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Throughout the years, Gambling911.com has been live at court hearings involving the gambling industry. On Wednesday November 25, 2015 we were present covering a hearing to determine the operating status of Daily Fantasy Sports companies DraftKings and FanDuel in the state of New York.
We were among the first news outlets to report that Judge Manuel Mendez would require one to two weeks to make his final decision.
Live Coverage from NY Court on Decision to Allow DraftKings, FanDuel to Operate in State - Wednesday November 25, 2015
2:53 pm EST - Strong emphasis on why traditional season long fantasy sports is okay and Daily Fantasy Sports is not. Judge wanted this rationale explained by State.
2:28 pm EST - FanDuel attorney, David Boies, best known as Vice President Al Gore's lead counsel in Bush vs. Gore, stated that the Attorney General admitted fantasy sports to be legal yet insists that Daily Fantasy Sports are not even though they employ the same features. He went on to claim that Daily Fantasy Sports requires even more skill than season long contests. Read More Extensive Coverage Here
2:09 pm EST - Following a one hour lunch break, lawyers for the DFS industry raised the question that has frequently been posed by this site and our sister site DFS911.com: If seasonal fantasy sports contests are legal, along with the prizes and entry fees, than the same should hold true for Daily Fantasy Sports.
1:35 pm EST - Our reporter Williams is reporting that Major League Baseball is prepared to divest from its deal with DraftKings based on any court rulings. Williams also noted that the judge is not commenting much. He suggests this is typically favorable for the AG.
1 pm EST - Jam packed courtroom, hallway: "Biggest thing happening in the NYC courts today by far," suggests reporter Jeff Williams. There will be a 1 hour lunch break.
12:54 pm EST Attorneys for DraftKings and FanDuel argued that Daily Fantasy Sports is not gambling on a number of grounds including the amount of work required by players to select a roster of players and asked the Court to consider the applicable Humphrey v. Viacom case. Read More Extensive Live Coverage
12:45 pm EST Judge Mendez commented that, while you need skill to pick the players in a Daily Fantasy Sports contests, you are also relying on someone else's skill to play the game.
12:40 pm EST Attoneys for the DFS firms highlighted three areas consistent with the "game of skill" component: Results differentiation, replication and player improvement over time.
12:30 pm EST Six attorneys representing Schneiderman's office were on hand presenting their arguments, most of which were highlighted here.
Among the arguments presented: The AG would not consider spelling bees a form of illegal gambling, though betting on outcome of spelling bee would be. They also cited a case in which a Court concluded in a cigar trading contest that even educated prognostications were considered to be "guesses".
The state also argued that the element of chance comes after line ups are selected.
The state was not asking the Court to shut down DraftKings or FanDuel but rather to prevent them from operating in New York.
Reporter Jeff Williams has advised November 25 12:04 pm EST - "The Court officers showd the AG team of 6 attorneys no love by making them go through metal detectors like everyone else. One officer tried to grant the couresty admittance that is afforded to most every NYC registered attorney." Standing room only. Room is now available. Matter will now be heardbefore judge.
Reporter Jeff Williams Notes at 11:40 am EST Court Hallway is PACKED with people - "This is a big deal. All the major media outlets are here at 71 Thomas Street. Some 75 reporters, observers have crowded the courtroom". We have made our way inside.
DFS911.com Obtained Court Filings - Our sister site DFS911.com has obtained and published all applicable court filings pertaining to the New York State AG vs. FanDuel and DraftKings matter. Find Them Here


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It must have been one of those 24 hour bugs or something because this week I have spent some money!! A couple of charity shop finds, a garden centre flower pot and a visit to my LQS today has restored my faith in my compulsive shopping habit!!
I'm always on the lookout for little baskets or quirky pots to store things in my quilting room and whilst this isn't a typical quilting supplies accessory, it was just too lovely to leave on the shelf:
In the charity shop at Rochester, I picked up this really cute vase which is ideal for my spare cottons and it's just big enough for my hand to reach in like a kid in a sweet shop:
And in my local charity shop - the bargain purchase of the year, nay the decade!!! I am always envious of people who just 'stumble across' the best little objects but this week it was ME! Look what I found for only ... wait for it ... £5 - yes, you read it right: FIVE English Pounds:
I wasn't sure what to put on it at first because the little compartments are too small for a fat quarter but they are ideal for scraps of 1/8 size and jars of cottons and bobbins and pins and tape measures ... I may paint it pink one day but, for now, how wonderful:
I 'popped in' to Yarnia today - my local quilting supplies store: it's such a cute little shop and Nicci and her Mum Trish work so hard trying to make the business a success ... I just had to support them by buying a few fabrics (and some cotton, rotary blades and ribbons):
The orange and turquoise blenders are 'Dotty Scroll' by Makower and the flowers (front right) is Tanya Whelan's Sugar Hill - Falling Rose and the middle 3 lovelies from left to right are:
'Wild Flowers', 'Sweet Birdie' (Tweet Blooms) and 'Sweet Birdie' (Petals and Pals) by Kathy Davis:
No idea what I'll use them for yet but that doesn't matter, hey?? Oh, I am sooooooo looking forward to a 3-day weekend of quilting :)

subset: commoncrawl


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The man in the above photo came to my OR today. He was at screening day. He has what Dr Parker believes is a benign tumor that grows out of tooth enamel. But, this tumor is so bad, he did a biopsy to be 100% sure before doing major surgery. Why? The tumor has grown into the base of his skull. This will make surgery very risky for him. I was so honored to be part of this man's team. He's a Fula man. He's just 38 years old. He weighs just 44kg/98lbs. This awful tumor has been growing for 5 years. The sorrow in his one visible eye is indescribable. I can't even begin to imagine the suffering, to watch your own life slip away slowly and painfully and alone. This man has probably been hiding in shame, rejected by those around him because they think he is cursed. Nobody should suffer like this alone. Please pray fervently for the Lord to heal him, either by our hands or by a miracle. Pray for him to know Jesus. It's hard to know what a person holds onto when they have lost the ability to speak. May Jesus touch him with His powerful healing hand and have mercy on his soul. Lord give us wisdom to heal this man. I will keep you posted. Thanks for your love, support, and prayers.
His… Michelle
Philippians 1:20


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Over the past month or so, Kiran Jagadeesh and I have been working on a design for this fall's Mozilla University Design Challenge. The object of the challenge was to address browsing history:
"Browsing History — How can we make sense of this rich source of data and how do we best present this data to the user?"
We came up with Firefox Foresight, a tool that recommends websites to users based on their past browsing patterns.
Brief description
We will use past user browsing behavior and patterns in order to predict which websites a user is likely to visit at a given time, and in a given place. Our system will make suggestions to users via a sidebar notification and recommendation system. Stills for Mozilla Design Lunch.
We created a narrated storyboard (using stills we created in Pixton) to illustrate our concept.
For the full experience check out a larger version on YouTube and click the 'HQ' button for highest quality.
Long Description
Our design makes use of three main concepts:
1) Making use of contextual information to suggest the most relevant sites
Our system will collect data about the user and suggest only those websites which would suit the current set of contexts. For example, a user may access certain websites when at work and other types of websites when at home or on a mobile device. Similarly a user accesses certain types of websites based on the time of the day (e.g., news sites right after lunch, stock quotes at the time of the opening bell of the stock market every day, hobby sites in the evening). Finally, the user's revisitation pattern might be different for different types of websites; she may visit some sites on an hourly basis through the day, some every Thursday evening, and some every two months, for example.
By making use of this contextual browsing history information, we can better suggest to the user what websites she is likely to want right now. We will do this by offering suggestions when a user opens a new browser window, and we will also embed an ambient alert system into the browser window so that users will know when it's 'time' (based on their browsing history) to visit a certain website.
Our system does not need to know which context is which – it doesn't care which IP address is work and which is home – it will just make recommendations based on past behavior at that location.
2) Ambient alert system
We can go much further than the 'top sites' function, which currently only displays in browsers when a user opens a new tab. Our system will use an ambient notification system to alert the user that there are new site suggestions; the user can then open a listing of suggestions and proceed to the sites from there. This functions as a colored line on the edge of the browser that appears when the browser has site suggestions for the user; the user can then open the suggestions in a sidebar.
3) Grouping of websites
A person's browsing history can be grouped based on what websites they had open at the same time or which they opened in the same time period. If someone is looking for shoes on the internet, then the chances are that their browsing windows open at that instant are all related to shoes or more generally related to shopping. If this context information is stored correctly, then intelligent patterns can be generated by this information such that when the user is looking for something specific on the Internet, then based on this history information, the browser can either automatically open relevant websites or at least suggest them to the user. This will reduce the overall latent time in getting to a piece of information online.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
About us
We are HCI graduate students at the University of Michigan School of Information. Kiran will be looking for internships during Summer 2010, and Katie will be looking for jobs when she graduates in May.


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About the social semantic web
Web 2.0 – what´s next?
Yahoo Researcher Declares Semantic Web Dead – and reborn again…
But in one point Mor Naaman missed the point: The "Semantic Web" was always there, under-cover more or less. Living in a tin with a lousy HTML-lid. And inside the tin there has always been enough semantics. There is no need to re-invent the data models, the namespaces, the ontologies (at least for most of the basic "things") as Naaman proposes in his talk (slide 13). How easily all the existing semantics can be released and mapped against the "Semantic Web" (and suddenly it was born again ) is demonstrated by projects like [1] or [2].


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In a nutshell, a consistent grind means the hot water acts on each grain more or less equally, drawing out ("extracting") just enough of the good stuff.
A consistent grind helps achieve a consistent extraction.
Our whirling-blade grinder gives a very inconsistent grind. Sometimes there are large bits, even whole beans, remaining while some grounds are too fine. We have also read that the blades can overheat the grounds, giving a burnt flavour.
The Turkish grinder is a beautiful thing; good heft and a lovely, warm colour.
Beans in the top.
Cap and handle on; first grind.
The first test was far too fine, since the grinder is naturally meant for Turkish coffee. These grounds may look big, but are actually clumps of extremely fine coffee powder. This would jam up our little stove-top pot.
There is a big nut at the bottom, so we gave this a turn and tried again.
Second grind.
After a few tests, turning the nut back and forth, we got a nice fineness.
The grind is very, very consistent.
The grind is very, very consistent.
The grounds are packed in and gently tamped down. If tamped down too hard, the grounds will expand as they get wet, jamming the flow of hot water and activating the pressure valve.
Screw on the top.
Onto the fire.
Mmm, coffeecoffeccoffeecoffeecoffeecoffee.
Foam from a jar of hot milk which has been shaken energetically.
More on this in another post some day.
More on this in another post some day.
A thing of beauty.
We have tasted this coffee a few times already, but this time it was very different. The flavour was deeper, richer and had a cocoa-like finish that carried on for a startlingly long time. There was no bitterness at the end of a sip. We wouldn't have guessed it was made from the same beans.
Pursuing the variables that go into making a good cup of coffee can be taken way too far. See, for example, some of the contributors to this very informative site. Having a proper grinder, however, now seems a necessity.


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By Jim Karpen on Thu, 01/29/2009
The range of apps in the 15,000 available on iTunes is astonishing. I've covered Ocarina, a 99-cent let's you play your iPhone like a flute. Who would have thought it? And of course, one of the best-selling apps of all time is the 99-cent Koi Pond, which makes it look like you have fish swimming around inside your phone.
Other off-beat apps include the $1.99 iBeer, which appears as if you're drinking a beer (see a video of it on YouTube) and iFog (99 cents) and iFog Deluxe (free), which make it appear that your screen is fogged up when you blow on it.. You can write on it, rub it off, and e-mail your "foggy" from within the applcation. (See it on YouTube.) Another clever app recently released, iSpectrum Color Blind Assistant, is for those who are color blind. If you're in a situation where you need to identify a color, you can use the camera to take a photo, then touch the area of the photo to see which of 500 hues you are looking at.


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An open lane beckoned. Devin Hester turned it down. "I wanted to make sure I ran the play," Hester said. "If I see a lane, I don't want to get too antsy and try to take advantage of it. I want to go ahead and support the play."
An open lane beckoned.
Devin Hester turned it down.
"I wanted to make sure I ran the play," Hester said. "If I see a lane, I don't want to get too antsy and try to take advantage of it. I want to go ahead and support the play."
Instead of taking a sure 10 yards, as critics have so often demanded, Hester broke free for an 89-yarder.
That's the type of discipline combined with explosiveness that has carried Chicago to so many ugly victories in the past. Whether it was safety Mike Brown returning interceptions in the Dick Jauron era or Hester returning kickoffs and punts for Lovie Smith, huge returns have so often covered up a litany of Bears' warts.
And it's what the Bears planned on Sunday.
Trailing lowly Seattle by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, special teams coach Dave Toub told the Bears a long return could change everything.
"He said we have one play and this is that one play and we need it," linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said. "And then we got it."
Only to lose it.
The defining return for the Bears on Sunday was not the NFL record-tying 13th return touchdown for Hester, but rather the matching 89-yard return by Danieal Manning that didn't count. Manning's kickoff return, immediately after Seattle's last touchdown, was wiped out by a holding penalty on veteran linebacker Rod Wilson with 14 minutes left, and Chicago went on to lose 23-20 to the Seahawks.
"This was a great opportunity for us to get to 5-1, but we blew the opportunity," safety Chris Harris said.
And maybe blew their identity.
The Bears have so often been the team fortune smiles upon. They beat Detroit when the refs ruled hot-dogging receiver Calvin Johnson didn't hang on long enough to the would-be game-winning pass. They beat Green Bay by missing a tackle on a screen pass, only to recover a fumble at the end of the play.
This time, luck went against the Bears, with a flag thrown from behind before Manning somehow burst through a crowd of Seahawk defenders and broke free.
"He's a beast," Harris said. "That's why he broke through."
But a beast without a touchdown Sunday.
"It's frustrating," Tinoisamoa said. "For it to get taken away, the air out of the whole stadium went out.
"It was good to get the one by Devin later, but it was too little, too late."
The Bears, out of timeouts when Hester scored with 1:54 left, never got the ball again. Their hopes had basically ended when Robbie Gould's desperation 54-yard field goal attempt died in the wind with 3:47 to play.
And when Manning's kick return was erased by penalty.
"I don't believe it was holding," Manning said. "I think that guy was busting his butt and made a great play. The ref, he made the call on the field. That's why we roll with it. I don't look back and say woulda, coulda, shoulda.
"We should never have been in that situation."
The Bears often get in that situation, only to get bailed out with one big play or one big break. This time, the break went against them.
Suddenly, what seemed like another charmed season, such as the 13-3 Mike Brown season in 2001 or the 11-5 season with rookie Kyle Orton at quarterback in 2005, seems more like 2008, when the Bears missed the playoffs by one game after a third-down roughing penalty on Charles Tillman kept alive a game-winning Tampa Bay drive in overtime.
When a Devin Hester touchdown return can't save the Bears, what can?
"When you don't come up with the W, the return just gets brushed under the carpet," Hester said. "This loss really hurt, but I want to make sure we don't let this downfall us and kill our pride."
It feels like the loss that will downfall the Bears.
Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or email@example.com.


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Visit the Original Amarillo Stockyards Cafe, located inside the Amarillo Livestock building. Serving good country cooking for breakfast and lunch, and dinner on Saturday nights!
Bobby Edmond Horse Sales – Quality Horses and Professional Service since 1985. Sales every other month at the Amarillo Livestock Auction. Check our website for the schedule.


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Redskins fans had a queasy feeling when Rex Grossman lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's season opener against the Giants.
In recent years, this would have been the turning point. The spot where the Redskins -- who held a seven-point lead at the time -- would choke, give up said lead and eventually lose the game.
But, low and behold, that didn't happen Sunday at FedEx Field. The Redskins' defense didn't let the Giants gain a first down on their ensuing possession, and ended up blocking the field-goal attempt.
That block quickly put momentum back in the Redskins' corner and they carried it through to a 28-14 win.
You know what else it did? It made Skins fans take notice -- maybe this year really will be different.
There was a lot of good to come out of the game. Newly anointed starter Rex Grossman threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns. New starting tailback Tim Hightower added 75 combined rushing and receiving yards and a touchdown. Tight end Fred Davis picked up his first 100-yard receiving game of his career.
Oh, and perhaps most importantly, the Redskins' defense looked very, very good against Eli Manning and Co. The defense sacked Manning four times, blocked the aforementioned field goal attempt and rookie Ryan Kerrigan scored an impressive touchdown after jumping high in the air to deflect a Manning throw, then grab it out of mid-air and rumble nine yards into the end zone to give the Redskins a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Combine all of that, and it's hard not to have a little more spring in your step if you're a Redskins' fan.
Of course, it's just one game in a long, long season. And skeptics will chalk this one up to a Giants squad being banged up beyond recognition.
But the way the Redskins won just may be a sign that the Redskins won't be the losers many people have come to expect when they think of the Dan Snyder-owned franchise.
Ponder all of that and leave your comments below. Then check back for our Redskins beat writer Jack Anderson's game analysis later on this evening.


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Monday, 8 December 2014
THA Talks Edition 53 Dec 7, 2014
Manuel is an author who writes about the conspiracies within Zionism, The New World Order, Freemasonry and "The Global Crisis". He has worked in the sector of defense/military supplies internationally from 1976 to 1989, he has had experience within international trade of natural resources from 1980 to 1989 as well as having extensive experience in the promotion of productivity improvements at the top management levels in Spain between 1990 and 2010. After having 9 books published in Spain he is now seeking to voice his concerns across Europe and beyond, he is currently seeking a UK publisher.
THA Talks
1 comment:
- Anonymous8 December 2014 at 20:11
Awesome post Del. THANKS. I went looking for this guys books on Amazon. Nothing going on in English. He mentioned he is looking to have at least one of his books translated/published in English. I may be wrong, but I feel that Manual Galiana would be a perfect fit for Circus Maximus. Nick has a certain style/tempo/knowledge-base that might work VERY well with this guy. I am no fan of organized religion at all, BUT, I refuse to slam those that hold on to any of it; jewish creations or not. AFTER the foremost problem of the world is addressed (the jewish crime cult), THEN would be a grand time to discuss organized religion, NOT BEFORE. We need all the help we can get; even if some are still brain-washed in their own special ways. Peace n shyt!ReplyDelete


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Webb returned to his All-Star form, Chris Young had three RBIs and the Arizona Diamondbacks finally beat the Florida Marlins, 6-2 on Saturday night.
"It's been awhile since we've had a good game and come out and scored six runs," Webb said. "It's been a while since we've done that. That was huge for the team. To finally get one for the team, it's been awhile."
As for flinging the water battle, Webb was able to laugh it off after the game.
"My catcher tried to talk me out of it," Webb joked. "I guess I should have listened to him."
Webb (12-4), the 2006 Cy Young Award winner, struck out eight and gave up two runs in six innings for the Diamondbacks, who ended a three-game losing streak and beat Florida for the first time in five tries this season. The Diamondbacks' ace gave up 11 earned runs in his previous two starts, both losses.
"He just put on a great performance," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
And so did Arizona's bats.
Young's triple in the sixth drove in two runs, giving Arizona a 5-1 lead and chasing Marlins starter Andrew Miller. Augie Ojeda added an RBI double in the inning to extend the Diamondbacks' lead to 6-1.
"We scored more runs there than we have the whole season," Young said. "We've had a lot of one-run games. It was good to break out of it a little bit. We had a talk from the manger last night and we understand we have to change some things."
"The talk" was an outburst by Arizona manager Bob Melvin that kept the Diamondbacks' locker room door shut a few extra minutes after Friday's 3-1 loss. Melvin was so upset Friday that he refused to talk to reporters Friday, a rarity for the Arizona manager.
The mood was different after finally getting a win in Florida.
"I think we are a little more worried about ourselves, but this hasn't been a great place for us this season," Melvin said.
The Marlins didn't do much to match Webb.
Miller (5-7) allowed six runs, three earned, on five hits in 5 2-3 innings. The Marlins lefty has just one win in his last seven decisions.
Florida loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Arizona reliever Juan Cruz was able to stop the rally, only giving up a sacrifice fly from Jorge Cantu that closed the gap to 6-2.
Florida could have used some added power from one of its best players.
Second baseman Dan Uggla, who began Saturday leading the majors with 23 home runs, left the game in the fourth because of a left ankle sprain, the team said. Uggla tried to stretch a single into a double, appearing to injure himself as he pulled up to go back to first base.
He was tagged out hobbling in the baseline and limped back to the dugout. The team will evaluate the injury Sunday but doesn't expect Uggla to miss time.
"It feels all right. (Sunday) it will probably feel a lot worse, but right now it's just a little tender," Uggla said. "The dirt was a little wet and my plant foot just kept going. I just wasn't able to catch myself in time. I didn't hear anything pop or anything."
The Marlins didn't fare well without him.
Young hit a double in the fifth for the Diamondbacks, scoring Reynolds from second to make it a 1-1 game.
Josh Willingham scored on a single by Cody Ross in the second to give Florida a 1-0 lead.


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The apt-get way don't install the latest stable Ruby (2.1.1), even on Ubuntu 14.04. Instead, I got 1.9.3 that way. RVM can be easy, but to work with Apache I'd need a system-wide installation independent of the RVM environment. So I've decided to install Ruby from source. I had problems around readline, but after seeing this hint, the solution that worked for me is:
./configure --with-readline-dir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libreadline.so
make install
on the directory of the unpacked source of Ruby 2.1.1, as root. I suspect there is a more elegant solution out there, but this is enough for me at this time.


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Ryan Braun broke his silence this past week following his 65-game suspension for using a banned substance. His chosen method was unsurprising given the rest of his conduct during the whole process.
Braun didn't sit himself down in front of a group of journalists under the full glare of TV cameras, forced to answer the difficult questions that many want to put to him.
Instead, he issued a written statement that had the fingerprints of agents and publicists all over it, however hard it tried to give off the air of being 'from the heart'.
Braun wrote in the statement of being "deeply ashamed†and "beyond embarrassedâ€, whilst expressing how he "deeply regrets†what has happened. It's difficult to read those words without thinking that he actually "regrets†and is "ashamed†and "embarrassed†by the fact that he ran out of excuses and now has to live with the consequences of being exposed as not simply a player who failed a drug test, but as a compulsive liar.
The 2011 National League MVP award winner – a title that will be a millstone around his neck for ever more – claimed that it was a desire to recover from an injury that led to his temporary drug-taking.
"Here is what happened. During the latter part of the 2011 season, I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldn't have used. The products were a cream and a lozenge which I was told could help expedite my rehabilitationâ€.
From a moral perspective there is a grey area where 'performance-enhancing' usage overlaps with genuine medical treatment to get a player out onto the field in the best condition possible.  MLB's drug-testing programme makes clear what is a banned substance and so there are no excuses here, but most activities (be it weight-lifting, nutritional supplements, LASIK eye surgery etc) are designed to enhance performance in some way so it could be argued that calling someone a "cheat†in these circumstances isn't quite right. It's also true that we often have no real idea of how 'performance-enhancing' any alleged drug use actually is.
The problem with all this is that taking a banned substance is against the rules and will invariable involve deliberate deception. And from there, all bets are off.
The whole sorry saga around Ryan Braun's case doesn't need retelling in great detail, but the short version is as follows:
- He took a banned substance in 2011 and subsequently failed a drug test
- He invoked his right to challenge the failed drug test and in defending himself (knowing he was guilty, don't forget), he allegedly went so far as to try and accuse the tester as being an anti-Semitic, Chicago Cubs fan
- The efforts of Braun and his legal team – plus presumably some sloppiness of the part of the drug-testing process – successfully got him off the charge
- Braun staged a press conference at the start of Spring Training in 2012 in which he shamelessly claimed to have been vindicated by the process, took pot shots at the drug-testing process and won the support of his teammates who defended his good character (again, all whilst Braun knew full well he was guilty as sin)
- Braun once again came up with a cock-and-bull story earlier this year when his name was disclosed as part of the Biogenesis scandal
- Braun originally refused to answer any questions when interviewed by MLB about the Biogenesis link before finally speaking to MLB and admitting his guilt.
Put it all together and we have no reason to believe that Braun used the banned substance with any sort of good intention, nor should we look at his admission of using them "for a short period of time†and take that at face value either.
This is a textbook case of a rich, successful and gifted athlete, presumably emboldened by the wealth and adulation that his sporting prowess has won him, being so deluded by his ego and arrogance that he can justify to himself taking any action whatsoever (e.g. tarnishing the reputation of an innocent drug tester) not only to break the rules but to cover up his guilt.
We saw the same thing with Melky Cabrera a year ago when he (and associates) created a fake website to try and cover up his positive drug test, and the stories about Alex Rodriguez (trying to buy up evidence etc) keep on coming.
You have to question whether any of these players really care. Cabrera still got himself a two-year, $16m contract over the offseason from the Toronto Blue Jays despite his transgression. Braun will forfeit $3.25m in salary during his suspension but still has $110m coming to him over the next six seasons, whilst A-Rod will retire with several hundred million dollars to cushion himself from his likely exclusion from Cooperstown.
Regardless of the unknown effects of taking these substances (naively perhaps, I suspect in baseball their impact is relatively minimal and don't themselves turn a good player into a great one) it's no wonder so many other players are adamant about wanting longer suspensions and more testing. So long as the likes of Braun continue to concoct a web of lies to cover up their tracks, suspicion will weigh on every player.
Sadly the acts of people like Braun ensure that every claim of innocence, however genuine, can justifiably be met with cynicism. Braun will come back and no doubt be forgiven by some, but he cannot undo the wider damage done to the reputation of the sport and his fellow players.


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Interview preparation is one of the most important aspects of a successful job search. Before each interview, Paul May & Associates (PMA) will provide you with coaching and detailed information on the company and the available position. However, you should also be prepared to:
• Conduct your own research on the company. Utilize the Internet, get the URL of the company and study them. Think over your accomplishments, skills and experience and how they will benefit the company. Write these down, make some notes, and know what you want to say.
• Be able to explain your past career moves and why you are interested in making another change. Make sure your career moves explanations show foresight and planning. Avoid making negative remarks about your previous job(s) or manager(s). This will only hurt your chances of getting hired. Don't be bitter. Be professional.


text: As the greater Rockford area transforms to become a top 25 community, the YMCA of Rock River Valley plays a crucial role in that transformation. We aim to be an organization that improves the quality of life for all who live and work here, and to be a supportive change agent that addresses some of the most vital community needs. We can only do that with your support.


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Your Costa Rica destiny. Green Mountain and Lodge has a privileged location, enjoy the beauty of the gardens, birds, sloths and wild life that live here, along with stunning views of Turrialaba and Irazu volcanoes and Turrialba city.
Please contact the owner for the latest prices.
To receive our newsletter please fill in the following form.


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Hello lovelies!
So, as you know from my previous post, Eddie & I celebrated Valentine's Day on Friday, instead of Thursday, to correspond with our weekly date night. We went to one of our favorite restaurants and steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We generally eat here for holiday celebrations. For appetizer, we had the Spicy Lobster (which is absolutely delicious and holds true to its name, spicy) and the veal stuffed ravioli, which we tried for the first time and loved. It was accompanied with a delicious side of spinach, which although it is a simple staple, however, the way they prepare/season it here, makes it extra special. For entrée, Eddie had the T-Bone and I had the filet mignon encrusted with blue cheese and panko bread crumbs (both cooked medium rare) with a lobster tail on the side, and we both shared a side of mashed potatoes. Finally, for dessert, we shared their famous bread pudding. This bread pudding is by far the best that I have ever had, of course with a side of cappuccinos! I am so sorry that I don't have pictures of our food this week. Since this was such a romantic evening, we kinda got lost in discussion and fun :)
Now on to what I was wearing. This restaurant is a formal setting, so I would highly recommend wearing a nice dress, skirt, or pants and for the men, a suit, or a dark wash denim jean with an elegant sweater, my husband prefers the Ralph Lauren Polo sweaters, and loafers or dressy shoes. I chose to wear the purple dress that I featured in my "3 Valentine's Day Outfit Ideas" video. I just changed the belt and the shoes that were worn in the video and wore a nice scarf/cover up (featured in my previous fashion haul video) around my shoulders, since it was a little chilly in the restaurant.
As always, I hope you find the post helpful and definitely let me know if you have ever been to this restaurant or are planning on going! Also, let me know down in the comment's section, what were your plans for Valentine's Day or the weekend, if any.
What I Wore:
Kardashian for Bebe dress
Steve Madden Waist Belt
Boutique 9 leopard print shoes
Wrap/scarf from Marshall's
Louis Vuitton Alma GM Purse


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TTS (www.tts.com) is a global leading player in the development of innovative solutions for the travel and tourism industry. Operating in more than 70 countries in 5 continents, managed through 3 offices – Miami, Lisbon, Barcelona - TTS develops technology solutions for travel agents, consolidators, airlines and corporations. TTS is also a Travelport Partner, belonging to the Travelport Developer Network.


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Anyway, browse through it and enjoy. Some particular favourite passages of mine, from the "common misconceptions" section:
Rockets Got Wings
If your rocket has a multi-megawatt power plant, an absurdly high thrust thermal rocket propulsion system, or directed energy weapons it will need huge heat radiators to purge all the waste heat. Otherwise the rocket will melt or even vaporize. Radiators look like large wings or arrays of panels. The necessity of radiators a real problem for warships since radiators are pathetically vulnerable to hostile weapons fire.
Rockets Don't Got Windows
Spacecraft have no need of windows or portholes, for much the same reason as a submarine. (No, the Seaview doesn't count. Strictly science fiction. There are no panoramic picture windows on a Trident submarine). Windows represent structural weakness, and there really isn't much to see in any event. Unless the spacecraft is orbiting a planet or docking with another ship, the only thing visible is the depths of space and the eye-searing sun. And unlike submarines, windows on a spacecraft also let in deadly radiation.
Star Trek, Star Wars, and Battlestar Galactica to the contrary, space battles will NOT be fought at a range of a few feet. Directed energy weapons will force ranges such that the enemy ships will only be visible through a telescope. Watching a space battle through a port hole, you will either see nothing because the enemy ships are too far away, or you will see nothing because a reflected laser beam or nuclear explosion has permanently robbed you of your eyesight.
The navigation room might have an astrodome for emergency navigation. But for the most part windows will be omitted in favor of radar, telescopic TV cameras, and similar sensors.
Fuel Is Not Propellant
In a rocket, there is a difference between "fuel" and "reaction mass." Rockets use Newton's third law of Action and Reaction in order to move. Mass is violently thrown away in the form of the rocket's exhaust and the reaction accelerates the rocket forward. This mass is of course the "reaction mass." It is sometimes also called "remass" or "propellant."
The "fuel" is what is burned or whatever to generated the energy to expel the reaction mass. For example, in a classic atomic rocket, the fuel is the uranium-235 rods in the nuclear reactor, the reaction mass is the hydrogen gas heated in the reactor and expelled from the exhaust nozzle.
There are only a few confusing cases where the fuel and the reaction mass are the same thing. This is the case with chemical rockets such as the Space Shuttle and the Saturn 5, which is how the misconception started in the first place.
Automobiles, airplanes, and boats are sizable vehicles with relatively small fuel tanks. Not so rockets. An incredibly powerful rocket might approach having half its mass composed of reaction mass and the other half structure, hull plates, crew members, and everything else. But it is more likely that 75% of the mass will be reaction mass. Or worse. Most rockets are huge propellant tanks with a rocket engine stuck on the tail and a tiny crew habitat stuck on the top.


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Packers Rule QB Aaron Rodgers Out For Sunday Night
The Green Bay Packers have ruled quarterback Aaron Rodgers out for Sunday night's game against the New England Patriots, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
Rodgers had been listed as "Doubtful" after missing all of this week's practices due to a concussion he sustained during last Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was Rodgers' second concussion of the season.
Third-year quarterback Matt Flynn will make his first NFL start for the 8-5 Packers, who are in must-win mode to keep their playoff hopes alive. Flynn has completed 25-of-46 pass attempts for 246 yards and 2 interceptions in 27 career games, all in a reserve role.
Practice squad quarterback Graham Harrell will be signed to the 53-man roster, with safety Anthony Smith placed on injured reserve.


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Crush Kick-Off
Date & Time: August 31st, Sept. 1st, Sept 2nd. | Charge: KIck-off is No Charge - Movie is $20.00
Crush Kick Off! August 31st, Sept. 1st & 2nd!
A celebration of harvest with wine tasting, fine crafts with live music all 3 days from 2 to 4:
Dawn Coburn/em> Saturday
Dawn Coburn on Sunday
Make No Bones Duo on Monday
On Aug. 31 the first day's activities are capped off by a movie at dusk, a double feature "The Wolfman" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" classics.
There is a charge of $20.00 per car for the movie.
Movies begin at dusk.


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NEW DELHI: The AAP today demanded an independent and court monitored probe after media reports claimed that a corporate house influenced top politicians, government officials and media.
The party said such cases by the public servants, MPs and ministers are violation of the Prevention of the Corruption Act. "These media reports have once again exposed a very strong corporate-politician-bureaucrat-media nexus.
"We believe that bribing public servants like bureaucrats, ministers, MPs and police officials is a clear violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A thorough probe into the entire matter can only bring out the truth and expose the culprits.
"We demand that an independent court monitored inquiry should be set up to bring out the truth and punish the culprits. The investigation team should be completely insulated from any kind of political influence, because names of some senior politician have figured in media reports and they might try to influence the probe," the party said in a statement.


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|An officer of the Itzenplitz Regiment by Menzel
Dear Reader,
As a result of the famous Swiss diarist, Ulrich Bräker, many know that August Friedrich von Itzenplitz had a "Donner und Blitzen" reputation as a harsh commander of men, but did you know that he rose from the ranks? The Itzenplitz family served the Hohzollern dynasty of Prussia for much of the early modern period, and Friedrich August grew up in a family with a tradition of military service.
August Friedrich von Itzenplitz enlisted in the Prussian army 1709 as a private, at age 16. He was assigned to an infantry regiment, sources disagree on whether this was IR 12 or IR 13, the unit which would later bear his name. Both after the Seven Years' War, and in the mid-nineteenth century, it was thought that he first served in IR. 13. Itzenplitz served with distinction in the War of Spanish Succession, and was present at the bloody battle of Malplaquet in 1709. He transferred to leadership in 1715, when he was promoted to the rank of Ensign.
By the time Frederick the Great ascended to the throne in 1740, Itzenplitz was an experienced junior officer, of the type which would carry Prussia to victory in the mid-eighteenth century. He served with distinction at the Battle of Mollwitz, and commanded both the IR 29 and IR 1 in the War of Austrian Succession. Itzenplitz met his greatest success in this conflict at the Battle of Hohenfriedeberg, where he commanded IR 1 (which exploited the charge of the Bayreuth Dragoons) and won the Pour le Merite.
Itzenplitz was promoted to Major-General in the summer of 1750, and received the unit who would bear his name, IR 13/von Itzenplitz, in 1751. At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, he consistently held a brigade command, and successfully commanded infantry assaults at Lobositz, Prague, and Rossbach. At Rossbach in particular, he earned distinction, as he commanded a brigade of Grenadier battalions in Prussian first line, and his troops captured a battery of five cannon. Itzenplitz missed the Battle of Leuthen, remaining in Saxony to watch the French and Reichsarmee.
Itzenplitz gained further notoriety in the retreat from Bohemia after the Battle of Kolin. A battery of Prussian guns was left exposed to a mixed force of Croats and mounted troops in the withdrawal from Prague. Itzenplitz, seeing this, rode up to the guns with a single adjutant, and remained with the gunners until the artillery was safely withdrawn. Itzenplitz and his adjutant were exposed to a heavy fire, and his aide received a minor wound.
In 1758, he was given independent command of a Corps of 12,000 men, which he led in a march to join King Frederick's army. For successfully organizing this independent command, he was awarded the order of the Black Eagle, the highest honor for Prussian nobility. In 1759, he successfully raided Imperial territory, before meeting his end during the disaster at Kunersdorf. At Kunersdorf, he commanded the center right division of the second infantry line, behind Johann Dietrich von Hülsen. In this battle, he was non-fatality wounded in the head, but his leg was mangled when his horse collapsed on him, and he took a musket ball through the hand. Together, these wounds forced the 76 year old general to succumb to blood loss, and he was taken off the field. Itzenplitz died a month after the battle from these wounds, but was recognized by contemporary Prussians as a hero.
Today, a number of individuals in Europe and North America continue to remember the legacy of Itzenplitz's unit, later known as IR 13. Through public history events, these reenactors seek to keep knowledge of the Seven Years' War alive. You can find a link to the North American site here.
Thanks for Reading,
Alex Burns
Today, a number of individuals in Europe and North America continue to remember the legacy of Itzenplitz's unit, later known as IR 13. Through public history events, these reenactors seek to keep knowledge of the Seven Years' War alive. You can find a link to the North American site here.
Thanks for Reading,
Alex Burns


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A permaculture practitioner for over 20 years, I have – at various times – been a smallholder, farm manager, allotmenteer, and landscape gardener.
Now, I have a normal size front garden, just lawn and privet when I moved here at the end of 2014. My back garden is a bit bigger, about 40′ x 80′, and works are continuing to landscape it.
Learn what can be done with a bit of effort and some creativity on an almost non existent budget. Recipes, growing tips and permaculture – on a Welsh council estate: food security in the garden 🙂
I now teach permaculture, specialising in low income and transient designs, low carbon futures and sustainable food futures.
See here for 2018 dates.


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More Port(o)!
Porto did not only give its name to Portugal but to its famous wine – the port.
Port is not everyone's cup of wine.
Some call it sickly sweet or an old ladies drink.
Turns out I am a fan of sickly sweet and pushing ahead to be a proud old lady, which is probably why I really really liked port.
It is not as bitter as wine and there is a lot more appreciation for the sweet flavour of the grape. It is stronger than wine, yet I find port a lot tastier. Port is often served for desert and that just speaks for itself.
The place to taste the best Port wine in Porto is beautiful Gaia, the part of Porto housing some world renowned wineries with a long history.
Today we were introduced to Port – a fine starter to our Douro valley tour which we did a few days later – and to something far more toxic than port, Portuguese lupini beans! Apart from that we took in more major sights in Porto – and with an eye for strangeness, I spotted enough to keep me entertained.
The day started less dramatic. And cold. Porto in April is sunny but chilly (hence my hand warmers). I am amazed how the Portuguese manage through winter and spring without proper heating in their historic homes.
First thing today, we bought a combined ticket for 15 Euros in the morning at the Ribiera promenade.
The ticket includes a river cruise, a ride with the cable car in Gaia and port tasting at one of the wine lodges.
Considering that the river cruise is definitely worth 3 Euros, a regular tasting costs 5 Euros and the cable car 8 Euros, if bought independently, I would call it a fair touristy deal. The cool thing is, that you can time yourself. We are going to do the cruise tomorrow, hoping for better weather and more space outside the crowded weekends.
Before Gaia, we made a little detour, to take the Funicular Dos Guindais, the tiny but famous elevator wagon for 2 Euros each way. We boarded at the end of the riverfront Ribiera to get to Porto's Cathedral.
The short (few minutes) but fun ride with the funi holds a nice view over the Dom Luis I Bridge and wine lodges in Gaia on the opposite side of the Douro river.
The Funicular Dos Guindais was opened in 1891 but closed only two year later, after a terrible accident. More than a hundred years later, the ride opened again – coincidentally, on the day of my birthday, in 2004. Maybe that is why I liked it so much. If you have my kind of mind frame, the elevator looks like a cute creature with an elongated neck, going up the hill, stretching its head as it moves along. Yep, it does.
The Cathedral is one of the oldest monuments in Porto dating back to the 12th century. It has a recognisable Gothic rose window and is flanked by two square towers which gives it the look of a fancy fortress. Suffering from way too many alterations throughout history, it is a rather bare example of a plain Romanesque church, missing the opulent gilt wood works, stucco and elaborate paintings of other Christian temples we saw in Portugal.
The annexed Gothic cloister is by far more interesting and very much worth the 3 Euros admission.
Built between the 14th and the 15th centuries, I marvelled at its embellishment of typically blue-white tile compositions.
Motifs from the Canticle of Canticles with romantic depictions of lovers. Nice.
There were some more delightfully strange things. Like a picture of whoever this guy is, taped right onto one of the cloister windows.
Or this work of wood craft. Not all apostles were attentive listeners, it seems.
The riches of cloisters in Portugal easily compete with royal interiors.
On the uppermost gallery, you can take a walk around and spot some elfin plants growing on the stony cloister roofs.
That is mainly, what I did up here.
And I spotted mum below, planning our route.
These signs indicate two famous pilgrimage routes, one to Spain's shrine at Santiago de Compostela. The other one leads to Fatima. The village that rose to pilgrimage site number one after many believers were staring at the sun too long. After they had burned their retinas, the virgin Mary appeared in the sky. Before, three Fatima village siblings had made contact with a mysterious sublime being, that is wonder-woman Mary.
After all that, we moved from sacrum to profanum.
Closer to the port wine!
We crossed Porto's iconic Dom Luis I Bridge and having stepped into Gaia, we took the Teleferico de Gaia (Porto's cable car).
The next three pictures are from mum who had a great eye for landscapes.
For a ride, we had to exchange our combined tour tickets at the cable car station.
The Teleferico de Gaia runs along Gaia's picturesque river front, dotted with big old houses displaying world famous port wine names. So pretty.
Looking down on the emblematic beauty of the historical area of Porto and the characteristic roofs of the port wine lodges in Gaia.
Our first wine lodge in Porto was Porto Cruz. But there are so many to chose from.
We toured the Porto Cruz building, starting with the roof terrace, making our way down to the tasting. Call me a nerd, but it was fun to learn about the production process of port wine and watched some well made short films about the port wine of Porto Cruz.
The grapes come from an ancient wine region in the northern part of Portugal, the Douro Valley. This place enjoys perfect wine weather conditions and has a unique history. Quiet an astonishing time span really, of roughly 2000 years, when Romans were the first to produce wine in that region. Today, the man made slopes of the Douro Valley are the beautiful world heritage site for some prime port production.
After the harvest, the traditional way of wine making involved stinky stamping feet, producing the juice. Nowadays, most professional wineries use robots but the wooden barrels to store the precious juice look just the same.
The transportation process from production site to the cellar's of the wine lodge was risky, the barrels being transported on the Douro river to Gaia on wooden barcas, which had to survive a shaky and harsh river ride before the state build a dam to smooth out transport conditions.
At the end of the tour, we got to try Porto Cruz Pink and it was just so tasty. Just the colour alone – what girl can resist pink? The taste was super fruity, light, not bitter or sour, nor overly sweet. Although I am a Polish misfit not liking alcohol all that much, this would be the closest to a perfect alcoholic drink, sharing my favourite drinks list, with Japanese カシスミルク – cassis with milk cocktail.
Of course, there was plenty Porto Cruz port booze to chose from.
Targeting women with a stable hand, this souvenir set of porto plus nail-polish might be an adequate challenge.
Tomorrow, we shall try another world leading porto – from Gaia's Sandeman cellars.
Dinner was non alcoholic. Yet almost toxic!
We cooked pasta and made a salad with sardines, tomatoes, olives and lemons at our chic home. Vegetable soup and bread for starters is a Portuguese tradition, we picked up here!
So far so good but every once in a dinner, we go experimental, incorporating original Portuguese products.
Today, we tried to mix in some Portuguese lupini beans – our recent grocery discovery. Even after 20 minutes of cooking they were hard as a rock. I tried to work on them in a blender. Bad idea. Made a huge mess in the kitchen.
I should have read up on lupini before I tried to cook them. Because lupin poisoning was one of the first articles I found on the net. Lupin poisoning affects people that eat incorrectly prepared lupin beans, it says.
The good thing, once you get the toxicity out, and if you don't choke on those yellow buggars, the health benefits are not bad at all.
Luckily, further research revealed that, apparently, we bought the non toxic lupini-in-brine-version. And that lupini are meant to be consumed just like that. They are such a popular snack here.
So long, see you later!
I hope.
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It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. Life came at me like a 100 mph fastball and, to paraphrase the late Ronald Reagan, honey, I forgot to duck. Only those over the age of thirty will understand that reference, but what the hay. No one under thirty or over thirty reads my stuff anyway. Oh, but I'm not throwing a pity party. This depressing fact has a silver lining – I am free to write about subjects in any manner I want without the fear of alienating my "readers".
A while back I posted about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It was so freaking excellent, I read the rest of the trilogy – The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Only Hornest's Nest disappointed and that was because I knew it was the end of the series. I really, really hate it that Steig Larsson passed away. He was a truly talented writer who had me Googling all things Sweden so I could understand the references in his novels. I never before cared about Sweden. I had nothing against the country and its citizens, but, admittedly, its history and culture were not prominent in my thoughts. That is, until I read the The Girl trilogy. Now, I dream of visiting the country. That's the power of a good book.
Unfortunately, this trilogy will be getting the Hollywood treatment. Praying Hollyweird will not screw it up and turn it into a lighthearted romantic comedy because "test audiences" responded negatively to the dark undercurrents of the original. You know they'll do it. Hollyweird is a business. Business is money. Studios care about money. They sometimes care about money so much they'll replace quality with crap if they feel it will make a profit. Note to Big Name Studio: Please stay true to the trilogy.
Speaking of Hollyweird, LiLo (that's Lindsay Lohan to you) did a brief stint in jail and rehab. For her inconvenience, she has been rewarded with magazine cover shoots and six figures for interviews. Never one to miss an opportunity no matter how pathetically attention-grabbing, Paris Hilton has been arrested for cocaine possession. Wonder how much she'll be offered when all is said is done.
Combat missions in Iraq have been suspended. OK, that's good, but 100K troops are still there assisting the government with taking the reigns. This mission will be done when ALL American troops are home. Period. As long as there are troops there, there is the possibility of combat. I don't think the extremists care if the troops are just there in a supervisory role. Keep praying for them and for those stationed in Afghanistan.
I've come to the end of the post. I'll try to post more if for no other reason than to blow off steam. Have you ever just felt rhymes with witchy? Well, that's me tonight. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. Have responsible fun.


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FRIDAY, Nov. 30, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Differences in eye movements suggest that men and women have different ways of looking at things, according to a new study.
Researchers had male and female volunteers view still images from films and pieces of art and found that although women made fewer eye movements than men, the women's eye movements were longer and to more varied locations.
The largest differences in eye movements were noted when the participants viewed images of people. With photos of heterosexual couples, both men and women preferred looking at the woman rather than the man, but this preference was stronger among women.
And although men were only interested in the faces of the couple, women's eyes were also drawn to the other parts of the couples' bodies, particularly that of the female, said the researchers at the University of Bristol, in England.
The findings were published Nov. 30 in the journal PLoS One.
"The study represents the most compelling evidence yet that, despite occupying the same world, the viewpoints of men and women can, at times, be very different," study leader Felix Mercer Moss, a doctoral student in the computer science department, said in a university news release.
Men and women look at different things because they interpret the world differently, the researchers suggested.
For example, the pictures preferred by the women in the study were the same ones that produced the most distinct "looking patterns." Similarly, the pictures with the most room for difference in interpretation (those with people) produced the greatest differences between where women and men looked, the study found.
When encouraged to look for "threat" in an image, men made direct eye contact with the pictured faces, while women shifted their gaze slightly downward to the nose and mouth of these faces.
More information
Visit the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information to learn more about gender differences in perception.


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Dr. Christopher Harris of Toronto, Ontario
Revised and Updated: January 1, 2015
On May 10, 2013, I received the following message on Facebook from Raquel Tomlinson. She stated, "My husband is one of your cousins on 23andMe. His name is Christopher Harris." I checked my 23andMe DNA account, browsed my Relative Finder database, and found his name among my 400+ "DNA cousins". However, what was most interesting is that he is a Black Canadian! How am I related to a Black Canadian? Dr. Christopher Harris resides in Toronto, Ontario. He recently received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Toronto.
In helping her husband find his birth mother, Raquel shared more information, and I soon spoke with Cousin Christopher on the phone. He was born on November 1, 1978 in Canada in Windsor, Ontario. He does not know his birth mother's first name, but her last name is believed to be Harris. He knows that his birth mother's mother (his maternal grandmother) is a Black Canadian who descends from former slaves who migrated to Canada via the Underground Railroad. He also knows that his birth mother's father (his maternal grandfather) is an African American from Detroit, Michigan. His occupation was welder. Christopher knows that his biological father is from Tanzania, a country in East Africa.
His birth parents met while his biological father was a foreign engineering student at the University of Windsor. His birth mother was 18 years old when she gave birth to him. She herself had been in foster care for all of her life; she was given up for adoption after her birth, as her birth mother (Christopher's maternal grandmother) allegedly got pregnant with her outside of her own marriage. Coincidentally, Christopher's adopted family's last name is also Harris (no relation); they are from Barbados. His adoption was a closed adoption. However, the information thus far is based on his adopted mother's memories. Christopher recently filed an application to receive his birth parents' names, a process that could take a year in Canada.
But how is Christopher related to me? Is he on my Mom's side or my Dad's side? Utilizing the family inheritance tool in 23andMe, I compared him to other known cousins in my database. Lo and behold, my findings raised eyebrows and helped to determine more! Christopher also shares DNA with Lenro Morgan and NeNise Smith, my cousins on my Dad's side. We are the direct descendants of Robert "Big Bob" & Jane Ealy, as well as Lucy Kennedy, from Leake County, Mississippi. They were my father's great-grandparents.
As of Jan. 1, 2015, a total of 11 descendants of Bob & Jane Ealy have taken the 23andMe DNA test. Three people (in red) are closely-related to Bob and/or Jane Ealy. See note below in blue. Christopher matches 10 of us! Additionally, he matches the family members in blue and red in the following chart on the X chromosome. This verifies that the connection is on his mother's side. The DNA matches to Christopher as of Jan. 2015 include the following:
As of Jan. 1, 2015, a total of 11 descendants of Bob & Jane Ealy have taken the 23andMe DNA test. Three people (in red) are closely-related to Bob and/or Jane Ealy. See note below in blue. Christopher matches 10 of us! Additionally, he matches the family members in blue and red in the following chart on the X chromosome. This verifies that the connection is on his mother's side. The DNA matches to Christopher as of Jan. 2015 include the following:
Note: Andrea, Mahadji, and Lisa are great-granddaughters of Charles & Annette Atkins of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. There is no family knowledge of family members being in that parish in Louisiana. However, they all match Ealy descendants, and they also match Christopher, Violet, and NeNise on the X chromosome, too! After analyzing family trees, I strongly suspect that the unidentified mother of Charles Atkins was either a sister or daughter of Jane (Parrott) Ealy.
All branches of the Bob & Jane Ealy Family Tree can be seen on the Ealy Family page. Branches E5, E6, and E11 are actually three children (Paul, Bob Jr., & Martha) of Bob & Jane Ealy who married three children (Adeline, Mattie, & Albert) of Lucy Kennedy. Therefore, those three family branches are double related. However, there's little doubt that Christopher's maternal grandfather is indeed a direct descendant of Bob & Jane Ealy and Lucy Kennedy, placing him in one of those three family branches. He suspects that his maternal grandfather may still be living in Detroit. He would love to connect with his biological family.
To all of my Ealy and/or Kennedy family members, especially those in Detroit who read this post, please share this blog post with other family members. Someone may know something and can connect him with his family. If anyone has additional advice to help Christopher locate his birth family, feel free to post a comment here or e-mail me at melvinjcollier@ yahoo.com or Dr. Christopher Harris at email@example.com.
Me (far left) with cousins at the 2010 Ealy Family Reunion in Detroit, Michigan


text: Transparency has been proposed to both change the way journalism is being produced and increase its credibility. However, little research has been conducted to assess the connection between transparency and credibility. This study utilizes an experimental setting with, in total, 1320 respondents to measure what impact transparency have on source and message credibility from the user perspective. The results reveal an almost absence of any transparency effect on both source and message credibility although some small significant effects could be observed primarily regarding internal hyperlinks, comments and contextual information. Although further research is needed in this area the study suggest that transparency does not affect the credibility of journalism in the eyes of the contemporary audience and thus have limited appeal as a new norm in journalism.


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The growth of cyber crime increasingly imperils the financial services sector, risking assets and reputations. Banks are investing millions in security systems, but are funds keeping up? Kit Klarenberg investigates.
In the 1950s, prolific bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he targeted banks. "That's where the money is," Sutton said.
If Sutton were alive today, he'd have little interest in banks – at least, not their physical manifestations. In 2016, client assets are overwhelmingly held in digital storage devices and the 'cloud' ether – not vaults. A would-be raider was recently sent scurrying from a Stockholm bank empty-handed, as there was literally no cash on site.
While digitisation may remove the risks traditionally associated with the storage and transfer of hard currency, the threat of robbery persists; tech-savvy villains have formulated new methods of plundering the financial services sector.
Given the developing nature of cyber crime – new methods of infiltration are relentlessly cultivated, and existing means grow more sophisticated almost daily – it's difficult to identify the threats facing asset managers with absolute precision.
In general terms, threats include malicious extraction of client data, theft of trading and buying intelligence, and hijacking of portfolio management systems. Firms have even found websites emulating their own, aiming to ensnare inexperienced investors.
The potential losses related to a successful cyber attack are substantial. In October 2014, 13 financial institutions (including asset manager Fidelity) were targeted simultaneously – one victim lost more than €1 billion.
The damage transcends the purely financial, too, as the reputational implications of an attack are immeasurably severe.
"If your firm ends up in the papers due to a cyber attack, and is perceived as failing to safeguard client information as a result, your clients will understandably move their money elsewhere," says John Skipper, cyber security expert at PA Consulting Group.
"Once that perception is established, it can be extremely difficult – if not impossible – to recover. If your own information was stolen from another company's servers, would you keep doing business with them?"
There can also be legal consequences from losing sensitive data. In jurisdictions such as Singapore, individuals and organisations can face criminal charges. Legislation is travelling through the European Parliament that will impose mandatory penalties of 4% of annual global income on negligent firms. For the biggest asset managers, that could mean a cripplingly vast bill.
So, what are funds doing to address their vulnerabilities?
For Skipper, the answer is clear – not enough. The reason for this inaction is manifold.
"For one, many simply don't know enough about the threat to be doing enough. Even when the will is there, the necessary understanding often isn't," he says.
Ernest Hilbert, director of cyber security at consultancy PwC, believes the associated expense can be a disincentive, too.
"It's a specialist field, and getting protected against every possible eventuality requires significant investment. Many boards and executives are unwilling to make that outlay, especially those that have never experienced a cyber attack before," he says.
"Fund managers themselves are understandably focused on maximising their own assets and client returns, not security considerations."
Furthermore, some asset managers – particularly smaller, independent operators – believe they're too insignificant to warrant the attention of cyber criminals. Skipper responds that no fund is immune. After all, all funds hold sensitive client information (including names, dates of birth, addresses, passwords and account details), all of which can be sold many times over to eager cyber-criminal clientele. In some cases, this data may be far more valuable than the capital in a fund's coffers. Altogether, Hilbert estimates a cyber breach costs even small companies more than €2.5 million.
Regulators not being overly quick on the draw may well abet the industry's inertia. While authorities in North America and Europe have made nascent efforts to deal with the issue, there's still some way to go. In a way, they can't be blamed. Due to cyber crime's ever-evolving nature, combating it is inherently reactive, rather than preventative.
"It's difficult to know how and where cyber criminals will strike, so security systems are typically only reviewed in response to attacks that have already happened," Skipper says.
"Firms can only hope they're able to learn from a competitor's weaknesses, not their own."
The problem of cyber crime is certainly not insurmountable, however. Peter Salmon, senior director of operations and technology at industry association ICI Global, believes change comes from above. In short, management teams must be educated about the dangers, and be proactive in adopting and promoting best practices.
While this means investing in the most current protective software, robust internal protocols are also of paramount significance. Codifying clear, effective incident response procedures, strict policies in respect of access data such as passwords (the longer and more complex a password the better, Salmon says) and regular, practical training programmes for employees are just as important as technological fortifications.
Skipper likewise believes it isn't enough just to rely on technology, and urges managers to take the lead in ensuring organisational best practice. "Many asset management firms are driven by powerful and successful personalities, so it makes sense for these individuals to be at the forefront of an organisation's cyber-security push," he says.
In short – if the head of an organisation frequently stresses the need for employees to be extremely careful, they will be.
The days of regulatory heel-dragging may be over, too. PA Consulting Group is working with regulators in key jurisdictions to help them introduce minimum cyber-crime protection standards, which will enable organisations to easily assess whether their safeguards are up to the challenge. If not, firms will know how they're exposed, and what they should do about it.
What's more, the perceived failure of asset managers to tackle the issue may be exaggerated. Some daren't openly advertise their efforts to thwart cyber criminals, as they fear doing so would make them a target.
"We don't want to set hackers the challenge of testing our defences – and we don't want to give them an idea of what we're doing," says one firm that declined to be named, out of concern that speaking publicly would be a red rag to a bull.
Such concerns are not without foundation. Another firm, which likewise wishes to remain anonymous, stated a competitor had seen cyber attacks more than triple in volume after making its security measures public. In the world of cyber crime, being overtly proactive can be provocative. Even those willing to go on the record are reticent to delve into specifics. BlackRock merely confirmed it takes the issue very seriously, and has invested "significantly" in safeguards.
Still, firms may be taking measures, but is it enough? PwC's 2016 'Global State of Information Security' report found a 14% year-on-year average increase in cyber-security spending by the sector, but noted "a lack of progress" in vulnerability examinations, threat-monitoring and employee awareness training. Much of the increase in spend was, in any event, spurred by firms installing rudimentary protection systems and detection software for the first time.
This simply isn't acceptable in 2016. Whether a comprehensive cyber-security framework is adopted electively, or imposed from on high, not having one isn't an option any longer.
Asset managers need to get one, fast – it's not a matter of whether they'll be targeted, but when. After all, criminals go wherever the money is.
©2016 funds europe


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Division of Market Oversight
Dorothy DeWitt, Director
Aaron Brodsky, Senior Counsel to the Director
Dorothy DeWitt, Acting Chief Counsel
Nancy Markowitz, Deputy Director, Market Review Branch
Greg Kuserk, Deputy Director, Product Review Branch
Rachel Berdansky, Deputy Director, Compliance Branch
Meghan Tente, Acting Associate Director, Data and Reporting Branch
Mel Gunewardena, Chief Market Intelligence Officer, Market Intelligence Branch
Division of Market Oversight – Mission Statement
The mission of the Division of Market Oversight (DMO) is to foster open, transparent, fair, competitive and secure markets through clear rules and effective oversight of derivatives markets and market participants. DMO seeks to be the world's foremost authority on the rapidly evolving derivatives markets.
Guiding Principles
1. Enhance U.S. derivatives markets. We strive to promote fair, efficient and vibrant markets and a sound market structure.
2. Speak with one voice. We seek to put forth clear and unified messages to the marketplace to provide regulatory certainty.
3. Be forward-thinking and embrace innovation. We strive to develop policies and regulations that encourage innovation in the derivatives markets. We seek to promote continuous learning within the division to keep up with marketplace innovations.
4. Think practically. We seek to develop policies and regulations that are straightforward and practical.
5. Make informed policy. We strive to conduct high quality, cutting edge analysis using internal and external data to inform sound policymaking at the Commission and promote fair, efficient and vibrant markets and a sound market structure.
6. Promote teamwork and collaboration. We strive to work collaboratively with both other Commission employees and, where appropriate, outside parties, in order to reach the best possible outcome.
7. Develop our intellectual capital. We strive to raise everyone's knowledge base and create a supportive work environment.
8. Practice integrity, transparency and respect. We seek to promote integrity, transparency and respect in DMO and in all of our dealings with the public.


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STEM:IT + ROBOT:IT Bundle - Curriculum Powered by Meeper Robotics
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Southern Sounds
Your Position and Your Place . . . Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter was different. Not only was he happy to accept proceeds from rock concerts benefiting his campaign, but he was actually familiar with the rock artists and their material. On the campaign trail he spoke highly of music by Paul Simon, The Allman Brothers Band, and most especially, Bob Dylan. Carter called Dylan a friend and a "source of my understanding about what's right and wrong in this society." Such was not the standard campaign fodder. One might have expected Carter, upon election, to meet with Dylan and discuss the nation's priorities. But there was no Carter-Dylan summit. Surprisingly enough, there wasn't even a Dylan concert at the White House.
On December 12, 1978, Dylan gave a nearly three-hour concert at the Omni in Atlanta. Carter had famously attended one of the two Dylan concerts given there in January '74. Then, Carter was Governor of Georgia. He was little known outside the South, but already working behind the scenes to win the Presidency. Carter proved most creative. Little things like attending the concert, and inviting Dylan and The Band to the Governor's Mansion after the show caught the attention of discerning baby-boomers. A large segment of America's young voters read all about Dylan, The Band, and Gregg Allman spending time with Georgia's resourceful governor in the pages of Rolling Stone.
That chilly night in January '74 was a good time for both Dylan and Carter. The Dylan tour was getting the two-thumbs-up-way-up treatment in the rock press and the Carter team had to be jazzed with what they were endeavoring to pull off. The Carter people could claim a commonality of sorts with Dylan. In his songs, Dylan had long chastened the established order. In seeking the presidency, Carter would campaign against "Washington." The political and media elite took notice, and the outsider claimed victory. Just one day shy of three years since his first meeting with Dylan, Carter reported to work in the Oval Office.
Jimmy Carter enjoyed being president but some days proved difficult. In his White House Diary on December 4, 1978, he wrote, "This is the worst time of the year for me, with the Mideast, SALT, China, South Africa, Nicaragua coming to a head and preparing for the 1980 budget–all onerous and dispiriting–nothing pleasant." Perhaps it would've been a good idea for Carter to fly down to Atlanta the next week to hear Dylan at the Omni. After the concert, they could have gotten together for a lively chat on their work and the bad press they were getting.
Rolling Stone had taken both to task in recent months. In June, the magazine published an article by right-wing columnist Patrick J. Buchanan entitled "Why Carter Must Go." Pat Buchanan? In Rolling Stone? Just two years before. the magazine had run a long and captivating piece by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson that praised Carter's integrity and refreshing attitude. Buchanan, of course, had a different take, writing, "Sixteen months and Jimmy Carter's presidency is dead in the water, trapped in a Sargasso sea of contradiction and incompetence."
Two months later, Rolling Stone published Greil Marcus's review of Dylan's new album, Street Legal. Marcus, of course, had written many words extolling Dylan over the years. He admired much of Dylan's work, whereas we can be sure Buchanan was rarely, if at all, in Carter's camp. So when Marcus found little to admire about Street Legal, calling most of the album "dead air or close to it," the words proved disquieting, if not to Dylan himself, then certainly to many of his fans. Throughout that year Dylan's work would continue to receive harsh judgments. An October issue of New Times magazine featured an article by Newsday music critic Wayne Robins which had nothing kind to say about a recent Dylan concert at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum. Robins likened the concert to a slick Vegas show, concluding that wisdom called for Dylan's "graceful retirement, or at least a well-deserved rest."
But on December 12, 1978, if retirement wasn't on Dylan's mind, Jimmy Carter was. After his Omni concert that evening, he spoke with a reporter ("too embarrassed to sign my name" to the story, the editor's note said) for The Atlanta Gazette. Dylan and the reporter are recalling the '74 Atlanta concert which Carter attended and the party at the Governor's Mansion afterward. "You know," Dylan says, "He didn't invite me to the inauguration, and he's never invited me to the White House." The reporter was taken aback, "Never? In two years?" he asked. Dylan responded as if he wanted to speak with Carter himself about the slight, " No, never. He had Charlie Daniels to sing. I never heard him quote any Charlie Daniels song." No surprise there. Paraphrasing from Dylan's "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" to say America was a country busy being born and not dying sounded much better on the campaign trail north of the Mason-Dixon line than "Be proud you're a rebel, 'cause the South's gonna do it again."
Even though Jimmy Carter didn't host Dylan at the White House, he and wife Rosalyn Carter have attended Dylan concerts in Atlanta over the last 25 years or so. In summer '88, they attended a Dylan concert at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre on the city's north side. G.E. Smith was on lead guitar. Dylan and his band were loud and they rocked hard. Sitting close to the stage, Jimmy Carter may have thought it wasn't how most couples in their sixties spent an evening out. And he probably found it more fun than some of those long nights in the Oval Office.
And How You Like To Be Kissed . . . Eartha Kitt was a star of stage, screen, television and the American Top 40. Orson Welles once called her the world's most exciting woman. Considering Welles had been married to Rita Hayworth, that's high praise. Upon seeing Kitt dance at a Parisian nightclub in 1950, Welles decided to cast her as Helen of Troy for his stage production of Doctor Faustus. During the show's run, he became quite enamored with Kitt. Welles turned on the charm, sharing with her what she called a "marvelous gourmet type of living." Naturally enough, Orson Welles was smitten. But along with the high life, Kitt was also introduced to Welles's unpredictability. "I never knew what the hell he was going to do," Kitt remembered.
The impetuous nature of Welles was experienced first hand — very first hand — by Kitt in the opening night presentation of Doctor Faustus. Barbara Leaming, in her biography, Orson Welles, reports on the drama within the drama:
To illustrate, (Kitt) describes the strange scene…. Miss Kitt played a young student who, seeing a statue of Faust in a museum, falls in love with him. The action that unfolds is the daydream she has about the statue's coming alive. As the spotlight falls on Orson, he begins suddenly to move. "And he stretches his arms out," Miss Kitt recalls. "The girl gets up on the other side of the stage. As she gets to Orson, he takes her in his arms and he says, 'Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.' He's talking to the audience , and he says, 'Helen make me immortal with a kiss, he pulls me up to him, he kisses me, but he bites me at the same time. I mean, he bites me to such an extent that it was very painful." Miss Kitt suspected it was the conspicuous presence of an older gentleman friend of hers from the states that triggered Orson's jealous outburst: "I asked him later and he said that he was jealous. He said he got excited."
Pass The Sugar, Lady Bird . . . In January '68, there were many, especially in the government, who wished Kitt had bitten her tongue, or at least held it. Always candid, she let fly with her opinions at a White House luncheon hosted by the First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson. Kitt was among the 50 influential women (called "Women Doers") invited to discuss juvenile delinquency and the problems of American youth. For some reason, Mrs. Johnson asked Kitt about the Vietnam War. Instead of mumbling the standard pap regarding the brave young soldiers, and then asking the First Lady to pass the sugar bowl, Kitt made her feelings clear, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed; no wonder the kids rebel and take pot," Kitt declared.
Eartha Kitt wasn't finished. She held her ground, more resolved as she continued, "The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are rebelling against something. There are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. They feel they are going to raise sons and I know what it's like, and you have children of your own, Mrs. Johnson — we raise children and send them to war."
Reportedly, Kitt's strong words brought Mrs. Johnson to tears. So while President Johnson couldn't end American involvement in Vietnam or help America reconcile with its young people, he could show support for his wife by changing the direction of Eartha Kitt's career. Prior to conveying her feelings to the First Lady, Kitt had been a big star in the United States. She was that great rarity: a black entertainer accepted by the mainstream. Kitt was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, nominated for an Emmy in '66 for a guest performance on "I Spy" and during the 67-68 TV season, appeared as Catwoman on "Batman." However, her achievements became irrelevant to millions overnight after so freely stating her mind. She became persona non grata in America.
In a '97 interview with Philadelphia's Citypaper, Kitt recalled Johnson saying, "I don't want to see that woman's face anywhere. Out of sight, out of mind." Johnson got his wish. Kitt spent the next decade performing at venues in Europe and Asia. But in 1978, she returned to New York to star in Timbuktu!, the Broadway musical. The same year, she made a return to Washington, to the White House, where she was welcomed by President Jimmy Carter.
Jeff Cochran
Jeff Cochran worked in advertising at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 27 years before accepting a buy-out in the Summer of 2008. In the seventies/early eighties, he handled advertising for Peaches Records and Tapes' Southeastern and Midwestern stores. He also wrote record reviews for The Great Speckled Bird, a ground-breaking underground newspaper based in Atlanta.


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Characters, you were. insensibly led into an Argument, which demonstrates Benevolence to be the original Growth of Man's Heart, and what must consequently have drawn him into Society. Pity, you have allowed, is a natural Passion. And what is Pity, but Love softened by a Degree of Sorrow, the Meltings of a benevolent Heart? This then was the generous Sympathy, which knit Mankind together, and blended them in one common Interest. From hence then it appears, that, if Nature did not directly dictate Associations to the human Kind, she yet gave them such preparative Faculties, as drew them, by Degrees, into national Brotherhoods. In this View, "she seems to have treated us as a Painter does "his Disciples, to whom he commits some rude '* Sketches and Out-lines ; which they them"selves are to color and complete [z]."
The Passion of Pity is then a full Proof, that Men have naturally a Love for their Species, however it may be checked or stifled by some Counter-inclination; which, it cannot be denied, is too often the Cafe. Sensible of this Truth, the Legislators took infinite Pains, and called forth all their Skill, to rouze the dormant Passion. This seems to be the concealed Meaning of what the Poets tell us concerning Orpbeut and. his Lyre.
[z] Ut Phidias potest a prfino instituere signum, idqueperficere j potest ab alio inchoatum accipere & abfolvere: Huic est fapientia snnilis. Non enim ipfa genuit hominem, sed accepit a natura inchoatum: hanc ergd intueiw, debet institutiun illud, quasi signum. absolvere.
Cicsko de Finibus,p. yg. Edit. Aid. Manuc.
Thus, in every View, it seems evident, that H was Asfection for the Species, which drew Men into Society; and that, without it, they never did, and never can subsist. For could Nature intend to preserve and propagate the Species, and not maintain Fellowship and mutual Asfection? Whence arises that strict Agreement between the Sexes, in the Care of their growing Offspring, but from Love? J*tnd can you stop here? How (as I remember Lord Shastesbury closely puts the Question) "How should Man "break off from this Society, if once begun? And "that it began thus, and grew into an Houshold, "is an incontestable Fact. And must not this "Houfhold have soon grown into a Tribe? that "Tribe into a Nation?"
Here Pbilocles paused—when, looking stedfastly on his Friend—O Sopbronius, faid he, is it possible you can, in good Earnest, contend against the Reality of the kind and generous Affections? Is it possible you cannot discover a moral Attraction in our Natures, which unites Mankind to each other, previous to all Considerations of Interest or Convenience?
But I have long suspected, that we are drawn into Opinions from our constitutional Propensities, as the Stream follows the several Declivities of the Ground, through which it flows. Something, perhaps, of this Kind may have given a Bias to my Friend's Sentiments, and turned them aside from that Scheme he is opposing. But I will not despair of reconciling you to more favourable Thoughts of the human Kind. No Method
seems seems mere probable to effect this, than a Contemplation of Nature in these her visible Operations. From her (it is confessed) the designing and imitative Arts derive all their Energy and Grace. And yet she herself, it seems, (helpless Parent !) is destitute of all those Charms and Delicacies, she confers on her acknowledged Offspring! But—
It is very possible, interrupted Sopbronius, that the Opinions of Mankind may be influenced by their Tempers. The Fruit, no Doubt, will partake of the Nature of the Soil. But Pbiloclet st»ouki remember, that the fame Observation wiil serve to explain the Rise of his Sentiments, iW less than mine. I am, however, very willing 'to confess, that I am always ashamed of being pleased, where I cannot assign the Cause; and. am extremely apt to suspect my Judgment concerning any Object, that moves my Passion. For" this Reason, I mould hardly send my Disciple to the School of Arts (for there, Pbilocles, you seemed to be pointing) for his Instruction in the Truth of severe Philosophy. A good Picture, a well-executed Statue, or a fine Style, give me (so far as I am able to discover clearly their respective Beauties) some Degree of Pleasure. But when the professed Admirers, the Connoisseurs in these several Arts, talk of their nameless Graces, their certain inexplicable Delicacies, and I know not what other fine Terms, of which they themselves do not pretend to explain the Meaning ; there, I
conseis, confess, I am left behind, 'and reserve my Rapture, till I receive my Conviction.
For tell me, Philocks, what is this Delicacy, either in the Arts or Conduct of Life, which you are constantly extolling in such high Strains, and with such an Air .of Earnestness, as if you were persuaded that there is something in it real and substantial?
Phihcles was going to reply; when a Servant informed them that tupper was upon the TableHowever, in their Way to the House, he took Occasion, from the beautiful Scenes they passedi to throw out some general Reflexions in Support of his favourite Doctrine : for he was determined to omit no Opportunity of drawing his Friend into the Love and Study of Refinement, the Disregard to which Accomplishment he looked upon as the chief Deficiency in the Character of Sopbronius.
AS Sopbronius is an early riser, he was amufing himself in the Library, before Pbilocles was yet stirring. But his Friend, perceiving it now Day, soon followed him thither, being unwilling to lose any Opportunity of enjoying a Converfation, in which he sound himself often instructed, and always entertained.
How happy (faid Pbilocles entering the Room) how happy would it be for the fashionable World, were they as well acquainted " with this sweet "Hour of Prime," as you, Sopbronius, are, who seldom suffer the Sun to rise upon you in Bed!
Rather, replied Sopbronius, how much happier would it be for the World in general, would certain active Spirits be persuaded to slumber Life away! since they wake but to pursue their Ambition, or vent their Impertinences, and rife only to embroil or miflead Mankind.
Undoubtedly, faid Pbilocles, if many of those, whose Actions fill our Histories, or whose Speculations swell our Libraries, had passed their whole Lives in profound Sleep; the World would have been obliged to them for their Repose, but can only now lament that they were ever awake.
I was reading the other Day (continued he) a Treatise upon Bees: The ingenious Author,


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Oak Lee Montessori School currently has 2 sites; Love Lane and Cuckoo Hill Road, Pinner.
The pre-school years are an important time for both parents and children. During this time children will learn many of the skills they will need in order to cope with all that life has on offer for them. We will strive to create an inclusive, safe, secure environment in which the children are able to progress and develop at their own pace. Our aim is to make the pre-school years a happy and rewarding experience for families.
We aim to quench the thirst for knowledge that every child has and to develop in them a love of learning. We are committed to working closely with families to lay the foundation for each child's future, ensuring they have every opportunity to develop to their full potential. At Oak Lee each child is respected as an individual and treated equally irrespective of gender, race or culture.