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Anecdote - Making Strategy Stick
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Anecdotally - January 2011
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Happy New Year {FIRST_NAME},
2011 seems to be shaping up to be an exciting time for making strategies stick. Hope your 2011 is prosperous and good fun.
Here at Anecdote we have jumped right in and launched our web-based solution for everyone to collect and share their stories. It's called Zahmoo. More about Zahmoo below.
In this edition, we have:
We hope that you enjoy reading Anecdotally. Feel free to pass this email on to your colleagues and friends if you think that they would enjoy it too.
Please contact us with your comments, suggestion and ideas.
— by John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead
Great ideas require tremendous toil to turn them into workable solutions that change people's lives. One of the standout features of the great inventor Thomas Edison was his insistence on having his researchers work side by side with his manufacturers at the famed Menlo Park Laboratory. Take the incandescent light. Hundreds of filaments were tested before finding a solution that worked and was affordable (bamboo fibre). But he didn't stop there, he then worked on getting the idea accepted across the USA. Edison was a master of getting Buy In.
But in a way Edison had it easy. The problems he was working on had a small range of possible workable answers and after the work was done it was clear to all that a good path was taken. Today we face more complex problems with a myriad of possible trade offs and possibilities such as the biggies of climate change, sustainability and economic growth, to the smaller but also important decisions in organisations such as strategic direction, engagement and customer service. Many challenges today have no single right answer. Rather we need to inspire a group of decision makers to buy in to an idea and head in the same direction.
John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead's book, Buy In, is a practical little volume that you can read in a jiffy. It's premise is simple: if you want an idea to be implemented you need to get buy in from the important stakeholders and the best way to do that is to expose the idea to critics and supporters alike and respond to the naysayers and nitpickers. You just need to understand and know how to respond to their attack strategies.
Some might think it's best to keep your idea hidden from those people who'll shoot it down and only get on board people who'll support it. The problem with this approach is that the dissenters will feel ostracised and work even harder to undermine the idea. White-anting from a big, powerful termite (never mind a whole colony) is mostly catastrophic.
Putting your idea out there for scrutiny has a distinct advantage of getting everyone's attention, especially if there's some controversy involved. With so much flying past us these days, attention is a valuable commodity.
Kotter and Whitehead make the good point that you need more that 50% support to get your idea implemented because during implementation you'll hit rocky patches and you need those extra supporters to push through the difficult terrain. At the same time you don't need and will rarely get 100% support. Strong critics will remain so throughout the life of the idea. You're just going to have to live with that and work with your supporters.
The majority of Buy In is focussed on the attack strategies critics will use to derail your idea. The four common strategies are:
Death by delay: Endlessly putting off or diverting discussion of your idea until all momentum is lost
Confusion: Presenting so much distracting information that confidence in your proposal dies
Fear mongering: Stirring up irrational anxieties about your idea
Character assassination: Undermining your reputation and credibility
When presenting your idea the authors suggest preparing responses for all four types of attacks and they provide descriptions of 24 attacks and 24 responses. One of my favourites, which I was subjected to just this week, is #6 "What about this, and that, and this, and that ...?"
Attack: Your proposal leaves too many questions unanswered. What about this and that, and this and that, and ...
Response: All good ideas, if they are new, raise dozens of questions that cannot be answered with certainty.
One of the main lessons for me in how they suggest you should respond is to not dissect and respond to every point in the attack. Rather use a combination of logic and emotion (in the form of stories) to respond. Keep it simple.
It's clear that the authors believe in the power of stories. Buy In is presented as a series of narratives to demonstrate what good and bad examples look and feel like. It was interesting however that they didn't explicitly discuss stories as a response approach yet talked about providing examples.
Buy In is a practical book that is simple to apply. It's definitely worth a read and I'm confident you will be able to apply what you learn from Buy In.
Reviewed by: Shawn Callahan
During my first week here at Anecdote I sat in on an Anecdote Circle which Shawn was running. It was the first time I had seen one of these run by Shawn and I was therefore very keen to see how he did it, and anything I could pick up and use myself in the future.
One of the things I noticed quite early on was that Shawn would start by asking one of the pre-prepared, scripted questions and if that did not get him any stories from the group, he would follow it up by turning the more formal question into one that contained an idiom. So "think of a time when you saw somebody manage (x) roles in a way that made you think, "Wow. If everybody worked that way, things would get done a lot more smoothly around here". Got followed up with; "when have things gone as smooth as clock work?". There were many more examples of this throughout the session, and each time it seemed to get great results at eliciting stories.
When I raised this with Shawn afterwards he wasn't even aware he used this as a technique, but by talking it through and making him aware of it, he began to realise he actually uses it all the time. He even relayed a story that Mark once told him of doing some story eliciting work and asking the question; "When have you been most elated at work, or most disappointed?" He got a load of blank stares and shaking of heads, until one of the guys piped up; "We don't get 'elated' or 'disappointed' we either get 'stoked' or 'gutted'".
I think the use of idioms and slang work in eliciting stories for a number of reasons. They give a far greater richness than can be delivered from just words alone. 'Gutted' has a far greater impact than 'disappointed' for example, it has a far greater emotional reaction. Also by using the right idioms for that audience it shows them you are 'talking their language' therefore building rapport, trust and the relationship. It shows you understand them and are part of their 'community'. It also increases your chances of the question being understood.
This technique really came to the fore when we started collecting stories at a large electricity generating company. We ran the workshop on location, out in these huge power stations, with the guys (and they were mainly guys) dressed in their work boots and protective clothing, with a natural distrust of us as "city boys". Using idioms and slang in the majority of our questions really worked as a way to get them to tell stories. It put them at ease, used language and terms they understood, and created a degree of informality that seemed to help them tell their stories.
We have also used this insight into some of the questions we have developed for eliciting family stories in Zahmoo, which can be found in the Online Resources section. Examples of using idioms include things like; "Do you remember a time when Mum or Dad went through the roof over something you did?", "What was something your spouse has done that just blew you away?", "Did you ever get off on the wrong foot with someone who then became a good friend?" or "Have you ever been at death's door?".
We have also used slang to get people to recall moments and tell stories about them. Examples include; "When did you really come a gutser as a kid?", "What did you put the kibosh on that you wished you hadn't?' and "Can you share a time when you were a real klutz?".
I would therefore strongly recommend trying to consciously use idioms and slang when asking questions to elicit stories. The results I have seen in different settings, groups and people have proven to me they really do work as a way to help people recall moments, and therefore be able to tell stories about them. Go on, have a crack!
By Kevin Bishop
Do you collect stories to reinforce your company's values, or evaluate projects, or share safety practices? Perhaps you collect stories to tell in your presentations or convey elements of your strategy. Most people who collect stories have them strewn across computers and Excel spreadsheets so they are impossible to find when you need them. We had this problem at Anecdote but now we store and collaborate on our story collections using cloud computing (web-based application) called Zahmoo.
There are three pricing plans: the family plan at US$5/month for managing all those stories from your parents, siblings, aunts and uncles. A great way to bring the family tree to life. The community plan at US$16/month for communities of practice, associations, clubs and networks. And the business plan at US$49/month for companies and government departments. Everyone gets a 30 day free trial. For more information and to sign up, visit www.zahmoo.com.
Shawn will be in London in February to deliver a Business Storytelling for Leaders Workshop on Wednesday, 16th February.
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Last week Shawn and I were together in Canberra for a few days working on some of our methods. We were constantly bouncing ideas off each other which then triggered a bunch of stories about things we have learned from our projects. Many of these stories had disappeared from our accessible memory but were triggered by the context of the conversation.
At one stage, we were talking about triggering new stories in an organisation and I recalled seeing the CEO of a primary industries business introducing the organisations new sustainability statement/policy. The statement itself was quite impressive - several long paragraphs describing what the company needed to do and why. He read out the statement then walked over to the screen and hit it with the back of his hand and said "I don't want to be part of a company that doesn't do this". As he walked back to the podium he looked at the audience and said "and I don't think you do either." When he said these words he unconsciously had his hand on his heart. At the dinner that evening I canvassed a few people and asked them about the sustainability statement. None of them could remember the statement itself, but everyone remembered what the CEO did. The new story in the organisation was how seriously the CEO was concerned about sustainability and how they all needed to go on board.
One of the key ways to learn from our engagements is to notice, and record, stories as they occur. We have blogged about our 'practice' of telling each other about the stories we notice and discussing what they mean and how we might use them. This helps embed the stories in our minds. We realised the value in having a place like Zahmoo to store these examples as they occur. We found ourselves repeatedly saying 'that's got to go into Zahmoo' and we would quickly create a new story and jot a few notes to jog our memories so we could write them up later. We were doing this so frequently I was reminded of the movie The Castle when everything of value was 'going straight into the pool room'.
By Mark Schenk
Why do some business storytelling efforts fail spectacularly? I hear sponsors of some of these failed attempts (they're brave enough to call us in after their bad experience) saying, "storytelling just didn't suit our culture" or "we just didn't click with the person we brought in to help us." I suspect these are merely superficial explanations.
The storytelling spectrum is a simple but useful idea I learnt from my friend and storytelling expert Mary Alice Arthur. Imagine a spectrum of storytelling. At one end is Big 'S' Storytelling which includes those beautifully crafted stories we see in movies, novels, plays and even the latest Playstation games. Big 'S' Storytellers understand plot structures, character development, scene design and a myriad of other storytelling principles and practices. At the other end of the spectrum is Small 's' Storytelling where we find the stories we tell on a daily basis in conversations, anecdotes, recounts and examples.
We've focussed our attention on the Small 's' end of the spectrum (the anecdotes, the real life experiences) and have inched our way toward the Big 'S' end, but not too far for reasons I'll explain in a moment. There's lots to learn from the Big 'S' end but business people don't need to be screenwriters or playwrights. Putting too much storytelling craft in how you communicate can lead you to fall into an even bigger trap. And this trap is similar to one discovered in robotics in the 70s.
In 1970 a Japanese robotics researcher, Mashahiro Mori, noticed that as he made his robots more humanlike their attractiveness increased, but only to a point. After that they became creepy. It was only when it was impossible to tell the robot from the human did they become attractive again. Mori called this dip in comfort levels (Shinwakan) the Uncanny Valley.
Source: Crossing the uncanny valley, The Economist, Nov 18th 2010.
We witnessed the impact of the Uncanny Valley at the movie theatres in 2004. Pixar released The Incredibles at the same time Warner Bros. released The Polar Express. The Polar Express used live action performance capture techniques to make almost humanlike animated characters with an eerie result; not what you want for a Christmas tale. The Incredibles were clearly animations and it became a box office hit.
There is something like an Uncanny Valley of Business Storytelling. We can improve our storytelling with techniques applied from the wealth of storytelling techniques used by the best screenwriters, playwrights and novelists, but only to a point. After that business storytelling drop into an Uncanny Valley. At the bottom of the valley the storyteller's efforts seem artificial, forced and clumsy. Sometimes this happens when people in the organisation believe they need to understand sophisticated plot structures, vocalisation techniques and beats and scenes to apply storytelling. Frankly, I think you can love storytelling too much and try too hard. Sometimes a storytelling professional believes that to be a real storyteller you need to be a performance storyteller. This often results in the storytelling voice. You know that one that sounds like the person has just started a children's story with Once Upon a Time. Again the result is the Uncanny Valley.
Yes, you can learn a lot from Big 'S' Storytelling but it's folly to try to apply too much. In the end so much can be achieved just helping people to be mindful of their experiences and the experiences of the people around them and work out what these experiences mean. With this understanding recounting an experience can be a powerful illustration of what you believe is important. And told as a story on the gentle hills above the valley will mean people will remember it and maybe even be inspired to take action.
By Shawn Callahan
I have just downloaded and started to use a fantastic iPhone application called Viber (www.viber.com). It is an application that lets you make free phone calls to other iPhone users that have Viber installed.
Not only are all your calls free, but Viber claims that the sound quality is also better than a mobile call, and from my initial experiences I would have to agree with them.
All you need to do is download Viber from the Apple App Store, have your phone connected to an internet connection (3G or Wi-Fi), and have friends who have an iPhone do the same and you can talk for free - that simple!
I think this application will do to mobile phone calls, what Skype (www.skype.com) has done to chatting from your computer, particularly when they launch Viber for Android phones and for the Blackberry (which are currently under development).
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You can probably tell that we are pretty excited about Zahmoo. There are a couple of reasons for our enthusiasm. Firstly Zahmoo brings story collection and management to everyone for a very low price. Other story software requires expensive per seat licensing and setup costs. With Zahmoo you just sign up and pay a low monthly cost each month. If you want to stop using the service you just export your stories and stop the service. No lock ins. No ifs or buts.
The second reason we are excited about Zahmoo is that it enables groups of people to work on sets of stories (we call them collections). You're no longer confined to working on your stories alone and you can build and share a collection of stories as a group.
We hope you will try it out. Just visit www.zahmoo.com.
Our society faces a significant challenge in the years ahead dealing with an increasingly ageing population. This means more elderly people suffering from depression, loneliness and general difficulties around their psychological well-being. The scale of the problem becomes clearer when you consider that up to 15% of all older people currently suffer from some form of depression and that up to 84% of the American population over 65 experience some degree of loneliness (1).
It is increasingly important to understand the efficacy and costs of treatments for these conditions. I have just read two articles that measure the success of getting older people to tell stories about their lives on their rates of depression, loneliness and other aspects of their mental well being.
Chiang et. al. (2010) undertook a study amongst 90 nursing home residents in Taipei to measure the effect of reminiscence therapy on levels of psychological well being, depression and loneliness (2). Reminiscence therapy is a process whereby elder people review their past, recalling memories and sharing their experiences, either in a group setting or individually. Of the 90 people in the study, 45 undertook reminiscence therapy, with the other 45 being the control group.
The results of the study showed that reminiscence therapy reduced participants; depressive symptoms (as measured by the CES-D); psychological well-being (as measured by the RULS-V3) and improved their sense of loneliness (as measured by the RULS-V3 and MMSE).
These results reinforce those of Bohlmeijer et. al. (2003) who undertook a meta-analysis looking at 20 different studies to look at the effects of all aspects of reminiscence on depression in older adults (3). The results of their meta-analysis indicated that reminiscence and life review are effective treatments of depressive symptoms in older adults. The mean effect sizes they found were comparable to the effect sizes found for well-established treatments, such as anti-depressives and cognitive behaviour therapy. This study also points out that getting elderly people to reminisce, review their life and tell stories about it, offer a number of benefits over other interventions. They can be easily delivered, do not stigmatise people and are far less expensive than other alternatives.
For me, these two papers, and the supporting evidence contained within them, really show that encouraging elderly people to tell the stories of their lives improves their psychological well-being.
(1) Lauder, W., Mummery, K., Caperchione, C., & Jones, M. (2006). A comparison of health behaviours in lonely and non-lonely populations. Psychology, Health, and Medicine, 11(2), 233-245 (2) Kai-Jo Chiang, Hsin Chu, Hsiu-Ju Chang, Min-Huey Chung, Chung-Hua Chen, Hung-Yi Chiou and Kuei-Ru Chou (2010): The effects of reminiscence therapy on psychological well-being, depression, and loneliness among the institutionalized aged. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Volume 25, Issue 4, pages 380-388 (3) Bohlmeijer, E; Smit, F and Cuijper, P (2003): Effects of reminiscence and life review on late-life depression: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2003; 18: 1088-1094.
Thanks for your continued support. The Anecdote team.
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Copyright © 2011. Anecdote Pty Ltd. Australia's Business Narrative specialists; Bringing Strategies to Life, Leadership Development, Change Management and Building Collaborative Workplaces. Storytelling training for leaders.
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Nation fulfilling its duty as a major world power to enforce emission regulations and invest in pollution-reduction solutions
China's status as a major world power comes with much responsibility. Economic growth in the past few years has undoubtedly been at an all-time high, and the rate of China's progress in the technological fields of artificial intelligence, driverless cars and 5G is also world-class.
However, this rapid rate of growth means there is the risk that pollution emissions for the nation increase and cause damage to China and the rest of the world. Like other large progressive states, China has a duty to enforce emission regulations and invest in research for pollution-reduction solutions, something the nation is actively carrying out.
In 2007, there were only 59 million cars on China's roads. This was comparable to Germany's car population, a country just a fraction of China's immense size. By 2017, there were more than 220 million cars in China - an astronomical increase in carbon emissions to which the government has reacted quickly. This has presented an unprecedented challenge for the Chinese government to resolve.
In response, China has been quite eager in the past few years to lead the global electric vehicle industry. Tesla may be the brand most synonymous with electric cars, especially in countries such as Norway, where government subsidies are common, but China is determined to lead the global industry - aiming for annual sales of 7 million such vehicles by 2025.
China making strides on sustainable development
During the fourth quarter of last year, hazardous fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 was 54 percent lower in Beijing than during the same period in 2016. Across the country, other cities such as Tianjin have also seen their air quality improve by a similar rate, according to Greenpeace East Asia.
This has in large part been possible because the nation has enacted anti-pollution measures since 2013, through the national action plan on air pollution. This has effectively been enforced through a nationwide cap on coal and oil usage calibrated carefully for each province. Beijing, for example, had a target to reduce its coal emissions by 50 percent from 2013 to 2018. Manufacturing plants that attempted to introduce new coal-burning capacity have been banned, and the use of filters and scrubbers to clear out pollutant particles has been accelerated. A strict ban on excessive pollution activities, as well as incentives such as pricing and taxing heavily polluting industries, has proved to be an effective method in ensuring that China has a positive environmental impact on the rest of the world. Further government restrictions were imposed in October and lasted until mid-March to ensure progress.
The new Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which has strong enforcement powers, has also been a motivation for the nation to clean itself up. Cities across China, due to regulations from the new ministry, have promised to convert nearly 4 million homes from coal-burning to fully functional gas and electric households. Coal emissions in hospitals and schools have also been reduced under these new rules.
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Developments in contemporary technologies such as solar panels have also had an effect on air quality. Internationally, prices of solar panels have dropped significantly, allowing for the sheer scale of China's clean energy investment to pull through. It is estimated that China's spending on solar panel technology is more than twice that of the United States. In addition, two-thirds of the world's solar panels are produced in China, according to research organization Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Global leaders in the solar panel industry call China home, including Jinko Solar Holding Co and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co.
In the past, rising levels of smog and environmental damage have unfortunately been seen by many countries as an unavoidable, inevitable and somewhat necessary byproduct of a country's rising economic power. However, for China, sustainable development is a priority. GDP growth in the country was 6.9 percent last year, indicating the government's willingness to tolerate comparatively slower short-term growth while addressing long-term environmental issues. In years to come, it may seem that the green lane is the smoothest road to national success.


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Archeologists digging at former Nazi concentration camp Sobibor in western Poland found a pendant that may link a German girl to holocaust victim Anne Frank. The pendant contains a date of birth, a place of birth and on the other side the Jewish greeting Mazal Tov. Anne Frank owned an almost identical pendant., according to Yad Vashem - the institute investigating the Holocaust.
Jan 16 '17 09:24
Jan 27 '15 08:13
Artist Ralph Prins died at the age of 88 yesterday. One of his best known works is the design for National Monument Kamp Westerbork, which was unveiled by Queen Juliana in 1970.
Aug 22 '13 08:43
The Nazi concentration camp in the Netherlands, which also sheltered Moluccan exiles, is currently undergoing restoration.


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Items where Author is "Ferrari, G"
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Jan, S, Ferrari, G, Watts, CH, Hargreaves, JR, Kim, JC, Phetla, G, Morison, LA, Porter, JD, Barnett, T and Pronyk, PM (2010) Economic evaluation of a combined microfinance and gender training intervention for the prevention of intimate partner violence in rural South Africa. Health Policy and Planning, 26 (5). pp. 366-372.
Kim, J, Ferrari, G, Abramsky, T, Watts, C, Hargreaves, J, Morison, Linda, Phetla, G, Porter, J and Pronyk, P (2009) Assessing the incremental effects of combining economic and health interventions: the IMAGE study in South Africa BULLETIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 87 (11). pp. 824-832.
Information about this web site
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Immediate Need:(518) 371-5334
Proudly Serving the greater Capital District
Celebrate the memory of someone special by planting trees in their name. Your gift will serve as a lasting, living memorial, while preserving the health of forests in areas of critical need. We have partnered with American Forests and Canadian Institute of Forestry for the planting of our memorial trees. Your gift will also include a digital certificate that will be emailed to you.
CVV2 is a security measure we require for all transactions. Since a CVV2 number is listed on your credit card, but is not stored anywhere, the only way to know the correct CVV2 number for your credit card is to physically have possession of the card itself.
The Catricala Funeral Home Inc. is owned and managed by Eric A. Catricala. It is also run by funeral director, Mark J. Delaney.
We are not only passionate about this profession, we are very proud of this funeral home and honored to be here for you and your family.We are here for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Catricala Funeral Home Inc.1597 Route 9Clifton Park, NY 12065Tel: (518) 371-5334


text:
- Papers
- Patents
- Publication Statistics
OFDM Multiple Antennas Cognitive Radio Relay CDMA Synchronization Channel Estimation Spectrum Sharing Interference Cancellation Neural Networks Spectrum Sensing Full duplex Resource Allocation Stochastic Geometry Equalizer Feedback Bi-Directional Energy Harvesting Femtocell Heterogeneous Networks Device-to-Device (D2D) Cell Search FBMC HetNet Idle cells Ultra-dense small cell networks Spectral efficiency SINR mismatch problem automatic repeat request (ARQ) in-band full-duplex system Two-way communications transmission capacity (TC) Correlated MIMO sensing duration self-interference cancellation Simultaneous Sensing and Transmission full-duplex cellular multi-spectral beamforming UWB achievable sum rate outage probability Cognitive relay networks selection diversity full-duplex relay Latency Vehicular and wireless technologies Asynchronized system Cross-link interference Cellular networks coexistence Channel estimation error Ultra-dense small cell Shortened TTI UL grant free NOMA mode selection Bi-directional full-duplex OQAM Link adaptation Iterative decoder LTE-TDD Dynamic TDD bursty traffic model CP-OFDM MIMO singular value decomposition Time spreading K-S statistics interference coordination Vehicle-to-vehicle communication eigen decomposition 5G networks GFDM MU-MIMO TS-W-OFDM prototype filter pilot signal Windowing time-frequency efficiency Long Term Evolution-Advanced Aggregate interference LTE-based V2V Vehicle-to-Vehicle Coexistence scenarios resource size control interference to noise ratio interference management mixed numerology Cooperative systems Resource management link reliability Reliability non-orthogonal multiple access full-spreading NOMA massive connectivity Complexity Filtered OFDM C-V2V tabu-search Singular Vale Decomposition
|Status :
|Date :
|Title :
|Reliability Improvement Using Receive Mode Selection in the Device-to-Device Uplink Period Underlaying Cellular Networks
|Authors :
|Hyunkee Min, Woohyun Seo, Jemin Lee, Sungsoo Park and Daesik Hong
|Journal :
|IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
|Abstract :
|Abstract: A new interference management scheme is proposed to improve the reliability of a device-to-device (D2D) communication in the uplink (UL) period without reducing the power of cellular user equipment (UE). To improve the reliability of the D2D receiver, two conventional receive techniques and one proposed method are introduced. One of the conventional methods is demodulating the desired signal first (MODE1), while the other is demodulating an interference first (MODE2), and the proposed method is exploiting a retransmission of the interference from the base station (BS) (MODE3). We derive their outage probabilities in closed forms and explain the mechanism of receive mode selection which selects the mode guaranteeing the minimum outage probability among three modes. Numerical results show that by applying the receive mode selection, the D2D receiver achieves a remarkable enhancement of outage probability in the middle interference regime from the usage of MODE3 compared to the conventional ways of using only MODE1 or MODE2.
|Download :
.Hyunkee Min; Woohyun Seo; Jemin Lee; Sungsoo Park; Daesik Hong; , "Reliability
Improvement Using Receive Mode Selection in the Device-to-Device Uplink Period
Underlaying Cellular Networks," Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions
on , vol.10, no.2, pp.413-418, February 2011
doi: 10.1109/TWC.2011.122010.100963
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5675650&isnumber=5711712


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I'm heavily into candy stripes, velour bags and chunky sneakers (or should I call them trainers by know?) as you can probably tell from the above.
The bag is from the amazing brand Staud which I recently discovered probably through Lucy Williams (aka. Fashion Me Now) as everything she mentions is gorgeous. Literally. They make amazing bags (you have most likely already seen the "plant pot in the fishnet") but also their clothing collection is worth taking a look at.
Knit J.W. Anderson
Bag Staud
Trousers 3.1 Phillip Lim
Sneakers Nike Air Monarch IV


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Doce Pares de Francia was a play which dramatized the triumph of the Spanish Christians over the Muslim Moors. It was introduced to the Philippines by the Spanish via Mexico, then renamed by the Filipinos to moro-moro, and used to preserve their fighting arts as the first curriculum of arnis de mano. Garimot Arnis preserves the 30 traditional sequences of the battle-dances in the moro-moro, and all students are required to learn them and the hidden application, with a variety of weapons and shields. Every member of the Garimot lineage has been a moro-moro player.
The Art
The Five Strikes style is believed to be the original art of Luzon, where many varieties are widespread. Garimot Cinco Teros introduces the student to the basic theories of largo mano and corto, and was first brought into the family by Gat Puno's grandfather, Gran Maestro Jose "Uti" Baet (3rd generation).
Seven Colors (or Seven Flags) is named for the seven original provinces that rebelled against Spain. It is popular in Laguna and characterized by its use of seven angles. Garimot Siete Colores is introduced after a student has become an expert in Cinco Teros, and teaches new theories of largo mano and corto, and includes the Laban Tulisan (Bandit Fighting) used by guerrilla warriors in Laguna to fight the Japanese. Though Laban Tulisan was introduced by Gran Maestro Jose "Uti" Baet, Siete Colores has always been a part of the Baet family style.
This style is from Laguna, and not to be confused with the Doce Pares of Cebu. Meaning Twelve Peers, it is named for the legend of Charlemagne's knights. It is introduced after proficiency in Siete Colores, and provides further training in the classical arnis of Laguna. Doce Pares has been in the Garimot system since Gran Maestro Elias "Tata" Baet (1st generation).
From Batangas, the home of the balisong, this style is unusual in that training begins first with the knife, then progresses to the sword. It is characterized by its emphasis on thrusting and the use of three points. Garimot Tres Puntos uses the balisong and sling blade (developed by Grandmaster Felipe "Garimot" Baet), as well as common daggers and knives. It has been in the Baet family since Gat Puno's great-grandfather, Gran Maestro Lino "Bisaya" Baet (2nd generation).
This composite of native Filipino wrestling styles contains both standing (clinch) work and groundfighting, including throws, locks, and chokes. Animal characteristics are emulated, but the two primary animals are the tiger and monkey, which represent the dichotomies of aggressive/passive, direct/evasive, hard/soft, etc. Gat Puno's grandfather, Gran Maestro Jose "Uti" Baet, was an accomplished wrestler who studied with Aetas and taught his son, Gran Maestro Felipe "Garimot" Baet (4th generation), who in turn studied with the Mangyans.
Hilot refers to both the healing techniques of the Philippines and the practitioner of those arts. Every member of the Garimot lineage has been a skilled hilot. There are many types of hilot, though the Garimot system includes four.
This form of hilot uses herbs (both internally and externally) and massage.
Originating from the native Aetas and Mangyans, this hilot therapy is water-based, often involving massage.
Also known as "cupping," this hilot technique involves using fire and cup-shaped objects to create an area of low pressure around particular points of the body, similar to Chinese "cupping" methods.
This type of hilot makes use of many natural tools, including herbs, fruits, vegetables, oils, vinegar, water, and stones to treat ailments.


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Hair fall is not a problem as long as it is within the healthy range. In fact, as part of a normal cycle of hair growth, a person loses between 50- 100 strands of hair per day. The problem arises when the daily hair fall is more than 200 with little or no hair growth. In some cases, the hair growth may be slower than usual. All these factors may trigger thinning of the scalp, a condition commonly known as Alopecia. In some cases, the situation gets so bad that it results in baldness (both in males and females).
Alopecia can be of two types:
What triggers severe hair fall or Alopecia in men and women?
Hair fall or Alopecia is no longer a problem associated with old age (Diffuse Alopecia). Young adults (both men and women), in their mid 20's and 30's are suffering from Alopecia. While there may be many factors responsible for alopecia, some of the common and critical triggers are
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!


text:
PSA Panama Invests Big in Terminal Expansion
PSA Panama International Terminal (PSA Panama) has started work on the expansion of its container terminal, located on the west bank of the Panama Canal Pacific entrance.
The expansion is targeted to be ready for operations before the end of 2016, in conjunction with the commercial opening of the expanded Panama Canal.
PSA Panama will invest over USD 400 million in the terminal expansion, and will create 1,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase and over 500 direct and indirect jobs during operations.
The new terminal will have 11 quay cranes with a maximum outreach of 24 rows and over 1.1 km of berth. The investment into civil works amounts to USD 285 million, while the value of equipment will be over USD 125 million.


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Cruciferous Vegetables' Weight Loss Benefits
Vegetables – you may hate them as a kid, but now that you're an adult, you should know how important they are. When it comes to vegetables, there are varieties, including leafy greens, root and cruciferous ones.
Cruciferous vegetables despite its rather "intimidating" tone yet somewhat interesting, are actually good for you. They help promote weight loss, among others. You'd be surprised that you may, in fact, know many of them already.
It's high in fibre, low in fat and a cup of cooked Cabbage contains only 33 kcal, ideal for weight loss you have to agree. It's also good for the brain as it contains Vitamin K and anthocyanins.
Commonly, it's prepared in soup form, but there are plenty of cabbage recipes to stir that appetite and light the imagination!
Bok Choy
Bok choy is a vegetable that most would be familiar with. It's common fare on dinner tables in many parts of the world these days as well. It contains nutrients like iron and zinc, which are crucial in the production and growth of collagen.
It also has Vitamins K, C and E, to name a few. Apart from stir-frying, there are other ways to enjoy your bok choy!
Broccoli, the bane of most children and some adults. Maybe it's the appearance, but the maxim that an appearance can be deceiving definitely applies to the broccoli.
It is packed with nutrients including soluble fibre that can help reduce cholesterol, which conjointly is good for the heart. You can make it visually palatable for yourself or the kids as well.
If you want healthy skin, hair and bones, then Kale is your answer. Regarded as one of the world's healthiest foods, kale is also a good source of iron and Vitamin C.
Kale can be had as a smoothie and not forgetting, in several appetite stimulating way.
Brussels Sprouts
Another vegetable that's high in nutrients and rich in antioxidants is Brussels sprouts. Antioxidants can help reduce the risk of chronic disease, which should make this vegetable a staple on your plate.
It's also high in fibre and that among other things, helps to promote digestive health. You don't have to scratch your head when it comes to brussels sprouts recipes for there are heaps!
There are other vegetables of the cruciferous variety equally worth mentioning like radish, turnips and watercress being some examples. One of the reasons behind the demand for cruciferous vegetables is their apparent cancer-fighting properties.
Still, in general, eating vegetables is generally good for you, and when something is good, there's no reason to hate right?
So, finish your greens.


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Previously in Chutes...
Doyle was beginning to feel wary of his rescuers. He hadn't gotten away from the Mayor just to be someone else's pawn. "Am I prisoner here?" He demanded.
"Of course not," Giles reassured him. "I'm merely suggesting you might like to help us defeat him, whatever his plan is. You must want some retribution for what was done to you."
The seer considered that. Having his connection to the Powers cranked up felt like his skull was being torn open, 24 hours a day. Retribution sounded quite nice. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll help. What do you need me to do?"
Part 4, Chapter 4
Buffy timed each movement of her body with perfect precision. Spring had come and the evening was warm, as the last traces of daylight filtered through the trees. The grass was soft and damp beneath her bare feet. She breathed deeply, eyes closed, body perfectly attuned to the environment. She'd begun doing Tai Chi again recently. It had always been something she and Angel did together, but with all the stress the Scoobies had been under lately, she'd needed the calm it brought her.
Their research, as well as the quick B&E she and Faith had committed, had clued them in to the Mayor's plans. An ascension. The transformation of a human being into a demon. It turned out that their Mayor had actually been the Mayor for like a century, posing as his own son repeatedly. Buffy wasn't sure how no one had noticed this before. Maybe the high death rate had something to do with it. People got sacrificed, possessed, eaten, or turned into vamps all too frequently. Those that didn't, well, they weren't sticking around to vote in the next Mayoral election. So Richard Wilkins went on and on, suppressing his natural age and planning to ascend. Buffy could almost understand the urge to live forever. Anyone who lived on the edge of death like she did would get it. Life was precious and far, far too fleeting. What she didn't get was the urge to become a demon. She couldn't stand it when her skin got dry. There was no way she'd ever want leathery demon hide. Gross.
Research these days was heavy on the frustration and light on the information. They had no idea how to stop ascension, and this fact weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Their secret weapon, Doyle, wasn't exactly performing his duty. Sure, he had lots of visions, and Buffy and Faith raced all over Sunnydale saving the unfortunates he'd seen, but the Powers had been silent on the Mayor front. Zip, zero, nada.
That left Tai Chi.
"Buffy!" Her mom called from inside the house. "Dinner!"
Opening her eyes, the slayer exhaled, letting her limbs relax. She headed inside, remembering to wipe her feet on the way in. Joyce was getting a little annoyed with the Buffy-shaped footprints she kept leaving in the kitchen. "Smells good," she commented.
"Thanks," Joyce smiled. "It's just lasagna."
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Buffy shot a grin at her mom. "You said the magic word. Faith's here."
When Buffy swung open the front door, her girlfriend smiled at her from the other side. "Lasagna?"
The blonde laughed, leaning forward to get her hello kiss. "How did you know?"
"I didn't," Faith shrugged, stepping inside. "I just smelled it now. But damn, do I have good timing or what?"
"Faith," Joyce called from the kitchen. "If you're going to eat me out of house and home, come in here and set the table!"
Bounding into the kitchen, Faith greeted Buffy's mother with a wide smile. "You're letting me off light, Mrs. S. You could have me doing any chores you want around here for a piece of that lasagna."
"More like a pan," Joyce commented dryly, but she smiled. "If I got you to do all the chores, what would Buffy do?"
The blonde, who'd been sneaking cucumbers from the top of the salad bowl, dropped her hands innocently. "Who me? I'm sure I could find something to keep me busy."
"I'll bet," Joyce shook her head, "but since Faith wasn't the one who put a scratch on my Jeep, I think we'll leave the chore distribution as is."
Faith walked by Buffy, elbowing her softly as she passed on her way to set the table. "Told ya she was gonna notice that, B."
Buffy frowned, picking up the salad bowl and adding it to the table. "Doesn't anyone care that it was scratched while I was defending the town from evil?"
"No," her mother said, joining them at the table with a steaming, huge pan of lasagna.
Harrumphing as she sat down, Buffy threatened, "Next time I'll just let the world end. At least I'll be off the hook for the car."
"Okay, dear," Joyce said agreeably. "That sounds fair."
The blonde stuck her tongue out.
Faith watched their interactions with a happy grin firmly in place. It was hard to remember why she'd ever been afraid of Joyce finding out about her and Buffy. After a lengthy lecture on respecting her house rules, and never hurting her daughter (on pain of being run over with the aforementioned Jeep), the older woman had been nothing but supportive. She happily made enough food to feed two slayers, invited Faith to attend the opening of a new artist at the Gallery as Buffy's date, and even introduced her as Buffy's girlfriend to her colleagues. Joyce was flying the PFLAG these days, and both slayers were relieved about it.
The shrill ring of the phone interrupted their conversation, and everyone looked up. "I'll get it," Buffy offered, stepping away from the table. She picked up the cordless phone and clicked it on. "Hello?"
Giles was on the other end. "Buffy? We've got something."
The blonde's eyes met with Faith's. "We'll be right over."
"So what does the box of Grablock do exactly?" Buffy asked, trying to follow the two animated watchers. The gang was gathered in Giles's living room, ignoring the tea Doyle had helpfully prepared, but demolishing the cookies.
"Gavrok," Wesley corrected automatically, at this point so used to Buffy's penchant for misremembering names that he didn't even think about it, "and we don't know exactly. But we do know it's the last step the Mayor must take prior to ascending."
"So," Buffy clarified, "get the box, prevent the ascension."
"Okay," Faith added confidently, "then we'll get the box." A simple snatch and grab operation, a little mojo from the watchers and Willow, and poof, no ascension. Faith was seeing no downsides to this plan.
Doyle, who had been listening quietly to the meeting, spoke up. "It'll be tonight, at the docks. He's sending his heavy hitters." He cast a concerned look at the two slayers.
"We can handle it," Buffy assured the group. "I've been waiting for some payback on that suit guy who attacked me."
"So have I," the half-demon replied. "I want to come with you tonight."
Buffy looked skeptically at the newest addition to their group. He looked drastically improved over the weeks he'd been staying in Giles's guest room, but it hadn't been that long since he'd been held prison by the Mayor and his goons. Demon hybrid or not, he'd been tortured. That kind of thing seemed like it would take a while to recover from, and she was concerned about Doyle getting hurt. Looking to the Watchers for help, she said, "It's too dangerous. We can handle it."
"I know you're just trying to keep me safe," Doyle replied kindly, "but does it look like I need protecting?" He concentrated for a moment and then blue spikes split his skin. He grinned at her, a smile in his red eyes.
Buffy looked at Faith, who shrugged. "Good enough for me."
Seeing she was outnumbered, Buffy let it drop. She turned to Willow. "You guys will be ready to make with the mojo?"
The redhead nodded. "We have a few ingredients to pick up, but we'll be ready by the time you get back."
"Sounds like a plan then," Buffy said. "Let's show the Mayor who he's been messing with."
Things were not going to plan, Buffy thought, not at all. She raced through the darkened streets of Sunnydale, the box they'd come for in her arms. The courier's dismembered hand dangled limply from the box, smacking wetly against her jacket. Faith and Doyle ran with her, trying to outpace the vampires who'd given chase. "B!" Faith shouted to her left. "This isn't working!"
"What would you suggest?" Buffy huffed back.
"We gotta stop, pick a few off!"
The blonde nodded her agreement. The trio turned a sharp corner and then came to a stop, ready to ambush their pursuers. No fewer than a dozen vamps were chasing them. The odds were definitely not in their favor, but they didn't have many options ahead of them now. Doyle was in game face, his demonic side revealed. Faith stood at the ready, her stake raised. Buffy was unfortunately clutching the box for dear life. Why did she always get the crap end of the stake?
"Thin the herd, and then we run," Buffy instructed quietly.
The other two nodded, and in the seconds before the first vampire rounded the corner, Faith grabbed her in a bone-crunching hug, planting a firm kiss on her lips. "You look so hot when you're running for your life," she whispered in response to Buffy's incredulous look.
Buffy smiled in spite of herself. Poor timing aside, Faith was really sweet sometimes. She placed her back against the building behind her and held the box firmly. As the first vamp cleared the turn, Faith jumped him. She rode his back as he crashed to the street, and the two grappled for dominance.
Doyle took the next vamp, his beady red eyes glittering furiously in the moonlight. He stuck out a foot that the running vamp was unable to avoid, causing the vamp to trip and skid on his face.
Knowing it was her turn, Buffy braced herself, and stepped out just as the next vamp came barreling around the corner. Unwilling to drop the box, the slayer slammed it into the vampire's face, using his own momentum to deliver a skull crushing hit. The vamp sank like a stone.
The rest of the vamps didn't have the decency to arrive one by one. They rounded the corner as a group, immediately launching themselves at the slayers and their demonic backup.
Buffy kept a vice grip on the box, using it to block punches and break noses. She managed to dust one, noticing as she did so that Faith and Doyle were holding their own. Between them, they'd managed to dust another four of them. From the corner of her eye, she saw the one in the suit, who Doyle had told them was called Mr. Trick, watching the fight from the background.
A fast kick caught her in the temple, dazing her enough to loosen her grip on the box. The vampire, not realizing her hold was loosened, yanked with all his might.
The box clattered away, coming to a rest some feet away with the lid cracked. One of the vamps bent to retrieve it, only to scream in horror when a black shadow jumped from the box to his face. Skittering shapes poured from the box, quickly leaping upon another two vampires. Buffy had no idea what those things were, but she knew they had to close the box before more got loose. The remaining vampires were fleeing now, with Mr. Trick in the lead.
Buffy eyed the box desperately, trying to figure out how to close it without being overrun by those things. Before she could move, Doyle ran past her, snatched the box up, and slammed it closed. He dropped it again with a scream as one of the things latched on to his shoulder. The slayers raced to him, Faith using a length of board to smack the spiders away from their path. The three vampires had stilled, their faces bloody messes. Buffy had only her stake and she didn't want to use it, but she didn't see another way of getting Doyle free. She slammed the pointy end through the large, hairy spider, spearing Doyle's shoulder in the process. The spider screamed shrilly. It was easily one of the worst sounds she had ever heard.
"B!" Faith shouted, still pounding on the encroaching spiders like a game of demonic Wack-a-mole. "Gotta move!"
Buffy retracted the stake, shaking off the twitching spider, and snatched the closed box up from the ground. With her free arm, she dragged Doyle to his feet. With Faith in the lead, they took off down the street, hoping the vampires didn't follow.
They made it back to the library without further incident. The gang had been waiting tensely for them to return. They leapt to their feet as the slayers plowed through the doors, with an injured Doyle half dragged along by Faith.
"What happened to him?" Wesley asked, rushing to help them.
"Some kind of bite and then a stake to the shoulder," Buffy said regretfully. She held the box out to Giles. "Some of these things escaped and one was on him. I had to take it out."
"What are they?" Giles asked, as he gingerly accepted the box.
The blonde shrugged helplessly. "Demon spiders on steroids?"
"Ah," the watcher crinkled his nose in distaste. "Yes, well, we'll take care of that."
"They scattered down by the docks," Faith pointed out. "What about the ones that got loose?"
"The spell should eliminate all traces of these creatures from our dimension," Giles said confidently. "Willow, if you're ready?"
The redhead nodded, quickly following him into the office, where they spell was set up.
Cordelia cleared space on the table, allowing Faith and Wesley to lay Doyle flat.
The Irishman grimaced in pain as Faith tore the fabric of his shirt. The slayers both stepped back, allowing Wesley room to examine the wound. Faith noticed that Cordelia stayed close, slipping her palm into Doyle's. She'd suspected there was something brewing between them. Cordelia's acidic personality was slightly less so whenever she spoke about Doyle, and Faith had observed the man's eyes lingering on Cordy on more than one occasion. She didn't think the pair would act on things anytime soon—there was a big age difference between them. But there were definite sparks. She nudged Buffy's hip, nodding her head toward the scene.
The blonde nodded, smirking. Buffy agreed with Faith's theory. She didn't have a problem with their age difference. It was hard to find that stuff important after you'd dated a guy over 200 years your senior.
"I think he needs a hospital," Wesley said, nervously. "This wound is deep."
Cordelia's glare whipped toward the blonde. "Way to go, Buffy! Why don't you just stab him in the heart next time?"
"Cordy," Faith chastised, slipping her arm around Buffy's shoulders. It was obvious the blonde felt really bad about having stabbed Doyle. She didn't need an additional guilt trip.
Buffy leaned into her hold a little. It had been a rough fight, and she was generally opposed to stabbing friends, even for their own good. If they could really avert the ascension though, it would all be worth it.
"It's okay," Doyle told Cordy, through gritted teeth. "She had to do it."
Oz stepped forward. "I can drive, if you want to go to the hospital," he offered.
Wesley helped Doyle to slide off the table and stand shakily on his feet.
"I'll come with you," Cordelia said immediately, sliding under Doyle's good shoulder.
"Thanks," he shot her a crooked grin.
Wesley's voice was apologetic as he said, "I'm sorry we can't go with you. We should stay here to see this thing through."
"Don't worry," Doyle assured them, "I've got Cordelia. I'm sure she'll stand over the doctors and make sure they're doing everything right."
"You're damn right I will," the cheerleader responded. "Let's go, Oz."
"You did do the right thing, Buffy," Wesley assured her.
"Course she did," Faith chimed in, giving Buffy a final squeeze before letting her go.
They had just begun to clean up the table when the gentle creak of the library doors drew their attention. Striding in to the library was Mayor Wilkins. He smiled menacingly in the face of their obvious displeasure at seeing him. "I think you've got something that belongs to me," he said.
"Hmm," Buffy pretended to think, "do we have anything of his, Faith?"
"No, I don't think we do," Faith assured her. She shrugged, glancing at the Mayor. "Must be some other slayers that beat the crap out of your sorry excuse for henchmen."
Shaking his head, the Mayor looked to Wesley. "Children these days! They've got no respect for authority."
"I don't see any authority worth respecting around here," Wesley remarked.
"Well," Wilkins said indignantly, "I can see where they've picked up their attitudes." He directed a sneer in Faith's direction. "You'd do well to change your tone, young lady."
"Thanks for the tip, Mr. Rogers.
Buffy tried and failed to mask a snort at Faith's comment, earning her a glare from the Mayor.
Deciding to cut to the chase, Buffy stopped smiling. "You're not getting the box back," she said.
The Mayor smiled his creepy smile. "Oh, that's where you're wrong," he answered. "Boys!"
At his call, two vampires stepped through the library doors to flank him. "Now girls, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, I'm leaving with that box."
"I don't think so," Faith replied. "We know all about the box, and your whole ascension gig. Bottom line?" She smiled dangerously. "It's not happening."
Throwing back his head, the Mayor let out a delighted chuckle. "You think you can stop my ascension? The wheels are already in motion. I've been working towards this for longer than you've been alive, young lady. I will not have my plans derailed by some bimbo and her pathetic group of do-gooders."
"Who do you think you're calling a bimbo?" Buffy asked indignantly. "Just because I'm blonde, that does not make me a bimbo!"
As she finished speaking, the library flooded with a bright green flash of light. They all blinked for a moment, trying to adjust to the normal light once more.
Once Buffy could see straight again, she grinned happily at the Mayor. "You know what I love about you evil types? You love to talk. You just stood here flapping your gums while my Watcher destroyed your precious box."
Giles stepped from his office then, dropping the now empty black box to the floor and kicking it toward the Mayor.
Wilkins flushed red with embarrassment and annoyance. "This won't do at all," he said, shaking his head in disappointment. Glancing at his henchman, he ordered, "Kill them."
The two vampires charged into the room, and Buffy and Faith leapt on the defensive. Their watchers skirted the conflict, moving toward the counter, where Giles had two swords stashed.
The Mayor watched in fury as first one vamp, then the other, was dispatched by the slayers.
"You think this is over?" He asked.
"Unless you're going to take me," Faith scoffed.
Unseen by them, Wilkins had reached inside his jacket, producing a small dagger. He held it now. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," he assured Faith, just before he threw the dagger directly at Wesley.
It hit his chest, and the young watcher looked down for a moment in shock. His sword clattered to the floor, and he sunk to his knees.
Faith didn't even spare a second's thought for the Mayor. She ran right for her fallen watcher, dropping to her knees and pressing her palms desperately against his chest. "Wes!" She screamed in horror.
Buffy stood her ground, looking at the Mayor with cold fury in her eyes. Without so much as a warning, she whipped her wrist outward, sending her stake spiraling at the man. It struck his shoulder, in what should have been an extremely painful stab wound.
The Mayor remained calm, grinning eerily.
"What the hell?" Buffy sputtered, looking at the smiling man.
"Impervious to harm," Wilkins confided happily. He reached for the stake and quickly tugged it out. Peering past the stunned Buffy, the Mayor sighed. "You'd better do something about that. Almost impossible to get blood stains out of the floors." Turning his back, he strolled toward the exit, his usual calm demeanor back in place. At the doorway, he paused, turning back to look at them once more. "I'll see you soon."
Wesley was rushed in to surgery immediately, leaving a bloodstained Faith crying in the waiting room. Buffy held her tightly, rubbing her back. She knew all too well how it felt to hold your bleeding watcher in your arms. It was horrible, terrifying, and she knew Faith would be wracked with guilt. You could never anticipate all your opponent's moves, no matter how good you were, but Faith wouldn't see it that way. She would blame herself. Buffy stroked her girlfriend's back, hoping that she was helping Faith in some way. "He's going to be fine, Faith," she said quietly. "You'll see." Over the brunette's head, Buffy gave Giles a pointed look.
"He will," Giles jumped in immediately. "He's a healthy young man. A little knife wound is nothing he can't handle." He wasn't just saying that. The council wasn't exactly known for turning out tough stock, but in the months he'd been in Sunnydale, Giles had seen changes in Wesley. The man was stronger than he'd realized, better than he'd realized. He'd done wonders with Faith, where Giles hadn't even though to intervene on her behalf. Giles realized with surprise that he's grown to rather like the young watcher, in spite of a rocky start.
Faith sniffled, sitting up. "He'll be okay," she repeated, as if to reassure herself.
"He will," Buffy agreed, brushing some tangled hair from Faith's face. Her thumbs gently brushed tears from the brunette's cheeks.
The brunette nodded, trying to pull herself together. She wiped her tears on her sleeve. After a moment, she said darkly, "I'm going to kill Wilkins."
"Impervious to harm, remember?" Buffy pointed out.
"Actually," Giles said, "that's temporary. An effect of his dedication spell. It's supposed to last until the ascension, but since he won't be doing that…"
"It'll wear off," the blonde finished.
"At least until he tries this again," her watcher said.
"He can do that?" Buffy had been hoping this ascension was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and that once he'd missed the window, it was closed for good.
"With the box of Gavrok destroyed, he'll have to find a substitution for that ritual, but yes, I believe he can try again," Giles answered.
They all thought about this for a few minutes. "Then we need to deal with him before he gets the chance," Faith suggested.
Dismayed, Buffy looked at her girlfriend. "He's human, Faith."
"Is he?" Faith challenged. "You've seen his history, B. He should have died four times over by now. He's been using sorcery to keep himself alive, and he's pledged to become a demon."
"I know…" Buffy said, still feeling uncomfortable with the idea of eliminating the Mayor.
"We can discuss it further later," Giles interjected. The surgeon was walking toward them, finished with Wesley. The three of them jumped to their feet, turning frightened faces toward the doctor.
"He's going to make it," the doctor said immediately, relieving them all of their fears for the worst.
"Oh, thank God," Giles murmured.
Buffy grinned, throwing her arms around Faith and kissing her cheek. "I told you he'd be okay."
"You were right like always," Faith said, a hint of her usual sarcastic self back in her voice. She looked at the doctor. "When can we see him?"
"He should be in recovery soon," the surgeon said. "I can send a nurse out to get you. You are family, right?"
"His niece," Faith lied with ease.
"Brother," Giles added.
"Uh," Buffy paused, "busted. Niece's girlfriend."
The surgeon smiled. "Well, for now it'll be family only."
"Of course," Buffy agreed. "I'll wait out here."
They thanked the doctor, sitting down again to wait for word that they could see Wesley. "Couldn't think of a lie that fast?" Faith teased.
"Well, I was going to go with other niece, but he just saw me kiss you…"
"Good point," Faith agreed. "This isn't West Virginia."
A nurse walked toward them. "You're the Wyndham-Price family?" She inquired.
They all nodded.
"You can see him now," the nurse said. "Just for a few minutes though."
"Thank you," Giles said, standing to follow her.
Faith looked at Buffy.
"Go," the blonde told her. "I'll wait for you."
Nodding, Faith leaned closer to press a quick kiss to the other slayer's lips. "Okay." Standing, she followed Giles through the doors to recovery.
One chapter left! :)


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09 Jan Enter a New World of Productivity with Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) !!
Hey all,
I am a fan of tablets for its increased portability when compared to laptops yet powerful enough than smartphone features to carry out day to day activities. Many a times, I have used my tablet as an alternative to my laptop especially while I am on the go.
Today I'll be talking about the Asus ZenPad 7.0 which was kindly sent to me by Team Asus to review.
I travel to work everyday and that takes around 4 hours in total. I am out of my home a lot with no access to my desktop. As a lifestyle blogger, we need uninterrupted access to any computing power to cope up with writing reviews, image editing and other works. The screen of smartphones are too small and the features, not so versatile. The Asus ZenPad 7.0 tablet has proven to be my best blogging buddy and a perfect tool to help with my professional/ blogging needs, as well as personal needs for me-time once in a while like chatting, playing games and watching movies. The Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) houses a powerful 3450 mAh battery.
Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) has a powerful Intel® Atom™ x3-C3230 (64-bit) quad-core processor that can handle multiple tasks and deliver an immersive entertainment experience of up to 8 hours of multimedia like web surfing, music and video playback. You can enjoy the videos and photos on its larger 7″ screen. The body is small like any other traditional device but the bezel width is minimum and the tab has a whooping 72% screen to body ratio.
The Asus Zenpad 7.0 tablet comes in a number of stylish colours. You can choose from the standard Obsidian Black or White but there is an interesting Aurora Metallic version, my personal favourite. If none of these colors suit yor fashionista style, then you can easily customize your tablet with functional cases perfectly matching your look. ASUS is offering cases with extra features and additional color options. ASUS ZenPad 7.0 features an innovative interchangeable design. Dont forget to buy a sassy cover that can totally accommodate this Zenpad 7.0 tablet !
The audio cover is a great addon accessory for the Zenpad. ASUS Audio Cover is an entertainment accessory that brings cinematic, 5.1-channel surround sound to ASUS ZenPad 7.0 with DTS-HD Premium Sound and SonicMaster technology. The Zenpad 7 with audio cover is a match made in heaven in my view.
The Zenpad 7.0 is comfortable to hold in hand and carry in my bag. It uses oleophobic coating with anti finger print technology which is nice.The tablet feels slim and light weighted and it fits snugly in its audio cover!
The tablet is powered by Android v5.0 Lollipop operating system ( might upgrade to Android v6.0 Marshmallow soon). I just love these chocolate names of the OS. Dont you think its fun?
This tablet boasts two cameras: one on the back and one on the front. ASUS ZenPad 7.0's 8MP ( f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash ) PixelMaster rear camera captures stunning, high-resolution photos. With 2 MP secondary camera, you can shoot endless selfies.
There is a Low Light Mode on the Zenpad 7.0 that employs pixel-merging technology to capture up to 400% brighter photos at night, or in low-light scenes, without the need for a flash.
You will like the brand new, brighter, smarter, simpler and even more beautiful ZenUI. You can download as many apps as you want.
ASUS VisualMaster with a suite of exclusive visual enhancement technologies like Intelligent contrast and Sharpness optimization combines hardware and software to optimize all aspects of the display — including contrast, sharpness, color, clarity, and brightness — resulting in an incredibly realistic viewing experience. The display is vivid and fantastic.
I am a fan of ASUS Zenpad 7.0 for its fashion-inspired design. The design of ASUS ZenPad 7.0 is modern, simple and clean with a universal stylish appeal. The design elements are inspired by Zen philosophy of balancing beauty and strength. ASUS ZenPad uses the latest Micro SIM standard. Asus ZenPad 7.0 features a 7-inch 1280 pixels by 800 pixels LED backlit IPS HDR display and a 16 GB internal storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). It measures 189.00 x 110.90 x 8.70 (height x width x thickness) and weighs 272.00 grams.
The real beauty of ASUS Zenpad 7.0 is having access to a high functioning mini tablet that I can just pop into my purse or briefcase bag as I move out.
The Asus Zenpad 7.0 is priced at Rs.11,999 (2GB RAM / 16GB Storage) and it is a luxury in your terms. The Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) will also be available with the Audio Cover at Rs. 14,999. This tablet truly is a lifesaver for me. I can take snaps, read ebooks, check emails, store notes and write blogs. I no longer miss any deadline in the busy life I lead.
Are you planning to buy a tablet? But don't know which one is best for you? If your answer is yes, check out ASUS Zenpad 7.0. What are your thoughts ? Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) will be a perfect 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet for all including bloggers.
This Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) review post is brought to you in collaboration with Asus India ~~


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Online Classrooms, Self Learning Material, E-Learning
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Corporate Cell
Our team partners with organizations in its student placement efforts.
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Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning has been providing quality education to students spread all over the globe for more than a decade.
Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning has a Dynamic Assessment System , Participants decide the time, place and pace of the exam.
Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) is one of the largest autonomous distance learning education institute in India.
Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) has, since its inception in 2001, made rapid strides in providing quality education to many students.
Directors Message
Ranking & Awards
SCDL Advantage
News & Events
Recognized by AICTE
The renewable energy sector is growing at an exponential rate creating new job opportunities across the globe. This program aims to develop competency in the areas of energy policy making, financing, energy management, auditing and infrastructure provisioning.
PGDBCL program covers various facets of business and corporate legislation and is a judicious mixture of the two. It includes recent acts such as the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, the Companies Act, 2013 with recent amendments and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Besides, the program familiarises students with international business laws and laws related to banking. Keeping in focus the needs of the open economy, this program includes areas such as mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, due diligence procedure
, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms etc.
Career Opportunities:
Business Development Manager (Renewable Energy), Consultant, Chief Investment Officer in Renewable Energy, Project Manager Energy etc.
Customize programs as per Corporate
Total Credit Points : 72


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Testimonials & Reviews | Page 1 of 6 | Terry Donze Leave Review
Thank you for your submission!
Terry Donze is a great Realtor, I cannot ay enough good things about her, my wife and I are pretty picky, we looked at a lot of homes for this purchase and she kept helping and advising us the whole way. I think one of her strong points is understanding the market and where properties should be priced. If I were buying or selling a property there is not another realtor I would use in Chester County, PA.
Through this transactin terry was very responsive. She performed all that was needed to sell our property with minimal interaction from me. We worked with her remotely while she took care of the repairs, listing contract signing and even the closing. We met her once to do a walk through of the property before listing after that she handled everything very professionally. I property sold within 2 hours of being listed in early 2016. In January 2017 she made sure we had all the documents that the CPA would need to file taxes. Very Very professional!!!
Terry is amazing. She treats you like her own family member. She is honest and realistic about expectations. Within one week on the market I had two full price offers on my home. Terry walked me through the whole process. She is an excellent communicator. She broke all options down and helped me understand the next steps. I have also purchased a home with Terry. She was always available and when she was not she was able to get me a fellow colleague to assist with showing me homes on my time schedule. She is overly accommodating. I highly recommend Terry, you will not be disappointed
Terry is such a talented and easy person to work with. She took the complexity out of of the process, was always available and attended to all of our questions in a timely manner. Her knowledge of the Real Estate market is exemplary and she worked with us as a partner attending meetings with various stakeholders, making sure we understood each step of the process. I recommend Terry with the highest regard and will look forward to working with her again in the future.
Terry was more like a friend when we were looking a house. She helped us twice and both times she was very knowledgeable and helpful. We connected with Terry, when we were having to move from Virginia to Greater Philadelphia region. She was very accommodative in meeting with us at any location we chose. She spent hours answering our questions, providing objective data regarding how the process of renting would be. She listened to all our needs showed us houses which had almost everything on our list. When renting, we had very little time, to make the move and she was very diligent and gave us all the time we wanted and we were able to close a rental home at a very short timeline. We called her in a year when we wanted to buy a place, she was a friend now, she again showed us houses which had almost all the items on the list. We closed on a house by seeing houses only on weekends for 4 weeks.
We only needed her help finding a rental but she was patient and listened to what we wanted. Will definitely looking her up when we are ready to buy.
Terry is 100% professional and reliable. She was able to help me close on a property and manage paperwork while I was off the grid on military service.
Terry works hard to meet her clients needs. She is always available and willing to help. If you are in need of a realtor, look no further, you won't be disappointed.
I can't say enough good things about Terry as a realtor. She helped my wife and I buy our first home, and we are working with her again to possibly buy and sell in the near future. I'll admit, we aren't the easiest clients to work with, but Terry is always available to answer any questions or show us a house on short notice. The best thing about Terry is her honesty. She doesn't try to push you into buying something that she doesn't think will fit your needs or your budget. She really gets to know her clients, not just sell them a house and move. I would definitely recommend Terry to anyone looking to buy or sell a house!
Terry is the most thorough and impressive Realtor and we are truly grateful to her for taking such good care of us buying our new home. We are impressed with Terry's timely communications and skillful handling of negotiations.Thank you for your outstanding professional service, Terry.. Working with you was a joy and Yes, we absolutely would hire you again!!!


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CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova has banned all foreigners from entering by plane from any country affected by the coronavirus.
The ban took effect on Tuesday, three days after the eastern European state reported its first coronavirus case.
Announcing it late on Monday, Prime Minister Ion Chicu said the country could not completely ban flights, but that only Moldovan citizens would be permitted to board planes departing for Moldova from virus-infected countries.
It was not immediately clear how the ban would be implemented. Well over 100 countries and territories have reported cases of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.
Moldova's first case, a 48-year-old woman, was critically ill with acute respiratory failure, the health ministry said on Tuesday. She had been hospitalised after arriving from Italy by plane on Saturday.
Reporting by Alexandar Tanas, writing by Pavel Polityuk; editing by John Stonestreet


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If the Affordable Care Act goes extinct in the Trump era, it could very likely end early retirement along with it, reports The New York Times.
The option to retire early was undoubtedly one of the bonus gifts of Obamacare. The law provided health insurance untethered to employment and removed a big impediment for those who wanted to leave their jobs before turning 65, when they become eligible for coverage through Medicare.
Before that, pre-existing conditions frequently blocked the ability to buy insurance on the open market as an individual, and people found that their older age likely made it cost-prohibitive. In the same vein, self-employment numbers increase when workers turn 65 and obtain Medicare coverage.
But what the Times doesn't spell out is exactly who relies on retiring early.
"Early retirement" conjures images of affluent-looking couples walking along a pristine beach holding hands, or entrepreneurs writing their second chapters in life. In reality, it looks nothing like that. Early retirees are often folks who lose their jobs or have to retire unexpectedly because of a health problem ― either their own or that of a spouse or other relative. It is the nation's family caregivers, sick people and older workers who lose their jobs before retirement age.
People actually aren't looking to leave work early as much as they are planning to work longer ― if they can. A Willis Towers Watson survey of 5,100 U.S. employees last year found that far more are planning to retire after age 65 (46 percent) than before it (30 percent). And only 2 percent of those surveyed expect to retire before age 55.
That may explain why the ACA did not fuel a mass exodus of early retirees. What it did was provide an option to those who had to leave the workplace. And now, that option is at risk of going away.
Should that happen, here's who will feel the pain the most:
Caregivers who must leave the workforce.
Two out of every five adults — tens of millions of Americans — are family caregivers. Most of them are also working full- or part-time jobs. Their stress levels are high, their work often suffers, and with support services unavailable, they feel they have no choice but to retire early. Increasingly, working women over 50 are leaving their jobs in order to provide care to a loved one, according to Boston College's Center for Retirement Research.
Caregiving for parents peaks in the mid-50s ― when the caregiver is too young for Medicare. Nevertheless, about 11 percent of caregivers end up having to quit their job to care for someone at home around the clock.
Caregivers often neglect their own health. That will likely worsen if they leave work and have no option for health insurance. And that simply advances what they are hoping to avoid: One of the big factors in deciding to place a loved one in a long-term care facility is the family caregiver's own declining physical health. Caregiving kills.
Older people who lose their jobs.
In the Great Recession, people of every age were laid off from their jobs, but it was older people who stayed out of work the longest. Some never found their footing in the job market again. Age discrimination is real, especially in the hiring process. Finding a job is hard. Older workers have been encouraged to age-sensitize their resumes ― drop off the year they graduated and maybe even their first few jobs.
As long as health coverage is tethered to jobs, there will be a painful gap for older workers who lose their jobs.
Those hit by a major health issue.
As we age, we have more health issues. This often results in two forces pulling you in conflicting directions. On the one hand, you are reluctant to leave your job because of the health coverage it provides and your increasing need for it. But on the other hand, having health issues reminds you that you really want to have some healthy good years to enjoy yourself once you stop work.
When people get sick, they often decide it's time to hit the road. Those who take early retirement because of health problems may be eligible for the Social Security Disability Insurance program ― but that's not a slam dunk.
There is, however, one very simple ― and highly unlikely ― solution to the repeal of the ACA tanking early retirement: Require that private companies provide retiree health benefit plans, as they once did.
Private sector companies used to routinely provide some form of subsidized health coverage for older workers who they employed for a fixed number of years. Those retiree health plans are now rarely seen outside the public sector.
A study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that workers were 68 percent more likely to retire early if their employer offered a health insurance plan to cover them in retirement.
We often think the key to when retirement starts is how much we've saved ― but it seems it may have as much to do with health insurance.


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The observatory is located on the roof of the School of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, University of London, providing the ideal location for undertaking astronomical observations within central London
The primary purpose of the observatory is for teaching undergraduate students studying for a BSc or MSci degree in astrophysics. Students will be introduced to basic techniques in astronomical observing and data analysis as part of their undergraduate taught modules, and will have opportunities to undertake observational astronomy projects. We also use the observatory as a key resource for our outreach activities.
The observatory houses a number of payloads with a range of subsidiary hardware.
Funds to support these upgrades have been generously provided by the University of London Perren Fund and by the Queen Mary Annual Fund which disburses donations received from QM Alumni.
Although we are located in central London, a broad range of observations can be undertaken through use of appropriate filters or by a judicious choice of targets. Examples of the types of observations that students will undertake include:
Examples of images taken recently from the observatory are shown on the right. These were obtained as part of summer internships for two of our current undergraduate students who learned how to use the telescope and perform image analysis during a 8 week period in the summer of 2013. Moving from top to bottom these show:
Many more images can be found by clicking on the left hand menu items, along with further details of the equipment housed in the observatory and various projects already carried out by some of our students.


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Sustainability Trust
Social Enterprise
About Us
We're a social enterprise that supports Wellington people to create warm,
healthy homes and reduce their impact on the environment.
We provide independent advice, sell products and run community programmes.
Talk to us about everything from insulation and curtains to worm farming and coffee cups.
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Fun, frustrating, addictive – this is Flappy Birds. Flap your wings to fly in this awesome skill game! While the developer took his masterpiece down from the app stores you can still enjoy it as a free online game. Carefully avoid the pipes and get further than anyone else while you see the other players fail.
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text: As a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was to spend the night at my aunt's house. At bedtime, her husband, Joie, would sit down on the end of the bed and tell me and my cousins the most unbelievable tall tales. His favorite theme was oceanic exploration. He had a scuba … Continue reading Linda: Part 1


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Our Nov 18th meeting on "Church and Technology" was engaging and we thank Gil Klassen and the staff at YFC for hosting November's meeting and leading us in the conversation. Here is the link to those areas covered for you to dive into the resources further. If you have other resources you'd like to share with our faith community, feel free to email Gil and they can consider adding! Here is the link for reference: http://yfcsask.com/media Gil's email: email@example.com
We'll keep this open for another month and will report the results at our Jan. Meeting! There are only 10 questions that will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time. Thank you in advance for your participation (and to those who have thus far!) https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XSMCGLK
Save the date! An invite will be going out soon for our December 16th Christmas luncheon! It will be held at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church catered once again this year by Jakob and there will be an service opportunity during our luncheon to bless local children in need through our efforts. More information to come!
1) The End of Life workshops on November 26th and 28th (addressing the topic of Euthanasia and the call for the Church to be a voice for all those in our care and influence to "live with dignity" at each stage of life), see attached invitations and personal letter from Bishop Don Bolan on our Google Cal- side link.
2) Evangelical/ Catholic Dialogue mtg: "We Acknowledge our Differences" on December 4th at 7pm is the second set of community dialogue addressing the second section of the 3 part document within community relations between Evangelicals/ Catholics in our city. We encourage you to attend these gatherings (or send another from your church/ ministry) as they require our attention and prayerful input/ discernment as we walk together in truth and grace. (See invite on our Google Cal- side link)


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GCC in catch-22 over FIDIC forms
The Fidic form of contracts has been in the Middle East since the 1970s, yet it is far from popular. Adam Webster looks at legal issues that should be borne in mind when negotiating Fidic-based contracts.
THE legal systems of the Middle East are founded upon civil law principles (most heavily influenced by Egyptian law, which is itself based on the Napoleonic Code) and Islamic Shariah law – the latter constituting the guiding principle and source of law. [Read more…]