really was simple. I put them in the washing machine myself, however liked the fact that because they are plain cotton you also have the option of soaking them. I used the Miofresh Antibacterial Nappy Cleanser powder when machine washing the nappies which really seemed to get them even cleaner and fresher smelling!
Containment... - Although these nappies contained poop and pee during the day quite well, they weren't always able to stop leaks during the night (which is when my baby has a much longer stretch of sleep and hence doesn't get changed as often as during the day). The worst part was when the leak would go through to the nappy cover which meant that had to be washed also. This led me to believe that if I was to continue using these nappies I would need to purchase a few more covers to use as back-ups.
Absorption... - I did need to wash the nappies a few times before they reached their peak absorption level (similar to a brand new towel that isn't as absorbent until after several good washes). I honestly found that these nappies did not absorb as much urine as disposables and also required changing much more frequently as they got 'full' quicker.
Comfort... - I'm not sure how the nappies actually felt on my baby, but to the touch they really didn't seem to be very soft. I used the disposable liners on top as often as I could, but whenever I didn't use the nappy with a liner I couldn't help but feel like it would be rough and therefore possibly uncomfortable on my son's newborn skin.
I definitely think Bambino Mio reusable nappies are a great environmentally friendly alternative to disposable nappies - as long as you are willing and able to change your baby often, and are prepared for some possible leaks along the way. The nappy system was simple and easy to use, and nappy changes themselves were quick, which is a big plus in my opinion. The fact that these nappies are easy to clean and fast drying also made them convenient.
I would certainly recommend trying Bambino Mio's for yourself and deciding whether they suit the needs of you and your baby. In my case they are perfect for day use, however I will continue using disposable nappies at night time to prevent accidents as this is usually when the leaks occur.
These nappies are pre-folds, they consist a cotton rectangle which is folded & placed inside a cover, the cover is a snug fit & come in a variety of sizes & colours, the cotton nappy needs to be washed several times before use to increase absorbency.
The nappy does become wet against bub's skin but this can be fixed by using a liner, the nappy is not as absorbent as bamboo but works well & the cover works well to eliminate leaks.
this nappy would be great for newborns, but needs boosting for nightime use, it is trim fitting under clothes, easy to wash / use and dries quickly for a fast turnover, the cover can be wiped over & re-used or washed if soiled.
overall this nappy is an easy to use no fuss system.
I received my Bambino Nappy intro kit on the Tuesday morning and it said it had been sent on the Friday, so a fast delivery.
In the pack I received 3 nappies2 covers (small)50 nappy linersmiofreshmio wipesuser guide I have previously used a prefold nappy & cloth on my son now 2 and had stopped, so was interested to see how they would go on a baby.
My daughter was 11 weeks and 5.5kg when I started to use the nappies. For the duration of the testing and even now I am again using cloth & mio wipes and liners on both the kids.
PROS * I was immediately impressed with the flushable liners and wipes, they are a good quality and nice texture. One reason I'd been so reluctant to continue cloth for my son is it was complicated with wipes and liners needing to be binned (another brand) then nappy in the pail.
* The user guide was very easy to understand and had my nappies assembled easily.
* Nappy covers are quality and have a nice pattern
* Quick drying & easy to use
* Contained all newborn messes
* Covers are sized in small increments so you need will need quite a few along the way
* Wipes pack are only a 60 pack - larger pack would be handy The website is great to explore the product but harder to find a retailer nearby, I would prefer to order online too. Overall I found the Mio nappies easy to use, with a slim fit and quality cloth nappy system.
As a mum to four using both disposables and a variety of mcn's, I can highly recomand these nappies. The are so basic to use, wash and dry easily, you don't have to worry about upsizing to often. The pack nicely on your shelves. Just a great and simple economical nappy.
My first time using MCN's, and I was surprised how easy they were. Glad I got a spare nappy cover as I had a couple of leaking incidents so needed the spare while the other was in the wash. But generally I liked the design, was pretty happy with the absorbency, and found them easy to use & wash.
Having said this - alhtough I was happy with them I think I will be sticking with disposables - I'm not a complete convert. I found these not quite as absorbent as disposables - my DS got a slight red rash after wearing them (although he does have extremely sensitive skin). However, IF I was to go with MCN's I'd be happy to continue using this brand.
I was really excited to try these nappies. I love the cover and insert/fitted system - it has been my staple since my first was born.
My youngest was at the top end of the weight range for the size 1 nappies - but I have found that she tends to fit them a bit longer than what they weight range says. After waiting for the nappies to dry from their first wash, I eagerly tried one on her - insert was easy to fold to get the absorbancy just how I wanted it and the cover fitted perfectly - great fit around her skinny ish legs. I especially like how they are sewn with the little extra material to make them a great fit.
We went out and about for the day with this nappy on, and my little girl fell asleep - so it was 5 hours between changes. Not even a hint of a leak. I simplt popped in another insert, redid the cover up and it was fine.
I also really like the liners - they are a great size - fit over the whole nappy. I found that they worked really well for both of my children (both small for their age - 10 months and 2 years) and made # 2 clean up's really easy.
The one thing I dont like about the insert and cover system is that sometimes # 2's can get caught up in the insert, making it harder to clean, but I found with the use of liners, this really wasnt an issue at all as the liners did such a great job.
The wipes I was really cautious of using. Both of my children have sensitive skin and have often broken out in rashes and infections from wipes, so we use ones I have made myself. I tried them on my eldest first. I found them quite wet, but they did the job. I didnt try them on my youngest as she has very sensitive skin.
I absolutley love the hand gel too - it felt quite wet going on, but dried really quickly, with no resiude or after smell.
Overall, I would reccomend the nappy system to people. It is a good, easy to use, dad proof system that worked well.
9* out of 10*
I had the bambino mio recommended to me by my aunt who has had four children, all cloth bummed, and so naturally when I decided to make the switch I asked her where to start. So I was super excited to be picked for the BH trial as they were on my "to buy" list anyway! The only other comparison I have so far is cheapie pocket OSFM's with microfiber inserts and one babmboo pocket nappy so that's what I may refer back to.
Initially when I got my trial pack I had a moment of "bugger this looks a little more intense than I had been thinking" followed by "hang on this looks to simple to work". Kind of contradictory thoughts but it was soon clear I was wrong on both counts anyway.
I put my mio inserts through the wash straight away, then got tired of waiting so thought I would have a go with my microfiber insert. Really easy, lay insert on cover and do up with the velcro.
I have had quite a few leaks with my OSFM's which I was putting down to not enough wash cycles yet but even after 2 hours (our limit with the pockets) the mio cover had kept everything in with no leaks around the legs which has previously been my problem area.
On day two once my mio inserts were dry I had a quick read of the instructions to see how to fold it (if I can do it any one can) and again no dramas. Way more absorbency than my microfiber inserts, however they do take longer to dry, though quicker than bamboo.
I have been rotating through the two covers I received and I can't see anyone needing more than 3 or so. I have not had a moment when the other cover hasn't been dry in time.
In the trial pack there was also mio liners, whilst they work great and do everything they say it's not something I would normally buy and I have no qualms in just washing the solids off before paling. I used the mio nappy wash which I got in the pack too but since I dry pail I only used as an add in to my wash cycles and although every thing came out looking great I can't actually say it was better with it in there so those two things I wouldn't personally buy but am happy to use if they were on hand. For someone that regularly buys these things they would probably get a lot more out of it.
The other two products in the trial I am in love with, same as the nappies and covers. The mio baby wipes are to die for, I normally avoid scented wipes as the smell so 'fake' but these ones are beautiful, I have been describing them as "rose water Turkish-delight" scented!!!". They are super moist and strong, will be buying more of them for sure. The last item was the mio hand sanatiser. I have never purchased hand sanatiser before but was impressed by the simple application and the fact my hands were dry to touch in seconds. I keep it in my bag now and have used it in so many different situations already.
Skipping back to the nappies, on the sizing front, my bub is 6 months and was just shy of 7kg when I signed up for the trial but whacked on close to another kilo in the next two weeks while waiting for them to arrive yet they fit him perfectly (it's the 5-7kg ones) in fact the Velcro tabs close right together so for long and lean bubs you will find the sizing is not quite the same as the guidelines say. He is now over 8kg and still has plenty of time to go in these ones.
The only thing I didn't test the nappies for was overnight. My J man sleeps through and I use sposies and I just couldn't bring myself to rock the sleep boat.
All in all a fantastic system, I am sourcing out some of the bigger covers for when J grows as I don't want to be without them now! Since the trial pack arrived i have not used a single one of my pocket nappies (which i literally got the second batch the day before the mio's so they have been sitting there unused)
Finding them to buy is a little tricky but I know our baby-bunting has them as well as some target stores. I think the prices I have seen have been very fair and all in all the system will be well worth the money spent


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Amendments proposed to IAS 12, IAS 23, IAS 28 and IFRS 9
As part of its process to make non-urgent but necessary amendments to IFRS, the IASB has issued an exposure draft – Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle (AIP).
|Proposed amendments
|KPMG insight
|IAS 12 Income Taxes
|Although the amendments provide some clarifications, they don't attempt to address the underlying question – i.e. how to determine if a payment represents a distribution of profits. Therefore, challenges are likely to remain when determining whether to recognise the income tax on some instruments in profit or loss or in equity.
|IAS 23 Borrowing Costs
The Board's stated rationale is to clarify the requirements of IAS 23. However, if a borrowing is taken out for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset, it does not cease to have that purpose just because the entity has completed the activities needed to prepare the qualifying asset for its intended use or sale.
Completion may require that interest capitalisation ceases but it does not necessarily and immediately generate cash proceeds that could be used to repay the specific borrowings.
The proposed amendment instead appears to reflect a different notion that borrowing costs are attributed to projects for which capitalisation is applicable in priority to other purposes.
|IFRS 9 Financial Instruments and IAS 28 Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures
|The IASB's initiative to clarify the applicable standards for long-term interests is welcome. However, as the proposals do not provide guidance on the interaction between the measurement requirements of IFRS 9 and IAS 28, there might still be complexities around the accounting for such interests.
Some of the issues that these minor amendments aim to address are complex, and so we would encourage you to consider whether the proposals would resolve the issues in a practical way.
Comments are due to the IASB by 12 April 2017.
© 2018 KPMG IFRG Limited is a UK company, limited by guarantee. All rights reserved. KPMG IFRG Limited, registered in England No 5253019. Registered office: 15 Canada Square, London, E14 5GL, UK.
KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International") is a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.


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Hi there.
Just wondering if there are any SKY GO users here --I love it for UK football (Premier league on Sky sports).
However because it still uses Silverlite security one is forced to continue to use IE11 (although I believe there are some unofficial workarounds to get this stuff to work on Google Chrome).
The Android app works fine but you can't cast to an external screen (Mirroring gets disabled) so you are forced to use a browser on a PC for relly nice HD pics.
SKY don't even seem to realize that W10 even EXISTS - and that's using UK call centres - once you get transferred to an Indian call centre - then it's another whole Ball game : "What's SKY GO -- We don't have any information on that Service " !!!.
Can't understand the logic here -- a service people will legally sign up and PAY for puts so many obstacles in the way of legitimate users accessing the service compared with some "Pirate streams" which work instantly without any mega problem that I often use these "Alternative streams" even though I am quite happy paying for the legal service.


text:
HOLLYWOOD --- Responding to the media furor by conservative groups alleging Oscar nomination snubs for Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ, a spokesman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts today announced a new Oscar category: Most Disturbing Picture. Starring James Caviezel as Christ, the two hour-long gore fest, which depicts in graphic detail Jesus' torture and crucifixion, The Passion is sure to pick up at least that Oscar, the spokesperson said.
Academy governors have been in a desperate scramble to find a way to acknowledge the movie's impact on the film industry and American culture. They have also had a "one heck of a time", according to Gil Gowan, a Hollywood executive, dispelling increasingly vocal rumors by "all kinds of crazies" about a Hollywood conspiracy against religiously oriented movies.
As an example, Gowan cited the operator of one pro-Passion website, "This extraordinary movie and its producer, Mel Gibson, were under intense, public attack from all the worst elements of the major news media and the entertainment industry. Powerful forces in …the Culture War."
Gowan said there is no culture war; the movie just wasn't all that good.
"I like Mel," he explained. "A lot, actually. And I like Bible pictures, too. Really. But The Passion wasn't anywhere close to, say, Quo Vadis or Ben Hur -- or even D.W. Griffith's Intolerance."
Reactions among moviegoers are mixed.
Conservative Christian cartoonist Chad Jackson expressed elation over the creation of the new Oscar category, just for this movie.
"These Hollywood liberals have just begun the feel the muscle of the neo-conservative Christian movement," he said. "I am not at all offended that The Passion will be voted Most Disturbing Picture. As a matter of fact, I think that's exactly what it should get. You can't bring people to Jesus with kindness. Only terror and fear will do that."
Martha Jackson, a homemaker from Coshocton, OH, feels The Passion definitely deserves the new Oscar.
"I have been in counseling and on medication ever since I since I went to see the movie," she stated. "I thought it was going to be about Jesus. But the screams. And all that blood. I just want to get those memories out of my head."
The Passion of the Christ is considered to be a shoo-in for Most Disturbing Picture.
Said Gowan, "It doesn't have any real competition. Certainly not among the top ten most grossing movies of 2004."


text:
Nuclear Bubble Wrap
Act Pottery
The first part of the final installment of the Harry Potter movies comes out in a month! That's right, it's all over at this point. The movies are done being filmed. And what's going to become of Daniel Radcliffe, now that he's done playing his signature character? This is a little ditty about that.
This song is a co-write between us and Steve Goodie, and as such, appears in another form on Steve's new kids' CD "Something to Sneeze At,"
available right here
. It's also a parody of "Act Naturally" by The Beatles, so it will naturally appear on our upcoming Beatles parody album, Beatle Juice, whenever we naturally get done with it.
Kyle Thorne: lead vocal
Jace McLain: backing vocal
Steve Goodie: guitars, bass, drums and percussion
Also, our new album, "Exploding Head Syndrome" is officially out! It's just $10 plus $2 shipping.
Order it here
! CD includes a 6-panel folder and enhanced CD features - bonus tracks, instrumental mixes of every song, and audio commentary by the band!
This song is now available on the following CDs:
Well done parody.
This is an excellent song guys well done. I'm waiting for my copy album to arrive too =) You should ALL buy it.
Insane Ian
I dig this one. While I don't agree that DR can't act, this is a quality parody. Well done, guys!
Excellent!! I knew what you were singing about even though I have never seen a Harry Potter movie. In fact, I did not know they were ending. Maybe I should stop getting my news from MSNBC.
Great work, fellers! Kyle, you do Ringo proud. And congratulations on getting Dave White to like something that I was involved with. I didn't know it could be done!
Carrie Dahlby
[Insert LOL here]
That was a hella-good-sounding Beatles parody. Great job!
Yeehaw! - You could pass for the real thing. Well done lads well done!
Great parody! Though of course the Beatles merely covered Act Naturally.
Of course. We decided to use the Beatles' version as our template since we're doing an album of all Beatles parodies anyway. And in this case, Steve already had the instrumental ready to go. :)
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text:
NYE + NYD Catering by Gus's Fried Chicken
West Loop | Website
This event occurred in the past.
Map | Find Parking
The new West Loop restaurant will be offering to-go catering of their "world famous fried chicken" for New Year's Eve celebrations and New Year's Day college football fans. Offerings include their hot and spicy fried chicken (8-piece, $25.55 to 20-piece, $59.45), as well as all sides.


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Shirley the Smoking Orangutan Ordered to Kick the Habit
We know how hard it is for human beings to quit smoking, but we will soon find out if primates have an easier time – an orangutan which picked up the habit is being forced to kick the habit cold turkey.
The Associated Press reports that government officials in Malaysia last week seized several animals from a state-run zoo after getting reports that they were living in poor conditions.
One of the animals was Shirley, an orangutan who smokes cigarettes. It's not clear when she started smoking, but her habit was fed by zoo visitors who would throw lit cigarettes into her cage.
"I would say she is not addicted ... but she might have formed a habit after mimicking human beings who were smoking around her," Melaka Zoo Director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed said.
He said Shirley is not being given cigarettes in her new home because "smoking is not normal behavior for orangutans."
So far Shirley seems to be doing fine – she has an appetite for food and is not showing any signs of nicotine withdrawal such as depression or other illnesses.
But Shirley should not get too comfortable; she is expected to be transferred to a Malaysian wildlife sanctuary in Borneo in a few weeks.
Shirley's case is not an isolated one -- there have been past cases of chimpanzees smoking in zoos, courtesy of visitors carelessly tossing their cigarettes into cages.


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Boy did we get some snow yesterday! It started coming down around 1pm, and when I got home last night it was a good 4 inches deep! I couldn't wait to get out in it with Brooklynn! We had to wait until this morning because it gets dark so early these days. I attempted to build a snowman, but our neighbors Nick and Cheryl had already built one, so we took Brooklynn to their house to get snow pictures with their son, Kaiden. Yay! I got out of building the snowman! LOL! Brooklynn was laughing at the snow:
Kaiden and Brooklynn:
(Did ya'll notice her hat was hanging on the snowman's arm?? I was like, "where's Brooklynn's hat?" We all died laughing when we saw it had gotten caught on the branch! Haha)
Daddy wanted to get a fire going, so he was outside chopping wood (thank you Grandpa Javier for the fire wood!):
We've been having such a fun day today playing in the snow! We have our Valentine's Day Party at the church tonight, so hopefully the roads will get better so that we can go (Brooklynn got the cutest Valentine's Day outfit to wear...don't worry I'll be sure to update the blog with pictures of her in it)!
Brooklynn's First Snowman!Posted in on 8:36 AM by Samantha
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text:
For better or worse, being a skeptic doesn't mean that you don't find stories of the paranormal interesting -- nor that you can't react to them on an emotional level.
I mean, I'm the guy who thinks that television programming went into a nosedive the day The X Files was cancelled. I am also the guy who would love to spend a night in a haunted house, but would be likely to piss my pants and then have a stroke if anything untoward happened. So while I'd be a good guy to have on a team of ghost hunters, from a scientific and rational perspective, I'd be a bad choice from the standpoint of practical application and laundromat charges.
I still recall many of the ghost stories of my childhood. My uncle was a grand storyteller, and had lots of tales (usually told in French) of the scary creatures of the Louisiana bayou, including the Loup-Garou (the Cajun answer to a werewolf) and Feu Follet (the "spirit fire," or will-of-the-wisp, which would steal your soul if you saw it -- unless you could cross running water before it caught you). Later, I voraciously read Poe and Lovecraft, and dozens of books with names like True Tales of the Supernatural.
It was in one of the latter that I ran into the story of Lord Dufferin, a 19th century British statesman who spent most of his career shuttling all over the world -- from Canada to Syria to Russia to India to Burma. His actual name was Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin, and his life coincided almost perfectly with Queen Victoria's -- she lived from 1819 to 1901, Dufferin from 1826 to 1902.
Dufferin was, by all accounts, well known in the social circuits of high society. His biographer calls him "imaginative, sympathetic, warm-hearted, and gloriously versatile." He also was an excellent storyteller, and there was one story he became famous for -- mostly because to his dying day, he swore that it was true.
One night, Dufferin said, he was visiting a friend who owned an estate in Ireland. For some reason, he was unable to sleep, and after tossing and turning for a while, he finally got up and went out through a door and onto the balcony overlooking the estate gardens.
He became aware that there was a figure moving down in the garden, and as he watched, the figure got closer. It was a man, carrying something on his back, but he was in shadow and it was impossible to tell anything about the man or his burden. But after a moment, the man stepped out into a patch of moonlight, and looked up at Dufferin.
Dufferin recoiled. The man was the most hideously ugly individual Dufferin had ever seen -- and the object on the man's back could be clearly seen to be a coffin.
Terrified, Dufferin retreated to his room. The next morning, he told his host about what he'd seen, and Dufferin's friend brushed him off -- there was no one in the garden the previous evening, the friend said. It must have been a nightmare.
Dufferin more or less forgot about the incident. But many years later, when he was British Ambassador to France in the early 1890s, he was in Paris for a diplomatic meeting and was about to step onto an elevator when he glanced at the elevator operator, and saw that it was the same memorably ugly face as the man he remembered from his vision in the garden. Alarmed, he backed away, and the door closed. He was standing there, trying to make sense of what he had just seen, when there was a tremendous crash -- the elevator cable had broken, sending the elevator compartment hurtling down the shaft. Everyone inside, including the operator, was killed.
Dufferin sought out hotel officials to ask about the elevator operator -- but the officials said that the man had just been hired that day, and no one knew anything about him.
Dufferin lived for another ten years, and enjoyed many a glass of brandy over the telling of this tale. And you can see why; it's got all of the elements -- a terrifying vision that turns out to be a warning of danger, a scary-looking guy carrying a coffin across a garden at night, a near brush with death.
Now, don't get me wrong. I doubt very much if the supernatural aspects of this story are true. Human memory is a remarkably plastic thing, and I strongly suspect that most stories of precognition rely on imperfect recollection of the original premonition, be it a dream or (as in this case) a vision. That Dufferin saw something in the garden that night is possible; that he had a nightmare is also possible. That it was true precognition, I seriously doubt. It is far more likely that, years later, a shock like seeing an ugly guy in an elevator, and narrowly escaping being killed when the elevator cable broke, would have conflated in his mind the incident with the earlier nightmare (or whatever it was).
But you have to admit that despite all of that, it makes a hell of a good story -- even one that a diehard skeptic might read with a cold shudder twanging up the spine.
And with that, I'll wish you all a very spooky and fun-filled Halloween.
Skeptophilia (skep-to-fil-i-a) (n.) - the love of logical thought, skepticism, and thinking critically. Being an exploration of the applications of skeptical thinking to the world at large, with periodic excursions into linguistics, music, politics, cryptozoology, and why people keep seeing the face of Jesus on grilled cheese sandwiches.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Lord Dufferin and the man in the garden
5 comments:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, GORDON!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 1, 2013 at 4:57 PM
This story is remarkably similar to one told by the grandfather of American psychics Edgar Casey, who claimed he could see the energy "auras"ReplyDelete
around people but as he was about to step on to an elevator, he noticed that
the people in the car had no auras. spooked, he backed away and didn't get
on the elevator, which immediately had a catastrophic cable break killing everyone inside.
I wonder how many fatal elevator accidents there really were back in the early days, and if they were common enough to make it even slightly plausible that Casey and Dufferin witnessed one.
- AnonymousNovember 1, 2013 at 5:22 PM
Correction, I should have spelled his name Edgar Cayce.ReplyDelete
can i get summary of this storyReplyDelete
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Miley Cyrus: Pancake Pals with DJ Afrojack!
Miley Cyrus dons shiny black pants as she arrives at The Pancake Factory on Thursday night (November 7) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The 20-year-old entertainer was joined by a group of pals, including DJ Afrojack.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Miley Cyrus
"it's always when you least expect it," she tweeted that same night.
In case you missed it, Miley has announced that she is headed out on the road for the Bangerz Tour in 2014. Be sure to check out the full list of tour dates!
15+ pictures inside of Miley Cyrus…
Posted to: Miley Cyrus


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Beyoncé and Solange Knowles's parents Mathew and Tina have confirmed that they are getting divorced.
The couple, who have been married for 29 years, said that the decision to split was completely "amicable" and that their priority was to be good parents and professional colleagues.
"The decision to end our marriage is an amicable one. We remain friends, parents, and business partners," they said in a statement.
"If anyone is expecting an ugly messy fight, they will be sadly disappointed. We ask for your respect of our privacy as we handle this matter."
This news comes weeks after Mathew was accused of fathering a child with Alexsandra Wright.


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Hotels for your road bike holiday
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*) Price per night, per person in a standard double room. Additional charge depending on room category, season and service.
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Individual investors who pattern their stock purchases on the portfolios of the big institutional buyers such as mutual and pension funds, insurance companies, colleges, banks, labor unions and corporate profit-sharing plans have one thing in common.
They know they're in good company -- that the stocks that become institutional favorites have been selected by skilled personnel who choose their investments wisely.
However, there is a potential problem in owning stocks that are favorites of the institutions. If an institution decides to sell part or all of one of its holdings, the share price may well become depressed for a period of time, although sometimes only briefly.


text: Hey babe, tired of the same old boring sports headlines read to you by stiffs in suits? Hear all the sports talk you need, including the most exciting weekend roundup stories, all wrapped up in the hilarious Miller-isms you know and love. It's like Dennis' tenure on Monday Night Football, but on PodcastOne!


text: Trump Gives Specifics on His Health Care Plan His 7-point plan is a 'place to start' By Luke Roney, Newser Staff Posted Mar 3, 2016 7:50 AM CST 211 comments Comments Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has released a 7-point health care plan. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (Newser) – Up until now, Donald Trump has mainly said his health care plan would be "something much better" than the Affordable Care Act, CNN reports. On Wednesday, Trump released some specifics about how he would "repeal and replace" ObamaCare in the form of a seven-point plan, which he calls "simply a place to start." CNN notes Trump has previously taken heat for saying "everybody's got to be covered" and "the government's gonna pay for it." His plan, however, "rests more on conservative ideals" and, as NBC News points out, backpedals on his previous support for requiring people to buy insurance. Under point No. 1 ("Completely repeal Obamacare"), he writes, "No person should be required to buy insurance." Further, "if we were to simply enforce the current immigration laws," the US would save $11 billion annually, which he says is the cost of providing health care to people in the country illegally. Trump calls for "much-needed free market reforms to the healthcare industry," including allowing the sale of insurance across state lines, making insurance premiums tax-deductible for individuals, importing cheaper drugs, and "price transparency" that would allow consumers to shop around for the best price for medical care. Trump also calls for reforming "our mental health programs and institutions." Trump supporters on Twitter praise the plan as an "awesome breakthrough" and "beautiful in its simplicity." But the net effect: "These proposals, including repeal of the [Affordable Care Act], would lead to a significant increase in the number of people uninsured," an exec with a nonpartisan group tells the Hill. (Mitt Romney, meanwhile, is attacking Trump and his "lousy hat.") My Take on This Story Report a story error Show results without voting | 6% Hilarious 13% Intriguing 8% Depressing 38% Brilliant 7% Scary 27% Ridiculous


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The first, "Make Money, Not War" by Gillian Tett, was a cover page story on Islamic Finance and about the rise of the Islamic financial instruments department at the Deutsche Bank. (Other, shorter and more specific Financial Times stories on the topic of Islamic finance can be found here, here and here.
The second, "How Mental Accounts and Oil Prices Can Hit Spending" in the print version and "Oil, Diapers and the U.S. Economy" in the online version by Vitaliy Katsenelson, was filled with examples of mental accounts (a concept form behavioral economics) by way of exploring how fuel prices will affect retail businesses. The conclusion: diapers will continue to be good business! Perhaps, the enthusiasm of the author could be attributed to the fact that he might have just become a father! We all see things through our own viewpoints and windows.
We put different value on money depending on the source of funds. Borrowed money usually carries less weight when it comes to spending decisions than hard-earned cash, though it should carry a higher value since we have to pay interest on it.


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60-Min. Guy Finley Talk
The Courage to Embrace Whatever Challenge Comes Your Way
There is one basic key to genuine confidence: It's knowing that whatever happens to you, you can handle it with ease. With that kind of inner certainty, you are always the master of any moment.
When you are the master of every moment, you can take whatever life throws at you and turn it into a golden opportunity that awakens new powers within yourself -- new inner strength that you never had access to before.
You can learn to embrace life with your whole heart.
Life becomes a very different experience when you meet every moment from a position of strength and self-mastery.
You see the good for you in everything that happens
Unwanted events become emissaries, not adversaries
Nothing stands in the way of your true happiness
Guy Finley shows you how to foster this completely new relationship with life in his powerful audio program, The Courage to Embrace Whatever Challenge Comes Your Way.
Don't live in fear of what may come next. Be the master of whatever happens. Enter the expansive life where everything always leads to the next higher and better level of yourself!


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The Francophone Secretariat aims to:
- acknowledge and increase awareness of the long-standing and continuing contribution of Alberta's Francophonie to the social, cultural and economic development of Alberta
- support organizations, communities and individuals in the development of their capacity to participate in, and contribute to, government-sponsored initiatives promoting French language and cultures
- coordinate a cohesive approach to the ongoing development and improvement of government services in French
- support ministries in promoting existing Government of Alberta initiatives to provide services to the French-speaking Albertans
The Francophone Secretariat:
- serves as the liaison between the government and the Alberta Francophonie
- clarifies and represents the needs of the French-speaking Albertans within government, with various ministries and agencies
- coordinates and implements Alberta's French Policy
- represents Alberta and Alberta's Francophonie in organizations such as the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie
- participates in the negotiation and implementation of federal-provincial agreements as it relates to government engagement with the Francophonie in Alberta and the provision of government services in French
French Policy
On June 14, 2017, the Government of Alberta unveiled a French policy that guides government ministries in enhancing services in French and supports the vitality of the Francophonie in Alberta.
French is one of Canada's two official languages and a vibrant component of its diversity. French is also the most widely spoken language in Alberta after English and its use is projected to continue to grow in the years to come. This will result in more requests for services in French in Alberta.
The provincial government has an opportunity to better serve a significant portion of Albertans, while also enhancing Alberta's competitive advantage and strengthening the province's relationship with the Francophonie across Canada and the world.
Consultation process
From October to November 2016, the Government of Alberta engaged with Albertans through:
- targeted and facilitated discussions with internal stakeholders, including all ministries and select agencies
- consultations with community stakeholders, including a bilingual online public survey
Topics covered
Participants were presented with broad concepts of what could form the policy's guiding principles. Throughout the discussions, key considerations included the notions that change may take time and that a phased approach may be required to move forward, particularly given the current fiscal situation.
What the policy means to Albertans
The overall goal of the policy is to help government be more aware of and responsive to the needs of French-speaking Albertans when delivering services to the community. The policy also has the potential to enhance Alberta's attractiveness as a destination for interprovincial migration, immigration, tourism and investment.
Implementation cost
The Government of Alberta already provides a number of services in French in areas like education, access to justice, arts and heritage.
There is a common understanding between the Government of Alberta and francophone community stakeholders of working towards long-term incremental change. To start, government will focus its attention on cost neutral or no cost initiatives – things that can be done differently, more efficiently and more effectively.
The policy's implementation must be achieved within existing resources. The Government of Alberta obtains annual funding from the federal government that it will allocate to enhance and increase French-language services. In 2017-18, this federal funding amount is $728,500. Negotiations to renew the Canada-Alberta Agreement on French-Language Services 2017-18 are scheduled to begin in late 2018. A French Policy positions Alberta to negotiate additional federal funding.
Other provinces with French policies
Most other jurisdictions in Canada have a policy and/or legislative framework governing their approach to services for their French speaking communities.
- Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie
- Official languages in the provinces and territories
Alberta Advisory Council on the Francophonie
Established in 2018, the Alberta Advisory Council on the Francophonie advises the Minister of Culture and Tourism, responsible for the Francophone Secretariat, on the implementation and evaluation of the French Policy. It also helps ensure that the Albertan French-speaking community, in all its geographical, cultural and demographic diversity, is represented.
Key responsibilities of the Council include:
- identifying priorities for strengthening the community's vitality through the development and enhancement of services in French within available resources
- improving the development and delivery of government services in French within available resources
- optimizing the use of existing provincial funding for services in French and federal funding administered by Culture and Tourism
- evaluating the effectiveness of the policy in achieving its intended outcomes
Learn more about the Alberta Advisory Council on the Francophonie
To connect with the Francophone Secretariat:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-415-3348 (Edmonton and area)
Toll free: dial 310-0000 before the number
Fax: 780-644-8800
Email: email@example.com
Other contact options
Francophone Secretariat
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
9th floor, Standard Life Centre
10405 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4R7
Follow us on Twitter for information in French on services, resources and events.


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Your Day
Set in the heart of the Wensum Valley, in North Norfolk, multi-award winning Pensthorpe Natural Park is an outdoor adventure awaiting for every generation.
It is a true showcase for British wildlife, beautiful gardens and adventure play, no matter what the weather. Encounter Flamingos, Cranes and Red Squirrels; four beautiful and unique gardens; larger than life bugs on the Bug Trail; and learn more about Pensthorpe Conservation Trust's 'Actively Saving Species' projects.
Families can unwind together in WildRootz, an outdoor adventure play area and Hootz House, the award winning indoor play area, complete with soft play for the under 5s.


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While it has become common practice for Donald Trump supporters to attack protesters at campaign rallies — with Trump instigating and celebrating their mob-like behavior — an incident in North Carolina is rightfully sparking incredible outrage.
On Wednesday night, a black protester was among a group being escorted out of the rally venue by security.
Recommended: Black Students Kicked Out Of Trump Rally For No Apparent Reason
Just before making it to the top of the stairway, a white, pony-tail and cowboy hat wearing Trump supporter reached into the aisle and punched the innocent man in the face.
What makes matters worse is that the security grabbed and detained Rakeem Jones — the man who was assaulted — and did nothing to the culprit who hit him.
Furthermore, after Jones was kicked out, he was arrested by North Carolina deputies while the man who struck him carried on enjoying the racist, fascist rhetoric that Trump was undoubtedly spewing.
A 78-year-old man is charged with battery after punching protester at Trump rally yesterday.https://t.co/XKXkGBhabe https://t.co/LSII2teA1f— Mashable News (@MashableNews) March 10, 2016
Someone please tell me why these deputies did NOTHING about that elbow shot!! He should have gotten an assault charge. I...Posted by Rosalyn Curtis on Wednesday, March 9, 2016
"The police jumped on me like I was the one swinging… My eye still hurts," Jones reportedly told The Washington Post. "It's just shocking… It's like this dude really hit me and they let him get away with it. I was basically in police custody and got hit."
None of the videos posted of the incident show that Jones even tried to strike back. He reacted to the blow and put his arm up, but continued walking up the stairs only to be tackled to the ground by deputies.
"After I get hit, before I could even gain my thoughts, I'm on the ground getting escorted out," Jones said.
The Sheriff's Office said the situation is being investigated by the internal affairs unit. Sgt. Sean Swain claimed that it's a possibility that the officers weren't aware of the assault when it happened.
"Right before the gentleman punches the protester, the heads of the deputies are down," Swain said. "I don't think the officer coming up the stairs [behind the protester] saw what happened."
Let's just take a moment to point out that the man who sucker-punched an innocent protester who was already on his way out of the event is absolutely, positively not a "gentleman."
You can see in the video footage that there were several deputies escorting the group out so there is no way that not a single one of them saw the punch.
As the incident has unfolded, the assailant has been identified as 78-year-old John McGraw and he has since been charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct, Reuters reports.
This situation just further exemplifies the kind of mentality and behavior Trump incites. In addition to being racist, his supporters are aggressive and rowdy. These are the people propelling Trump's campaign forward so he can make his way into the White House and carry out his plans to make America HATE again.
Recommended: Security Guard Chokes And Slams Reporter At Trump Rally
Banner/Thumbnail Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst


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Plisskën is committed to hosting and promoting an environmentally conscious festival. We are striving to become a leader in festival sustainability and are working to enable others to do the same. Because you have told us that sustainability is important to you, we have happily put in the extra effort this involves. We have engaged fans, artists, and municipal partners to plan and implement strategies that help make Plisskën as environmentally responsible as it can be. We believe that our commitment to sustainability is a vital part to the Plisskën experience. Who says you can't have fun while changing the world?
So how did we do? Plisskën received the prestigious international Greener Festival Award (Commended) for a second year in a row! Plisskën keeps growing in each year but is very conscious about keeping its footprint small.
We couldn't have done this without our Green Supporters:
- Hellenic Recovery-Recycling Corporation SA (HERRCo)
- Global Challenges
- Kitantzis Plant & Supplies
- QUAD Imports
- The Mediterranean Association to Save Sea Turtles (MEDASSET)
- Synathina & Athens - Simply the Coolest Capital on Earth initiative
- AVRA and
- Aha!Car
Take a look at these impressive results:
- 73% (1296 kg) of the waste generated at the event was reused, reduced or recycled via our collaboration with the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation (HERRCO), which kindly provided informative material and freebies to everyone.
PF13 Waste by Type
Quantity collected and recycled (kg)
Packaging paper
FILM (material used for recycling bags)
The great news is that despite having a 2 day festival in 2014 versus a 1 day in 2013 and almost double the number of visitors and artists, the waste loads generated were proportionally much lower. That is 1790 kg (2014) vs 1610 kg (2013).
- Only 495 kg of residual waste went to the landfill.
Our long term goal is to make Plisskën a zero waste event, where all waste is reused, recycled or composted. We have a long way to go to reach this goal and we can't do it without everyone's commitment.
- Our special carpooling event page was created by Aha!Car, so that the festival could be accessed from various neighbouring countries in a sustainable fashion. Plisskën's sustainable transport efforts didn't stop there.
- We had the pleasure to showcase QUAD Imports, who in turn organized an amazing Gold Sprint Race for festival goers, giving them the chance to test their cycling skills on static fixed gear bikes and winning an amazing Van Moof bike! The festival could also be accessed by bike with a safe bike parking area provided within the grounds.
- We are committed to promoting good practices, such as NGO work, and this year we were lucky to have the Mediterranean Association to Save Sea Turtles (MEDASSET) with us and their amazing turtle mascot. Visitors had the opportunity to experience a unique interactive experiment «Man vs Turtle» which increased public awareness on issues related to the protection of land and marine habitats of the Mediterranean.
- A big hit was once again Plisskën's typical Greek Garden, where Kitantzis Plant & Supplies made it possible for Plisskën to provide a chill-out garden and cocktail area under typical Greek plants and trees.
- We are grateful to Synathina, Oikosteges and the guys from Athens - Simply the Coolest Capital on Earth initiative for providing us with their amazing 40m2, modular, green cushions hosting a variety of typical aromatic plants!
- The entire event was powered by volunteers! The Lab volunteers brought the entire Plisskën effort to life, both on the days of the festival, and behind-the-scenes leading up to the big weekend.
- Our Club Stage water cooler provided free, fresh water thus contributing to a smaller consumption of plastic water bottles!
- Just like every year Plisskën produces its Carbon Footprint report, in collaboration with Global Challenges, an indispensable colleague and consultant to the festival! We managed to keep our footprint very close to 2013 levels despite the fact that we grew a lot in size this year! You can download the report here.
Thanks to an in depth analysis of our operations we have identified our strengths and weaknesses so that we can continue to improve for years to come. We look forward to working with our sponsors and supporters to always strive to be better.


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E-Readers Bring Hope to Africa's Children
Heaps of trash pile up for miles in Kibera, a district of Nairobi that houses nearly 1 million people and is one of the poorest slums in the world. Aluminum shanties fill the horizon, and an odor of urine cuts through the air. A man trots through the narrow, unpaved streets on a camel.
If you make your way through this crowded maze, however, you will find the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy, a free public school for girls and, recently, a few boys. Peek in through the windows, and you'll see a sight that seems incongruous next to the grimy chaos outside.


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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A day after another shooting brought community grief and national headlines, police said they had no explanation for why a 19-year-old skateboarder killed two skate shop employees and sent mall-goers running for cover before killing himself.
Howard County Police Chief William McMahon told reporters Sunday that authorities had found a journal at the home where Darion Marcus Aguilar lived with his mother in College Park. In it, Aguilar expressed some "general unhappiness," McMahon said.
Aguilar's mother reported him missing Saturday and showed an officer her son's journal,
Aguilar took a taxi to the mall Saturday morning, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and a backpack containing crude explosives made of flash powder and household items, McMahon said Sunday. Aguilar shot to death two employees of the
Police said Aguilar had no apparent link with the victims. A former classmate said he may have bought his skate clothes at the store.
Although Aguilar's home was within half a mile of Benlolo's, police said there was no indication he knew her or Johnson. Investigators were left to reconcile the suicidal killer with the gentle, affable student friends and family remembered.
Aguilar's mother and his former classmates said he was a competent skateboarder, a vegetarian and a nice guy who didn't seem to have any particular interest in guns.
"He's just a very good person," said a former classmate, Tydryn Scott, 18, who said she was Aguilar's lab partner for four years at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring. "Quiet, timid, but never shy. You know the kids in high school that are mad every day," and he wasn't one of them.
Other former classmates agreed, with one tweeting: "Darion wasn't the local psycho. Chill with all that."
Kevin Ayala, who skated with Aguilar, described him as "the type of guy that was friendly, but out of school he kept to himself. ... Honestly, I can't say I ever saw him upset or with any type of mood swings. Like I said, he was very quiet and calm."
Ayala said he was "pretty sure" Aguilar bought his clothes at Zumiez, "because it's one of the closest skate shops around."
Aguilar graduated from high school in May. He had been accepted at Montgomery College, a community college in the suburbs of Washington, college spokesman Marcus Rosano said in an email, but had never registered for classes or attended.
Aguilar had no criminal record in Maryland. Police said he bought the shotgun legally a month before the shooting.
The white, two-story house where Aguilar and his mother lived appeared well kept, with a Christmas wreath on the front door. No one answered the door, which was stuffed with reporters' notes and business cards.
A neighbor, David Keer, said he didn't know Aguilar or his mother. "It's one of the houses in the neighborhood that seems to have new people living in it every few years. It's a rental."
A woman who identified herself as Aguilar's mother told a WNEW radio reporter, "He never had a gun before, never been interested in guns, never been interested in anything like that."
She refused to give her name but added: "If you were to go into his room, you would see what a gentle, sweet kid he was. ... I don't know what happened; I really don't. It's so unusual; you can talk to any of his friends to find out what a gentle person he was."
Johnson's Facebook page indicated he had worked at Zumiez since November. "We have lost a kind, positive son who reached out to help others in need, and he made a difference," his family said in a statement. "Our prayers are with him and the other victims and all the people who have been touched by this violence."
Benlolo, according to her Facebook page, was an assistant manager and grew up in Florida and Colorado before moving to Maryland in 2010. Photos of her 2-year-old son adorn her page.
A family friend, Evelyn McDonald, told CNN that Benlolo "loved being a mother."
Simon reported from Maryland and Pearce from Los Angeles. The Baltimore Sun contributed to this report.


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In a small room in the heart of the Wroclaw Techology Park lies our own server cloud, filled with racks of Dell M620 blade servers and Dell Compellent storage units, connected to our offices with a 10 gigabit network.
This computational centre was built recently to secure the needs of our growing company for many years to come. The fully automated, redundant cooling system and instant admin notifications help us keep a spotless uptime.


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Lindab Predstavništvo u BiH M. Hadžijahića 44 71000 Sarajevo
HPB is a Cabin Unit specially designed for use in high pressure systems where high flexibility has to be combined with minimum installation space. An internal scale makes it possible to preadjust the flow in order to minimize commissioning costs and document settings.
The matching diffuser HPBDC allows the user to adjust the flow within a preadjusted range.
Faceplate can be removed without tools to enable cleaning of internal parts or to gain access to the box. The visible parts of the diffuser can be wiped with a damp cloth. Box can be opened for cleaning.
Diffuser for CabinUnit is ordered seperately.
Nema dostupnih softvera za download posebno za ovaj proizvod
+45 73 23 23 23


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What if we had to tell the real truth when asked about our weaknesses? - page 2
The standard advice during interviews when this question comes up is to pick a mild fault and put a positive spin about how you are dealing with it successfully. I suspect interviewers foolish enough... Read More
Feb 6, '13Specialty: 2 year(s) of experience ; From: US ; Joined: Sep '12; Posts: 209; Likes: 317You know, I've tried liberating myself in interviews that I knew I didn't actually want the job once I was acquainted ( ~5 min into interview) with the interviewer, just to see if the hiring personnel really wanted a risk-taking candidate. Only, the question was, "Why did you get into this line of work?" I said that I did it for the money. It was true. It was unexpected. It was risky. It was, by most accounts, uncouth. Turns out, no one "honestly" wants the truth.
Feb 6, '13Occupation: allnurses Asst Community Manager, APRN Specialty: 25 year(s) of experience in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU ; From: US ; Joined: Apr '00; Posts: 53,681; Likes: 26,957My true weakness? Hmmm....I really find that after many yrs of nursing, Id rather be surfing at AN then working in your hospital! tee hee hee
Feb 6, '13Occupation: LPN From: US ; Joined: Sep '12; Posts: 22; Likes: 10Thanks for the laughs guys. This thread had me really chuckling!
Feb 6, '13From: US ; Joined: Sep '11; Posts: 77; Likes: 70When asked what my biggest weakness is I have a very standard answer: "My biggest weakness is also my biggest strength, I have perseverance and persistence which are great qualities but sometimes I have to sit back and respect peoples choices, even if I know they are wrong" -- it's a great weakness that isn't a bad one to have honestly.
Feb 6, '13Occupation: Hospice Nurse Specialty: 25+ year(s) of experience in LTC & Hospice ; From: US ; Joined: Jul '05; Posts: 2,403; Likes: 5,557As a hiring manager, I do ask "Tell me about your weakness". Within reason, I really don't care what answer you give me but those of you NOT hiring would be amazed at the number of people that tell me "I can't really think of anything" or "I don't really have any weaknesses". This response tells me 1) they are not prepared for an interview or 2) They really think they are that perfect and it's gonna be H___ for the rest of us to deal with them...managers and coworkers alike!
As an employee at an interview, I do not share that I tend to be a clock watcher. I have been salary for several years now and I'm just not going to work 60+ hours because I'm salary and you think you can just take advantage of that. I will work my tail off, skip breaks, skip lunch, whatever it takes but when my 8-9 hours is up I plan to be out the door unless the sky is falling.
Feb 6, '13Occupation: Registered Nurse Specialty: . ; From: US ; Joined: Aug '06; Posts: 3,562; Likes: 5,421I have problems with authority. I'm not politically savvy. Apparently I roll my eyes all the time without realizing it. I'm usually on time-ish and as long as the leaving shift gets out on time, I don't sweat being a minute or 5 late. I don't think I've ever stayed in one position more than a year. I love me some good gossip. I carry grudges. I will shop online if there's nothing else to do. Sometimes I will say what I'm thinking to families and patients and it's often not beneficial to Press Gainey scores. When can I start?
Feb 6, '13Occupation: RN and blogger extraordinaire Specialty: 20 year(s) of experience in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych ; From: OR, US ; Joined: Sep '02; Posts: 27,020; Likes: 45,038Honestly? I'd admit that I'm like the little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead: when I'm good, I'm very, very good, and when I'm bad......well, I really, really suck. There's no middle ground. I'm either gung-ho and git-r-done, or I move at the speed of smell and whine "I don't wanna!" Fortunately, it's about 75/25 in favor of git-r-done.
Feb 6, '13Joined: Sep '07; Posts: 2,476; Likes: 8,796*I'm a nerd and I don't socialize.
*I'll never read my in-house emails... don't bother sending 'em... besides, my mailbox is full and the last email that got through was probably back in 2008.
*Don't ask me what I think... just don't.
*I sleep through meetings.
*The only time I'll answer my phone for you is if I think I'm going to be cancelled.
*Crocs make my feet stink, but I'm working with a counselor on this issue to make me best employee I can be.
Feb 6, '13Joined: Sep '07; Posts: 2,476; Likes: 8,796This is the best idea for a thread I have seen in a very long time... hilarious!
Feb 6, '13Joined: Jan '11; Posts: 1,825; Likes: 2,421i am too dedicated to my job and picking up ot for managements inability and unwillingness to hire people.
i hate listening to staff meetings unless they turn into employees turning on each other with the manager smiling!
i loooooovvvvv eeeeee to listen to gossip!!!!! and i will get from the types who dont even know motives or what they are doing. on the otherhand , i hate talking about myself to others. i dont trust their motives or want them to know about me. i do not participate in baby showers or birthday parties. i dont talk to or like talking to most coworkers. i dont want to see their kids or dogs pictures. i do not want to go out with them after work. i rather watch tv alone in the breakroom .
i am good at being in charge but hate it because most of the others seem incompetent or there are too many new people working .
Feb 6, '13Joined: Sep '03; Posts: 2,389; Likes: 2,890Quote from Hygiene Queen/\ This is great!!*Don't ask me what I think... just don't.
I once did honestly answer this interview question. I told them one aspect of me that might be perceived as a weakness was that:
"I don't really need management, I've always worked nights and mostly weekends and I've learned to be very independent. One of my 'best managers' was the lady I saw maybe twice a year on accident."
I got the job.
If I were to interview again today and really tell the truth it would probably sound something like this:
"I'm not a fan of any form of management higher than charge nurse, in fact I have started to realize I might be a Marxist."
Yea, that would get me far deep in the Bible Belt.
Feb 6, '13Joined: Feb '13; Posts: 17; Likes: 10Oh my goodness!! I had a phone interview today she asked my weakness, I told her I interupt people a lot (it's true). HAHA. At the end of the interview I told her I sucked at interviews, but I'm a wonderful employee. I'll let you all know if I got the job.
Feb 6, '13Joined: Jan '09; Posts: 5,390; Likes: 10,367Quote from Nascar nurseOr, as mentioned by StudentEtc. the interview was pretty ridiculous and the interviewee wants out. I must confess, I did do this once. I just was done in the first minute, I so was just done with it. Hey.As a hiring manager, I do ask "Tell me about your weakness". Within reason, I really don't care what answer you give me but those of you NOT hiring would be amazed at the number of people that tell me "I can't really think of anything" or "I don't really have any weaknesses". This response tells me 1) they are not prepared for an interview or 2) They really think they are that perfect and it's gonna be H___ for the rest of us to deal with them...managers and coworkers alike!...


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Last week's news that Absolut is shifting its business away from TBWA to Sid Lee, and Honda putting its business up for review after a quarter century partnership with RPA has got me thinking a lot about the nature of the ad business today. Advertising does not exist in a vacuum. It is influenced by pop culture, influenced by the times. Once upon a time, advertising seemed like it was more the influencer than vice versa. But this is true of nearly all aspects of culture, thanks to the singular greatest shift in our collective consciousness, that sadly occurred with the internet.
I say sadly, not because I'm a Luddite, but because of the rise of the curators. Let me start by saying those who you referring to yourselves as curators need a dictionary. That Pinterest board you uploaded a bunch of pictures to is not an act of curating. That Tumblr site where you post other people's photos and gifs? Still not curating. And you certainly aren't curating by sifting through a few dozen links on PSFK, NotCot, , Fastco , (the same sites all of us visit) and selecting ones you deem appropriate for your Twitter followers.
You are collecting. Putting something in digital storage on display. Sharing information. But curating is not merely collecting, or sharing or even displaying.
It's purposefully selecting and looking after stuff, too. Sounds like a small difference perhaps, but one that makes a difference. It's what separates people who upload stuff on their blog, from people who manage the Louvre.
Here's my radical thought for the day: No one online is a curator, except perhaps those are in charge of maintaining cloud storage but even that is a loose connection because it presupposed the cloud storage people care about the content being stored. There's no way they could; there's too much of it to matter.
I would also posit that there is nothing to curate online because curation suggests something long-term and our culture has, for better or worse, become one that celebrates the ephemeral, rather than eternal.
A few years ago I saw the complete works of my favorite artist, Kandinski at the Guggenheim. This was curation at its absolute definition. One had to sort through all the works, order them, write essays (or collect other essays written) about the works and their influences, provide pertinent historical background information, provide a larger context. And then step back and have the audacity to try and sum up a life's work. Quite a bit different from what we're doing online.
One big reason is because nothing online is made to last. Or let's say, it is not meant to be revisited in way we used to, when we had hard disks and VCRs and DVD's and CD's. You hear a song on soundcloud, you dig it. How many times do you keep listening?
Gangnam style is the most watched video on youtube in the world. It has countless parodies, each with significantly less hits. But, aside from the parody makers who watched it loads of times to get the movements right, how many times did people watch it? How many people made it all the way through before shifting their attention to watch something else?
Advertising is exactly the same. For every Nike (because Nike is always the exception) there are countless long-term relationships between client and agency being broken. While there are myriad reasons for this (starting usually with a new dumbass CMO wanting to put his greasy fingerprint on the business by doing these easiest thing: firing the agency) I suspect online culture has in no small way had an impact on our lives as well.
There is constant talk of businesses needing a new model in order to thrive with today's reality. Usually by people who curiously, don't pay for the business to begin with. But in this case, a new business model really is needed for Ad agencies. Not because of a need to adapt to the ever-demanding consumer who despite their power pays less for products and demands more service. It's more because of a need to adapt to an online culture that views long-term as being two weeks, rather than two years. A society of so-called curators who upload and forget, link and disregard, share and not care all that long.
We've seen creative work change emphasis from long-term brand-building to the short term starbursts. Despite constant chatter of the importance of a brand communicating with their audience via social media, I am not convinced this does anything for brand building. In other words, people may "feel good," about Air Canada, but are more people really choosing to fly Air Canada because of a tweet?
It's been hammered home again and again that a successful online ad is one that goes viral. But like most viruses they die off very quickly. Most online content seems to have the same strategy in mind: Drop an ad on the weekend, and get fifteen million eyeballs on it by Monday.
All well and good on Monday. But what happens on Thursday when the collective group has already forgotten what they saw at the beginning of the week because they're busy 'curating' something else?