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With a little help...
I had a great day with Ali yesterday. I delivered her vanity and a few other things, and saw her apartment (she has a nice, big room), and then we dropped off her car for new tires and went out to lunch -- her choice. First, we made a stop at Radio Shack -- I needed a new battery for my cordless phone (ack, it cut me off during a conversation with DAD the other day) and a headset so I can knit or crochet
or clean... knit or crochet while I talk on the phone!
After lunch, we skipped over to a nearby Goodwill where I scored an old Steve Martin album and a book, and Ali found a couple of pairs of pants for work and a few little things for the apartment (cleaning stuff!). Hancock Fabrics was also close and I was so happy to have an able assistant to choose fabric for lining my Larger Than Life Bag!
I didn't have the bag with me for color matching and I didn't have the pattern for yardage requirements (so my yardage is... um, let's say... very healthy), and thank goodness for Ali and her artist's eye. I think she's only seen these squares a few times on the blog! I was not so sure about these choices and I kept asking, "Are you sure this wouldn't be better? How about this?" She was nice, but firm, replying, "THAT?? In THOSE colors?" in a way that came through loud a clear, and was later rewarded with some flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth stuff that caught her eye.
Isn't it perfect? I'm so excited to finish now!! The dark stripe will be the outside of the lining and the lighter stripe will be the inside of the lining. Yeah. Let's see if I can pull that off. And I'd also like pockets.
We picked up Ali's car and it's insane how happy we were about new tires. I'd been talking with a nice guy at the tire place on the phone a few times -- checking options, making the appointment -- and he happened to be the one to handle our paperwork in the end. Turned out he was young and cute and I think my daughter knocked his socks off -- well, actually, she left him speechless. I swear. He was telling us something terribly important (I'm sure) about the tires, blahblahblah, looked at Ali and totally lost it -- admitted that he couldn't remember what he was saying! Too funny. I love this stuff -- life is never dull.
Ali zipped off to work and I had a few minutes to spare before I had to pick up Maddy -- not enough to first go home -- so I did the only thing I could do and made a stop at Iris, my LYS. I picked up a few skeins of worsted -- some 220 and Lamb's Pride to go with the Galway -- to work out the HEX, and I chatted with the owner. She told me about a Master Knitter Interest Group they're starting and this might be It. I recently read about Marlene's fabulous success in passing Level I on the first go -- and this has just been on my mind almost since I began blogging.
I'm glad y'all see the humor in the words we pick up and use -- even at a young age, even when we don't really know what we're saying, even when those words really aren't part of everyday language. Honestly, my sister and her family do not F-this and F-that all the time, nor do I, but kids just seem to pick up on all that stuff that's bad in no time -- like cussing and candy! There were some caramels on the table the other day -- Mack had never seen them before, but somehow he just knew... "I want that!"


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Florida Atlantic University's AACSB-accredited College of Business delivers an on the internet Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program with majors in Management, Advertising, or Accounting. As for your query on some excellent regionally accredited online schools this web page – lists some very good on-line colleges that are accredited and reputed contact them and see if they match in your spending budget or not. In addition to entry-level accounting skills, Hiram students graduate with their Bachelor's of Accounting and Economic Management understanding how to recognize and use monetary and economic approaches in a variety of industries. You can operate on your courses wherever and anytime you want, and comprehensive your degree in two years or ten.
Distance acquirements or on the internet academy amount applications are an affordable an additional to the acceptable blazon of college. On the web learners learn new difficulty-solving strategies, as nicely as the communication and laptop skills that accountants require to succeed. Accounting system software's are readily obtainable on the net and can be use for online accounting job. Graduate are awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree that is registered with the NYS Education Department.
Along with instilling fundamental accounting expertise and knowledge, the system will boost the analytical and quantitative capabilities that are essential for success. There is a shortage of seasoned accounting pros , which puts those with their CPA designation even a lot more in demand. This Certificate covers several of the fundamentals, such as crucial accounting skills, pc use in the accounting atmosphere, economic organizing, and gathering information. If you cannot discover the excellent invoicing or accounting package, appear for 1 with add-on possibilities, such as an option to boost the quantity of users for an extra charge. To get started on a profession in accounting, you should enroll in an accredited company or accounting degree program. In addition, Craven Neighborhood College offers two certificate applications: an IT Accounting Tech certificate, a Payroll Accounting certificate and a Little Business Accounting certificate.
Graduating with a two-year associate degree in accounting from Casper College will supply students with two choices: continue on to earn a bachelor's and a master's, or commence operating in bookkeeping or tax preparation. This exclusive bookkeeping pathway combines a bookkeeping and two accounting qualifications inside a single program developed to meet the requirements of today's accounting sector.
In seeking at little company accounting possibilities, especially looked for applications created to meet both the budget and the needs of a typical little workplace or small business. No matter whether you happen to be a CPA candidate with a bachelor's degree searching to full these final 30 semester hours, or a business specialist searching to expand your profession choices, earning a graduate degree in accounting will place you at the best of your field. Initial, it is crucial to recognize you can usually pursue your on the internet degree on your personal time frame.

subset: commoncrawl


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Established in 2010, the Dean's Advisory Council provides the Dean with advice and assistance about the activities and strategic direction of the Faculty. The scope of the mandate includes the law school's academic and professional programs, the relationship of the Faculty with external stakeholders in various communities, alumni relations and development activities. The Council is comprised of a diverse group of visionary, prominent and active leaders who are committed to strengthening and supporting the Faculty and its teaching, research and community initiatives.
Honourary Chair
The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, PC
Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Ottawa, Canada
The Honourable Robert J. Bauman, BA, LLB
Chief Justice of British Columbia
Court of Appeal for British Columbia/Court of Appeal of Yukon
Vancouver, Canada
Mr. Kinji Bourchier, BA, LLB
Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
President, Allard School of Law Alumni Association
Vancouver, Canada
The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, PC, CC, OBC, QC
Canada's 19th Prime Minister
Vancouver / New York City / Florence
The Honourable Melissa Gillespie
Chief Judge of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
The Honourable Christopher E. Hinkson
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, CC, QC
Senior Counsel, Torys LLP
Toronto, Canada
Mr. Don Avison
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Law Society of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
Mr. Jamie Maclaren, QC
Executive Director, Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia
Law Society of BC (Bencher)
Vancouver, Canada
Ms. Kerry L. Simmons, QC
Executive Director, Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch
Vancouver, Canada
Mr. A. Keith Mitchell, QC
Partner, Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP
Vancouver, Canada
Ms. Linda I. Parsons, QC
J.D., Certified Executive Coach, Columbia University, NY
Vancouver, Canada
The Honourable C. Lynn Smith, QC
Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
Mr. Ronald N. Stern, LLB
President, Stern Partners Inc.
Vancouver, Canada
Mr. Victor Yang, BComm, LLB
Managing Partner
Yang Chan & Jamison
Hong Kong SAR


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Unmatched Luxury
450 - 550
6,400 lbs
The Super Air Nautique G25 leaves nothing to be desired. Packed with the latest innovations and delivering world-class surf waves and wakeboard wakes, this flagship will keep everyone happy that you bring onboard. At 25-feet, the G25 has all the passenger space you'd ever need, but also boasts an enormous amount of storage space. With an interior that can be transformed from a social area to a spectator-style configuration, the G25 delivers you with the ultimate on-water experience all summer long. Step aboard and start making lifelong memories.
The largest of the G-Series models, The Super Air Nautique G25 is the perfect choice if you use your boat on larger water ways or want to bring all your friends and family along. With a wide and tapered hull and the iconic look of a G-Series, the G25 combines modern lines with timeless styling for an unrivaled look on the water.
With enough room for all your friends and family, the lounge inside the Super Air Nautique G25 has expansive space and is extremely versatile. Spend time in the U-shaped lounge when hanging out and being social, then utilize the flip-up passenger and reversible stern seats when the action starts behind the boat. Either way, the G25 has the perfect configuration for whatever on-water activity you choose.
The Super Air Nautique G25 was created with a performance-first mentality. This hull shape has the ability to deliver wakesurf waves that are completely customizable, and the wakeboard wakes are perfectly shaped for beginners all the way up through expert riders. The integration of the Nautique Configurable Running Surface® (NCRS) and the Nautique Surf System (NSS) right into the design of the hull allows this legendary model to outperform the rest.
Build & Customize G25
Locate Your Nearest Nautique Dealer
Download the 2020 Nautique Brochure


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Released on 24th of May 2006 (build: #29) Genome 2.6.1 for .NET2 was released on 8th of June 2006 (build: #9)
As we are in the process of building the infrastructure for advanced features announced for the upcoming Genome 3.0 release, we can already make some improvements available now.
Improved performance
Improved data populationWe have optimised Genome for many data populating scenarios. These optimisations are transparent, so you can benefit from them without modifying the code.
Improved by-Id query generationWe have introduced an internal caching mechanism for generated SQL queries that retrieve objects by their identity values. The cached queries are stored in an LRU cache to provide you fast access to the most commonly used objects while keeping memory consumption under a certain limit. For most applications, the default cache size (twice the number of persistent classes) will be suitable, but you can fine-tune this value (or even disable the cache) by setting the DataDomainConfiguration.ByIdQueryCacheSize property for DataDomain creation.
Predictive caching for set propertiesWe have refined Genome's predictive caching feature to allow you to bypass lazy loading for set properties in order to optimise nested query execution. In previous releases, this optimisation feature could only be used for singular references (near object references). See PredictiveCacheManager.PrecacheSet in Genome's documentation for details about this feature. Query cachingTo support predictive caching for set properties, we have introduced the first version of query caching in Genome. With the QueryCacheManager.CacheSet method, you can load up and store the content of a set instance in the Context and use the query for data operations without executing additional queries to the database. You can control the cache's behaviour using the same cache configuration rules as you do for object-level caching. Specifying typeof(Set) in the cache rules alters the configuration specifically for the query cache. Read more about this feature under QueryCacheManager.CacheSet. New features
Context.AfterOpenConnection eventWe have introduced a new event that can be used to execute direct SQL commands (like SET LOCK_TIMEOUT) when a new connection/transaction is initiated by Genome. See Context.AfterOpenConnection for details. Transforming merge-incompatible queries automatically In previous versions, intersecting or subtracting queries that have different query structures was not possible without reformulating the query. Genome can now perform this transformation automatically in most cases. Mapping the SQL "IN" operatorYou can now generate queries with the SQL "IN" operator. The newly introduced Sql.IsIn() method can handle Genome sets (of scalar element type) and any other arbitrary client-side IEnumerable collections. A sub-query expression in the former case, and a list of values in the latter case will be generated for the SQL IN operator. Read more about this feature under Sql.IsIn (object, Set) and Sql.IsIn (object, IEnumerable). Set.Contains methodTo decrease the complexity of OQL queries, we have introduced a new operation on the Set class. With the Set.Contains Set.Contains method, you can easily and efficiently check whether an item is in the set both on the client and on the server side. The framework will choose the best implementation depending on your set's element type. If the element type is a scalar or persistent class that only has one primary key, a SQL "IN" operator is generated with a sub-query expression. If the element type has more than one primary key, then the "EXISTS" SQL operator is used instead. Genome extensionsThis version introduces extensions for using Genome with Winforms applications, including an adapter for the Set to be used with the Winforms datagridview control.New samplesThe NorthwindDatabinding samples demonstrate how to use Genome with the new Winforms extensions.


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Newly developed ecosystem model NEMO-Nordic-SCOBI was applied to Skagerrak - Kattegat area to investigate the variability of some indicators of the ecosystem. Also, two sensitivity runs were performed to investigate possible effect of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) and a river loads reduction scenario on the Skagerrak - Kattegat area. The performed investigation could be used "to provide a basis to assist with the interpretation of measurement data before the Intermediate Assessments Eutrophication status assessment". Comparison of simulation results with observations indicates acceptable model performance. Modeled sea surface salinity, temperature and dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) are in good agreement with observations. At the same time, the model has a bias in certain areas of the investigated region for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved silicate during the winter season. However, the model in its current state shows good enough results for the performed investigation. Results of the two sensitivity studies show a decrease of sea surface nutrients concentrations during winter period in both regions. In the Skagerrak area the decrease is due to reduction in river nutrient loads in North Sea. In the Kattegat area there is a decrease of dissolved phosphate due to the implementation of BSAP. At the same time, in both scenarios, no significant changes were obtained for near bottom oxygen or surface layer Chl-a.
Den nyligen utvecklade ekosystemmodellen NEMO-Nordic-SCOBI användes för att studera variabiliteten av några indikatorer för ekosystemet i Skagerrak- kattegatt området. Även två känslighetsstudier gjordes för att undersöka möjliga effekter av Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) och en reduktion scenario av närsaltstillförsel på Skagerrak-Kattegatt området. Den utförda studien kan användas som underlag och stöd vid tolkningen av observationsdata inför utvärderingen "Intermediate Assessments Eutrophication status assessment". Jämförelsen mellan modelldata och observationer indikerar att modellens resultat är acceptabla. Modellerade ytvärden av salthalt, temperatur och löst fosfat (DIP) visar god överenskommelse med observerade värden. Samtidigt har modellresultaten avvikelser i vissa delområden vad gäller löst oorganiskt kväve (DIN) och löst kisel under vitertid. Dock visar modellen i sitt nuvarande tillstånd tillräckligt goda resultat för den aktuella studien. Resultaten från de två känslighetsstudierna visar en minskning av näringskoncentrationer i ytan under vintern i båda havsområdena. I Skagerrak är minskningen orsakad av reducerad närsaltstillförsel i Nordsjön. I Kattegatt minskar lösta fosfatet på grund av genomförandet av BSAP. Ingen av scenarierna visade någon signifikant påverkan på syre vid havsbotten eller på ytkoncentratiner av Chl-a.
The Baltic Sea is a marginal sea, located in a highly industrialized region in Central Northern Europe. Saltwater inflows from the North Sea and associated ventilation of the deep exert crucial control on the entire Baltic Sea ecosystem. This study explores the impact of anticipated sea level changes on the dynamics of those inflows. We use a numerical oceanic general circulation model covering both the Baltic and the North Sea. The model successfully retraces the essential ventilation dynamics throughout the period 1961-2007. A suite of idealized experiments suggests that rising sea level is associated with intensified ventilation as saltwater inflows become stronger, longer, and more frequent. Expressed quantitatively as a salinity increase in the deep central Baltic Sea, we find that a sea level rise of 1 m triggers a saltening of more than 1 PSU. This substantial increase in ventilation is the consequence of the increasing cross section in the Danish Straits amplified by a reduction of vertical mixing.
A full resolved three-dimensional physical-biogeochemical model ERGOM (Ecological ReGional Ocean model) was used to simulate the carbon dynamics in the Baltic Sea. Here, a simple carbon cycle has been included in the model. This was accomplished by the addition of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity to the model. Model results of the hindcast simulation (1961-2007) are in a good agreement with observations. Lateral gradients of the alkalinity are well reproduced by the model. A net inorganic carbon transport from the Baltic Sea to the Kattegat is in the range of the results of previous studies. Further, two climate projections with different nutrient load scenarios reflecting the possible development of the carbon system dynamics in the Baltic Sea were conducted. Climate scenario simulations (1961-2100) showed a continuous "acidification effect" of the Baltic Sea that mainly is controlled by changing of the atmospheric pCO(2). However, changes in pH due to other factors (such as changing temperature, primary production) are different for different regions of the sea. Simulated mean total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon decrease in scenarios of climate change despite the increase of total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon loads. The performed climate simulations show that mean total alkalinity decreases by about 150 mmol m(-3) and dissolved inorganic carbon by about 80-120 mmol m(-3). At the same time total alkalinity to salinity relations change in future climate due to that salinity decreases "faster" than alkalinity. Simultaneously, export of the total alkalinity and the dissolved inorganic carbon from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea has the trend to increase from 11% to 18% depending on the climate scenario. C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In the future, the Baltic Sea ecosystem will be impacted both by climate change and by riverine and atmospheric nutrient inputs. Multi-model ensemble simulations comprising one IPCC scenario (A1B), two global climate models, two regional climate models, and three Baltic Sea ecosystem models were performed to elucidate the combined effect of climate change and changes in nutrient inputs. This study focuses on the occurrence of extreme events in the projected future climate. Results suggest that the number of days favoring cyanobacteria blooms could increase, anoxic events may become more frequent and last longer, and salinity may tend to decrease. Nutrient load reductions following the Baltic Sea Action Plan can reduce the deterioration of oxygen conditions.
Multi-model ensemble simulations using three coupled physical-biogeochemical models were performed to calculate the combined impact of projected future climate change and plausible nutrient load changes on biogeochemical cycles in the Baltic Sea. Climate projections for 1961-2099 were combined with four nutrient load scenarios ranging from a pessimistic business-as-usual to a more optimistic case following the Helsinki Commission's (HELCOM) Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). The model results suggest that in a future climate, water quality, characterized by ecological quality indicators like winter nutrient, summer bottom oxygen, and annual mean phytoplankton concentrations as well as annual mean Secchi depth (water transparency), will be deteriorated compared to present conditions. In case of nutrient load reductions required by the BSAP, water quality is only slightly improved. Based on the analysis of biogeochemical fluxes, we find that in warmer and more anoxic waters, internal feedbacks could be reinforced. Increased phosphorus fluxes out of the sediments, reduced denitrification efficiency and increased nitrogen fixation may partly counteract nutrient load abatement strategies.
Three state-of-the-art coupled physical–biogeochemical models, the BAltic sea Long-Term large-Scale Eutrophication Model (BALTSEM), the Ecological Regional Ocean Model (ERGOM), and the Swedish Coastal and Ocean Biogeochemical model coupled to the Rossby Centre Ocean circulation model (RCO–SCOBI), are used to calculate changing nutrient and oxygen dynamics in the Baltic Sea. The models are different in that ERGOM and RCO–SCOBI are three-dimensional (3D) circulation models while BALTSEM resolves the Baltic Sea into 13 dynamically interconnected and horizontally integrated sub-basins. The aim is to assess the simulated long-term dynamics and to discuss the response of the coupled physical–biogeochemical models to changing physical conditions and nutrient loadings during the period 1970–2005. We compared the long-term seasonal and annual statistics of inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen from hindcast simulations with those estimated from observations. We also studied the extension of hypoxic bottom areas covered by waters with O2 b2 ml O2 l −1 and cod reproductive volumes comprising waters with salinity N11 and O2 N2 ml O2 l −1 . The models reproduce much of the nutrient biogeochemical cycling in the Baltic proper. However, biases are larger in the Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay. No model shows outstanding performance in all aspects but instead the ensemble mean results are better than or as good as the results of any of the individual models. Uncertainties are primarily related to differences in the bioavailable fractions of nutrient loadings from land and parameterizations of key processes like sediment fluxes that are presently not well known. Also the uncertainty related to the initialization of the models in the early 1960s influence the modeled biogeochemical cycles during the investigated period. ©
Using an ensemble of coupled physical-biogeochemical models driven with regionalized data from global climate simulations we are able to quantify the influence of changing climate upon oxygen conditions in one of the numerous coastal seas (the Baltic Sea) that suffers worldwide from eutrophication and from expanding hypoxic zones. Applying various nutrient load scenarios we show that under the impact of warming climate hypoxic and anoxic areas will very likely increase or at best only slightly decrease (in case of optimistic nutrient load reductions) compared to present conditions, regardless of the used global model and climate scenario. The projected decreased oxygen concentrations are caused by (1) enlarged nutrient loads due to increased runoff, (2) reduced oxygen flux from the atmosphere to the ocean due to increased temperature, and (3) intensified internal nutrient cycling. In future climate a similar expansion of hypoxia as projected for the Baltic Sea can be expected also for other coastal oceans worldwide. Citation: Meier, H. E. M., H. C. Andersson, K. Eilola, B. G. Gustafsson, I. Kuznetsov, B. Muller-Karulis, T. Neumann, and O. P. Savchuk (2011), Hypoxia in future climates: A model ensemble study for the Baltic Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L24608, doi:10.1029/2011GL049929.


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It has been another busy month so time for my regular round-up post on my more 'traditional' academic activities!
After conference season (see last month's 'Adademic Life' post), I have been busy writing.
Queue several weeks where I have barely left my office and have tried to draw together the various strands of my research into coherent threads, and to express my ideas with clarity in my book chapters.
Quite a few people seem interested in the writing process. It is different for everyone: personally, I prefer to work in silence, on a desktop computer sitting at my desk, with my books at arm's reach. I try not to check email until the afternoon – by then, what I think of as my "research brain" is tired, and I'm ready to address administrative emails / form filling in etc.
But no researcher is an island (not even those of us working on islands!). At times like these, keeping in touch with friends and other colleagues is essential. As we tend not to work in research teams in the Arts, and are often still working to the 'lone scholar' model, it is really important to schedule 'structured' contact with others – either in person or via skype etc. This gives added perspective on what we are doing, and helps us see the wood for the trees. These support networks are vital!
In other news, this month, as part of my public engagement and impact activities, I have published an article on my Zobel research with The Guardian Higher Education Network online.
The article describes my "Indiana Jones moment" when I realised that a watercolour in the British Library was mislabelled, and held a secret connection to Joseph Zobel:
It has been a new experience for me to write for The Guardian, and it has been both challenging and fascinating to see how to shape my research for wider audiences. I hope if nothing else the article will encourage people to learn more about the French Caribbean and Zobel, and maybe it will help other Early Career Researchers out there to tell similar stories about the different aspects of the research process.


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Delays on Pelham Bridge after taxi crashes into central reservation
There are long delays on Broadgate heading to Pelham Bridge in Lincoln after a taxi crashed into the central reservation.
The incident happened shortly after 3pm.
It's unclear whether the grey Ford car was transporting any passengers, but there have been no reported injuries so far.
The crashed taxi is blocking the road and police are in attendance directing traffic.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.


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R&B crooner John Legend has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.
The Grammy-winning singer known for his silky-smooth vocals was revealed as this year's winner Tuesday night on NBC's "The Voice." He serves as a coach on the singing competition series with Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton.
Legend tells the magazine in an issue out Friday the honor comes with some pressure after following Idris Elba, who was last year's winner. He jokes it "is not fair and is not nice to me!"
The 40-year-old Legend is a 10-time Grammy winner. He took home an Oscar in 2015 for co-writing the song "Glory" from the film "Selma."
Shelton, who was named Sexiest Man Alive in 2017, announced Legend's honor on "The Voice." The country singer then handed Legend some short shorts with bedazzled letters "EGOTSMA" to signify the singer's many honors: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony and now, Sexiest Man Alive.
Legend has two children with model-television host Chrissy Teigen.
Other recent winners include Dwayne Johnson and David Beckham.
"I want to thank Blake Shelton," Legend said. "I observed every move he made, every utterance that came from his mouth and I think some of it rubbed off on me.
Legend said his wife is proud of him.
"I've finally impressed her," he said.


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|Sarah B's setup.
|Heidi's setup
|And behind the scenes. Yes, I had one of those jangly neckscarves too.
|The SEQALab table, with Squeezey (shown) and Larison (not shown) doing commentary and interviews. Should be up Monday!
|The 40Watt was pretty dimly lit, and it took awhile for my eyes to adjust.
Trip and setupEarlier this week, I posted that I'd be attending FLUKE mini comic convention at the 40 Watt in Athens, GA. I've been preparing for FLUKE and MoCCA festival (next weekend) since mid-March, collecting my mini comics, designing a paper doll set (card-stock version available at MoCCA fest), and ordering new charms so I could offer all new things. Last year, Heidi and Sarah attended FLUKE, and returned singing it's praises. Having never been to a mini comic convention I'd hoped to have similar success this year. Heidi's convention report is here.
FLUKE is a fairly inexpensive convention, it's $15 for a 3'x2' half table and the convention itself is hosted by the 40 Watt bar. We stayed in the nearby Holiday Inn Express, which was 60$ a night split between three people, and it's a four hour drive from Savannah, GA.
We left Friday afternoon with the intention of attending the SEQA meet up at the Transmetropolitan (a pizza joint). We only popped in for a minute, as I still had stuff to cut out at the hotel room, and everyone was pretty tired.
|Upstairs at the Transmetropolitan
|Everything but the cash box and the vertical display packs down into this small suitcase.
|I haven't unpacked everything inside, but this'll function as an expanded view.
SwagFLUKE was actually pretty disappointing. The crowd was entirely exhibitors and hipsters, and I have found that hipsters are a hard sell so if anyone has advice on how to market to this group it would be most appreciated. There was a lot of interest in the magnetic paper doll, but while people were intrigued they seemed more interested in creating their own for monetary gain. It's not an original idea, and I don't mind sharing what I know, but in this case, it put me off quite a bit. Luckily Sarah drew much of the attention I was unable to with my wares.
For FLUKE, I brought
- 20 copies of Momotaro (2.00 each, 8 page comic book, cover is craft paper)
- 20 copies of a mini comic anthology (a variety from my time at SCAD, black and white, color cover, 2.00)
- 10 copies of a reprint of Ahoy at 1.00, 20 copies of the new ashcan, over 40 pages with a color section at 3.00
- 10 copies of Chat (blue and black, 8 page comic book 1.00 each)
- leftover copies of my Japan Trip Sketchbook (1.00 each)
- the Little Book of Monsters (3.00 each)
- Buttons were 1.50 each, or 4 for $5
- Charms were 1.50 each
The Haul
ReflectionsSo, do you guys do conventions? If so, which? How do your table setups differ from mine? Do you find conventions to be a successful revenue source, or do you find them disappointing? Any suggestions for me? I feel like I'm running out of audiences to approach. My demographic should be children but am unsure how to reach out to them.
If anyone is interested in purchasing my mini comic books I will be posting information about my online store shortly which accepts credit card, Paypal, and Google Checkout.
Hey! Emi Gennis's FLUKE experience was pretty much the exact opposite of mine! Check out what she has to say.


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EXPERT river pike angler Nathan Edgell has banked his fourth flowing water 30 in as many years – in another bizarre catch!
As we exclusively revealed, Nathan chinned out a 21 lb river snapped after it had grabbed a 2 lb jack across the middle.
Now the taxi driver, from Dorchester, Dorset, took his latest 33 lb 2 oz giant pike by fair means – but a 19-pounder swam into his 42 inch at the same time!
Nathan explained: "The circumstances were a little different this time but once again it was an experience which just epitomises why I absolutely love river piking.
"It was my birthday and after working all night I arrived home to some lovely gifts from my wife and children. By 8.30am they had left so I had a choice, sleep or fishing?
"No contest there then, so I loaded up the car and headed off to the river feeling positive as it was my birthday and the river was falling which is the optimum time."
All-out lure fishing attack
He continued: "Due to being tired I decided to just go with lures.The first hour was unproductive until I reached a large slack area. I cast the lure out with an underarm chuck and just I lifted the lure out I saw a large tail pattern turn and disappear followed by a large double boil in the water which is always an indicator of a good fish.
"So I cast two rod lengths out and within a few cranks of the reel I saw this huge river pike engulf the lure then all hell broke loose and it was almost like being attached to a steam train.
"She made surging runs, tail walks and leaving the river twice but eventually I had her under control and subdued near the bank but as I reached for the net I noticed something that made me look twice. Looking into the river I thought I could see two heads and then one disappeared and I saw another pike cruise underneath the big one very slowly.
"I lowered my net and guided her in, and once enough over I thrust the net upwards as quickly as I could and imagine my surprise and complete disbelief as I looked down to find not one but two large river pike!
"I then tried lifting the net out of the river and I struggled, and was shaking with over 50 lb of pike in the net ."
This is just a short version of the story that appeared in Angler's Mail printed magazine. Get the magazine every week for top tips, big news, best products, and venues that are in form.
CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: email@example.com – you could star in the magazine and win great prizes.


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Radio and Television personality, Joe Martelle, Author of Radio Pro,
the definitive book on personality radio presents a comprehensive
overdue portrait of one of Hollywood's all-time popular actors,
Robert Urich. In this first and only authorized biography, Martelle
paints a personal portrait of his late friend's life and career.
With riveting story-telling thanks to unprecedented access to Urich's
personal journal, the author masterfully weaves the actor's own words
with his narrative, obtained from countless interviews with Bob's late
wife, Heather Menzies Urich, family members, friends, classmates
and co-workers to reveal a compelling insight into a complex man who
for three decades was the one of Hollywood and television's most popular stars.
Urich starred in a record 16 television series, including Vega$, Spenser: For Hire and the popular CBS mini-series Lonesome Dove.
However, Bob's greatest role as the author describes was
spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and his six-year
battle with cancer. Traveling across America, preaching the gospel of
survival, Robert Urich served as an inspiration to thousands dealing with their own
disease and urging them never to quit or give up hope for a cure.
Previously, unreleased family photo's capture touching moments of the
actor's life, including those taken during his final years.
Robert Urich's handsome face, complete with his boyish grin was
familiar to television viewers for well over 30 years, but until now, little
was known about his off-screen life, because of his intense privacy. His
personal life remained in the shadows. This in-depth biography reveals
everything you ever wanted to know about the actor's life and career.
A consummate professional, Urich shunned the Hollywood spotlight, but was
tenacious in his attempt to be the very best in everything he undertook. As
Martelle points out, "Bob was a really good guy, who loved acting, but loved
his family more." As you will read, Robert Urich did lead an extraordinary life
and his story told here will remain the definitive biography.
Joe Martelle was a popular radio and television air personality for over 40
years. His on-air career began in his home state of Maine, where he was
inducted in the Maine Radio & TV Hall of Fame in 2013. Joe was one of
Boston's most beloved radio performers for 20 years. In addition to his morning-
drive show on 98.5-WROR, he also hosted the most popular all-request oldie
show in the history of Boston radio. Saturday Nite 'Live' at the Oldies was #1 for
12 consecutive years. While on radio in Boston, he pulled double-duty as host
of several television programs, including an afternoon movie on Ch.-68 and a kids
show TV-POW on the local Fox TV affiliate. Joe's radio career also includes on-air
stints in Cincinnati at WLW, KLDE Houston and Sunny 104.5 in West Palm Beach.
Joe and his wife Kimmie live in the tranquil mountains of Western Colorado, where
they share the land with their numerous four-legged friends.
Joe Martelle may be reached through his publisher at www.BearManorMedia.com.
From Terry Hunter, high school classmate of Robert Urich:
Just wanted you to know that the website sent me your bio of Bob a few days ago and I'm already 350 pages in. It's terrific. I'm really enjoying it and learning so much about the man that I didn't know. Your dedication to this project really shines through. It's a prodigious achievement. I'm so glad you wrote it. Of course, it's especially fascinating to me because I knew Bob as a boy--I can see that he had the same personality throughout his life. Anyway, I just wanted to say Congratulations! All your hard work paid off in a big way.
Author's blog on the book, part 1
Author's blog on the book, part 2
Radio appearance on The K-Zone, WPKZ 105.3FM/AM1280


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Tag Archives: Korea
New Ebook about the US-South Korea alliance
I've just published my first Kindle ebook based on a year of research and writing. It is called "Evolution of the US-South Korea Alliance: Looking to the Post Unification Future" It is 58 pages and available for $4 here.
Posted in geopolitics, Korea, Pacific Asia, Security Studies Tagged alliance, Korea, North Korea, South Korea, United States military Leave a comment
How to Understand North Korea
I have been in DC for the past 3 months or so after graduating from Fletcher looking for work and learning about the city. This has included going to several events featuring lectures and panels on North Korea. The more … Continue reading
Posted in geopolitics, International Relations, Korea, Pacific Asia Tagged Foreign Policy, international relations, Korea, North Korea Leave a comment
The Significance of the North Korean Nuclear Threat
North Korea is weak; its GDP per capita is only $1,800 and is ranked 197th in the world, it is a pariah state cut off from international markets, and in the preceding decade lost millions of its population in … Continue reading


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Recovery on track at Northam
The company's results for the 2014 financial year were released on SENS this morning and posted to shareholders today, 14 August 2014.
Reviewed preliminary results for the year ended 30 June 2014 (PDF - 107KB)
- Presentation: Results for the year ended 30 June 2014
- Webcast
- Dial-in details...
Key features of the year
- Earnings decline by 98.2% to 2.4cps
- 93.4% drop in operating profit to R61.5 million
- Taxation declines from R169.1 million to R26.2 million
- Increased borrowings drive financing costs higher
- Balance sheet strengthened by R1 billion
- Smelter rebuilt and successfully recommissioned
- Wage deal of between 7.5 and 9.5% reached after 11-week strike
- Fourth quarter recovery
- Ramp-up continues
- Good safety performance
- Reduction in capex reflects conclusion of construction and development phase
Incoming chief executive Paul Dunne paid tribute to his predecessor Glyn Lewis's contribution to the company and its fortunes. "With Glyn's determination, Booysendal has been successfully constructed and commissioned. The company's second PGM mine on the eastern limb, now in full ramp-up stage, has transformed Northam, adding to its production profile, reducing the company's operational risk and enhancing its optionality." He added, "the company I joined is in good shape – both in terms of its assets and its people."
Financial results
The group's financial performance was dominated by the effects of the 11-week strike at the Zondereinde operation: revenue losses reached the R750 million level before a settlement was reached on 29 January 2014. In spite of the lower production volumes from Zondereinde, sales volumes were supplemented by Booysendal's contribution and also from a release of inventory. The higher volumes, combined with the effects of a higher rand metal basket price drove sales revenues higher to R5.3 billion (F2014: R4.4 billion), thereby compensating marginally for the moribund US dollar PGM prices.
A 38.4% increase in cost of sales reflects the higher operating costs, increases in refining and related costs, along with a substantially higher depreciation charge, associated with the inclusion, for the first time, of costs relating to the Booysendal mine.
The net taxation charge of the group fell by 84.5% to R26.2 million (F2013: R169.1 million). A marginal profit of R19.6 million was earned for the year – resulting in earnings per share of 2.4 cents (F2013: 132.0 cents).
Financing arrangements
In a balance sheet strengthening exercise in the first half of the financial year the group successfully raised a total of R1 billion in additional cash and financing facilities through a R600 million claw back rights offer underwritten by Coronation Asset Management Proprietary Limited, and a R400 million additional revolving credit facility. R120 million was also raised through a tap issue on the domestic medium term notes programme during the year.
Zondereinde mine – operating performance
Safety statistics indicate a drop in the total number of injuries year on year, reflecting the fewer shifts worked owing to the industrial action. The 'making safe' of workplaces was the most urgent priority at the start-up of operations after 21 January. Safety officers intensified on-the-job training activities and management carried out due diligence in declaring working areas safe. Safety personnel, in consultation with other service departments, assisted mining crews to ensure that workplaces which had not been operational for the duration of the strike were subjected to thorough risk assessments. Risks were duly scrutinised and recorded, and remedial action plans were prioritised and executed.
The strike seriously affected production at Zondereinde. After the strike it took some three months before normalized production levels were resumed. By the end of the financial year production had improved considerably. The effect of the strike on production was marked by a drop of 18.9%. However, PGM sales were down by a lesser extent, or 8.2% at 9 827kg. Unit costs were abnormally high, skewed by the lower production volumes. Capex for the year came in at R351 million, allocated mainly to the smelter rebuild, the deepening project and hostel conversion programme.
The smelter was rebuilt and successfully recommissioned thereafter at a cost of R54.0 million. The facility is operating normally.
Progress on ore reserve development in the north west quadrant of the mine and the deepening project was curtailed during the strike. Following a slow restart, these activities are progressing satisfactorily.
In the absence of further disruptions, Zondereinde mine's production in the year ahead should be at normalized levels, while costs will continue to reflect the inflationary effects of higher wages and electricity tariffs and the weaker rand. Capex in the coming year is forecast at R331 million. The deepening project should absorb approximately R105 million, with the balance allocated to routine capex items, including R28 million for an autoclave replacement and a further R42 million for the hostel conversion programme.
Booysendal mine
The group's new mechanized mine on the eastern limb continues to ramp up to steady state, anticipated by the end of 2015. The mine posted an operating loss for the year, but is anticipated to make a positive contribution in F2015.
At R539.6 million, capital expenditure was significantly lower than the previous year, given the near-completion of the construction and development work. Forecast capital expenditure in F2015 is expected to be R483.4 million of which R78.4 million will be allocated to routine capital, and of the R405 million project capital, R50 million is to be spent on a project to investigate the feasibility of mining Merensky ore at Booysendal.
Strategic review
Turning to the group strategy, Dunne alluded to the seeming failure of metal prices to react more immediately and positively to the supply shortfalls occasioned by the strikes in South Africa. He pointed however, to a more sustained recovery in prices after 2016. "The challenge for us in the medium term is to position the company so that we benefit from a turn in market conditions when fundamentals for the metals reassert themselves," he explained.
The labour relations climate in the sector remains fraught, and there are already some early signs of industry restructuring. "Northam is strategically well positioned with a number of internal and external opportunities to explore," said Dunne.
On the issue of the group's empowerment credentials Dunne added, "We are progressing our empowerment transaction, and seek to balance the need of our current shareholders with legislative requirements to bolster our empowerment status. Once this transaction is successfully put to bed, we will be well positioned to pursue our strategic ambitions."
Operational optimisation
Given the considerable infrastructural footprint at Zondereinde, the focus will be on increasing the current 15 year life of mine by prioritising the deepening project, further exploitation of the UG2 orebody and improving the process plant to deal with a higher UG2 ratio, while also improving the Zondereinde operation's position on the cost curve.
At Booysendal the priority remains the ramp-up, while opportunities for growth will be the subject of a study to capitalize on the size of the Booysendal orebody.
In terms of processing and refining, Northam's strategic advantage has perhaps not always been fully recognized, so some work is being planned on the metallurgical complex, addressing both capacity and risk.
Social and economic uncertainty is likely to continue to influence the fortunes of the platinum industry in the near future. Barring any disruptions to Northam's operations in F2015 and F2016 Zondereinde mine is expected to continue in steady state production. The Booysendal mine is anticipated to reach steady state production by October 2015. The stable financial performance of the group therefore is largely dependent on improved industrial relations, improved demand for platinum group metals in the global economy (which could result in higher US dollar metal prices), achieving production targets and benign cost inflation. A weakening R/US dollar exchange rate as well as above average increases in administered prices such as Eskom's power tariffs pose a risk to cost inflation.
Issued by Russell & Associates
14 August 2014


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Personal blog for writer/editor/publisher Renee Witterstaetter--comic book and film professional as well as agent to writers and artists via Eva Ink Artist Group. In this blog, Renee will post missives and observances for entertainment, as well as keep followers updated on the creative endeavors of both herself and her associates at Eva Ink.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
"Michael Golden: Alchemy"-- New Sketchbook in the Works!
Hi Everyone-- Here's an early preview of the new Michael Golden sketchbook, "Michael Golden: Alchemy."
This will be a 36 page softcover book, which will debut at the San Diego Comic Con. However, it will also be available in the next issue of Diamond Previews. If you are a shop owner, order it now. If you buy your books at a certain shop, let them know you want your own copy.
It is available in Signed/Numbered and Sketch Editions.
ISBN Numbers:
Signed/Numbered Edition:
Sketch Edition:
And, best of all, there is no duplication of artwork from any other Michael Golden volume, so you can own them all!
Get your copy now!
2 comments:
Hey, Renee.ReplyDelete
I tried to have my LCS order this for me, but neither ISN number worked. I have Mr. Golden's other two sketch books, and I'd love to get my hands on this one.
I would love you assistance.
Hi Chip-- That's strange. It's in the Diamond catalogue right now. You can also order it via: firstname.lastname@example.com
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DANSVILLE — Robin A. Gibson, age 74, passed away Saturday afternoon December 29, 2018, at Highland Hospital in Rochester following a brief illness.
She was born in Washington, DC on December 3, 1944, a daughter of the late Martin and Martha (Stein) Russell. On January 12, 1963, she was married to Howard Gibson, who survives.
Robin was a member of the Dansville Presbyterian Church. She worked at Bukowski Pharmacy, Gleason Works, Gunlocke Chair Company, Noyes Memorial Hospital and retired as a secretary for ABB Combustion Engineering in Rochester. In her free time, she enjoyed crafting, reading, traveling and spending time with family.
Surviving in addition to her husband Howard, are three daughters: Kathleen (James) Moore, Bonnie (Dan Appel) Gibson, and Karen (Alfred) Vitale; siblings Victoria Neumann, Mary (Michael) Van Durme, Jane (Michael) Murphy and David (Nancy) Hall; four grandchildren, Colby (Scott Johnson) Moore, Dylan (Lainey Chippero) Moore, E. Paige Quinlan and Cole Wolfanger Vitale two great granddaughters, Madelyn Grace Moore and Quinn Irene Johnson, and several nieces and nephews.
Friends called Wednesday 3 to 7 at the Hindle Funeral Home Inc. 271 Main St. Dansville. A memorial service was held on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Dansville Presbyterian Church. Internment will be in Greenmount Cemetery, Dansville. Online condolences may be left at HindleFuneralHome.com. Memorials may be made to the Dansville Presbyterian Church, 3 School St. Dansville, NY 14437.


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Washington (CNN) - Call them "unicorners." A liberal group says it has collected more than 19,000 e-mails requesting Arizona officials to confirm Mitt Romney is not a unicorn.
Without such proof, the group Left Action argues with tongue in cheek, Romney may indeed be a unicorn - his dark mane hiding a horn - and therefore ineligible to be on the presidential ballot in November.FULL STORY
This is easy to prove - Romney has a paper birth certificate that he's willing to release to the public.
I love it! Fight ignorance and bigotry with plain silliness. I needed this laugh. You guys know that Paramount Picture's logo is a unicorn. What you didn't know is that unicorn's name is Willard.
Why dont this Spineless Gutless Coward lose the skirt & take questions from Journalist??? He may not think he has to but we American Citizens have the right to know a person who is running for the highest Office in The World. Please Bishop, LOSE THE SKIRT!!!!!!! Mett the Press, Face the Nation, anythinng else than them Gimmie a Kiss Interviews from Fox.
hilarious. I guess he should have to prove it, just like they made President Obama and his birth certificate BS how many times.
This is easy to prove – Romney has a paper birth certificate that he's willing to release to the public.
We want to see the paper now. SHOW ME YOUR PAPER!
Nice Picture. I would bet $10,000 that Mitt Romney was an avid "Mr. Ed" fan.
"This is easy to prove – Romney has a paper birth certificate that he's willing to release to the public."
Good for him, because without your original - you know, the one given AT birth - most Americans may not be eligible to vote anymore, let alone run for President of the United States. My original B/C was lost during previous moves while my husband was serving in the Army. I only have a state certified copy such as the one Obama and Trump and Romney have each released. In some states this may no longer qualify for voter ID registration anymore. Better hope we ALL aren't purged from registration rolls.
Oh, and in Mitt's case, I hope his paper copy doesn't have void written on it - his photocopied one does show VOID on it.
They should have asked Romney to prove that he is not a robot. Or an android.
Devon... grow up. When you come down off your LSD high, then and only then should you be allowed to open your mouth.
If Romney father was born in Mexico, that would make Romney is a Mexican American, like President Obama some would say african- American his father was born in Africa but both men are men of color. Look like Romney get a pass because of his light skin color. We got a African-American President Obama and the Republican Party has a Mexican-American as there candidate for president. What going on in this world. SMILE Think About It
I don't care whether Romney has a birth certificate or not, I won't be voting for him just like the birthers didn't vote for President Obama and they won't again.
Until I see his birth certificate myself I think he may indeed be a unicorn! Anyone can fake a birth certificate! Right tea baggers?
Yo doug, the Mans a WUSS!!!!!!! He runs like a 2 year old girl when he sees the Press. Yea, youre right, He Likes that Pink Skirt hes wearing. WUSS!!!!!! & its a Free Country, Well not in Tabby nackle land..
I just want to know why none of Mitt's five sons did any voluntary military service.
I'm sure the Unicorn comity is not very happy with the affiliation !
So this is what that genius John Hlinko came up with??? This is so low IQ of him. Okay, so he makes huge amounts of money coming up with this nonsense, distraction, late night comedy stuff that appeals to all those morons looking for something that fills their small world. Okay, at least Hlinko is making bank deposits and enjoying very good money.
As Mitt sees the Press, He yells, Run Team Tabby Nackle , RUN!!!!!!!!
Why would John Hlinko take what happens to our country serious when he has so much money coming in to his bank account. This presidential campaign is just one more book he will write and make money on.
Yo Doug, you like that when Mitt has have Group hugs with gretta & let not your heart be twoubled & two ton treqason Morris huh???/
More distractions from the left to avoid the real issues plaguing this country.
Donald Trump is a loser. Anybody can go bankrupt once, three times, means you are a loser, or is taken advantage of the system. I do not pay attention to losers!
Will the Birthers Scrutinize Marco Rubio's U.S. Citizenship?
The birthers never said a peep about Panama John McCain's birth certificate,
What goes around ALWAYS comes around and as much as I am enjoying this... somehow I feel the president is going to come out against this type of behavior but until then, I am going to keep laughing.
@phinn, thank you for crawling out of your hole now. The President showed us his long form birth certificate last year and the reason the morally and financially serial cheater from NY is mad is because the President and Seth Meyers swept the floor with him at the correspondent's dinner in 2011.
All that the bishop from Kola is showing the world is that he will do anything for money. That's called a ho in any language.
If he was a unicorn I guess the next step is to become extinct? Just wait until November but at least he has than mansion and his car elevators to go back to.
Romney showed a fake birth certificate. I want to see the long form!
Romney could take this as a compliment, afterall, Unicorns are glorified and thought of as a symbol of grace, finesse, purity, can protect from poison, can foretell the future. Legend says that India was saved by a Unicorn from Genghis Khan's invasion.
I don't trust Mitt. Any American that puts major amounts of money in the Caymens AND in Swiss accounts should NOT be trusted.
I will never vote for Mitt. He does very un-American things.


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This morning Sarah and I decided to take Hannah up to our building's pool for our first swim together as a family (she has a swim class but it's one parent in the water at a time).
There was an elderly woman already in the pool - she was there when I went up to check the pool's temperature to ensure it was warm enough for Hannah - and she remained in the pool when the three of us got in.
Barely a minute or two had passed when the woman decided to come over to us and share her years of wisdom. After she assured us to "not take offense" - I say "us" but she was looking at Sarah the whole time - she hit us with some knowledge: "Babies sometimes pee in pools."
When Sarah responded that Hannah was wearing a swimming diaper, this woman got way too close for comfort and almost kissed Sarah - whilst holding the baby, no less - and followed that awkward moment up with another "Don't take offense" comment on her way out of the pool.
This situation left both of us a little stunned: what was the point of that exchange, and why would a complete stranger say something like that to us?
Sarah often encounters random people offering their advice while she's out with Hannah, and I can understand how frustrating it must be. Who knows their baby better than her mommy? Answer: definitely not some batty old lady or some housewife whose kids don't listen to her anymore.
This rarely, if ever, happens to me when I'm out with Hannah by myself; I just get people gushing over how cute she is. I guess it's because I'm the dad and the stereotype is that anything I do should be considered a bonus, but if that's the case, shouldn't I be getting bombarded with hot tips because I "don't know any better"?
It's a weird double standard and like most double standards, they make very little sense and are not based on fact. Both Sarah and I are more than capable of dealing with whatever comes our way baby-wise, and even if we're not always successful, we're confident that we have Hannah's best intentions in mind.
We've been with her every minute of her life. You, complete stranger, on the other hand, haven't even shared a minute of it, and if you're going to offer us totally unsolicited advice, that's the most you're ever going to get.


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Why growing virgin vegetable oil to burn is crazy
But Andrew Mercer, chief executive of Blue-NG, the company which owns the UK's first power station running on vegetable oil, appears to believe that he is doing the world a favour.
In arguing the case for his grotesque trade, Mercer begins by maligning the Green party. He contends that "The Green party toured the country this summer during the European elections campaign in a bus fuelled by UK-sourced rapeseed biodiesel". Because this is a less efficient use of virgin rapeseed oil than burning it in power stations, he is greener than the Greens (or so he says). That someone else has allegedly done something even more damaging is hardly a persuasive justification. But is it true?
I spoke to the Green party this morning, and discovered that Mercer had left out a crucial piece of information. The biodiesel used in its bus was made from waste cooking oil, not virgin oil. As I've been arguing since I first started attacking the practice of feeding cars rather than people, used cooking oil is currently the only sustainable feedstock for biofuel: once it is unfit for human consumption it can only be dumped or burned. It makes sense to burn it in place of fossil fuels. The Green party has now published a response in the comment thread and is requesting a correction.
Burning virgin vegetable oil is an entirely different matter. In doing so, you are directly commissioning farmers to do one of two things: divert cropland which would otherwise have been used to grow food, or break land which would otherwise have been left fallow. In either case you are harming people or the environment.
Mercer says: "There are millions of hectares of land lying idle across the EU". Another way of putting it is that there are millions of hectares currently supporting wildlife and storing carbon. If farmers bring them back into production to fuel power stations like his, there would be dire consequences for wildflowers, butterflies, songbirds and other wildlife. Were it a choice between preserving this wildlife and feeding the hungry, I could understand the need for a pay-off. But the only reason that it's commercially viable to burn virgin vegetable oil in power stations in this country is that the government is perversely offering a massive subsidy. It gives generators two renewable obligation certificates for every megawatt hour of electricity they produce, which is twice as much as you get for onshore wind. I refuse to accept that the EU's wildlife must be sacrificed for what looks like a grant-harvesting operation.
As two papers published last year in Science show (here and here), the carbon released by ploughing idle farmland to grow biofuels takes many years to repay. If we're to have a high chance of preventing climate breakdown, the major cuts must be made today, so this policy makes no sense at all.
When you consider the other greenhouse gases produced by growing crops it looks even dafter. The Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen has estimated that emissions of nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas arising from the use of nitrogen fertilisers – wipe out all the carbon savings biofuels produce (pdf), even before you take the changes in land use into account. It's significant that Andrew Mercer talks only about CO2. Even then he doesn't say how he has produced his figures – I strongly suspect that he doesn't take land use change into account. Were he obliged to consider all greenhouse gases from all sources, I suspect he would discover that burning virgin vegetable oil is far more polluting than burning fossil fuel.
Mercer then contends that oilseed rape is roughly the same price as it was 10 years ago. This isn't true either, as you can see from the IMF figures reproduced here. In October 1999, oilseed rape cost $398/tonne. Last month the average price was $857. Prices this year have consistently been about twice those of prices ten years ago. The idea that oilseed rape is just a "break crop" is risible. It is a major international commodity, grown because it makes money.
The notion that you can draw any conclusions about commodity trends from a single year's production in one small country is equally daft. It's as stupid as saying, for example, that a cold snap in the United Kingdom shows that global warming isn't happening. And no one would be dumb enough to do that, would they?
The reality is that whenever there's a global shortfall in rape production, as there was last year, palm oil helps to fill the gap. Compare this graph of palm oil prices to this one of rape oil prices and you'll see that the price trends are almost identical.
So while Mercer boasts that he is not burning palm oil in his power station, whenever his trade helps to cause a shortfall in rapeseed stocks, the result is likely to be an increase in the sales of palm oil. Growing rapeseed to burn is crazy, growing oil palm to fill the gaps is madness on a different scale altogether, in view of the massive impacts on climate, indigenous people and wildlife when the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia are cleared to plant it.
Like Biofuelwatch and other green groups, I will keep putting pressure on the government to drop its perverse subsidies. I'm offering Andrew Mercer a £10 bet that if we succeed, Blue-NG will stop burning virgin vegetable oils. This is what happened in the Netherlands: as soon as the Dutch government stopped paying companies to make electricity from food, the business ground to a halt. Let's bring this obscene, subsidised trade to an end here too.


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What is great about this hotel?
- easy access to local attractions and Kunming's International Airport
- recreational facilities and various leisure activities
Hotel Description
The Shilin Yinruilin International Hotel boasts easy access to local attractions and Kunming's International Airport. It was newly renovated in 2013. The hotel provides recreational facilities and offers various leisure activities.
Shilin East Road, Shilin County, Kunming, China
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Services: Internet and free Wi-Fi in public area/ free parking/ business center/ meeting room/ Chinese & western restaurant/ pick up service (fee)/ postal/ laundry & taxi calling service/ wake up calls/ room/ tourism/ concierge & car rental service/ luggage storage/ currency exchange/ elevator/ safe-deposit boxes at front desk/ tea house/ lobby bar/ closed circuit television in public area/ barrier-free access/ 24-hour hot water/ banquet hall/ game room/ sauna/ karaoke room/ SPA/ foot massage/ banquet hall
Rooms: Toiletries/ electric kettle/ bathtub/ slippers/ TV/ independent desk/ hairdryer/ various kinds of sockets/ bathroom make-up/shaving mirror/ free bottled water/ bathrobe/ electronic card lock/ chairs/ umbrellas/ sewing kit/ multi-function chargers/ office stationery/ non-smoking rooms/ sofa/ coffee/tea maker/ electronic remote control curtain/ electric water heater/ drinking water/ shower
- 2 km to Stone Forest;
- 6 km to Shilin Railway Station;
- 92.5 km to Kunming Changshui International Airport.
Price Range
350 - 1280 RMB per double room and night, including breakfast. Please contact us directly for special rates and a precise quotation as prices might vary throughout the seasons.
Other hotel recommendations for Stone Forest:
|Comfort Plus
|Xingya Fengqingyuan Hotel
|Bosheng Holiday Hotel
- 373 reads


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One of the main expenses that you should consider is removing any flooring that is already installed around your house to make way for the hardwood floor. Whether you have tile or carpet installed throughout your house, it will cost you to remove it to allow the hardwood floors to be installed. It costs roughly 50 cents per square foot to remove carpet, and it can cost as much as a dollar per square foot to remove tiles. These are important to factor into your cost model, as they can seriously drive up the price of the job.
Another thing that you should consider is the pattern that you want. You can easily find wood in all colors, with any kind of grain or pattern that you want. The cost for each of these types of hardwood floors will have a different cost, and you should research into the kind of hardwood paneling that you want before you hire the hardwood contractor.
Quality Of The Wood
The quality of the wood that you are going to purchase is also an important factor to consider, as the higher the quality, the more expensive the wood will be. You will want to ensure that the wood is as solid as possible, which means that the wood will be of excellent quality.
A lot of the wood will be pre-finished, which will ensure that the wood lasts longer and does not scuff or scratch as easily. The finish will drive up the price even further, and you should obtain as much information as you can about the wood paneling you want.


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A travelling salesman is driving down a country road when he runs over a cat. Seeing a farmhouse nearby, he approaches to confess this unfortunate situation to the pet's owner. When a woman answers the door, he says, "I'm sorry, but I think I just ran over your cat." She asks him, "Well, what did it look like?" "Oh, m'am," he replies, "I completely ran over it, so it was very awful, just a smear on the road…" "Oh, no," she interrupts, "I mean, what did it look like before you ran over it."
Congress and the Administration are trying to find ways to spend more money in their quest to stimulate the economy. But just like that travelling salesman, they are working with the picture after the wreck – and they can't seem to focus on what things looked like before it happened. In other words, they are so happy to be spending money without restraint that they have neglected to figure out how we got into this mess in the first place. We all know that the problem started in the financial sector – I don't know anyone who would disagree with that. In fact, the banks were the first to get money from the federal government – the October 3, 2008 act of Congress that will forever be known as The Bank Bailout.
Sadly nothing is different than it was on September 17, 2008 – the day that your 401k turned into a 201F. The now officially "to big to fail" banks are no more restrained in their activities today than they were in the days, weeks, months and years leading up to the crisis. If anything, they are a little freer because now they are all "banks" with a federal guarantee for ever more risk-taking behavior without consequences.
Becoming a bank means that the money they hold can be protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC has been "so depleted by the epidemic of collapsing financial institutions" that analysts thought it would be forced to borrow money from the Treasury before the end of 2009. Since January 1, 2010, another 41 banks have failed. To hold the wolves at bay, the FDIC board eased the rules on buyers of failing banks, opening the door for hedge funds and private investors to gain access to "bank" status – and the protections that go with it. At the end of the third quarter of 2009, the FDIC's fund was already negative by $8.2 billion, a decrease of 180 percent in just three months (from July to September 2009). According to the Chief Financial Officer's report, the FDIC projects that the fund "will remain negative over the next several years" as they absorb some $75 billion in failure costs through the end of 2013. Taking their lead from Congress – that is a policy of robbing the future to pay off the past – the FDIC is proposing that banks pre-pay their insurance fees for the next three years.
There is no relief in sight, either. Just this week, a case of "insider trading" in New York was dismissed because the deal involved credit default swaps which – as I explained here last March – payoff losses "like" insurance but not regulated like insurance and which are bought and sold "like" securities but not regulated like securities. Although they are at the root of the causes of the financial crisis, not one new rule, regulation or law has been implemented to stop this nonsense from continuing. If you look at who's in charge of figuring out what went wrong – and making recommendations on how to prevent it from happening again – you will find the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission consists of political appointees who "have consulted for legal firms involved in lawsuits over the crisis."
That's not reassuring. A Commission composed of members who earn their livelihood from financial institutions – including those that precipitated the crisis – is unlikely to solve or have any incentive to discover the mystery of the causes of the greatest financial collapse in the history of the world. This group is part of the problem – not the solution.
Eighteen months after Wall Street roasted weenies on the bonfire of your 401k, the one noticeable difference is that the stock market is higher than it was on that fateful day in 2008. Unfortunately, this version of "economic recovery" is being driven by the financial services industry instead of the real economy. As rising stock prices encourage more savers and investors into the stock market, they create an increasing supply of investable funds in the hands of the banks – who remain as free to speed down our financial highways today as they were when they ran over the economy like that poor cat on a country road, leaving nothing but a stain on the pavement.
Susanne Trimbath, Ph.D. is CEO and Chief Economist of STP Advisory Services. Her training in finance and economics began with editing briefing documents for the Economic Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She worked in operations at depository trust and clearing corporations in San Francisco and New York, including Depository Trust Company, a subsidiary of DTCC; formerly, she was a Senior Research Economist studying capital markets at the Milken Institute. Her PhD in economics is from New York University. In addition to teaching economics and finance at New York University and University of Southern California (Marshall School of Business), Trimbath is co-author of Beyond Junk Bonds: Expanding High Yield Markets.
Photo by David Reber's Hammer Photography


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Football Hero Del Bosque Misses His Moustache in Spot for Pescanova
Spanish soccer coach gets a new look in ad from LOLA MullenLowe
The world is full of famous moustaches – Burt Reynolds, Ghandi, Emiliano Zapata – but none is more famous in Spain than football coach Vicente Del Bosque. That's why the country went wild when he recently revealed his new look, sending shock waves in the press, social media and chat groups everywhere.
To fully understand this campaign there are several key things to know. Prawns are a celebratory treat that are a staple on each and every table at Christmas time in Spain. It is well known that higher quality prawns have their antennae intact. These antennae are warmly referred to as a moustache in Spanish – bigote.
As much as prawns are a table top item, Vicente del Bosque is a household name. He was responsible for coaching the team that went on to win Spain´s only World Cup victory, uplifting an entire nation and cementing his place in the hearts of football fans everywhere. His moustache has been with him for 45 years, is it his calling card, his identity and has been inseparable from who he is, until now.
"Vicente was into the idea from the very beginning. He thought it was funny and sweet and knew his fans would forgive him for making such as a drastic change. Pescanova knows that connecting with Spanish people in an emotional way, with humor and charm, was key to making this campaign a success. As an agency we are always looking for ways to turn a 1 euro investment into 10 and developing ideas that get people talking and sharing lead to better results," says Pancho Cassis, executive creative director, LOLA MullenLowe Madrid.
The spot features the celebrated coach losing his moustache and his identity: they don't recognize him in his favorite restaurant and even his dog thinks he's a stranger. Del Bosque says that "many of these scenes were actually happening to me in real life. My wife, who was the one who told me to grow the moustache 50 years ago, didn't even recognise me when she saw me."
This article was originally published on LBBO


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Tagged: Jason Grilli
The Inning From Hell
The 6th inning of Sunday's Phillies – Tigers game was officially the worst baseball I have ever seen in my life. In fact, there is no point in even discussing the rest of the game that resulted in a 4-12 Phillies loss. This team has fallen far into the deepest recesses of hell…
That one hellish inning included 3 Phillies errors, 8 runs scored by the Tigers, all of which were unearned, a Tigers grand slam and 2 runs scored on walks. Rookie Steve Susdorf committed one of the three errors in his first major league start; this was a day he'd probably like to forget, along with the rest of us.
Veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins described it best after the game, telling reporters, "That was embarrassing. … If there's a bottom, this has to be it. I can't imagine things getting worse than they have this past week, culminating the way they did today."
And although the trade deadline is just days away, I cannot imagine the Phillies will get much of a return on anyone they plan to dump. Jonathan Papelbon has done his best to ruin any chances of the Phils getting a good return for him in a trade. His salary is ridiculous, his attitude is deplorable and he has blown 5 saves in the last month and a half. He is worth nothing in a trade at this point, unless a team is desperate.
And frankly, nearly everyone else on this team has rendered themselves useless in a trade after this horrific 8-game losing streak.
So what do the Phillies do in the midst of watching this franchise ship sink? They spend $48 million on an unproven Cuban defector. The Phillies signed right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to a six-year deal with incentives that could push the total salary to nearly $60 million.
I liken this move to what someone with a gambling addiction does…keep betting higher, despite a long, ugly string of losses (ie: Ryan Howard's extension, Chad Qualls, releasing Jason Grilli, trading Cliff Lee, Papelbon, etc…). Ruben Amaro Jr. is still gambling away this team's future and it is hard to watch. I hope I am wrong. Maybe this guy is worth every penny of that $48 million. But with a track record of contract busts, the odds are not in favor of the Phillies.
Welcome to Hell, Phillies fans.
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Player photos by Jenn Zambri Photography
Phillies Holiday Shopping List
'Tis the season to buy lots of crap! Black Friday, Cyber Monday….here we come! The Phillies began shopping early when they signed Kevin Frandsen earlier this month to a 1-year, $850,000 deal. If Frandsen plays the way he did last year, that small chunk of change could wind up being the bargain of the year.
But the Phillies have a much longer shopping list than that. Unfortunately, even on Black Friday, not everything is on sale. Even if Ruben Amaro Jr. camped out in front of All-Star Josh Hamilton's house all night, I am pretty sure someone with more money would be camped out in front of him in line. Fold up the tent, Ruben, and let's work on a more realistic shopping list.
– The first item on the list should be a centerfielder. I hear our old pal Shane Victorino may come at a descent discount. But the Phillies seem to be more focused on B.J. Upton, who could rival Ryan Howard for strikeouts. They both strike out around 30% of the time and neither hit for average. Regardless, this team needs to shop for an outfielder!
– Bullpen help is needed….badly. Maybe the Phillies need to look back at a few guys they previously tossed in the trash? Here are some oldies, but goodies: Our old pal Chad Durbin had a 3.10 ERA for the Braves last season. And how about Jason Grilli, who was with the Phillies minor league system until they dumped him…he went on to record a 2.91 ERA for the Pirates last season. But my #1 oldie would be Ryan Madson. He is coming off Tommy John surgery so the bidding for him should not get too high.
– Third base: Personally, I feel a combination of Frandsen and a drug-free Freddy Galvis can handle the hot corner. But if you are the type who MUST buy during holiday sales whether you need to or not, here is who might deserve a look: Kevin Youkilis will be 34 in March, but the guy can still hit for power. At 36 years, Michael Young is not exactly young anymore….but he would be a solid veteran to keep the spot warm for a much younger Cody Asche in 2014.
– While the team is stocked with starting pitchers, maybe a few small upgrades could help? You know…get Roy Halladay a bionic shoulder to replace the bum one. Buy Kyle Kendrick an "All I Want For X-Mas is You" tee-shirt to keep his confidence high. And for Cliff Lee, donate to his favorite charity and make a pledge to get him more than 6 wins this year.
– Buy baby-faced Darin Ruf a pair of big-boy pants and put him on the big-boy team. That gamble may really pay off. What have they got to lose? And J.C. Penney has a great Black Friday sale on pants right now…
– And the final big purchase for the Phillies should be a stand-up comedian. When things start to go downhill for the Phils, the comedian can jump in and tell jokes between innings to keep spirits high. Because as a fan base in 2012, we have all lost a bit of our sense of humor. You cannot blame us though…losing is just not funny. Help us all remember how to laugh and smile again! And if the wins start coming, you can trade the comedian to a more needy team.
Happy shopping, everyone!
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Amaro photo by Jenn Zambri Photography
Hunter Was The Hunted; Now, He Is A Phillie
July 29th has been a significant day in recent Phillies history. On July 29, 2009, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. That same day in 2010, they picked up Roy Oswalt. And this year, Hunter Pence is the big prize.
A report from Phillies Beat Writer Todd Zolecki states that Pence will be sent from the Astros to the Phillies in exchange for Class A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, Class A pitcher Jarred Cosart and two yet unnamed prospects.
The best news of the night is that neither pitcher Vance Worley or outfielder Domonic Brown were included in the deal. While the two named prospects are highly touted, the Phillies really pulled off an amazing deal without having to give up any major league talent. This is another huge score for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.
Pence, 28, is a lifetime .290 hitter and 2-time All-Star who combines both power and speed. Pence hit 25 home runs each year from 2008-2010 and had a career high 91 RBI's last season. In addition, Pence cannot become a free agent until the 2014 season, putting the Phillies in control for years to come.
With the addition of Pence and also Placido Polanco returning from the DL this weekend, two moves will have to be made. My best guess is that Brown will be sent back to Triple-A to work on his game. The second casualty could be John Mayberry Jr.
While the playoffs and the World Series are promised to no one, the addition of Pence certainly does improve the Phillies' chances.
And in case you missed it amidst all the excitement, there was actually a game tonight. The Phillies beat the Pirates by a score of 10-3 with Roy Halladay pitching seven one-hit innings. Andrew Carpenter allowed three runs in the eighth.
The offensive highlights included Chase Utley coming up just a double short of hitting for the cycle. His 3-run homer in the second inning put the Phillies far ahead very early.
Shane Victorino also came close to hitting for the cycle, but missed out on the home run. Jimmy Rollins smacked a 2-run homer in the seventh, but sadly for Victorino, he was not allowed to share the homer and help out his buddy Shane.
Oddly enough, Rollins hit that home run off pitcher Jason Grilli, who until a week ago was in the Phillies minor league system. The Pirates picked him up after the Phillies released him on July 20, 2011.
This is now set up to be a very exciting weekend for the Phillies. When Pence will be in the line-up probably depends on how soon he can get here from Houston. Add Polanco back into the line-up and the Phillies are set up nicely for a strong run to the playoffs.
Game two with the Pirates is Saturday night at 7:05pm; Cliff Lee will pitch.
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Photo by http://blogs.houstonpress.com/
*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin' Phils Phorum in the MTR Media network*


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Inking in RED ... I love RED!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
CCEE #1206 Favorite Sketch and Brads
This week, Shirley chose to ask us to use our favorite sketch, and to embellish it with brads.
I LOVE this cat, called the "King Of Siam". It's a digi stamp from Just Inklined called King of Siam - thanks for telling me where I got it, Kathy!! I am very remiss at saving the right kind of information!!!
Of course I had to use
in addition to the painted image......a
cat just didn't work for me.
I used the cb for the heart and dot bg and nesties, and the out of the box technique for the cat's tail. The flowers are primas, and are backed with punched leaves.
Please join us, and link your card
. See you next Thursday!
Posted by
jdmommy - Anne Harmon
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Maybe the best information about the secret torture programs of the monotheist Governments. This release of information on this kind of human experimentation can mean the end for the west. What they are doing secretly is so incredible tremendous and brutal, that is not excusable by anything. This governments try to shift the blame and and coverup by saying that is done to protect the jews. The jews and monotheist control the system since 2000 years, they have done such a huge damage to every human alive, exterminated so much species already and now try to say they would be the victim of some nazis and therefor would be allowed to do anything they want and keep on doing this tremendous torture and mass murder and destruction of whole planet ecosystems.
The civilization must immediately be brought down and completely destroyed. Anyone trying to build it up again, or protecting the technological complex or preserving the technology must be killed.
All secret agents, secret orders people all these scientists and corrupt academics working for the complex are outlawed.
They must all be killed that the beings of the Earth can live in harmony again.
The New Phoenix Program II (1hr20min) full
'to cough, spit or bring their hand in their face, in order to sensitive me to these behaviors and have me diagnosed as mentally ill'
I would say 80% of these profiles and accounts that use the trigger of having their hand in the face in the profile image, in facebook fe., are doing it on purpose and are working for the governments / monotheists. That are very much people… They kill victims with this… ever heard of torture with a feather. Think its funny to be killed with a feather, it isnt, it may take decades…
In torture is the rule, the smaller the needle the greater the pain… The christians monotheists and their governments, their needle is coughing, touching in their face… it may take up to 60 years to kill someone with that and it will be absolutley the most brutal thing you could ever imagine…


text: Just wanted to pop in and share last week's Hobo spread and check in on my productivity for the week. I read an amazing book (Sing, Unburied, Sing -- but more about that soon!) that was short but very heavy, so it took the entire week. So I didn't meet all of my reading goals,... Continue Reading →


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Despite the 8-5 loss to the New York Mets Friday, manager Davey Johnson came away impressed with right-hander Chien-Ming Wang and his debut with the Washington Nationals.
What may be more amazing is that we are even talking about Wang pitching again in the major leagues after such a serious shoulder surgery and an extended rehabilitation process.
"I thought he threw the ball pertly," Johnson said. "In that first inning, he got the ball up and he (had to face) some good hitters in the lineup. They didn't try to do too much with it. They just hit little soft line drives."
Wang admitted being a little nervous for his first opportunity to pitch in the major leagues in over two years. Johnson noticed Wang wasn't getting as much movement on his breaking pitches as he would have preferred, but he likened that to a pitcher's first game out of spring training.
"I don't think his arm is fully strong," Johnson said. "Some of his breaking balls were not breaking too good. I liked the way he threw. If he didn't have the rough first inning where he threw a lot of pitches I would have probably gone another inning with him. I know he gave up some runs but I felt it was a good outing."
Johnson confirmed Wang would make his next start and remains in the rotation. He threw 60 pitches, 39 for strikes, surrendering eight hits in four innings.
Through the Mandarin interpreter, Wang said he "felt fine", but admitted he needed to get his pitches down in the zone in the four-run first inning and was a "little bit out of control."
But to see Wang on the mound in a major league game is not small feat, especially since the injury to his shoulder was considered was likened to a football shoulder injury, which took much longer to rehabilitate. Wang last pitched in the majors on July 4, 2009.
"It is unbelievable the dedication he had to get to this point," Johnson said. "Two years and most of (the rehabbing) has been building up (strength) in his arm. He threw strikes, that was great. My main concern was him coming out of there healthy. He said he was feeling okay and he could have continued. I wanted to err on the safe side."


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A few years ago, many items topped a college freshman's back-to-school and dormitory list: nifty shoe hangers that hang off your closet that hold all your shoes; bed risers to make college twin beds a bit cooler; a micro-fridge because where else were you going to keep that beer, uh, soda; and a Mac or a PC laptop so that you could appropriately IM all your high school buddies at home and, of course, write college essays.
Today's college freshmen have gone Apple crazy, however, and one coveted item definitely beats out the Keurig – the iPad. So is the iPad ready for freshman year?
Industry experts all over seem unsure of the answer. Some contend that on the surface, the iPad seems like the ideal device for students as it boasts an iWork office suite; an Internet-connected bookstore called iBooks; 160,000 plus applications, many of which are educational; and many platforms for those students with learning disabilities.
Others argue that there are a multitude of reasons that the iPad shouldn't replace the trusty laptop or simply be introduced to the college campus as an additional item. Among them are the fact that the iPad is expensive; it's not the best solution for note taking; it's too distracting; and it's more of an accessory than a learning tool.
In my opinion, the iPad certainly has the potential to help students grow leaps and bounds when it comes to developing technological savvy and tablet acumen. It also makes the Internet available with the touch of your finger in a way the laptop never has before.
However, there is a fine line that comes with the iPad.
One of the most incredible parts about college (and forgive me for sounding nerdy) is the influx of material that a college coed is introduced to each day. From Shakespeare to human sexuality to psychology to even wine and beer appreciation (hey I had to throw it in there), students are able to delve into more subjects than they ever thought possible.
If you feel your neat new iPad can supplant this wonderful learning experience, then by all means pick it up. If you feel your iPad can help bring physics to life even more; provide you with a better note taking platform; and encourage collaborative learning, then, once again, go purchase the iPad.
However, if your days spent in class will be consumed with you trying to figure out how to get the coolest iPad apps, how to find the latest episode of "True Blood" in high def, and how to Skype, g-chat and IM your friends all at the same time, then you are doing yourself a great disservice in the classroom. When technology gets in the way of learning, that's when we have reached a real problem. And the iPad comes dangerously close to being too obtrusive in the classroom.


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Imagine If a Sofa Sitting in the Middle of Your City Always Brought a Lovely Surprise Like This
Right in the middle of Hamburg, Germany, passers-by saw a couch sitting in the town square. Who would be the first to relax? A few lucky (or daring) folks sat down, and to their surprise, a concert rolled out right in front of their eyes! Starring Marvin Brooks and a handful of other talented musicians, this musical treat delighted not just the sofa sitters, but all who walked by and stayed for a listen.


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Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church, for over 100 years has existed to spread the love of Jesus Christ in the city of Columbus, Ohio. Since 1911, with just a few members, they began sharing the gospel through acts of kindness, evangelism, and community outreach. Some of today's members of seniority can trace the history of Ephesus back to the church building on Cleveland Avenue that was acquired by the generosity of several members. It was in the years of infancy when the members were strongly dedicated to helping residents in the city of Columbus bot with their physical and spiritual needs. This was the focus that directed the church, and even though they personally did not have much—they were dedicated to a big God who empowered them to serve, sacrifice, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
From Cleveland Avenue, the church then relocated to E. 5th Avenue. Because of exponential growth and to accomplish the mission father church, it created the need for more space. It was here where Ephesus continued its active outreach to the community and sought to share the everlasting gospel to as many people who would hear. To further the mission of serving and sharing the gospel, the church relocated once again, this time it was to a building that was built on Sunbury Road in the northeast section of Columbus—where the church has been ministering for the last 30 years. As the mission continues to move forward, Ephesus continues to strive to be obedient to the call of God through witnessing and outreach.
Currently, Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to strive to do what it has been called to do, which is make disciples of Jesus Christ. At present, we attempt to do this by being the Hands and Feet of Jesus. In making disciples, we introduce them to the power Jesus Christ and utilize our worship service as the entryway for people to experience His love. We then desire to connect them to various ministries that will enable them to develop and help grow their relationship with the Lord. Lastly, we strive to be intentional about having an impact and be effective in the northeast section of the city of Columbus by the grace of God.


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Bachelor of Science in Health Coaching
Bachelor of Science in Health Coaching
Unlike health educators who typically provide information for patients to use on their own, health coaching uses a more interactive consultation model with the coach and patient working together. A LIFE health coach walks the road with patients, helping them actually apply information to their unique situation. They help patients gain a deeper understanding of their conditions and master the skills needed to persist and succeed with a prescribed healthcare regimen. Coaches can also help people interact most effectively with a multi-disciplinary team of clinical specialists, identify providers with appropriate expertise, communicate with clinicians and advocate on the patient's behalf.
Career Opportunities
- Corporate Health/Wellness Administrators
- Corporate Health/Wellness Administrators
- Corporate Health/Wellness Administrators
- Fitness Trainer
- Coach
Degree Requirements
Students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health Coaching degree must complete a minimum 188 credit hours of instruction.
|Area A
|Communications & Humanities
|20 hours
|Area B
|Science, Mathematics & Computers
|25 hours
|Area C
|Social Sciences
|20 hours
Sub-total: 65 credit hours
|Area A
|Natural Science Core
|20 hours
|Area B
|Health Coaching Requirements
|57 hours
|Area C
|Health Coaching Electives & Minors
|35 hours
|Area D
|General Electives (10-12 hours)
|12 hours
Sub-total: 124 credit hours
Additional Completion Requirements
- Completion of at least four years of prescribed study, of which the last year must be in residence at Life University, with at least 45 credit hours of Health Coaching courses being earned in the last year of residency.
- Satisfactory completion of all Health Coaching and Natural Science courses (Areas IV – VI) with a minimum grade of C.
- Satisfactory completion of all courses with a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0.
- A recommendation for graduation and completion of an exit interview with the Sport Health Science faculty.
- Exit interviews with Financial Aid, Career Placement and Accounting Counselors.
- Official graduation records review with the Registrar or designate.


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The whole world has been shattered due to a major nuclear war. Earth has been transformed into a torn down planet with destruction, wreckage and chaos spread across. Very few civilizations manage to overcome this tragedy and survive it. Realizing the ill effects of the past, a committee is formed called the "United Colonies Front" a global ruling group. This group imposes high restrictions on the citizens. The people do not have freedom like they once had. The people are governed by certain strict rules. This was done by the UCF to keep the citizens from giving rise to another war. The UCF is a highly armed and equipped front possessing weaponry and technology that existed before the nuclear war. These were kept away from the citizens and were used when necessary to bring them to control. The citizens were harassed by the stringent laws and rules of the UCF. Several anti UCF groups were formed by certain groups of citizens at different locations around the globe, who could not tolerate the ways of the UCF. These fronts were formed to overthrow the existing rule of the UCF and restore the previous way of life. These anti-UCF groups slowly grew bigger by merging, as they found each other with common thoughts, and acquired technology and blueprints of certain war units. This was a highly classified group which gained a lot of ground without the UCF's knowledge and was called the "Freedom Front". There are three types of groups, "Freedom Front" - Anti UCF, the pro UCF and the neutral group.
The story of the game is extremely non-linear and is very gripping. Also, the player can back stab the UCF by stealing all the technology and join the "Freedom Front" at any stage of the game. The player can also back out of the "Freedom Front" at any point and join the UCF by giving out key locations and secrets of the "Freedom Front".
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