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Designed by one of my favorite designers in Florida, Waterview Kitchens, and also by Joy Capo of Treasure Coast Carpet and Interiors, this home truly exudes fresh coastal interior ideas.
This home is located in Key West Village in Tequesta, Florida on the Intracoastal Waterway. The 24 homes in this neighborhood are all Key West Style and each home is painted in a pretty pastel color complete with a metal roof, white trim mouldings and a front porch. Doesn't it sound like a dream?
The beachy theme of this home dictated the design of the kitchen. Incorporating the aqua colors of the intracoastal waterway outside was an important aspect of the project.
Take notes on paint colors and other sources shared by the beautiful and talented Patty Anderson of Waterview Kitchens.
Coastal kitchens with turquoise island is always a favorite of mine. They feel gentle and happy!
Crystal Cabinets is the manufacturer of all the cabinetry, Waterview Kitchens in Tequesta, Florida designed the space.
Countertop is MSI Cashmere Carrera.
The inset white cabinetry is painted in Crystal's Frosty White, which is similar to Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove.
Range is a gorgeous AGA Range in Aqua.
Faucet is Brizo Tresa Two Handle Bridge and sink is by Kohler.
These are the designer's go-to hardware pulls. They are by Hickory from the Studio Collection P3011-SN in Satin Nickel.
The wood behind the Aga range is reclaimed boat wood in a herringbone pattern.
Subway Tile: White Subway IWT Glazed Brick 2 x 9 Staggered Joint.
The Driftwood floors are by Medallion Antique White 7.5" wide plank.
(All flooring and tile work was done by Treasure Coast Carpet and Interiors, in Tequesta, FL).
Kitchen Island: The kitchen island features a custom aqua color developed by Waterview Kitchens and Crystal Cabinets. They call it "Waterview Kitchens Blue".
Similar Island Paint Color: Sherwin Williams SW 6463 Breaktime.
Kitchen Island Dimensions: 90 x 48.
Wall paint color is Benjamin Moore Super White.
The kitchen nook features a Walnut table handcrafted by Gregory David Designs.
Wood Beams Shelving: Olde Wood Beam- Driftwood Natural Color – Exposed hardware – Reclaimed Walnut Joist material.
The amazing light is from Shades of Light. It is called the Jute Rope Weave Lantern Large.
The family room features shiplap walls and reclaimed wood accent with sconces.
Wood: OLDE wood Beam Driftwood/ Natural 3x 12x 13.
Lighting is Shades of Light/ Modern Clear Schoolhouse.
Crisp White Paint Color by Benjamin Moore: Super White PM-1 Benjamin Moore in high gloss.
This is one of my favorite paint colors; Palladian Blue HC-144 Benjamin Moore. This chameleon color (sometimes green, sometimes blue) is perfect for coastal interiors.
Master Ceiling: Phillip Jeffries Raffia Collection.
The master bedroom isn't big but it features a smart layout. I love the tiling and the grey cabinets.
The wall color is Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore.
Sink: Rutherford Reserve.
Faucet: Sancerre Drop Cross Handle.
By eliminating the "6-inch step" we usually see in most showers, the designer created a "curbless shower", where a seamless and an all-age friendly design prevails.
Fixtures: Reserve Collection Ruthherford Handheld.
Shower Tile: Calcutta Gold Marble 6 x 12.
Master Bath Flooring: SOHO Ming/ Thassos.
The inset bathroom cabinets are painted in Overcast OC-43 Benjamin Moore with Van Dyke Brown Brushing.
I love this navy bedroom with white board and batten wainscoting. Isn't it full of life? You can't get bored here!
Paint color is Naval SW6244 by Sherwin Williams.
Similar Teal Exterior Paint Color: Clearest Ocean Blue 2064-40 by Benjamin Moore. The interior designer mixed acrylic paints together to come up with the exterior paint color and had Benjamin Moore match it.
All furnishings were purchased locally.
What a beautiful and happy home! We're in the middle of a terrible snow storm and all I wish I could do is to leave this bad weather behind and spend some time in Florida! Sunshine sounds so good right now! 🙂
I hope your day is warm, happy and full of beauty!
See you guys tomorrow!!!
with Love,
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Interior Design Services within Your Budget
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Sources: Waterview Kitchens.
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In total agreement about some Florida weather after that nor'easter ! Yuck
Love the colors of this house, inside and out! Stay warm, my friend!


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The SB&WRC project is part of the Programme Interreg VA France (Channel) England and benefits from financial support from the ERDF.
The SB&WRC project partners are pleased to invite you to the closing event of the project. It will take place on June 18 at 2:30pm at Veolia's headquarters.
Veolia is one of the project partners, with Nomadeis, lead partner of SB&WRC, who designed and led the European project, the communications partners ASBP and Construction21, and researchers from ESITC Caen, UniLaSalle Rouen, Brighton University and Bath University.
They will present you the results obtained during the design, testing and development of the 3 prototypes of low carbon insulation. It is also the opportunity to discuss with them the prospects for the commercialisation of the three products. The (...)

subset: commoncrawl


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Most people find pornography offensive! That has been true for the past few thousand years of course. That is why it is so confusing as to how so much of it survives, even though nobody buys it or watches it.
Financial pornography is the same, but with charts instead of pictures! In both cases the reality is not nearly as stimulating as the "doctored" graphics try to portray.
Financial pornography is represented by the distortions, misrepresentations, phony fund commercials, stupid bank claims, and all the other obviously bogus claims being delivered by phony senior citizens claiming to be retiring to France when they are actually working into their late 70's because they bought the stupid mutual funds they are flogging.
Nobody would ever listen to "Mad Money" nor follow the crazy advice, yet I keep hearing people talk about what they heard from a "friend" who watched the show. Stop watching that stuff, its morally and financially corrupt.
The financial markets have always had a way with words and graphs. In the past, it was all rather innocent since "good" people were not exposed to the financial smut. Then along came the Internet, cable T.V., thousands of financial planners and ,yes , blogs! Now the financial world has gone nuts and products that were once in the restricted world of professionals are now discussed by Joe Trader as if he actually understood them!
Since when did:
- retirees read 80 page legalese on a split-share issue and understand the leveraging (hint: the answer is never),
-when did your local lawn care guy start trading in options because a "covered call" is free money.
-I heard a caller on Business News Network today who claimed he never lost money on a single option trade and could not understand why everyone was not writing puts and calls.
Well enough of this smut! Here is the truth you need to listen to and learn from!
Day traders live in their mothers basement and are really just degenerate gamblers.
Active trading by an investor works only when the average investor is Warren Buffett and has billions to cover his mistakes....and yes, he does make mistakes. Active trading without a billion dollar corporate team behind you is just stupid....yes, I mean you!
Managed or structured products are a fee looking for someone to pay it. The only way to win is to be the salesperson skimming the investments! Yes, mutual funds are a managed product so figure it out.
Wraps are the way small time investors get exposure to fully diversified fees. You pay everybody in good times and bad. You make benchmark returns almost never. Duh!
Financial Planners do not often do financial planning. They get the qualification because the title "Mutual Fund Fee Skimmer" was too difficult to fit on their cards. They are paid to collect your money and deliver it to big corporations. They do not manage your money, they collect "vig" on the deposits.
Bankers are like a stealthy thief sneaking into your house and stealing the silverware one piece at a time. Before you know it your eating with your fingers and the bank is offering you a cutlery loan at 18% interest. Service charges on proprietary funds are obnoxiously high and the people selling the funds are proof that the bottom of the class can still find work somewhere.
Stop feeding the beast and thinking the teller is your friend. friends don't refer friends to bank planners.
There, now I feel better.
I hope that I have offended a few bankers, advisors, and planners because that way I feel like there is a purpose to life. If you are ready to handle the ugly truth, wait for 2009 when the real stuff starts to fly and markets test 7,000 and lower!
See you in 2009!
Tired of 2008.....sois mike


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Saturday, January 1, 2011
Lucky 13 Capricorn New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse and the Grande Finale Venus in Scorpio Status Report
Venus in Scorpio is strongly involved here with the 'denied realities of the thirteeth witch' astro energy. The resources and energies being kept tied up and tightly controlled within corrupt, unjust, masculine-heavy constructs, within the "way things are," have been Scorpionically stirred.
And after our Venus retrograde in Scorpio and late Libra through the Via Combusta degrees, we've gotten wise in a big way to our own energetic currency - social, emotional, psychic, soulful, sexual. Rather than unconsciously pouring it outward to fufill every demand and request, we're keeping it close, maintaining our own personal control.
The power-hungry at the top of the crumbling Pluto in Capricorn pyramid schemes want to starve us out? Make us their fin-de-Pisces sacrificial lambs? Replay Jesus and the gang en masse in one big, symbolic puppet show? Pin us down and tell us because we don't hold enough of their phony fiat currencies that we're worthless, meaningless, purposeless, that we don't deserve the basics of life?
All right then. We'll have a little game of chicken. How about some Libra tit-for-tat?
There's that wily, crafty Venus in Scorpio motherfucker rocking it into the new decade that I was talking about. We don't go down without quietly using every trick in OUR book, without playing every...last...card. And I still say we hold the biggest trump in the deck.
There comes a time when even the most staunchly consensus reality individual can no longer use their personal resources to support what is going on - and we inch ever-closer to that domino trigger point. Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn should bring it.
With Venus involved so strongly, this plays out in personal relationships and relationship constructs, with self-esteem, money and values, as well as in the broader social and political realms. As always, these are inextricably inter-related. The personal is political.
The New Moon at 3:03 a.m. CT January 4 is a partial solar eclipse and marks the third of six New Moons at 13 degrees of the signs, interspersed with five anaretic (29th) degree Full Moons.
Our Cappie New Moon is surrounded by powerhouse aspects including the final Jupiter-Uranus conjunction of this Uranus in Pisces era, which happens at 27 degrees Pisces. We take a step at this New Moon toward more fully trusting our own authority, especially spiritual authority as it applies to our physical lives, slowly gaining the emotional wherewithal to responsibly deal with the abrupt changes up ahead.
In November, I wrote about the divergence being Scorpionically carved out in wave after wave by the personal planets and asteroids (Pallas Athene, Mars, the Sun, Moon, Vesta and Mercury) transiting Scorpio throughout the transit of Venus in Scorpio. All these bodies travelling through late Scorpio formed, almost simultaneously, a square to Chiron-Neptune in Aquarius and a trine to Uranus-Jupiter in Pisces. This is the Uranus-Neptune mutual reception we've experienced over the last seven years, which indicated the most densely interwoven crossover period between astrological Piscean and Aquarian eras. This mutual reception is about to come to an end when Uranus re-enters Aries. Big shift.
"The personal planets in Scorpio, a sign that does what it knows it has to do whether it really wants to or not, are doing their thing to break this party up, triggering some separation and distance. A divergence point is being carved out on the most nitty-gritty of levels, in the hidden areas of which only Scorpio is aware. We have to know exactly what (and whom) we're dealing with in order to know what direction (Aries) to take right out of the Aquarius gate. Every individual's movement and choices count. Don't be fooled into giving your influence away...
On the most basic level, we're being asked to examine the motivations of our own souls (Scorpio). Divining to the core, to our source, to the reason we are here at this time. We're being asked to draw in, to keep our deepest spiritual values close, and to determine what is so important to us that there is nothing in this Earthly experience that could make us give it up.
These configurations also have to do with the human soul and spirit in relation to our biology and our connection to Earth and to the life force here. This connection is being used against us in the most heinous ways by those who believe they have harnessed the life force, life itself, and have become the source of it altogether. Our biology is being poisoned and our DNA manipulated by these fools.
And we're asked to determine what it means to us to be human - at a time when our survival as biological human beings is coming into question under the current conditions and possible future trajectories...
The transitions are fast now, but it's nothing in comparison to the speed with which the realizations of where we are will strike when Uranus re-enters Aries, no longer buffered and obscured by the Piscean veil...
We're having to strip the dead energy of the Piscean Age overlay layer-by-layer in preparation for Uranus in Aries tipping the scales further into Aquarius at the upcoming Spring Equinox. This doesn't mean Pisces energy itself is dead - though, I think many in "power" would like this to be the case. It's because true Piscean wisdom and understanding are going to be so crucially important as we shift into a stronger Aquarian overlay that we have to Scorpionically carve away and drop what is no longer effective or relevant to the times. Pisces energy is being born anew in an ongoing process - as all the signs/energies of the zodiac are - as we head to the Aquarian infusion marker of Uranus in Aries (beginning March 11)."
Scorpio is about the merging of energy, lives, souls and the power of transformative change available through successful mergings. But before the merge comes the purge.
Throughout the Via Combusta Venus retrograde in Scorpio and into late Libra, which I've written a lot about, the divergence points were carefully examined and painstakingly extricated so we had the power to consciously eliminate detrimental combinations of energy and take new routes. Old attractions and patterns, especially related to the acceptance of mistreatment or misuse of our personal energies, love and effort, were shed. To create the kind of alchemy, especially relationship alchemy, we need, there can be no errors. We must be working with the finest characters, the highest quality, the strongest compatibilities. No improper ingredients in the alchemical mix.
At the time of the New Moon, post-retrograde Venus is the last member of the Scorpy cavalry to make these aspects to Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, and Chiron and we have our final checkpoint status report showing us how far we've come - as well as any final adjustments and eliminations that must be made.
The Venus square to Neptune comes at the very end of the Dark of the Moon period, just a half-hour before the New Moon, and this indicates that there are some very fast, in-the-nick-of-time shifts that need to be made, especially emotionally.
Some of most tenacious wounding Neptunian illusions and misdirections have held on until the end, and these shifts onto firmer and more reality-based ground need to be made so that we do not become entrapped once again in what keeps us stuck, unmoving, tricked and played.
Capricorn New Moon eclipse - January 4, 2011
2:27 a.m. - Venus in Scorpio square Neptune in Aquarius
3:03 a.m. - Capricorn New Moon/Sun conjunct Moon at 13 Capricorn
6:53 a.m. - Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 27 Pisces
7:33 a.m. - Venus in Scorpio trine Uranus in Pisces at 27 degrees
7:39 a.m. - Venus in Scorpio trine Jupiter in Pisces at 27 degrees
Venus in Scorpio squares Chiron in Aquarius later in the day
January 7, 2011
6:30 a.m. - Venus enters Sagittarius
Anaretic Degree Full Moons
October 22, 2010 - 29 Aries
November 21, 2010 - 29 Taurus
December 21, 2010 - 29 Gemini (total lunar eclipse)
January 19, 2011 - 29 Cancer
February 18, 2011 - 29 Leo
Thirteenth Degree New Moons
November 5, 2010 - 13 Scorpio
December 5, 2010 - 13 Sagittarius
January 4, 2011 - 13 Capricorn (partial solar eclipse)
February 4, 2011 - 13 Aquarius
March 4, 2011 - 13 Pisces
April 3, 2011 - 13 Aries
4 comments:
- Anonymous said...
"It's because true Piscean wisdom and understanding are going to be so crucially important as we shift into a stronger Aquarian overlay that we have to Scorpionically carve away and drop what is no longer effective or relevant to the times."
I love this quote. Have been living Scorpio for years, in my progressed chart, and have oodles of Pluto natally. I'll tell you, that carving you speak of wasn't easy in the beginning, but having done so much of it since I was eight-years-old, I've become used to it. Whatever is pointless and meaningless is easy for me to push away for what makes sense/is important.
Keep up the great work. Wish you a wonderful new year, Willow.
- January 2, 2011 at 1:19 PM
- Cairo said...
The mind-boggling fuckery of it all is exhausting to take in. The events of just this weekend, what wasn't happening? Arkansas, weather machine in Abu Dhabi (oh gee, you mean they CAN control the weather? garsh!) Pakistani Gov killed by his own body guard, Shah of Iran son apparent self-inflicted fatal gun shot to the head.
And John P. Wheeler III. Murdered, put in a dumpster. This guy's bio, well this could keep you busy for quite awhile. In short, defense guy for the U.S. He would have known just what happened in Arkansas.
The chemtrails continue in the Southwest. They coincide with my kitty, Ramon, developing a frightening, body racking cough that has no physical cause that can be detected. My vet is baffled by him. And lots of other pets too that have developed this. Everybody is having horrible sinus and allergies. Just try finding a 96 count box of Wal-Phed anywhere.
The X's in the skies have been so frequent, and the ailments so over the top, even the most staunch of non-believers are starting to turn.
Exhausting. Maybe that's the new tact. Don't have to hide anything anymore. Put all of this stuff out there and people will just have mental meltdown trying to process it all.
How do you keep strong, stay focused?
I too can understand the temptation to wait for your ascended master in an end times bunker and let karma sort it out.
That's not for me. I want to be able to hang in there. I'm just trying to figure out how to do it and not have to take a nap five times a day.
- January 5, 2011 at 12:08 AM
- Willow said...
Exhausting mind-boggling fuckery, it is! Definitely a ramping up of shit hitting fan for 2011 ahead of that first Uranus in Aries-Pluto in Cap square and the Great Depression Part Deux/Great War as economic answer, I think.
Thanks for the report Agent Cairo, especially the Wheeler tip.
Get better tiddy tat, Ramon! It's a rough old bitch out there, I know.
Lots of naps are a definite requirement for staying on the vital track in these times.
Processing, processing...
- January 5, 2011 at 10:41 AM
- Willow said...
"Wheeler's military career included writing one of the most important manuals on the effectiveness of biological and chemical weapons which led to his being hired in 2009 as a consultant to the Mitre Corporation, whose aviation system development department, the GRU reports, is at the forefront of creating the computer command and control systems used by the US Air Force in their fleet of aerial spraying planes.
These aerial spraying planes, this report continues, are based at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas that over the past few months have been involved with 'test dispersants' of poisonous gasses in the Afghanistan War Theater using chemical weapons stocks obtained from Iraq and held at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, also located in Arkansas."
Apparently, the U.S. gov't was caught with illegal phosgene gas by the Russians during the past cardinal t-square summer. It's being reported in this article as a chemical weapon that was confiscated from Iraq and relocated to Pine Bluff Arsenal.
The gas was supposed to have been destroyed by the U.S. gov't. In a show of doing so, they've been pumping it in mass quantities into the ground in central Arkansas (%$#@^$!).
But they've also been transporting it for use in Afghanistan.
"To the direct reason for Wheeler's murder, this report says, was this past week's transport of Iraqi Phosgene poisonous gas aboard a US Air Force KC-767 tanker aircraft from Little Rock Air Force Base enroute to Afghanistan that shortly after takeoff had a 'critical malfunction' of its aerial spraying computer directed command and control system over central Arkansas causing the deaths of thousands of red-wing blackbirds."
When I first heard about the blackbirds and fish and that the birds had internal hemorrhaging, I thought: Corexit-esque chemical poisoning. I also thought it could be some sort of sonic/energy weapon that had been tested. This phosgene gas/Wheeler murder story hits me as very plausible.
Venus in Scorpio square Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius.
- January 5, 2011 at 12:16 PM


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By expending 1 point from her arcane reservoir, the arcanist can attempt to counter a spell as it is being cast. She must identify the spell being cast as normal. If she successfully does so, the arcanist can attempt to counter the spell as an immediate action and by expending an available arcanist spell slot of a level at least one higher than the level of the spell being cast. To counterspell, the arcanist must attempt a dispel check as if using dispel magic. If the spell being countered is one that the arcanist has prepared, she can instead expend an available arcanist spell slot of the same level, and she receives a +5 bonus on the dispel check. Counterspelling in this way does not trigger any feats or other abilities that normally occur when a spellcaster successfully counters a spell.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Ross Byers, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, Jonathan H. Keith, Will McCardell, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Sean K Reynolds, Tork Shaw, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.


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Create a look to be adored in your bedroom with this vintage inspired nightstand from Ashley. The Demarlos nightstand delivers a stylish distressed look with elegantly turned details. The beautiful markings paired with antiqued brass-tone hardware complete the look flawlessly. Specially constructed with a pull out tray and three drawers for ample bedside storage space. Your cottage retreat awaits you with this charming beauty.
Click here for assembly instructions.
General Disclaimer: We aim to provide accurate product information, however some information presented is provided by a 3rd party and is subject to change.See our disclaimer.
- Made of veneers, wood, manmade wood and resin
- 3 - Smooth-operating drawers with dovetail construction
- Antiqued brass-tone hardware
- Top drawer with felt bottom
- Pull-out tray
- Assembly required
- 3 - Electrical outlets and 2 - USB charging stations
- Includes UL® isted power cord
- Model number: B693-93
- Material: Wood, metal
- 22.5"W x 18.25"D x 32.25"H
- Drawer interior: 5"W x 12.75"D x 4.5"H (each)
- Pull out tray: 16.75"W x 8.75"D x 1.25"H
- Product weight: 93 lbs.
- Wipe clean with damp cloth
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The Washington Times today has a couple of items noting a new "Team B" report on the threat entitled Sharia: The Threat To America, released today by the Center for Security Policy, a think tank led by Washington Times columnist Frank Gaffney.
Bill Gertz reports that "A panel of national security experts who worked under Republican and Democratic presidents is urging the Obama administration to abandon its stance that Islam is not linked to terrorism, arguing that radical Muslims are using Islamic law to subvert the United States."
Frank Gaffney, director of the Center for Security Policy, said the Obama administration's policy is based on an incorrect assumption. The Team B report seeks to expose flaws in anti-terror programs, including the policy of not referring to al Qaeda and similar groups as "Islamist" to avoid offending Muslims, he said.
"What if it turns out that some of the people the Obama administration has been embracing are actually promoting the same totalitarian ideology and seditious agenda as al Qaeda, only they're doing it from White House Iftar dinners?" said Mr. Gaffney, referring to the daily meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast during Ramadan.
The Times also gave space to three of the report's authors, former CIA director James Woolsey, National Review's Andrew McCarthy and former DIA director Harry Soyster, to promote their report.
Earlier today, I attended an event at the U.S. Capitol where the report was presented to two legislators, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI). Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) could not attend because of a scheduling conflict, but sent a letter of congratulations to the report's authors. Reminding the twenty or so attendees that he "took an oath to uphold the Constitution," Franks said, "It's clear that the creeping threat of sharia poses a threat to the Constitution."
Hoekstra criticized the Obama administration for its "refusal to understand the threat" posed by sharia, and insisted that "the American people need an alternative point of view. I hope this report will cause a serious debate" about sharia.
Introducing the report, retired Lt. Gen. Soyster (filling in for retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin, who was "called down to Tampa to do a briefing") admitted "I'm here out of ignorance. Three years ago I realized how little I knew about Islam." Soyster said he "went to some classes," and "the more I learned, the worse it got."
"The time for corrective action is short," said Gaffney, who has previously claimed that President Obama "might still be a Muslim." Scoffing at the administration's policy of engagement with the Muslim world, Gaffney said that "those who have communicated submission" to America's enemies "will be held accountable by the American people."
Questioned about the report's assertions about Islamic law, the Center for Security Policy's general counsel David Yerushalmi — someone so extreme even Daniel Pipes has distanced himself — insisted that all that was needed to understand sharia was "to look at the doctrine" and "look at the text."
Noting some of the report's broad and controversial claims about Islamic law, such as that all Muslims are duty-bound to wage jihad against unbelievers, I asked Gaffney how many actual Muslims or Islamic scholars he and his group had consulted with in writing the report. He could not name any, though he noted that he had consulted with various Muslims "over the years."
So there you have it. A report on the threat posed by Islamic law to the United States, one of whose leaders admits to having started studying Islam only three years ago, whose authors admit consulting with no actual Muslims, produced by a think tank that has previously claimed that key members of the Obama administration are part of the Iran Lobby.
Finally, the decision to call this a "Team B" effort is interesting. It's clear that the report's authors consider the original Team B effort, in which conservative analysts were brought in to second guess the intelligence community's assessments of the Soviets' goals and capabilities, to have been a huge success. But as Fred Kaplan wrote in 2004, "In retrospect, the Team B report (which has since been declassified) turns out to have been wrong on nearly every point." Or, as my colleague Larry Korb wrote, Team B was right about only one thing:
The CIA estimate was indeed flawed. In 1989, the agency published an internal review of the threat assessments from 1974 to 1986. The report concluded that the Soviet threat had been "substantially overestimated" every year. In 1978, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence found that the selection of Team B members yielded a flawed composition of political views and biases. Consequently, the Team B analysis was deemed a gross exaggeration and completely inaccurate.
The CIA had "substantially overestimated" the Soviet threat. Team B, on the other hand, had produced a work of science fiction. Or, to be more specific, a work of political advocacy, with the authors deriving conclusions of Soviet capabilities from their own apocalyptic beliefs about the Soviet ideology, and then using those deeply flawed conclusions to justify more defense spending and more foreign policy adventurism. Which is precisely what they're attempting to do now with regard to the threat of Islamic extremism.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea to have some competitive analysis going on. But it's probably best if the analysts haven't pre-cooked all their conclusions, as this group obviously did. It's also helpful if the analysts don't include a bunch of birthers, Christian holy warriors, and conspiracy theorists, as this group does.


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Source: TheOdyssey
So, if you've seen one cartoon movie, you've probably seen them all, right? Well maybe, but the issue with Zootopia is that it is far more in line with cartoon movies laced with adult themes versus just another cartoon good guy on an adventure to find the missing something or to face a battle against the cartoon bad guy. Granted, Zootopia has those, but the movie is far more wrapped up with issues of social diversity, inherent problems of institutional racism, societal tension, organized crime, and personal life success despite the odds or demands for social conformity.
Zootopia starts off with a main character, a rabbit, in a world of personalized animals that act in every aspect like humans. This rabbit wants to be a police officer. However, the typical animal police officer has the physical size of a house, not the makeup of a bowling bag. That means it's highly unlikely that our main character is going to succeed very long beyond being just a meter maid cop versus a real beat officer, but that's where the story starts to take off. And if one is paying attention during the movie, Zootopia really shows off some amazing animation work, as the entire community in this make-believe world actually involves multiple living zones. All of these sub-worlds have nuances and features specific to certain types of animals, which actually takes a lot of thought to put together. When you think about it, watching the story, your eye will catch dozens of little details that make sense building the bigger story in the form of environments. That is probably one of the most attractive features of the movie, even though it involves background details.
Zootopia has a somewhat predictable core story, which gives the movie the potential to be lost in the crowd. However, the creativity of the back story makes this movie stand apart and worth seeing anyways.


text: Blog THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS I met Tim about 5 months ago and it wasn't long before we started talking about our passion for carp fishing. Tim had been an angler all his life but in the last two years he had set himself a mission to catch a 20lb+ carp. However, he had been... Read more


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Court hears claims of innocence for Shrewsbury postmistress
A hearing which could be crucial in helping a former Shrewsbury-postmistress clear her name against theft allegations has opened at London's High Court.
Mr Justice Fraser this week heard the opening submissions of a group action by more than 500 sub-postmasters who claim a computer glitch created shortfalls in their accounts.
Former Shrewsbury sub-postmistress Rubbina Shaheen is fighting to have her conviction overturned after being jailed for false accounting in 2010.
Mrs Shaheen, who kept Greenfields Post Office, was initially charged with stealing £43,000 from the business.
The Post Office agreed to withdraw the theft allegation on condition she pleaded guilty to false accounting, and she was jailed for 12 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
But since her release from prison, Mrs Shaheen has protested her innocence, insisting that the shortfall was caused by the controversial Horizon computer system which logs all transactions at post office branches across the country.
She has lodged a claim with the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and is now awaiting a decision on whether her case will go before the Court of Appeal.
While Mrs Shaheen, who kept Greenfields Post Office, is not part of the group action which opened yesterday, the outcome could be crucial to her own case.
The group action, led by former Llandudno sub-postmaster Alan Bates, also centres around claims that Horizon contained a large number of software defects which caused shortfalls in the accounts.
The Post Office argues that Horizon, introduced in 1999 and 2000, worked perfectly adequately and suggest the claimants are attempting to avoid their responsibility for losses by "trying to rewrite the legal relationship between the Post Office and its sub-postmasters".
During Wednesday's opening, the judge heard submissions on the first of at least three trials in a case where total legal costs are already more than £10 million.
In the first trial, the judge will determine key issues relating to the contractual relationship between the claimants and the Post Office, including whether any contract terms were unfair so as to be unenforceable.
The claimants allege the Horizon system caused shortfalls in their financial accounts, which led to some being made bankrupt while others were prosecuted and even jailed for offences including false accounting, fraud and theft.
They accuse the Post Office of failing to provide adequate training in the use of Horizon, for failing to investigate the cause of alleged shortfalls and also of misleading them about the reliability of the system.
However, the Post Office submits that "sub-postmasters are responsible for the conduct of transactions and the security of cash and stock in their branches", adding that many of the claimants' allegations are "speculative".
It suggests that the claimants' case is an "ambitious attempt to invert the legal relationship between the parties".
The Post Office also argues that the burden of proof is on the claimants to demonstrate that "any of the shortfalls for which they were held responsible were Horizon-generated shortfalls".
Ahead of the hearing, Mr Bates said: "I'm pleased that the trial is finally starting and very much hope it will bring resolution for the more than 500 postmasters who are the claimants in this action, all of whom have waited many years for this day to come."
A Post Office spokeswoman before the case: "The Post Office will be robustly defending its position in the court and welcomes the opportunity to do so."
She added: "It's important to note that the claimants represent a very small proportion – 0.01 per cent – of users of our Horizon computer system users since 2000."
The case continues.
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- This event has passed.
Literary Symposium
March 30, 2018 @ 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Dream Write Literary Symposium: The Art of the Story held 8 am – 6 pm at Southern Utah University – Hunter Conference Center (351 W University Blvd, Cedar City), cost $60 for the full event or $45 a day. Keynote Speaker: Josi S. Kilpack will speak on creating an unique brand. Notable presenters and panelists include: Josi S. Kilpack, Meg Jensen, Steven Bohls, Lauren Carter, Sandy H. Steele, and Tasha Seegmiller; with more presenters to come.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dream-write-literary-symposium-tickets-39780500548.


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Thursday, April 07, 2005
Speech presented in 5 March Casino Forum
I am tasked to present the reasons and rationale behind the anti-casino movement. Before I go on, I would like to comment on the online petition initiative by FACTS. Their slogan screams through the net, "Do you want your children to grow up learning that it is OK to gamble?" I have my personal slogan, "If you don't want your children to be a gambler, why would you support the casino that makes others' children to become gamblers?" Many proponents of casino will cry foul at such slogans and term them as "Moralist garbage". Nevertheless, this "Moralist garbage" does appeal to many Singaporeans. At least twenty-seven thousand Singaporeans have signed against Casino in Singapore via FACTS web site so far. Their social activism is really commendable.
Many people thought that putting up a case against casino is a very simple task. It is definitely not so. We have to tackle the issue from a multi-dimensional platform. Throwing slogans around is just not enough. As members of a socially responsible political party, we have to be answerable to everyone, including those who are unemployed and hopeful about the prospects that a casino in Singapore would bring to them.
There are two main objectives in wanting to build a casino.
1) To earn Tourist money with little Social Cost. The most successful casinos are those who attract more foreign patrons as compared to locals. 80% of the patrons to casinos in Nevada are foreigners or from other states. Only 20% are locals. Similar composition applies to casinos in Macau.
2) To curb outflow of local gambling money. It is said that Singaporeans have gambled away US$900million in casinos worldwide. It is thus the primary reason why we want our own casino to capture part of this gambling money.
I would like to present the three main perspectives (apart from the moralist stand) that we think that are appropriate to address the casino issue.
1) Social Cost & Economic Benefits Analysis (The one in Yellow boxes)
2) Economic Viability & Problems (The one in Blue Boxes)
3) Dynamic Analysis (The one in Red Boxes)
The most common argument arises from the first perspective: Social Cost & Economic Benefits Analysis. It is not an easy analysis to start with. Our well paid ministers and civil servants have chose to sidetrack away from this analysis simply because social costs and economic benefits are difficult to estimate. How do we actually quantify the cost to society when someone takes his own life due to debts derived from casino gambling?
We should not take our citizens as mere digits. They are our brothers and sisters sharing this same piece of land with us. But it is inevitable for us to use statistical findings to counter those proponents of casino as they only understand "facts and figures", nothing else. I will refrain from presenting all those mind-boggling statistics but concentrate on the findings and conclusions.
The fundamental root of Social Cost is addiction to gambling. Professor Gary Loveman, CEO of Harrah's Entertainment, one of the key players in the US gaming industry, said that, "If 100 Singaporean residents walk into a casino, they are not equally likely to become addicts. In fact, virtually none of them will ever become addicted, because psychiatrically, they're just not predisposed to addictions." (This is reported in Business Times 8th Jan 2005.) I beg to differ. I would like to demonstrate how addiction arises out of gambling. People gamble because of greed, no matter how little there is. When one gamble, you either win or lose. When you win, you would think that lady luck is with you and you will want to win more. More greed, more gamble. If you lose, you are annoyed and think that you could win back what you lose. So, you continue to gamble. When the frequency of engagement on the gaming table increases, the attachment on winning more or winning back increases. Thus, no matter you win or lose, you will develop intense attachment to gambling. It is true that there are people who are more resistant to addiction but most people would fall into gambling addiction with intensified enticing through the gambling process.
This addiction is one of the biggest sources of income for casinos. According to the "National Gambling Impact Study Commission Report" commissioned by the US government, more than 30% of casino revenues are generated from problem and pathological gamblers.
Gary Loveman also said that there is only about 1 to 2 per cent of the casino customers will become psychologically addicted to gambling. This is inaccurate as in the NGISC report, it is reported that there is about 1 to 2 percent of TOTAL ADULT POPULATION in US that are considered to be pathological gamblers. Pathological gamblers are individuals with very serious mental disorder in terms of psychological addictions. There is another category of problem gamblers whom may not suffer grave mental disorder but yet are potential source of social problem and cost. If we take this group into account, the potential size of problem and pathological gamblers is about 5% to 9% of TOTAL ADULT POPULATION. More importantly, NGISC felt that they might have underestimated the real situation when it is expected for respondents to hide their gambling problems.
There are more interesting findings from NGISC:
1) If there is a gambling facilities or casino within 50 miles of the community, the incidence of problem and pathological gamblers are doubled.
2) Seven of the nine communities investigated stated that the number of problem and pathological gamblers increased after the introduction of nearby casino gambling.
3) Male, young people and those with lower educational level are more prone to become problem or pathological gamblers.
The problem of gambling addiction manifests itself by affecting those surrounding the problem or pathological gamblers. The multiplier effect is believed to be 4 or 5. This means that more than 20% to 30% of the population would be affected.
There are studies that tried to quantify the social-economic cost into dollars and cents but most of them are deemed as understating the cost. There is one study done in 1998 which come to a conclusion that on average, the social cost is about S$20,000 per compulsive gamblers per annum. This is a very conservative estimate but when applied to Singapore, it may cost as much as S$0.7 billion to S$1 billion of social cost per annum. At this moment, I must say it is really inhuman to quantify human sufferings into dollars and cents but we have to do it for argument sake.
The PAP government has never refute the fact that casino may impose great significant social cost. It has instead tried to divert public focus to our own maturity. When that failed, they have chosen the path of moderation by coming up with a list of safeguards. It would be very unattractive to casino operator if we ban Singaporeans from Casino. There are casinos in Korea that banned local Koreans but they barely survive. Thus, to the government, the next second best solution is to impose safeguards.
Imposing safeguards may compromise our second objective of curbing the outflow of gambling money. Furthermore, the safeguards may not be effective at all. If one has to pay to get into the casino, it is natural for one to "optimize" his stay in the casino! That may result in more gambling and create more problem or pathological gamblers in the end. How to execute these safeguards in practice would be a challenge to both the authority as well as the casino operator. The safeguards are unlikely to be sustainable. Would the government promise not to relax the safeguards even when the whole casino-integrated resort start to lose money? Most likely, with government vested interests in the whole project via GLCs, it would be forced to relax such safeguards ultimately.
One school of thought argues that the casino-integrated resort will not be beneficial to us simply because it would cannibalize on our local economy and create problems. Monies that might have been spent on other stuffs would have end up in the casino. Tourists would have spent less on local retail outlets. Singaporeans have already spent one of the highest per capital amount on convenient gambling. The casino will aggravate the situation further.
If the casino-integrated resort provides free or subsidized hotel accommodations to its patrons, existing hotels and hospitality sector 's business would definitely be affected.
There are research done in US that put doubts on the economic contributions claimed to come from casino. It is not difficult for us to believe that the initial investment would make contributions to our economic growth. However, in the long run, this may not be the case when the casino-resort cannibalized on other sectors and cause loss of productivity by creating problem or pathological gamblers. Work ethics may be adversely affected.
More importantly, casino will create some economic-financial problems to the economy. Money laundering will increase and the casino would become a great place for briberies to be channeled effectively. Loan sharks business will definitely enjoy a boom while bankruptcies will increase. These are the potential negative externalities of having a casino here.
The viability of the Casino-integrated resort will depend heavily on the projected regional economic development as well as how our neighboring countries react to our set up. There is basically no entry barrier for any countries to build similar Casino-integrated resorts. We will lose our niche if our neighbors so decide to build their own versions of Casino-integrated resorts in one of their renowned tourist spots. And if that happens, we will face a big problem as demonstrated in our dynamic analysis.
Our neighbors will be attracted by the very same reasons as we did, to go into casino business as they will not stand there and do nothing to stop all the gambling money coming to us. As we know, the Casino integrated resort is a high stake and high-risk project. The non-gambling attractions may not be economically viable without the cross-subsidies from the casino. We may end up losing money when our neighbors decide to compete with us. They have the inherent endowed advantages with many tourist spots available in their land. We may be forced to do away with all the safeguards so to make up for the lost revenues and thus the social cost burden on the society will increase tremendously. If not, our billion-dollar investment in this Casino-integrated resort will end up bleeding us to death. As shown in the slide, the Nash equilibrium will mean that we all end up as suckers. It is the casino operators who will gain all. This region is considered as a new territory for the gaming industry. Are we stupid enough to allow ourselves to be used by the gaming industry as the thin edge of the wedge to open up this region as their new market? I hope not.
I have just provided a summary of most of the points that has been brought up by the anti-casino camp. My conclusion for the above points is very simple.
If anyone talks about Freedom of choice, about how matured citizens on this land would deal with a casino, he has missed the point totally. Nobody is curbing anybody's rights to gamble in a casino. You could just take a boat trip to Batam or just get a ticket onto the cruise to nowhere. This is never an issue at all.
The argument against casino made here is not from a moral point of view. The moral perspective is merely a small part of the whole argument. The biggest issue is that after we have invested billions of dollars into this venture and eventually find out that our neighbours will outdo us, we will have no choice but to open up the casino for Singaporeans in order to get your investment sustainable in the long run! That's the problem. When that happens, casino will become the parasite industry of Singapore.
It is simply not possible for us to be "MORE ATTRACTIVE" to tourists with a casino in Singapore. People would rather go to HK's Disneyland then take a short boat trip to Macau. Even Bali in Indonesia would be a much better place to build casinos! There are just too many tourist attractions in Indonesia and Malaysia where they could build casinos to make them more attractive! We will lose out in the end and we will become suckers eventually. We will be stuck with a multi-billion dollar Casino-Trojan horse that would require us to sell our soul in order to save us from bleeding big. More families would be affected adversely, more people young and old would suffer in silence or agony.
Gambling will erode the moral fabric of our nation. Our people must be taught that wealth is accumulated through hard work, not via lady luck. If PAP government think that they could do a quick fix to their dismay economic performance in creating jobs by building this Casino-integrated resort, they would be making the biggest honest mistake ever. They are just simply putting the whole nation's welfare as a stake on the gambling table.
Goh Meng Seng
10 comments:
You don't like gambling, so cannot built casino for your or my children.
If I don't like Worker's Party, can I request you dismantle the Worker's Party for the sake of my children because I don't want WP to influence my children with bad things?
Goh Meng Seng made a very good point about the casino matter. well said! i am against having a casino in singapore. it doesnt matter whether you are from the opposition party or not, i just dont want to have casinos in our country! it is like asking the devil to move into our neighbourhood. i rather that singapore be boring than be sorry in the end.
- Forum said...
I was blogging around when I came across your site and just wanted to say how great it looks and congratulations on a job well done.
good work .i am against having a Casino In Singapore.strong points u've got there .
Look at Las vegas and macau, what has the society become? Gambling is no good and how many people can resist after the 1st win. Temptation is great unless you are able to control yourself and how many people can tell itself to stop when lady luck is with you. I compare drinking coffee, some people need to drink coffee in order to keep awake. This is a mild example of addiction. Addiction is a habitual exercise which a person is unable to change overnight to overcome it. Therefore, this applies to gambling.My advise is don't touch it. But the opening of the casino is for revenue earning as singapore has the only resource is the geographical location. Think, Think, Think for younger generation. I hope WP can think and act for a better proposal to replace the IR. Create jobs and learning environment for the young
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Shin "Swagger" Sang Ho, formerly known as "Killer", is a Protoss player and former Brood War player from South Korea, currently teamless.
In Brood War, SangHo was on team eSTRO before being accused during the Match Fixing Scandal of 2010 where he was found innocent. However, the fact that he was accused combined with his father falling ill made him retire. He currently writes a column called "Sangho's Viewpoint" on dailyesports.[1]
Wings of Liberty[edit]
SangHo returned to progaming under the ID BabyByeBye when he qualified for the GOMTV GSL Open Season 2. He would win 2-1 against German TLO in the Round of 64 in his first televised match since retirement. He eventually reached the Round of 16 where he lost to MarineKing. After the season ended, he was invited along with 15 others to the GOM TV All-Stars Invitational 2010 where he was defeated by SlayerS_BoxeR 2-1. Despite failing to qualify for season 3, his placement would be enough to secure an A-Class spots for the GSL 2011 tournaments.
On February 18, 2012, he joined compLexity Gaming.[2] He then left on September 5,[3] and joined MVP on September 12, citing a desire to return to form.[4]
Code A[edit]
In the first tournament of 2011, Swagger would take out Gilja 2-1 but be defeated cleanly 0-2 by ByuN. Swagger managed to reach the Round of 8 in the second tournament of 2011 before being ousted by SuperNoVa. He would defeat Zenio 2-0 to secure Code S for the first time.
Swagger will be back in Code A in the first 2012 GSL season.
Code S[edit]
Swagger made a strong debut in GSL May where he would end up in the quarterfinals before being swept 0-3 by InCa. In GSL October, Swagger managed to barely make it out of his group with a score of 2-1, being the only Protoss player to make it out of the group stages of that GSL. This would not last long however, as he was eliminated 2-0 by CoCa in the following round, therefore ending all Protoss hope of that GSL.
In GSL November, Swagger was placed in group G for the Round of 32, where he displayed strong PvT. He scored 2-0 in his group by defeating jjakji and Virus. His next opponent was aLive in the Round of 16, who he lost to. He would then win the Loser's Match versus Happy and lose the final match to Oz. With the score of 1-2, he would fall down to the Round of 24 in Code A. There, he would make it into the Up and Down Matches and end up tied for fourth in his group, only beating MorroW.
Global StarCraft II Team League[edit]
On February 9, 2011, for the 2011 GSTL February, Team SCV Life sent out Swagger as their fourth player against StarTale. The score was in favor for StarTale at 3-0 at that point. Swagger was able to defeat AcE gave TSL their first victory of the night. StarTale sent out July next and Swagger wasn't able to defeat him. Swagger's loss allowed StarTale to increase the score to 4-1 and take the set.
On March 23, 2011, for the 2011 GSTL March, Team SCV Life sent out Swagger as their second player against IM. The score was in favor for IM at 1-0 at that point. He wasn't able to take out IM's Mvp and allowed IM to further their lead at 2-0.
On June 30, 2011, for the 2011 GSTL Season 1 Group A, Team SCV Life sent out Swagger as their starting player against Prime. Swagger took out Nettie and put TSL in the lead by a score of 1-0. Prime sent out BBoongBBoong next and Swagger wasn't able to defeat him. Swagger's loss allowed Prime to tie up the score at 1-1.
On July 14, 2011, for the 2011 GSTL Season 1 Group A, Team SCV Life sent out Swagger as their third player against SlayerS. The score was in favor for SlayerS at 2-1 at that point. Swagger was able win three games in a row and defeated Ryung, Min, and GanZi and gave TSL the victory against SlayerS by a score of 4-2.
Outside Korea[edit]
It was announced on August 10 that Swagger was invited and would be participating in IEM Global Challenge Cologne. He finished third in his group, therefore not making it into the playoffs. Swagger later participated in IEM New York as one of the South Korean invites. He placed first in his group going into the playoff bracket, only to be defeated by his ex-Teammate FruitDealer 1-3, finishing 5-8th.
World Championship Series[edit]
2012 WCS Korea Preliminaries[edit]
On July 23, 2012, Swagger participated in the 2012 South Korea WCS Preliminaries. Swagger received a BYE in round one and then took down EffOrt, Supreme, Avenge, and faced Leenock in the finals. He was not able to advance any further as he lost to Leenock by a score of 0:2 and took 2nd place.
To see Swagger's full GSL standings, see Team SCV Life GSL Results
Matches & VODs[edit]
WoL Matches[edit]
- Swagger winning 3 games vs SlayerS in GSTL 1
- Swagger vs Bomber in GSL Super Tournament part 3
- Swagger vs Bomber in GSL Super Tournament part 2
- Swagger vs Bomber in GSL Super Tournament part 1
First Person View Match VODS[edit]
- He plays on the Korean ladder under the name 티에스엘킬러 which translates to "TSLKiller", and has been ranked first on the global ladder at some periods of time.
- Swagger was the only Protoss player remaining in the Round of 16 of GSL October.
- As of December 2011 he is the only Protoss player to have beaten Polt on TV.[5]
- As of December 2011 his only wins versus Protoss in Korea were in the GSTL[6]
|In Premier tournaments
|5 - 8th
|2011 LG Cinema 3D Global StarCraft II League May: Code S
|0 : 3
|In Minor and Monthly tournaments
|ONOG i2 Starcraft 2 Invitational
|3 : 4
|Clash of the Houses: TSL
|2 : 1
|Complete Results in any Tournament
Team Achievements
|In Premier tournaments
|2013 Global Starcraft II Team League Season 1
|3 : 5
|3 - 4th
|2011 Global Starcraft II Team League Season 1
|4 : 5
|3 - 4th
|Global Starcraft II Team League March
|1 : 4
|3 - 4th
|2011 Global StarCraft II Team League Feb
|1 : 4
|In Major tournaments
|2014 Proleague: Round 2
|1 : 4
|Acer TeamStory Cup Season 1
|5 : 3
|Evil Geniuses Master's Cup Series League VII
|3 : 2
|Complete Results in any Tournament
- 2013-02-06 | 2013 GSL Season 1 Code A Ro48 Day 2 Winners by This Is Game
- 2013-01-31 | 2013 GSL Season 1 Code A Qualifiers Day 2 Winners by This Is Game
- 2012-07-24 | The Rising Star - coL.Killer by SCVRush
- 2012-03-26 | Interview with coL.Killer by Derek Staley of ESFI World at MLG Winter Championship 2012 (trans. )
- 2012-03-23 | coL Killer pre-MLG Columbus Interview by compLexity Gaming (trans. )
- 2012-02-20 | Interview with coL.Killer by Yuenanimous of compLexity Gaming
- 2010-06-26 | Killer switching to SC2 part 1 by Artosis (trans. )
- 2010-06-26 | Killer switching to SC2 part 2 by Artosis (trans. )
- ↑ Brood War Liquipedia page
- ↑ "compLexity Welcomes Swagger" compLexityGaming.com, 18 February 2012. Thread on TL.net
- ↑ Swagger leaves compLexity
- ↑ Swagger joins MVP
- ↑ Polt's record vs Protoss in the Korean TLPD and International TLPD
- ↑ Swagger's record vs Protoss in the Korean TLPD


text:
Appendix M – National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3414: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services
This unit group features workers who provide services and assistance to health care professionals and other health care staff. They usually work in:
Medical clinics
Offices of health care professionals
Nursing homes
Optical retail stores and laboratories
Pharmacies and,
Medical pathology laboratories
The Example Titles
Some example titles held by these individuals could include:
The Main Duties
The authorities have specified summaries of the main duties for people engaged in some occupations in this unit group.
Orthopaedic Technologists
These individuals assist orthopaedic surgeons in the treatment of orthopaedic diseases and injuries
For this, they usually help in applying and adjusting casts, splints, bandages and other orthopaedic devices
They assist in the application, maintenance and adjustment of traction equipment as well
In addition, they:
Clean and dress wounds
Remove casts, sutures, staples and pins and,
Instruct patients and their families and other health care professionals on various orthopaedic matters
Rehabilitation Assistants
These professionals typically prepare and maintain equipment and supplies
They assist in various activities aimed at rehabilitating patients as directed by health care professionals and,
On occasions, they might perform some routine office functions
Optical or Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and Assistants
These individuals operate laboratory equipment for grinding, cutting, polishing and edging lenses for eyeglasses based on the prescriptions received
In addition, they fit lenses into frames as well
They also make minor repairs for customers such as replacing the screws on the frames or straightening the frames
Lastly, they maintain and repair optical laboratory equipment or machinery too
Pharmacy Aides
These professionals assist pharmacists and other pharmacy staff with packaging and labelling pharmaceutical products
They could help in maintaining prescription records and inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products as well
Sterile Processing Technicians
These individuals typically operate and maintain sterilisation equipment such as:
Instrument washers
Sonic sinks
Cart washers and,
Steam autoclaves
They use this equipment for cleaning and disinfecting trays, carts, linens, supplies, instrumentation and equipment for reuse in accordance with the prescribed standardised safety practices
In addition, they reassemble equipment and assemble packs of sterile supplies and instruments for delivering to various departments in the hospital
Blood Donor Clinic Assistants
These professionals are responsible for:
Setting up and dismantling equipment
Preparing and maintaining the cleanliness of collection areas
Maintaining the supplies
Recording information on donors
Monitoring donors throughout the procedure
Assisting with post-donation care and donor reaction care as assigned under the supervision of a registered nurse and,
Labelling and processing donated blood
Morgue Attendants
These individuals help pathologists at autopsies by laying out various surgical instruments
They also prepare solutions for preserving specimens
They transfer bodies from the morgue to the examining tables
They remove organs and tissue specimens as specified by the attending pathologies and place these specimens in preservative solutions and,
Clean and sew up the bodies for releasing to the funeral home
The Employment Requirements
The authorities require that:
Orthopaedic technologists:
Complete their secondary school and,
Go through several months of on-the-job training or,
Attend a college orthopaedic technologist program and,
Register with the Canadian Society of Orthopaedic Technologists (as required by the employers)
Medical therapy assistants complete the prescribed health care courses or short-term college programs relevant to their field such as recreational therapy programs (as required by the employers)
Pharmacy aides complete their secondary school and complete several months of on-the-job training
Sterile processing technicians complete their secondary school and a six to nine month sterile processing college program
People engaged in other assisting occupations in this unit group complete secondary school and several months of on-the-job training
Classified Elsewhere
Medical technologists and technicians i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0321 – Medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
Operating room technicians i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3233 – Licenced practical nurses
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3237
Pathologists' assistants i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3212 – Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
Pharmacy clerks i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 6421 – Retail salespersons
Pharmacy technicians i.e. National Occupational Classification (NOC) 3219 – Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)


text:
Book out of hotel and hire a car to travel to Valencia and take the route A7 southwards for 409 kms through Matara, Tarragona and Costello Piana on the Balearic Sea coast. Stay in the area over night numerous hotels to choose from.
A large Port the 5th busiest container port in Europe, founded as a Roman Colony in 138 BC and situated on the banks of the Trial on the east coast. Valencia has 169 acres containing Heritage Ancient Monuments, of views and cultural attractions, and the historic centre being one of the largest in Spain. Having a beautiful bay and unspoilt beaches. A mix of old and new dwellings.
Visit the 1238 gothic styled Saint Mary's Cathedral located in Our Lady Square enter into the stunning Nave, Mission of Mediterraned Church and the Monasterio San Miguel Reyes with its detailed carving, plus numerous more dotted around.
Other points of interest the 1852 Rail Station, the iconic building of the towers and gate called Torres de Serrans and the Palacio de Justicia, a magnificent building with so many World Heritage sites to explore.
Visit the new city and explore the City of Arts and Science Centre a magnificent modern architectural structure housing the stunning Opera House, a building of exceptional form with water displays and taking over the skyline.
Explore the harbour which houses a Formula One Circuit which utilizes the roads skirting the city's harbour and Americas Cup Port area. Just amazing site even got a swing bridge.


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Earn 2 free Farm Cash in Real California Milk summer promotion
To start this activity, you'll need to find it underneath your gameplay area in the sponsored link pictured at right. From there, you'll be able to answer the simple question: "What's your favorite family summer activity?" You'll actually need to type something into the box, but your answer can be anything. As soon as you do, the exciting "You've earned your Farm Cash" text appears in the top right corner of the window, and you can close your window. Your game should automatically refresh to show you your two free Farm Cash, but if not, simply refresh the game manually and it should make things right.
What will you do with your two free Farm Cash? Are you saving Farm Cash for something special, or will you spend spend spend?! Let us know in the comments.


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Recent reforms only first step for college athletes
By ALEX PUTTERMAN
College Contributor Network
On Saturday, the NCAA's five major conferences -- ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 -- voted overwhelmingly to increase the value of their athletic scholarships, among other reforms.
Here's what NCAA rules changed today in the autonomy voting: http://t.co/3mgS4gsRYSpic.twitter.com/yAIoyy9FeV
- Kevin Trahan (@k_trahan) January 17, 2015
The regulations, the result of new autonomy granted to the "big five" conferences last spring, constitute perhaps the most significant single-day rules change in the history of college sports. Saturday was, without question, an enormous day for the ever-growing contingent of NCAA-reform activists. The American college sports system is more just to its athletes today than it was last week, and that is worthy of celebration.
But before we plan monuments to Bob Bowlsby and Jim Delany in honor of their moral rectitude, let's recognize the limits of these advancements.
For one thing, reform is far from complete. Though athletes in the major conferences can now be compensated more fairly than they previously have been, they're still not fully rewarded for the revenue they generate. For all the tickets, jerseys and concessions sold and television contracts signed, the players might receive a few thousand dollars to make sure food, rent and books are fully covered.
For reformers, Saturday marked victory in one battle amidst the larger war for college athletes' rights. Players still can't profit from their likenesses on TV or in video games, they can be punished harshly for attempting to benefit from their own autographs, and they certainly can't be compensated according to their market value.
Of course, the NCAA and other leaders of college sports hope their concession on large-conference autonomy and the positive PR of this round of reform will stave off critics and delay more dramatic changes.
The conference commissioners have every incentive to trumpet Saturday's legislation as a grand accomplishment. If we accept this compromise as an adequate resolution to NCAA injustices, schools can escape reform that would more seriously dent their bottom lines.
The most dangerous consequence of Saturday's vote could be future complacency from athletes' rights moderates. Activists will continue to crusade against the NCAA, but the NCAA can hope these limited reforms will appease the increasingly skeptical general public.
The new rules are a good step, but they can't be treated as the ultimate solution.
They're also only worthwhile if they're actually enforced, and there's some reason to be skeptical. The cost-of-attendance stipend doesn't automatically take effect; the conferences (and individual schools in smaller conferences) have to vote to implement them and set the precise figures.
But even assuming that all five conferences do authorize the stipends, there's still room to skirt the new regulations, most notably the provision that coaches can't pull scholarships for football-only reasons. Only intense enforcement will prevent top-tier programs from abandoning underperforming players under the guise of "violation of team rules."
Meanwhile, players' abilities to borrow against future earnings could lead to all sorts of exploitation if not properly policed. Athletes without significant experience in financial planning are perfect prey for predatory lenders.
These new rules are productive in a perfect world, but if the conferences aren't serious about ensuring they work as planned, they won't mean much at all.
Whether Saturday's reforms help eradicate injustice in college sports comes down to how much those in power truly care, about whether they view change as a moral necessity or a PR obligation, about whether they recognize the need to follow up with even more steps forward.
About whether they view Saturday as a final step or a first one.
Alex Putterman is a junior Journalism major at Northwestern University. He recently finished a term as Daily Northwestern sports editor and continues to cover Wildcats sports. He has a wide range of interests but loves baseball above all.


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text: Prenatal Care Print Anatomy of a Prenatal Visit By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD Updated July 22, 2019 Medically reviewed by Meredith Shur, MD on January 26, 2018 Ariel Skelley/Blend Images/Getty Images More in Pregnancy Prenatal Care Weeks and Trimesters Your Body Your Baby Twins or More Staying Healthy Complications & Concerns Pregnancy Loss Preparing for Baby Labor and Delivery View All While every practitioner is different, the basics of the prenatal appointment are usually the same. Some of these will be done in different orders, some at every visit, while others not at every visit. Your first prenatal visit is usually the longest. You may even have things done that are not on this list. The thing to remember is always asking what the test is for, how are the results given, do you have an option for a different test, to skip the test, or wait for a while. A typical schedule for prenatal care appointments is as follows: 1st Trimester Appointments2nd Trimester Appointments3rd Trimester Appointments Here is what will happen at a typical prenatal appointment with your midwife or doctor: Give Urine This is done to check for many different things, usually protein and glucose. These may indicate a problem, or just give us history about what you had for breakfast! Monitoring these over the course of pregnancy helps ensure you and baby's well-being. Blood Pressure Having this taken at every visit will give us a baseline for your blood pressure. This will tell us what your normal blood pressure should be, and if it rises, what the rate of rising was. It is not absolute numbers as much as it is the rate of rising when looking at blood pressure as a problem. Sometimes you may come into pregnancy with higher blood pressure already. Fundal Height This measures the size of your uterus and is a good estimate of how your baby is growing. It is usually begun around 20 weeks. At this point, the uterus usually measures 20 centimeters from the pubic bone and will stay around the number of weeks you are. The numbers will be given or take about 2 cms and can change as the baby changes position and grows. They might indicate a problem or surprises (twins!) if the numbers change dramatically. Fetal Heart Rate If your practitioner uses a doppler this miraculous sound can be heard on average about 12 weeks. Maternal fat stores, positioning of the uterus might get in the way, so don't panic if it takes a bit longer to hear. At around 18 weeks a fetoscope or regular stethoscope will pick up the baby's glorious beats of your baby's heart. Be sure to make a recording for those who can't join you for your appointments. Nutrition What have you been eating? How are you feeling? Weight fluctuations... You might need some help in directing your diet. This is a great time to talk about what you're craving and how you're doing with nutrition overall. Be sure to ask for extra help, most practitioners know where to send you if you'd like to talk to a nutritionist. Health This seems obvious, but I use it to cover all of the other stuff in pregnancy. Are you tired? Do you have any swelling? Headaches, sinus problems, etc. Mental Health How are you adjusting to the pregnancy? How is your family reacting? Are you preparing for a baby? Are you experiencing any issues with prenatal depression? (Be honest!) Social Behavior Are you smoking, drinking, taking drugs? Are you around people who smoke? How is work? Are you sleeping well? Questions? What questions do you have about future visits, things that have come up, the future? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Continue Reading


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Miege hammers DeSoto
By Ryan Wallace PrepsKC staff writer
The math was simple addition for the visiting Bishop Miege Stags at De Soto on Friday night: Miege starting offense + Football = Touchdown.
Seven offensive series in the first half became seven offensive touchdowns for head coach Jon Holmes No. 1 ranked squad in 4A-I, downing the previously one-loss Wildcats 50-0.
"For one I think as a team we executed the game plan on both sides of the ball," the Miege head coach said afterwards. "We knew they'd give us some looks that'd be tough for us to pick up and we saw that on film from the pressure they put on Spring Hill. So we worked hard at blitz pick-ups and checks. We got into everything we needed."
"The team continues to get better each week," senior center Colin Grunhard added. "Our offensive line has communicated well lately, giving our quarterback time and giving running backs holes. Then our defense gives us the opportunity to score a lot of points and that helps them right back. It's been a collective effort."
Improving to 2-0 in District Two, the Stags offensive starters have now scored on 23-straight possessions. Firing out of the cylinder against one of De Soto's largest crowds, quarterback Carter Putz needed just four plays before it was 14-0, courtesy of a weaving 69-yard catch and score from senior Jafar Armstrong followed quickly by a 16-yard tote from junior running back Cameron Clark. After a Putz keeper touchdown from two-yards out on the third series, Clark and Armstrong would add additional scores along with a 28-yard reception by a wide open Joey Gleason off a Putz scramble and a Landry Weber five-yard touchdown reception that had been keyed by the Stags second blocked punt of a dominating first half.
For the Wildcats, who entered the homecoming and senior night showdown riding a key victory over Spring Hill, the opposing performance was only magnified by a rotating quarterback position. With the team's greatest offensive weapon, Bryce Mohl, still out after suffering an injury the week before, De Soto went with back-up Brandon Taylor out of the gate before he too was sidelined in the second quarter. The combination of Max Barger and Connor Strouse, neither of whom is even listed as a quarterback on the roster, finished the remaining half for head coach Brian King, unable to pump any gas into what's been a successful triple-option attack with Mason Clark and Darren Winans.
"They were doing a good job executing what we do there at the beginning," said King of his offense's opening drive that wound up advancing all the way to the Miege 29-yard line before relinquishing the football. "That quarterback (Taylor) was a back-up for our starter and he has stepped up and really done a phenomenal job. We hope to have him back next week."
"I think we can play with a lot of teams because we've got a really good team here," continued King on his team moving forward. "I told our kids not to feel frustrated because (Miege) has done this to everybody. I think our kids understand that because they're a mature group who have battled their butts off to overcome adversity. They'll handle this just fine and I think we have a lot of good football left to play."
As for the Stags, who improve to 7-1 after a second straight shutout, the pressure is certainly much higher but that's to be expected these days for the Mission, Kan. powerhouse.
"This is our third year trying to do it," Grunhard explained about the process of winning another state championship. "There's pressure but we're used to it now. We just have to keep moving forward one game at a time and we'll be fine."
The next game will be back on familiar turf for Grunhard and 20 other seniors who Holmes hopes will receive the sendoff they deserve.
"It's our last guaranteed home game," finished the head coach. "Our seniors have had amazing careers, so we want to make sure they keep getting some games at home in front of our fans."
Pleasant Ridge Rams
Jefferson West Tigers
St. Joseph Lafayette Fighting Irish
Columbia Hickman
Osawatomie Trojans
Wyandotte Bulldogs
Troy Buchanan
Topeka Hayden
Raymore-Peculiar Panthers
Wellsville Eagles
Olathe South Falcons
Blue Valley West Jaguars
Crest Ridge Cougars
Fort Osage Indians
Lathrop Mules
Lone Jack Mules
Kansas All-Stars
Wentworth Military Academy
Jefferson County North


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1980s: There has been a bomb in Oxford Street! and in the days before Al Qaeda there is only one prime suspect the U.S.A. sponsoring terrorists as always. The U.S. has sponsored every terrorist organisation in the world. One way or another throughout its short history the U.S. has attempted to kill you.
Japan (1945)
China (1945-46)
Korea & China (1950-53)
Guatemala (1954, 1960, 1967-69)
Indonesia (1958)
Cuba (1959-61)
Congo (1964)
Peru (1965)
Laos (1964-70)
Vietnam (1961-1973)
Cambodia (1969-70)
Grenada (1983)
Lebanon (1983-84)
Libya (1986)
El Salvador (1980s)
Nicaragua (1980s)
Iran (1987)
Panama (1989)
Iraq (1991-2000)
Kuwait (1991)
Somalia (1993)
Bosnia (1994-95)
Sudan (1998)
Afghanistan (1998)
Pakistan (1998)
Yugoslavia (1999)
Bulgaria (1999)
Macedonia (1999) The list is too long for this blog:
Non-Hollywood history total U.S. casualties in the Second World War in Europe and Asia total: 418,500. And the Soviet Union: 28,000,000. the war began in 1939 the U.S. never declared war on Germany or Italy. The U.S. never come to the rescue of anybody Russia won the Second World War. The U.S. lost the Vietnam war and are losing the Afghanistan war. Hollywood is not history it's fantasy.


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Filipe Luis insists Atletico Madrid still a force
Filipe Luis insists former club Atletico Madrid remain one of the most feared teams in this season's UEFA Champions League.
The full-back was part of the team that claimed a surprise La Liga title last term and reached the final of Europe's elite club competition before losing out to city rivals Real.
The Brazilian has since moved from the Vicente Calderon to Chelsea, along with striker Diego Costa, but rates his old side as strong contenders to lift the trophy ahead of the draw for the last 16 on Monday.
He told Marca: "Nobody wants to face Atletico. They are a solid team that don't let in goals easily.
"They may have lost a lot of players but have kept their form. They would be a very difficult rival.
"I'd rather not come up against Atletico, because it isn't easy to beat them, not even scrape a draw. But if we do, we'll have to be well prepared if we hope to win."
Both Chelsea and Atletico topped their respective groups to progress into the knockout stages.


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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Ryron Gracie Seminar June 18th, 2011
I am pleased to announce that Ryron Gracie will be at our Lexington Academy to conduct a 2-hour seminar. The focus of the seminar will be Gracie Combatives and the training will run from 1:30 to 3:30. As of today, we have filled 30 spots and have only 10 spots remaining. The cost of the seminar is $60 members/GU members and $75 regular. Contact me at 803.546.6079 or at firstname.lastname@example.com to register.
USC Women's Self-Defense Course (Phi Mu Sorority)
Sensei Carter just finished another women's self-defense course at The University of South Carolina. we had 150 girls attend the course. All the participants had a great time and our staff was very helpful. I have included part of a thank-you note we received from one of the organizers. "Thank you and your team so much for coming out! I know I learned a lot and I know all the other girls did too! It was very useful! We will most certainly contact you again in the future for another course!" Thanks again! Katie Kowalski Phi Mu Sorority
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My flash fiction piece "To the End of Time, or Lisa" is out now in issue #13 of Liquid Imagination. Many thanks to their great editors.
Click here to read issue #13 or click here for a direct link to the story.
This story first appeared in 365Tomorrows in October 2011.


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As of this week, hundreds of thousands of young men and women have taken their first big step on the road to financial adulthood: They're now on the hook for their first
No one trains college freshmen for this moment. It's not part of the standard high school curriculum, and most parents don't know enough about the process to pass on much wisdom. If they went to college, it was probably back in the day when most undergraduate degrees did not leave people with five figures of debt and multiple types of loans.
In the late 1980s, amid concern about the rising number of students who were skipping out on loan payments, the Education Department began requiring all students to undergo what it now calls "initial counseling" when they took out a federal loan, like a Perkins or Stafford loan, for the first time.
The curriculum, which the colleges are responsible for teaching, is supposed to include information on the contract that students sign when they borrow, the consequences of not paying back the loan and some basic information on the average level of indebtedness among recent graduates and the size of their monthly loan payments. Today, some students sit in a room for their counseling while many others take a short course and quiz on a Web site. No matter how students encounter the material though, the counseling sessions ought to provide much more than the government requires. Students need to know that learning about loans isn't just a one-time event and that they will probably need a team of people to help them make sense of the overall financial aid process.
The material should be blunt in tone, brutally honest and occasionally frightening, but it shouldn't leave students feeling powerless either. The session ought to feel like two wizened 25-year-olds are presiding: one who took on too much debt and ended up back home with a ruined credit score; the other living comfortably while still making loan payments each month. So if I were running the counseling sessions (and channeling my formerly indebted 25-year-old self), here are seven other points I'd add to the agenda.Continue reading the main story
TREAT THIS LIKE A CLASS Student loans, and the financial aid process in general, are incredibly complicated. There are several types of loans, with different terms and interest rates. You'll probably graduate with at least four, maybe twice or three times that. "The process can seem like untying a Gordian knot," said Kal Chany, a consultant to families and author of "Paying for College Without Going Broke.
But just getting through it isn't enough. You've heard about the mortgage crisis, right? Well, many people your parents' age took the "just sign the papers" approach to their home loans and ended up not understanding why their payments went up sharply a few years later.
So you need to master the basics and then keep them in your head. Did you get any printouts or glossaries during your counseling session? If not, bookmark studentaid.ed.gov (the federal government's site on financial aid), finaid.org/loans (a great independent site) and The
ENLIST YOUR PARENTS Yes, college is supposed to be a big step toward independence. But your parents can probably help you think of questions to ask about your loans that you haven't thought of, simply because they've been borrowing money and paying bills much longer than you have.
You may also need to educate them about the process, given that they may be helping you pay for college and will want an update on your borrowing. They don't have to sit for counseling, even if they're borrowing money to send you to school. "We have a lot of students who are the first to go to college in their families," said Patricia Hurley, associate dean and director of financial aid at Glendale Community College in Glendale, Calif. "The terminology around loans is new for them. It's a completely different world."
CHECK IN ANNUALLY Your school's single counseling session is a good start, but you should really check in with your debt at least once a year, or every time you take out a new loan. Store all of the loan documents in a single file and keep a running total of what you've borrowed. If your e-mail or mail address has changed, let every lender know. Then, use the tool labeled "Loan Calculator (Standard and Extended Repayment)" at finaid.org/calculators to give you a sense of what you need to earn to make your monthly payment upon graduation.
MAKE A FRIEND IN AID One of the best things you can do for yourself is find people in the financial aid office who really know their stuff and then make one of them your friend for the next four years. This will also be a good person to know if you want to ask for more financial aid than the college gives you at first in this or future years. If you think you're being a pest, don't sweat it. One-on-one counseling is probably much more rewarding for them than reading financial aid forms and spreadsheets all day.
In fact, Education Department rules require that the college make someone available to answer questions right after your initial counseling is finished. If you go to a big university and are having trouble getting anyone to return your phone calls this month, it may help to write a note to the director of financial aid with a gentle reminder of the rule and a polite plea for assistance.
BORROWING IS GETTING CHEAPER If you qualify for subsidized Stafford loans, the kind where the federal government pays the interest while you're still in school, your interest rate on a loan issued after July 1 of this year is 6 percent. Last year it was 6.8 percent. Next school year, it will be 5.6 percent, and the year after, it will drop to 4.5 percent. The fees you pay when you first get the loan are also falling.
While it may be too late to halt your loan for this year, the falling rates suggest that you should try as hard as you can to borrow as little as possible until later in your undergraduate education. Perhaps there's a relative who can help with a loan until then, or you can work a few more hours at a paid job.
SOME LOANS ARE TOO SMALL That said, don't work too much. Robert Shireman, executive director of the nonprofit Project on Student Debt, said that some students, in an effort to keep their loans a bit lower, work 30 hours a week and take a full-time course load. Inevitably, some can't handle the pressure and drop out. "You end up in an even worse situation," he said. "Not only do you not have a degree but you have debt on top of it."
BE WARY OF PRIVATE LOANS Private student loans are different from federal loans. Their interest rates are generally higher, and the rate usually isn't fixed over the life of the loan. Still, a growing number of students are using them, in part because the application process is easier. Private loans may also be the only option for students who have maxed out the eligibility on their federal loans or are getting no help from their parents or scholarships.
The Education Department doesn't require you to undergo counseling when taking out your first private loan. At
As a result of what amounts to its mandatory private loan counseling, Barnard helped families get their private loan volume down to under $400,000 from $1.5 million in a single year.
More colleges ought to follow their lead. Until they do, however, go see your friend in financial aid before taking out any private loans. Finding a better option for paying your college bills could save you thousands of dollars over time.Continue reading the main story